Beginning with the Ubume Bird-Chapter 395 - 32 The Five Immortals Stir Up Trouble in
Chapter 395: Chapter 32: The Five Immortals Stir Up Trouble in the Bohai Sea (Part 2)
Chapter 395: Chapter 32: The Five Immortals Stir Up Trouble in the Bohai Sea (Part 2)
In Jiangxi’s Dragon Tiger Mountain, beneath the Heavenly Gate Peak, sits the Taiyi Mansion.
“These are the reports from the Office of the Imperial Censorate, compiling the recent case details from Dragon Tiger Offices all over. As usual, the originals are sent to the Imperial Library in the Capital City and a copied version is dispatched to our Taiyi Mansion,” said a slender middle-aged man in a cyan Daoist robe, standing respectfully as he pulled a stack of yellow talisman papers from a jade box.
Case reports from the Two Capitals and Thirteen Provinces were divided into two parts, one sent to the central government and the other to Dragon Tiger Mountain. Although limited to cases involving demons, Dragon Tiger Mountain could be said to rule the world alongside the Divine Emperor.
In front of the middle-aged man was a long desk, around which several high-ranking mages clad in red Daoist robes were seated.
“If the esteemed uncles and ancestors have no other matters, I will select the important ones and report to you all,” he said.
“Proceed,” replied Yi Yu with a lazy yawn.
The slender man immediately took out a talisman paper marked for urgent attention.
“Yesterday, the Haizhou Guard Prefecture’s city suffered a demon calamity. Two sections of the city wall were destroyed, resulting in the death and injury of over a hundred and fifty civilians and soldiers. The Commandant Qiao Dayong, along with several visiting Dragon Tiger Servants, unfortunately perished in service.”
An old Daoist, snuff bottle in hand, put down his toy and asked incredulously, “Is this absolutely certain?”
The position of Guard Commandant is of third rank, vested with hundreds of Dragon Tiger Qi carvings. Even demons with a millennium’s worth of cultivation wouldn’t dare come near; how could this have happened…
Efficiently, the middle-aged man pulled out several more talisman papers: “The cause of the incident has been clarified by the Office of the Imperial Censorate. It all started with the Liaodong Flag Protector chosen by Commander-in-chief Li Rumei, the Left Bureau Governor of Daning, Li Yan.”
“Who?”
Yi Yu suddenly heard a familiar name and immediately perked up, listening intently.
The middle-aged man placed the recently reported case file of Zhang Shouhan on the table and began to recount orally, including the incidents of Li Yan’s banquet execution of Guo Zhengtao, the demon attack on the post station, and Zhang Shouhan’s arson of Hao Xian Valley, briefing everything to the high-ranking mages present.
He also reported verbatim the blood oath challenge issued by the Five Immortals Outside the Pass and noted that some local villages were already showing signs of plague, urging for a prompt allocation of manpower to address it.
After he finished, the reactions of the high-ranking mages varied.
Someone angrily condemned Left Bureau Governor Li Yan, a mere military officer, for daring to execute a court official without authorization, seeing it as a deliberate provocation to the Heavenly Master Tao; such behavior must not be tolerated.
Others sneered, arguing that it was the imperial duty of the government to eliminate demons and that the audacious resistance and retaliation of the Five Classes of Liaodong, making such presumptuous statements, was like a mantis blocking a chariot, self-destructive.
Sitting in the middle, Yi Yu watched several old fellows finish their bombastic statements before slowly speaking up.
“I also know a little about these Five Classes of Liaodong. Before Emperor Chengzu established his reign, legends spoke of three hidden demons; within Shanhaiguan, Golden Mountain Old Ancestor of Qianguang Cave counted as one. The remaining two hailed from the Five Immortals Outside the Pass. Then, with Dragon Tiger Qi stable and the National Instrument suppressing them, there was no distinction between righteous and heretical paths, and the three demons, who had resided deep in the mountains for only about a thousand years, did not dare to show themselves. But now, their cultivation must span at least two thousand five hundred years, if not more.”
Upon hearing this, the eyebrows of the high-ranking mages furrowed deeply.
Two thousand five hundred years of cultivation in a great demon was only one step shy of the ascending immortals of legend.
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According to the sect’s scriptures, Heavenly Master Zhang Daoling, the forefather of Heavenly Master Tao, used the Thirty-Five Merit Seal granted by Supreme Lord to slay the Eight Demons of Shu, who each had only three thousand years of cultivation.
Seeing that they remained silent, Yi Yu huffed and slammed his hand on the table, “Moreover, above us….”
He pointed up towards Heavenly Gate Peak, “There sits a true Celestial Demon capable of ascending to the heavenly realm. Tell me, should we really spare manpower to deal with those Five Classes Outside the Pass? Since my fellow seniors were so righteously indignant just now, why not simply descend the mountain….”
The old Daoists shook their heads like rattle-drums, their earlier arrogance gone.
“Then, what does Junior Brother Yi suggest we do….”
asked one of the senior mages.
“Don’t ask me; let the master worry about it,”
Yi Yu flicked his sleeves.
The Daoist priests of the Taiyi Mansion ‘s generation with surnames starting with ‘Guard,’ looked at each other, hesitating between the magical power of two ancient demons who had lived for two thousand five hundred years and their own hot-tempered master.
In the end, grinding their teeth and holding their noses, they admitted their helplessness and forwarded the spy reports to the current Heavenly Master, Zhang Yichu, who was wholeheartedly suppressing the Celestial Demon.
Within the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the junior brother Fei Fei brought the reply from Zhang Yichu, hopping and skipping.
Heavenly Master Zhang’s attitude was indifferent, with only one sentence, “The oath of five blood types is but a trivial matter, no need to bother. Provide a generous funeral for Zhang Shouhan, Hu Weisheng, Rong Ze, and other Dragon Tiger Servants who died in the line of duty. For those with outstanding descendants, enroll them in Dragon Tiger Mountain among the ‘A’ generation. For those without offspring, send their ashes to the Heavenly Master’s ancestral temple to be recorded in the annals of Dragon Tiger Mountain.”
“Don’t care?”
Upon hearing this, Yi Yu’s eyes went wider than a bull’s, fuming as he paced back and forth in the room, cursing heaven and earth, “Then just wait for Liaodong to be littered with corpses, and our Dragon Tiger Mountain can apologize to the world!”
…
Li Yan’s ship sailed the Bohai Sea for two days and one night, and as the sun sank into the sea, turning the Bohai Sea blood red.
“Lord Governor, I reckon after midnight tonight, we will arrive at Jin Kou.”
The ship’s deck officer smiled broadly; the sea had also been calm these days without any mishaps.
Emerging from the aft cabin, Li Yan took in the faint scent of delicious food wafting out, stirring the appetite.
He glanced at the sunset reflected on the sea surface before turning to speak, “Alright, Old Xing, you’ve worked hard on this journey. Not to speak of the County Office, once we arrive in Jin Kou, I will definitely lay out a table of good dishes to properly thank you.”
“You’re too kind, Lord Governor.”
Li Yan always treated his subordinates with calmness and without putting on airs, and the deck officer thought very highly of him. Sniffing the fragrant aroma, he gave Li Yan a thumbs up, “Speaking of which, Cha Xiaodao’s cooking skills are truly extraordinary, three points better than the signature chefs in restaurants.”
“Old Xing.” Li Yan approached the deck officer and took out two large gold ingots, pushing them into his hands.
“Lord Governor, what is this?”
The deck officer wasn’t someone unfamiliar with money, but after all, he led a hard life at sea. These two gold ingots were enough for his family of six to live securely for the rest of their lives.
“Take it. Don’t push yourself too hard after midnight. Take your son and son-in-law to rest early, squeeze in with my brother and nephew, and if you hear any noises, just pretend you don’t know anything.”
Old Xing blinked and, without saying a word, silently stashed the gold ingots into his belt.
Patting his shoulder, Li Yan turned and went back into the cabin.
Cha Xiaodao squatted unceremoniously on the ground, smoking. He had long since grown accustomed to such behavior. Seeing Li Yan come in, he finally spoke, “The food is ready. What’s in the red food box is prepared for you.”
Li Yan glanced at the table and nodded, “I’ll deal with them. You watch over the others on the boat; if necessary, protect Cao Yongchang first.”
Personal feelings aside, that little rascal was also linked to a reward for an additional Yan Fu incident.
“Understood.”
Cha Xiaodao nodded his head.
The two of them set up an altar with incense, a table, and chairs on the deck, offering sandalwood incense. The table was laid with four meat and four vegetarian dishes, two cold plates, and several jars of aged wine.
As night fell, Li Yan sat on the deck, while Cha Xiaodao, with a cigarette dangling from his lips, dragged Cao Yongchang into the cabin, leaving the sea in utter silence.
