Chapter 428: Chapter 65 Going to Sea Chapter 428: Chapter 65 Going to Sea Dragon Tiger Mountain, Heavenly Gate Peak.
The lingering sll of wax around the mountaintop had just dissipated, and the once omnipresent golden glow that covered the mountain had finally dimd, revealing the true color of the rocks.
From the foothills below, the occasional faint chanting and the sound of ritual instrunts like bells and conchs could be heard, weak and breathless.
On the small path leading up the mountain, one could often see black paper cranes, gathered in twos and threes, clinging to crevices in the rocks and tree branches, fluttering their paper wings or hopping around, a picture of laziness. It was rare now to see the black paper cranes swirling like a black storm as they had in the past, with a terrifying force that seed to sweep everything before them.
“Ha~um.”
A red-robed mage of the Zheng generation yawned midway and quickly covered his mouth, seeing the Taoists around him seemingly unaware, he then breathed a sigh of relief, rubbing his tired and swollen eyes in secret and picking up a gold hamr beside him. He resud ringing the bell again.
That Mountain Spirit on the peak of Heavenly Gate has been well-behaved, besides eating the vegetarian als sent up from Dragon Tiger Mountain every day, reading books to relieve boredom, it caused no further disturbance.
Yet on Heavenly Gate Peak, the several hundred ritorious mages working in two shifts at the Dragon-Tiger Talisman Array dared not slacken in the slightest.
Three months had passed, and at the base of Heavenly Gate Peak, thirty-six mages of the Shou generation and one hundred and eight of the Zheng generation—a total of one hundred and forty-four Dragon Tiger Taoists split into two shifts guarding the talisman array—but even they couldn’t bear such tornt.
The Butter Treasure Candles that were scattered all over the mountain had burned out, the Ten Li Purple-Gold rit Clouds had dissipated without a trace, and even the Cinnabar Paper Cranes powered by Dragon Tiger Qi could hardly fly anymore. These were key treasures for suppressing the Celestial Demon, and if the ritual instrunts were in such a state, what about the mortal bodies of Dragon Tiger Mountain?
However, there was one who was extrely spirited.
“Oh wei—oh wei, da da—oh wei.”
The tender voice of a child carried far, and upon hearing it, the many Taoists perked up.
A snow-white crane with a crimson crown, nearly half a zhang tall and massive in size, strutted forward on two claws, spreading its wings wide, letting out a sharp cry toward the Taoists.
Around its neck hung a lunch box, and on its back was a Taoist boy about thirteen or fourteen years old, carrying a satchel.
The boy clasped his arms tightly around the crane’s slender neck, chanting a mountain tune with excitent. His small fra swung up and down with the running pace of the Immortal Crane, like a blade of wild grass swaying in the wind.
The Taoists were shocked and many on the outer periter repeatedly waved their hands: “Shouyi, Junior Uncle (Junior Brother), Shouyi, Junior Uncle (Junior Brother). Co down! Co down!”
Upon hearing this, Fengcu let go, balled up his body, and tumbled down from the tall grass slope, stopping right in front of the many Dragon Tiger Taoists after hitting a tree stump. His precious purple Daoist robe was now covered with a lot of grass and dust.
The Immortal Crane followed down the slope after him. This bird seed to have intelligence; it nudged the fallen Fengcu with its head and flapped its wings, issuing a cry.
Cluck—cluck-
“Um~”
Fengcu sat up, rubbing the back of his head, appearing to be unhard.
“Shouyi Junior Brother, you nearly scared us to death.”
One of the Dragon Tiger Taoists sighed with relief.
Fengcu first smoothed out his Daoist robe, then proceeded to bow ceremoniously to the many Taoists in the array, saying crisply, “Fellow senior and junior brothers, you’ve all worked hard. I am here on The Master’s orders, to deliver vegetarian als up the mountain.”
“Alright then, off you go.”
A Taoist with grizzled temples nodded benignly.
Fengcu, after hearing this, plucked the food box from the neck of the Immortal Crane, straightened the book bag on his chest, and humd a mountain tune as he walked ahead, while the other Dragon Tiger Taoists watched him go.
Atop Heavenly Gate Peak, over a thousand precious fragrant nanmu trees once grew, each so massive that three or four n were needed to encircle them. However, in April, the Green Fla Celestial Demon wreaked havoc and reduced those trees to ashes. At that ti, the fragrance lingered around Heavenly Gate Peak for several days unabated. But today, the peak was left bare, stripped of its forr splendor.
Atop the cliff sat a beautiful woman in simple green clothing, her bare feet dangling. Piles of books stood next to her; initially heavy with scholarly notes, but later dominated mostly by boudoir novels like “Mingzhu Yuan” or ghostly tales such as “Dongyang Night Monsters Record.”
She held “Zhongshan Poetry Tales” on her lap, her delicate fingers playing with the neck of a black paper crane beside her, while beneath her snowy white feet shimred the light of the dawn and mist—incredibly picturesque, a sight to behold.
As Fengcu ascended the mountain, he sang out, “La la la, la la la, the black cat sergeant~”
The woman heard the tune and turned her head cheerfully, batting her spirited eyes, and suddenly ca to life.
Fengcu opened the two-tiered food box, dishing out one course after another, all still steaming hot.
“For today’s lunch, we’ve got stir-fried noodles, sesa oil with dough silks, monkey’s head mushrooms with bok choy hearts, eight-diagram tofu—this is a delicacy of the mountain, sought after by nobles and royals. There’s also a pot of Purple Jade Brew (grape wine).”
Lady Dan thanked him. She took the obsidian chopsticks Fengcu offered and flicked her gaze over the delicate porcelain dishes, poking around but not seeming to have much appetite.
In the end, she only picked at a few bok choy hearts and dough silks before stopping.
“How co you’re not eating?”
Lady Dan felt sowhat embarrassed, but she replied bashfully, “I can’t eat so of the dishes served today.”
“Why, why?” Fengcu scratched his head, not understanding. “Still not accustod to the food? Then I’ll ask the kitchen to change it.”
“The stir-fried noodles contain eggs, and there’s fish, shrimp, and snails in the tofu, along with donkey and lamb at. I can’t eat any of these.”
Fengcu didn’t see it as a big deal: “Noted, I’ll have the kitchen remake it next ti.”
“And…” Lady Dan added, looking up again, “Could you also tell your chef that I would prefer if he didn’t gild the dishes with chicken fat before serving? Also, I really liked the rice candy from last ti…”
Her voice grew fainter as she spoke.
Perhaps she also felt her pickiness was a bit rude; her face turned red as she spoke these words.
“Got it, got it,” Fengcu suddenly asked, “Are all Mountain Spirits and Wild Gods vegetarians?”
Lady Dan shook her head. Having grown familiar with Fengcu over the days, she spoke without reserve, “I used to eat at as well, just not much. But…”
She showed her palm, where there lay a black crescent moon and a tiny black cauldron.
“Since I’ve taken on soone else’s mystical power, even a bit of greasiness makes feel nauseated. It’s beco a strange kind of rich person’s malady. Actually, it bothers too, he always complains about not seasoning enough.”
Fengcu looked up: “What?”
Lady Dan blinked and smiled coyly at him: “Nothing much.”
Fengcu didn’t mind. He was used to such soliloquies from his Master and senior brothers; it had beco second nature to him.
Fengcu removed his book bag, grumbling, “That latter half of ‘Liu Yi’s Tale’ you wanted is sold out in the bookstore, so I only managed to gather so new stories for you. Take a look.”
“Sold out? Both Kuaijie Pavilion and Dahuang Cave bookstores are out of stock? When will the new ones arrive?”
Lady Dan’s disappointnt was written all over her face.
Fengcu lifted a book over his head and handed it to Lady Dan, clamoring, “Look at this one, look at this one, this is also a story about a dragon maiden and a scholar falling in love.”
Lady Dan took it, not really caring, but was instantly drawn to a small booklet sandwiched between two books, titled “Cha and Li’s Bohai Sea Fight with the Five Immortals.”
She flipped straight to the content of the small booklet and began reading it, engrossed.
Fengcu sat to one side, cocked his head, and happened to spot under Lady Dan’s skirt hem a purple-red scripture book and a fist-sized square seal.
These two items looked unremarkable, but in fact were two of the treasures passed down through the gate of Dragon Tiger Mountain, the Thirty-Five rit Seal, and the ‘Taiping Cave Ultimate Scripture’. The millennium legacy of Dragon Tiger Mountain was tied to these few treasures.
“Wuu~”
Fengcu stuck his tongue out, placed his palm on the rock, and reached with his fingers for the cover of the purple scripture book pressed beneath Lady Dan’s thigh.
Perhaps because she was so absorbed in reading, Lady Dan didn’t seem to notice Fengcu’s action, until his hand was about to touch the scripture book, she casually said without looking up, “Go ahead and be mischievous, but it will just cause needless trouble for your brothers down the mountain.”
Fengcu bowed his head, taking a long while before looking up again, “You’re not a bad person, so why co to rob the treasures entrusted to our lives?”
Lady Dan’s gaze shifted from the book to Fengcu’s face, “With your innocent heart, have you never heard of the trick of ‘luring the tiger from the mountain’?”
Fengcu, getting the implication in Lady Dan’s words, began to complain on behalf of his family, “It was you and my newly initiated junior sister who colluded from inside and outside, stealing and contaminating our treasures, which led to the collecting of flags from the Thirteen Provinces. How is it my Master’s fault?”
Lady Dan pursed her lips, “You can say whatever you want, just don’t claim I colluded with soone without a brain. I really can’t afford to lose that face.”
She suddenly stopped talking and pointed to a character in the illustration, her eyes fixed on Fengcu, “You ntioned the Heavenly Master Tao wants the flags from the Thirteen Provinces. Is there a story about him in here?”
She pointed to the young military commander who was standing with his gun, striding into the sea, on the illustration.
Fengcu nodded, “Governor Li, we are old acquaintances from Joseon. The flag from the Liaodong Chief Military Officer was sent over by him.”
Lady Dan frowned upon hearing this but quickly composed herself. Clutching the small booklet in her hand, wrinkling it, she then asked Fengcu warmly and softly, “Do you want to listen to a story?”
These past few days, Fengcu had been bringing water and als to Lady Dan, and his favorite thing was listening to the stories from Lady Dan’s mouth. There were tales of a black cat working as a constable, a little person outsmarting mice, and seven treasured gourds fighting against demons—he loved them dearly.
Lady Dan raised the small booklet in her hand, “Then next ti, bring the rest of the story in this book, will you?”
————————————————
The flat-bottod boat, covered with dark moss, made a soughing sound, and its ten-ter-tall sails were fully stretched, with several black Dragon Flags flying. The sealed boat slowly left the harbor.
“In addition to escorting the Lord, I have also loaded a hundred boxes of rcury, a hundred boxes of pepper, and two hundred boxes of white wax. They are all packed in burlap bags in the ballast, not accounted for by the governnt. Once we reach the south of the Yangtze, we can turn around and make a fifty percent profit. The rules used to be clear—aside from Shandong Mariti Bureau’s officials, you, Lord Governor, would get a ten percent cut.”
Chen Yuewu dismissed everyone else, leaving only him, Li Yan, and Cha Xiaodao in the room. He lowered his voice, “It’s about fifteen thousand taels.”
Li Yan frowned, “I can’t just take this money as I please. You say the rules were clear, but I see the Emperor as not so clear, the censorial officials are not so clear, and the Shandong provincial governnt office may not be clear either. The Mariti Bureau is managed by Dragon Tiger Mountain; they stuff themselves silly, and when it’s ti to settle accounts, are they going to drag under too?”
Chen Yuewu smiled, “After so many years, the rule remains the sa. As long as Dragon Tiger Mountain stands, this rule cannot be broken.”
“The rise of Dragon Tiger Mountain was but a matter of the last century. How can you be so sure it won’t fall?”
Li Yan smiled slyly.
Chen Yuewu sighed, and after a mont of contemplation, he began, “These words, they ought not to co from , but as there are no outsiders here now…”
He faced Li Yan with a serious expression, “You are of the lineage of Li Chengliang, Lord Li, and Lord Li has deep connections with the Cabinet. Several senior mbers of the Cabinet have a bitter relationship with the Taiyi Pavilion of Dragon Tiger Mountain. Therefore, it’s normal for you to have a poor perception of Dragon Tiger Mountain, my lord. But my lord,”
he said, frowning, “the roots of Dragon Tiger Mountain have already intertwined entirely with our Great Ming Dynasty. The imperial court can’t do without Dragon Tiger Mountain at this juncture. My lord, refusing this money is just inviting needless envy and hatred. It’s not worth it.”
Li Yan listened without imdiately responding and pondered for a while before saying, “Well then, I shall accept this sum of money.”
“With that word from Lord Governor, I can rest assured,”
said Chen Yuewu with a smile.
“Not so fast. With this money, you’ll buy grain for , all of it for disaster relief wherever there is a famine. I don’t care where. You handle the relief, and when you return, I want your receipts.”
“Alright,” replied Chen Yuewu, his admiration for Li Yan growing deeper, “If there’s nothing else, this humble one will take his leave.”
“Elder Mr. Chen, please take care.”
After sending Chen Yuewu off, Cha Xiaodao couldn’t help but speak up, “You’re quite generous. That’s nearly four thousand Yan Fu points you’re giving away. Just like that?”
Li Yan held up a finger, “If I were to take this money, it would be like handing the hilt of the knife to Dragon Tiger Mountain, allowing them to stab whenever they wish.”
Cha Xiaodao frowned, “Surely it’s not that serious. After all, no one at Dragon Tiger Mountain holds a grudge against you, and it’s not that complicated. It’s not like our true purpose has been leaked.”
He lowered his voice when he ca to the last sentence.
“Maybe it’s not about a grudge; maybe soone wants to recruit , force onto their ship—it’s a sugar-coated shell. In any case, refusing this money is the safer option,”
said Li Yan, his tone uncertain.
Having thought it over, Li Yan raised an eyebrow, “Perhaps I’m overthinking. For now, let’s just play it by ear. Our trip to Jiangxi to achieve our goal is no easier than ascending to heaven. I’m prepared for the worst, to sever a limb if necessary; if not, we can simply leave this fruit be for the future.”
It is now mid-July, with just over a month left before the Heavenly Master Tao’s final deadline in September. Reports of Dragon Tiger Banners being lost and snatched away are coming in from all over the place.
Of the Two Capitals and Thirteen Provinces, only the fourteen Dragon Tiger Banners from Liaodong, which remain secure in their hands without significant casualties, have managed with ease. Li Yan’s impressive performance has naturally caught the attention of many.
Among them include heads of various court departnts, Dragon Tiger Taoists of the Tiqi, and high practitioners from the Taiyi Pavilion of Heavenly Master Tao…
As Banners across the lands fall into the hands of heretics, official reports flood into Beijing like a blizzard.
Natural disasters, civil unrest, and fiendish goblins—all seem poised to burst forth.
So people are rubbing their hands with glee, seeing this as a pri opportunity to topple Heavenly Master Tao, while others are resolute in their oaths, determined to uphold the doctrines of Heavenly Master Tao and not let the legacy of the ancestors be disturbed by the insignificant.
Amidst these turbulent and deceptive tis, no one knows what the Heavenly Master and the Divine Emperor—both supre authorities of the Tao and the nation—really have in store…
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