"Senior Brother Jing Feng!"
"Senior Brother Ming Chong!"
One was a senior from the Celestial Master’s Mansion, the other the successor of the Fengyue Sect. Both belonged to the Zhengyi Dao in Celestial Xia, so they addressed each other as "Senior Brother" and had a good relationship.
Taoist Jing Feng also introduced the two friends he had brought with him: a man and a woman, one human and one ghost.
The man cupped his hands in respect. "I, Xu Jing, am but a humble Scholar. I owe my current circumstances entirely to the support of my wife."
The woman curtsied. "My husband and I, Yue Yan, have cultivated diligently. Without Senior Jing Feng’s help, our century of Dao Practice would have been for naught."
The other young lady glanced around the hall before her eyes settled on Gu Zhao. With poised grace, she gave a slight bow. "Xu Sirou, greetings to the Palace Master of Daluo Palace."
"Please, have a seat." Gu Zhao gestured for them to sit, and the Silk Embroideress served tea once more.
After introductions were made for the Purple Cloud Monarch and the mbers of Daluo Palace, Gu Zhao had Zhuo Qingyan and Huang Yuan stay to entertain the guests. Li Qingshuang also remained but did not reveal her identity.
Taoist Jing Feng had only intended to give a brief introduction, but the couple had no such reservations and began to tell their story.
Xu Jing and Yue Yan were a couple in Harmony, natives of Qianshan Prefecture in Jiangzhou. They had always ignored worldly affairs to focus on their cultivation. After their daughter, Xu Sirou, was born, they went into seclusion on the outskirts of the Prefecture City to live a normal life.
Xu Sirou cultivated alongside her parents while also making friends and living in the Prefecture City. During one spring outing, however, she was unfortunate enough to be spotted by a disciple of the Black Furnace Old Ghost from Black Furnace Mountain in Qianshan Prefecture.
The old ghost’s disciple tried to abduct Xu Sirou. He hadn’t expected Xu Jing to have placed a mark on his own daughter, allowing him to arrive in the nick of ti. Wary of the Black Furnace Old Ghost, however, Xu Jing didn’t dare to kill the disciple. He rely taught him a lesson and drove him away.
Unexpectedly, the disciple ran back to tattle, provoking the Black Furnace Old Ghost to co personally to propose a marriage on his disciple’s behalf.
What a joke!
That little fiend had a green face and protruding fangs, a shock of yellow hair, and was utterly boorish and vulgar. How could Xu Jing possibly approve of him? He decisively refused, which infuriated the old ghost, who then resorted to taking her by force.
Xu Jing and Yue Yan were no match for him. But as fate would have it, Taoist Jing Feng was passing by. Seeing one side overflowing with Evil Qi and the other with pure Yin Qi, he didn’t have to think twice before intervening.
The Beiyin Fengdu Technique appeared in the world once more. Taoist Jing Feng transford into Fengdu, and the Mingling Prison enveloped the area for miles. Eight Ghost Generals attacked in unison. The terrifying environnt of the Ghost Prison and the divine pressure of Fengdu completely suppressed their opponent, who thought he had provoked so great Ghost Emperor!
"Unfortunately, that Black Furnace Old Ghost’s Magical Power is truly profound. Even with the help of Mr. and Mrs. Xu, I only managed to injure him and couldn’t capture him," Taoist Jing Feng said, his tone calm and without a hint of regret.
Xu Jing quickly added, "That Black Furnace Ghost King has a thousand years of Dao Practice and is a notorious figure in Qianshan Prefecture. For Senior Jing Feng to be able to injure that old ghost is already an extraordinary feat."
The Purple Cloud Monarch nodded, his expression serious. "I have also heard of the Black Furnace Ghost King. His Dao Practice is very high, and he possesses a Black Fire lting Furnace of imnse power. If it traps soone, it can refine them to ash in an instant."
Taoist Jing Feng was taken aback. "I didn’t see him use this furnace."
The Purple Cloud Monarch mused, "He probably left it on Black Furnace Mountain and didn’t bring it with him."
Taoist Jing Feng nodded. "Then we’ll certainly need to be more careful."
At this point, Gu Zhao, Taoist Jing Feng, and Taoist Ming Chong exchanged a smile, and their conversation shifted to the situation in Qianshan Prefecture.
Qianshan Prefecture was another of Jiangzhou’s prefecture cities in Wanling Jiangnan. It was located south of Pingjiang Prefecture, where the Ink Flood Dragon resided, and west of Bai Shi Prefecture, which they had subsequently occupied. However, it shared little border with them, less than it did with Shide Prefecture to the east or Yazhou Celestial Spring Prefecture across Wuya Ridge.
But as the Dao Practice of Daluo Palace’s veteran Daoists grew, the places they traveled to naturally beca more distant. For example, Taoist Yan Song had been to Pingjiang Prefecture, and Yunyang had even gone as far as Shide Prefecture.
Therefore, Taoist Jing Feng’s trip to Qianshan Prefecture wasn’t considered far at all.
"Qianshan Prefecture has a Celestial Extinction Association, which is equivalent to the forr Golden Wind Sect in Changping Prefecture. I’ve seen their branches in the prefecture and county cities of Qianshan," Taoist Jing Feng explained.
"That’s a rather domineering na," Gu Zhao said with a shake of his head and a smile.
"The Yellow Heaven Altar and the Three Lives Divine Sect also have very domineering nas," Taoist Ming Chong added with a laugh.
"Anything else?" Gu Zhao asked.
"There is also a Wasp Valley." Taoist Jing Feng frowned slightly. "The Valley Master is a Queen Bee who beca a Fairy, but she has a savage temperant. She periodically leads a swarm of wasps out of the valley. Although she hasn’t wiped out any prefecture or county cities, the number of people she has killed is by no ans small."
Xu Jing added, "That Queen Bee’s Cultivation is even higher than the Black Furnace Ghost King’s. With hundreds or even thousands of cultivated wasps to aid her, no one in Qianshan Prefecture is her match, aside from the Sect Leader of the Celestial Extinction Association."
"Other than that, there aren’t any other organized powers in Qianshan Prefecture. However, there are more small-fry factions like Black Furnace Mountain, with just a handful of mbers, than in Changping or Bai Shi Prefectures," Taoist Jing Feng summarized.
"Furthermore, Qianshan Prefecture borders Wuya Ridge to the south, so there are more experts." Li Qingshuang added, then gave Gu Zhao a deep look. "And they might have connections to Wuya Ridge."
Li Qingshuang had heard about the Daluo Palace’s thods. They despised evil and were rciless, eradicating any Demons and Ghosts that hard people, hunting them down to the last mber of their clan.
In terms of sheer righteousness and their defense of mortals, Daluo Palace seed more like an arm of the Court than even the Xuanwei Divine Sect or the Spirit Court.
’Perhaps...’
’Is it because Daluo Palace is made up entirely of Human Mages?’
"Wuya Ridge..." Gu Zhao mused for a mont. "But isn’t Wuya Ridge filled with Demons and Ghosts who wish to live in peace?"
Li Qingshuang said flatly, "Living in peace only ans they don’t harm people. It doesn’t an they like them."
Gu Zhao nodded, and both Taoist Jing Feng and Taoist Ming Chong showed their understanding.
Xu Jing spoke again. "Senior Jing Feng’s Daoist Techniques are profound. He rescued our family of three from dire straits. Therefore, my wife and I have co to express our gratitude, and also in the hopes that our young daughter might be accepted into Daluo Palace."
Yue Yan motioned for her daughter to kneel as she spoke to Gu Zhao, "Our daughter is kind-hearted and has decent talent. She is also sensible enough to serve tea and pour water. We beseech the Sect Leader to accept her."
Gu Zhao raised an eyebrow and looked at Taoist Jing Feng.
Taoist Jing Feng stroked his beard. "Although Miss Xu has a human body, she was born with an innate Yin Qi, which makes her quite suitable for the Beiyin Fengdu Technique. I intend to take her as my disciple and have her join Daluo Palace."
Gu Zhao had no objection. "As you wish, Senior Uncle."
And so, Daluo Palace gained another female disciple—and a true disciple at that, just like He Cailian and Chen Zhi.
Zhuo Qingyan, who also cultivated the Beiyin Fengdu Technique, pulled Xu Sirou over and asked her a few casual questions about her family. Then she called Chen Zhi over and instructed her to take Xu Sirou and get her settled in.
Then, Gu Zhao looked at Xu Jing and his wife. "Do you two know the location of Black Furnace Mountain?"
"We do." Xu Jing nodded, then his expression changed. "Could it be..."
Just then, another streak of light flew across the sky toward Daluo Palace. Gu Zhao smiled faintly. "Then I’ll have to trouble you, Mr. Xu, to lead a few of my senior uncles on a trip to Black Furnace Mountain."
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