Xianye

Chapter 500 The Art of Deception
The wind howls, the blue sky stretches endlessly—

At this moment, everyone in the arena looked up and saw a young Taoist priest descending from the clouds, dressed in flowing robes and wearing a magnificent golden crown.

His body was surrounded by swirling clouds and radiant light, creating a grand aura, like an immortal from a painting leaping into the mortal world, with a serene and dignified expression and a refined and elegant demeanor.

Both the Huangwu Zhou clan and the demon cultivators on the other side were stunned and speechless at this moment, half astonished and half frightened.

They were both amazed by the young Taoist's dignified bearing, which made it clear at a glance that he was not a worldly person, and they couldn't help but feel a sense of awe and reverence.

They were also astonished that he had easily shattered the infamous sword with a single raised finger, like lightning striking a withered pine tree.

The reason why the Zhou family was confronted and challenged at their doorstep by two junior demons, and was ridiculed by surrounding forces, was that they lost face.

A sword and a fan—these two types of demonic weapons played a significant role in the battle!

Without the help of this demonic artifact, the old dragon that crossed the sea to the west might not have felt comfortable releasing its prized disciples to have these two juniors do things for it.

But now...

"I was entrusted by Senior Qi Lingzi to come and send his remains back to his hometown. Who here can take charge?"

At this moment, Chen Heng's voice suddenly rang out in the silence.

"Qilingzi?"

Zhou Zhen, the head of the Zhou family, was completely bewildered. When Chen Heng revealed that Qi Lingzi's real name was Zhou Peng, Zhou Zhen not only did not show any sign of sudden realization, but his expression became even more embarrassed, as if he had never heard of this name before.

"Damn it! You can't even be relied on at a time like this?"

Zhou Zhen turned around embarrassedly and looked to the old man beside him for help. He saw that the old man seemed to be stunned by the power of the thunder just now. His face was still showing some surprise. He had not yet come back to his senses, and his hands under his sleeves were trembling slightly.

Zhou Zhen was utterly helpless and cursed inwardly.

Just as he was carefully considering his words, fearing he might offend Chen Heng.

An elderly, frail, and near-death man suddenly emerged, bowed respectfully, and exclaimed with delight:
"What a coincidence! What a coincidence! I happen to know the name of this elder of the clan!"

Sixty years ago, when I was compiling the family history with my elder brother, I happened to come across an old book..."

The old man cleared his throat, smiled smugly at the gazes of many clansmen, and then began to speak eloquently.

At first, Zhou Zhen was glad that his great-uncle had stepped in to help him out of the predicament, but after a short while, he saw that the old man was going off on a tangent, bringing up all sorts of old, trivial matters.

Zhou Zhen was sweating profusely again. He secretly tugged at the man's sleeve several times before finally getting him to steer the conversation toward the important matter at hand...

"The old man guessed it was because his parents and relatives had passed away early."

After this ancestor Zhou Peng went to Xudu Datian to study Taoism, he only visited Miaobao Land once in a hurry, and even the head of the family at the time failed to see him.

Before long, after the old man had explained everything he knew, the man couldn't help but sigh:
"It is a pity that time has passed, and unexpectedly, this ancestor's wish was to return to the ancestral land of Huangwu Mountain to bury his remains."

Life between heaven and earth is like a white horse flashing past a crack in the wall, gone in an instant. Alas, this is indeed true…

Although the old man spoke with sincerity and earnestness, Zhou Zhen's mind was not on the old man's words at this moment, but quietly turned to something else.

As soon as the old man finished speaking, Zhou Zhen hurriedly bowed to Chen Heng to express his gratitude, promising that he would make proper arrangements for Qi Lingzi's funeral.

Then, under the guise of expressing his gratitude, he earnestly invited Chen Heng to the mountain for a chat, and even included the group of demon cultivators in his show of goodwill, his attitude was truly enthusiastic.

Seeing this, Chen Heng knew that Zhou Zhen was treating him as a lifeline.

Since it wasn't anything too troublesome, and considering the three Yellow Dragon Galls left behind by Qi Lingzi, Chen Heng nodded slightly.

"Then respect is worse than obeying orders."

He met Zhou Zhen's gaze and spoke, which made the latter feel relieved and come to his senses, only to find that his clothes were soaked with sweat.

"..."

After pondering for a while, the bear demon exchanged a glance with the antler-wearing girl. Although he hesitated, he finally nodded resolutely and agreed to the proposal.

"Excellent! Excellent! Huangwu Mountain is truly filled with distinguished guests today. What a fortunate occasion!"

Zhou Zhen was overjoyed, and many members of the Zhou clan were also invigorated, their faces beaming with smiles.

These two demon cultivators have been blocking Huangwu Mountain for over a month. Fighting them is difficult, but killing them is even more impossible.

It was like a fishbone stuck in his throat, neither going up nor down, making everyone in the Zhou family feel frustrated.

Now that Chen Heng has stepped in, it's hard to say what the outcome will be, but at least there's a chance for reconciliation, which naturally makes them happy.

Along the way, Zhou Zhen was naturally very attentive, taking the initiative to act as a guide and servant, introducing Chen Heng to the various Taoist palaces, towers, gardens, and waterside pavilions of the Zhou family.

He was just waiting for Chen Heng to let slip a hint that he would offer all of these as a reward.

However, throughout the journey, Chen Heng's gaze only lingered briefly on the white stone archway that could conceal the secrets of heaven. He remained indifferent to everything else, as if these things were not worth his attention.

Zhou Zhen was initially disheartened, but after thinking it through, he couldn't help but shake his head in relief.

As his great-uncle just said, although Qi Lingzi Zhou Peng was born into the Huangwu Zhou clan of Miaobao Land, he was taken to Xudu Great Heaven for cultivation by the Fire Cloud Ancestor when he was young. All his supernatural abilities and skills were obtained in Xudu Great Heaven and had nothing to do with Miaobao Land.

If that's the case, then who is Chen Heng, who has the ability to obtain Qi Lingzi's last words and go through all the trouble of bringing his remains to Miaobao Land?

Thinking about it, although this person has not revealed which sect he belongs to.

But most likely, he was also born into the Xu Du Da Tian family!

It's embarrassing that a cultivator from the Great Heaven Realm doesn't care much about his own treasures, and it makes Zhou Zhen lose face, but it's actually quite reasonable.

At this moment, Zhou Zhen composed himself and became even more enthusiastic.

Before long, after everyone entered the Zhou family's main hall and placed Chen Heng on the main seat,

Before Zhou Zhen could give the order for the singing, dancing, and banquet, Chen Heng suddenly interrupted:
"The banquet can wait. Now, I hope you will tell me the whole story. I am not the kind of person who uses my power to bully others."

As the saying goes, "Without clear observation, one cannot see into private matters." Now that I have the honor of being an intermediary, I will do my best.

Although the words were spoken politely, they made Zhou Zhen quickly lower his hand, which was already halfway raised, and he could only nod respectfully in agreement.

In fact, from the very beginning, Zhou Zhen never intended to rely on Chen Heng's influence to subdue the two demon cultivators and make them humble themselves and apologize to him.

He had no ill intentions at today's banquet; he simply wanted Chen Heng to act as a mediator so that both sides could speak openly and resolve the misunderstanding as soon as possible.

Given this, Zhou Zhen was naturally very confident and had nothing to fear!
Meanwhile, the bear demon and the antlered girl on the other side were genuinely surprised upon hearing this.

The reason these two were willing to enter Huangwu Mountain was truly because they were stunned by the power of Chen Heng's thunderbolt. They were afraid that if they showed the slightest sign of disobedience, they would be crushed to pieces in an instant.

But upon hearing Chen Heng's words just now...

"Senior brother, it seems we are no longer in mortal danger today!"

The antler-wearing girl had just sent a telepathic message to the somewhat dazed bear demon when the sword wound she had just suffered began to throb again.

Even though she had taken a elixir to protect her internal organs, a malevolent aura was still eroding her mind, causing her eyes to turn slightly red.

This was because she was born into the demon race and her physical cultivation was not bad, which allowed her to reconnect her severed limbs. Otherwise, if an ordinary cultivator were struck by that iron sword, the situation would probably be even more unbearable.

"To be able to shatter the Martial Water Ghost Punishment Sword, forged by Master himself, with a single finger, such cultivation is probably not far from Master's level, even if it is not as good as Master's. When did such a powerful person appear in the Wonderful Treasure Land!"

The bear demon only managed to suppress its malevolent aura after seeing its junior sister take another elixir.

This was just a sword wound, yet it left her in such a sorry state.

Who is capable of destroying the entire magic sword?

The bear demon felt a chill run down his spine, and when he explained the reason to Chen Heng, he dared not hide anything and told him everything he knew. After a long while, the voices of Zhou Zhen and the bear demon gradually subsided in the hall.

After they finished speaking, the two of them held their breath and looked at Chen Heng.

"Having been reborn and gained insight into the mysteries of my past life, I have come to collect a debt due to a single drink or bite?"

After a moment, Chen Heng frowned slightly:

"Such behavior is truly a charade."

……

……

The bear demon is named Pan Kong, and the antlered girl is called Zhuang Ling'er.

Both of them were disciples of the old dragon from the Western Crossing Sea, and they had powerful backgrounds in the Wonderful Treasure Land. No one would dare to offend them easily.

The old dragon is a rare dragon species in the Wonderful Treasure Land. Not only is it powerful and able to command a group of aquatic spirits, but its father and grandfather were both great masters who crossed the Western Sea. They were also among the most powerful beings in the Wonderful Treasure Land. Before they passed away, they left the old dragon with several life-saving measures.

For this reason, Zong Lao Chilong's wealth can be described as extremely rich.

However, few people in this wonderful land dared to make a move against him. On the contrary, they treated him with the utmost respect and tried their best to be on good terms with him.

The reason why Pan Kong and Zhuang Ling'er came to Huang Wu Zhou Shi was because the old dragon had recently obtained a Water Gentian.

This is a precious medicine that can help dragons improve their cultivation. Although it is only effective for dragons, it is still very rare.

Even with his status as an old dragon, it took considerable effort and favors, including the addition of several family heirlooms, to finally obtain it.

However, the nature of the Water Ganoderma is cold, yin, turbid, and damp. If it is swallowed hastily, it will not only fail to enhance one's abilities, but will also damage one's tendons and meridians due to the coldness penetrating to the bones. It must first be placed in a place where yang energy grows and polished for three years to break its outer shell. Only then is it the best time to consume it.

Huangwu Mountain is the place where Yang Sheng is born. It is not far from Xiduhai. Moreover, the old dragon has dealt with Huangwu Zhou Clan a few times before, so the two are not strangers.

For this reason, the old dragon naturally entrusted the Water Spirit to Huangwu Zhou, and generously gave a large gift as payment for its safekeeping.

Everything was fine for the first two years, but in the last year...

The bear demon shook his head and said to Chen Heng:

"Senior, please forgive this little demon for rambling on again. That day, Zhou Zhen suddenly came to my door. After stammering for a while, he finally told me that the Water Lily had been stolen."

He said that a few days ago, an old monk came uninvited. After being entertained, the old monk inexplicably said that he was a woman in his previous life whose family property was taken away by Zhou Zhen. Because of Zhou Zhen, he died of cold and hunger in his previous life. He came to collect his debt. The water sesame was just a prelude.

After saying this, the old monk and the water spirit in the backyard disappeared.

Such nonsense is clearly an attempt to deceive the little demon and my master as if they were three-year-old children!
"The Water Dew was painstakingly obtained by my master. Zhou Zhen is not of dragon lineage, so obtaining it would be useless to him. We humbly beg the senior to have mercy and help us!"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Zhen naturally cried out that he had been wronged by heaven and earth, and swore oaths repeatedly.

The situation that day was indeed as he described.

Even when the old monk left, he specially proclaimed a solemn and holy appearance, his body emitting auspicious light that stretched for thousands of miles, instantly turning the clouds and sky into a crystal world, with golden dragons swimming in the sky, jade tigers lying on the ground, and four towering pillars standing majestically at the four corners of the earth.

This almost made Zhou Zhen kneel down and prostrate himself in worship, as he believed it was truly due to his sins in his past life that he had suffered this calamity.

It looked like the two of them were about to start arguing again as they talked back and forth.

Chen Heng frowned slightly, then asked Zhou Zhen to bring out the teacup the old monk had used that day, and held it up in mid-air.

He calculated for a while, then smiled knowingly.

"senior?"

"I can't help it," the bear demon probed.

"Three hundred miles west of here, the Water Ganoderma is in an underground river." Chen Heng paused deliberately before speaking leisurely, casually making up a destination.

These words immediately caused an uproar in the room, and discussions arose one after another.

Pan Kong and Zhuang Ling'er were naturally both surprised and delighted.

As for Zhou Zhen, although he was somewhat skeptical, he dared not say it aloud, and only wondered about it in his heart.

As the crowd stirred, after a while, several people, after offering their thanks, couldn't resist leaping up and heading towards the underground river.

As Chen Heng was walking outside the hall, he suddenly turned around when he reached a young man named Zhou with a sallow complexion.

To everyone's surprise, Chen Heng suddenly reached out and grabbed the man's shoulder, laughing:
"You think you can hide it from me?"

The young cultivator wasn't particularly surprised by this sudden turn of events. After a few breaths, he even returned Chen Heng's smile:
"This young man is indeed intelligent. Why not become my disciple and study the supreme enlightenment with me? What do you say?"

After saying this, he exhaled a breath of white air, and soon heavenly music rang out, auspicious clouds swirled, and a solemn and holy image appeared and disappeared in the clouds, pure and perfect, with extraordinary merit!
"The Great Awakened One..."

Zhou Zhen trembled, but was fortunately supported by a clansman beside him, preventing him from collapsing to the ground.

Witnessing this scene firsthand, even Pan Kong and Zhuang Ling'er were dumbfounded, and they couldn't help but believe Zhou Zhen's absurd words to some extent.

"Pretend to be a ghost!"

Chen Heng sneered.

A burst of clear light emanated from the top of his head, and the phantom of a mixed gold thunder pearl appeared in the air, radiating great power, with the faint sound of thousands of thunderclaps echoing outwards, poised to unleash its power!

Upon being subtly struck by this powerful force, the holy image in the air vanished like a bubble, never to be seen again.

The young cultivator was terrified. In a panic, he abandoned his arm, sank his body to the ground, and fled in haste.

Seeing this, Chen Heng was not in a hurry to chase after them. He first glanced at the people in the hall who were still in shock, and then he also used a ground-moving spell to disappear underground.

This chase and escape lasted for only a short while before the young cultivator began to tire himself out.

However, before he could come up with any other countermeasures, Chen Heng behind him activated his magic power, and the young cultivator felt a spinning sensation as he was forcibly forced out of the ground.

"Where did this big yellow rat come from? It's so good at pretending. Where did it learn such crooked tricks!"

The young cultivator fell flat on his back on the ground, feeling pain all over his body, revealing his true nature as a field mouse.

Before he could kowtow and beg for mercy, the Five Qi Universe Ring, which had been unable to hold back for a long time, volunteered to grab him by the neck and said with great interest.

At that moment, with a flash of yellow light, Chen Heng also stepped out of the ground.

"How enchanting are illusions, how clever are the techniques for concealing one's breath."

Chen Heng first praised it, then said:
"May I ask which scripture you practice?"

"Liar, liar..."

The field mouse stammered when it spoke, unable to form a coherent sentence.

"Lie? You're already in my master's hands, who else do you think you can lie to?!"

Upon hearing this, the Five Qi Universe Circle flew into a rage and immediately unleashed a flurry of solid punches, causing the field mouse to clutch its head and hop around, secretly groaning inwardly.

"Deceiving the scriptures, deceiving the scriptures, is not about deceiving!"

When he finally managed to slip behind Chen Heng and saw that the Five Qi Universe Ring was not chasing after him, Tian Shu finally had a chance to speak.

He wanted to cry but had no tears, and could only honestly say:

"The scriptures I practice are fraudulent!"

(End of this chapter)