Xuanjian Xianzu

Chapter 1481 Heavenly Book (1+12) (Thank you for your support)
'almost.'

Upon seeing his appearance, Li Ximing knew that the two were not the same person, and he was even more puzzled, thinking to himself:

'Besides the sandalwood grove… could there be another place where the World-Honored One resides, and where there are numerous Dharma images? That's truly astonishing…'

Seeing the strange look on his face, Dangjiang assumed he didn't believe him and sneered:

"Fellow Daoist, don't be fooled by the power of that Sandalwood Forest. It's all fake. My Great Black Mystic Heaven is the real deal. Once this major event is over, those people won't be able to get into my Mystic Heaven even if they beg!"

Li Ximing asked with slight doubt:
"If that's the case, then there are established moral codes in the secular world..."

Dangjiang laughed:

"Many of the people you know are my people! Several of them are currently in the Golden Land—do you know Jinghai?"

Dang Jiang, wanting to show off, chose to present the one with the highest cultivation level. Li Ximing suddenly realized:

"Da Tuohai Temple!"

He nodded, indicating he understood, and said:

"So this is the lineage. I've always heard that he was a wandering cultivator in the South China Sea, but it turns out he's a figure from the Xuan Tian realm."

Dang Jiang then laughed again:

"And there's more! There's another golden land called Qinling. The master of the lineage there, Liao Kong, is my junior brother in Xuan Tian. So you and I are practically family!"

Li Ximing had long heard of Qin Ling's rise to power and had been paying close attention. Upon hearing this, his face immediately lit up with joy, and he said:

"I see... then the Mingyang situation..."

As he spoke, he was taken aback, suddenly realizing something, and looked suspiciously at the strange Taoist priest before him, saying:

"So, fellow Daoist, you mean... the Xuan Tian realm is indeed a hidden place..."

The word "hidden" was chosen very well, Dangjiang nodded in satisfaction, and exaggeratedly said:
"The way of this world is nothing more than the harmony of Yin and Yang. Yang must first come from Yin. The claws and teeth of my Great Wu Xuantian have spread throughout the seven realms, yet the Sandalwood Forest knows nothing of this, only waiting for a reversal of fortune to cause them to crumble and collapse!"

'So it was a room!'

Li Ximing roughly understood, and becoming curious, he asked:

"If that's the case, how many of our own are in Buddhism and Taoism?"

Dangjiang patted his sleeve, took out a booklet, and handed it to the other party. Li Ximing flipped open a page and saw that the name at the top was clearly written: Minghui Mohe of Lotus Temple.

Li Ximing felt that some of his past doubts were instantly resolved, and he was speechless for a moment. The polite and courteous expression of the monk from back then, who seemed eager to hand over the treasure, reappeared before his eyes. The master said:

"It turns out he's one of your people! I thought he was just afraid of Mingyang and was colluding with the enemy to protect himself."

'There's not much difference.'

Dangjiang muttered a curse to himself, while Li Ximing slightly squeezed the booklet, feeling its thickness, and was overjoyed. He understood where the other party's information came from, and his mind was instantly enlightened. The slight worry in his heart dissipated, and he said:
"With the help of the Mysterious Heaven, King Wei will surely achieve great success in this northern expedition!"

Upon hearing this, Dangjiang said rather mysteriously:

"Fellow Daoist, please read carefully before we discuss further..."

Li Ximing then lowered his brows, flipping through the pages, looking at the glittering names:
'Five Eyes… that guy has more cunning than wisdom, and can't even execute proper hand seals… so he really doesn't dare to fight.'

'Slave Flame… I remember him. I beheaded him years ago, and he committed suicide out of fear before we even fought…'

He stared in disbelief, then continued scrolling down:

'Sad face... Murong Yan really did become a monk... What an unlucky fellow...'

'Ren Shi Jia…King Wei killed him before leaving the pass to sacrifice his flag…Chi Luo…You red-faced monk, you're one of us too, taking advantage of my Mingyang Killing Light for nothing…'

After looking through them one by one, and seeing many grayed-out names behind him, some of which looked familiar, Li Ximing remained silent for a long time before turning around and muttering:
"What does this mean...? My Li family has been fighting between the North and South for eighty years, and it turns out we're only fighting our own people!"

After a moment's hesitation, having received confirmation from the other party's words, Dangjiang's suspicions were finally confirmed, and he said:

"They might have become one of us after the fight!"

Upon hearing this, Li Ximing indeed fell into deep thought, carefully calculating the discrepancies, but found them quite inconsistencies. Considering those not on the list, his eyes lit up, and he said:
"What you mean, fellow Daoist, is... to fight, but not to kill."

Dangjiang was enlightened by his words and immediately understood. He nodded repeatedly and said:
"That's what I'm thinking too..."

Li Ximing felt a chill run down his spine, and was both surprised and delighted. He said:

"I can't believe it!"

The key to this is self-evident; the two of them understood it very well. If everything was true, it meant that every time the Li family severely injured a Maha, a portion of their power was sent to the Great Black Heaven!

He couldn't help but exclaim in surprise:

"With King Wei's abilities, if you and I join forces, and the timing is right, we can completely overhaul the Buddhist community in the north. At that time, those Dharma figures will sit on the Buddhist throne, and they will all be under our control!"

"Who can argue with that!"

Dangjiang laughed heartily, then interrupted him, saying:

“King Wei is free to go on a killing spree, but there is one thing I cannot allow too many people to come up right now. First, those with low cultivation levels will not be able to keep secrets and may do some foolish things, which will implicate me.”

"Secondly, those monks... all regard this as an unparalleled opportunity. If I were to give it away casually, the morale of the troops might waver!"

"I see!"

Li Ximing said solemnly:

"Using the methods of the Buddha, capturing one Maha is more useful than ten Compassionate ones, so there's no need for a major conflict... However... in the future, we will have to rely more on you, fellow Daoist, for matters in the North!"

"You're too kind, brother!"

Dangjiang's heart stirred, and he sighed:

"But that's really not right. What brother is relying on me? Even without me, King Wei could easily kill those monks. It's only me who needs King Wei's special treatment..."

"Nature...nature..."

Li Ximing was overjoyed, clutching the register and scroll tightly in his hands, but his mind was filled with more thoughts:

'What a godsend! I've been to that place several times, but never had the chance to discuss it in detail. Only through this celestial official's connections have I finally had time to sit down and talk things over. With further subtle inquiries, I'm sure I can gradually learn about the identities of those important figures…'

Rather than being delighted to know the movements of the Buddhist sect, he was more excited to have found such a way out!
Dang Jiang, standing to the side, was also deep in thought. He raised his hand and, pointing to the book, revealed all the information he had gathered from the Great Black Mystic Heaven. Li Ximing nodded repeatedly in agreement before speaking seriously:
"This is what I think: everything should be based on King Wei's considerations. Fellow Daoist, go back and discuss this carefully. Once you have a solution, then pass it on to my Xuantian. We will do our best to cooperate. However, my subordinates in Xuantian... also rely heavily on King Wei's indulgence..."

"That's only right!"

Li Ximing was practically bursting with laughter, but he couldn't bear to kill these monks. After thinking it over, he reminded them:
"The others are fine, but please remind Qin Ling to behave herself. If she really gets into trouble, and the King of Wei easily condones such a significant event, both sides will realize something is wrong."

Dangjiang stroked his chin and said:
"That's not difficult. As long as you have the route, my men aren't fools; they can all evade it. The problem is this battle... I need to reserve a few heads with the King of Wei..."

Although Li Ximing was overjoyed, he remained cautious. After all, even colleagues have differing interests, so he said rather carefully:
"Fellow Daoist, please speak!"

Dangjiang Road:
“I am determined to succeed against the power of the Void and the Way [Zhe Lu]…”

He whispered:

“This is beneficial to both of us. The Void Treasure Plate in the hands of the King of Wei is of great importance. As long as we get rid of this person, we can support someone to enter the Dao and completely control the Void. I must make this move!”

Li Ximing hesitated for a moment, then nodded and said:
"it is good!"

Dangjiang then took out another register, displayed the various Dharma names of the Great Mu Dharma Realm, and said:

"There is a crucial point: whether only those chosen by King Wei can enter Xuan Tian is something we still need to test. Coincidentally, I need a pawn from the Great Mu Dharma Realm. Fellow Daoist, let's see which one is suitable."

As Li Xi pondered, the image of Guangchan Mohe, who had received the favor of the Precious Tooth Golden Land, surfaced in his mind, and he couldn't help but feel a pang of regret.

"Back then, there was a suitable one, highly regarded in the Dharma Realm, even under the Realm Lord's nose. If this guy hadn't died, he would be perfect now... Unfortunately, he was too useless and was killed by King Wei in one fell swoop!"

Dangjiang sneered:
"I know him... never mind, it's his good fortune to be able to provide supplies for the King of Wei!"

Li Ximing and he studied the catalog together for a while, comparing the layouts of the two sides, and then they re-selected the participants, saying:
"This person's strength cannot be too high; ideally, they should be able to finish the battle quickly. However, their status cannot be too low, and they must be located near the battlefields of both sides..."

Dangjiang understood and continued:
"I hope he's a kind and virtuous person, so I can win him over and have him come to me, where he can sincerely help me harm the Seven Phases..."

The two inspected them one by one, and their gazes simultaneously fell on the same spot. They whispered to each other:

“The Law is Constant…”

"It's him!"

Li Ximing said:

"I've heard that he was a highly virtuous person. Back when the Buddhist monks went south, he disregarded the damage to his spiritual cultivation to protect the people, and he also held a very high position in the Great Compassionate Dharma Realm..."

The man paused for a moment, then continued:
"I think... with this monk's abilities, it won't take the King of Wei more than thirty rounds to kill him. If we're talking about severely injuring and destroying his physical body, it will be even easier!"

"Excellent!"

Dangjiang couldn't help but sigh:
'He's a big shot in the Dharma realm; he can kill anyone he wants. Having connections in the mortal world makes things much easier!'

The two lowered their heads and discussed the matter at length. Dangjiang took out a green seal from his sleeve and told Li Ximing about the few people he had not yet connected with Xuan Tian. Sure enough, there weren't many good candidates left, and he shook his head regretfully. Li Ximing pondered for a moment and said:
"I've heard that the masters and disciples of Lotus Temple... are considered somewhat better among Buddhist cultivators, and they never oppose us. Their cultivation levels are also quite high. Fellow Daoist, why don't you recruit more of them..."

Dangjiang sighed:

“Of course I know! But firstly, Lotus Temple doesn’t frequently get involved in matters between the North and South, so it’s harder to manipulate. Secondly, how can we take them in without a reason? I can’t say this to them directly, but I can say it openly to you, fellow Daoist… We can’t just let the Prince of Wei rush in and kill them all, can we?”

"That's not necessarily a bad thing..."

Li Ximing pondered for a moment with a strange expression, then said seriously:

"Now that you've brought this up, I'd also like to ask. That Five Eyes... Fellow Daoist has already explained, but Minghui... I don't recall having any major interactions with him. He did come to the lake back then, but I don't remember him being seriously injured or anything like that..."

Dangjiang understood his meaning and suspected that there was more than one method to absorb Xuantian's teachings. He said:
"I will definitely ask in detail."

Seeing that the important matter was completed, Li Ximing cautiously said:

"I heard that you were once a celestial official, and you were indeed sent on a mission... to which prefecture did you serve...?"

When this matter was mentioned, Dangjiang couldn't help but boast about it, saying:
"In Heaven, I belong to the Taiyin lineage! I have an extremely wide network of connections. Even when I go to Heaven, I am received by the Lord of Heaven. I also have a brother surnamed Liu, whose power is immense..."

So he sang eloquently, describing all sorts of miraculous things, which amazed Li Ximing. But then Dang Jiang abruptly stopped, as if remembering something, and said earnestly:

"That Chi Buzhi... was just a minor official under my command!"

Li Ximing was both surprised and suspicious. He clearly remembered that the other party had been activated by a celestial artifact and possessed Chi Buzhi back then. He secretly comprehended:
'It was probably around that time that that old scoundrel Chi Buzhi got his chance, perhaps exchanging souls with this celestial official, entering heaven, and thus obtaining that opportunity…'

Then he said:
"Is that so?! He wasn't cultivating in the mortal realm..."

Dangjiang chuckled inwardly, then feigned a sigh:

"Alas, he's a good-for-nothing. It's a long story. He cultivated a Green Water, but the location wasn't good. I prayed in heaven and used a magic to temporarily erase his memory. We can't expose him right now. If he's aware of this, that's why he keeps coming to ask you. You can only give him a perfunctory answer and not tell him the details."

Chi Buzhi's achievements in Dangjiang were significant, and he absolutely did not want any information to leak out to Li Ximing, lest something be revealed. Out of a sense of conscience, he specifically reminded him.

Li Ximing nodded solemnly, remembering it. He laughed as he prepared to boast, but suddenly felt a heat emanating from the token in his sleeve. He immediately stood up and looked outside the courtyard. He saw the white fog growing thicker, about to spill over the wall. He thought to himself:
'As expected, there's a time limit.'

Upon hearing this, he was secretly alarmed. He touched his sleeve and found that the immortal power in his token had indeed been reduced by a full twelve points!

Dangjiang guards the Great Wuxuan Heaven and usually receives rewards of immortal merit. Over the years, his accumulated merit, combined with the merit he gained from his hard work in the heavens, has only reached a little over seventy. Now, a fifth of it has been deducted, and he feels as if he has fallen into an ice cave. Upon closer inspection, the token clearly shows that there are still twelve points left, which were deducted from Li Ximing's account.

'I did receive a talisman of merit, but he doesn't hold any official position in Heaven. Even if he possesses some celestial abilities, they were left behind by that Immortal Official Li… He's probably even more impoverished than I am!'

He understood the rarity of immortal skills and couldn't help feeling a little guilty, fearing he might offend Li Ximing, so he quickly said:

"What a pity! I've used up all that immortal power, and I won't be able to see my brother for much longer!"

Upon hearing the word "immortal skill," Li Ximing was very familiar with it. Seeing his expression, he immediately nodded in understanding and said:
"That's alright, I'll pay for you!"

He had no choice but to say:

“I would like to as well… but your immortal skills are hard-earned, and losing more than ten points for no reason would be unbearable for anyone, right? Besides, since we are meeting here, we will both lose points, so there is no reason for anyone to pay for it.”

'Can't take it...'

Upon hearing "more than ten points," Li Ximing touched his sleeve, sensing the over a thousand points of immortal energy within the token. He was secretly astonished, but ultimately remained cautious and did not flaunt his wealth. Instead, he nodded thoughtfully and said:

"It's so expensive... communication must be really difficult!"

Dangjiang laughed:

"It's alright! Who comes here to meet every day? Fellow Daoist, you can use the Immortal Token to relay messages to me, so naturally you'll get a better deal..."

He clutched the celestial token in his sleeve, fearing it would be confiscated again. He dared not utter another word, only repeatedly instructing the person before him to reply. He rushed to the courtyard gate, then, as if suddenly remembering something, swiftly turned back, rushed to the person, and said with difficulty:
"Fellow Daoist, do you have any... breast milk on you now that you've arrived here?"

Li Ximing almost thought he had gone deaf, staring in disbelief. He quickly rummaged through his sleeves, realizing he was only human. Fortunately, his storage bag could be opened. After searching for a while, he found no milk and said:

"this…"

Dangjiang understood, and simply left behind one sentence:

"I beg you, fellow Daoist, if you have the chance... to search for it for me!"

With that, he leaped over the wall like a knight-errant, plunging into the sky. Li Ximing was utterly astonished and, in disbelief, chased after him. Looking at the empty space outside, he gazed up at the sky, speechless. Finally, he simply lowered his head and sighed.

"What a fascinating person..."

But he was ultimately very satisfied with his harvest and didn't care about anything else. Looking at the approaching white mist and the gradually heating Xuan Token in his hand, he was reluctant to leave the midnight hour. With a flick of his sleeve, he jumped down from the cloud.

……

The Great Black Heaven.

Now, Dangjiang, who had just fallen from the sky, felt a jolt all over his body and plopped back down on the prayer mat in the Hall of Refined Clothing and Inheritance. Despite the complete darkness, he was invigorated and stepped forward, saying:

"Bring Minghui up here!"

The two guardians at the gate immediately went to report. A short while later, a commotion arose in the adjacent meditation hall. Minghui, hurrying and anxious, arrived at the robe and bowl hall, bowed upon seeing him, and called out:

"Greetings, Your Excellency!"

Dangjiang lowered her eyes to look at him, striking a pose, and said calmly:

"How did your discussion with those two go?"

Minghui hurriedly said:

"It's mostly finished, just one small detail..."

Seeing the other person raise their eyebrows and look at her, Minghui bowed without hesitation and said:
"That fellow Daoist Renshijia is willing to do everything in his power to help, but he has pleaded with me several times, hoping that I will put in a good word for him before the adults, and that... he might spare one person's life when he intervenes..."

"Oh?"

Dangjiang raised an eyebrow, listening to Minghui say:
"It's another Maha from the Great Desire Path, named Xiao Disa. When Fellow Daoist Renshijia mentioned him, tears welled up in his eyes. He said that man had helped him too much, and he would betray anyone in the Great Desire Path, but he only hoped that you, sir, could put in a good word for him before the Qilin and spare his life..."

Dang Jiang, however, felt no anger, and thought to himself:
'This guy is all bark and no bite, and his reckless nature makes him no real threat. But he's also loyal and righteous, which is rare. We might as well grant his request and bring that Xiao Disa along too, so they can work together on the same boat.'

So he said calmly:

"I will consider it."

After he finished speaking, he said:
"You and your fellow practitioners have come to this Xuan Tian, ​​and I haven't had a chance to talk to you in detail yet. Now that we've finally found an opportunity, the others have all gone to make careful plans, but you are the only one with free time."

Minghui began kowtowing repeatedly, striking the floor with a deafening thud, and said:
"This disciple will speak without reservation, without holding back any knowledge!"

Seeing his appearance, Dangjiang nodded secretly:
'That's right, that's how respectful we should be, unlike that Ren Shijia, who's always looking before and after, or that Murong Yan, who hides her pride...'

So he calmed down a bit and said:
"How did you come to be connected with Mingyang while you were living in that small temple? Tell me in detail!"

Minghui had actually wanted to speak with the abbot for a long time, but she didn't know whether she and her master had done good or bad, nor did she know how the abbot would deal with her, so she didn't dare to speak first. Now that she had a chance, she said sincerely:

"That year... I intentionally approached the Compassionate Path, and accepted a favor to escort a member of the Murong family south. When we reached the lake, I encountered a high-ranking member of the Li family. I sensed something extraordinary about her, so I secretly took a wisp of her aura and brought it back for divination. However, I unexpectedly triggered a profound mystery and almost lost my life. I managed to seal it with all my life's treasures and bring it back to the temple... When my master saw his disciple in this state, he took the initiative to help... and went with her to divine..."

Upon hearing this, Dangjiang burst out laughing and said:
"Okay, okay! And then what?"

Minghui broke out in a cold sweat and said:

"Master's soul was injured, his Dharma body was broken, and he almost lost his life..."

Dangjiang burst into laughter, making no attempt to hide the sarcasm on his face, and said:

"With your clever appearance, I never imagined you were such a fool back then. And your master, I heard, was named Jinlian, and also had eight lifetimes of cultivation..."

He raised his chin and sighed:
"He has lived eight lifetimes in vain; he is the most foolish of all!"

Minghui dared not disobey him. Seeing him laugh heartily, she understood it wasn't a big deal, and that it was even less of a big deal for her master to be insulted. Minghui smiled along and said:

"Absolutely! Absolutely!"

After Dangjiang finished laughing and had figured out the whole story, he listened to him recount the details again. A hint of doubt rose in his eyes as he thought to himself:
'That doesn't make sense... If he and his master committed the crime together, why is he the only one who came up? If we could catch that Jinlian, wouldn't Shanledao be my backyard?'

Then, with a serious expression, he said:
"If that's the case, the destiny between the two of you should be tied to the Xuan Tian realm. Why is it that I only saw you and not your master?"

Minghui broke out in a cold sweat again, fearing that the other party had left a bad impression on her master. She kowtowed again, exclaiming in alarm:
"This disciple...this disciple does not know!"

His bald head began to think rapidly, and he immediately said:

"Master...Master has had a fortuitous encounter these past years, being taken into a Dharma body by a Dharma being, and has yet to awaken in his cultivation, remaining in the Sensing Golden Land. Presumably, this is the reason why he has not received blessings from Xuan Tian..."

Dangjiang nodded slightly, finding it somewhat reasonable. He sighed inwardly, feeling a pang of regret, and said:

"You may leave now!"

Minghui kowtowed twice and hurriedly retreated, also burdened with worries. Dangjiang watched his departing figure and pondered:
'Such opportunities don't come often, after all. It seems we won't be able to catch that Jinlian anytime soon... Other methods to gather Buddhist practitioners are still hard to find right now...'

He paused, then couldn't help but stroke the jade token, thinking to himself:
'I'm afraid... we should still ask Lord Liu...'