Embers of Sword

Chapter 349 Pelican
Xie Xuanyi didn't know how to explain.

Because even he himself felt it was a bit ridiculous.

In his previous life, he committed many murders and arson.

Once, because Yinshan had displeased him, he even went south with a sword in hand, massacred several mountaintops, and killed hundreds of evil cultivators.

How could a wicked person like me comprehend the "laws of life"?
Is it because of the Fountain of Immortality?
"..."

Subconsciously, he looked at his hands.

These hands were supposed to be used to hold a sword and chop people.

But after reincarnation, he saved many people unknowingly.

Not long ago, when the Purple and Green Treasure Ship was struck by the Soul-Devouring Banner, Xie Xuanyi used the principles of life to help the monks in the delegation regain their peace of mind.

"The disciple who killed the embryo comprehended the law of life. Is this the cause and effect of Buddhism?"

Junshan Zhenren smiled softly, and stretched out his tone with a hint of sarcasm: "Fate...it's indescribable..."

"Brother Dao, stop teasing me."

Xie Xuanyi sighed and said, "My comprehension of the 'Dao of Life' is too slow. Do you know of any way to speed up my comprehension of the Dao?"

"You should ask the Zen master about this. I know nothing about the 'principle of life'."

Junshan Zhenren did not stop smiling, but continued to tease, "Speaking of which... comprehending the Dao is not a one-day job. How old are you? How fast do you want to comprehend it? Mr. Xie, please forgive me when you can. That's enough. If we continue to cultivate at this speed, will we all be alive?"

Seeing Xie Zhen lowering his head and falling into deep thought.

Junshan Master coughed and said, "Actually, it's not that there is no solution at all."

"Ok?"

Xie Xuanyi raised his head, a glimmer of light burning in his eyes. Although he was a genius, he also had confusions on the road of cultivation.

In comparison, Junshan Zhenren is much stronger in this respect.

After all, he is a Yang God who has lived long and seen a lot.

"Many years ago, Taoist disciples needed to practice the art of the five elements."

Junshan raised a finger and said slowly: "You should know that anyone who can comprehend and master one of the five elements, gold, wood, water, fire and earth, is also a top-level Dao realm... The disciples in the sect once suffered terribly in order to practice the five elements. Some top geniuses were born with 'spiritual roots' and could practice very quickly, while those mediocre talents could only take one step at a time. At that time, the head of the Taoist sect created a five-element secret realm in 'Tianyuan Mountain' in order to allow the disciples in the sect to make further progress."

"Five Elements Secret Realm?"

Xie Xuanyi frowned. Until now, he still couldn't understand what Junshan wanted to express.

"Disciples who comprehend the 'law of fire' can absorb the earth's fire in Tianyuan Mountain, just like being inside a volcano, and feel the most concentrated fire element between heaven and earth."

Junshan Zhenren smiled and said, "Compared to the 'Principle of Destruction', your understanding of the 'Principle of Life' seems mediocre... If you want to speed up your practice, you need to feel the 'Principle of Life' more deeply."

Xie Xuanyi's pupils shrank slightly.

He seemed to understand Junshan's meaning.

think carefully.

It seems to be true.

My practice in my previous life was too smooth.

The way of destruction seemed to be tailor-made for him... There was no bottleneck or blockage in his comprehension.

The reason is that after comprehending the Dao, Xie Xuanyi wandered in the four realms, constantly asking for sword skills and fighting. The Dao of Destruction was in such a "friendly environment", and naturally it rose to a higher level. It was cultivated to perfection very quickly and condensed into the Great Dao!
There were occasional pauses along the way, so Xie Xuanyi would take his sword and go to southern Xinjiang!
Destroyed a hilltop in Yinshan Mountain.

The way of destruction can break through the bottleneck and reach a higher level.

Killing people can speed up the process of refining the "Principle of Destruction".

And conversely...

If you want to condense the "law of life", you need to save people.

"After entering the Yin Shen realm, the Dao completely condenses into the Great Dao, and this is when the true practice begins. If I guess correctly, you probably need to save many people like the Zen master back then, before you can fully comprehend the 'Dao of Life'."

Master Junshan stroked his chin and sighed, "I really can't imagine...what would it be like if you put down your flying sword and started practicing medicine to save the world?"

Only by saving many people can we condense the "Way of Life"?
This... is really putting myself in a difficult position.

Xie Xuanyi's expression turned a little ugly.

……

……

After leaving Qujiang, the journey was indeed peaceful.

The delegation traveled eastward, and one day later, they finally left the State of Chu smoothly and arrived at the border of the State of Li - Yuanzhou.

Compared to Chu State.

The country seems a bit desolate.

There were almost no pedestrians on the road, the mountains and trees looked a little desolate, and traces of burning could be seen everywhere.

"Yuanzhou has been plagued by serious banditry in recent years."

"After Chen Chong took power, his 'Yu Camp' wiped out the bandit dens along the mountain roads of Yuanzhou. Unfortunately, the problem of banditry cannot be solved overnight... Yuanzhou has suffered from drought, famine, and plague for several consecutive years. The people here can't survive, so they naturally choose to take up their weapons and go up the mountain to become pirates."

Special Envoy Tie Tong explained to everyone in the carriage: "Over the years, the Li Kingdom has sent envoys to the Chu Kingdom for peace talks many times, hoping that the Chu royal family can deliver supplies to Yuanzhou and rescue these refugees...but several consecutive negotiations have ended in failure."

"Why?"

Deng Baiyi couldn't bear to look at the emaciated starving people on the roadside. The scenes he saw along the way were truly shocking.

It is New Year now, but unfortunately these people did not survive the cold winter.

"It's the Li countrymen who should save them."

Tie Tong said calmly: "Although Yuanzhou, Wuzhou, and Yuzhou are poor... the neighboring 'Qianzhou' is quite rich. No matter how many people die of famine in Yuanzhou, it has nothing to do with Da Chu."

"Too."

Deng Baiyi sighed softly.

The choice of the imperial city was not unexpected to her. The famine in Li Country should be saved by the people of Li Country.

Even if Da Chu really lent a helping hand.

How much of the relief food will actually reach the hands of these refugees?

She understands the truth.

But the scene before her really touched her heart. It was the same thing many years ago when there was a famine in Northern County.

These people died just like that...

"Sure enough, there is no such thing as a free lunch."

Xie Xuanyi closed the curtain and said slowly: "During the Taiping years, Chen Chong was able to become the youngest Supreme State General in Li State. There must be many hidden reasons behind it... Although he is now the co-lord of the three states, he has a huge mess in his hands..."

"Yes."

Tie Tong sighed, "Poor mountains and bad waters breed unruly people. The people of Yuanzhou are tough and do not obey the law, making them extremely difficult to discipline. Chen Chong has just taken over these three states, and everyone is waiting to see how he performs. But judging from the elimination of bandits alone, it has been quite effective."

"I really don't understand, where do all these problems come from?"

Junshan Zhenren frowned as he looked at the withered mountains in the distance. "With the background of the Dali royal family, is it difficult to solve the so-called drought? Just ask a Yang God to use his Yuan power to activate the 'Rain Talisman', and it will rain all over the city in one day. At most, in half a year, the drought in Yuanzhou will be solved."

"well said."

Xie Xuanyi said calmly: "If Brother Dao has recovered his Yang God cultivation, would you be willing to do this good deed?"

"Me? Of course not!"

Junshan Zhenren raised his eyebrows and answered without hesitation: "The Rain-Making Talisman consumes vital energy and luck... Most importantly, it also involves karma!"

“That’s why.”

Xie Xuanyi smiled and said, "In Li Country, no one is willing to save Yuanzhou... These Yang Gods are high and mighty, they just want to live a few more years, how could they give up their own fate to save the common people? Even if Yuanzhou is hit by a severe drought, as long as it does not affect the blessed land of our own sect, it will be fine. I am afraid that these Yang Gods have already told their disciples to avoid this place as much as possible when traveling."

"Master Xie is right." Tie Tong agreed, "It is precisely because of these Yang Gods in Li Country that no one is willing to rescue Yuanzhou, so these three states were thrown into the hands of Chen Chong. It is also interesting to say that the envoys of Li Country know that you are kind-hearted, and have come to the library to pray for rain more than once..."

Junshan Zhenren became interested: "There is also this matter, has Chen Jingxuan agreed?"

"Of course I refused."

Tie Tong shook his head and said righteously: "Although you have a kind heart, you will not give the nobles of Li Country an advantage for nothing. The fate of the Sky Monitor is precious, how can you use it for this matter?"

"This boy declined beautifully."

Junshan Zhenren said expressionlessly: "If we really cast a spell to pray for rain, the people of Li may not thank Chen Jingxuan."

"I pray for rain today, but after the rain comes drought, what shall I do?"

Xie Xuanyi said softly, "A little bit of rice will bring gratitude, a big bit of rice will bring resentment, this is the inevitability of human nature... Even if there is such a disaster in the territory of Chu State, the sky monitor cannot save it. If we really use our lives to 'pray for rain', it will be a huge waste. Even if Chen Jingxuan dies of exhaustion, I am afraid he will not be thanked in the end."

Coincidentally.

Speaking of Chen Jingxuan, the Ruyi Order in his arms happened to vibrate.

"...Everyone, please excuse me for a moment."

Xie Xuanyi took a deep breath and immersed his mind into the token.

The mist lingered, enveloped, and dispersed...

He came to the Ruyi fantasy world, where fire flickered in the study, and green tablets, jade desks, and gold threads were suspended and laid out flat, unchanged for years.

The only thing that has changed.

It is the face of a scholar in blue shirt.

"You look haggard again."

Xie Xuanyi sat in front of the jade table, looking closely at Chen Jingxuan's face. The young imperial teacher was already thin and gaunt, and now his cheeks looked sickly.

The amount of white hair on his temples has obviously increased.

This is a manifestation of excessive use of the [Huanyuanyi].

"cough……"

Chen Jingxuan clenched his fist and coughed dully. Although he looked pale, there was a smile in his eyes. "It is a time of trouble. I have been busy with trivial matters these days, but I will soon be done... I heard from Qian San that you have successfully left Qujiang and should be in Yuanzhou, Liguo."

"good."

Xie Xuanyi sighed and said, "You should take good care of yourself."

"How long you can live is already determined by fate."

Chen Jingxuan smiled and shook his head, saying apologetically: "Brother Xie, please forgive me. I have been exhausted these past few days, and I did not anticipate some of the unexpected events in Qujiang..."

Xie Xuanyi was stunned for a moment.

He didn't expect that.

The first thing Chen Jingxuan said was to apologize to himself.

During the Qujiang Incident, the young imperial teacher guessed that the Imperial City Division would do its best to kill him, so he did not hesitate to use "Qian San" to escort him... This hidden chess piece has a pivotal position in the country of Li, and once it is removed, it can never be restored. From the results, Qian San did not help much, but this heart was full, which made Xie Xuanyi feel heavy.

"You don't have to apologize to me."

Xie Xuanyi took a deep breath and said word by word: "The disaster in Qujiang was caused by me, and it will end with me."

From the beginning to the end, he never thought of relying on Chen Jingxuan's backup plan.

"..."

Chen Jingxuan was silent for a long time.

He lowered his eyebrows and explained slowly, "I know you have means and abilities, but after all, you are only at the Cave Heaven Realm now. This mission is not simple. Before the departure, the [Huanyuan Instrument] gave a great omen of disaster. Even though the delegation includes Junshan and Miaozhen, two reincarnated Yang Gods, I still dare not rest assured, so I made such an arrangement in Qujiang."

"You misunderstood. I'm not blaming you."

Xie Xuanyi sighed, "Of course I know, you are doing this for my own good. But... the fate of a Sky Monitor is precious, so don't waste it on me or the hidden chess that the library has been laying for a long time."

"As long as you are safe, none of this matters."

Chen Jingxuan shook his head again.

His eyes were determined. Ten years ago, when the Beihai killing happened, he could only stand by and watch. But now it is different.

This arrangement by Qujiang may happen again.

He still does it.

"Don't be so self-indulgent. The arrangement for Qian San is not entirely because of you. He can no longer stay in Liguo."

Chen Jingxuan paused and added, "Nalan Xuance is suspicious and has sinister means. If Qian San stays any longer, I'm afraid he will meet with an accident. He has already expressed his wish to return home, so we will take this opportunity to transfer him back to Chujing. After the disaster in Qujiang is over, he will be responsible for meeting you on your return journey."

"All right……"

Xie Xuanyi rubbed his brows. He couldn't argue with Chen Jingxuan, so he could only thankfully say, "Now I'm in Yuanzhou, outside the country, and out of the sensing range of the [Huanyuan Instrument]. This is just the right time to save you all this trouble. You don't have to waste your life fortune telling for me. Whether it's a disaster or a good fortune ahead... If there's a mountain, I'll climb it, and if there's a river, I'll cross it."

Xie Xuanyi said no more and went straight to the point: "The delegation will stay here for a few days, so I can take a break. Where is Chu Guo now?"

"Chu Guo's current situation is a bit complicated."

Chen Jingxuan's face showed a little more worry: "I haven't contacted you these days because...something happened in the country."

"I should have told you that only four people knew that Chu Guo was sent to Liguo."

Chen Jingxuan said slowly: "Me, Master, Chu Yin, and the 'Fire Master' who is in charge of taking care of it."

In order to prevent the secrets from being seen.

A "soul ban" has been imposed on the depths of Chu Guo's heart, and the memory of his life experience will be restored bit by bit as he grows older.

"I remember."

Xie Xuanyi asked solemnly: "What happened?"

"Everything was originally peaceful. Chu Guo grew up safely in a small town in Yuanzhou over the years."

"However, half a year ago, Nalan Xuance transferred the Fire Lord to a very far place. The Fire Lord had no time to take care of Yuanzhou... so he arranged for a trusted soldier in the library to take care of Chu Guo on his behalf." Chen Jingxuan said: "Of course... the news of Chu Guo's life experience was completely blocked. The spy did not know Chu Guo's identity, but only knew that his mission was to take care of such a young man."

"Just a few days ago, Chen Chong's Yuzi Camp cavalry launched a massive crackdown on bandits in Yuanzhou, which caused a backlash among the people."

"The bandit rebellion broke out completely, and the iron cavalry ruthlessly suppressed it."

"A medium-scale extermination war broke out in Yuanzhou, and the peace of this small city was broken. Chu Guo and the people in the city had no choice but to flee together..."

Hearing this, Xie Xuanyi couldn't help but sigh.

He knew it.

This business won't always be smooth sailing.

"The soldier who took care of Chu Guo on behalf of the Fire Lord was named 'Pelican'."

Chen Jingxuan said in a deep voice: "Because of the war in Yuanzhou, the Ruyi Order of the Pelican may have been destroyed. The many messages sent by the book building in the past few days have not received a response..."

"Now what?"

Xie Xuanyi frowned: "How can I find the Pelican?"

"No need to look for him, wait for him to look for you."

Chen Jingxuan said seriously: "Before traveling east, Pelican had one last contact with the library. The Fire Lord revealed to him the relationship between the Brahma Sound Temple delegation and the library. If Pelican is still alive, then he will definitely be able to find you."

Xie Xuanyi was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "What if... he died?"

If the Pelicans died in the war.

So what about Chu Guo?
"Chu Guo's soul lamp is still on."

Chen Jingxuan said softly: "I think... things haven't gotten that bad yet."

(End of this chapter)