The Path to Immortality Begins with the Life-Extending Lamp

Chapter 13 Confinement and Change (Two-in-One)

"The chaotic burial mountains of Western Mang have become a powerful place for old corpse demons and ghosts; they must be eradicated!"

"The previous dynasty collapsed, and the corpses sank into the river. The water ghosts below the Abyss River are helpless, and it has almost become a forbidden zone for mortals. However, if I were to completely cleanse it with my own eyes, it would be extremely difficult and require a great deal of effort."

"The mountains in the southwest also need someone to guard and develop them."

"Evil spirits abound throughout the prefectures and counties!"

"..."

At the summit of Lin Yuan Mountain, the five academies and eighteen purple palaces, along with the nine great disciples of the four academies, gathered in the main hall, each recounting their difficulties.

The abbot is quite ambitious, inviting the patriarch to stand in. He also wants to cleanse Tiannan Prefecture, which consists of three prefectures and twenty-seven counties. It is a vast and sparsely populated area with frequent evil spirits. Even if Tiannan Temple comes, it may not be able to clean it up in a short time!

Some of the true disciples and the Purple Robe Academy Master expressed their incomprehension.

Although Tiannan Temple has developed somewhat in recent years, it is located in the southwestern miasma-ridden region where spiritual veins are not thriving and it lacks outstanding humanistic education, making it one of the lowest-ranking sects among the various prefectures in the southern country.

The Western Wilderness Burial Mountain, the Southwest Ten Thousand Demon Peaks, and the Southern Poisonous Gu Witch Clan are not places where war can be easily started.

If they really take action, and there's even the slightest oversight or failure to control the situation, this entire Tiannan Prefecture could really riot!
"The corpse pit in Western Mang will be dealt with by the capital's military and aristocratic families. With us going to a courtyard, it will be enough to completely wipe it out. This place must be completely destroyed."

"The Yuan River has stretched to this day, but the ghostly calamity has spread, causing the prefectures of Tiannan, Qingping, and Lingnan to lose tens of thousands of miles of wasteland. The vast waterway has become a forbidden zone, devoid of living beings..."

"The northern kingdoms are frequently at war, conquering the capital. The eight prefectures of Jiangnan and Jiangbei are in dire straits. How can we remain in this corner of the land for long?"

"We are supported by millions of people, and we have benefited from their hard-earned money. Who has not tasted it? We should do our best for the people!"

The purple-robed elder at the head of the table remained calm and did not argue with the others. However, his words clearly demonstrated his determination to carry out his will to the end.

With eighteen Daoist masters of the Purple Mansion in the temple and nine true disciples of the Purple Mansion Qi Refining lineage, how come they cannot cleanse the southern sky?
Besides, the patriarch's lifespan is coming to an end...

The patriarch has been guarding Tiannan for over 240 years. His destiny star has dimmed, and he has reached the end of his nine-year cycle. Once he leaves, who can still control Tiannan?
The old prefect of the capital is also nearing the end of his life, and he wishes to cooperate with Tiannan Temple to clear away the many hidden dangers and thorns in Tiannan Prefecture for future generations...

The calamities caused by the ghosts of the Yuan River have a long history, but their scope is limited to the water veins, so we will not discuss them for now.

When the Yin God Ancestor passes away, the Western Wilderness Corpse Cave erupts in chaos, witchcraft and sorcery wreaks havoc in the South, and mountain spirits are in turmoil, the temple will be overwhelmed and unable to manage everything. Who will be able to control it then?
Only by cleansing those four forbidden areas before the Patriarch passes away! No, as long as two of them are successfully resolved, Tiannan Prefecture... will be able to safely weather the coming low point.

Abbot Linyuan sighed inwardly, but he couldn't bring himself to speak frankly with his fellow disciples, nephews, and even grand-disciples.

Those Taoists with a bit more experience and a slightly sharper sense of the times might have already sensed the impending storm.

Of course, there are always fools who cannot understand, but seeing the abbot's decision, even if they have objections, they cannot dissuade him.

Anyway, you're the abbot, so you call the shots...

Cutting down mountains and ruining temples to cleanse the southern sky is no easy task.

Upon descending to the summit of the Four Directions Inner Court, a portion of each of the following must be taken to fill the Outer Court: the Yellow Sprout Pill and Qi-Discerning Pill from the Alchemy and Weaponry Academy; the Five Elements Magic from the Myriad Laws Academy; the Daoist Codes and Laws from the Law and Decree Academy; and the Daoist Soldiers and Spirit-Raising Methods from the Imperial Edict Academy.

The Lin Yuan Outer Academy, which belongs to the Four Academies, will also further expand, with the Five Academies operating in parallel, rapidly increasing the strength of the Tiannan Taoist Temple.

The recruitment of novice monks and apprentices in the outer court will also be expanded, changing from a three-year term to an annual term.

Four permanent conquest missions were issued: to destroy the Corpse Cave, level the mountains, cleanse the Abyss River, and suppress witchcraft.

The decree that the merit points gained from each conquest mission would be double those of ordinary missions immediately caused a sensation in the outer court.

Furthermore, a decree was issued in the prefecture to register Daoist practitioners. Wandering cultivators who underwent three examinations could be admitted to the Outer Court of Tiannan as registered disciples, given green robes, and treated the same as other Outer Court disciples. They could then enter the various pavilions and halls of the Outer Court to study the orthodox teachings!

These changes constantly stimulated the nerves of those pursuing the Dao in Tiannan Prefecture. Everyone knew that a great upheaval was about to occur in Tiannan...

However, Li Qing had just finished her half-month confinement.

"Li Qing!"

Do you realize your mistake from what you did earlier?

The disciples in blue robes from the Enforcement Hall opened the stone chamber facing the bottomless, cold cliff.

A man in blue robes, with a gourd hanging from his waist and a sword ornament at his side, entered the stone chamber nestled in the cliff. His name was Lan Yang, one of the deputy heads of the Outer Court's Enforcement Hall. At this moment, he was personally carrying a scroll of paper, having come here to conduct his questioning.

Tiannan Temple inherited the ancient lineage of Qi cultivation - Taiyi Temple. Even though it was influenced by the times in Tiandu Nanguo and was divided into inner and outer courtyards, the lineage of Daoist masters and disciples was transformed into the lineage of sects, but it still ultimately focused on education.

The rules of this Enforcement Hall are not merely for maintaining the disciplinary system; they are more for teaching. For example, in this solitary confinement room, there is only a stone table, a stone desk, and a stone bed, and the walls are covered with inscriptions of the "Nine Thoughts Ode".

Think thrice before acting, consider thrice before proceeding, and ask thrice afterward.

Any disciple who violates the rules must, while gazing at the bottomless abyss outside the cave, copy down the "Nine Thoughts Ode" to achieve a state of mental tranquility and reflection.

"Lin Ruhu suffered a broken right arm and was mentally and physically injured; Liang Kun had all four ribs broken and was immediately severely injured..."

"These are all your fellow cultivators from the same year, how can you be so ruthless?"

Inside the Hall of Enforcement, several Daoist disciples dressed in blue robes stood guard outside. Some of them looked at the man in blue robes in the stone chamber and spoke with resentment.

Disciples within the temple are not immune to some despicable acts, but there are certainly not many like him among the various academies who would commit such a ruthless act while still within the temple walls, showing no regard for precepts or camaraderie.

"..."

Li Qing glanced at the crowd expressionlessly, handed the thick scroll of "Nine Thoughts Ode" with more than three hundred copies to the blue-robed Taoist with a green gourd and sword, and then went outside.

Before you entered the Daoist path, you studied the "Rules of the Southern Cultivation Daoist Site" in Jiangnan.

“The temple and residence are privately a sacred place for one person and one’s own path. No formal letter of invitation is sent, no seal is conferred, and any disrespectful words or wanton disturbances are considered an intrusion into the temple.”

"What if I had been diligently practicing visualization techniques that day? What if I had been engaging in forbidden practices of communicating with spirits?"

"Even if it's just out of camaraderie, if he weren't such a fool, killing him would only require some Dao coins as compensation, wouldn't it?"

With a look of utter disdain, Li Qing didn't even bother to argue with them. Within a hundred feet of each of Lin Yuan's residences, no one else was ever allowed to approach, especially in places where magic and cultivation were practiced, where absolute security was required.

Tiannan Temple separates its residences according to the "Rules of Southern Cultivation Sites". There are only a few residences scattered every few hundred feet. The closed courtyards are protected by restrictions to ensure the privacy of each person's cultivation.

Lin Ruhu is from a prominent family, so it's unbelievable that he doesn't even know the basic etiquette of sending a visiting card!
To put it bluntly, they're just used to being arrogant and look down on other Taoist disciples and servants.

"Oh? You're quite the smooth talker; you've become the victim."

"The Lin family is a powerful clan, with several blue-robed disciples who have entered the temple. Are you really not afraid?"

The blue-robed Taoist priest put away the three hundred copies of "Nine Thoughts Ode" that Li Qing had copied. Seeing that Li Qing was arguing with the others, he couldn't help but tease him a bit.

That foolish boy from the Lin family still acts like a tyrant after entering the temple; he truly deserves to suffer this loss.

That's the truth.

However, Guanli is not a true celestial paradise. Petty scheming and interpersonal relationships are the norm. If the laws are strictly enforced and things are done to an extreme, resentment will inevitably arise afterward.

This question hits the nail on the head regarding the whole incident!
Li Qing picked up the paper lantern, and paused for a moment as she was about to leave.

"I vaguely observe the rules and regulations, I walk my own path, he crosses his Bridge of Helplessness, what is there to fear?"

"If we don't follow the rules, ha... in Tiannan Prefecture, the Lin family, with its 367 mortal members, won't be able to escape, and... they'll probably be having sleepless nights, won't they?"

With a cold laugh, the man in green robes lit a lantern and slowly left the Hall of Law Enforcement under the cover of night.

These words contained great terror and were utterly outrageous, instantly casting a shadow over the expressions of everyone in the training ground.

This ghostly man, Li Qing, is arrogant, extremely arrogant!
To dare to make such a threat in front of so many law enforcement disciples, if this were in other unorthodox sects, such a person wouldn't even have the chance to leave the Law Enforcement Hall alive.

That is, Tiannan Ancient Temple, where the atmosphere is quite tolerant.

He is so crazy!
“Junior Brother Lin Qin, you saw that person’s attitude. I’m afraid I’m too incompetent to speak up.”

Lan Yang slowly walked out of the confinement room, watching the departing figure, and could only spread his hands in helplessness.

Among the Daoist disciples who had just reprimanded Li Qing, one in blue robes immediately stepped forward, forcibly suppressing his unpleasant expression, cupped his hands to Lan Yang, and bowed in thanks:
"I wouldn't dare, I've already troubled Senior Brother Lan."

If one were to examine this Taoist disciple in blue closely, one would find that he bears a striking resemblance to Lin Ruhu. He is a collateral descendant of the Lin family of Tiannan, but he entered the Taoist path a year earlier than Li Qing and Lin Ruhu.

Entrusted by Lin Jiao, one of only two Qi Refining experts in the clan, he went through some connections to enter the outer courtyard's law enforcement hall to see Li Qing.

But how could Li Qing be considered a proper Qi practitioner?

'I can't afford to offend the Lin family's Daoist disciples. The Lin family in Tiannan Prefecture has 367 mortal members, and I remember their exact number...'

These words and actions are no different from those evil cultivators in the south!
But these words struck Lin Qin hard at his weak point, making him feel uneasy, because he really did have parents, siblings, uncles, and other relatives living in the Lin family estate.

How can you expect him to cause trouble for that devilish gentleman again?

Cursing inwardly, Lin Qin bowed again to the blue-robed official of the Enforcement Hall and pleaded:
"That Li Qing has always acted fearlessly. I would like to ask Senior Brother Lan Yang to present his aggressive words to the head of the academy so that he can be properly disciplined."

At this moment, he was no longer concerned about the injustice Lin Ruhu had suffered; he was only afraid that the Lin brothers, Lin Jiao and Lin Ruhu, would escalate the situation out of control. After thanking his senior brother Lan, who came from a prestigious family in the Purple Mansion, Lin Qin hurriedly took his leave.

This amused the Taoist disciples in the Enforcement Hall.

"Senior brother, it seems that Lin Jiao is still blocking the hall outside?" A blue-robed Daoist disciple at the mid-stage of Qi Refining approached and whispered a reminder.

Lin Jiao had been practicing Taoism for over ten years, and had entered the Inner Court - the Imperial Expeditionary Academy. Before the new year, he had reached the upper level of Qi Refining, and had thirty-six Fangshan Daoist soldiers under his command. He was quite a figure.

But he didn't know whether his senior brother would give him face or not.

"Oh?"

Lan Yang hadn't expected that such a small matter could provoke Lin Jiao. It seemed that although the Lin family was in decline, they were still brothers who were friendly and respectful to each other.
"Keep an eye on him. If he makes a move in front of my Enforcement Hall, it won't look good!"

In short, this whole incident boils down to Lin Ruhu looking down on the other disciples and servants of his generation because of his family's status. This fool, who was used to running rampant, naturally suffered a bad end when he ran into Li Qing.

It's not that I'm afraid of clever people having bad intentions, it's that I'm afraid of fools doing foolish things...

"But how should Li Qing's confession be written?"

Those remarks you just made, can that be called repentance? That was a blatant threat!

But how to "polish" it and present it to the head of the outer academy was a decision they dared not make on their own; only this senior brother could speak up.

"How should I write it? Of course, I'll... not write it."

"There are at least eighty or a hundred people like this in the temple. Do you think just anyone can gain face in my Hall of Law Enforcement?"

The bottom line cannot be sold off cheaply; if it's sold too much, it becomes... worthless!
The Lin family is too small to afford that price, so why should the Enforcement Hall serve them? It would only ruin their reputation.

"If you open too many doors, what are the junior brothers supposed to do? Kid, think about it carefully."

Lan Yang gave a light snort, but rolled his eyes at his junior brother, telling him to figure out what the proper measure was.

In his words, Lan Yang showed utter disdain for the mere Lin family, completely forgetting Lin Qin's request...

Li Qing exited the Hall of Law Enforcement.

Holding paper lanterns, I stepped onto the dimly lit cobblestone path.

next moment.

Just where the shadows of the trees intertwined, several enormous black figures suddenly appeared before the bend in the rocks. The shadows were dim, and the figures could only be vaguely seen to be as tall as bears.

Counting them up, one, two, three... there were a total of four.

As soon as Li Qing's raised right foot landed, she immediately felt a deadly threat from the four dark figures.

A murderous aura, a chilling presence!

Xiu raised the paper lantern a few inches, as if trying to use the cold white candlelight to see what the four dark figures opposite him were.

next moment.

There was a flash of blood.

Among the four dark figures blocking the mountain path, one figure was suddenly split in two, as if liquid had been spilled, and then the two fell to the ground one after the other, the stench of blood quickly spreading.

"Whee!"

An eerie laugh echoed from the shadows, and two red ribbons flashed briefly in the night. Looking up, one could see a graceful lady in a pure white dress floating in the air.

However, only the dripping blood on the water sleeves seemed to tell of its horror and bizarre nature.

This beast is not human!

The moment the paper figure appeared, it tore a monster to shreds with a flick of its sleeve.

The remaining giants were not without intelligence. Stimulated by the blood, they roared wildly, and three black shadows, stirring up rolling gusts of cold wind, pounced on the paper spirit of the lady like tigers and bears.

"Oh? So it's Old Xiao...?"

Li Qing got up, picked up the paper lantern, and used the out-of-the-way light to see his figure. He immediately understood.

This mountain demon is also known as the mountain ghost or mountain spirit. It has a human face with upturned heels, is black and thin like a monkey, has a ferocious and hideous appearance, and has green down growing on its neck. It often lives in the mountains, performs evil rituals in remote villages, and has a fondness for raping other men's wives and daughters.

Infamous!

However, mountain demons are from the southwest region, and many Taoist priests and sorcerers often use them as "Taoist soldiers".

Such a powerful mountain demon, as strong as a bear, could not possibly have been born naturally; it must have been someone's Taoist soldier or spirit beast.

The three mountain demons pounced on the paper spirit, their fangs bared, their ferocious appearance soaring to the sky. They leaped several feet in one bound, but still missed their target.

With a flick of her sleeves, the paper spirit lady rose into the air, leaving the three mischievous beasts no chance to touch her. They fell back to the ground, baring their teeth.

Just as the three mountain spirits were rising in evil rage and were about to tear the lady to pieces, they seemed to be affected by something. Their faces showed struggle, and they all turned their heads, their cruel gazes falling on the lantern-carrying young Taoist at the end of the road.

But before the old demon could even roar...

bang bang bang...

Immediately following were three consecutive sounds of skulls exploding. The three old demons fell one by one into the bluestone path, each with a large hole in its hideous head!
The monster's head looked as if it had been pierced by a heavy object, with red and white matter splattering all over the ground, making for a particularly bloody scene.

"this?"

Behind them, atop the brightly lit rooftop of the Hall of Law Enforcement, on the highest peak tower, several figures stood shoulder to shoulder, looking down below.

Looking further, all that could be seen was the young Taoist priest who hadn't moved a single foot from beginning to end. At this moment, he was raising his finger to pick up a three-inch black nail with intricate patterns, and with a surge of true qi, he expressionlessly flicked away the blood and foam that clung to it.

Two moves, and all four mountain demon soldiers were slaughtered!
Such ruthless killing is truly decisive.

"This Li Qing is quite remarkable. With a wave of his hand, he conjures up a top-grade paper spirit and a strange flying nail magic weapon..."

"He's just a low-level Daoist disciple, where would he get such wealth?"

Two magical artifacts of such high quality are probably something even a mid-level Daoist disciple with a blue robe in the inner courtyard couldn't gather!
"Who knows?"

"However, you should know that his name is Guilang-Li Qing."

"His record as a mid-grade Daoist disciple under the External Affairs Hall is the best. One high-grade Mountain Lord mission, one high-grade Hanging Ghost Calamity mission, eighteen mid-grade missions, thirty-seven low-grade commissions... The number of missions he has completed is something that even all of you combined cannot match."

Lan Yang shook his head and chuckled, having thoroughly grasped the intelligence from the Foreign Affairs Hall, which left the others speechless with astonishment.

Yes, that's Gui Lang - Li Qing, the Ghost Gentleman who even fierce ghosts avoid!

This guy has earned quite a few ghost-related commissions.

The group gasped in amazement for a few moments, then looked again into the darkness in the distance.

After the four old demons died instantly, the person behind them made no further moves. Only the cold light of the lantern slowly approached. Li Qing made a hand seal with his fingertips, and with the Blood Spell, the heart essence of the four mountain demons was taken.

Not a single bit is wasted.

Immediately following, a burst of fire appeared, and emerald flames and phosphorescent fire suddenly rose from the four or five mandrill remains. In the blink of an eye, they vanished and melted away, leaving only a lump of charred mud burning with crimson flames in just a dozen breaths.

The young Taoist priest, carrying a paper lantern, stood still. The lady slowly landed beside him; she was a paper figure that resembled a real person.

It seemed as if they had been waiting for a long time, until the several bonfires were completely burned out and dimmed.

After testing the waters, the person behind the scenes dared not make a move again.

"Heh...aren't you going to continue?"

"See you next time... Senior Brother Lin!"

Li Qing's lips curled slightly, a hint of disdain flashing across his face, and he swept his sleeve across the room. Suddenly, a white paper palanquin appeared out of nowhere from the illusory mountains and forests, crashing towards where Li Qing stood.

All that could be heard was the ringing of bells, and countless square and round paper ghosts scattered and fluttered in the air. The white paper ghost sedan chair was about ten feet in size, with ghastly beams at the four corners, paper banners hanging down, and copper bells jingling. Inside the sedan chair, there seemed to be a pale paper lamp that was always lit, making it extremely eerie.

A paper sedan chair appeared in the eerie wind, and funeral paper fluttered and danced, accompanied by the whimsical chatter of the paper spirits.

The next instant, the paper sedan chair collided with the lantern-bearing Taoist in green robes. A cold wind swirled, and white paper filled the sky like falling leaves. After it was scattered, the lantern-bearing Taoist and the white paper bridge disappeared without a trace.

Even Lan Yang, who was at the top level of Qi Refining and had created a protective aura, could no longer detect the slightest trace when he opened his Dharma Eye and surveyed the surrounding mountains, rocks, and forests.

"What a bizarre method!"

"Spells I've never heard of or seen before, they're truly mysterious."

However, Lin Jiao ultimately didn't dare to go too far, did he?
He still has some sense of propriety!
(End of this chapter)