Journey to the West: The Immortal Clan Begins by Feeding Monkeys at Five Elements Mountain

Chapter 182 Killing Three Birds with One Stone, the Clan-Suppressing Divine Eagle
As soon as Jiang Yi said this, Lao Gui paused slightly in mid-air with his teacup.

Immediately, a knowing smile spread across that wrinkled old face.

"If someone else were to speak on this matter, even a local deity with some influence, it would be very difficult to resolve."

He put down his teacup and continued slowly, "But if it comes from Brother Jiang's mouth, then that's a different story."

At this point, he seemed to suddenly remember something, leaned forward slightly, lowered his voice, and added a touch of ingratiation:

"If Brother Jiang finds it inconvenient to personally come, or finds such welcoming and seeing-off ceremonies too vulgar, this old man can do it for you. Delivering a message, running an errand—it's no big deal, no big deal at all..."

Although he spoke casually, he had already made plans in his heart.

The Jiang family's elaborate mobilization to move the water god—could it truly be an act of justice?

They probably want to move their own family members to these newly vacated spots.

This is not something that Jiang Yi should personally handle.

Old Gui knew exactly what was going on, and was happy to accept this favor.

Moreover, the area around Eagle's Sorrow Gorge is a difficult place for ordinary mountain deities.

On the surface, he is the God of Fortune, but in secret, he has to act according to the Third Prince's wishes.

They receive no reward for their offerings or donations, and are constantly worried that one day the young master might be in a bad mood and ruin their meager spiritual cultivation, even their good karma.

However, if a member of the Jiang family were to take charge, the situation would be quite different.

Even though the Third Prince was arrogant, he still had to give his family and relatives some face.

What was originally a disaster that everyone avoided at all costs has suddenly become a safe and comfortable job.

Thinking of this, Lao Gui couldn't help but secretly praise him.

This Brother Jiang is truly exceptional.

With this, the Third Prince now had someone "his own" by his side, making his actions much easier.

The unfortunate water god was able to escape the evil waters and move elsewhere to live a peaceful life, which can be considered a meritorious act of shedding a layer of skin.

As for the Jiang family, they quietly set aside an opportunity in these mountains and forests.

Killing three birds with one stone, leaving no room for error.

Jiang Yi clearly saw the knowing and warm expression on Lao Gui's face, but a bitter smile rose in his heart.

Our relationship with that Third Prince of the Western Sea is not that close.

Ultimately, it was only out of respect for Ao Yu that they maintained a semblance of civility and treated each other with courtesy for a short period.

If you want to keep that unruly dragon in line and stop it from causing trouble, you have to fill its belly first.

However, even if one were to exhaust all the resources in this corner of Eagle's Sorrow Gorge, it might not be enough to support this venerable man.

The intricacies of this matter need not be explained to outsiders.

Thinking of this, Jiang Yi simply held his teacup, his expression calm and indifferent, seemingly unaware of Lao Gui's earnestness, and casually smiled:
"This matter is not urgent. If Brother Gui finds an opportunity in the future and offers some guidance, that will be enough."

The words were spoken so casually, as if it were truly just a trivial matter.

The tea in the cup has been emptied, and this matter ends here.

Jiang Yi did not linger any longer. He gently placed the empty cup back on the stone table, stood up, bowed, and left.

Old Gui didn't try to persuade him much, but just smiled and saw him off to the outside of the courtyard. He watched as the figure in the green robe rose and fell a few times before disappearing into the mountain mist.

The return journey was surprisingly peaceful.

There were no evil spirits blocking the way, nor did they encounter any treacherous mountain gods.

The landscape remains the same, and the pace is not slow.

Seven or eight days passed in the blink of an eye, and the familiar outline of Liangjie Village was already visible in the distance.

During my half-month absence from home, nothing much has changed in the village.

The old locust tree looks the same as before, except that the new leaves on its branches are now a bit denser.

The village still retains its lively atmosphere.

On the training ground, the boys' fists and feet whistled through the air, their shouts echoing from afar;

In the newly reclaimed wasteland, the men had bare backs, their shoulders gleaming from being rubbed by the carrying poles.

The women in the fields would occasionally straighten up, wipe the sweat from their sleeves, and shout at the mischievous children returning home late in the distance.

The activity was bustling, carrying the sweet, earthy scent of freshly turned soil.

Jiang Yi returned home and reassured his wife and children that he was safe. A few words of everyday conversation warmed his heart.

He then summoned Jiang Qin and Jiang Jin, the brother and sister, saying he wanted to test their recent cultivation.

The brother and sister were not intimidated. They each took a long stick, bowed, and began to fight in the open space of the courtyard.

Two figures, one in green and one in gray, moved swiftly and gracefully, advancing and retreating with perfect control.

As the wind blew through the stick, the fallen leaves in the courtyard swirled in eddies.
The force of his palm pulsed, causing subtle ripples to spread through the air.

Jiang Yi stood with his hands behind his back under the corridor, his expression indifferent, revealing nothing, but a barely perceptible smile lurked in his eyes.

Two figures leaped and soared in the courtyard, their breaths flowing smoothly and clearly, which soothed his heart.

These two children are exceptionally talented. They are only sixteen years old, but their cultivation has already reached the threshold of being full of energy and calm and focused.

What pleased him even more was the budding spirit.

You should know that their aunt Jiang Xi was also quite talented back then.

However, it wasn't until he was eighteen or nineteen years old, when he received a spring breeze and night rain from the eldest prince of the Western Sea, Ao Moang, that he was able to barely visualize his divine soul and manifest the image of the precious tree.

These two little ones are only sixteen, but the outlines of their spirits are already faintly visible.

When he first heard this, Jiang Yi was still skeptical.

After asking more questions, I began to believe it to some extent.

Jiang Qin Guan envisioned a guardian Vajra holding a bow, majestic yet with a youthful spirit between his brows.

Jiang Jinguan envisioned a young girl gathering herbs, holding a ring, with a graceful figure and a compassionate and lively expression.

These two divine images were exactly the same as the clay statues enshrined in the Lingsu Temple.

If it were a coincidence, it would be too much of a coincidence.

Later, during some free time, I asked my son Jiang Liang, and that's when I understood a little of it.

Offerings of incense and prayers are the supreme elixir for nourishing the soul.

The statues of the two stand in the ancestral hall day and night, receiving incense offerings from the villagers.

Those unseen strands of willpower flowed like a gentle stream, nourishing their souls.

The benefits are immense, saving one years of hardship, and the spiritual flourishing far surpasses that of one's peers.

However, this is also the drawback.

The power of incense offerings and prayers inevitably carries a degree of "public opinion."

When the soul is being shaped, it will naturally gravitate towards the image in the hearts of believers, rather than letting one's true nature run wild.

However, for Jiang Yi, this was not a regret.

After all, they had been determined to be two men since childhood: one wanted to be a warrior who would protect the borders and the people, and the other wanted to be a good doctor who would help the sick and needy.

The image of Vajra and the maiden now perfectly reflects their youthful aspirations.

In this way, there's no need to talk about regrets; all that's left are the abundant benefits.

After finishing the job, Jiang Yi casually praised Jiang Qin a few times, then stared at him intently for a moment before finally leaving Jiang Qin behind alone.

After the girl skipped and hopped back into the house, he finally turned his gaze back to his grandson's face.

His eyebrows and eyes bore a striking resemblance to his own son, about seven-tenths.

The courtyard was quiet, with only a few cicadas chirping lazily in the languid afternoon sun.

Jiang Yi didn't beat around the bush, and simply asked:
"Qin'er, do you have any ambitions now? What kind of business do you want to make in the future?"

The smugness on Jiang Qin's face from the praise hadn't even faded when he was stunned by this sudden question.

He scratched his head, looking at his grandfather with a blank expression. Since he was little, all his family had ever said was that once he had mastered his physical skills, they would send him to Luoyang to reunite with his parents.

He originally thought that he would follow in his second brother's footsteps, join the army, and make a name for himself.

But later, my father had an accident, and my mother went to Lao Jun Mountain to cultivate herself, saying she was there to cure people's illnesses. She was gone for a long time.

This back-and-forth caused many things to be delayed.

He stayed in the village and, apart from practicing his skills, helped his uncle and aunt with some affairs of the Gujin Gang.

Although life is busy and fulfilling, I haven't really had time to think about the "future".

Jiang Yi wasn't surprised by his appearance.

He simply reached out and gently patted that already quite muscular shoulder, his tone carrying a hint of heaviness:

"The Ancient and Modern Gang looks quite impressive now. But in the end, it was just something your uncle built for fun when he was young."

"When I was young, I practiced martial arts and cultivated myself with others inside, which was quite acceptable."

He paused slightly, his gaze deepening.

"But for you, it's hardly a respectable future."

As Jiang Qin listened, he felt increasingly lost.

He nodded subconsciously, seemingly understanding but not quite.

Seeing this, Jiang Yi didn't expose him, but instead patiently guided him:

“Look at your aunt and uncle. They protect the local area and bring peace and prosperity to the people. Their actions are not only for their own spiritual cultivation, but will also bring them more merit and spiritual attainment in the future. This is the right path.”

Jiang Qin was still young and did not fully understand the deeper meaning behind it.

But he had trusted his grandfather since childhood and respected his aunt and uncle who were highly accomplished in their spiritual cultivation, so he naturally knew the weight of these words.

He nodded hastily, then asked with a hint of urgency:

"Grandpa, then... how can we find such a true future?"

Jiang Yi nodded slowly, a hint of satisfaction in his eyes as he saw a rough gem eventually blossom into something great.

"Opportunities will always come," he said.

"Although it is early now, you must diligently cultivate yourself and lay a solid foundation first. Don't wait until the opportunity comes and find that you have no means to seize it."

The boy listened solemnly, nodding vigorously. His face still held a touch of childishness, yet it already possessed an unshakeable firmness.

Jiang Yi then smiled, a smile returning to his eyes. His previous seriousness also dissipated somewhat with this smile.

He abruptly changed the subject, asking as if it were a casual remark:
"Have you done as your father instructed these past few days?"

Ever since the brother and sister visualized their divine souls and took their first steps into the realm of a bright and prosperous divine soul, they have been able to see the shadow of their father in the ancestral hall.

With Jiang Yi away this time, his wife will take care of all the big and small matters at home, while the responsibility of managing the two children's cultivation naturally falls to his younger son, Jiang Liang.

Jiang Qin nodded obediently, then, as if remembering something, added:
“My father seems to have something on his mind these past few days. He talks about it every day in the ancestral hall, asking if my grandfather has returned to the village.”

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yi's smile vanished instantly.

He waved his hand, signaling his grandson to go and cultivate himself, and then turned and went straight to the Jiang family ancestral hall at the foot of the mountain without saying anything more.

The ancestral hall was dimly lit and filled with the mingled scents of aged wood and incense.

Jiang Yi, familiar with the place, took two sticks of incense, lit them, and inserted them into the burner.

The wisps of smoke curled and swayed, and before they even reached the top of the beam, the figure of his son, Jiang Liang, had already slowly solidified in front of the incense table.

First came a respectful "Father".

Then, with a slightly relaxed tone, he continued:

"You're finally back."

Jiang Yi didn't beat around the bush and went straight to the point:

"Qin'er said you were looking for me very urgently?"

Jiang Liang nodded and got straight to the point:
"It's Rui'er's side. They've been venturing deep into the Qiang territory recently and have made some new discoveries."

Before he finished speaking, his half-real, half-illusory soul swayed slightly, and a palm-sized, pitch-black wooden carving appeared in his palm.

“Rui’er found this among several small and medium-sized tribes,” he continued. “The local Qiang people say it is the guardian eagle of their tribe, which they regard as their protector.”

"The clan's guardian eagle?"

Jiang Yi took it and examined it closely.

The wood carving depicts a bird, with a graceful and elegant appearance, long wings, and a certain majesty.

However... no matter which angle you look at it from, it has a strange, familiar feel to it.

No matter how you look at it, it looks exactly like the big black chicken that walked out of my yard.

Jiang Liang whispered, "Father, take a closer look, at those claws."

Jiang Yi shifted his gaze from the bird's head down.

With just one glance, the faint smile on his face instantly froze.

Those claws were entirely made of tiny, black broken bones, pieced together layer by layer, more than ten segments in total, eerie and sinister.

The past is like smoke, yet it remains vividly clear.

Before Dahei left the village, he personally broke off one of its chicken claws and then attached a small piece of evil bone from the young master of the Shaodang tribe to it.

That was the starting point of Dahei's rise, and also the key to helping Jiang Liang achieve great merit in resisting the Qiang people.

But right now, on this wood carving...

Not only were the remaining claw bones replaced with evil bones, but several segments were also forcibly added to the joints, making them look ferocious and eerie, sending chills down one's spine.

Jiang Liang's face, half-real and half-illusory, was expressionless, yet his tone carried a hint of bitterness and self-reproach:

"It was my oversight back then. During the war, I was only focused on making meritorious contributions and killing enemies, but I didn't pay attention to the evil bones in the bodies of those Qiang leaders..."

"Now that I think about it, I realize that Big Black secretly hid them all."

"After leaving the Jiang family, feeling free from constraints, I pieced those evil bones back together. Who knew that they would cause such a big stir in the Qiang region?"

The slight ease on Jiang Yi's face had completely vanished, and his expression became increasingly solemn.

Back then, it was just a piece of evil bone, yet it was already unpredictable and sinister.

Now so much has continued...

If it were just a matter of being a bit more domineering, that would be fine.

I fear that their minds might be corrupted, and they might grow into monsters that only know how to kill, which would be troublesome.

He hesitated for a long time before finally asking:

"Have you explained this matter to Rui'er, and told him not to easily provoke that so-called 'Clan Guardian Eagle'?"

Jiang Liang sighed, and even the illusory figure dimmed a bit.

“I did say that. But that child was only thinking about completing his duties for the court, and he was also relying on the stick that Jun’er had just forged, which he claimed could ward off evil spirits, so he still wanted to try it out.”

Jiang Yi then remembered that before Jiang Rui left, he had indeed taken a newly cast copper cudgel from Jiang Jun and treasured it dearly.

Thinking of this, the tension in his heart eased a little.

Seeing his son's worried expression, he gently comforted him:

"Since Dahei has managed to become a clan-guarding divine beast in the Qiang region, it must still retain some rationality. After all, it has a bond with my Jiang family. This matter... may not be entirely a disaster."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Liang simply sighed and said no more.

He then put the wooden carving back into the celestial chamber and turned to the important matter at hand:
"Father, was your trip smooth?"

Jiang Yi nodded and then slowly and carefully recounted the events that had transpired and his plans.

Finally, his gaze deepened, and his words became solemn:
"If it works out, I plan to send Qin'er to Eagle's Sorrow Gorge. Not to mention building another shrine, just having her there to protect merchants and ferry people across the river would be a great act of merit. It's a long-term endeavor, and in the future, she might not be inferior to your younger sister and brother-in-law."

"What do you think?"

(End of this chapter)