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

Chapter 183 Expanding the Spirit Fields, Dividing the Spirit Talisman

Upon hearing this, Jiang Liang's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.

The ancestral hall was very quiet, with only a wisp of smoke from the incense burner swirling around, about to dissipate.

After a moment of silence, he finally voiced the lingering doubt in his heart:

"Father and Uncle Liu often say that my younger sister and brother-in-law have done great good deeds. But I am too dull to see it. In those desolate mountains and wilderness, they can only protect a few travelers all year round. Where does this great good come from?"

He is now a respected deity who receives offerings from the local people, and while he may not be an expert on the intricacies of the concept of merit, he certainly knows a thing or two.

But the more they know, the more suspicious they become.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yi remained silent for a long time, unsure how to explain it to the child.

Some things are clear to him, but are beyond the reach of someone of his status.

Knowing in advance may not be a blessing.

After thinking for a moment, he finally started from a different angle:
"Now you also know the background of the Liu family."

His gaze was calm, yet carried a certain weight: "Even if you don't trust your father's judgment, you should at least trust that Liu family patriarch in the Tushita Palace, right?"

"Given his status, he wouldn't be so idle as to harm his own children and grandchildren."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Liang was startled and quickly waved his hand, saying:

"Your child would not dare, and would never have such an intention."

Although not explicitly stated, the words subtly resolved the lingering doubts in his heart.

Yes, the fact that my father's choice could secretly align with the likes of Huainanzi shows that even if the reasons are not fully understood, it is enough to demonstrate that he was extraordinary.

If that's the case, why be so suspicious?
With the cloud over his mind clearing, he simply nodded solemnly, accepting the arrangement.

Jiang Yi gave him a few more instructions, telling Jiang Liang to pay close attention to Rui'er's movements and to inform him immediately if anything unusual happened.

As soon as he finished speaking, Jiang Liang nodded slightly.

The smoke from the incense burner, which had been dissipating, seemed to be gently stirred by this movement, causing it to sway and tremble.

The half-solid, half-illusory shadow faded away silently, dissolving into the darkness deep within the ancestral hall.

Jiang Yi pushed open the door and went out. Instead of going straight back to the courtyard, he strolled along the dirt path on the edge of the field.

As the sun began to set, it cast long shadows.

The wind blows from the fields, carrying the scent of earth and grass.

Since the spring water from the back mountain was drawn down, this pure air has gained an indescribable moistness.

With each breath, even the limbs and bones seemed to feel lighter.

He walked slowly, his eyes casually sweeping over the fields on both sides.

The crops looked more vibrant than usual, with straight stalks and thick leaves that gleamed with a glossy blue sheen in the slanting sunlight.

Unbeknownst to them, the spiritual energy had already permeated half of the old village's territory.

Jiang Yi glanced at the green shoots that had been nurtured by spiritual energy, and a faint thought crossed his mind.

It's still a bit of a waste.

When Jiang Yi returned home, dusk had fallen, and lamps were lit in the Jiang family courtyard.

The vegetables on the table were very ordinary, all freshly picked from their own fields, and had a fresh, clean scent.

He slowly picked up a piece of green vegetable with his chopsticks, chewed it carefully, and then turned his gaze to his grandson Jiang Qin's face.

"Qin'er, go to the village and deliver a message tomorrow."

Jiang Qin put down his chopsticks and quickly replied, "Please give your orders, Master."

“Those fields that have been imbued with spiritual energy,” Jiang Yi paused, as if searching for the right words, “should no longer be planted with ordinary grains and vegetables.”

He put down his chopsticks and continued slowly:

"Let all the villagers switch to planting spiritual plants and herbs, and let the Jiang family provide the seedlings. Also, let them raise more chickens, pigs, cattle and sheep, and feed them with spiritual plant branches and leaves, or even fruits of inferior quality."

At this point, he glanced up slightly, his tone flat:
"Whether it's spiritual plants or livestock, the Jiang family can buy them at market price, so they won't suffer a loss."

These words were spoken casually, but Jiang Qin's chopsticks, which were picking up food, paused in mid-air.

The youthful composure on his face faltered, replaced by genuine doubt.

"Grandpa..."

He hesitated before speaking:
“Those fields in the village, though they may have benefited from some spiritual energy, can't compare to the land around our yard. The crops grown there probably wouldn't be presentable, and our family... well, we don't really need them anymore. As for livestock…”

The words were not finished, but the meaning was already clear.

Liu Xiulian, who was standing to the side, also glanced at her husband.

She had always trusted his judgment, but no matter how she looked at it, this situation seemed rather strange.

Jiang Yi noticed the confusion on his wife and grandson's faces, but he didn't explain. He just smiled faintly and picked up a piece of tofu.

You'll find out then.

He put the tofu into his mouth, his tone casual and confident.

"The current output is probably... far from enough."

Jiang Qin's doubts were ultimately suppressed by his trust in his grandfather.

The next day at daybreak, the village was filled with something new and lively.

He personally led a group of elite members from the Ancient and Modern Gang to work in the medicinal herb field outside the Jiang family's old residence.

The medicinal seedlings, still covered in moist soil, were carefully dug up, sorted, and prepared for transplanting to various fields.

In the Ancient and Modern Gang, those disciples who were among the first to follow Jiang Ming in his reckless antics are now all in their early forties.

The impetuousness of youth has long been worn away by time, and each of them has become a pillar of their family.

With their involvement and the prestige accumulated by the Jiang family over the years, the matter naturally proceeded smoothly without any resistance.

Meanwhile, the villagers at the east end of the village, whose own fields hadn't yet benefited from any of the good fortune, all looked on with undisguised fervor as they watched the bustling activity to the west.

They wished that their few acres of barren land could be imbued with divine energy overnight and transformed from wasteland into spiritual fields.

With such concerted efforts, in just over a month, the western half of Liangjie Village had already undergone a complete transformation.

The fields are no longer filled with ordinary grains and vegetables; instead, they are covered with rows of thriving medicinal plants and herbs.

In the backyards of every household, the sounds of roosters crowing, pigs bellowing, cows mooing, and sheep bleating rose and fell, making it even more lively than in previous years.

As for the envious neighbors in the east, they somehow found out about the folk remedy and started experimenting with it one by one.

Some might rely on a slight kinship, while others might simply carry a few strings of copper coins to the west end of the house to buy manure from the livestock.

They carried the loads back like precious treasures, scattered them on their own land, and hoped day and night that even if they only managed to get a little bit, they could nurture that barren soil to life as soon as possible.

The sun was shining brightly in the courtyard that morning.

Jiang Yi remained shirtless, the yin-yang staff in his hand rising and falling slowly.

The stick moved slowly and steadily, yet it stirred the surrounding air to a slightly sticky state, as if even the wind was being led along.

A gleaming dragon scale embedded in the staff shimmered almost imperceptibly in the sunlight.

After more than a month of refinement, he finally managed to understand some of the dragon's initial unruly aura and its true nature.

The slight, almost imperceptible stiffness in the previous stick technique has also silently disappeared.

Although the Yin and Yang energies are not as harmonious as before, they have gained a domineering power in their operation, like the chilling aura between swords, penetrating to the bone.

After finishing a set of stick techniques and standing still, it was lunchtime.

After resting briefly after the meal, until the light sweat on his body had dried and his mind was clear and lucid, he got up and went into his study.

The talisman paper was already spread out on the table, and the cinnabar was ground to a deep red like blood, yet there was not a trace of fishy smell.

During this time, he never missed a day of practicing his talisman-drawing skills. He had long since mastered the ordinary talismans collected by his son Jiang Liang, and his brushstrokes were fluid and effortless, without any artificiality.

And his mind, in the process of sketching day after day, became more and more calm and steadfast.

I'm feeling great today, and my mind is clear too.

Jiang Yi stopped looking through the old talismans and instead took out a piece of jade paper and carefully spread it out.

The one we're going to test is the most mysterious and complex of all the talismans the child has collected.

Dividing Spirit Talisman.

The wonder of this talisman lies in its ability to separate a wisp of divine intent and seal it within.

Once activated, that wisp of divine will can briefly detach from the body, act on its own, and converse with people.

Even though they are separated by thousands of miles, the original body can feel the same way and see every detail.

In gathering information and conveying messages, they are all of the highest quality.

It is said that if one cultivates to a high level, one can even seal away a wisp of one's own cultivation and magical power.

At that time, this divided spirit will no longer be just eyes and ears, but will be able to act from afar, revealing some of the power of the original body from thousands of miles away.

This Divine Splitting Talisman is more complex than any talisman Jiang Yi has ever learned before.

When putting pen to paper, not only must the internal energy flow smoothly, but also the mind, strength, and brushstrokes must be in perfect harmony, with no deviation allowed.

This took another month or so.

On his desk in the study, a thick stack of discarded talismans lay, almost forming a small mountain, and he had just managed to draw the first one.

As the last stroke was completed, the moment the talisman was formed, I felt a faint stagnation in my soul suddenly break through, and my whole body felt relaxed and comfortable, even more exhilarating than performing a set of martial arts moves.

Having tasted the benefits, he urged Liu Xiulian to learn as well, thinking that fellow practitioners could save a lot of time and effort in figuring things out.

Several more days passed in this unhurried manner.

That morning, the incense in the ancestral hall was burning brightly. After Jiang Yi finished his morning prayers, wisps of smoke rose from the altar, but the figure of his son, Jiang Liang, did not disappear with the smoke.

In his semi-solid, illusory form, the solemnity on his face lessened somewhat, and he spoke:

"It's a letter from Rui'er."

His tone was also somewhat lighthearted: "He has already seen Big Black."

He paused slightly at this point, as if carefully choosing his words.

"It is said that although his temperament has changed, he is still... reasonable."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yi finally relaxed, a tension that had been building up inside him for over a month.

What he feared most was that Big Black would completely lose its mind and become a monster that only knew how to kill.

With its ferocious cultivation achieved through the connection of more than ten pieces of evil bones, Jiang Rui's mortal skills, even with the help of the evil-breaking stick in his hand, would be of little use.

Before the stick even falls, its claws will probably tear a dozen holes in Rui'er's body.

Since we can still reason with each other, there is still room for negotiation.

Jiang Yi looked up and asked, "How is it doing now?"

Jiang Liang replied:

"According to Rui'er's letter, Dahei's current situation is somewhat strange. Apart from occasionally showing its power and doing good deeds among a few small tribes that worship it, it almost never meets with outsiders."

"Rui'er only managed to get a meeting because of an old talisman and the stick in his hand. But they only caught up and didn't talk much before he was 'invited' out."

Jiang Yi listened, but his expression showed no surprise whatsoever.

Big Black is ultimately just a third-generation spirit chicken, with a very weak foundation.

He swallowed more than a dozen pieces of evil bones in one go, which greatly boosted his cultivation level. If he didn't leave any future problems, that would be truly evil.

It is already a blessing that it can still suppress that evil influence and maintain some semblance of clarity.

He hesitated for a moment before asking, "What are Rui'er's plans?"

Jiang Liang's tone carried a hint of helplessness:

“Rui’er originally thought that by taking advantage of Dahei’s prestige among the small tribes in the Qiang region, she could take the opportunity to drive a nail into the ground. But given the current situation, she doesn’t know what to do, so she wrote back to ask her son.”

After listening, Jiang Yi simply nodded slowly, his gaze falling on the bluestone slab outside the ancestral hall.

The stone slabs gleamed in the sunlight. He looked at them and casually remarked, "That's not a bad idea..."

The tone shifted abruptly, and a hint of coldness, like that of someone on a chessboard, crept into his otherwise calm voice:

"If an agreement can be reached, the court could even secretly support those Qiang tribes that worship it. Once they gain power, they can use Dahei as a thread to indirectly control the Qiang region."

"By then, even if we don't take them all under our control, we can at least make them self-regulating and prevent them from having any more power to invade the Central Plains."

Jiang Liang sighed softly, his voice carrying a sound as if a breeze had passed by, and the surrounding light and shadow dimmed slightly.

“What Father said is something I have also thought about. However… the premise is that I have to be able to control Dahei.”

"Let alone Rui'er not having the ability right now, even if I went myself, I'm afraid I wouldn't have enough confidence. Besides, it secretly kept the evil bone back then, so its nature... may not be entirely honest."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yi's lips slowly curled up, a smile that was neither a smile nor a frown.

Those deep eyes seemed to hold the turmoil of the Qiang region, thousands of miles away, in their very palm.

He said calmly, "It seems that in the end, I will have to go there myself to handle this matter."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Liang's previously dim figure suddenly brightened, and his tone became urgent: "Father, do you have a way?"

"There's really no solution."

Jiang Yi remained expressionless and spoke in a normal tone, as if he were talking casually after a meal.

"Since that beast still retains some rationality, he must still have some fear of my Jiang family, especially of that stick."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Liang pondered for a moment, his expression shifting several times on his illusory face, before finally nodding heavily.

"Yes."

He said, "It has followed me through many battles, and apart from the Jiang family, I'm afraid no one knows the power of that stick better than it."

"Its cultivation is entirely based on its evil nature; it is the most sinister and evil, and therefore most afraid of the pure yang energy within that stick. It seems... it does indeed harbor some fear of the Jiang family."

Seeing that his son had finally figured this out on his own, Jiang Yi nodded with satisfaction and continued slowly:

"That's exactly why things have taken a turn for the better. As long as it knows that the cultivation level of my Jiang family is now no lower than itss, and with that stick hanging over its head, it won't dare to turn against us easily."

At this point, he glanced at the boy.

His tone suddenly shifted, the sharp edge vanishing completely, replaced by a gentler one:
"Of course, this is only a last resort."

"After all, it came from our yard and shared a bond with you. It would be best if it could end well."

The last trace of gloom between Jiang Liang's brows quietly dissipated from his semi-solid illusory figure, and he seemed to be a few degrees brighter than before.

"In that case, I am relieved."

He spoke with complete certainty:
"With Father's current cultivation level, if he were to personally take charge, this matter would surely be resolved with ease. I wonder... when Father plans to set off?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yi smiled.

He shook his head: "I still have to take care of the mundane affairs in and around the village, and I have to go to Yingchoujian in a few days. How can I have the time to personally go to the Qiang region?"

Before he finished speaking, he raised his hand and flicked it, and a yellow paper talisman slid out from his sleeve.

It was the Divine Separation Talisman that had taken more than a month of mental effort to barely complete.

He gently placed the talisman on the offering table, pushed it in front of Jiang Liang, and said in a calm but unquestionable tone:
"Try to send this talisman to Rui'er as soon as possible, and have him take it to see that big black guy again."

"When the time comes, I will know the answer."

(End of this chapter)