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

Chapter 186 Returning to Eagle's Sorrow, the Wonderful Use of the Pot Heaven

Liangjie Village, Jiang Family Ancestral Hall.

The afternoon sun shone through the carved window lattice, casting dappled shadows on the bluestone slabs.

Jiang Yi held a scroll of bamboo slips in his hands and slowly explained the passages from the "Tao Te Ching" to several younger members of his family.

His voice was gentle and unhurried.

But halfway through the conversation today, a faint smile suddenly appeared on his face, so faint it almost melted away, clearly indicating that he was in a good mood.

After the lecture was finished, the younger generation bowed and dispersed.

The ancestral hall returned to silence once more.

Jiang Yifang put down the bamboo slips, turned around, smiled lightly at the child's memorial tablet on the offering table, and said in a cheerful voice:

"The matter in Qiang territory is settled."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Liang's wisp of spirit on the memorial tablet shone even brighter, its joy overflowing.

Upon seeing this, Jiang Yi's smile faded somewhat, and his expression became more serious.

"Send a wisp of your divine thought to inform the Li family in Luoyang, and tell them that they should also start making preparations."

"I understand," Jiang Liang readily agreed. "I'll go to Lao Jun Mountain to find Wen Ya right away."

Jiang Yi didn't nod, but instead looked up at him and slowly asked:
Do you know how to create this momentum?

Jiang Liang seemed to think the question was unnecessary, and answered without hesitation:

"That's easy! We'll just publicize Rui'er's achievements in pacifying the Qiang region and calming the border unrest."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yi simply shook his head slightly.

"It's too early to discuss this."

He said calmly, "As for Rui'er, contacting the imperial court, secretly supporting him, and training troops—every single one of these tasks requires a lot of time and effort."

"It will probably take three to five years before we even see a hint of anything. What achievements can we talk about right now?"

Jiang Liang's soul was stunned for a moment, a hint of confusion in its expression.

"So... what kind of momentum should we create right now?"

Jiang Yi then smiled, a smile tinged with composure.

"No rush to say we're friends," he said, extending a finger and casually pointing it in the air, as if he were moving an invisible chessboard.

"First, we need to tell them how bad they are."

"We must let the whole world know how the Qiang people eat raw meat and drink blood, how they use such sinister and brutal evil magic, and how they are eyeing our fertile Central Plains with covetousness."

“Especially those unfortunate people who have fallen into their hands, how miserable their lives are now.”

Although Jiang Liang was of ordinary talent, he listened to the teachings and discussions here every day, and through this exposure, he quickly grasped this key point.

His mind wavered slightly, and his expression changed instantly, a mixture of surprise and joy.

“That’s right!” he laughed. “If we don’t first let the world know how serious the illness is, how can we show the skill of the doctor?”

"If we don't make the officials in the court and the common people feel that the Qiang region is a major threat, how can we justify the great merit of pacifying this place, and how earth-shattering it is!"

At this point, he added another sentence, his voice already carrying a hint of planning:
“When I was fighting, I knew many of my colleagues and old friends from the Celestial Masters sect. They all witnessed the cruelty of the Qiang people. It is most reasonable for them to speak out.”

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yi's smile became more genuine, and he praised him lightly, "You are a promising young man."

The conversation shifted abruptly, and the question was asked seemingly casually:

"Did you find any clues about the Taoist practice of dual cultivation that I asked you to explore before?"

Jiang Liang's divine soul light dimmed slightly, and he responded:

"Father, we have not yet found it. Such a method is considered a secret within the Taoist school, and it cannot be easily passed on to anyone other than the direct lineage. The Celestial Masters sect may have it, but it is not something that can be easily shown to outsiders."

"Hmm." Jiang Yi simply responded with a nod, "Just be more careful."

Having said that, he said no more, walked out of the ancestral hall with his hands behind his back, and returned to his own courtyard.

Knowing the way well, he bypassed several houses and went straight to the spirit fruit grove at the back. He picked some ripe fruits that Jiang Jun had left behind and casually put them into his pot.

As they approached the Spirit Spring Pool, they saw an elegant figure sitting cross-legged. Bathed in the misty spiritual energy, her face appeared even more serene than usual. It was Liu Xiulian.

Upon seeing this scene, Jiang Yi knew in his heart that it was time for his daughter to patrol the mountains and forests again.

Sure enough, a short while later, the wooden door of the treehouse next to them creaked open.

Jiang Xi gracefully emerged from inside and, seeing Liu Xiulian by the pond, quickened her pace, reached out and steadily helped her up, then escorted her back into the house.

After doing all this, she turned around, nodded to Jiang Yi in the distance, and then disappeared into the lush greenery of the front mountain.

Jiang Yi watched, and finally let out a soft sigh.

Although this spiritual pool has now been added to the house, the concentration of spiritual energy is far greater than before.

But if we're talking about pure ingenuity and the deepest foundation, it has to be that treehouse.

In the small space of the room, the spiritual energy was only enough for one person to fully absorb and exhale.

This makes it quite difficult to decide who should occupy this valuable land.

Among the entire family, those who have already achieved both life and death are the most talented among the daughters, Jiang Xi. Furthermore, with the blessing of the Liu family's good deeds, her future is the brightest.

If you use the best of her resources, she might be able to achieve a bright future.

As for his wife, Liu Xiulian, she had the weakest foundation and broke through the latest. Her body was filled with heavy turbid qi accumulated over the years, so she was naturally the slowest on the path of refining essence into qi.

Although I have now reached a lifespan of three to five hundred years, whether I can advance further before my lifespan runs out is anyone's guess.

The most talented person is fighting for a bright future;

The weakest among them seeks only a sliver of hope to prolong their life.

This is a difficult situation to handle perfectly.

The whole family spent quite some time debating who would own the treehouse.

In the end, it was Jiang Yi, the head of the family, who decided the fate of the family with a single word.

The treehouse will be given priority for Jiang Xi.

The reasons are perfectly legitimate.

Among the whole family, Xi'er is the most talented and has the brightest future.

Good steel should always be used where it's most needed.

If she can obtain good fortune first, she will have the spare energy to turn around and find opportunities to prolong the lives of others.

Having said that, Jiang Xi couldn't refuse any longer and simply gave a soft "Mmm".

But something seemed to have appeared in those clear eyes, heavy and heavy.

As for Liu Xiulian, she would seize the opportunity when Xi'er would go up the mountain to patrol every few days to enter the house, sit cross-legged, and practice breathing exercises, making sure that not a single bit of her spiritual energy would dissipate in vain.

On the surface, the matter has been settled.

But Jiang Yi knew perfectly well that this was merely a stopgap measure, not a cure.

It seems that my family has now obtained some extraordinary opportunities.

But in the eyes of a true spiritual practitioner, that little bit of inner strength is as thin as a sheet of paper.

Let alone others, even he himself had little confidence that he could refine all the turbid energy in his body in the remaining three to five hundred years, let alone knock on the threshold of the next level.

Thinking of this, he could only sigh softly again.

This path of cultivation, though said to lead to longevity and freedom, is truly fraught with difficulties at every step, leaving no room for human will.

Jiang Yi's expression remained completely unchanged.

He simply focused his mind on the spiritual fruits in the celestial pot at his waist.

Seeing that the colorful array of items had already piled up to half its capacity, he calculated the days and realized it was about time to send some to the Third Prince for a treat.

That night, he found Jiang Qin and simply instructed him to quickly hand over his duties to the Gujin Gang and prepare to travel west with him.

Jiang Yi had no idea what the current state of Yingchoujian was.

It's not a bad thing to take your grandson to see that troublesome place beforehand.

Three days later, Jiang Qin finished packing and embarked on the journey westward with his grandfather.

With the Wind-Traveling Talisman affixed to their feet, traveling hundreds of miles a day is no problem.

This time, however, with his grandson by his side, Jiang Yi was much more cautious than when he traveled alone last time. He was no longer in such a hurry and instead slowed down his pace.

Traveling day and night, they had a smooth journey.

Nearly ten days later, the grandfather and grandson finally arrived at the abandoned temple where they had previously captured the evil landman.

As soon as Jiang Yi stepped into the temple, he scanned the area with his divine sense and immediately sensed a familiar fluctuation of divine power.

Looking up, one could see a statue sitting upright in the shrine; it was none other than the unfortunate water god from Eagle's Sorrow Stream.

It seems that with Lao Gui's help, he was transferred here and became the local official.

Looking at him now, his spirit is solid and his complexion is much more radiant than when he was in the ravine, and he is clearly living a much more comfortable life.

Upon seeing Jiang Yi, the local deity immediately rose and bowed deeply, his face full of gratitude, repeatedly expressing his thanks.

Jiang Yi, however, could not accept this favor of secretly wielding divine power, so he simply smiled and waved his hand, refusing to accept the gift.

He offered a few perfunctory words of congratulations and considered the matter closed.

During the casual conversation, Jiang Yi asked a question:
"Now that you've come here, Eagle's Sorrow Gorge is no longer the place of its water god, is it?"

The landowner shook his head and said truthfully:
"I do not know. It is only according to the rules of the gods that a vacant position will always be filled by a new god. As for who and when, that is beyond my knowledge."

Seeing that he didn't know, Jiang Yi didn't ask any more questions.

He simply placed two newly picked spiritual fruits from his own celestial garden on the offering table as incense.

The grandfather and grandson rested in the temple for the night, and the next morning, they took Jiang Qin and headed towards Yingchoujian.

Jiang Yi knew the place well, so he first went around to the village shrine, where he found Old Gui fiddling with a saddle.

Old Gui still had that lazy, half-asleep look, leaning against the tree trunk, which made him seem more human than the statues in the temple.

Jiang Yi stepped forward, said nothing, and simply scooped out a few spirit fruits still covered in dew from the pot and placed them on the stone table.

Firstly, to thank him for his previous secret assistance and for mobilizing the people in the divine positions;

Secondly, I also wanted to take the opportunity to find out the current situation in Yingchoujian.

Old Gui raised his eyelids slightly, casually picked up a fruit, weighed it between his fingertips, but his gaze did not fall on the fruit.

Instead, he bypassed Jiang Yi and focused on the boy behind him, scrutinizing him from head to toe subtly.

Given his status, his insight is naturally shrewd.

With just a glance, he could get a pretty good idea of ​​the boy's background.

Their physical constitution and natural talent are both of the highest quality.

What's even more remarkable is that, at such a young age, he already possesses a certain earthy charm.

Although faint, it had indeed condensed into a wisp, clearly indicating that it had long been revered.

With such a foundation, coupled with the Jiang family's hidden depths that even he couldn't fathom...

Old Gui nodded to himself, thinking to himself that this young man was destined for great things.

Seeing that his gaze already understood, Jiang Yi didn't offer any further explanation, but simply smiled and asked about the important matter:

"What is the current situation at Eagle's Sorrow Gorge?"

Upon hearing this, a half-sleepy, half-awake expression appeared on Lao Gui's face.

That look in his eyes was as if he were looking at an old friend who was pretending to be ignorant.

"What else?"

He spoke casually, with a touch of irony:

"Ever since that water god moved his abode, two more have been transferred to the ravine. Each one was more arrogant than the last, but neither could last three days before being routed by the Third Prince, who fled in disarray."

He spoke with a relaxed expression, clearly taking this as the result of a prior discussion between Jiang Yi and the Dragon Prince of the Stream.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yi remained calm, knowing full well what he was thinking, but he did not reveal it.

He then summoned Jiang Qin, who was standing behind him, and had him pay his respects to Eunuch Gui, saying with a smile:

"If this child bothers us here in the future, we will have to rely on Brother Gui to take care of him."

Jiang Qin stepped forward respectfully and bowed.

Jiang Yi then casually brought up the important matter:

"Now that the water god has left Eagle Sorrow Gorge, it is very inconvenient to travel here. I plan to let Qin'er stay temporarily at that dilapidated water god temple and take care of it. It will be a place for him to live. If he can help people cross the gorge in his spare time, he will accumulate some good karma, which will not be bad."

At this point, he turned to look at Lao Gui, smiled, and bowed slightly.

"Brother Gui is the local deity; we will need to look after him in the future."

Old Gui seemed to have anticipated this, and simply nodded with a smile.

When his half-closed eyes fell on Jiang Qin again, his gaze was filled with undisguised admiration. He simply nodded and said:
"Brother Jiang, don't worry. As long as we're in this area, there's no one I can't protect, except for that dragon in the ravine."

Jiang Yi, leading his grandson, thanked them profusely before heading down the mountain to the Water God Temple.

The temple was not large, and now it is even more dilapidated.

Spiderwebs lay across the beams, and a few wild grasses peeked out from the cracks in the stone steps, a scene of utter neglect.

Jiang Yi led Jiang Qin inside, his gaze sweeping only briefly over the offering table in the center.

The clay water god statue had long lost its divine luster and stood there blankly, just a pile of mud bricks.

The absence of gods in a temple is precisely this phenomenon.

He didn't say much, only flicked his sleeve lightly.

A gentle breeze billowed from his sleeves, carrying away the dust that had accumulated on the side table without a trace of smoke or fire.

Then he took out the memorial tablet, incense burner, candlesticks and other items that had been prepared in advance from the pot.

He instructed Jiang Qin to arrange each item carefully.

The memorial tablet bears the inscription: "The tablet of my father, Jiang Liang."

In this world, it's quite common to find a corner in a Taoist temple or shrine to set up a memorial tablet for one's ancestors and receive incense offerings.

Once everything was arranged, Jiang Yicai gestured to Jiang Qin to kneel before the memorial tablet and kowtow three times earnestly.

Then he took three sticks of incense, handed them to his grandson, and let him light them himself and respectfully insert them into the incense burner.

Wisps of smoke curled and rose.

A phantom figure gradually condensed amidst the smoke.

It was Jiang Liang.

The divine soul paused slightly, blinked, and examined the dilapidated temple.

Upon seeing her father and child again, an irrepressible surge of excitement welled up in her eyes.

Jiang Yi simply nodded slightly to him.

Jiang Liang understood immediately, and with a thought, he activated his magical power.

Suddenly, a series of crackling sounds rang out, and a pile of bedding, rice bags, fresh meat, and other daily necessities appeared out of thin air in the temple, piled up like a small hill.

Seeing this scene, a rare smile of satisfaction appeared on Jiang Yi's usually indifferent face, and he nodded repeatedly.

It seems that the previous plans have not failed.

Since meeting Ao Lie, the noble and powerful dragon relative, Jiang Yi has been pondering a crucial problem.

How can I support him?

The Eagle's Sorrow Stream is barren and the mountains are cold; even a fat fish is hard to find, let alone enough to satisfy the appetite of a true dragon.

Although Liangjie Village is rich in resources, it is thousands of miles away, making transportation inconvenient.

After much deliberation, I realized that my own son's method was the most appropriate.

Now that Jiang Liang has mastered the wondrous method of the Pot Heaven, he only needs to store the prepared meat and vegetables in the village into the Pot Heaven.

Furthermore, by taking advantage of the divine way, they can instantly appear from the ancestral tablets in the temple and move them out.

In this way, it would be as if the kitchen of Liangjie Village had been moved to the mouth of Yingchoujian Gorge.

It would also fill the bottomless pit in the dragon's belly.

(End of this chapter)