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

Chapter 200 Five Thunder Orthodox Method, Jiang Hong Establishes a Temple

Seeing his father remain silent, Jiang Liang's illusory figure knew what he was thinking and spoke again:

"Father, you don't need to worry too much."

He paused briefly, then continued:
"There is a water god under my jurisdiction. He was originally a water frog in the water palace who had gained some magical powers. By chance, he was granted an imperial title."

"That old frog was born with a water-storing belly. It could foresee the unstable weather early on, so it stored up rivers and lakes in its belly. Now, during this severe drought, it spits some out every few days, bringing moisture to the surrounding area for miles around, and the incense offerings are very prosperous."

"When Crane Cry Mountain launched its attack, we turned a blind eye and let it do as it pleased, without even uttering a word of concern."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yi's brows did not relax; instead, they furrowed slightly, as if his eyes were stung by the smoke from the incense.

He looked up, his gaze passing through the faint, indistinct figures, as if looking into the distance.

"what do you mean……"

His voice was not loud, but every word was clear.

"The crux of the matter is not 'water'..."

"...And what about 'rain'?"

Jiang Liang's illusory figure nodded slightly, which was considered an agreement.

Jiang Yi remained silent for a moment.

The crux of the matter is far more dangerous and profound than mere killing.

Just then, footsteps and voices came from outside the ancestral hall, indicating that the rest of the family had arrived one after another.

The two of them tacitly stopped talking, and Jiang Liang's figure became even fainter, blending into the swirling incense smoke.

Jiang Yi calmly opened the scriptures, speaking in a clear and resonant voice, as if his words were nothing more than a wisp of idle chatter in the morning mist, which would dissipate with a gust of wind.

And so the days went by.

Regardless of the storms outside, the small village of Liangjie remains relatively peaceful.

Jiang Liang would still occasionally bring back news from the outside world.

Either some evil spirit that invaded human habitation was beheaded, or some local deity that dared to open the Dragon Gate was stripped of its divine status.

The Celestial Masters, acting on imperial decree, descended the mountain and wreaked havoc, causing chaos and fear.

The rising smoke from the incense made Jiang Yi's face appear somewhat blurry.

After a moment of silence, he gently closed the book, then changed the subject, asking about another family matter:
"How is Hong'er doing these days?"

Jiang Liang's illusory figure seemed to have been somewhat detached from the weight of the world's affairs because of this question, and replied:

“I arrived in Jinghe a few days ago and also came to Chang’an to meet my child.”

"But the current situation is not the time for him to show his face in public."

His voice remained calm, yet it conveyed a sense of composure:
"We must first lie low in the water palace for a while and wait for the right time. When the time is right, we can then send down clouds and rain to benefit all living beings."

Having said that, he seemed to want to offer his father some words of comfort, and continued:

"Nowadays, the Dragon King Temples and Water God Shrines, large and small, along the Jing River have been smashed to pieces. With his Dragon King uncle pulling some strings behind the scenes, it shouldn't be difficult for him to get a decent job in the Water Palace."

Jiang Yi nodded and didn't ask any more questions.

Some things are better left unsaid.

Several months have passed in the blink of an eye.

The sun in the sky remained scorching and merciless, and the scorched earth showed no hope of ever getting any moisture.

The water stored in that lotus pond ceramic bottle had already run out a month ago.

It was only through Jiang Liang's help that the empty bottle was taken to the Qiang region and found Da Hei's side, which allowed them to barely reconnect it.

But now, even the water source controlled by Dahei is almost empty.

Even a trickle of water is hard to sustain, let alone a mighty river.

A few more days passed, and the lotus pond pottery bottle was empty, and the well outside the Lingsu Temple was almost dry.

Just at this critical juncture, Jiang Liang's illusory figure suddenly solidified under the peach tree behind the house and sought out Jiang Yi, who was sitting alone in silence.

His pale face even carried a rare smile.

“Father,” he said, looking at Jiang Yi, whose brows were now furrowed with worry, “Give me that earthenware bottle. I will go and fetch you some water.”

Jiang Yi was taken aback, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. He quickly asked, "You've found a new water source?"

Jiang Liang's mind wavered slightly, and he shook his head and smiled: "It's not a water source."

"It rained heavily in Luoyang last night, especially on Lao Jun Mountain where Wenya lives. I'm going there to fetch some water from the mountains."

Upon hearing this, the surprise on Jiang Yi's face instantly turned into barely suppressed joy:
"It's raining in Luoyang? Could it be that the weather has changed, and this drought... is about to end?"

When this was mentioned, Jiang Liang's smile faded slightly, and he shook his head gently.

"That's hard to say."

"Yesterday's rain was brought about by the most venerable master on Lao Jun Mountain, who emerged from seclusion for the first time after thirty years. Moved by the kneeling pleas of the people below the mountain, he personally set up an altar, followed all the rituals, and performed the Five Thunder Orthodox Method of Taoism."

He paused, a strange meaning creeping into his voice:

"However... no one can say for sure what the consequences of this action will be, or how long the rain will last."

The slight joy that had just appeared on Jiang Yi's face also faded.

He recalled the stories he had heard of of lands that had been forced to rain on their own and ended up utterly destroyed, and for a moment he didn't know what to say.

He silently took out the lotus pond ceramic vase, handed it over, and said in a deep voice:

"Take as much as you need, enough for a few days."

Jiang Yi originally thought that with Jiang Liang's divine soul body, it would only take a moment for him to travel between the memorial tablets, so the water should be readily available.

But as the sun began to set and dusk fell, they waited until the lamps were lit in the courtyard, but they still couldn't see their child.

Jiang Yi sat on a stone bench in the courtyard, feeling anxious and worried that something might have gone wrong for him in Luoyang.

It wasn't until after dinner, when the dishes and chopsticks had all been cleaned up, that familiar, ethereal figure finally appeared leisurely in the moonlight.

The smile on Jiang Liang's face was even brighter than it had been during the day.

Jiang Yi immediately stood up to greet him and asked, "Why did you take so long?"

Jiang Liang's smile remained unchanged as he handed over the heavy ceramic bottle, saying with a smile:
"Father, don't worry, I'm going to watch a good show."

Jiang Yi took the pottery bottle, scanned it with his divine sense, and saw that the water inside was enough for the village to use for half a month.

Feeling somewhat relieved, he then looked up and asked, "Watching a show? What kind of show?"

"The Taoist priests of the Celestial Master's Mansion stationed in Luoyang, upon receiving the news, went to Lao Jun Mountain in a menacing manner to demand an explanation."

When Jiang Liang talked about this, his eyes gleamed with satisfaction:
"But before they even reached the halfway point of the mountain, they were driven back by the people at the foot of the mountain who had benefited from the rain."

In the past few months, he had also grown tired of the Celestial Master's Mansion's behavior, and now, as he spoke, he added a touch of schadenfreude.

"The Celestial Master's Mansion can put on a show of power in front of demons and evil spirits, but it can't put on a show of power in front of ordinary people. Faced with the surging crowd, it can only slink away with its tail between its legs."

Hearing that the old master was temporarily safe, Jiang Yi breathed a sigh of relief and then asked:

"But what if this happens?" "Before I returned to the village, I made a special trip to the City God Temple to investigate."

Jiang Liang said, "The Four Dragon Kings did not intervene in this rainfall in Luoyang. It was the two righteous gods of the Wind God and Rain Master who personally received the Five Thunder Decree from Lao Jun Mountain and acted according to the decree."

His ethereal figure appeared even more translucent in the moonlight, yet his words carried a hint of profound insight:

"Now that the Celestial Master's Mansion has suffered a setback in the mortal realm, the old master is temporarily safe. It remains to be seen whether those in heaven can withstand the pressure."

In recent years, Jiang Yi has had plenty of free time, so he has read a lot of historical and classical texts, including several chapters on court factional struggles and power struggles.

Hearing this now, one can naturally discern a hidden meaning.

The sky is not a monolithic entity.

The Four Seas Dragon King's Palace and the Celestial Masters Sect seem to be quite close;

As for Lao Jun Mountain and the Wind God and Rain Master, they probably belong to another lineage.

Thinking of this, Jiang Yi felt a mix of emotions.

Grandson Jiang Feng is now the son-in-law of the Dragon King of the West Sea and a direct disciple of the Celestial Master's Mansion;
The daughter-in-law, Wenya, is practicing Buddhism and accumulating merit on Laojun Mountain, while her husband's family on her daughter's side also comes from the lineage of Tushita Palace...

These parties are all related by some degree, but none of them can be said to be completely close.

Now, from the bottom of his heart, he only hopes that the gods in heaven will fight for themselves and not bring this trouble down to the mortal world.

Since that night in Luoyang after the rain, the winds of change in the world have quietly shifted.

The news that the old master of Laojun Mountain had successfully prayed for rain using the Five Thunder Method, and that he not only escaped divine punishment but also became a popular place of worship, spread like wildfire throughout the world overnight via various deities and Taoist temples of all sizes.

All the Taoist sects in the world were mobilized upon hearing the news.

In a short time, altars were set up everywhere, and the sounds of prayers and invocations to the gods were endless.

However, truly enlightened masters are few and far between, and initially, it was just a drop in the ocean.

But such actions seem to have torn a hole in that invisible prohibition.

Once the wound is opened, it's hard to close it again.

Gradually, even in those poor and remote villages where no high-ranking officials were stationed, the rain began to fall.

A light rain fell in Liangjie Village, and the stream north of the village gradually began to flow again.

The news brought by Jiang Liang during another lecture at the ancestral hall confirmed this change in circumstances.

"The Celestial Masters sect has now lost all face and dignity, and has long since slunk back to Crane Cry Mountain, closed its gates, and stopped receiving guests."

"The Dragon King's Palace of the Four Seas has also issued an order. The water deities of various places who were previously silent are now vying to create clouds and rain, for fear of falling behind others."

"Hong'er has already gained the upper hand, and now with the strong support of his great-uncle, he is busy gathering worshippers along the Jing River."

Jiang Yi silently pondered in his heart, not believing that the Four Dragon Kings would suddenly change their hearts and begin to pity innocent people overnight.

It seems that the punch from Lao Jun Mountain was not fully delivered, and seeing that the situation was hopeless, they could no longer resist the momentum of the Taoist rain-seeking sect.

So they went with the flow and rushed to restore rainfall, lest the incense offerings of this world be taken over by the other faction.

However, these important matters in the heavens and among the gods in the clouds are none of his concern, as a simple countryman.

Now that the village no longer lacks water, Jiang Yi naturally no longer needs to go underground every now and then.

He put all his attention into his own daughter.

After all this drought, Jiang Xi's belly is already seven or eight months along, and it looks quite round.

Since the Jiang family was full of spiritual energy, she naturally stayed at her parents' home to prepare for childbirth.

Master Liu and his son Liu Zi'an stayed in the courtyard almost every day, showing concern and taking good care of him.

Fortunately, in the past few months, Liu Zian has managed to master the "summoning clouds" technique.

Nowadays, one can patrol the mountains by riding the clouds and mist, and make a round trip in half a day.

Looking down from the heavens with divine sense, the movement of the wind and grass on earth becomes clearer than when one walks on foot.

Such a skill of flying through the clouds naturally made Master Liu quite envious.

He used to be a bit aloof, but now he doesn't care about that anymore. He often follows the Jiang family to study scriptures, discuss philosophy, and delve into profound principles.

Another half month passed, and the storm that swept the world gradually subsided.

This upheaval will naturally affect the various water deities who control rain throughout the land, resulting in some rejoicing and others grieving – it's unavoidable.

Fortunately, they had planned ahead, so the Jiang family was somewhat pleased.

Jiang Hong followed a stretch of the Jing River, extending for hundreds of miles along its banks, spreading clouds and rain, attracting many worshippers. Taking advantage of this, he built three Dragon King Temples to gather and worship them.

He also took control of the two tributaries of the Jing River, building a water shrine for each.

With the incense offerings of the Five Temples in hand, one could be considered a figure of influence throughout the entire Jing River basin.

Of course, for someone so young to have achieved this much, besides the hard work of his own family, his great-uncle, the Dragon King of the Jing River, must have also contributed a great deal.

However, these exchanges of favors are never a one-way act of charity.

In exchange, the Jinghe Dragon King's sons, who appear somewhat strange, likely received several times more benefits in the nearby water realm.

Jiang Yi's feelings were also somewhat complicated.

On the one hand, it laments the indifference of heaven and earth, treating all things like straw dogs.

Ultimately, however, our family actually benefited from this whole affair.

The incense burning in Lingsu Temple is now so abundant that it burns almost day and night.

From Li Wenya, who was far away in Luoyang, to the two little figures Jiang Qin and Jiang Jin in front of her, their souls became more solidified under the nourishment of incense and the power of prayers.

On the other side of the Qiang lands, Dahei and Jiang Rui took advantage of the severe drought to expand their territory.

Even after hearing that the Celestial Masters sect had descended the mountain and become more restrained in their actions, their territory had already expanded several times over.

From previously controlling only five remote tribes, to now holding four or five medium-sized tribes under his control, and more than ten smaller tribes under his command, the Eagle God Temple has also been established in full swing.

Both the land and the incense offerings have brought tangible benefits.

As for Hong'er, there's no need to say more.

From an unknown dragon to the current Water God who reigns over hundreds of miles along the Jing River and enjoys the incense offerings of five water shrines.

The benefits from this deal were substantial.

Jiang Yi could only sigh, deeply feeling his own powerlessness in the face of such a powerful force of nature.

The only way is to secretly resolve to cultivate diligently so that in the future, one can have more control over the fate of one's own family.

Once the turmoil subsided, life in the village returned to its old ways.

After meals, the villagers talked most about the compassion of the Goddess Lingsu and the Supreme Taoist Ancestor.

In this joyful atmosphere, the festive spirit in the Jiang family's courtyard, whose good news was already imminent, was made even more intense.

Furthermore, some believers in the Lingsu Temple, who had taken a liking to the event, secretly linked the Jiang family's happy occasion with the sweet rain from heaven.

They say it's the birth of a lucky star, auspicious omens from heaven, and so on, and the stories are told with great detail and conviction.

(End of this chapter)