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

Chapter 220 The Dan Hall is newly built, and peace and prosperity flourish.

Jiang Yi's question was abrupt, but not without reason.

These were the three words that the locust uttered when it swore its oath.

Jiang Liang's illusory figure frowned slightly, his expression becoming more serious, as if he were rummaging through old memories deep within his mind.

After a long pause, he sighed again and shook his head, saying:
"...Never heard of it."

His tone carried a hint of shame.
"This name sounds like a Taoist title, but it's too sinister and sounds more like the path of a demon cultivator. I'm too dull to know its origin."

At this point, he quickly added:
"But don't worry, Father. I'll ask a few familiar underworld officials to inquire about it. The underworld is well-informed and has records of the backgrounds of all sorts of people. Perhaps we can find some clues."

Jiang Yi nodded. Since the matter had been assigned, he said no more.

As she turned, her clothes fluttered slightly, and the candlelight flickered in the wind.

But the ghostly figure formed from incense smoke still stood quietly, never dissipating.

Jiang Yi paused, turned around, and looked at Jiang Liang, his voice calm:

"Anything else?"

When he looked at it like that, the shadowy figure seemed to fade even more, as if it would dissipate with a gust of wind.

Jiang Liang opened his mouth, hesitated for a long time, and then whispered:

“That… Father…”

“Rui’er… Rui’er asked me to pass on a message to you today, saying that he wants to ask for some more grain.”

Jiang Yi didn't answer, he just looked at him.

That gaze was silent, yet heavier than a knife.

Feeling guilty under his gaze, Jiang Liang's very spirit trembled. He quickly lowered his head and hurriedly explained:
"The previous earthworm outbreak was terrifying, but it didn't affect many areas, and they could still hold on. But this locust plague... has turned the whole sky dark, and not a single blade of grass remains on the ground."

"The number of refugees from all directions has increased more than tenfold compared to before, and the little grain that Rui'er has stored up is already a drop in the ocean."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yi's expression turned somewhat serious.

In previous years, my family did store up some grain, but the idea was to open the granary and distribute porridge when the harvest was bad, in order to gain a good reputation and accumulate some goodwill.

Those small favors are enough to support the family's finances.

But if we were to truly relieve the tens of thousands of starving people... that would be a bottomless abyss, and the surplus of Liangjie Village alone would never be enough to fill it.

Jiang Yi sighed inwardly, but his face remained calm and composed.

After a long silence, he finally nodded in agreement, saying only softly:

“Go back and tell him to act within his means.”

……

The days passed by.

After the locust plague subsided, Liangjie Village returned to its usual state, with the sounds of chickens and dogs filling the air and wisps of smoke rising from chimneys. By the old well at the entrance of the village, people were once again hanging clothes to dry.

Only occasionally, when the wind shifts, a few faint chirps of insects will drift from several miles away, faint and indistinct, as if in a dream.

Jiang Jin did not make a fuss about the matter at Dantang.

She simply followed her uncle Liu Zi'an to the small alchemy room in the Liu family home, learning the alchemy formulas from the "Methods of Taming Birds" word by word.

Firelight illuminated the wall, and the aroma of medicine filled the air.

She was meticulous by nature and patient, so she listened attentively, took notes, and tried again and again.

The pit full of locusts became the medicinal material she used without the most heartache.

Once she had mastered the methods, she no longer adhered to the old ways.

Locusts are known for their irritability and aggressive nature, so she added several herbs to cleanse and purify them.
The shell was hard, so she soaked it in strong liquor first, and then slowly dried it over a low flame.

After several days, the first batch of elixirs was completed.

The pills are dark red like blood, with a hint of fishiness in their medicinal fragrance. They feel warm to the touch and are called "Blood Bird Pills" in the "Treatise on Poultry".

She took one and fed it to the spirit chicken that had been most severely injured on the battlefield that day.

The rooster initially refused to eat, but after smelling the aroma, it took a small peck.

Before long, he lay down and remained still for a moment. When he looked up again, his eyes were bright.

The originally dull feathers now faintly shimmered with a luster.

After trying seven or eight of them, the effect was the same.

Jiang Jin was relieved and the next morning, he personally went to the Chinese medicine shop to gather manpower.

The current head of the pharmacy is Li Langzhong's youngest son, named Li Fang.

This person is quick-witted but also reliable in doing things.

Upon hearing that a new alchemy hall was to be built, he was the first to clap his hands in approval, beaming with joy, and then he also recommended several of his nephews and nieces with good aptitude.

The Li family has practiced medicine for generations. Although they are not skilled in esoteric methods such as alchemy, they are extremely knowledgeable about pharmacology and medicinal properties.

Moreover, the Li family and the Jiang family have a long-standing relationship and can be considered elders of Liangjie Village.

Seeing that the young men all had eager eyes and carried a faint scent of herbs, Jiang Jin didn't say much and simply nodded in agreement.

When the Dan Hall was first established, everything was in its infancy.

From learning how to start a fire and identify medicinal herbs to controlling the fire and mixing proportions, everything had to be taught from scratch.

With these people backing her up, she didn't have to say a lot.

As a result, a place with a lively atmosphere gradually emerged next to that martial arts training ground.

The firelight illuminated the scene, and the aroma of medicine mixed with the smell of burning carried far on the wind.

From then on, the air in Liangjie Village was filled not only with the fragrance of grass and trees, but also with the aroma of medicine and the warmth of human presence.

Jiang Yi's life returned to normal.

They might recite half a scroll of Taoist scriptures in the ancestral hall, or sit quietly in the backyard practicing breathing exercises.

A cup of tea on the desk, half a book on the shelf, clouds drifting past the window—life goes on peacefully.

On occasional whims, he would leave the village with his hands behind his back, stroll along the deserted path, and head towards the "Locust Valley" several miles away.

This nickname was given to them privately by the villagers.

Within that giant pit, billions of locusts were firmly suppressed by the spirit chicken's aura, unable to escape even with wings.

Without grass and trees to fill their stomachs, hunger becomes a knife hanging over their heads.

As soon as an insect starves to death and collapses, a dozen or so of its kind immediately swarm around it, devouring it clean, not even sparing the remaining juice inside its shell.

As a result, those who survived became even more ruthless and more resilient.

This pit full of monstrous creatures has become its own world, following only the oldest and simplest principles.

Jiang Yi came to inspect them, not because he was afraid they would starve to death.

He stood with his hands behind his back at the edge of the pit, his divine sense flowing like mercury across the undulating black tide.

What he wanted to see was whether any of these were demonic insects that had emerged from the process of devouring and gradually gained power.

He understood the principles of raising poisonous insects.

If we let them devour each other like this, and raise something that even they themselves find too hot to handle, then it won't be a relief, but rather an added burden.

Today, as I scanned the area with my divine sense, my gaze paused slightly on one spot.

The black tide there surged a beat slower, yet it carried an unyielding, menacing aura.

Jiang Yi didn't even lift his eyelids, he just flicked his sleeve.

An invisible force slid down, like an eagle's claw entering a swarm, precisely grabbing the demonic insect, which was several times larger than its kind, and flinging it out of the pit.

Once the demonic insect was freed, it flapped its wings, attempting to escape.

Before it could even take three feet off the ground, a loud rooster crow pierced the air.

With a flash of golden light, leaving only a blur in mid-air, the demonic insect was firmly pinned down by the Golden Feather Ancestor's sharp claws.

With a sharp peck, the carapace shattered, and a flock of pheasants rushed forward to share the food, devouring it in just a few bites.

The Golden Feather Ancestor, still not satisfied, shook his feathers, let out a clear cry, and walked back to his original spot, surveying the swarm of locusts with his sharp eyes.

Jiang Yi nodded, carefully confirmed that everything was normal, and then turned to walk back.

Dressed in a blue robe, which fluttered gently in the evening breeze, he looked no different from the old farmers taking a walk home in the village.

I didn't stop walking as I passed the ancestral hall.

The divine thought, like an invisible mountain breeze, quietly swept past the vermilion gate and slowly circled the hall.

The incense and candles on the offering table were in good condition, the ever-burning lamps were burning steadily, and the memorial tablets were arranged neatly without being disturbed in the slightest.

Knowing what was going on, he withdrew his divine sense and strolled towards his own courtyard.

Night had fallen, and the sounds of insects were faint and fragmented.

The peace in Liangjie Village is hard-won, yet precious. But this small corner of the world is in utter chaos.

Earthquakes rise up, accompanied by locust plagues that blot out the sky; they always arrive unexpectedly.

A once peaceful world has been transformed in the blink of an eye into a land of starving corpses and cries of despair.

Even in Chang'an, news spread that the streets were filled with displaced people and the government was overwhelmed with work.

When the mortal world is in chaos, the underworld will also be in turmoil.

The wronged souls who died violently in broad daylight, the vengeful ghosts who roam freely at night.

In a short time, the number was more than ten times that of previous years.

Jiang Liang is currently working at the Ganyingsi (a government office), and he is so busy that he rarely has time to return to the ancestral hall to listen to the sutras.

And so, several more months slipped by unnoticed.

The alchemy hall of the Ancient and Modern Gang has gone from being chaotic and filled with smoke and fire at the beginning to gradually becoming more stable and decent.

Every day, he could always refine several batches of pills of decent quality.

Those "blood bird pills" made from ordinary locusts may be of rough quality, but they are abundant.

Jiang Jin then took it upon himself to divide the spoils and feed them to the village's chickens.

Because of that spiritual spring, the area around Liangjie Village is filled with spiritual energy, and even ordinary plants grow more lushly.

These domestic chickens are exposed to the elements every day, so they are naturally more energetic than their counterparts outside.

With the nourishment of the Blood Bird Pill, the changes become even more visible to the naked eye.

Especially those old chickens that had fought alongside the spirit chickens in the "war against locusts," each one had full plumage, a strong physique, and walked with an air of pride.

Those tiny, bean-sized eyes were no longer cloudy and dull; instead, they faintly shone with a spiritual light.

When the village children went to raid the chicken coop, they had to tiptoe around. If they weren't careful, the mother hen protecting her chicks would chase them all over the yard.

Some clever villagers kept the distributed pills for themselves.

At night, with a glass of yellow wine, I would break open a pill and secretly swallow it.

This elixir was originally made for birds; when humans take it, its efficacy is naturally greatly reduced.

But the potent medicinal power of the hot blood and qi was real.

After taking a few pills, I felt warm all over, my muscles and bones felt relaxed, and I even had more energy to do chores than usual.

As for those pills made primarily from demonic insects, their medicinal properties are much stronger.

That essence of flesh and blood was extremely fierce. If an ordinary domestic chicken were to accidentally eat it, not only would it be of no benefit, but its internal organs would be ruptured by the rampant medicinal power, leaving it unable to absorb the nourishment.

Such elixirs were not something the Pill Hall could decide on its own; the Jiang family would exchange them for their own medicinal materials at market prices.

The best quality ones are reserved for rewarding the three races of spirit chickens.

They have deep roots and abundant energy, making them perfect for using this powerful medicine to replenish the losses after a major battle.

Jiang Yi kept the remaining chickens, which were of slightly lower quality, for other uses and carefully fed them to a new batch of spirit chickens.

The mixed-feathered spirit chicken, in particular, which survived the bloody battle and made significant contributions, received the lion's share.

These chickens have mixed bloodlines and a weak foundation, but they crawled out of piles of locusts, so they are naturally more ferocious.

Nourished by the elixir, they were all transformed within a few months.

The variegated feathers gradually faded, the plumage became increasingly pure and bright, the frame grew taller, the eyes became sharper, and the cries became less noisy and more clear and melodious.

It is likely that once the three ancestors are completely freed from the locust swarm, they will surely take them under their command, change their appearance, and embark on the right path, no longer becoming food for humans.

To this day, every evening at sunset, the loud crowing of chickens echoes from the chicken coop behind the Jiang family's house, their colorful feathers shimmering in the afterglow.

The scene was vibrant and full of life, even more lively and bustling than before the war.

On this day, the sky was just beginning to lighten, and the first rooster crow behind the house was still lingering in the thin mist.

Jiang Yi put on his coat, got up, and, as usual, headed first to the ancestral hall.

Before the person even arrived, the familiar scent of incense had already seeped out from under the door, stronger than usual.

He pushed the door open and entered with a soft creak.

The hall was filled with the smoke of incense, and the ghostly figure formed from the incense smoke stood quietly before the offering table.

Upon seeing Jiang Yi enter, he quickly bowed in greeting.

Jiang Yi casually picked up a clean cotton cloth and wiped away the thin layer of dust on the offering table, asking in a nonchalant tone, "Are you all done?"

Jiang Liang smiled bitterly, his ethereal face revealing an indelible weariness.

"How can I possibly be busy enough?" He shook his head, his voice dry. "The world outside is getting more and more chaotic. I haven't slept a wink these past few months. It's just..."

He paused briefly, then his gaze gradually hardened. "There's something I need to tell Father first."

Jiang Yi hummed in response, still wiping his hands, his movements unhurried and deliberate.

Jiang Liang said in a low voice, his tone suddenly becoming steady: "The Taiping Road that Father asked me to keep an eye on has been making quite a stir lately..."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yi raised an eyebrow, showing a hint of interest.

Seeing this, Jiang Liang's soul shadow's outline solidified a bit, and he continued:
"This Taiping Dao sect originally originated in Jizhou. In previous years, they guarded their own small plot of land, neither showing off nor causing trouble. The surrounding sects, regardless of whether they were righteous or evil, large or small, all lived in peace with them."

As Jiang Liang spoke, his tone shifted slightly, revealing a hint of something he himself found perplexing.

“But it’s strange that after this locust plague,” he shook his head slightly, his voice lowering, “that the Way of Peace suddenly became active. They preached and gave alms on a grand scale, recruiting believers without stopping for days on end.”

He paused, as if savoring the strange scent, and then said:
"Over the past few months, they have had friction with many Taoist sects in the surrounding area, including well-established and prestigious sects such as Chunyang Temple and Tiantai Mountain."

Jiang Yi continued wiping the table, but his gaze lingered on the ghostly figure.

"At first, it was just some minor squabbles. If you fought for an inch of my land, I would tear down your temple."

Jiang Liang's voice was flat, "Some Taoist temples were smashed, and some disciples were injured in magical battles."

At this point, the shadow between his brows twitched slightly, revealing a genuine sense of confusion.

"The strange thing is that recently, for some reason, those sects that were previously at each other's throats and unwilling to give an inch of ground have all fallen silent."

"Some closed their mountains and refused visitors, while others simply abandoned their strongholds and went to seek other places of practice."

He paused, his tone growing increasingly somber.

"Everyone else gave way, but the Taiping Dao showed no mercy whatsoever."

“That great and virtuous teacher personally issued an edict, sending eight of his personal disciples, each leading a group of men, to the eight provinces of Qing, Xu, and Jing, claiming that they were to ‘help the world and save the people.’”

"No one dared to stop them wherever they went. Moreover, their methods were indeed quite effective; they could drive away locusts and eliminate epidemics, and administer medicine to save lives. Naturally, the people were grateful and revered them as gods."

Jiang Liang looked up at Jiang Yi, his tone somewhat inscrutable:

"In just a few short months, the name 'Taipingdao' has become very famous."

After Jiang Liang finished speaking, Jiang Yi's expression darkened.

He put down the cotton cloth in his hand, slowly straightened up, and looked through the half-open door to the sky that was just beginning to brighten.

The morning mist was dissipating, and the light of day was as pale as if someone had lightly wiped away a layer of dust.

“Chunyang Temple, Tiantai Mountain…” He murmured a couple of sentences, his tone not showing surprise, but rather a hint of contemplation.

These are not some small, rural temples.

Each of them has a lineage spanning thousands of years, exuding profound Taoist energy, and each carries the shadow of celestial immortals.

The rise and fall of human traditions, in the end, is nothing more than an extension of the power struggle among the celestial beings.

Now, even these powerful sects are all backing down...

The light in Jiang Yi's eyes finally tightened for a moment.

"Making such a commotion..." he began slowly, his voice calm and cold, which could be heard clearly in the quiet ancestral hall in the early morning.

"Have you investigated which faction is behind the Taiping Dao?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Liang paused slightly, and his soul shadow swayed gently in the dim light.

"We haven't found out any concrete information yet."

He hesitated for a moment, then lowered his voice:

"However... there are already some rumors circulating in the City God Temple. Legend has it that when the conflict first broke out, Master Ge of Tiantai Mountain personally went to Nanyang Palace."

Jiang Yi raised an eyebrow slightly, but remained silent.

"After just one trip, the Celestial Master was covered in dust and looked dazed. After returning to the mountain, Tiantai Mountain closed its doors to visitors and stopped caring about worldly affairs."

When Jiang Liang said this, his voice was almost as soft as a breeze.

"Therefore, several senior officials in the temple were secretly speculating..."

"This Taiping Dao is probably connected with that Old Immortal Nanhua of Nanyang Palace."

(End of this chapter)