Primordial Era: Jade Cauldron Forgot to Take on Disciples

Chapter 424 Fellow Daoist and I are Destined (4000 words)

Su Daji was restless and took her leave, while instructing Taibai Xingjun to arrange for the monkey to be placed in the Peach Garden.

Then, as she set off for Xiniu Hezhou, she took out a jade talisman to send a message to Yang Jian, asking where he was.

At the same time, a message was sent to Yang San, informing him that Yang Jian had gone to Wuzhuang Temple, and that even if he had the Seventy-Two Transformations to cover his tracks, he should still be careful and not run into Yang Jian.

~~~~~

A moment ago.

Just as Yang Jian arrived at Wuzhuang Temple and was about to knock on the tightly closed gate, Mingyue Tongzi returned with Yang San.

He did not change his appearance or hide his true form, but descended in his true form.

After all, Zhen Yuanzi had a close relationship with Yuanshi Tianzun. If he used some dishonest means, it would displease Yuanshi Tianzun. Therefore, he decided to come openly and honestly.

When Mingyue Tongzi saw a dignified and imposing figure standing before the Taoist temple, enveloped in a faint divine light and exuding a divine might as well as a prison, his eyes lit up. Not daring to be negligent, he immediately bowed and asked, "Great Immortal, please forgive Mingyue for not being hospitable enough in visiting so late at night. May I ask what brings you to Wuzhuang Temple?"

Yang San raised an eyebrow, thinking to himself that this guy had heard the news so quickly, it seemed that Ancestor Caiyun held a significant place in his heart, which gave him the perfect opportunity to ask for an exorbitant sum.

He had done many dirty things for her in the past and received a lot of peaches from her, but it wasn't enough. After doing this last job, he went into seclusion, and the Women's Kingdom was a good place for him.

Yang Jian sized up the boy and the unfamiliar young man beside him, and found that the other party's cultivation was actually at the Golden Immortal realm. He frowned slightly, wondering when such a powerful person had appeared in the prehistoric world.

He casually replied, "I am Yang Jian, and I have come to pay my respects to the Great Immortal Zhen Yuanzi."

After saying that, he looked at the gate of the Taoist temple and stared at the stone tablet in front of the gate. There were ten large characters on the stone tablet: "Longevity Mountain Blessed Land, Wuzhuang Temple Grotto Heaven".

He immediately laughed and said, "This is truly a wonderful place."

Upon hearing Yang Jian's identity, Mingyue Tongzi became apprehensive. He bowed and thanked Yang Jian for his praise of Wuzhuang Temple. He hurriedly led Yang Jian into the temple and into the main hall. He then summoned Qingfeng Tongzi to greet Yang Jian together.

In the very center of the main hall, there is an incense table with a golden incense burner on the vermilion table, and neatly arranged incense sticks beside it.

"Heaven and Earth~"

Yang Jian looked at the memorial tablet placed on the incense table and sensed a strong Taoist aura, his brows furrowing slightly.

"Is the True Lord curious why the characters for 'Heaven and Earth' are enshrined here instead of the Three Pure Ones?"

"I am somewhat curious, is this heaven and earth the Heavenly Emperor and the Earthly Empress, or the Primordial Heavenly Dao?"

Yang Jian nodded, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

He suspected that Zhen Yuanzi might be worshipping Hongjun Daozu, but he didn't say it outright, because saying it would inevitably attract Hongjun's attention and ruin his plans.

Qingfeng Tongzi said to himself, "Heaven and Earth are just my master's invention. In fact, the Three Pure Ones are my master's friends, the Four Emperors are my master's old friends, the Nine Luminaries are my master's juniors, and the Yuan Chen are my master's guests. No one is worthy of my master's kneeling."

Yang Jian glanced at the two boys and thought to himself, "What are you bragging about? A mere Earth Immortal is so arrogant. It's no surprise that Zhen Yuanzi deliberately said this to the two boys, and they subconsciously relayed it."

The reason he did this was probably to save face when communicating with like-minded people.

If such arrogant words were known to the disciples of the Three Pure Ones, Zhen Yuanzi would certainly not fare well. However, relying on his close relationship with Yuanshi Tianzun, he used this to elevate his own status, which would give him some face when communicating with his fellow Daoists.

After all, Zhen Yuanzi's cultivation level had little room for improvement, but he still had face to save.

Of course, these are all disguises of Zhen Yuanzi. His true deity is Hongjun. The aura on this tablet carries a trace of the Jade Disc of Creation, which is exactly the same as the aura that Yang Jian sensed in the Underworld in the past.

Yang Jian, too lazy to point it out, kept his discovery to himself and casually asked, "Where is your master?"

He knew Zhen Yuanzi was not there, otherwise he wouldn't have come at this time to ask questions, just to pretend he didn't know.

The boy said, "My master has gone to attend the Ullambana Festival of the Buddha and is not at home. I wonder what business the True Lord has with my master? I can wait for my master to return and then pass on the message."

Yang Jian had already prepared an excuse and casually said, "The Heavenly Court will soon hold the Peach Banquet. The Queen Mother of the West tasted your fruits last time and found them quite interesting, so she ordered me to come here to see if I could purchase some fruits for the Peach Banquet so that all the immortals in the Heavenly Court could have a taste of something new."

The two boys were overjoyed. They looked at each other and saw the undisguised joy in each other's eyes.

Their master, Zhen Yuanzi, traveled far and wide to promote this ginseng fruit. If the Heavenly Court were truly willing to include it in the Peach Banquet, Zhen Yuanzi would be overjoyed.

Despite their joy, the two boys knew this was not a decision they could make, so they said, "This matter is of utmost importance and is beyond our control. We will inform our master upon his return, and we ask that you not take offense, True Lord."

Yang Jian nodded: "It's alright. I can check the quality of the fruit first. If I'm satisfied, then Master, please bring the fruit to the Heavenly Court. The Queen Mother will surely give you a satisfactory price."

The two boys exchanged a glance and communicated telepathically. They decided that it was just a matter of looking at the ginseng fruit tree, so they nodded in unison.

The Bright Moon Boy said, "I just need to water the ginseng fruit tree, so I'll take you there to have a look while I'm at it."

"I have long heard of the ginseng fruit tree. May I go and see it with you?"

Yang San suddenly asked.

Qingfeng Tongzi thought this guy was Yang Jian's follower and was about to agree subconsciously.

Mingyue Tongzi was about to refuse, but after thinking for a while, he stopped talking. As long as Yang Jian agreed, that would be fine. This person had come with ill intentions. He had killed so many monsters and then killed his master's distinguished guest. Now he was coveting the ginseng fruit tree. Fortunately, he had met Yang Jian. As long as he found an opportunity to tell Yang Jian about this person's evil deeds, this person's plot against Wuzhuang Temple would surely fail.

"If the True Lord doesn't mind, I will take you to see the Ginseng Fruit Tree."

Yang Jian asked in confusion, "And who is this fellow Daoist?"

"My name is Yang San, a nobody."

Yang San casually replied, feeling that the question was asked on purpose, and that the person was extremely cunning, still being so cautious at a time like this.

Yang Jian recalled what Taibai Xingjun had said about a powerful and righteous man in the primordial world who had recently set his sights on Wuzhuang Temple, and realized that this must be the man in question.

This person's cultivation is extraordinary, so he can test him and see if he can win him over, so that he can also contribute to tempering Sun Wukong's character.

He nodded and said, "I have heard rumors that you hate evil as if it were your enemy. I never thought I would meet you by chance today. It seems that we are destined to meet. Let's go and see together."

Two boys set off first, leading the two towards the ginseng garden.

Mingyue Tongzi secretly transmitted his voice to Qingfeng Tongzi, informing him that Yang San had killed the monster of Wanshou Mountain and the distinguished guest Zhenyuanzi.

He said he would find an excuse to fetch water and would try to record the man's background somewhere in the Taoist temple, so that Yang Jian Zhenjun could see it and subdue the man through Yang Jian Zhenjun's hands.

He was unaware of Yang Jian's true reputation, having only heard from Zhen Yuanzi that he was a close advisor to the Heavenly Emperor and possessed extraordinary cultivation. However, Yang San's formidable strength made him feel that Yang Jian might not be his match, so he secretly informed him that it would be safest to make thorough preparations.

Upon arriving at a vegetable garden, before even seeing any trees, I first heard the sounds of babies, either wailing or babbling incomprehensible to me.

"Alas! So the ginseng fruit really is as rumored, no different from an infant."

Yang San asked in surprise.

The boy smiled without saying a word, leading the two forward, avoiding the hidden formations in the vegetable garden. After a short while, a large tree with lush green branches and shady green leaves appeared under the moonlight.

The leaves of the ginseng fruit tree resemble those of a banana tree, reaching a height of a thousand feet and a width of about eight zhang (approximately 33 meters).

Yang Jian used his divine eye to see clearly, so he secretly made a hand seal to create a gentle breeze that lifted the leaves. He then saw ginseng fruits swaying on the tree, each one like a child. When they saw strangers, they all started crying loudly.

He frowned slightly. This tree was full of pure energy, unlike the one that Taibai Xingjun described as absorbing the essence of living beings. If it were absorbing essence, there would surely be resentment that would condense and not dissipate.

Yang San, seeing the baby in the tree, shook his head and laughed, "So that's how it is! I was so foolish to believe the rumors, thinking Wuzhuang Temple was a den of demons, and that this ginseng fruit tree grew on corpses. The rumors really misled me!"

Yang Jian raised an eyebrow and asked, "It seems you know why this innate spiritual root can grow ginseng fruit?"

Yang San explained, "I met Mingyue Tongzi on the way, and we went together to the back mountain to fetch spring water. The spring water was exceptionally rich in vitality. Mingyue Tongzi said that this water was the source of the Mother-Child River. Whether it was a mortal or an immortal, as long as they drank this water, it would be like being pregnant for ten months, and they would give birth to a baby girl soon. It is not surprising that this innate spiritual root could produce ginseng fruit after drinking this water."

Yang Jian looked at the bucket of water carried by Mingyue Tongzi and found that the water inside was indeed full of vitality, and its aura was somewhat similar to that of the Lotus Lantern. He suddenly realized and said, "It seems that this is caused by the residual power of the Goddess Nuwa."

Mingyue Tongzi stared wide-eyed, looking at him in confusion: "How does True Lord know that this water is the power of Goddess Nuwa? This mountain spring flows down from Xikunlun, which is the territory of the Queen Mother of the West. How could it possess the power of Goddess Nuwa?"

Yang Jian shook his head and remained silent, offering no explanation.

He had personally witnessed the red embroidered ball hanging above Baiyujing, helping the Queen Mother of the West protect the fertile people under her command when she left Baiyujing.

This explains why the source of the Zimu River is in Xikunlun.

The relationship between Nuwa and the Queen Mother of the West seems to be hidden quite deeply, so much so that even a veteran like Zhen Yuanzi from the primordial era was unaware of it.

Yang Jian felt that this trip had been very fruitful. It turned out that the Women's Kingdom was related to Nuwa. However, he wondered whether Nuwa knew that her great power had left behind some residual poison, or whether she had intentionally facilitated the existence of the Women's Kingdom.

Yang Jian had noticed the Women's Kingdom long ago, but he had not explored it in depth.

The Kingdom of Women has existed for a long time. Its prototype began after Nuwa hung the red embroidered ball in the Jade Palace.

As a nation entirely populated by females, it was inevitable that they would be targeted. The Kingdom of Women became the largest brothel in the primordial world, a place rife with lust and filth.

After the Investiture of the Gods, the Heavenly Court gained real power and was able to control the chaos in the Women's Kingdom. Most of the celestial maidens in the Heavenly Court today were selected from the Women's Kingdom.

Another thing that made Yang Jian feel uneasy was that Nuwa, as a saint, must have known that Zhen Yuanzi was using her divine power to water the ginseng fruit tree, yet she did not stop it.

Yuanshi Tianzun also had a close relationship with Zhen Yuanzi, and since Zhen Yuanzi worshipped Hongjun, there must have been some inside story that Yang Jian was unaware of.

Otherwise, given the irreconcilable conflict between the saints and Hongjun, how could they possibly tolerate Zhenyuanzi, who worshipped Hongjun?

Just as Yang Jian was pondering.

Bright Moon Boy went to the back mountain to fetch water, leaving Gentle Breeze Boy to accompany him for the time being.

Before long, Yang San said he was extremely thirsty and asked Qingfeng Tongzi to fetch some tea to get rid of him.

Then, he looked at Yang Jian and asked, "How long are you going to keep pretending? Did you bring what I asked for? Don't blame me for asking for too much, but that guy is no ordinary person. I took a huge risk to kill him for you, and you should understand that."

Yang Jian was pondering what Zhen Yuanzi, Hongjun, Yuanshi Tianzun, and Nuwa's purpose was here when he was interrupted by a voice from the side, and he subconsciously felt displeased.

He quickly realized that he was not familiar with the person, and that the person's strange words meant that there must be something wrong with him.

Yang Jian then played along, calmly replying, "Of course I brought it."

"Then hurry up and give it to me!"

Yang San urged.

Yang Jian smiled but remained silent.

Yang San nodded and said, "I understand. I should at least check the goods. This is the last time I'll do something for you. I've already found a very suitable place to live in seclusion. Don't look for me again."

As he spoke, he threw the body of Ancestor Caiyun out of his sleeve.

Upon seeing this, Yang Jian was startled and instantly realized the identity of the person before him. A cold smile suddenly appeared on his lips.

At the same time, he noticed the talisman in his sleeve move, and Su Daji sent him a message asking where he was.

Yang Jian ignored him.

At the same time, Yang San held a jade talisman in his hand. He was puzzled as to why he had to use the talisman to send a message when the talisman was right in front of him. This talisman had a limited number of uses and was very valuable. In addition, each use reduced the number of uses available, and each message made him feel the pinch.

Fortunately, he was certain that he would gain a great deal this time, so he endured the pain and extended his primordial spirit.

Yang Jian went to Wuzhuang Temple.

His pupils contracted sharply, his whole body turned ice-cold, and when he looked up and met Yang Jian's amused gaze, Yang Jian suddenly became incredibly terrifying in his eyes. His legs trembled, and he almost ran away.

"Fellow Daoist, I've mistaken you for someone else."

Yang San's voice trembled as he finished speaking and turned to leave.

Out of the corner of his eye, he suddenly noticed a bulge in Yang Jian's sleeve, gleaming with a spiritual light that he hadn't seen before. The mark could only be the Vajra Bracelet.

Knowing the power of the Vajra Bracelet, he froze, no longer daring to move.

"I was wondering why there wasn't a single trace left after more than a thousand years. It turns out it was Su Daji who helped you cover up the evidence!"

Yang Jian continued with interest, "That guy, Ancestor Caiyun, actually died at your hands. It seems you're quite capable. Tell me, which of the Three Corpses are you?"

"Fellow Daoist, you've mistaken me for someone else. What Su Daji and the Three Corpses? I don't understand any of that."

"I see. It seems I truly misunderstood you, fellow Daoist."

Yang Jian casually dismissed the misunderstanding, and no longer concealed the Vajra Bracelet in his sleeve, he used his magic to control it, making it hover in mid-air.

Yang San smiled wryly, "What do you mean by this, fellow Daoist?"

"Fellow Daoist's cultivation is extraordinary. It is fate that you met me today. I will bestow upon you a great fortune."

Yang Jian made a grabbing motion in the air with his right hand, and a golden scroll appeared in his hand: "This is the Investiture of the Gods, which has rarely appeared in the world for thousands of years. Those who are listed on the list can be ranked among the immortals. Fellow Daoist, please."

As he spoke, he gestured with his hand, making a gesture as if inviting someone to be listed on the list.

(End of this chapter)