Starting with Taoist priests from Maoshan to cultivate immortality

Lijiazhuang.

Large red lanterns hung on the door, and colorful ribbons fluttered in the breeze.

Officials and nobles dressed in silk robes and carrying various gifts came and went in an endless stream.

Hundreds of servants were busy transporting cartloads of wine, meat, vegetables, and fruits into Li Family Village.

This stands in stark contrast to the ruins of the destroyed houses in Lijiazhuang.

Jiang Yu and Ying Ning mingled among the onlookers, while several rogue cultivators watched with envy, clicking their tongues in admiration.

"As expected of the wedding of the leader of the Peerless Sect, the scale is truly grand."

"I heard that he married the only daughter of the sect leader of the Kaoshan Sect."

"I heard his daughter is famously beautiful."

Jiang Yu's brows twitched slightly. The Back Mountain Sect was the eighth-ranked sect in Guo Bei County, with hundreds of disciples, and its strength was not much different from that of the Silver Serpent Sect.

He couldn't understand why they would suddenly arrange a marriage with the leader of the Wushuang Sect.

Jiang Yu cupped his hands and asked the few rogue cultivators who were speaking:

"Greetings, fellow Daoist."

"The Wushuang Sect leader you mentioned, is it Tian Fuhai, the leader of the sect?"

Upon hearing the name, the man quickly covered his mouth, then looked up and, seeing that the disciples of the Peerless Sect hadn't noticed, whispered a reprimand:

"Kid, are you out of your mind to mention his name here?"

"Who doesn't know that Master Zhou Yang and Master Tian Fuhai are mortal enemies?"

"Get out of here, this is none of your business."

Jiang Yu smiled slightly, and twenty glowing spirit stones appeared in his palm:

"How about this one?"

Upon seeing the gleaming golden spirit stones, the rogue cultivators immediately smiled and eagerly divided them up, saying amiably:

"Young man, I've long noticed your dignified appearance and extraordinary martial prowess. Feel free to ask us anything you'd like to know, and we'll answer to the best of our ability."

Money really can make the devil turn the millstone.

Seeing the different attitudes of the people before and after, Jiang Yu sighed inwardly and then asked:

"The Backing Mountain Sect is a well-known and prominent sect in Guobei County. Why would they want to form a marriage alliance with the leader of the Peerless Sect?"

A rogue cultivator tucked the spirit stone into his robes and replied:

"You don't know yet, do you? The Peerless Sect has recently been trying to win over the smaller sects in Guobei County. I heard that whichever sect leader does this well can be promoted to altar leader."

"Zhou Yang has become the son-in-law of the Backing Sect, which can be said to be a victory in the first place."

He whispered in Jiang Yu's ear:

"Only medium-sized sects can receive this treatment; those small, disobedient sects will be in trouble."

"Several people were wiped out by the Peerless Cult because they didn't want to join it."

"I heard that a physical cultivation sect had its leader arrested by the Peerless Sect on his birthday."

Jiang Yu frowned and asked:

"Is this sect called the Rock Stone Sect?"

The rogue cultivator shook his head:

"I don't know about that."

"But I know they seem to be locked up in the dungeon of Li Family Village."

The other rogue cultivators gave him a push and praised him:

"Well, kid, you know a lot of inside information."

The rogue cultivator scratched his head and said:

"I heard this from my uncle, who works as a cook there."

"Young man..."

He was about to continue speaking when he realized that Jiang Yu had disappeared from his sight.

The group of independent cultivators felt something was amiss, but then, thinking about the unexpected windfall, they put their arms around each other and went to a restaurant for drinks.

In a secluded alley behind Lijiazhuang.

Jiang Yu and Ying Ning walked here, gently sweeping over the remaining black remains of the tree demon on the ground.

This is the place where he used the Thunderclap to destroy the tree demon horde. Returning to this familiar place brings a unique feeling.

"If I remember correctly, it should be here."

Jiang Yu fumbled around in a certain spot on the wall, and as a switch was turned on, a hidden door appeared in the wall.

Yingning blinked curiously and asked in confusion:

"Ah Yu, how did you know there was a door here?"

Jiang Yu flicked her nose and said:

"Because I can foresee the future."

"Wow, Yu, you're amazing!"

Yingning's pure eyes were filled with adoration.

Jiang Yu shook his head slightly; only Ying Ning would believe so easily.

Every time he lied to her, he felt a sense of guilt.

The two entered the secret passage.

Li Family Village was occupied by the Peerless Sect. Master Li was skilled at escaping and had already moved his entire family there. Therefore, the members of the Peerless Sect were unaware of the existence of the secret passage.

The secret passage leads directly to the back hall of Li Family Village, and not far ahead is the secret room where the Jade Waterfall is located.

The spiritual spring inside had been used up by them, leaving only an empty white jade shell.

"Tch, a mere mortal like me, using such a fine piece of jade."

Suddenly, a complaining voice came from inside the dark room.

Yingning's long fox ears twitched:

"There are people inside."

Jiang Yu nodded and quietly went up to take a look. He saw a handsome young man with a mustache.

The young man lay on the jade-like waterfall, gently stroking it:

"Wait, why is there such a strong fluctuation of spiritual energy up here?"

He exclaimed how regrettable it was:

"Damn it, I'm too late, the good stuff is already taken."

"It seems this rich man is a descendant of a monk. When we get the chance to find him, we must force him to reveal the secrets behind him."

He waved his hand and collected the jade plate of the waterfall in his hand:

"Perfect timing to give it to that little slut."

"Hmph, if it weren't for the secrets of the Backing Mountain Sect, would I, this young master, have stooped to that slut?"

He emerged from the hidden door, while Jiang Yu and Ying Ning hid to the side.

Yingning's tail twitched and brushed against Jiang Yu's nose, making him want to sneeze.

Left with no other choice, he temporarily grabbed Yingning's snow-white tail to calm her down.

Yingning trembled, her face flushed, and she almost cried out.

Jiang Yu covered her mouth to prevent her from being discovered.

The man looked around:

"This secret passage is really convenient. I'll develop it properly in the future, and I can come in anytime. When I do, I'll take all of Zhou Yang's good stuff. Master Tian will definitely count it as a great achievement for me."

After the man left, Yingning's face was flushed red as she said:

"You can relax now, right?"

Jiang Yu quickly loosened his grip and whispered:

"Feel sorry."

"I was afraid of being discovered."

Yingning blushed and said:

"My mother said that you shouldn't let strangers touch a fox's tail."

Jiang Yu smiled and said:

"Your mother said that no outsiders should touch any of the tails. I only touched one, it's okay."

He was also puzzled. Ying Ning was clearly a nine-tailed fox, so why did she always show only one tail?

Yingning said:

"Can I touch your tail too?"

Jiang Yu asked in confusion:

"Where did I get my tail from?"

Then it suddenly dawned on me:

"That's absolutely not allowed."

He quickly changed the subject:

"Let's take care of business first."

Jiang Yu stroked his chin:

"Judging from his attire, he should be a disciple of the Kao Shan Sect."

"However, he seems to be colluding with Tian Fuhai again. Let's follow him and see what he's up to."

The man went through a secret passage to the back hall, and then entered a boudoir.

Jiang Yu remembered that this was the very place where he had captured the wealthy man's wife.

He examined the furnishings inside carefully and found them indeed strangely familiar.

A bride with a red veil on her head sits on the edge of the bed.

Hearing someone enter, the bride called out softly.

A flash of disgust crossed the man's brow, but he quickly replaced it with a fawning smile.

"It's me, junior sister."

The bride trembled, removed her veil, and exclaimed in surprise:

"Senior Brother Wang Dian, what brings you here?"

Jiang Yu saw the bride's face clearly, and his pupils contracted sharply:

"Isn't the daughter of the Sect Master of the Backing Mountain Sect far too rugged-looking?"

The facial hair is extremely thick, especially the eyebrows, which are so thick they could be braided together.

"Of course I miss you."

Wang Dian embraced the bride tightly, and said tenderly:

"For you, I would travel thousands of miles without hesitation."

The bride feigns struggle:

"But I'm someone else's wife now."

Wang Dian pulled her head into his arms, his face filled with undisguised disgust, but he still spoke softly in the end:

"No, you are mine, and I will not allow anyone else to take you away."

The bride looked touched, pursed her lips, and shook her head, saying:

"But for the sake of the Mountain Reliance Sect, I have no other choice."

Wang Diandao:

"Can we elope?"

The bride's voice changed, and she shoved Wang Dian away:

"I advise you to abandon this idea as soon as possible. How can a disciple of the Backing Mountain Sect compare to the status of the Peerless Sect's leader?"

"Once all the sects are under my control, I might just become the wife of the sect leader."

Wang Dian's hand was half outstretched when he froze on the spot.

Jiang Yu, who was watching from the side, was also amazed. He originally thought that it was a pretty boy deceiving an innocent woman, but he didn't expect that they were like flies to rotten meat, a perfect match.

Wang Dian regained his composure and embraced the bride again.

"Junior sister, let's talk about this later. Let's take care of business first."

The bride's face lit up with joy, and she said coquettishly:

"Then you'd better hurry, it won't be good if someone finds out."

Wang Dian suddenly picked her up.

Outside the window, Yingning asked in confusion:

"What are they going to do?"

"Are they going to fight?"

Jiang Yu didn't know how to answer, so he could only give a vague reply.

Yingning said:

"Then you should stop them."

Jiang Yu nodded and said:

"I'll listen to you."

With a wave of his hand, a colorful long banner appeared in his hand.

"【Soul-Chasing Banner】, a low-grade spiritual artifact. When the banner moves, the soul trembles. Wherever the banner points, the controlled person is like a puppet on a string."

This is the reward he received for completing today's "Catch Demons and Exterminate Evil" mission.

hum!

As a wisp of blue smoke drifted by, Wang Dian and his bride froze in place like puppets on strings.

Upon entering the room, Wang Dian stood there expressionless.

Jiang Yu shook the Soul-Chasing Banner and asked:

"What did Tian Fuhai send you here for?"

Wang Dian replied:

"He sent me to try and persuade Zhang Jingjing to elope with him, and then he would take the opportunity to sow discord between Zhou Yang and the Kao Shan Sect, causing their marriage to fail."

He took out a bottle of medicine from his pocket:

"This is a seven-day bewitching powder; those who are affected will not wake up for seven days."

"Why aren't you doing your job properly? Why are you thinking about that?" Jiang Yu criticized.

Wang Dian replied:

"Aren't these all important matters?"

"That's true." Jiang Yu nodded, then shook the soul banner and said:

"Go to the side and get slapped."

"Yes."

Wang Dian ran to the corner of the wall and slapped himself in the face repeatedly.

Listening to the rhythmic slapping, Jiang Yu nodded in satisfaction. This Soul-Chasing Banner was indeed useful; it truly lived up to its reputation as a spiritual artifact.

It also has several other functions that can be used in critical moments.

Jiang Yu saw the wine, meat, and Seven-Day Bewitching Powder on the table, put them into the food box, and then said to Ying Ning:

"Ah Ning, you stay here and keep an eye on them. I'm going to rescue my friend."

The dungeon was right behind the boudoir, and this place was the only way to escape.

Jiang Yu sneaked into the dungeon.

Inside the dungeon, two disciples of the Peerless Sect sat at a table, sulking.

One of the disciples with a slanted face cursed:

"Oh shit!"

"They're all out there eating and drinking to their hearts' content, while we're stuck here doing this hard work."

"Who can argue with that?"

Another pockmarked disciple of the Wushuang Sect stood up, picked up a stone, and threw it hard at the prisoners in the cell.

They amused themselves this way when they were bored, and a large basket of stones had been emptied.

The dungeon contained more than a dozen large, muscular men, who were disciples of the Rock Stone Sect.

Tu Meng grabbed a stone, threw it back, and cursed:

"You bunch of bastards, one day I'll twist your heads off."

He was wearing huge shackles, and his skin was covered in bruises from being hit by stones.

The slanted-faced disciple said angrily:

"Damn it, you dare to resist!"

He picked up an iron whip and went into the prison, lashing wildly at the disciples of the Rock Stone Sect. Soon, more than a dozen disciples were covered in bloody welts.

Their spiritual energy was restricted, making them no different from ordinary people, and they were completely unable to resist.

"stop!"

A thin, middle-aged man lay on the ground, speaking weakly.

A long iron spike was stuck in his heart, and black blood flowed out with the sound, his face showing pain.

Three women were kneeling beside him.

"Honey, stop talking. You'll die if you keep moving."

The man with the slanted face gave a cold laugh and cursed:

"You're practically dead already, yet you still dare to act tough. You're nothing but a stray dog ​​in front of our Master Zhou."

"Your Rock Stone Sect dares to resist our Peerless Sect's recruitment; you are simply ignorant of your own limitations."

"Hmph, you guys don't know, do you?"

"Three days from now, we will force you to participate in parades to various small sects, so that they will know the consequences of daring to disobey our Peerless Sect."

After saying that, he raised his iron whip and lashed it hard at the middle-aged man on the ground.

"master!"

Seeing this, Tu Meng rushed in front of the middle-aged man and took the blow for him.

"Damn it, you dare to resist!"

The man with the slanted face became even angrier, and swung his iron whip, striking the man's chest repeatedly.

Tu Meng's entire chest was smashed flat by the iron whip, and he coughed up mouthfuls of blood.

"I'll fucking fight you to the death!"

Zhao Lei's eyes were bloodshot as he charged towards the man with the slanted face.

His entire body was tightly bound by shackles made of black iron, and he could only move by jumping.

The man with the slanted face kicked him away, spitting out a curse:

"Pooh!"

"Among them, you are the most ungrateful. Originally, seeing that you are the spirit of lapis lazuli, and that Master Zhou cherishes your talent, I asked you to kill these ungrateful creatures so that you would abandon darkness and embrace light."

"You actually refused and even tried to attack Master Zhou. Your fate will be the worst; you will become a sacrifice in the next grand ceremony."

The man with the pockmarked face also walked over:

"Why are you wasting your breath talking to these people who are about to die?"

He looked at the three wives of the Rock Gate Master, who were lying on the ground, with a lewd expression.

"I didn't realize that old man's wife is still so charming."

He nudged the man with the slanted face with his elbow:

"Since we can't enjoy the best food and drinks anyway, let's enjoy this instead."