A Scroll of Infinite Glory

Wei Dinggong had been poisoned by his own poison, which was extremely potent and dangerous. He had also lost a lot of blood from the wound on his right hand. Even though he took the antidote in time, he was still somewhat stiff and inconvenient when walking. He should have gone down the mountain to rest as soon as possible.

However, after Guan Luoyang's victory, he immediately invited the experts from various factions to gather that evening.

Even Yang Lian, who had vomited blood, stayed behind. Out of consideration for etiquette and personal relationships, Wei Dinggong had no choice but to wait until evening, and only after the banquet ended did he take his disciples down the mountain.

Along the way, his closest disciples were quite indignant, because Wei Dinggong's sneak attack on the stage was so unbecoming that people from various sects looked at them with strange eyes.

"Those men's commanders also charged forward in a relay, but when they saw that my master was the most seriously injured, they wanted to kick him while he was down. What kind of character is that!"

"That's right. How dare those people from the Holy Mother Temple criticize us? Their Master Yuan Yuan was easily dealt with when he took the stage. My master forced that Taoist priest to flee in a sorry state for a while."

In fact, the people from the Temple of the Holy Mother did not say anything to them directly, but the whispers among them made Wei Dinggong and his disciples judge others by their own standards, and the more they thought about it, the more they felt that others were secretly mocking them.

Wei Dinggong's right hand was bandaged up like a deformed radish. He was deep in thought and looked quite unwell. Hearing the noisy voices around him, he couldn't help but get angry and snapped, "Shut up."

The disciples immediately fell silent, only the most favored one deliberately moved closer, helped Wei Dinggong up, and said, "We are also standing up for our master."

Seeing his disciple's handsome features and aggrieved expression, Wei Dinggong's irritation eased slightly. He snorted coldly and said, "What are you worried about? Are you afraid that if your master loses face today, you'll be ostracized in the future?"

"You've been following me for so long, how come you still haven't seen through this? Even if they gossip about something as trivial as me striking first in today's duel, it won't shake our foundation at all. Reputation is maintained through methods and connections."

"Back when I was currying favor with those officials, some sects considered themselves superior and looked down on me. But over the years, we've accumulated a fortune, with nobles visiting us in all fifteen prefectures, and our Leshi Temple is thriving. We've become a major sect in the region."

"When things really come to a head, I can approach these factions and ask for their help. No matter what gossip they may have behind my back, they'll still have to give me face on the surface and be swayed by my words, won't they?"

The most favored disciple beamed with joy: "Master sees things clearly. Thinking about it, it makes sense. Back then, Daoist Jiuhe was so famous, yet he still made a special trip to visit our temple. What did he say? He said that those who study and cultivate the Dharma are not immortals after all, and they cannot escape worldly desires. They love money and fame, but they acquire them through clever means. They are not without virtues."

Upon hearing this, a square-faced monk nearby said, "Junior brother, you're mistaken. Daoist Jiuhe said that one should love wealth and fame, but acquire them through proper means."

The junior brother secretly turned around, raised his eyebrows, and glared at him. The others immediately pushed the monk Fangyuan to the back.

Wei Dinggong didn't care about this matter today. He just sighed and muttered to himself, "What those people think is not worth worrying about. What is worth worrying about is that this time I have offended the Zhenwu Temple and failed to achieve my goal. I have failed to please either side. I have neither gained face nor any real benefit."

His network of connections built up over the years in Jiaozhi was indeed impressive, but if you trace the Zhenwu Temple back to Wudang, its background in the Ming Dynasty court was far stronger than his.

Of course, Zhenwu Temple is still a prestigious and righteous sect, and it is unlikely that they would attack him without a reason for a minor disagreement on the arena.

What Wei Dinggong was most worried about was not being able to explain things to the other side, whose way of doing things was much more ruthless.

After returning to the inn, he sat quietly in his room.

After waiting for more than an hour, the sound of flapping wings suddenly came from the roof beam, and the strange green bird reappeared in the room without anyone noticing.

"How did things go today?"

Before the green-feathered monster could finish speaking, it glanced at Wei Dinggong's expression and his injured right hand, and its voice immediately sharpened, "You've failed!!"

"Your intelligence is flawed," Wei Dinggong preemptively countered, "Didn't you say that short-haired boy was a boxer? But he also possesses magical power, with at least ten years of magical training."

The green-feathered bird was somewhat surprised: "Is that so?"

Although this bird was quite adept at stealth and invisibility, there were too many sorcerers from various sects gathered on the mountain during the day, so it didn't dare to venture out and investigate, and didn't know the specifics of the situation.

"But even if he practices martial arts and magic, you have the qi-suppressing techniques we've helped you develop over the years. Don't you think you can handle him?"

The green-feathered bird's tone turned dangerous, "You wouldn't be deliberately backing down, leaving yourself some room to maneuver, trying to be a fence-sitter, would you?"

Wei Dinggong said angrily, "We've cooperated for so many years, we know each other inside and out. I didn't dare betray you even when you were at your weakest, so how could I betray you when you're about to make a big move? Besides, if I just wanted to leave myself some room to maneuver, why would I hurt myself like this? That kid is just too despicable..."

He briefly recounted what had happened during the day, emphasizing that both Lian Yanglian and Huangtou Taigong had been defeated by Guan Luoyang.

It is indeed somewhat inappropriate for a renowned sorcerer to lose to a novice Taoist priest, but when a large number of renowned sorcerers lose to him, the matter seems to become quite reasonable.

This explains why Wei Dinggong failed.

After hearing what he said, the green-feathered bird remained silent for a while. When it spoke again, it indeed showed no sign of blaming him.

"So it's this kind of person. Well, this is really not your fault. It seems we have to find another way to deal with the Dharma assembly... Hmm, since you failed and were injured, it might be dangerous for you to stay in Chengyin Prefecture. You should come to Qinghua Prefecture and help my brother with some logistical and security matters."

Wei Dinggong was startled: "What about my Leshi Temple?"

The green-feathered bird cackled and said, "Don't worry, while you were in Chengyin Prefecture, the disciples who stayed behind at Leshi Temple have already transported the things from your secret treasury to Qinghua Prefecture and put them to use."

"You..." Wei Dinggong almost blurted out a curse, but he forcefully suppressed it back.

Under the gaze of the green-feathered monster bird's eyes, which were as vivid as those of a living person, Wei Dinggong's chest heaved twice, his hands trembled, but a smile appeared on his lips.

"You've thought things through perfectly. The wealth and connections we've built up back then were accumulated by cleaning up things that were useless to you. Now that we're going to work together on something big, I naturally need to make another investment so I can get a share of the credit later."

"Hehehe, that's right, that's right, that's exactly what we're thinking of for you."

The green-feathered bird spread its wings and laughed happily, saying, "But don't underestimate yourself. You've mastered the Qi-sealing technique, and your skill in concocting poisons is unparalleled. You're a rare talent. Even without those riches, you'll still be very useful once you get to Qinghua Prefecture in person."

"Here's what we'll do. I happen to have a group of men lying in wait near you. We'll have them pick you up and escort you to Qinghua Prefecture."

The green-feathered bird flapped its wings, crashed into the roof, and vanished into thin air, giving Wei Dinggong no chance to say anything more.

The smile on Wei Dinggong's face gradually disappeared, turning gloomy as he gritted his teeth, and the veins on his forehead began to bulge.

He crushed the rosary beads in his left hand, his heart surging with emotion, cursing the group of people viciously in his mind.

However, things had progressed to this point, and he had no choice but to agree.

After venting his anger, Wei Dinggong began to rest and recuperate to prevent his right hand injury from worsening.

He is a person who cherishes his life. He has encountered many unpleasant things in the first half of his life, but he always knows how to cherish himself in order to turn danger into safety and even reach a higher level.

This time, the risks involved are greater than the sum of all his previous lives, but if he succeeds, the rewards may also outweigh all his hard work and planning in the first half of his life, allowing him to live a carefree life and become famous far and wide.

"We must first calm down and then cultivate ourselves. Seek stillness, seek stillness. When Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva was practicing the profound Prajnaparamita, he perceived that the five aggregates are all empty..."

Wei Dinggong silently began reciting the Heart Sutra, slowly channeling his magical power.

But for some reason, there was still a sense of unease in my heart that I couldn't quite understand.

Is it because of the green-haired monster bird's attitude?

Even though the bird seemed no different from usual, and upon closer inspection, the things it did were indeed things that woman would do, something still felt off.

Wei Dinggong sat up for half the night without being able to fall asleep.

When the night was very dark, the two disciples guarding the gate suddenly knocked on the door.

"Master, a Taoist priest has come to visit, saying he is an old friend of yours."

"What kind of Taoist priest is this? Why are you here in the middle of the night?"

Wei Dinggong got up and opened the door. Standing outside was a Taoist priest in a purple robe, his hair covering half his face, playing with a white flute in his hand.

"Who are you……"

Wei Dinggong recognized the man; he seemed to be that woman's subordinate. But why had he arrived so quickly? Was he being watched too closely?

In the residential houses opposite this inn.

Master Zhiyuan of Sanqing Temple silently took out a ghost-summoning incense stick, and with a flick of his arm, lit it.

The intangible food ghost passed through walls and houses, swiftly ascending the mountain, like a gust of wind blowing into the courtyard behind the Zhenwu Temple.

Qiu Shi and the others sat quietly chanting scriptures, while Guan Luoyang was wiping his knife.