Cyber ​​Daming

Chapter 569: Wudang Past (Part )
An autumn rain, a flower falls.

Heavy snow covered the outlines of the distant mountains, and five years passed in the blink of an eye.

Wudang Mountain was bustling at the end of the year. The masters of the branch temples scattered across the provinces and cities of the empire, who represented the "True Martial Arts Dao", returned to the mountain with gifts.

On the one hand, it is the end of the year and according to the rules, one must return to the sect to evaluate the gains and losses of the year, comparing which branch temple has cultivated more good talents for the sect this year, how many new believers it has recruited and how much incense it has accumulated, how many new branch temples it has built for the sect, and how much territory it has expanded.

Although Taoists do not care about worldly matters, they still cannot do without the worship of human beings.

As the business grows, it is natural that there must be rules to define the boundaries.

Otherwise, we won’t be able to manage such a huge Wudang Mountain.

On the other hand, as the festive season is approaching, it is the right time to visit relatives and friends and to express gratitude to teachers.

The Demon-Subduing Temple located on the hillside of Tianzhu Peak in Wudang Mountain is also very lively today.

As can be seen from the name of the temple, "Jiang Mo" (Subduing Demons), among all the large and small Taoist temples in Wudang Mountain, the Jiang Mo Temple is mainly responsible for dealing with people or things that are unfavorable to Wudang.

The Daoxu among them are almost all the people with the most murderous power and murderous nature in Wudang Mountain.

In fact, it stands to reason that at special times like these, departments like Taihe Palace and Zixiao Palace, which are responsible for assessments and promotions, should be the most popular.

After all, the success or failure of your preaching in the past year may be discounted because of someone else's words.

But the situation this year is somewhat unexpected.

Almost all the temple masters who returned to the mountain chose the Demon Subduing Hall as their first stop.

The reason behind this is actually not complicated.

Because the situation in the empire has not been stable in the past two years, the open and covert struggles between the various sequences have become increasingly fierce.

Three things can show the complexity of the situation.

The first thing was that in the middle of the year, the new Taoist order headed by Longhu Mountain had just announced that the construction of the "Huangliang Dreamland" led by them had been completed. The control center was named "Bai Yujing", and the three levels of authority of "Heaven, Earth, and Man" were demarcated, and the new Taoist sects occupied different seats.

Soon after, news came out that the parties involved in the construction had turned against each other over the issue of authority ownership.

The power of Huangliang was divided and seized by the royal family and the Taoist, Confucian and Mohist sects, while Yin Yang Xu, which had also made a lot of efforts, was jointly driven out without gaining any benefit. They clamored to make Longhushan and other Taoist sects pay the price.

The second incident occurred at a court meeting at the end of August.

As usual, the seriously ill Emperor Longwu did not attend.

As usual, everyone should talk and argue as needed, and then go through the motions and that's it.

But just when the court was about to end, the leader of the New Donglin Party, who had always appeared to be a good guy, suddenly proposed that a little-known soldier take over the vacant post of Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of War.

There was an uproar inside and outside the court.

What is the Ministry of War?
Wu Xu’s forbidden delicacy!
Although the rituals for these warriors do not require official positions in the temple, this identity is a symbol of status and power in the martial arts sect.

If someone from a sect can serve in the Ministry of War, then in the state where the sect is located, it will be the undisputed leader and the strongest sect.

This has countless benefits in terms of competing for territory, attracting new people, etc.

What's more, official positions in the imperial court are also tickets for using the imperial platform to seize resources.

If you want to sit at this table and share in the feast of all people, you must hold an official position.

However, the powerful Emperor Longwu has not yet died, so the families have restrained themselves for the time being and dare not behave in a too ugly manner.

Even Wu Xu, who acted in an overbearing manner, only joined forces with Mo Xu to monopolize positions in the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Works.

But now the New Donglin Party's actions are tantamount to reaching into Wu Xu's arms and robbing him in front of him.

Moreover, the people who helped the New Donglin Party to come forward were the Bingxu, who had always been regarded as cowards and waste by the Wuxu.

This is just disgusting.

The result is naturally predictable. If someone hadn't stopped him, the new Donglin Party leader would probably have been sent to see his own Master Kong on the spot.

A war of words in which everyone was asking about each other's eight generations of ancestors lasted for half a day, but the officials of Wuxu suddenly found that there were surprisingly many people standing against them this time.

Needless to say, the 'Black-robed Prime Minister' and 'Feathered Prime Minister' who were often beaten and kicked by him in the past, it would be strange if they did not go against him one day.

But even officials like Fa Xu and Nong Xu, who usually have little presence, had the courage to follow suit and express their opinions this time. This is a rare thing that has not been seen in many years.

Although this proposal was ultimately not passed, even a few days after the court was dismissed, the unlucky soldier who was pushed to the front was torn into pieces in the street.

But the attitudes of all parties revealed behind this incident are intriguing.

The two things mentioned above seem to have nothing to do with Wudang Mountain, which is neither a place of worship nor a place of worship in the imperial court.

But the last incident that happened not long ago made the masters of these sub-temples feel very nervous.

On the day of the "big snow" in the twenty-four solar terms, the contemporary "Zhang Tianshi" of Longhu Mountain personally hiked up Tianzhu Peak to pay a visit to the current "Zhenren" of Wudang Mountain.

This is a very important event in the entire Ming Empire.

You must know that ever since the method of replacing flesh and blood limbs appeared, there has been a dispute between the "new and old" Taoist traditions in the Taoist order.

The forces leading the 'new school' and 'old school' are none other than Longhu and Wudang, which are known as the ancestral homes of Taoism.

Therefore, for a long period of time, there were constant frictions of varying sizes between Longhu and Wudang, and many disciples of the sect died at the hands of the other side.

The blood debt of human life is a confusing account that is difficult to settle. It is easy to make enemies, but it is harder than climbing to the sky to resolve them.

Moreover, in recent decades, representative new sects such as Longhu, Gezhao, Maoshan, and Qingcheng have grown increasingly larger, with an increasing number of believers, and visitors burning incense day and night.

The new school of thought that regards "heart qi" as its guiding principle has shown a tendency to become the mainstream of Taoism.

However, this action of 'Zhang Tianshi' is tantamount to bowing to Wudang and the 'old school' that regards 'true qi' as the right way.

Therefore, although the outside world does not know the conversation and purpose of the two Taoist giants when they met, the dispute over the Taoist orthodoxy seems to have been settled.

The whole Wudang clan cheered and rejoiced, and the clan was in the limelight at the time.

Then a decree was issued from Chaotian Palace, one of which was that Wudang disciples were not allowed to mention the distinction between "new" and "old" anymore.

The second is to require all branch temples to put aside past grudges, live in harmony with local new-style Taoist temples, and jointly resist any forces that dare to infringe on the Taoist order.

This decree may not have much impact on the Wudang disciples in the sect. The worst that can happen is that they will stop insulting those "banner ghosts" in person in the future.

In the eyes of Wudang disciples, the so-called "Yellow Millet Dream" is nothing more than a Ten Thousand Souls Banner.

A group of ghosts who have given up their flesh and blood and seven emotions and six desires are ranked in order of seniority, and the place is beautifully named "Bai Yujing".

But for the masters of these branch temples, the pressure is huge.

How to resolve the hatred that everyone has accumulated in the past is a very difficult problem. It is impossible to just let it go.

What's more important is that these people from the new faction have many enemies. If they issue the order to "resist together", wouldn't they be asking for trouble?
Of course, these complaints and dissatisfactions could only be kept in one's heart, as no one dared to disobey the decree of Chaotian Palace.

Therefore, under such background, the status of the Demon Subduing Hall has risen sharply.

After all, there are too many frictions, and you may encounter some troubles that you cannot solve by yourself.

At times like this, people from the Demon Subduing Hall are needed to come down the mountain to help deal with the situation.

Although it is not certain that the Demon Subduing Hall will give any special treatment because of this small gift from me.

But it would definitely be a good thing if you could make the relationship a little more intimate.

This is human nature, and it is also the common nature of immortals.

"May the Taoist ancestors bless us and have a healthy and happy new year!"

"Peace and happiness, and good fortune as you wish."

Zhao Yanlong said auspicious words while taking the gift from the other party with both hands. With a burst of energy, he roughly understood what the object was and how much it weighed. The arc of the smile on his mouth also changed accordingly. He smiled with his lips pursed, this gift was just ordinary.

If the smile shows his teeth, then this brother is very sincere and should take a seat at the banquet later.

If the corners of your mouth droop, you should pay attention to the name of the other person's Taoist temple. Whether to stay for dinner depends on what it says.

Five years have passed, but they have not left many traces on Zhao Yanlong.

His height was still the same as it had been five years ago, he hadn't grown at all, but his build had become stronger.

The neatly tailored Taoist robe was wrapped around his body, revealing a round and undulating belly. With a round face that seemed to be smiling at all times, he did not look like a Taoist priest in the Demon-Subduing Hall at all.

On the contrary, Chen Qisheng standing behind him can be regarded as the standard template of the martial arts sequence.

Although his Taoist robe is loose, one can still see the muscular outlines of his arms at a glance. His eyebrows are sword-like and his eyes are cold. His waist and back are straight, and his posture is upright. There is a sharp sword drawn from its sheath.

But today's occasion is not about exorcising demons.

In the entire Demon-Subduing Hall, Zhao Yanlong is the only oddball who has the ability to grasp the right scale and measure.

Therefore, the important task of welcoming and seeing off guests at Shandao Square naturally fell on his shoulders.

After a busy period, there were finally no more guests on the mountain path in front of the temple.

Zhao Yanlong also relaxed, wiped the foam from the corners of his mouth, tapped his lower back in a pretentious manner, and gave instructions to the Taoist boy who was helping him.

"So and so, go and get me a chair, and bring me a pot of tea. You are all standing here without any sense. What will I do if I leave the Demon-Subduing Hall?"

Zhao Yanlong, who was feeling proud of himself for taking advantage of the power of others, turned around and waved at Chen Qisheng.

"Brother, do you see that? Just based on this lively momentum, after this year, who among the palaces all over the mountain will dare to look down on our Demon Subduing Palace? Maybe we should move to the top of Tianzhu Peak."

Unlike Zhao Yanlong who was full of joy, Chen Qisheng frowned and said, "This is not a good thing."

"Brother, I understand, but how bad can it be?"

Zhao Yanlong waved his hand indifferently: "It's nothing more than that the burden on us is heavier, and we will have more tasks to deal with in the future. Our Wudang is now a veritable ancestral home of Taoism, and it is only right for us to help other brother sects share the burden."

"Besides, there are far more advantages than disadvantages here."

Zhao Yanlong looked around cautiously, then lowered his voice and said, "Do you know what the 'Zhang Tianshi' of Longhu Mountain promised to our 'Zhenren' after he came up the mountain?"

"I don't know." Chen Qisheng replied casually.

In fact, the protagonist of this dream cycle is Zhao Yanlong, and Chen Qisheng forcibly intervened in it through the "back door" method, so Chen Qisheng's own memory was not erased.

So he actually knew this history.

Although most of the truth had been lost over time with the destruction of Wudang, Chen Qisheng could still roughly guess what had happened from some remaining details.

But as a person who has entered the dream, he always kept Zou Sijiu's reminder in mind.

Never allow the identity and memories of people from the afterlife to interfere with the current dream process.

Otherwise, after losing the role-playing ability, at best you will lose yourself from the dream, and at worst your dream will collapse.

Therefore, during this long period of dreamland, Chen Qisheng always regarded himself as an ordinary Taoist priest of Mount Wudang.

Do not touch any words or things that are inconsistent with your current identity.

"It goes without saying that they will no longer try to compete with us for the fortune of the 'Taoist Ancestor'. I heard that the new sects will even give us a base as big as a province!"

"In addition, there are also a huge amount of resources covering all aspects of 'wealth, law, companions and land', including a batch of Taoist magic tools called 'Sky Track Stars'."

Zhao Yanlong pointed to the top of his head, widened his eyes and said, "It is said that this thing is one of the core achievements of the Huangliang Dream. It is usually hanging above our heads and cannot be seen by the naked eye, but as long as you summon it with your divine mind, a powerful thunder tribulation will be immediately brought down. Moreover, the threshold for use is very low, and even an eighth-level Huangting disciple like me can use it. From now on, when we go out, who can be our opponent?"

The threshold for using the Sky Track Stars is authority, not divine thoughts.

Longhushan obviously did not tell the truth.

Chen Qisheng understood, but he asked, "Is it really that powerful? Longhu Mountain is willing to give it to us?"

"Of course they are reluctant, but they have no choice."

Zhao Yanlong smiled and said, "I heard that they are in a very difficult situation right now. On the one hand, because of the dirty things that happened in the court, Wu Xu is becoming more and more hostile to them. On the other hand, because of the uneven distribution of spoils, Yin Yang Xu is clearly looking for trouble with them."

"At this moment, they don't have the ability to compete with us. Moreover, if they don't hold on to us tightly, they may be overthrown by others at any time."

Chen Qisheng shook his head: "That's what I said, but I always feel that they have bad intentions."

"Who cares? It's enough to get the things. Besides, I just heard it from others. Who knows if it's true or not?" Zhao Yanlong shrugged: "But, I did hear our Palace Master say something..."

Zhao Yanlong coughed twice, imitating the tone and expression of Wang Changzhen, the Lord of the Demon-Subduing Hall.

"All the Taoist sects in the world are brothers and sisters who are closely connected in the same family. Longhushan and I are the two oldest brothers. Although we have disagreements on how to manage this family, we must not split up the family no matter how much trouble we have, and we must not let our brothers and sisters be bullied."

"Thousands of Taoist sects, one family of Taoists."

Zhao Yanlong had a hunched back and his voice was hoarse but powerful.

At this moment, a loud bell suddenly rang out from the Taoist temple behind the two of them, and the crowd suddenly became noisy.

A smile immediately appeared on Zhao Yanlong's face. Without caring about the Taoist boy who had just brought chairs and tea, he grabbed Chen Qisheng and ran into the temple.

At the end of each year, the Demon Subduing Hall would commend the disciples who had performed outstandingly in the missions that year and bestow upon them various elixirs, skills and Taoist weapons.

Zhao Yanlong has been in the mountains for many years, but he is still stuck at the level of Sequence Eight. Naturally, there is no hope for him.

But Chen Qisheng was different. He had already been promoted to the seventh rank of Dharma Protector Qiandao. He was a well-deserved leader among his fellow disciples who entered the mountain at the same time, and he performed outstandingly in carrying out his missions.

To put it bluntly, Chen Qisheng has killed enough followers from other sequences.

Zhao Yanlong had already found out through his connections that his junior fellow student Chen Qisheng's name was included in the commendation.

Two brothers who come from different sects are equivalent to children born from the same mother.

If Chen Qisheng becomes famous, it will bring honor to me, Zhao Yanlong.

How could I miss such an important event?
Zhao Yanlong dragged Chen Qisheng and ran all the way. When they returned to the temple, the bell had not even finished ringing.

On the altar where colorful ribbons were interwoven, the guests who came to watch the ceremony had not yet taken their seats; everything was still early.

But Zhao Yanlong had an anxious look on his face, and was busy tidying up Chen Qisheng's Taoist robe, pulling at the folds here and straightening his hair crown there.

He kept complaining about Chen Qisheng's unkempt appearance. He had clearly made several new Taoist robes for him, but the brat refused to wear any of them, which showed that all his efforts had gone to waste.

After Chen Qisheng finally persuaded him to stop, Zhao Yanlong began to dislike the presiding monk on the stage for talking too much nonsense and having too little knowledge.

The New Year is celebrated every year, and these auspicious words have been said over and over again. Who is interested in listening to you chattering here?
He was completely unaware that he was mumbling much more than the people on the stage.

Finally, when the tedious process of offering sacrifices to heaven and Taoism was completed, the temple master Wang Changzhen just showed up, and Zhao Yanlong couldn't wait to jump forward, not caring that those sitting around him were the masters of various temples, and he didn't care about the contemptuous looks from those around him, he just looked forward to it.

When he heard Palace Master Wang Changzhen holding the edict and reading out Chen Qisheng's name, he personally bestowed him with a sharp flying sword with a cold glow.

Only then did Zhao Yanlong smack his lips in satisfaction and rub his red eyes.

Wow, this flying sword is so powerful.

It makes your eyes hurt just looking at it.

We celebrate the New Year every year, but this year it is particularly enjoyable.

"Well done!"

Zhao Yanlong, who used to be a very cunning person, seemed to have forgotten the rules of respect and etiquette today, and clapped loudly under the platform.

He held his head high and chest puffed out, looking around as if all the thousands of people present today were visitors from afar, and he was the only one who was the host here.

(End of this chapter)