Chapter 156: As Winds and Clouds Arise

Though Ye Hua felt a faint trace of doubt in his heart, he heard Qian Jinxiao smilingly say to Jiang Hui and Jiang Chun, "The two of you possess True Spirit Physiques, so practicing body-tempering arts naturally yields twice the result with half the effort. The rest of us lack such innate talent, and can only nourish our physical forms with primordial energy, exhausting endless effort and strength just to barely reach the physical realm you both currently inhabit!"

Tang Wen and Gong Yu also nodded in agreement, saying, "Senior Brother Qian's words are entirely true! Between heaven and earth, cultivators like Senior Brothers Jiang Chun and Jiang Hui who are blessed with extraordinary natural endowments are all possessed of great divine powers! They are simply not comparable to the likes of us."

The group moved to the guest courtyard and chatted idly for a while. After a few hours had passed, seeing that evening was approaching, Zhang walked in briskly and said, "Senior brothers, Senior Brother Zhou has emerged from seclusion! In a moment, he will be coming over here from the Thunder Roc Pavilion! I ask that you all wait here for a brief moment."

Qian Jinxiao laughed heartily and said, "He has finally come out! It's just that he missed all the excitement from earlier! Having missed the opportunity to fight shoulder to shoulder with us, he will undoubtedly feel utterly dejected in his heart! Haha!"

Liu Ruoming smiled gently and said, "Do you take Senior Brother Zhou to be as bellicose as yourself? He has always won people over with reason and pacified everyone through virtue!"

Qian Jinxiao laughed heartily and retorted, "No matter how high his virtue may be, could those two bronze-masked men from earlier have乖乖 quietly retreated just by listening to a few of his righteous and stern words?! I certainly don't believe that. If you wish to argue further, why don't we let him try it out and see if things really turn out that way!?"

Liu Ruoming smiled and said, "Heh, and just a moment ago you were calling yourself bellicose! Look at this! Verified immediately—how is it that you must always argue with me and win the upper hand even in mere words!?"

Qian Jinxiao laughed heartily and said, "My good sister, you coveted one of my Black Rain Spirit Swallows last time, and I have harbored a grudge about it ever since!"

"Senior brothers, junior brother, are you all well?" Just as his voice trailed off, a robust young man stepped out from the doorway of the main hall—it was none other than Senior Brother Zhou Ziyuan!

The moment the others saw that he had finally appeared, a wave of joy naturally washed over them. They all stood up in unison and called out, "Junior Brother Zhou!" "Senior Brother Zhou!"

Zhou Ziyuan cupped his fists, bowed deeply to the assembled group, and said, "This time, I invited all my senior and junior brothers to come and participate in the Great Commercial Bazaar tournament. You have all braved great hardships, and Zhou Ziyuan is endlessly grateful!"

Qian Jinxiao laughed heartily and said, "What is this? Why are you being so polite with us?! It's just that several unexpected incidents occurred along the way, and all the senior and junior brothers have suffered severe internal injuries; I'm afraid we won't be of much help now. Instead, we have caused Senior Brother Zhou to waste a great deal of effort in vain."

Zhou Ziyuan looked apologetic as he said, "Zhou Ziyuan has failed you all, my senior and junior brothers! I have already heard Junior Brother Guangchen give me a detailed account. Fortunately, none of my senior and junior brothers suffered any permanent harm; otherwise, even if I offered my death in apology, it would still not be enough to expiate my guilt. Right now, I simply do not know how to repay your boundless kindness and righteousness!"

Tang Wen smiled faintly and said, "Senior Brother Zhou, what kind of talk is this! Since we all belong to the Sun-Moon Divine Alliance, we are naturally as close as family and must support one another! Why draw a line between your affairs and mine?"

Zhou Ziyuan nodded and said, "Junior Brother Tang's instruction is correct. I wonder how the injuries of Junior Brother Tang and Junior Brother Gong are holding up? Are they serious?"

Tang Wen and Gong Yu replied, "We only sustained some minor injuries."

Zhou Ziyuan nodded and said, "To think that the Duan Clan of the North Xi Six Tribes would resort to such despicable conduct! It is truly unexpected and utterly detestable." With that, he turned to Jiang Hui and Jiang Chun and said, "I heard that the two Senior Brothers Jiang created a great disturbance at the Sea-Viewing Tower, injuring the young master of the Duan Clan, Yuan Hanyun, and Jian Lei's group who came to their rescue. The two senior brothers truly possess an heroic spirit!"

Jiang Chun and Jiang Hui shook their heads with wry smiles, replying, "Senior Brother Zhou, let us not speak of this matter any further. Although the two of us put on a formidable display, we ultimately lost face. That 'Master of the Red Bean Pavilion', Pu Xing, also known as Fifth Master Pu, is truly deserving of his reputation and ranks among the Four Young Masters! That the two of us suffered a setback at his hands is something we can somewhat accept."

Upon hearing this, Ye Hua could not help but feel a jolt of shock. Previously, he had been wondering which cultivators could have possibly injured these two descendants of the ancient True Spirit Spirit-Sheep clan. To think it was none other than the "Four Young Masters of the Capital"! This was something he never could have anticipated. While he was in the capital city, the great names of these "Four Young Masters" were like thunder piercing the ear, yet he had never been fortunate enough to lay eyes on them. Now, one of the "Four Young Masters," the "Master of the Red Bean Pavilion," had actually come to Jiujin City—though for what reason remained unknown.

...

Yet he heard Qian Jinxiao smilingly say, "While the 'Master of the Red Bean Pavilion' is undeniably formidable, it is still uncertain whether he could withstand the combined transformation technique of the two of you! Pu Xing's true strength largely lies in his five spirit puppets, each of which rivals a cultivator at the sixth level of the Seven Treasures Realm. As his own personal strength increases in the future, these puppets will grow alongside him as well! They are truly extraordinary treasures."

Jiang Chun and Jiang Hui smiled bitterly and said, "Indeed, those five spirit puppets are utterly uncanny. When the two of us first laid eyes on them, we actually mistook them for living cultivators! Their primordial energy surged violently throughout their bodies, and their physiques were as hard as gold—yet they were utterly devoid of a shred of spiritual sentience!"

Zhou Ziyuan nodded and said, "I have also heard tell of this. Rumors say that he exclusively practices the 'Dual Yang Primordial Wonder Art' from the *Great Collection of Jiuge Classics*, and the puppets he has forged are known as the five puppets of 'Sheng, Dan, Jing, Mo, and Chou.' They are truly terrifyingly powerful!"

Jiang Chun and Jiang Hui nodded. "The two of us experienced it firsthand, and they are indeed extraordinary. That move of his, 'Five Lads Splitting the Mountain'—heh, its might was truly formidable."

Qian Jinxiao seemed to suddenly recall something and asked with curiosity, "The 'Master of the Red Bean Pavilion', Pu Xing, has always remained within the capital. Could his journey out here be for the sake of some major event?"

The others could not help but freeze, each thinking inwardly in unison, "That's right, how could we have forgotten this detail! If it weren't for a matter of utmost importance, how could the 'Master of the Red Bean Pavilion' have bothered to personally come to Jiujin City?! Could it be related to our Sun-Moon Divine Alliance? If that truly is the case, wouldn't he become a formidable enemy should we cross paths in the future?" Frowning slightly with grave expressions, the few of them exchanged glances.

Deep in thought, Zhou Ziyuan nodded, pondered for a long while, and said, "I will immediately dispatch a few junior brothers to go and track the 'Master of the Red Bean Pavilion' and investigate his movements in detail!"

Qian Jinxiao laughed heartily and said, "Good, very good! If he truly intends to move against our Sun-Moon Divine Alliance, then we won't care about any so-called 'Four Young Masters' or 'Five Young Sons' or whatever else! Haha!"

Hearing this, the others could not help but reveal smiles. Ye Hua chuckled inwardly, thinking, *This Senior Brother Qian truly speaks without any filter! Those prestigious 'Four Young Masters' of the capital, in his mouth, have been lumped right in with the 'Five Young Sons'!*

Liu Ruoming smiled enchantingly and said, "I just wonder who these 'Five Young Sons' might actually be. I imagine you simply made them up, though I do happen to have a suitable candidate in mind! He would certainly qualify for a spot!"

Qian Jinxiao laughed heartily. "Even if you don't say it, I already know. Among the 'Five Young Sons,' the Duan family young master must certainly be one of them! Am I right or wrong?"

Liu Ruoming chuckled softly. "Senior Brother Qian is truly clever!"

Ye Hua could not help but smile faintly. When these two got together, they were truly a fascinating pair. The others also chuckled merrily. Zhou Ziyuan turned to Ye Hua and asked, "Junior Brother Ye, I have long held Senior Brother Lü in high regard. I wonder when Senior Brother Lü might be able to come to the Enlightenment Hall for a meeting so that I may personally express my gratitude to him!"

Ye Hua smiled and replied, "Senior Brother Lü is currently staying temporarily at Haiguang Temple. He said that once Elder Brother Zhou leaves seclusion, he will come to meet you."

Zhou Ziyuan was slightly delighted. "That would be wonderful! If it weren't for the fact that Haiguang Temple enforces strict entrance restrictions and disciples of our Sun-Moon Divine Alliance are barred from passing freely, I would have gone to visit and welcome him myself. Now that I am waiting for him here at the Enlightenment Hall, I fear I may have fallen somewhat short in courtesy. I must ask Junior Brother Ye to convey my apologies and ask him not to take offense."

Ye Hua smiled. "What is Elder Brother Zhou saying? Senior Brother Lü is also a hero among men and certainly won't mind such tedious formalities. Elder Brother Zhou need not worry or fret."

Zhou Ziyuan smiled and said, "If that's the case, then all is well! There are still four days left until the Great Commercial Bazaar tournament, and evening has already fallen. Tomorrow, I shall dispatch men to go and welcome him. Once Senior Brother Lü arrives tomorrow, we can discuss our strategies for the tournament together. I wonder what my senior and junior brothers think of this?"

The others nodded and agreed in succession. Qian Jinxiao smiled and said, "Splendid, splendid! Tomorrow we shall once again behold the demeanor of Senior Brother Lü! It's just that right now, I am growing rather impatient! Haha!"

Everyone burst into laughter. After another moment or two had passed, the gathering finally dispersed.

...

When the first rays of the morning sun rose the next day, Zhou Ziyuan dispatched Zhang to accompany Ye Hua to the Great Haiguang Temple to deliver invitations respectfully requesting the presence of Senior Brother Lü Yunke, the Eight Friends of Taoyuan, and others. Qian Jinxiao, Tang Wen, and the rest were already waiting early in the main reception hall of the Enlightenment Hall.

The Great Haiguang Temple was situated in the western outskirts of Jiujin City, occupying a prosperous and vital thoroughfare. The surrounding scenery was exceptionally fine, earning it the reputation of a miniature Jiangnan, and one of the "Ten Scenic Spots of Jiujin"—"Accumulated Snow on the Flat Bridge"—was located right here! The Great Haiguang Temple had even been bestowed with inscribed horizontal boards and imperial couplets by the Holy Taite Saint Emperor:

"Incense towers beneath Fish Mountain, meditation halls by the wild geese's watery shore."
"Water and moon respond according to empty dharmalakshana, heavenly flowers scatter and reflect in star-like niches."

Later, the Holy Qian Emperor made a southern tour to this very place and bestowed the main hall plaque reading "Universal Gateway of Wisdom's Mirror," along with the main hall couplet:
"The shore of enlightenment is just and bright, like water and like the moon; the stream of the Dharma is completely at ease, neither form nor void."
"Spring things are fragrant and imbued with wisdom's enterprise, famous birds trill as men hear and contemplate."

The couplet for the Great Scholar Tower:
"Where no waves are born the mind remains forever still; in the great tranquil realm of light all aspects harmoniously merge."
The plaque of the rear tower:
"The Mirror's Ripples Universally Illuminate."
The couplet of the rear tower:
"Joyous white hair-tufts of light wondrously and brightly seal as one; adorned fragrant water seas peacefully and safely contemplate together."

Ever since then, the reputation of Haiguang Temple grew even greater, and high monks frequently resided within its walls. The current abbot was an eminent monk hailing from southern Hunan.

Ye Hua had long yearned for the Great Haiguang Temple, but had never found the leisure to come and explore it. Arriving this time, his heart was naturally filled with curiosity, and he kept looking around from side to side, asking Zhang about various interesting anecdotes and details regarding the Great Haiguang Temple.

Along the way, Zhang recounted several historical texts and legends concerning the Great Haiguang Temple, and Ye Hua nodded, secretly committing them to memory. Walking at a brisk pace, the two of them covered ground swiftly, and in less than an hour, they were already close to the Great Haiguang Temple!

Gazing at the distant, towering, majestic, and magnificent temple complex, which faintly exuded an auspicious aura mingled with a trace of crimson light, Zhang suddenly recalled something as they walked. Lowering his voice, he said to Ye Hua, "Junior Brother Ye, everything I know has already been told to you. There is only one rumor, though I know not whether it is true or false!"

Ye Hua asked with curiosity, "Senior brother, please feel free to speak your mind."

Zhang said, "It is rumored that when the Great Haiguang Temple was first founded, Patriarch Chengheng passed down an artifact known as the 'Blood Yama Lock'."

Ye Hua could not help but ask with astonishment, "'Blood Yama Lock'? What kind of item is that?"

Zhang replied, "Legend has it that beneath the foundations of Haiguang Temple, thirty-six million blood-demon vengeful ghost-spirits are suppressed. Successive generations of eminent monks have continuously delivered them through supreme Buddhist dharma, and the 'Blood Yama Lock' is the sacred talisman used to seal them! Although this matter sounds ethereal and difficult to believe, there are nonetheless certain traces to follow, as well as various inexplicable circumstances that serve as circumstantial evidence for this rumor!"

Ye Hua felt a slight jolt of shock in his heart and said, "Senior Brother Zhang, please elaborate in detail!"

Zhang nodded and said, "Right adjacent to the Great Haiguang Temple is stationed a detachment of former imperial guards known as the 'Two Odd Ears.' Most of them are masters of array formations and alchemy, and several among them have attained a profound mastery of array formations and alchemy that has reached the realm of perfection. It is rumored that they have remained stationed here year after year precisely to monitor and reinforce the array formations that seal those thirty-six million blood-demon vengeful ghost-spirits!"