Speaking of Dragons

Moreover, Wu Prefecture was now at the moment when a hidden dragon was about to emerge. After carefully investigating its origins, I discovered a few clues that seemed to point vaguely south. This matter concerns the fortunes of our sect. I had planned to investigate it personally, but alas..." The south of Wu Prefecture meant Wenchang and the territories of several prefectures, including Riverside. Qingxu's tone was the same as before, but his voice had dropped somewhat. After all, Great Qian Empire still had more than twenty years of national fortune ahead of it. Discussing this matter now was tantamount to treason.

"Gasp..." The matter was grave. Even Yuheng, who had practiced Daoism since childhood, couldn't keep his composure for a moment. But soon he recovered and asked, "Master... please explain it to me in detail! Let your disciple learn the basics, so I don't blunder into a taboo."

"You're one of the core members of our sect, and an age of chaos is approaching. I was already planning to tell you!" Qingxu said with a smile. It seemed as if joy had filled the great hall, calming Yuheng's somewhat unsettled heart.

"Great Qian Empire has stood for more than two hundred years. Though its emperors have all governed diligently, the great edifice is inevitably on the verge of collapse. This is Heaven's will, beyond the power of mortals to reverse. The chaos twenty years from now is already fated to come. Then, the people will be plunged into misery, and fewer than one in a hundred will survive. Alas! What have the common folk done to deserve this?" As Qingxu spoke, his face couldn't help but fill with compassion.

"Great Qian's true dragon can no longer suppress the realm. The dragon energy in each province is naturally stirring restlessly, and that is when a hidden dragon emerges to vie for dominion, each relying on Heaven's mandate."

"If we Daoists help a hidden dragon establish its court and bring the realm under its rule, ending the chaos early and sparing the people from slaughter, we will naturally earn great merit and fortune. Dragon energy has descended upon every province. Our sect belongs to Wu Prefecture, so naturally we can only seek out a dragon of Wu to support." Daoist Qingxu's voice was calm, but what he spoke of were all secrets.

"But..." Yuheng thought for a moment, then asked, "Why must we support a hidden dragon? Our Daoist Sect seeks longevity and freedom, like idle clouds and wild cranes, living in seclusion and roaming at ease. Why not close the mountain gates and wait for the great calamity to pass?"

"Alas, foolish child! Do you think you can avoid a great calamity just because you wish to? When the time comes, even if you don't kill anyone, someone will come to kill you. If some other Rogue Cultivators or small sects support Wu's dragon and use the opportunity to grow stronger, sweeping across the land with dragon energy, I fear our sect will be destroyed!" Qingxu gave a bitter smile.

Though White Cloud Temple stood unrivaled in Wu Prefecture, there were always a few small sects and Rogue Cultivators who wanted to topple it and take its place.

Yuheng broke out in a cold sweat and asked, trembling, "Is dragon energy really that powerful? Our sect has the White Cloud Sword suppressing our fortunes, and we have two True Persons..."

"Without relying on the ruler of the realm, how can you perform rites? A hidden dragon carries the hopes of the people and possesses immense fortune and great opportunity. Those who support a hidden dragon are also favored by the laws of dragon energy. Fortune and merit descend upon them, and their cultivation advances by leaps and bounds. Though from then on their fortunes are bound together, and if the dragon fails, they die with it, never even becoming ghost immortals, while its momentum lasts, Heaven and Earth truly join forces with it. Though we possess supreme treasures, I fear..." These words made Yuheng's heart sink, but Qingxu continued, "And do you think our greatest enemies are those Rogue Cultivators?"

Without waiting for Yuheng to answer, he went on, "Do you know why the Taishang Dao in the north stretches across three provinces and commands such great power? It's because during the last struggle for the dragon throne, they supported Great Qian's founding emperor and swept across the great sects of two provinces with dragon energy, destroying their lineages and seizing their supreme treasures!"

Yuheng was startled. The fame of the Taishang Dao in the north was naturally as thunder in his ears. He hadn't expected this to be the reason.

Qingxu concluded, "So this struggle for the dragon throne is inevitable. We can only serve our respective masters and not shrink from bloodshed!" His voice was as cold as ice, and carried a murderous edge.

Yuheng stared blankly for a moment, then fell to his knees with a thud and said, "This matter is of the utmost importance. Your disciple will do everything in his power to investigate thoroughly and gather information. I won't lightly make enemies or leave behind karmic debts!"

"Good! Very good!" Seeing that his disciple had understood, Qingxu was delighted.

"Remember, though this Land God matter may not have much to do with the hidden dragon, you mustn't take it lightly. Your divination has received the true transmission, and you've opened your spiritual eye, allowing you to see fortune. On this journey, focus on gathering information. If you discover anything, report it all to me. When your Uncle Qinghe returns to take over, I'll leave the mountain myself!" His words rang like jade beads falling onto a plate, yet carried unshakable resolve.

Yuheng solemnly accepted the order and withdrew.

At this time, Fang Ming still knew nothing of what had happened at White Cloud Temple.

He was listening to his subordinates' report.

"What? Someone injured the patrolling Yin Soldiers?" Fang Ming had sent Yin Soldiers to patrol Qingxi Township every day and drive away Ferocious Ghosts. He hadn't expected a ghost to injure the soldiers. Could a Vengeful Ghost have appeared?

He took the matter seriously and asked carefully, "Was it a Vengeful Ghost? What arrangements did Xie Jin make?"

The Yin Soldier who had come to deliver the news stood half-bent and answered, "This morning, the brothers from the Second Squad were patrolling Yuanhe Village when they ran into a wandering soul. They got into an argument, and the soul attacked and injured the Yin Soldiers. Squad Leader Xie has already gone to deal with it, but..."

"Why are you hesitating? Speak!"

"The wandering soul who injured the Yin Soldiers was a woman!" The Yin Soldier gritted his teeth and said it anyway. After all, being beaten by a woman was a great humiliation in this ancient world. They were all brothers in arms, so naturally they wanted to help cover it up a little. But when their lord asked, they had to admit the shame.

"Oh? How interesting!" Female wandering souls certainly existed, but to injure Yin Soldiers, she must either have practiced martial arts in life or absorbed human energy after death and become a Ferocious Ghost. For a woman, breaking through the restraints of her own morals and killing people was naturally much harder, though not impossible. There were simply very few of them.

His interest was piqued. He said, "Go tell Xie Jin to capture that ghost and bring her here to await my judgment!"

The Yin Soldier accepted the order and left.

Fang Ming wasn't at all worried about whether Xie Jin could capture the ghost. Xie Jin had already been able to fight Peng Chun, a Vengeful Ghost. Now he had served as a Yin Soldier for a long time, accumulated Divine Power, and commanded more subordinates than before. If he still couldn't capture her, she would have to be at the level of an Evil Ghost.

Before long, Fang Ming heard the report: "Your subordinate Xie Jin has brought the offending ghost to answer for his duty!" He couldn't help but smile.

When they entered the great hall, he saw a woman kneeling below. Xie Jin seemed uneasy, personally keeping watch beside her, looking very cautious. He knew his lord was mighty and wasn't afraid of this female offender, but as a subordinate, he naturally couldn't let her disturb his lord.

This woman must be highly skilled in combat! Fang Ming smiled, then activated his divine art and took a look. He couldn't help exclaiming, "Oh?"

Through Fang Ming's Qi-Reading Divine Art, he saw a strand of white qi above her head, tinged faintly with red. She was only barely stronger than an ordinary person, but her fortune was entirely different.

The white qi had become rippling waves, spreading across her entire body. It surged like the tides, faintly tinged with red, resisting the gray spots clinging to it. This was the form taken by a Qi Refiner's fortune.

In life, this woman had actually been a female Qi Refiner. Now, she should be called a ghost cultivator.

A thought stirred in his heart, but he said nothing. Seated high in the place of honor, he asked, "Who are you below? State your name!" In that moment, he had quite the air of a county magistrate from his previous life. He held himself back, swallowing the words "What grievance do you have?" before they could leave his mouth.

"This humble woman is Gu Xiaolian. I had no intention of offending your subordinate. I beg you, my lord, to forgive and pardon me!" In Gu Xiaolian's eyes, this lord's body shimmered with red and white light, faintly forming the shape of a full moon. Its accompanying power pinned her to the ground, leaving her unable to move at all. Her heart trembled with fear. Knowing how powerful he was, she was especially obedient.

"Oh? Gu Xiaolian. Raise your head and tell me where you're from and how you died. Speak truthfully."

Gu Xiaolian raised her head. She was dressed like a young married woman, apparently already a wife. But with peach-blossom cheeks and willow-leaf eyes, limpid pupils that seemed to hold spring waters, and a glance that rippled with autumnal charm, she carried an innate allure. She also had the scholarly air of a bookish woman and the ethereal, otherworldly bearing of a cultivator. The two qualities blended without clashing, forming a distinctive temperament.

"This concubine is from Sanhe County. I was married into a prominent family there when I was young. My husband was fond of metaphysics, especially the cultivation of the Dao, and collected many books on Daoist learning. He devoted himself to cultivation. I was exposed to it day after day, so I learned a little Daoist magic as well." Gu Xiaolian spoke gently, recounting the tale at an unhurried pace.

"More than ten days ago, my husband was admiring the moon with me when he suddenly turned pale and said, 'Heaven has stirred killing intent, and a hidden dragon is born upon the earth. I must seek it out and raise the banner of my Daoist lineage.' After that, he seemed to go mad, spending day and night in the room working out calculations. Gradually, he grew gaunt and wasted, even coughing up blood. I was terribly worried about him."...

"One day, my husband suddenly cried, 'In the south...' Then dark clouds covered the sun, and thunder crashed down, breaking through the roof and striking... striking my husband dead. The house collapsed, burying me beneath it, and that was how I died..." At this point, the young woman's voice broke into sobs. Even Xie Jin felt his heart soften.

"I had seen methods for ghost cultivation in ancient books, and remembered the techniques. After I became a ghost, I practiced them and managed to preserve my form. But no matter what I did, I couldn't find my husband's soul. His cultivation was far deeper than mine, so he should have been able to become a ghost cultivator too..."

"The laws in the county were strict and nearly wore away my spirit and soul. I could barely escape the county. Ghost cultivation also requires resources from a Yin place, so I wandered around looking for one. I never expected to come here and offend you, my lord. Please forgive me!"

After Gu Xiaolian finished speaking, she bowed deeply.

The strangeness of this woman's origins left Fang Ming deeply moved.

Sanhe County bordered Anchang County. He hadn't expected a great cultivator to live there.

Unfortunately, the cultivation of the Immortal Dao was bound by many taboos, and everything depended on a master's oral instruction; it was never committed to writing. That man from the Li family had obtained authentic Daoist writings, cultivated to great depths, and could discern the greater currents of the realm and calculate where the hidden dragon would emerge. With such aptitude, he could be called a true seed of the Dao. The great Daoist sects would have regarded him as a treasure, someone who could bring glory to the Daoist Sect.

Yet he had directly calculated the greatest taboo in the realm without even laying out methods to ward off calamity and Baleful Intent. Heaven's retribution had struck him dead, reducing his soul to nothing and bringing disaster upon his wife as well. Fang Ming was at a loss for words.

But did "Heaven has stirred killing intent, and a hidden dragon is born" mean the south? Which south—south of Wu Prefecture, or the south of the realm? Or was it a place with "South" in its name?

His head began to ache. He decided not to worry about it for the moment and set the matter aside.

"Gu, though you violated my laws, you did so unknowingly. I'll let you off this time. Be careful from now on, and don't break the law again!" Fang Ming's voice softened, and he began to consider recruiting her.

Though her cultivation was far inferior to her husband's, her husband's soul had already been obliterated. He had no other choice, and someone was better than no one. Fang Ming was in need of someone well versed in feng shui and Daoist arts.

"Thank you, my lord!" Gu Xiaolian bowed in gratitude.

"Since you're a ghost cultivator, tell me, is this Yin energy suitable for you?" Fang Ming pointed. A wisp of black qi rose from the ground and drifted toward Gu Xiaolian.

"This..." Gu Xiaolian's gaze wavered. She clenched her teeth, formed a hand seal, and drew the black qi into her body. As it entered her, her form grew a little more solid. Delight appeared on Gu Xiaolian's face as she said, "It is Yin energy indeed. May I ask where my lord obtained it?"

Fang Ming smiled without answering. He was the Land God, in charge of the land. This Yin energy was also a kind of earth qi, so naturally he could create some.

Gu Xiaolian knew he wouldn't tell her so easily, but it concerned her survival, and her eyes still revealed a pleading look.

"Haha... If you want this Yin energy, that's easy enough." Fang Ming smiled at Gu Xiaolian and watched her until her face flushed like peach blossoms. Only then did he say, "I'm in need of someone well versed in feng shui and Daoist arts. You can join my ranks and work for me. This Yin energy will naturally be your payment!"

"About this... please give me a little time to consider it," Gu Xiaolian said, furrowing her willow brows.

"Very well!" Seeing Gu Xiaolian's expression, Fang Ming knew the matter could be settled. He was secretly pleased, and ordered Pearl to take Gu Xiaolian away and find her lodgings.