Molding a Mud Body, Taking Wu Gan as Master, the War Between Man and Heaven, Pleading to Heaven for Longevity!

Westwind Avenue in the west of the city, there is a "Mud Body Temple". Anyone who wants to sculpt Mud Body must knead their Essence Blood and "Azure Mud" to create a lifelike Mud Body figure.

He placed it in a temple to be imbued with the fragrance of incense. Beneath the Mud Body were records of his various achievements and deeds. Li Xian's rescue of Song Ya from the mountain was originally a minor matter. He had no background, and although his reputation was good, his merit should have been glossed over. However, after he pledged allegiance to Commandery Princess Anyang, she manipulated things a little, turning a small matter into a great achievement, and thus bestowing a large reward. It happened to involve Wu Gan, yet it didn't seem abrupt. Lei Chong never expected Li Xian to progress so quickly, becoming Mud Body in the blink of an eye. He didn't know the secrets behind it, only feeling that his attempt to steal a chicken had backfired. After some painstaking scheming, although his attempts to sow discord had some success, he still managed to get Li Xian molded into Mud Body. Although Li Xian's rank remained unchanged, the Mud Body now possessed "weight" and "clue." If he were to die in the city, there would be a thorough investigation without any ambiguity. It would no longer be easy to mold him.

The Mud Body Temple was filled with the smoke of incense, but ordinary people could not enter. As usual, Li Xian kneaded fresh blood and Azure Mud to create a small Mud Body. He then brought the Mud Body Temple, which was square and round, cast from white jade. The smoke curled upwards, and over time, the bloody smell of the Mud Body would gradually dissipate, leaving only the scent of Azure Mud and smoke. At this point, the Bronze-Clad Rank would be elevated to Bronze Body.

The transition from nothing to clay is the watershed moment. The transition from clay to bronze is only a small step. Logically speaking, anyone who obtains Mud Body can eventually become Bronze Body if they live long enough. It's just a matter of how fast or slow it takes.

The Mud Body is cast from blood and mud, and is born with a fishy smell. The process of burning incense is to remove the fishy smell and make it real. The layout of this Mud Body Temple is very unique, with a round outer shape and a square inner shape, symbolizing the space between heaven and earth.

There are eight jade walls in total, carved with various auspicious beasts, including Divine Tortoise, Divine Bird, Qilin, phoenixes, luan birds, deer, Bai Ze, and ray... It truly is a cacophony of beasts, vying for beauty and good fortune, with the entire jade wall shimmering with iridescent colors.

Three bronze incense burners stand in the center, filled with incense smoke that rises and gathers into a canopy, resembling the blue sky. Pushing open the vermilion door and entering the temple, one feels as if under a heavenly canopy, surrounded by auspiciousness. Upon closer inspection, each jade wall has grooves. The Mud Body are placed in these grooves, and those placed higher up absorb the Mud Body more intensely and lose their stench more quickly.

Li Xian looked at the first wall on the left, where the highest Mud Body was a middle-aged man holding an iron whip. The expression was lifelike.

This man, known as "Whip-Wielding Wanderer," was a prominent merchant in Jade City Jade City. Although not a local, he had managed to sculpt Mud Body through various means, and it was not far from the Bronze Body. The Mud Body had lost its foul odor and retained a pleasant fragrance, possessing a remarkable charm.

Li Xian turned to another wall. He saw many "Yao Clan members" on the wall. This was the "Clan-Patronage Wall" in the Mud Body Temple. That is, this jade wall was made up of Mud Body of the Yao Clan members, which were obtained by relying on the clan's protection.

There are thirty-four grooves in the Clan-Patronage Wall, all of which are now filled. Yao Yin's Mud Body is in the twenty-third groove, in the middle, with wisps of smoke rising from it, no more, no less.

The clay statue of her was remarkably delicate, youthful, and cheerful, with an expression remarkably True Person. It possessed both aristocratic pride and a genuinely easygoing nature. Whether a Lineage could be considered a prominent clan in Jade City could be determined by whether there was a "clan wall" within the Mud Body Temple, and whether that wall contained "grooves."

Like the Yao Clan Yao Clan's "thirty-four" Mud Body, as time goes by, each time someone advances to the Bronze Body, another descendant can be chosen to fill the groove. In this way, they can continuously hold a portion of the power in Jade City.

From the highest Heavenly Pivot to the most important local hubs, there are members of various clans and families.

Li Xian thought to himself, "Such a large clan can certainly breed talented people and consolidate Lineage power, but it is also more prone to breed parasites. This is hard to avoid. Any place that grows large enough will inevitably have parasites gnawing at its foundation."

Turning to another wall, which was the "Su Clan Jade Wall," Li Xian spotted two familiar figures: Su Susu and Su Kuo.

Su Kuo's mud body occupies the thirty-third seat, located towards the back, and has a strong fishy smell. When Li Xian first arrived in Yucheng, he was trapped in the Jade Pillar Mountain mine. He met Su Susu, Su Tiexin, and became friends with Zhao Ranran, the Jade Maiden of Daoxuan Mountain, and Jin Tong Taishu Chunfeng. They toured the mine together and observed the mining activities. Su Susu is the fourth seat. The bloody smell of the mud body has mostly faded, and it is almost a bronze body.

There are four Mud Body Temple in Jade City, all with similar appearances. Li Xian rarely gets to be here, so he wanders around and observes them, giving a cursory look at the Mud Body. Even the minor clans and families of Jade City can occupy a place, as the grooves in all eight jade walls are already filled.

Beneath the jade wall lay the "stone," from which wisps of blue smoke rose and hung. The stone was relatively low, so the smoke only lightly brushed past it, absorbing little fragrance and instead emitting a strong, foul odor. Li Xian found an empty spot and placed the Mud Body there.

In this way, Li Xian acquired the "Mud Body," becoming the "Faceless Mud Body Gentleman" of Jade City. When he emerged from the Mud Body Temple, he felt completely relaxed. Although his progress was small, it was still quite remarkable.

Li Xian thought to himself, "I have only served as the Gold-Seeking Guard for a few months. Although this Mud Body must have been secured through Commandery Princess Anyang's behind-the-scenes maneuvering, her trials were also fraught with murderous intent. This reward is what I deserve."

"And during this time, I did quite a few things for her."

Since September, Li Xian had gained the initial trust of Commandery Princess Anyang. Every few days thereafter, they would communicate via "Mud Sparrow" to deliver messages. Commandery Princess Anyang often used these letters to assign tasks, using Li Xian to help her arrange the layout of the city.

For example, the registrar of Western Gate Office was one of Commandery Princess Anyang's eyes and ears. The registrar lived in Zhoushan Ward and would sometimes gather his undercover agents to spread Commandery Princess Anyang's arrangements. He needed to provide a venue for gatherings, and the Gold-Seeking Guard patrolling the city were supposed to be responsible for cracking down on these dens and discovering suspicious gatherings. With Li Xian's help, the gatherings were naturally safe and sound. Such minor incidents happened from time to time.

Li Xian knew he couldn't avoid it, and Jade City was no peaceful place; how could he expect to escape unscathed? He was resolute; having survived the chaos of the world, he knew from the beginning that his goals and schemes were only for himself.

Whether it's Jade City, Commandery Princess Anyang, or even the Great Martial Dynasty... it's all just a power struggle. He may be in one camp due to various circumstances, but he's by no means truly loyal to any side. Commandery Princess Anyang treats him like dirt, Jade City is ruthless and cannibalistic, and the Great Martial Dynasty is corrupt and declining...

Their only refuge is the place where they stand on their own two feet. Therefore, they maneuver in various ways, appearing both loyal and treacherous, all for the sake of survival.

Li Xian suddenly thought, "In this world, it is truly Madam who has treated me the best. I am now struggling to survive, which gives me an opportunity to improve myself. This ability to handle affairs and the foundation of my martial arts are all gifts from Madam. In this world, martial arts are hard to come by. Without opportunity and with an ordinary background, even the greatest talent will be wasted. Thinking about this, although Madam often scolds and criticizes me, what I have gained from her has truly benefited me for life."

"She appears gentle on the surface, but is venomous at heart—that's undeniable. But my relationship with her is different from others; even if she's unreasonable or wrong, I always side with her."

Li Xian bought a plate of crispy fried chicken and a bottle of fragrant wine in the street. He headed towards Jujube-Pasture Residence, passing by a Silkworm Dream Tower. He thought to himself, "But I've displeased her, and she's truly ruthless in her retaliation. Moreover, she wants me to live under her sway forever. I happen to be a lustful and fickle man, fond of the beauty of nature: beautiful scenery, beautiful flowers, beautiful women, and delicious food."

He untied the wine jar, took a small sip, then turned a corner and returned to Jujube-Pasture Residence. Li Xian pondered, "Sister Liuli is truly wonderful. I've been living alone for so long, I've started to think about all sorts of beautiful and vulgar things."

In Jade City, stories and tales abound. Many tales of chivalry and romance are told. When these stories reach Jade City, the talented scholars of Jade City compile them into books and sell them in the marketplace to make a living.

There are many who possess a knack for manipulating Fortune, concealing their identities and fabricating and selling vulgar erotic stories. Their writing is exquisite and skillful, with words that conceal allure and seduction. They are often extremely popular, and are enthusiastically sought after by young women and men in love.

Li Xian recently started a business called "Dew Cicada Shop" and frequently visited the mansions of wealthy families. He often chatted with the sons of rich families and also bought several vulgar erotic novels to read. He enjoyed reading them quite a bit, and occasionally relaxed his mind and cleared his head, which was really nice.

He studied the "Five Organs Purge-Turbidity Revive-Yang Scripture" and deeply understood its essence, so his yang energy was very strong and his fire energy was at its peak. He had no wives or concubines in his house, and he was naturally amorous and far from being a gentleman who restrained himself and observed propriety.

If it weren't for the fact that the poison in his body hadn't been completely neutralized, and that there were many hidden dangers and threats, with wolves and tigers watching him and him not daring to relax his guard even for a moment, Li Xian might have accompanied Bai Qinghao, Yao Fan, and other scions of the Aristocratic Clan to see the brothels and worldly pleasures of Jade City.

The lady was quite farsighted, and her worries were indeed not unfounded regarding Li Xian. Such a young man, so young, so hot-tempered, and so handsome, would easily stray if neglected. Even the most obedient young man would eventually become disobedient. Besides, Li Xian was never truly obedient; it was only Wen Caishang who thought she was. Li Xian ate fried chicken and drank fragrant wine. He then set up a fire in the courtyard to boil a pot of medicinal soup. All the ingredients for these medicines had been smuggled out of the Miraculous Healers Pavilion.

Do everything you can to avoid being seen by Commandery Princess Anyang.

Soaking in the medicinal bath, the toxins in his body were further reduced. Li Xian put on his clothes, teased the Golden Cicada, and fed them dew. After relaxing for a while, he suddenly heard a knocking sound at the door.

Li Xian sneered and immediately opened the door. The figures outside had already dispersed, and a piece of Xuan paper was pasted on the door, which read, "Master Wu Gan wishes to take on a disciple. If you are interested, come quickly."

Li Xian tore off the stickers. For the past ten days or so, every night late at night, a servant would secretly come to the door and put up stickers with inaccurate or fabricated content. Li Xian tolerated this several times, only tearing them off and burning them, without pursuing the matter further.

To his surprise, the servant became even more audacious, persisting relentlessly. Li Xian thought to himself, "Fine, you can use Wu Gan's name to swindle and cheat, but you've come to try and cheat me. If I don't teach you a lesson, you'll never know when to back down."

He immediately caught up with the servant, grabbed his shoulder, and said, "Who sent you?"

The servant's shoulders were gripped, and he felt a sudden weight on his body. He had to strain his feet to keep himself upright. If he relaxed even slightly, he would immediately collapse to the ground, as if he were carrying a huge boulder on his shoulders.

Li Xian's strike contained the power of the "Stone-Pushing Palm Method." The servant boy puffed out his chest, his face turning red. It wasn't that he refused to speak, but rather that he was "carrying a huge rock on his shoulder," and if he lost his breath even slightly, he would be crushed to death. He had no choice but to puff out his chest and hold on.

Seeing that the servant's skills were rather shallow—though he possessed Inner Steam, he lacked cultivation— Li Xian slightly loosened his grip. The servant let out a long breath and said, "Huff, huff, huff... Great hero, spare my life, spare my life!"

Li Xian said, "Who ordered this? Tell me quickly." The servant replied, "This... I posted this notice; it's none of your business. Why are you so persistent?"

Li Xian said, "You have disturbed the peace of my home, and I have already been quite polite. Explain yourself quickly." He then took out the Tiger-Python Token.

The servant looked him over carefully, then exclaimed in surprise, "Oh my! Oh my! It's Master Gold-Seeking Guard! My apologies, my apologies. What do you want to know? I promise I'll tell you everything I know."

Li Xian immediately questioned him. It turned out that this servant was paid to do favors. Someone gave him thirty taels of silver to post notices on Xuan paper every day at Hai and Zi hours, and he would post them exclusively inside Li Xian's door. After posting the notices, he would go to meet the servant and collect one tael of silver.

The servant felt something was amiss, but fearing something unusual, he dared not try. However, thirty taels of silver was indeed a considerable sum; he had worked hard all year and earned less than ten taels. After hesitating for a moment, he gritted his teeth and took the job. In the first few days, he was very careful when pasting the Xuan paper, afraid of disturbing Li Xian. Later, nothing happened, so he became bolder. Today, however, he moved very heavily, and the door frame thumped loudly.

After figuring out what had happened, Li Xian thought to himself, "Why is it only posted in front of my door? Could it be a plot by Lei Chong? Or is it for the Commandery Princess's examination banquet, or something else entirely? This strange thing has been going on for a while now, and we can no longer ignore it."

He then instructed his servant to meet with the "patron," while he secretly followed to observe the situation. The servant naturally agreed and went to meet him. They turned through several streets and alleys and arrived at an extremely quiet alley with very few pedestrians.

The servant said, "Master Gold-Seeking Guard, this is Ghost Street. It used to be haunted, and it's incredibly dangerous. All the residents in the alley have moved far away. The person living here is most likely... most likely not an ordinary person."

"Let me make this clear first: I am absolutely not on his side. I'm just someone who takes money to solve problems for others. Bah, bah, bah, not solving problems, just doing a job. There is absolutely no connection between us. If you find anything wrong, sir, please... please don't blame me."

Li Xian asked, "Haunted? What kind of ghost?"

The servant said, "I don't know, but it's incredibly fierce, like a vengeful ghost in red. Rumor has it that if someone is targeted by this ghost, their eyes, nose, ears, mouth, and tongue will be covered in skewered pieces, and they'll die a horrible death on the spot!"

Li Xian said, "This place is in such a mess, you dare to come here for a little money?" The servant replied, "We common folk, from morning till night, what we're doing is fighting over a few taels of silver, right? As long as we have enough money, let alone a ghostly arena, even a mountain of knives and a sea of fire, we won't bat an eye." Quietly going deeper, the servant pointed ahead and said, "Sir, it's just ahead."

Li Xian frowned, noticing the solitary alley and the eerie winds blowing through it. The rumors of this place being haunted were probably true. He became wary, knowing that the servant was indeed doing his bidding for money, and sent him away first.

Li Xian became more vigilant, walked to the door, and knocked gently. Receiving no response after several knocks, he knocked again. He faintly heard footsteps approaching. Li Xian took several steps back, gripping the hilt of his sword with his right hand and forming a "sword finger" with his left. At the slightest sign of trouble, the "golden light" vanished, and he parried with his sword.

As the vermilion gate opened, an elderly man with frail hair appeared. Li Xian frowned even more deeply. This old man, with his white hair, resembled Wu Gan, Fortune in his hands. Li Xian said in a deep voice, "What kind of vicious thief are you, disguised? What is your intention?"

Wu Gan looked around and immediately understood. He smiled and said, "I am Wu Gan. There's no need for disguise. You're a simpleton, but since you've decided to become my disciple, why don't you come inside quickly?"

The old man stood in a blue robe. Although he was old and frail, one could still see that he was once Intent-Qi, standing alone on the island, composing poems and lyrics. Li Xian observed him closely and saw that it did not seem like an act. Many subtle details were exactly the same as on the day of the great examination.

Li Xian thought to himself, "The dignified Wu Gan shouldn't have had his face cut off. He shouldn't be in disguise. Could this person really be Wu Gan?" He cupped his hands and asked, "Old sir, this piece of Xuan paper..."

Wu Gan said, "Everything stated on it is true. I, Wu Gan, am now recruiting new disciples. You have come with this paper, which means you are determined to become my apprentice."

Li Xian asked, "Excuse my boldness, but with your erudition, how could you use such a strange method to recruit disciples?" Wu Gan replied, "Let me ask you, how do schoolteachers and scribes in the marketplace recruit disciples?"

Li Xian said, "Of course, it's about posting notices." Wu Gan said, "Then I'll do the same, why can't I?"

Li Xian said, "Of course..." He thought to himself, "Strange and unusual things have been happening lately, like hairs on a cow. This person's words, temperament, and demeanor certainly resemble Wu Gan's. But what is he plotting with these actions? It's truly worth pondering. Posting a note in the middle of the night, and only on my door, doesn't that mean he's taking me as his sole disciple? But I, Li Xian, though somewhat famous, am just an ordinary person. I have neither great talent nor great ability. What virtue or ability do I possess that would make the dignified Wu Gan want to take me as his disciple? There must be some deep motive behind this; it's best not to get involved."

He cupped his hands in greeting and said again, "It's late, sir, please go to sleep. Tomorrow morning, I will post some Xuan paper on the high railing of the market."

Wu Gan snorted, "You're just too calculating and clever. You avoid problems first, then hesitate on how to solve them, always striving for perfection. This matter of accepting a disciple is entirely a matter of 'willingness or unwillingness,' or 'fate or lack thereof.' If you want to leave, you can do as you please. If you don't want to leave, then come in." Li Xian thought to himself, "I, Li Xian, am just a lowly Gold Steward chief. Although I'm in the middle of this vortex, none of the Commandery Princess Anyang, Xu Shaoqian, or anyone else would bother to enlist the help of the great scholar Wu Gan just to deal with me. Well then, this matter still needs to be clarified."

Upon entering, we came to a small courtyard with a well in the center. The courtyard had been empty for a long time and looked quite desolate. Wu Gan had moved in less than a month ago, and being old and frail, he was unable to maintain it. He had only tidied up his bedroom for resting.

An easel stood in the courtyard, with sheets of paper tucked inside. The paper depicted a blurry scene, seemingly of this small courtyard. Wu Gan said, "I have forty-three disciples. I've been hesitant to accept a forty-fourth, entirely because I feel forty-four is extremely unlucky, as if it signifies impending death."

Wu Gan said, "If you agree, you will be my forty-fourth disciple." Li Xian said, "Li Xian still has one thing he doesn't understand. He begs his teacher to explain why it is me. This is only the second time we have met."

Wu Gan nodded and said, "This is our second meeting. To say that I know nothing about your talent, character, ambition, or temperament, and to claim that I value your character and talent enough to want to take you as my disciple, is utterly absurd. But I, Wu Gan, need a reason to accept you as my disciple..." Li Xian nodded. Wu Gan continued, "That's simple. I've never seen anyone like you before." Li Xian asked, "Someone like me? I'm utterly ordinary. What's so special about me? Perhaps you've misunderstood, sir?"

Wu Gan said, "I control half Fortune; I am not one to be easily fooled. When scholars in the world grasp the first wisp of Qi and Fortune, the world they see is different. This Fortune can be the scale in their hands."

"From matters of national importance to haggling over vegetable prices, everything can be discussed. One can reason with others. For example, when buying dried radish, if you charge someone else five coins, why do you charge me seven? A warrior would be furious and throw a punch. A scholar, however, would need to carefully argue his point."

"Literati of this period believed that their own reasoning was the best. Whenever they saw injustice or inconvenience, they always wanted to argue and refute it, making them extremely noisy."

Therefore, I often jokingly refer to these literary figures as "noisy chickens" or "chatterboxes."

Li Xian thought of "Zhou Shijie," a man skilled in both literature and martial arts, who had a penchant for eloquent persuasion. Wu Gan added, "Later, after passing several major examinations, he Fortune and became extremely learned. When he observed things, he always wanted to explore the profound principles within them. Unable to find a solution, he would often argue with himself, leading himself into dead ends and nitpicking."

"As Fortune accumulates, this scale grows larger and stronger. Its wondrous uses increase, allowing human reasoning to prevail over divine reasoning. But humans are humans, and they always have selfish desires. Reasoning comes from the mouth, and black and white are merely a flick of the tongue. When this phenomenon becomes frequent, a world-shaking battle will ensue." Li Xian was very curious and unconsciously asked, "What kind of battle?"

Wu Gan said, "It was a great war from ancient times, a great war that took place during the Great Cauldron era. Ten literary leaders, each holding half a Fortune, dozens of learned scholars, and hundreds of Qi wielders, gathered at Heaven-Piercing Mountain; Plain Mountain..."

"Plea to Heaven for Longevity!"

Li Xian was startled. Wu Gan said, "Why can warriors live forever? Why can't scholars live forever? This great battle is all about words, yet it has been protracted, with the winds of change shifting rapidly and strange phenomena appearing all over the world."

"But it also harmed the common people; floods ravaged the land, rivers changed course, and the land was swallowed up for miles. Earthquakes, tsunamis, and all sorts of natural disasters ravaged the lives of ordinary people." "In the end, it ended in some unknown way, presumably in failure. Scholars still could not live forever. It is said that from then on, the ' Heaven-Questioning Treatise ' was left behind. It was a work painstakingly crafted by many scholars, so that future generations of scholars could once again Plea to Heaven for Longevity."

Li Xian, unaware of this history, asked, "Why can't scholars live long lives?"

Wu Qian said, "Luck is a heavy burden, borrowed from the human body. When the time comes, it must be returned. If this burden is carried by a warrior, it will be extremely tiring. If the literati live long, the world will be in chaos. There are many people in the world who are lucky, and they want to win over the literati and perform another grand event of asking God for longevity." "I only hold half of the luck, so I accepted his invitation."

Li Xian asked, "And then what?" Wu Gan replied, "I have no interest; I only want to paint." Li Xian cupped his hands and said, "Senior, you are so detached from worldly affairs; Li Xian. But I wonder what this has to do with me?"

Wu Gan said, "It's not really related. You asked me yourself, so I just mentioned it."

Wu Gan continued, "But it does have some connection. I once said that all scholars always want to weigh things up when faced with a situation. When I first met you, I felt that you were..."

"It doesn't weigh well."