Chapter 16

Immortal Lord Yaohua was slightly speechless, but she understood that this Refining Void into Dao cultivator before her was the real person in charge.

She stepped forward and solemnly bowed. "I am Yaohua, a minister under the Queen Mother of the West in the Jade Pool Immortal Realm. I have come specifically to pay my respects to the Mountain God of Lingtai."

The Fire Spirit True Immortal beside her widened her eyes at those words—the Queen Mother of the West! The foremost of the female immortals across the Three Realms. The Fruit of Longevity she had dreamed of could be bestowed with a single word from the Queen Mother of the West.

Upon hearing her origins, Zhuang Yan returned the salute with a solemn expression. "I did not know an Immortal Lord was visiting. What guidance do you have for me?"

Immortal Lord Yaohua did not waste words. She directly took out Emperor Shaoyang of the Purple Mansion's decree and handed it over. "This is the Emperor's decree. Please examine it, Mountain God."

Zhuang Yan accepted it with both hands and carefully read it, then cast a meaningful glance at Lan Caihe.

"This matter seems to fall outside the scope of my divine position. Why not send divine generals from the Thunder Department to carry it out?" Zhuang Yan questioned.

Immortal Lord Yaohua explained, "This must be handled discreetly. Her Ladyship only wishes to bring the Golden Maid of Jade Pool back and does not wish to alarm the various factions."

Zhuang Yan shook his head. "The wording of this decree is vague. It merely says I should assist as I see fit; it does not explicitly order me to apprehend her..."

He handed the decree back. "Forgive me, but I cannot obey such an ambiguous decree."

Immortal Lord Yaohua's delicate brows drew together. "Mountain God, please understand. It was precisely because this matter is confidential that the Emperor issued such an indirect decree."

"But such a decree violates the Heavenly Rules. Even if I capture the Golden Maid of Jade Pool, where am I supposed to report for my reward?" Zhuang Yan's attitude was resolute. "This cannot be done."

Just as Immortal Lord Yaohua was about to speak, Lan Caihe suddenly stepped forward and interrupted. "Immortal Lord, may I speak with you privately?"

Immortal Lord Yaohua looked at him in confusion. Lan Caihe turned to Zhuang Yan and smiled. "Please wait here, Mountain God." Once Zhuang Yan nodded, he led Immortal Lord Yaohua out of the hall.

"What insight do you have, True Person Lan?" Immortal Lord Yaohua asked.

Lan Caihe lowered his voice. "There is a hidden meaning in the Mountain God's words. By saying there is nowhere to submit the decree, he means there is no reward to claim for this task. As the Mountain God of Lingtai, he has no need to meddle in the Golden Maid of Jade Pool's affairs. There is no credit in it, and he must offend Dinguang Tathagata besides..."

Immortal Lord Yaohua's eyes flashed, then she frowned. "But this matter cannot be made public. How can we openly issue a decree?"

Lan Caihe smiled and offered a hint. "It need not necessarily be credit. Something of equal value will do."

After considering it briefly, Immortal Lord Yaohua brightened and bowed. "Thank you for your guidance, True Person." Lan Caihe hurriedly returned the bow.

The two returned to the hall, and Immortal Lord Yaohua changed the subject. "Let us set aside the Golden Maid of Jade Pool for now. Her Ladyship is about to hold a Peach Banquet, and several places on the guest list remain open. Does True Person Lan have any recommendations?"

Lan Caihe understood at once and pointed at Zhuang Yan. "This Mountain God of Lingtai has rendered outstanding service. Should he not attend such a grand gathering?"

Immortal Lord Yaohua followed his lead. "Would the Mountain God be willing to attend?"

Zhuang Yan laughed heartily. "The Golden Maid of Jade Pool has defied the Heavenly Rules. I shall naturally do my duty!" He then immediately asked where she was.

Lan Caihe and Immortal Lord Yaohua exchanged smiles. "She is in Dingyuan Prefecture. The seven True Persons have been waiting for some time."

Zhuang Yan acted with decisive speed. "No time to lose!" Yet before departing, he quietly told Immortal Lord Yaohua, "As for the Peach Banquet... I hope you will put it in writing."

Immortal Lord Yaohua fell silent for a moment before finally agreeing. "As you wish."

Thirty miles outside Chaoyang Cave in Dingyuan Prefecture, Han Xiangzi sat alone upon a blue stone, his Jade Flute carrying through the woods and over the waters.

"Take a break." Zhongli Quan sat with his robe open, constantly fanning himself with a palm-leaf fan as he shouted at Han Xiangzi, "Wait until we fail, then you can play as much as you want at our graves!"

Han Xiangzi put away his Jade Flute and frowned. "It will not come to that, will it? If not for that troublesome Kunlun Mirror, we would have taken those two down long ago."

Zhongli Quan smacked his lips. "When have we ever missed a Peach Banquet? Now we cannot even handle such a small errand. We have truly disgraced ourselves."

Leaning against a boulder, Lü Dongbin saw He Xiangu fiddling with a lotus leaf and asked with a smile, "What are you busy with, Immortal Maiden?"

"Carving Brother Zhongli's epitaph," He Xiangu said with a suppressed laugh.

Zhongli Quan waved his palm-leaf fan. "Just write, 'Zhongli Quan was unworthy of the Peach Banquet.'"

Lü Dongbin stroked his beard and laughed. "Lan Caihe went to invite the Mountain God of Lingtai. He should be back by now, right?"

Cao Guojiu leaned closer. "Immortal Maiden, make me a bowl of lotus-leaf rice."

He Xiangu shot him a glare, and Lü Dongbin added, "What is a meal without meat? Immortal Maiden, I want dog meat."

With a light tap of her slender finger, an immortal lotus suddenly appeared on the ground, its seven buds blooming in full splendor. She plucked one, which transformed into a Jade Cup and Nectar. The other six immortals each picked a bud and received what they desired. The lotus immediately withered.

As they enjoyed themselves, a shout suddenly rang out. "I sent you to subdue demons, and here you are eating and drinking! What kind of conduct is this?" Lan Caihe descended upon a cloud.

Lü Dongbin raised a piece of meat and called out, "Come have some!"

Lan Caihe said sternly, "Do not drag me down with you."

Before his words had even faded, Immortal Lord Yaohua and Zhuang Yan drifted down. The seven immortals hurriedly put everything away and bowed.

Immortal Lord Yaohua flicked her fly whisk. "Is that fiend still in Chaoyang Cave?"

Tieguai Li answered, "It has never left our sight."

He Xiangu asked Lan Caihe, "Did you bring the Mountain God?"

Lan Caihe introduced him. "This is Zhuang Yan, the Mountain God of Lingtai."

The immortals bowed, and Zhuang Yan returned their greeting. "I am Zhuang Yan, Mountain God of Lingtai. Greetings, everyone."

Immortal Lord Yaohua said, "Now that everyone is here, quickly proceed to Chaoyang Cave and capture the demon."

Immortal clouds rose abruptly as the immortals sped through the sky toward Chaoyang Cave.

Lü Dongbin turned his back, pulled out the dog meat, and began eating with relish. Just as he was enjoying himself, he sensed someone staring at his back. Turning around, he discovered that Zhuang Yan had somehow turned around as well and was staring straight at him.

"Want some?" Lü Dongbin smiled, tore off a hind leg, and handed it over.

As Zhuang Yan accepted the meat and thanked him, He Xiangu called from ahead, "Chaoyang Cave is here." The immortal clouds suddenly descended, and Zhuang Yan quickly stepped to Immortal Lord Yaohua's side.

Immortal Lord Yaohua's nose twitched as she noticed the dog leg in Zhuang Yan's hand. Understanding, Zhuang Yan lifted the meat. "Would the Immortal Lord like a taste?"

When she shook her head, Zhuang Yan smoothly said, "Then please call the Golden Maid of Jade Pool out."

Lan Caihe volunteered to fly to the cave entrance. He called out several times, but received no answer. Returning, he asked in confusion, "Could they have escaped?"

"Impossible," Tieguai Li said with certainty. "The Kunlun Mirror may be powerful, but those two are no match for us."

Immortal Lord Yaohua cradled her fly whisk and rose upon a cloud. "I can sense that her aura remains in the cave." Standing outside it, she called solemnly, "Golden Maid, I am here. Show yourself at once."

After calling three times, two streams of immortal light finally shot from the cave. On the left stood Venerable Tianmiao in white robes with his hair bound up; on the right stood the Golden Maid of Jade Pool in golden robes and a magnificent crown, gleaming with pearls and jade.

The Golden Maid first swept her gaze over the Eight Immortals, then bowed to Immortal Lord Yaohua. "Greetings, Sister."

"Will you return to the Jade Pool with me?"

The Golden Maid immediately summoned the Eight Treasures White Jade Mirror. "I swear to remain with Tianmiao for all eternity."

Immortal Lord Yaohua nodded. "Then there is no need to call me sister anymore." After the Golden Maid changed her address to Immortal Lord, she said indifferently, "Today, I have specially invited an expert. If you can defeat him, no one will disturb the two of you in your cultivation again."

Tianmiao and the Golden Maid were first delighted, then worried. After exchanging looks for a moment, Tianmiao grasped his partner's soft hand and said firmly, "We live and die together."

Upon hearing that, determination flashed through the Golden Maid of Jade Pool's eyes. She said to Immortal Lord Yaohua, "I hope you will keep your word."

"Of course." Immortal Lord Yaohua nodded and turned away.

Zhuang Yan secretly gave a bitter smile behind her. Immortal Lord Yaohua's words had forced him into a dead end. If he failed to capture the Golden Maid of Jade Pool, all blame would fall upon him alone.

"You have cut off my retreat, Immortal Lord." Zhuang Yan looked toward Immortal Lord Yaohua.

Immortal Lord Yaohua smiled faintly, took the uneaten dog meat from his hand, and said, "Peaches taste far better than dog meat. Please do as you please, Mountain God. I shall hold onto this for now."

"Reasonable." Zhuang Yan replied, casually grabbing a piece of lotus-scented cloud gauze to wipe the grease from his lips. The Eight Immortals behind him all stared in astonishment.

Immortal Lord Yaohua also widened her eyes. Zhuang Yan noticed something strange and looked down, only to discover that what he had used was actually the sleeve of her robe. He hurriedly said, "Forgive me... Since you took the meat, I thought you were handing me a handkerchief..."

With that, he quickly rode a streak of cloudlight after Venerable Tianmiao and the Golden Maid of Jade Pool.

When Zhuang Yan flew before Chaoyang Cave, the Golden Maid of Jade Pool looked suspicious. "Who are you?"

Venerable Tianmiao looked Zhuang Yan over and was surprised to see that he possessed only the cultivation of Refining Void into Dao.

Zhuang Yan cupped his hands. "The Mountain God of Lingtai has come under decree to take you into custody."

The Golden Maid of Jade Pool was stunned. "Do you know what level of cultivation I possess?"

Zhuang Yan activated his Cave Heaven True Sight and examined them. "You are a Profound Immortal. He is a Heavenly Immortal."

The Golden Maid of Jade Pool laughed. "Since you know the difference between us, why do you not retreat at once? A mere Mountain God should not meddle in this matter."

Zhuang Yan smiled. "Thank you for your concern, but since this humble god has come, I naturally have my confidence."

At that moment, Venerable Tianmiao transmitted his voice. "Did Immortal Lord Yaohua not say she came to help you?"

The Golden Maid of Jade Pool's thoughts raced. This Mountain God was invited by Immortal Lord Yaohua, and she said we could remain in the mortal world if we defeated whoever came—could the Immortal Lord be secretly helping us? She looked behind her and saw Immortal Lord Yaohua holding the meat with an indifferent expression, which only strengthened her belief.

Do not hurt him. A token gesture will be enough, the Golden Maid of Jade Pool thought.

Seeing her distracted, Zhuang Yan cupped his hands. "Forgive my offense."

The Golden Maid of Jade Pool suddenly flew forward, formed a hand seal, and lightly struck out. A gentle immortal light slowly pushed toward Zhuang Yan.

Strangely, Zhuang Yan did not evade. The palm seal brushed over him like a breeze, merely pushing him back several steps without harming even a hair.

The Golden Maid of Jade Pool gracefully returned and looked at Zhuang Yan with a smile. "The outcome has been decided, Mountain God."

Zhuang Yan stood frozen in place, while Immortal Lord Yaohua and the Eight Immortals all looked shocked.

"How could this be?" Zhang Guolao narrowed his dim old eyes.

He Xiangu turned to Lan Caihe. "Could this Mountain God be an old acquaintance of the Golden Maid?"

Zhongli Quan lightly waved his palm-leaf fan and muttered, "It does seem like..."

Immortal Lord Yaohua was equally baffled, unable to guess the Golden Maid of Jade Pool's intentions.

Only Lü Dongbin pondered aloud, "Could that palm strike have concealed some mystery?"

Tieguai Li nodded. "It looked gentle, but in truth... it really was very gentle."

Everyone fell silent.

Zhuang Yan lowered his head and inspected himself. Thoughts of Bone-Melting Cotton Palm, Heart-Shattering Palm, and all manner of hidden force flashed through his mind, but he detected nothing unusual. It had clearly been a light, fluttering palm strike.

Zhuang Yan held his forehead and laughed, then abruptly sobered and said coldly, "Do you take this for a game?" Killing intent erupted like a burst of icy frost.

Venerable Tianmiao rushed before the Golden Maid of Jade Pool, thrusting out a Buddhist palm that shook the heavens. A thousand-foot expanse of space suddenly froze, and a mountain-sized golden palm print crashed down. Yet Zhuang Yan's figure blurred, and where he had stood became a ravine stretching a hundred miles.

"Be careful!" Venerable Tianmiao stared at Zhuang Yan as he reappeared a thousand feet away and said gravely, "This man can break my Dingguang Hand Seal. He is no ordinary opponent."

The Golden Maid of Jade Pool suddenly realized the truth. The Kunlun Mirror spun sharply, its mirror light shooting directly at Zhuang Yan. Before the Eight Immortals' cries could fade, that figure had already vanished into shattered space. Chaotic aura churned as the space healed itself.

"Could it be..." Zhongli Quan was deeply worried.

He Xiangu sighed. "We would still need Immortal Pills to recover from such injuries. How could he..."

"Look!" Han Xiangzi pointed toward Chaoyang Cave. Zhuang Yan stood above the cave heaven, robes fluttering as he rode the wind, utterly unharmed.

Venerable Tianmiao and the Golden Maid of Jade Pool abruptly turned around. The instant she saw Zhuang Yan, the Golden Maid's expression changed drastically. The Kunlun Mirror had failed for the first time, throwing her mind into turmoil—this supreme treasure was what she and Tianmiao relied upon to remain together in the lower realm. If it failed, it meant their final barrier had collapsed.