Chapter 651
Because these stories, placed in a modern context, could only be considered early web literature, they had already diverged significantly from Zheng Fa's "Jiu Shan Xian Tu," despite the influence it had on them.
However, for Zheng Fa, they still felt too rough, too simplistic.
But look at Uncle Pang!
The more simplistic, the more he loved it!
It was said that recently, whenever this uncle went out, he liked to carry a "Tong Jian" (通鉴, a historical reference book) while reading stories, never letting it out of his hands. Clearly, he had developed a bit of an internet addiction.
Was he here to recommend a book?
"Uncle? Did you find a good story?"
"A good story?" Uncle Pang paused, then his expression turned a bit strange. "It's good, but..."
"Hmm?"
"You'll see for yourself."
The Zao Hua Yu Die (造化玉牒, a mystical artifact) leaped out, flying from Zheng Fa's Ni Wan Palace (泥丸宫, a term referring to a spiritual center in Taoist practice).
He opened the Jiu Shan Entertainment app and clicked on the story interface.
"Check the rankings."
Zheng Fa clicked again, opening the story rankings.
The top spot was still Zheng Fa's "Jiu Shan Xian Tu."
But the second place was a new face—"Tian He Xiu Xian Ji" (天河修仙记, "Tales of Cultivation in the River of Heaven").
"......"
Zheng Fa turned to Uncle Pang, his eyes filled with questions.
Uncle Pang nodded and said, "That's the one. This book appeared in the Tong Jian about half a month ago. The word count isn't much, but the number of readers has been increasing these past few days..."
There were talents like this in the Xuan Wei realm?
They knew how to ride the coattails of fan fiction?
The popularity of the Tian He Zun Zhe (天河尊者, "Lord of the River of Heaven") was quite high among the disciples of Jiu Shan.
Zheng Fa's interest was piqued, and he began to read the story.
Then… he understood why Uncle Pang had come to find him.
"… This doesn't seem made up?"
Uncle Pang's expression was a bit pained. "I asked Fairy Xie about it. She said that about seventy to eighty percent of what's written matches what she knows..."
"And the other twenty to thirty percent, she doesn't know, but it looks pretty real."
"......"
Zheng Fa stared at the story, speechless for a long time, feeling quite conflicted.
He thought it was fan fiction.
But it seemed like the author was writing a biography?
Zheng Fa read through "Tian He Xiu Xian Ji" again, especially focusing on the names of people, places, and sects.
Writing a biography wasn't a big deal.
But writing a biography of the Tian He Zun Zhe? That was a huge problem. This could stir up a storm.
The story had only just begun, and the protagonist, the Tian He Zun Zhe, was still in the Yuanying stage (元婴, "Nascent Soul"), but characters from other sects, like the Tai Shang Dao and the four major sects of Xuan Wei, had already made their appearances—
Well, they were all antagonists.
They were being beaten up in turn by the Tian He Zun Zhe.
Among them, there was a disciple from Hao Ri Mountain (昊日山), whose surname was Lu, and he was a senior from Zheng Fa's clan, well-known and identifiable.
Even more outrageous was that the story explicitly stated that the Tian He Zun Zhe had created the "Nine Turns Golden Elixir Method" during his Jindan stage (金丹期, "Golden Core stage").
"Zheng Fa, this story still has few secrets… but if it goes on, who knows?"
Uncle Pang said softly.
This was also Zheng Fa's concern:
Don't think that just because Zheng Fa criticized Hao Ri Mountain in "Jiu Shan Xian Tu," it was because the two sects were at odds; he felt he hadn't criticized them enough.
But this "Tian He Xiu Xian Ji," the author dared to write it, and he couldn't publish it!
Those who understood these secrets were definitely not small fry. The author had written it, and perhaps they weren't afraid of the five sects causing trouble; maybe the five sects wouldn't even find him.
But everyone knew that the Tong Jian belonged to Jiu Shan Sect...
The Bai Xian Alliance (百仙盟) wouldn't let it slide!
To deal with a Hao Ri Mountain, Zheng Fa had to be meticulous, calculating even the most distant connections.
If this person continued writing, the reaction from the five sects was predictable—if you say the story is made up, how could the five sects not know what's real?
"What to do?"
Uncle Pang had come to find Zheng Fa, clearly aware of the danger involved.
Zheng Fa looked at the Zao Hua Yu Die, sighing inwardly:
Back in the day, when I read novels, I criticized the platforms.
Today, I have become the platform!
Watching as Zheng Fa tapped a couple of times, "Tian He Xiu Xian Ji" vanished from the rankings without a trace, Uncle Pang blinked, stunned. "That's it? Who is this person?"
Zheng Fa tapped on the Zao Hua Yu Die again, trying to investigate the author's background.
But he couldn't sense where this person's Tong Jian was, let alone figure out who they were.
"Can't find anything. They must be a powerful figure..." Zheng Fa said to Uncle Pang.
Uncle Pang nodded, then sighed, "Actually, I quite enjoy reading it."
Zheng Fa felt regretful too. If the book wasn't deleted, the Tong Jian's popularity could soar—who doesn't love a bit of wild history?
But it's not the wild history that's scary; it's the truth behind it.
Jiu Shan Sect really couldn't handle it.
...
A day later, looking at the incessant messages, which resembled harassment texts, Zheng Fa fell into confusion.
"What happened to my story?"
"What did you do?"
"I'm busy right now and can't go to the Jiu Shan realm! If you don't give me an explanation, I'll definitely come to you for answers later!"
This aura felt familiar to Zheng Fa—wasn't this the Jiu You Mo Zu (九幽魔祖, "Demon Ancestor of the Nine Hells")?
So the author of that forbidden book was you?
Seeing the phrase "come for answers," Zheng Fa felt a twinge of regret:
No wonder no one in the Xuan Wei realm wanted to create a platform; if you dared to censor, some ruthless authors would really come at you with an iron fist.
The Jiu You Mo Zu might really come to the Jiu Shan realm to stir up trouble...
The Tian Zun (天尊, "Heavenly Sovereign") was in deep trouble.
(End of this chapter)
---
**Chapter 461: Waiting for Each Other, the Proud Immortal Sword**
Zheng Fa never expected that the first unfamiliar friend he added on the Ling Xin app would be the Jiu You Mo Zu.
Unfamiliar, but not entirely so.
Friend? Perhaps that wasn't the right term; it wasn't very friendly at all.
After all, this person was here to cause trouble.
Zheng Fa sat in the courtyard, facing the Jiu You Mo Zu through a video call.
Xie Qingxue sat on a stone bench beside him, watching the Jiu You Mo Zu on the screen with a worried expression.
After all, she had met the Demon Ancestor before and had connections with both sides. She was also concerned that if the conversation went south, she could help ease the tension.
In one corner of the screen stood her master—Yuan Zhen Yan, the leader of the Tian He Sect.
Yuan Zhen Yan's expression was also quite pained; he was likely worried that the two wouldn't reach an agreement: Yan Wushuang was still in the Jiu Shan realm.
Zheng Fa, however, remained calm.
He had figured it out: while the story might be yours, the Tong Jian was mine. You can't just publish whenever you feel like it.
You might be enjoying writing, but the consequences are mine, so that makes it even less reasonable.
As for going hard against the Jiu You Mo Zu or the four sects… there was no need to choose.
No matter how powerful the Jiu You Mo Zu was… he still had to hide.
If he had the ability to take down the four sects, or even eliminate Hao Ri Mountain, Zheng Fa might consider re-listing "Tian He Xiu Xian Ji."
But to pressure this innocent platform? How shameless!
The Jiu You Mo Zu was right in the center of the screen, his face completely unmasked. Strangely, Zheng Fa couldn't remember his features at all; he couldn't even recall whether the person was tall or short, fat or thin, young or old. When he thought back, he realized he had no idea.
In a way, he truly had no face...
"Interesting." The Jiu You Mo Zu's eyes darted around, as if he was experiencing this video call feature for the first time, showing great interest. His tone carried an underlying admiration. "This treasure of yours is probably unique in the Xuan Wei realm."
Hearing this, Zheng Fa couldn't help but feel a bit proud.
This Demon Ancestor was a genuine old-timer; based on Zheng Fa's previous understanding, this person had to be from the Divine Path Era, possessing Dao Fruit strength during the Tian Zun period.
When he mentioned "unique in the Xuan Wei," it carried significant weight.
The Jiu You Mo Zu's tone suddenly turned cold and heavy: "Such a fine treasure, yet my story can't be placed on it."
The expression on Yuan Zhen Yan's face changed instantly.
Even Xie Qingxue, sitting beside Zheng Fa, couldn't help but reach for her Qing Ping Sword (青萍剑, a legendary sword).
Even thousands of miles apart, the anger and blame hidden in the Jiu You Mo Zu's low voice still sent chills down her spine.
Zheng Fa's expression remained unchanged; he continued to look at the Jiu You Mo Zu, showing no signs of backing down.
The Jiu You Mo Zu's gaze grew colder.
But Zheng Fa suddenly smiled and said, "Why doesn't the Demon Ancestor publish it yourself?"
"......"
"Why must you rely on my Tong Jian?"
Seeing the smile on Zheng Fa's face, the Jiu You Mo Zu fell silent for a moment, then raised an eyebrow and smiled back.
"You are quite clever."
"Clever? I wouldn't say that..." Zheng Fa shook his head, looking at the Jiu You Mo Zu on the screen. "It's just a story; it doesn't warrant such fuss from the Demon Ancestor."
This story was written by a powerful figure, Zheng Fa had suspected that long ago, but he still sealed it. Besides the fact that he had no choice, he naturally felt it wasn't a big deal.
But the Jiu You Mo Zu was making such a big deal out of it, which didn't seem reasonable.
After all, it was just a story.
Of course, it couldn't be ruled out that the Jiu You Mo Zu wanted to become a literary giant in the Xuan Wei realm, to commemorate the Tian He Zun Zhe, or to annoy the four sects.
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