Chapter 738
“Tiānhé Fǎ isn’t enough to make you hesitate like this,” Xie Qingxue said quickly, not allowing him to retort. “The best course of action for you is to revise the Huángtíng Jīng and see if you can bypass the obstacles posed by Tiānhé Fǎ.”
I suspect you’re calling me cowardly.
But I have to admit, Xie Qingxue has seen through him—he has never been one to blindly follow the methods of his predecessors. Moreover, the Huángtíng Jīng is incomplete; there’s not just one path to take.
Deep down, Zheng Fa wanted to go to Tiānhé Pai mainly to clarify the matter of the Yīnyáng Yú jade pendant.
He hadn’t delved into it before due to a lack of strength, but now that he felt more confident, he certainly wouldn’t turn a blind eye.
However, he didn’t want to openly share this with Xie Qingxue.
He hadn’t even mentioned the Yīnyáng Yú jade pendant to his senior sister, Zhang Shijie.
So, for a moment, he found himself at a loss for words.
Seeing him silent, Xie Qingxue’s gaze softened further. “I’ll keep an eye on Jiǔshān Jiè for you.”
“Xie Xianzi, I’m not—”
“I understand.”
What do you understand?
(End of this chapter)
**Chapter 504: Entering Haori, Willing to Believe**
“Do we have to say everything?”
Shí Nándāng kept his eyes glued to the floor tiles, too afraid to look up, his voice wavering.
The Tiāndì Shēn stood before him, with Zhang Taishang on the left and Xie Zhenren on the right, all watching him intently.
“Everything.”
The Tiāndì Shēn’s response made Shí Nándāng’s expression shift back and forth.
Impersonating Shí Nándāng was, of course, the most suitable choice:
He was a Huàshén Zhenren, a mid-level figure in a sect like Haori Mountain, with the status and ability to access some of its secrets.
If he were to use Li Hao’s identity, not only was Li Hao an outsider with no connections in Haori Mountain, but more importantly, he had previously only been a Yuán Yīng, too low in cultivation to participate in significant matters.
Of course, Zheng Fa could also help Li Hao “advance” to Huàshén.
But the problem was that it would be too quick, so quick that it would raise suspicions.
Thus, Zheng Fa needed the identity of Shí Nándāng.
To play the role of Shí Nándāng, he naturally had to understand Shí Nándāng’s past. Moreover, it was more challenging to impersonate Shí Nándāng than Li Hao:
Li Hao was taciturn, had little interaction with the sect, and his social relationships were quite simple.
In contrast, Shí Nándāng had been highly regarded by the Lù clan, and to join the Lù clan’s direct line, he had to be quite the social butterfly.
Therefore, preparing to portray Shí Nándāng required much more effort than before.
“Zhangmen, can’t we just use Lingxin for real-time communication?”
Shí Nándāng stammered.
That was indeed possible.
Previously, at the Chóngxuán Sect, Elder Bìxiá had spotted his flaws.
Learning from past mistakes, Zheng Fa had prepared a small task force for this trip to Haori Mountain, using Tōngjiàn for real-time consultations.
Shí Nándāng was naturally part of that.
“There might be times when Lingxin communication is interrupted,” Zhang Shijie explained. “Just in case.”
Shí Nándāng fell silent.
Seeing his awkward expression, the Tiāndì Shēn spoke to reassure him:
“Don’t worry, there’s no one else here, just the three of us. What you say won’t go beyond this room.”
Shí Nándāng immediately replied, “I have nothing to hide!”
“Got it, got it!”
“...Really not saying anything?”
“Not only will we not speak, but we’ll also only lend our ears, not our mouths. We’ll listen, not comment.”
Shí Nándāng hesitated a bit, then saw Zhang Wuyi’s cold gaze and Xie Qingxue smiling, her hand resting on her sword...
“I... I’ll say it…”
“I was thirteen when I gained my chance at immortality and entered Haori Mountain…”
“I cultivated for thirty-two years before finally becoming a disciple of the Lù clan…”
“When I was in the Jīn Dān stage…”
As a Huàshén Zhenren, Shí Nándāng had a remarkable memory, and the more he spoke, the smoother it became. He rambled on about an old story:
“In the early Jīn Dān stage, I developed feelings for a female cultivator from the Yún clan. When her family found out…”
Suddenly, he stopped mid-sentence, looking at the Tiāndì Shēn.
The Tiāndì Shēn pressed his lips together and patted his shoulder, silent, as if offering comfort.
To summarize Shí Nándāng’s story, it was roughly:
“Don’t underestimate the poor in the Jīn Dān stage!
Don’t underestimate the poor in the Yuán Yīng stage!
Don’t underestimate the Huàshén… your great-granddaughter looks just like you.”
Shí Nándāng stared blankly at the Tiāndì Shēn’s sympathetic face, then turned to Zhang Wuyi, who was looking at the ceiling, and to the right, where Xie Qingxue was counting her sword tassels, as if she didn’t know how to count.
“Zhangmen! Let me return to Haori Mountain!” Shí Nándāng shouted with his eyes closed. “I’m willing to die for Jiǔshān Zōng!”
...
“What is this…” Shí Nándāng gazed at the illusion before him, astonished, and said, “You’ve created a Haori Mountain?”
He hadn’t expected to truly return to Haori Mountain.
“An illusion.”
For this operation, Jiǔshān Zōng had put in the effort to create a virtual Haori Mountain using the method of Lúzhōng Tiāndì.
“Show me who I need to befriend and who holds grudges against you.”
Shí Nándāng looked at the Tiāndì Shēn, and after a long pause, sighed, “I... I don’t feel wronged.”
“Not really.”
“Hmm?”
“We didn’t go to such lengths to deal with you.”
“…”
...
“Yuan Jun, do you know what kind of person Yún Zhenxian is?”
While the Tiāndì Shēn was tormenting Shí Nándāng, Zheng Fa was already on his way to Haori Mountain.
He was almost one with the Tiāndì Shēn; whatever the Tiāndì Shēn saw or heard, no matter how far, he could sense it.
As he hurried, Zheng Fa also sent a message to Ni Chang Yuan Jun, hoping to gather more intelligence.
The information he obtained from Shí Nándāng would help him play the role well.
But there was still a major issue: Shí Nándāng was currently a criminal, carrying a heavy burden—of course, Zheng Fa didn’t feel wronged carrying that burden.
Resolving this matter was difficult from Shí Nándāng’s level.
But from Ni Chang Yuan Jun’s level, it was simpler:
Currently, among the three Dao fruits of Haori Mountain, only Yún Zhenxian remained, and whether Zheng Fa was guilty or not was solely up to him.
The key to breaking the deadlock lay with this person.
However, it was hard for Shí Nándāng, as a Huàshén, to know Yún Zhenxian’s character and thoughts.
In fact, not many in Haori Mountain knew about it; probably only the core circle of the Yún clan had a clear understanding.
But for Ni Chang Yuan Jun, this was not a secret.
Sure enough, after a while, Ni Chang Yuan Jun replied.
“Yún Zhenxian? Why are you concerned about him, Alliance Leader?”
“Better safe than sorry.”
Ni Chang Yuan Jun seemed to understand and didn’t ask further, only introducing, “This person has a gentle temperament but has been in the Dao for a long time; he has always been the actual leader of Haori Mountain.”
“However, I’ve heard that in this era, Haori Mountain has been more influenced by that Luo Sanxian.”
Zheng Fa’s heart stirred, and he asked a couple more questions before changing the topic:
“How is the revival of Luo Sanxian going?”
“This is quite strange; Yún Zhenxian doesn’t seem very enthusiastic and has been slow about it, but it does require some time.”
Zheng Fa nodded inwardly.
Speaking of which, while the other sects among the four clans might not know, Haori Mountain’s situation was quite awkward—they had too few Dao fruits.
As long as Luo Sanxian wasn’t revived, Yún Zhenxian was the only pillar of support for Haori Mountain, seemingly having to juggle two roles.
Fortunately, the matter of Tiānhé Pai was still decades away; by then, Luo Sanxian should be revived.
Zheng Fa asked a few more details, and when he saw Haori Mountain in the distance, he ended the Lingxin communication.
...
This was Zheng Fa’s first visit to Haori Mountain.
He descended from his escape light and looked ahead.
Though called a mountain, what appeared before Zheng Fa was a massive, sprawling city, with the southern city wall alone having nine grand gates, each with long lines of people.
Cultivators, spirit beasts, magical tools, and elixirs entered and exited in an orderly manner.
Looking up into the distance, he could see a range of mountains standing to the north of the city.
The highest peak among them was capped with snow, reflecting sunlight from dawn to dusk, illuminating the city at its foot.
Thus, this mountain was named Haori Mountain.
Shí Nándāng had proudly mentioned that regardless of whether one was a disciple of Haori Mountain or not, and regardless of their cultivation level, anyone wishing to go to Haori Mountain must first pass through this grand city, walking step by step like a mortal.
Zheng Fa had asked Ni Chang Yuan Jun about this.
Ni Chang Yuan Jun had replied... that she hadn’t heard of it.
...
As Zheng Fa entered the city gate, a Jīn Dān disciple, noticing his robes, seemed to recognize him as a Huàshén from the sect and hurriedly approached, respectfully cupping his hands. “May I ask your esteemed name and the reason for your return to the mountain?”
“Shí Nándāng, summoned by Master Yún.”
“Shí... Shí Shàngrén?”
The Jīn Dān disciple was taken aback, his voice involuntarily rising a notch.
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