Chapter 252: Mount Zigai

How could Li Yan not understand what had happened?

This was a Returned Soul!

Lady Fan had appeared in two different eras.

The first was at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty. She had been closely associated with Immortal Elder Ge, and was even recorded in his Biographies of Divine Immortals. In the end, she and her husband were said to have ascended and become immortals.

The second was during the Zhenyuan era of the Tang Dynasty, when she used the alias Old Woman Xiang. She rescued people around Dongting Lake, then took in many disciples and established the Earth Immortal Cavern.

It sounded very much like the characteristics of a Returned Soul. There was probably something wrong with the story of her ascension. She had concealed her name and identity, clearly to evade investigation by the Underworld.

Moreover, although husband and wife had supposedly ascended together, only one of them had returned to life afterward.

Something must have happened between them!

By this point, Li Yan had pieced together several threads of information. The Earth Immortal Cavern had always existed, and was connected to Lady Fan. Perhaps some of her disciples were still cultivating there in seclusion, unknown to outsiders.

Next, a tiger demon with profound cultivation had hidden near Guanling for many years. Yet it had not recklessly harmed people nor caused widespread chaos, so no one knew what it was plotting.

The Heavenly Saint Cult definitely knew more about both of them, and had even come into conflict with both sides. They had placed restrictions outside the tiger demon's shrine and stolen the Tomb Blood Beam from the Earth Immortal Cavern.

Thus, both sides had slaughtered members of the Heavenly Saint Cult. At the same time, the Heavenly Saint Cult had also unleashed headless riders to cause trouble, tarnishing the reputation of Lord Guan, the Sage Emperor, and throwing the people into panic.

What exactly were they trying to accomplish?

Could it really be as the rice diviner had said? Did they intend to break open the legendary grand formation beneath Dangyang County and release the suppressed demons?

A thought occurred to Li Yan, and he asked, "There's another person. I don't know whether you've seen him. He wears coarse clothing and is dressed like a woodcutter..."

He described the murderer who had killed Venerable Miaoshan.

Earth-Burrowing Wolf denied it immediately, "No. I've never heard of anyone like that on the road."

He then said, "Gentlemen, if you want to go to the Earth Immortal Cavern, you'll need someone to lead the way. As long as you let me out..."

Head Constable Yang cursed, "Dream on! Grave robbing, murder, robbery... You still think you're getting out? Just sit there and wait to die!"

"Tsk." Earth-Burrowing Wolf spat, then curled up on the ground, wrapping his arms around his sore-covered body. He sneered, "Fine. Once enough of your people die in the Earth Immortal Cavern, you'll naturally come begging me.

"Hahaha..."

***

By the time they left the prison, it was already late at night.

The Guan Clan was a prominent local clan, and naturally owned a residence in the county town, so Li Yan and the others stayed there, rather than an inn.

The night passed uneventfully, with light rain falling on and off. The next day, the rain finally cleared and the red sun rose.

Knock, knock, knock!

Li Yan and the others were eating when an urgent knocking sounded at the door. When they opened it, they found Head Constable Yang outside, accompanied by a white-robed monk with fair skin and a peaceful gaze.

Head Constable Yang hurriedly introduced. "Young Hero Li, this is Master Wunian from Jade Spring Temple. He has come to claim Venerable Miaoshan's remains, and said there were a few matters he wished to ask you about."

Li Yan glanced at the monk before gesturing in. "Oh? Please, come in."

His expression did not change, but inwardly, his vigilance rose. This monk was not a simple man.

A faint sandalwood fragrance lingered around him, like an isolating barrier that blocked Li Yan's divine ability from probing him. Either he possessed a protective spiritual artifact, or his technique was unusual.

After entering and sitting down, Abbot Wunian pressed his palms together. "Amitabha. Many thanks to Benefactor Li for helping collect Senior Brother Miaoshan's remains. Had you not intervened, I fear the other disciples might not have survived either."

Li Yan replied expressionlessly, "No need to thank me. It was merely something we did along the way."

Abbot Wunian continued, "I heard Senior Brother Miaoshan discovered something and was killed because of it. The people at the county courthouse could not explain matters clearly. Would Benefactor Li be willing to tell me what happened?"

"Of course..."

Li Yan recounted what they had discovered the previous day. Quite a few people already knew about these matters, so there was no need to conceal them.

After hearing everything, Abbot Wunian fell into thought. "Lady Fan..."

Seeing his reaction, Li Yan frowned slightly and could not help asking, "Master, Buddhism is also counted among the orthodox mystic path traditions and bears responsibility for maintaining peace in a region. Now that evildoers are appearing throughout Dangyang County and evil entities are causing chaos, why has the Buddhist establishment not sent experts to deal with them?"

Abbot Wunian fell silent for a moment before replying, "Benefactor, there are circumstances you do not know. We too have our difficulties. One tree alone cannot support a great building. The Jade Spring Temple is also a sacred site of the Wisdom King Buddha. The monks of our temple worship him devoutly and dare not show the slightest negligence.

"To tell you the truth, even before these incidents began, evildoers had already infiltrated the temple and attempted to use gunpowder to destroy the iron pagoda containing the Buddha-tooth relic.

"That pagoda is the fundamental treasure of our temple used to suppress evil. If it were destroyed, a great calamity would descend. The evildoers using headless riders to tarnish the name of the Wisdom King Buddha may very well be a diversion intended to lure us away so they can destroy it."

Li Yan said coldly, "The temple is enormous. Are you saying you can't send any other experts?"

Abbot Wunian did not become angry. Pressing his palms together, he said, "Benefactor sees only the surface. There are deeper reasons behind all of this. The imperial court appointed the Jade Spring Temple to preside over the rites for two reasons. First, because our connection to the Wisdom King Buddha runs deep, and we were among the earliest to worship him. Second, because we are the most suitable choice.

"But the mystic path situation in Ezhou is complicated. The north is dominated by the Taixuan Orthodox Sect, the south by the local lineages, the west by Daoism, and the east by Buddhism.

“The Jade Spring Temple is one of the ancestral temples of the Tiantai School. We emphasize cultivation of the scriptures, observance of precepts, and the practices of cessation and contemplation. The threshold for cultivation is high, and we are far less accessible than Zen or Pure Land Buddhism. We flourished during the Sui and Tang dynasties, but have long since declined.

"In eastern Ezhou, most of our Buddhist brethren belong to the Zen school of thought."

The monk spoke in circles, but Li Yan understood what he was getting at. None of the three teachings, Confucianism, Buddhism, or Daoism, were willing to relinquish responsibility for the rites at Guanling. But they were talking about an imperial mausoleum. Whichever side received the position would be seen as representing the imperial family's attitude.

At present, the Taixuan Orthodox Sect was the state religion and held the most influence. Yet the Great Xuan Emperor was skilled at balancing factions and would also support Buddhism as a counterweight.

However, the particular position they were in was awkward. It lay within the sphere of Daoist influence, while the local ritual lineages were also powerful. Giving it to any one side would likely provoke friction.

By comparison, Jade Spring Temple was the most suitable choice. Moreover, judging from the monk's tone, he seemed to harbor some resentment toward his Buddhist brethren in the east.

No wonder he said the Jade Spring Temple could not support everything alone.

The imperial court's balancing tactics, internal divisions within the mystic path, and the southwestern war drawing away large numbers of elite practitioners had all combined to create the present situation.

Sha Lifei laughed and sneered from the side. "Interesting. Evildoers are running rampant, yet the mystic path pretends to be deaf and blind, waiting to watch one another make fools of themselves, while people like us run around everywhere like idiots. Brother Yan, if you ask me, we should just stop doing this job!"

Even after being mocked so openly, Abbot Wunian remained unruffled and said calmly, "Benefactor, please calm down. Although we do not know exactly what those evildoers are plotting, Jade Spring Temple is one of the key points. As long as we hold it, their scheme cannot succeed. That is all we can do."

As he spoke, he slowly stood, his tone becoming somewhat pointed. "And I fear this matter is not so simple. Senior Brother Miaoshan was killed because he discovered the existence of Lady Fan."

"This Lady Fan secretly established the Earth Immortal Cavern, while openly accepting worship at Mount Zigai. She may actually be the true source of this entire affair. The Zhushan Sect occupies more than half of the spiritual nodes above Mount Zigai, while the Taixuan Orthodox Sect occupies the remaining half. Both sides also maintain spirit troops there. If they do not move, how would Jade Spring Temple dare to move?"

With that, he pressed his palms together in a Buddhist salute, and took his leave.

After he was gone, Li Yan said thoughtfully, "It seems the Buddhist establishment isn't exactly united either."

Wang Daoxuan shook his head. "I have heard something about the matter as well. The Tiantai School was once a major sect, but its disciples must study Buddhist scriptures deeply. Literacy is uncommon among ordinary people, so naturally it is difficult to enter their faction.

"By contrast, in the teachings of the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, as long as one's heart is sincere and one wholeheartedly recites the name of Buddha, one can be reborn there. Naturally, that has much broader appeal.

"After the Tang and Song dynasties, the Tiantai School declined further and further. Even Guoqing Temple in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, one of its ancestral temples, eventually changed its teaching to that of zen. It is only natural that they would harbor some resentment."

Sha Lifei was still somewhat annoyed. "Resentment is one thing, but they should know when to put it aside! That monk is slippery too. He looked like he was admitting weakness, but in reality, he was pointing the finger at the Taixuan Orthodox Sect. He also definitely concealed some things. There's definitely something wrong with the Daoist temple on Mount Zigai!"

Li Yan said solemnly, "Exactly. According to the clues Gu Hanzi gave us, the trouble at the temple began even earlier, and it was connected to Lady Fan. Perhaps that is the true origin of everything happening now!"

Just then, another knock sounded at the door. It was Head Constable Yang, who had left with Abbot Wunian earlier, returning once again. This time, several men from the Military Surveillance Department followed him in.

Head Constable Yang now looked at Li with awe. He respectfully cupped his fists and said, "Young Hero Li, these gentlemen are from the Yichang Military Surveillance Department. They are also here to see you."

The leader of the Military Surveillance Department men was a stern-faced man. He cupped his fists and said in a deep voice, "Young Hero Li, I am Zheng Chong, captain of the department. The commander has ordered us to cooperate with you."

Once he was informed that the Heavenly Saint Cult was behind the trouble, the magistrate of Dangyang County had immediately sought help from the Yichang authorities. After all, Dangyang was still under Yichang's jurisdiction.

Li Yan was delighted. "You came at just the right time!"

He immediately asked, "Did Lord Yuan not come?"

Captain Zheng replied solemnly, "The chieftain cities in Miao territory have dispatched numerous spies to Zigui to carry out sabotage. The commander must remain behind to command the response."

"Troubled times indeed." Li Yan frowned before asking, "How many men did you bring?"

Captain Zheng replied, "Yichang is short on manpower, so I only brought a hundred men under my command."

Li Yan immediately got to his feet. "That's enough! There's no time to waste. We leave at once for Mount Zigai!"

These hundred men from the Military Surveillance Department had arrived at precisely the right time. They might have been few in number, and only Captain Zheng and two of his subordinates had cultivated hidden force, but they worked together seamlessly and were skilled in battle. Coupled with the various deadly weapons used by the Military Surveillance Department, wiping out a small gang would pose no difficulty.

The black riders set out, hoofbeats pounding hard on the ground. The small gangs, local thugs, and petty criminals of Dangyang City all trembled in fear and dared not show their faces. Only after the large force had left the city did they begin asking one another what was going on.

Li Yan had done it deliberately. There were undoubtedly members of the Heavenly Saint Cult hiding within Dangyang City. The arrival of a large contingent from the Military Surveillance Department was perfect for intimidating them. If they were lucky, it would force their enemies to reveal flaws.

Of course, their foremost target was still Mount Zigai.

Mount Zigai was a blessed land and a grotto-heaven. Although it did not possess many spiritual nodes, both the Zhushan Sect and the Taixuan Orthodox Sect's temple there maintained spirit troops.

Those spirit troops were the key to victory. No matter who the enemy was, as long as the troops of Mount Zigai could trap them or delay them, unlike before, Li Yan would have enough time to calmly summon the troops of the Underworld.

Mount Zigai lay fifty li south of Dangyang City. It was connected with Mount Fuchuan, where Jade Spring Temple stood. Everyone rode warhorses, and the road was unobstructed, allowing them to quickly reach the foot of Mount Zigai.

The mountain was not particularly tall, but it brimmed with spiritual charm. Ancient pines and lush trees filled the mountain, while clouds and mist coiled around its slopes. Thousands upon thousands of white egrets perched among the dense treetops. From time to time, they all took flight together, beating their wings as they circled the mountain.

Li Yan could already smell the rich innate astral qi before they even approached.

Wang Daoxuan was in excellent spirits as he took in such a magnificent sacred mountain. Stroking his beard, he said, "Before coming here, I had only read the records. During the Western Jin Dynasty, this place was enormous, with forty eight great halls and seventy two smaller halls. It was an important mystic path sanctuary. Unfortunately, around the transition between the Jin and Sui dynasties, the Zigai sanctuary was destroyed in war and has never recovered its former splendor."

Li Yan naturally had no interest in admiring the scenery. He turned to Lu San and asked solemnly, "Any discoveries?"

Lu San glanced at the hawk in the sky and shook his head. "None."

Li Yan frowned slightly, deep in thought. "Could my guess have been wrong?"

According to his speculation, if the Daoist temple on Mount Zigai had been infiltrated by evildoers, then the villains in the city would surely have sent word to them. The fastest method would be carrier pigeons or hawks. That was why he had ordered Lu San's hawk to watch for and intercept any such messages.

Although puzzled, Li Yan had no time to wait any longer. He left ten Military Surveillance Department's men behind to watch the horses and led everyone else up the mountain.

Mount Zigai was where Immortal Elder Ge had once refined elixirs. Many nearby commoners climbed the mountain to burn incense, praying for peace or for sick family members to recover. The arrival of such a large group immediately caused a commotion.

The Military Surveillance Department had a fearsome reputation. The occasional commoners they encountered on the mountain path were terrified and hurriedly moved aside.

Naturally, the cultivators on the mountain also noticed them.

Two young Daoists in white clothes and green robes hurried over to block their path.

"Everyone, what business brings you here?"

One look was enough to tell that they were cultivators of the Zhushan Sect.

Li Yan tossed them the document issued by the City God Temple. "We were entrusted by the True Martial Palace to come up the mountain and investigate a case!"

He was not particularly polite. Whatever the reason, the Zhushan Sect occupied this blessed land and secret realm, yet had behaved as though none of the surrounding troubles concerned them, standing aloof from everything. Perhaps they had something to hide as well.

Sure enough, after the two Daoists saw the document, both looked somewhat embarrassed and hurriedly stepped aside. "Please, go ahead."

Li Yan wasted no words and led everyone swiftly up the mountain. The Zhushan Sect and the Taixuan Orthodox Sect had clearly divided the mountain between them, occupying the eastern and western mountain ranges respectively.

The Zhushan Sect held the best location. After passing through the rear courtyard of their mountain gate, one could see the famous sea of purple clouds. The Taixuan Orthodox Sect's Daoist temple, meanwhile, occupied several important sites associated with Immortal Elder Ge, including Xiaoxian Pavilion, Bixia Cave, and the Alchemy Well.

In addition, the Vinaya School of Buddhism had a small temple occupying one spiritual aperture. However, to avoid arousing the Zhushan Sect's suspicions, they had only stationed a few ordinary disciples there.

Li Yan had not climbed the mountain to admire the scenery. He went directly to the gates of the Taixuan Orthodox Sect's temple. The cultivators of the sect had already received word and were waiting outside to greet them.

They were led by an old Daoist with a white beard. Seeing Li Yan arrive with such a large force and even bring men from the Military Surveillance Department, a trace of displeasure immediately flashed through his eyes.

He said indifferently, "My name is Feng Huazi. Greetings, fellow Daoist."

"Greetings, Daoist Feng." Li Yan was equally blunt. "I am Li Yan. I was entrusted by the Yunyang City God Temple to come here and investigate a case. I hope everyone will cooperate."

Feng Huazi frowned slightly. "The Yunyang City God Temple? The City God Temple is responsible for guarding cities. Our temple, however, falls directly under the True Martial Palace. What authority do they have to investigate my temple?"