FVN Chapter 92 Wind Direction
Chapter 92 Wind Direction
Underground Cloud Palace.
Four evil spirits, laughing maniacally, approached step by step.
Yun Quezi's pupils contracted sharply, his sleeves fluttered wildly, and the cloud patterns on the thirty-six giant pillars swirled wildly. A hundred or so sharp cloud swords and thirty-six winding cloud dragons stabbed and pounced at the evil spirit.
But the four evil spirits ignored them, waving their mourning sticks and tearing the Cloud-Piercing Sword into shreds with a gust of yin wind; the Ghost-Slaying Blade cleaved the winding cloud dragon as easily as tofu; iron chains rattled and wrapped around Yun Quezi's feet, and shackles descended from above, locking his neck and tightening sharply.
Another person, Yun Quezi, whose body was entangled with cloud dragons, rushed forward to rescue him.
The evil spirit wielding the mourning staff smiled contemptuously and struck Yun Quezi on the head. The jade-like white bones shattered instantly, and the somewhat childlike face turned into mud in an instant.
The newly hatched cloud dragon hissed and pounced on the evil spirit, only to be cleaved in two by a casual swing of the demon-slaying blade.
Before it could struggle or howl, it was snatched into the mouths of two swift-thinking demons holding shackles and iron chains, and chewed up and swallowed.
The evil spirit that had killed the cloud dragon, seeing that it had no share, hurriedly stepped forward, pried open the mouth of one of the demons, snatched a piece of its shimmering white tail, threw it into its mouth, and savored it.
"You little zombie, why did you have to mess with my master?"
Yun Quezi cried out hoarsely, "Do you know who I am? I am from overseas..."
Before he could finish speaking, the mourning staff struck again, shattering his jawbone. The evil spirit holding the shackles said sinisterly:
"We don't care who you are, if our master wants your soul, we'll take it. Even if you're the son of an immortal, if you offend our master, you'll be devoured alive."
……
On the precipice of Xiongli Mountain, the moon is dim and the stars hang low.
A young Taoist priest and a middle-aged man were fast asleep on the edge of the cliff.
Big Yellow, pacing back and forth nearby, made urgent "hmm hmm" sounds.
The girl in colorful clothes knelt beside the Taoist priest, shaking the bell in her hand.
The ringing of bells cleared the ears.
A woman in a crimson skirt rode the wind from the sea of clouds at the bottom of the cliff, her red lips slightly upturned as she watched the lark diligently shaking its bells.
"Stop shaking him, I've found his soul."
The lark looked up at the woman in the crimson dress, the bell in her hand stopped jingling, and she lowered her head to wipe away her tears, sobbing softly.
The woman in the crimson skirt sighed softly, knelt down, and gently stroked the lark, saying:
"He has already cultivated himself to the level of a deity and embarked on the path of self-cultivation, which has already led to his rejection by the Celestial Court. In addition, the Celestial Court has many factions, and I have repeatedly cut off the marriage threads that were forcibly tied to him. The Celestial Court has already realized that he is difficult to control, so it is normal for immortals to try to trip him up."
Yun Que looked up at the woman in the crimson dress: "Sister Yingxue, I just feel uncomfortable. These people who have become immortals were clearly mortals before, so why do they have to prevent mortals from becoming immortals?"
Mei Yingxue pursed her red lips but did not answer.
With a wave of her hand, a radiant moonlight and a delicate green leaf emerged from Song Quyou's body.
As the woman clenched her fist, the moonlight and emerald leaves shattered and disintegrated like glass, turning into fireflies and vanishing into the world.
"Put his body into the Heavenly Pot. You have no foundation, no backing. Whether it's the Western Dragon Clan usurping the Central Heaven Dragon Body or the factional strife among the Central Heaven Immortals, this mortal realm has long been divided up. It's no longer a place for you to become immortals. Follow me to the Underworld, where I can still protect you a little."
Yun Que nodded and led Song Quyou into the Pot Heaven.
Picking up the teapot from the ground, Mei Yingxue glanced at the large yellow dog sitting upright to the side: "If you are determined to find it, I might as well give you a chance."
As soon as she finished speaking, Mei Yingxue waved her hand, and Dahuang collapsed unconscious.
Just then, four evil spirits, carrying Yun Quezi and a crystal-clear white ape, arrived at the cliff.
"Sir, after we came out, we encountered this beast trying to enter the underground palace, so we captured it along with him."
Mei Yingxue lowered her eyes to look at the white ape, which was as white as snow. It was tightly bound by iron chains, curled up on the ground, trembling, and making weak whimpering sounds.
"Are you a protector of the Western religion?"
The white ape trembled, blood dripping from its mouth, unable to speak, only kowtowing repeatedly.
Mei Yingxue's eyes turned slightly cold. With just one glance, the white ape felt as if it had fallen into an ice cave. Every hair on its body stood on end, and even its kowtowing motion froze.
"You four ghosts can share the demon and the white ape. After you've eaten them, summon the painter's soul back from the ground and let him descend the mountain on his own."
After saying this, Mei Yingxue transformed into a gentle breeze and disappeared into the mountains.
Seeing the woman disappear, the four evil spirits revealed their ferocious nature. Looking at Yun Quezi, whose jaw was shattered, and the white ape whose tongue had long been cut off by them, they rolled their throats and grinned sinisterly.
The night wind swept across the cliff top, and the clouds and mist were thick.
The evil spirit wielding the demon-slaying blade grabbed Yun Quezi's tattered crane cloak and lifted him up. His jawbone, smashed by the mourning stick, drooped, held together only by a layer of dry skin.
The evil spirits, bound by chains, did the same, pulling out the white ape's soul and swallowing their saliva impatiently.
The four evil spirits exchanged a glance and said nothing more.
You pull my arm, I pull my leg; he rips open his chest, I slit his throat.
The souls of Yun Quezi and the white ape were unable to utter a sound, their eyes filled with pleading.
But all they received in response were the sharp, dagger-like fangs and iron-claw-like claws of four demons, and excruciating pain.
In the end, all they could do was watch helplessly as they were torn apart, cut up, stuffed into the mouths of ghosts, chewed up, and swallowed whole.
After consuming the soul.
The white ape's body remained motionless.
The four evil spirits, still not satisfied, climbed up and began to devour the food eagerly.
The sounds of bones breaking, sucking, bursting juice, and satisfied swallowing mingled together; blood droplets, bone fragments, and anything edible were swallowed whole, leaving nothing behind.
Since being subdued and imprisoned by Mei Yingxue, the four evil spirits have not eaten blood for who knows how long.
To be able to enjoy meat today, one must have licked off the outer layer of the rock, which was once covered in oil and grease.
……
After enjoying the blood sacrifice, the four evil spirits remembered their business. Still not satisfied, they walked to the side of the sleeping Mr. Wu and touched his forehead with their withered fingers.
A wisp of gray mist drifted out from the sea of clouds below the cliff, swirled in the air, and entered Mr. Wu's seven orifices.
Mr. Wu's eyelids twitched, and his breathing gradually calmed down.
"Done, go and give them your report." The four ghosts flickered and transformed into four wisps of black smoke, disappearing into the night.
……
The rising sun is just beginning to appear.
Mr. Wu woke up in a mountain breeze.
My head is throbbing with a sharp pain, as if needles are pricking inside my brain.
He propped himself up on his elbows, looked around blankly, and found himself lying on the rocks at the edge of a cliff.
"Master Song! Old Chieftain!"
There was no one in sight.
Mr. Wu turned to look at the cliff. The sea of clouds was still surging, a vast expanse of white, completely filling the valley.
He rubbed his temples, his mind a jumbled mess, vaguely remembering Xiongjia Village and the banquet.
Suddenly, footsteps sounded behind him. Mr. Wu turned around and saw a burly, bear-like man and a clever, cat-like woman carrying baskets and holding incense and candles.
Mr. Wu's pupils contracted sharply, and he said with a faint smile, "Brother Xiong Hai, Miss Fang Li, weren't you having a feast in the village just now? How did you end up on the cliff?"
Bear Hai, carrying incense and candles, exchanged a glance with Fang Li. "Do you know us, brother and sister?"
"How could I not recognize you? We were just drinking at Xiongjia Village a moment ago, how could we not recognize each other now?"
Xiong Hai's expression was grave: "Xiong Family Village was destroyed beneath this sea of clouds twenty years ago..."
"Brother Xiong Hai, don't joke around. I was just drinking with the old chieftain Xiong Boyuan."
"My father's name was indeed Xiong Boyuan, but he died twenty years ago. Who exactly are you, sir?"
The mountain wind howled, rushing into his collar. Mr. Wu froze, feeling as if he had fallen into an ice cave, with a chill constantly seeping out from his bones.
……
In the heavens, a bald monk dressed in a moon-white robe, with divine light emanating from his back, looked at the cracked moonlight in his hand with cold eyes.
"Kill my successor, destroy my magical treasures..."
Before he could finish speaking, a flash of lightning suddenly appeared.
A solemn and ethereal voice came from above the clouds: "Zen Master Huan Yue."
Upon hearing the voice, Zen Master Huanyue immediately bowed and said, "This humble monk greets the venerable immortal."
"Master Huanyue abandoned immortality to cultivate Buddhism in his early years, and joined the Western Sect in order to attain a Buddhist position. Now he has returned to the Central Celestial Court, so he can be said to have achieved success in both immortality and Buddhism. I imagine his successor must be more capable than the ordinary Taoists of the Central Celestial Court. I just wonder if the successor of my Thunder Department Celestial Official would suit the tastes of your lineage?"
Zen Master Huan Yue clasped his hands together, the divine light behind him shimmering slightly, and said unhurriedly:
"Immortal, you jest. My disciple Yun Quezi is nothing but a cowardly corpse who clings to life. He can't even master the 'Taiyin Refinement' step by step. How can he be compared to the disciple of the Thunder Department Immortal Official?"
Thunder rumbled in the sky, and the voice continued, "How disciples of different factions fight and die in the mortal realm is their own fate. But how can Zen Master Huanyue shamelessly bully the weak? Does he think my Thunder Department has no one to rely on?"
Thunder roared through the sky, tearing silk with a piercing sound. Zen Master Huanyue trembled slightly, but replied with a faint smile:
"This humble monk dares not, but the Celestial Court has rules that only the divine souls of the Thunder Department officials can enter the Celestial Court. Although that little Taoist priest comes from the Thunder Department lineage, he has cultivated the spirit within his body and is following the path of self-cultivation. He cannot be considered a successor of the Thunder Department."
As for the immortals who cultivate their nature, what kind of immortals they are, I will not say, but the venerable immortals should know.
Furthermore, the Celestial Court had given that young Taoist a chance to live. If he had fallen in love with the Dragon Girl and accepted the Celestial Court's favor, allowing the Celestial Court to exploit his weakness, he would not have suffered this calamity.
Everything this humble monk has done is in accordance with the will of the Celestial Court, discussed and agreed upon by all the immortals. How can it be an act of bullying the weak?
"The will of the Celestial Court?" The voice wasn't loud, but it shook the divine light of the moon wheel behind Zen Master Huan Yue, causing it to tremble and become unstable.
"Are you saying that since you returned to the Celestial Court, you've allowed the Western Religion to infiltrate, indulged in the evil rains, and watched as the people of the lower realms suffered, and that all of this is blamed on the Celestial Court's will?"
Zen Master Huanyue said calmly, "Although I, a humble monk, went to persuade them about this matter, there was a reason for it. After all, the Western Sect has found a way to resolve the calamity by borrowing the power of incense offerings, which will help the immortals of my Celestial Court to overcome the heavenly tribulation that occurs once every five hundred years."
The introduction and imitation of Western religions to obtain methods for averting disasters, ensuring the safety of all immortals in the Celestial Court, was the result of discussions among the immortals. This humble monk merely followed their instructions.
After a moment of silence above the clouds, the solemn and ethereal voice rang out again, its calmness chilling.
"The Zen Master is quite cunning. He uses the methods of the Western religion to resolve the calamity of the Celestial Court, and then nipps the seedlings of the path of self-cultivation in the bud. In this way, the entire Celestial Court will have no choice but to obediently rely on the methods you introduced to resolve the calamity."
"It is not my wish to extinguish the path of cultivating one's nature. After all, some time ago, in order to verify that the path of cultivating one's nature was still viable, I offered up my magic treasure, the Taiyin Mingxin Mirror."
As for scheming against that little Taoist priest, isn't it because those who cultivate their nature to become immortals invariably cause chaos in the celestial court and destroy too many immortal foundations? After all, the immortals have been cultivating their nature for a long time.
Besides, the immortals of the Thunder Department only promote good and punish evil; they have no right to participate in the celestial court's decisions. If you, sir, are dissatisfied with this, feel free to seek out other immortals. I am merely a servant.
……
In a hazy state.
Song Quyou slowly opened his eyes and found himself in an unfamiliar room.
"You're awake?"
Song Quyou looked towards the source of the sound and saw that it was Yun Que guarding the bedside.
Suddenly, as if he had thought of something.
Song Quyou hurriedly got up, reached out and touched his chest, and found that there was no large hole or scar.
He breathed a sigh of relief and lay down again.
Yun Que handed over a bowl of hot soup. "Drink this. It's soup made from Soul-Nourishing Grass."
Song Quyou got up and took the soup bowl. The warmth emanated from the porcelain, the soup was clear and green, and had a faint aroma of herbs and wood.
He took two sips, and the warmth went down his throat, spreading throughout his body, instantly filling the emptiness he felt.
After drinking the herbal medicine, Song Quyou looked around.
The room was small and simply furnished. There was a wooden bed, a small table, and dim light streaming in from the window.
"Where is this?"
Yun Que said, "This is the Nine Netherworld, also known as the underworld, the place where the souls of the dead return."
Song Quyou stared blankly at Yun Que, the soup bowl in his hand trembling slightly.
"I'm dead? Were you also killed by that cloud dragon?"
"You didn't die, and neither did I." Yun Que sat down on the edge of the bed and recounted the events of the past few days.
Song Quyou remained silent for a long time, looking down at his undamaged chest. The thought that he could be targeted so deliberately by an enlightened being in heaven gave rise to a strange emotion—live well and see what you can do to me.
Song Quyou got up and placed the soup bowl on the table:
"So, who exactly is Mei Yingxue?"
Yun Que pondered for a moment, then frowned and said, "She said she was an old friend of yours."
Song Quyou was stunned for a moment.
An old friend?
He searched his memory but could not recall ever knowing a woman who could command ghosts and spirits and enter and leave the underworld.
Crimson skirt, red umbrella, and a sky full of red plum blossoms—it was clearly the first time I'd met her in the ghost market, and we weren't even acquainted.
"I can't remember. I don't recall knowing such an accomplished person from the past."
"That's right, you can't remember."
At that moment, the door was pushed open, and a woman in a crimson dress stepped into the room.
"It's normal that you don't recognize me, after all, the person I'm close to is the you from the past, or rather, the you from my previous life."
Song Quyou stared blankly at the crimson figure at the door, unsure of what to say.
"That happened hundreds of years ago, so I won't think about it if I can't remember it."
Mei Yingxue entered the room, sat down opposite the table, and poured herself a cup of tea.
Song Quyou remained silent for a moment before speaking, "A hundred years ago...who was I?"
Mei Yingxue looked at Song Quyou and said, "You are a scoundrel who doesn't pay back his debts."
Upon hearing this, Song Quyou paused for a moment, then gave a bitter smile:
"Owes money and won't pay it back?"
"That's right, they owe me wages for the past few hundred years."
Song Quyou patted his empty pockets and said with an embarrassed smile, "I have no money on me right now, so I'm afraid I won't be able to repay you."
Mei Yingxue casually tossed out an ancient book, which flew into Song Quyou's heart.
"Cultivating Qi and Nourishing Nature"?
"I've found what you asked me to find."
However, if one cannot cultivate this method of self-cultivation to become an immortal, one will remain just an ordinary person, lacking the means to engage in combat.
"It's alright. Now that you possess the fragments of the Heavenly Book and have cultivated an additional method for nourishing life, you won't lack methods when engaging in combat."