Chapter 204: Three Great Mystic Realms

Gu Hanzi stepped through the doorway, swept his broad sleeves outward, and offered a Daoist salute, smiling with an amiable expression.

"Fellow Daoist Li, this humble Daoist greets you!"

Though Li Yan was puzzled, he still smiled and nodded in response.

"Greetings, Daoist."

Most of the Taixuan Orthodox Sect's Daoists in Ezhou came from the True Martial Palace on Mount Wudang. They specialized in martial ritual arts and were somewhat similar to the Pure Yang Palace. Both served as the principal forces of the Enforcement Hall.

Although Li Yan had once fought alongside them, he had no real friendship with them. How could such warm hospitality not make him suspicious?

Seeing the guarded look in his eyes, Gu Hanzi smiled faintly and did not conceal his intentions. "When we were in Shangjin City, I saw that you and your companions possessed extraordinary skills. I later contacted the Chang'an City God Temple and reviewed some information about you. The assessments from Shanzhou were extremely favorable. Whether from the City God Temples of Chang'an and Xianyang, or the Queen Mother Courtyard and Pure Yang Courtyard, all spoke highly of you.

"Given your background as well, we can be considered people of the same side."

Li Yan replied modestly, "You flatter me, Daoist."

At the same time, he remained unconvinced that the man was praising him from the bottom of his heart. His dealings with the Taixuan Orthodox Sect in Shanzhou had gone smoothly largely because of Luo Mingzi's assistance.

As for Mount Hua, had circumstances not aligned and allowed him to prevent the calamity of the Drought Wraith, his treatment after ascending the mountain would probably have been little better than that afforded to heterodox practitioners.

He also knew something about the Taixuan Orthodox Sect's history. The matter involved the struggle between Buddhism and Daoism, with grievances stretching across thousands of years. Even during the Three Wu Persecutions of Buddhism, the Daoist schools had still remained scattered and disunited.

At the end of the Tang Dynasty, the realm fell into chaos and the Dao declined while demonic forces flourished. Yet the Daoist lineages throughout the Divine Continent continued to govern themselves independently. At times, they even fought one another over blessed lands.

To put an end to this troubled time, the Daoist schools beneath heaven gathered at Mount Tai. The Taixuan Orthodox Sect was born from that assembly. From the Song Dynasty onward, it became the undisputed leader of the mystic path.

Even so, it still contained numerous internal factions. Whatever connections Li Yan possessed in Shanzhou were entirely useless in Ezhou. Being treated as an equal and spared unnecessary trouble was already fortunate.

It would be a lie to say that such attentiveness did not worry him.

Gu Hanzi smiled faintly and poured tea for them. "There is no need for Fellow Daoist Li to overthink matters. In truth, whenever practitioners like you, those on good terms with the Daoist schools and possessing extraordinary methods, come to Ezhou, we treat them with courtesy. After all, there are many matters for which we require your assistance. The True Martial Palace also opens many Enforcement Hall assignments to practitioners such as yourselves."

"You jest, Daoist Gu." Li Yan frowned. "The martial ritual arts of the True Martial Palace are renowned throughout the realm. We are merely wandering practitioners. How could you possibly need our help?"

Gu Hanzi sighed and shook his head. "No matter how powerful the True Martial Palace may be, how many people do we truly have? Moreover, Ezhou's circumstances are far more complicated than Fellow Daoist Li imagines. Ezhou connects the north and south, and is also a major center of the Daoist world. Local ritual lineages flourish farther south, with countless sects and schools both large and small.

"Thus, the Daoist world of Ezhou follows a pattern of northern orthodoxy and southern ritual lineages, eastern Zen Buddhism and western Daoism. To preserve stability throughout the Divine Continent's mystic path, many blessed lands are also entrusted to local lineages to suppress and guard.

"Furthermore, the situation in the Wu Mountains is complicated and has never fallen under the control of orthodox sects. Together with the natural barrier of Shennongjia[ref]Shennongjia Forestry District (Chinese pinyin: Shénnóngjià Línqū) is a county-level administrative unit (a "forestry district") in northwestern Hubei province[\ref], it separates the orthodox sects of Sichuan from our True Martial Palace. One pillar alone cannot support the heavens."

Li Yan's expression remained unchanged, but his heart jolted. "I see..."

Good grief. Whether it was the conflict between Buddhism and Daoism or the entanglements between orthodox sects and local ritual lineages, either one was an enormous vortex. Could this fellow be trying to drag them into it?

Thinking this, Li Yan's expression turned solemn. He said in a deep voice, "Daoist Gu, we are merely unknown wanderers traveling the jianghu to cultivate. We would not dare involve ourselves in such matters."

Gu Hanzi froze for a moment before laughing despite himself. "Fellow Daoist Li has misunderstood. Although our world is complicated, it still has its rules. As for what should be done, let alone you, even this humble Daoist has no qualifications to participate. Those are matters for cultivators at a much higher level to consider."

"Oh?" Li Yan grew curious. "Aside from those matters, could your esteemed sect still encounter trouble despite its strength?"

Gu Hanzi nodded. "Not only do we encounter trouble, it is rather considerable.

"Ezhou's situation is unique, particularly here in Yunyang Prefecture. It involves the mountain people, the Heavenly Saint Cult, the various native offices, and certain secretive shamanic traditions hidden within the Jingchu mountains.

"Of course, the principal issue at present remains the mountain people. Governor Yuan of Yunyang has advocated a gradual approach. Though progress has been slow over the years, it has produced results, and many mountain people have chosen to relocate.

"However, several imperial guard garrisons are also stationed in Yunyang. Backed by the Ministry of War, the military prefers to imitate the Founding Emperor by sealing the mountains and suppressing or driving the people out directly, thereby avoiding the need to station troops for years and drain the empire's strength.

"Unfortunately, Governor Yuan's health has declined since last year. His energy is poor, and he is often confined to bed by illness. Gradually, he has become unable to restrain the garrisons.

"Now the mountain people and the Heavenly Saint Cult have caused another major case, one that also involves black-market gunpowder across several provinces. His Majesty is furious, and the Ministry of War has urgently redeployed garrisons from various regions. A great upheaval is unavoidable.

"The troops of Yunyang Prefecture's City God Temple and Mount Wudang are the foundation for suppressing the surrounding regions and preventing mystic forces from becoming involved on a large scale. Our True Martial Palace has already issued a summons, withdrawing and consolidating our strength in preparation for this matter.

“Because of this, there are indeed places we can no longer attend to, especially around Jingzhou and Yichang, where strange incidents have occurred repeatedly. We have no choice but to assign the Enforcement Hall's missions to other cultivators.

"You may rest assured. These missions do not involve disputes between sects. Most concern eliminating evil and cleansing corruption. After all, protecting the land and its people, warding off calamity, and eradicating evil are our foremost duties. If demons and wicked entities run rampant within our territory, that too is the fault of our True Martial Palace."

"Oh..." Li Yan's interest was piqued. "How difficult are these missions, and how is the compensation calculated?"

They had spent nearly half their wealth on Mount Hua, and their journey had only continued to deplete their money. Even taking minor exorcism jobs only covered their daily expenses. Trying to accumulate enough resources for cultivation through such work was exceedingly difficult.

Gu Hanzi answered seriously, "The bounty naturally depends on the mission's difficulty. Our True Martial Palace cannot offer excessively high sums of money, but after completing a mission, we can reward you with cultivation resources. If your merit is sufficient, we may even open the Three Great Mystic Realms to you during Mount Wudang's assembly."

Wang Daoxuan had remained silent at the side, but the moment he heard about the Three Great Mystic Realms, his expression changed slightly.

"What?"

Seeing Li Yan's confusion, he hurriedly explained, "The Three Great Mystic Realms are three extraordinary spiritual nodes on Mount Wudang, known as the True Martial Dragon Aperture, the Thunderfire Refinement Hall, and the Purple Heaven Divine Lamp. I have heard that cultivating within them can bring extraordinary opportunities."

Hearing this, unpleasant memories surfaced in Li Yan's mind. "A divine lamp? Opportunities?"

The White Emperor's blessing bestowed by the Divine Lanterns of Mount Hua had extinguished one of his soul flames. Although it had happened through an accidental misunderstanding, the resulting benefit had been rather ordinary. Every supporting pillar of his inner temple had turned metallic, making the structure more stable, but that was all.

With Mount Luofeng serving as its foundation, his tower had already been stable. This benefit felt somewhat redundant. Moreover, the White Emperor's blessing was supposed to enhance his use of blades, yet aside from the moment the Earth Breaker was forged, it had never manifested again.

Li Yan had a vague suspicion about the reason. Originally, when absorbing the White Emperor's blessing, there had been no need to resist at all. The innate Geng Metal Qi of Mount Hua would simply have merged into his visualized deity.

The only drawback was enduring the pain of countless blades piercing the soul.

An ordinary cultivator merely had to withstand it for a few breaths. Yet relying on the Luofeng Scripture and the Great Luo Dharma Body, Li Yan had forcibly endured the entire process without allowing the innate qi to merge with his visualized deity, persisting for more than an hour.

Thus, that immense energy had nowhere else to go, eventually fusing with the temple instead. Trying to mobilize it afterward had become extraordinarily difficult.

Now that he was hearing about another divine lamp that was basically the same thing as a divine lantern and another blessing, he naturally doubted how effective it would truly be.

"Daoist Wang is indeed widely knowledgeable." Gu Hanzi offered a word of praise, then smiled. "The True Martial Dragon Aperture lies beneath the Five Dragons Palace. The palace was constructed by imperial decree during the Zhenguan era, and was the foremost of Mount Wudang's nine great palaces and temples at the time.

"Legend has it that a terrible drought afflicted the realm, and members of the Daoist world were ordered to pray for rain. The Five Dragons Palace was built to honor the five dragons that descended and transformed into dragon pools.

"The True Martial Dragon Aperture lies beneath those pools. If one enters seclusion there and encounters the proper opportunity, one may gain insight into the martial path. In fact, our sect's patriarch, Immortal Zhang Sanfeng, attained enlightenment within the True Martial Dragon Aperture.

"The Thunderfire Refinement Hall was built near the end of the Song-Jin period. It can draw upon the astral force of heavenly thunder, and is used both to suppress evil entities and to cultivate thunder-and-fire arts.

"As for the Purple Heaven Divine Lamp, it is enshrined within the Purple Heaven Golden Hall and burns throughout the year without ever going out. Visualizing and cultivating before it brings tremendous benefits!

"These three realms correspond respectively to techniques, ritual arts, and martial cultivation. They are foundations of our True Martial Palace. Were it not for the present circumstances, they are rarely opened to ordinary cultivators! Fellow Daoist Li, you must not miss this opportunity."

Li Yan was somewhat tempted after hearing this, especially by the True Martial Dragon Aperture and the Thunderfire Refinement Hall, but he still shook his head. "Such opportunities would never be offered casually. I imagine the missions are far from simple..."

"Fellow Daoist Li is correct." Gu Hanzi's expression turned solemn. "A storm is gathering over Ezhou, and certain ghosts and monsters are also beginning to stir. Some of the missions are indeed dangerous.

"For example, there is Azure Dragon Mountain not far from the city. Recently, rumors have spread of strange beasts appearing there, and people frequently vanish without explanation. No one dares enter the mountain now. The Enforcement Hall sent disciples to investigate, but they found nothing.

"With so many troubles here, we cannot keep people stationed there indefinitely, so a fellow Daoist from the Mount Mei Faith accepted the task. They are hunters from the mountains, and are particularly skilled at dealing with strange beasts. Yet after entering the mountain, they too disappeared without a trace.

"Since Azure Dragon Mountain lies close to Yunyang, the reward for this mission has been increased. Completing it will earn two thousand taels of silver and one token granting entry to the Three Great Mystic Realms.

"With that token, one may choose any of the three realms and enter it once for enlightenment."

Li Yan immediately lost interest. Even the hunters of the Mount Mei Faith had disappeared, which showed just how dangerous the place was. More troublesome still, the mission would likely require them to wait in the mountains, and they had no time to remain in the area indefinitely.

As for the Three Great Mystic Realms, they sounded incredibly mysterious, but they were merely inaccessible to ordinary cultivators. Disciples of the True Martial Palace and those with connections had probably cultivated inside them so often that they were already sick of it.

Whether one could actually obtain any opportunity was another matter entirely. Offering these intangible rewards alongside two thousand taels to make an expert from a ritual sect risk his life, and then fail to return, was practically a business requiring no capital at all.

Thinking it through, Li Yan asked, "What other missions are there?"

Gu Hanzi had clearly come prepared. He took a booklet from his robes. "Every mission that has been reported is recorded in this booklet. No matter which one you complete, you may report it at the local City God Temple, and someone will naturally verify the result."

He hesitated briefly before continuing, "However, there is one mission in particular for which I must ask Fellow Daoist Li's assistance."

Li Yan replied, "Please tell me, Daoist Gu."

"In Dangyang County of Jingzhou lies Mount Zigai, one of the seventy two blessed lands. It is jointly administered by the Zhushan Sect, the Buddhist Vinaya School, and the Taixuan Orthodox Sect, each occupying a part of it.

"For the last year, Daoists at the True Martial Palace on Mount Zigai have died one after another. The reports from there claim that they were natural deaths, but one of my junior brothers, Feng Lingzi, secretly sent me a message saying there was something strange within the palace. He was investigating it in secret. It has already been nearly a month since his last message, and I am deeply worried, but I cannot leave this place.

"Moreover, since the mountain is jointly governed by three factions, sending the Enforcement Hall in openly might cause misunderstandings. I ask Fellow Daoist Li to help investigate what exactly has happened."

"Dangyang County?" Li Yan considered it for a moment, then nodded. "Very well. I happen to be heading to Yichang. Once I finish my current business, I can investigate it along the way. But if I discover danger, I will leave immediately."

Gu Hanzi nodded. "Naturally. You only need to determine what has happened. We will handle the rest afterward."

With this relationship established, Lu San's matter also ceased to be a problem. Gu Hanzi promised that as long as the Military Surveillance Department withdrew the wanted notice, Lu San's Daoist credentials could be issued that very day without any waiting.

After leaving the City God Temple, the two headed toward the Military Surveillance Department. Unlike in Chang'an, the Yunyang Military Surveillance Department had been established primarily to deal with the mountain people. To make troop movements more convenient, it was located near the Yunyang Prefectural Office, which itself stood at the center of the city.

Before long, the two arrived outside it and saw a dense crowd gathered across the square. They all wore black headscarves and coarse blue clothing printed with patterns. Some also wore silver bracelets on their wrists or ankles. Sitting or lying about, they stared fearlessly at the surrounding soldiers.

Many ordinary residents of Yunyang had already gathered along the nearby streets. They whispered among themselves, their eyes filled with schadenfreude.

"Lost again?"

"Of course it was lost. It's been happening year after year..."

Puzzled, Li Yan made a few inquiries and soon learned the reason.

This crowd of people were Tujia from the western Ezhou. During the previous Great Xing Dynasty, the native chieftain system had been established to make them easier to govern. Native chieftains and native officials were appointed by the court, and allowed to administer their own people.

Most minority groups within the Divine Continent and along its frontiers were governed in this fashion, and the system had continued to the present day. The native chieftains were not only responsible for collecting taxes, but also had to present tribute at regular intervals.

The people before them were subjects of the Qin clan, rulers of the Tangya Native Clan. They had been escorting tax grain to Yunyang when river bandits robbed them along the way. The suspicious part was that they had been robbed for several consecutive years. Even tribute intended for the capital had been plundered completely.

Anyone could see that the supposed victims were thieves staging the whole damn thing themselves. The root of the matter was a policy the current Emperor had proposed several years earlier: replacing native chieftains with regular imperial administration, abolishing the chieftain system and sending court-appointed officials to govern directly.

Native chieftains everywhere had become furious. Some submitted petitions pleading with the court, while others spent vast sums bribing ministers to speak on their behalf. In any case, the policy had dragged on without ever being implemented.

The repeated theft of the tax grain was clearly an expression of dissatisfaction.

"Yunyang Prefecture is tangled in countless problems..."

Wang Daoxuan and Li Yan exchanged glances, both shaking their heads slightly before heading toward an alley near the prefectural office where the Military Surveillance Department was located.

The Military Surveillance Department had such a fearsome reputation that there were no restaurants or teahouses nearby. Even ordinary citizens were unwilling to live in the area, and most of the surrounding residences belonged to members of the office.

Upon reaching the entrance, Li Yan asked someone to announce their arrival.

Before long, a tall, broad red-faced man strode out and cupped his hands solemnly. "Greetings, Young Hero Li."

Li Yan had seen him before. He was Captain Wang, one of Huang Wenzhong's subordinates, a man from Jiaozhou who wielded twin blades with tremendous bravery. He was considered one of Huang Wenzhong's trusted aides.

Li Yan glanced inside. "Huang Wenzhong isn't here?"

Centurion Wang shook his head. "The commander caught a cold while in the mountains. He is currently resting at home due to illness, and is not at the office.

"But you may rest assured. The commander already instructed us to handle your matter. I have verified the details with Chang'an, and the wanted notice can be withdrawn. It will be done by tomorrow, and official documents will also be sent to the various regions."

"Many thanks!" Li Yan immediately cupped his hands in gratitude, then casually asked, "Is Commander Huang all right?"

Centurion Wang replied meaningfully, "It is not a serious illness. Perhaps once this period has passed, he will recover."

"Oh." Li Yan understood immediately and cupped his hands before taking his leave.