The Path Toward Heaven

Jing Jiu motioned for the old monk to sit down.

The old monk explained why they came here in a low voice.

The Fruit Formation Temple heard of this event, worrying the practitioners might be engaged in conflicts, even fighting in an attempt to obtain a share of the treasure, so their temple sent them here to treat the wounded and to try their best to avoid casualties when the when the feared event transpired.

Jing Jiu felt it was a typical thing for them to do, as this was the style of the Fruit Formation Temple.

If you met them the first time, you might think these monk doctors were closed-minded and in pursuit of a good reputation, sometimes even appearing hypocritical.

Yet the Fruit Formation Temple had been hypocritical for thousands of years. it was natural that they had earned the respect from the whole world, even from the Underworld.

“What about you?” the old monk asked.

“I just want to have a look. The manor cave is not real, merely a hoax,” said Jing Jiu.

The old monk knew the similar events had often happened before.

At the time when some highly achieved practitioners of the older generation were about to ascend or disappear, they often constructed a fake manor cave to play a prank on those of the younger generations.

The old monk said with a confused tone, “But…this doesn’t seem to fit the personality of Immortal Jing Yang.”

But…the other Immortal liked it.

Jing Jiu thought to himself.

The mountain wind came to life suddenly; the ashes of the campfire rose up with the wind, filling the air in the temple.

The practitioners all got up and came out of the temple, looking at a place on the mountaintop.

Under the night sky, the light emitted by the treasures could be only be vaguely seen, glimmering like the water, and the wind generated from there as well.

“The manor cave is going to open!”

“I have to go now!”

Some practitioners couldn’t help but try to get within seven miles of the manor cave.

With more flashes of sword light illuminating the night sky, more practitioners emerged in the surrounding areas of the cave.

Jing Jiu jumped up with the wind and landed on top of a large tree, looking silently in the distance.

That person had mused on the cliffs seven years ago, saying, “If those greedy idiots have found there is no treasure but a piece of paper in the manor cave, will it be disappointed, to the point of having a heart attack?”

Saying this, that person had laughed heartily, his laughter echoing among the cliffs.

Many years later, that laughter seemed still to echo here.

The expression in Jing Jiu’s eyes became as sharp as an actual sword.

He jumped down from the treetop, landing on the ground as quietly as a falling leaf, disappearing into the darkness of the night.

It didn’t take long for him to reappear on the cliff seven miles away.

Jing Jiu believed he hadn’t made any noise, not even disturbing the air around him. He was sure hadn’t alarmed anyone even if someone had been here.

As both of them had to start from the beginning again, Jing Jiu didn’t believe the other person could have a higher Cultivation state than his.

He was somewhat disappointed.

Nobody was on the cliff.

After a while, in the valley below the cliff, the noise grew louder and louder.

Dozens of practitioners gathered in the valley as they started arguing vehemently. The manor cave had not been completely opened yet, but these traveling practitioners and the practitioners of smaller sects couldn’t help but engaged themselves in discussions of how to share in the treasure. Yet they couldn’t come up with a plan pleasing everybody.

The young monk of the Fruit Formation Temple sensed the atmosphere was growing intense and could easily get out of hand, so he was worried and wanted to counsel them; but he had the vow of silence, couldn’t speak, appearing very anxious. The old monk had seen such event many times before, so he knew no one could handle the hot-headed crowd, instead choosing to meditate and recuperate with his eyes closed.

These practitioners would inevitably fight with each other later. If some of them died in the clash, it would be easy to deal with; but to treat those severely wounded, like with broken hands and abdomen, would take quite a bit time and energy.

The old monk abruptly opened his eyes and looked up at the night sky, sensing a familiar energy coming near. He felt his pending anxiety finally relieved as he knew the disaster could be avoided tonight.

The arguments in the valley gradually died down, as more and more practitioners sensed the energy approaching in the night sky, looking to the sky with shocked expressions.

A propitious cloud came floating over from southeast, with a majestic lotus throne visible intermittently in that cloud exuding the peaceful Zen energy.

“The Golden Body of the Young Zen Master!”

The practitioners shouted in surprise, quickly tidying their appearances and clothing and bowing toward the sky.

They were bowing in reverence as juniors.

The Young Zen Master of the Fruit Formation Temple was one of few with the highest seniority in the Cultivation world.

Looking up at the night sky, Jing Jiu smiled, thinking he should have thought this little monk would come and have a look.

The little monk was the only one who knew about their story in this world.

A voice rang out in the deep end of the propitious cloud, coming down with the wind and into the ears of the crowd.

“This manor cave is a hoax arranged by Immortal Taiping and Immortal Jing Yang. There is no real treasure here. Everybody, please leave.”

The Young Zen Master’s voice was as gentle as honeydew. It was hard to tell how old he actually was from his voice, and it sounded surreal.

The practitioners on the ground obeyed his advice and scattered all over the mountain.

The crowd was willing to listen to his words because the Young Zen Master had an unparalleled prestige among the practitioners.

The monks of the Fruit Formation Temple never lied.

And everybody knew Immortal Jing Yang hadn’t had any friend. The Young Zen Master was the only person who visited Shenmo Peak and stayed there for one hundred days, practicing Cultivation; so they were closer than anybody else. The practitioners of course would rather believe what the Young Zen Master said.

The old monk and young monk stood up and bowed toward the propitious cloud in the sky.

The voice of the Young Zen Master resounded after a period of silence.

“Junior Master, don’t go northward.”

The old monk changed his expression slightly, but concurred with his head lowered.

…

…

Jing Jiu didn’t look at the propitious cloud in the night sky, but at a spot at the bottom of the cliff.

An old man in black stood there, and it seemed normal when he bowed as a junior like all the other practitioners.

On the nine peaks of Green Mountain, everyone had a secret hiding inside them.

Jing Jiu hadn’t expected to see the most impossible person tonight, though he didn’t meet the most mysterious person.

The Peak Master of Xilai came here in person.

If the Young Zen Master didn’t come to make him respond, Jing Jiu wouldn’t be able to discover the Peak Master.

Why would the Peak Master of Xilai come here? Maybe he had been involved in that matter seven years ago as well, so he was worried and had to come here to make sure?!

Jing Jiu was alert right away, and wanted to hide his gazing sight, but it was too late.

The Peak Master of Xilai lifted his head and looked at him once with an indifferent expression, as if he hadn’t discovered his identity.

Jing Jiu knew the Peak Master’s Piercing Discernment had already fallen on him, and he couldn’t remove it unless he could lengthen the distance between himself and the Piercing Discernment to a certain extent.

If he left without protection, the Peak Master would be able to find him with his Piercing Discernment easily and kill him with a swing of his sword.

Jing Jiu wheeled around, without any hesitation, walking on the slope of the cliff, to the spot right below the propitious cloud.

The stars were bright tonight, and the shadow of the propitious cloud was very evident.

The propitious cloud drifted northward. Jing Jiu followed the shadow, where the mountains and rivers inside the shadow floated forward, but he didn’t ride his sword.

Either the propitious cloud was too slow or he was too fast, they were moving at the same pace the entire time.

The Peak Master of Xilai came up to the cliff’s edge and looked in that direction silently. In the end, he didn’t do anything, turning into a flash of sword light and flying back to the Green Mountain.

Jing Jiu and the propitious cloud traveled together for about one hundred miles and left Nanhezhou behind.

The propitious cloud suddenly sped up and turned into a flash of light, heading toward Zhaoge City in the distant north, with the Young Zen Master’s voice echoing in the heaven and earth.

“Little friend, I see you off right here. Goodbye.”

Jing Jiu knew there were many people on the propitious cloud, so he didn’t want to go on the cloud to meet him.

The former talkative child had become someone high above him, and Jing Jiu had to rely on his protection.

Anyone in his circumstance would feel depressed, or at least uncomfortable.

He didn’t feel too bad; but as he heard the last remark, he couldn’t help but complain.

Little…friend?!