Enshrinement as a God

No matter how great the power of the Demonic Cult was, its influence was limited to Guangdong and Guangxi, and on the road to the Central Plains, the Martial Arts Alliance, led by the Thunderbolt Gate of Hunan, was established, so it could not spread its power.

No matter how much he was a disciple of the Heavenly Demon, if he were to walk around proudly in a place other than the southern part of the Central Plains, there was a high probability that he would face the extermination squad of the Martial Arts Alliance.

"Stop! Scholar Jiang, I have no intention of harming you anymore, so please release me."

As he had said, the Rain Sound Spear did not seem to have any intention of attacking Jiang Ziya anymore.

In the first place, even though they had attacked him together on the ferry boat, they had been helplessly defeated, so it was true that their investigation of Jiang Ziya had been insufficient. Therefore, he seemed to believe Jiang Ziya's claim even more.

Jiang Ziya, for some reason, was also bothered by the appearance of the elderly Rain Sound Spear, who was in a state of a drowned rat.

"What about this one?"

"Hmph!"

Unlike the Rain Sound Spear, the White Bone Collector still snorted at Jiang Ziya's words.

However, since his murderous intent towards Jiang Ziya had also completely disappeared, Jiang Ziya, who had felt this, also untied the rope that had been tying the White Bone Collector along with the Rain Sound Spear.

Thump!

As soon as Jiang Ziya released his blood points, the Rain Sound Spear immediately knelt down and cupped his fists.

"Since a disciple of the Heavenly Demon has appeared in the martial world, this is a great blessing for the new cult and the ten million demonic people. May the protection of the Great Fire Spirit illuminate the demonic world of the Xuan Cult! Long live, long live, long live!"

"What, what is it?"

Jiang Ziya, surprised by the Rain Sound Spear's action, flinched.

The White Bone Collector, standing one step away, looked at the Rain Sound Spear and Jiang Ziya alternately and clicked his tongue.

"Unlike that old man, I don't believe that you are a disciple of the Heavenly Demon. If you are really revealed to be a disciple of the Heavenly Demon, I will ask for forgiveness, and if not, I will take your head."

"You don't have to ask for forgiveness. Just don't appear again."

At Jiang Ziya's words, the White Bone Collector's pupils trembled lightly.

Since he had revealed that he was a disciple of the Heavenly Demon so unreservedly, he had a slight anxiety that his words might be true.

"Then you two have no more business with me?"

"Wait! If Scholar Jiang is a disciple of the Heavenly Demon, it is not a proper act to interfere with the affairs of the new cult. Yang Jian is a great enemy of the new cult, so you should not protect him."

"What on earth is the matter that Brother Yang Jian and the Xuan Cult are fighting like this?"

"I don't know that either. I only know that it is related to the current leader of the cult, the Asura Demon God..."

The Rain Sound Spear could not easily answer Jiang Ziya's question.

"Even if it is related to the cult, he is my sworn brother in private, so I can't just turn a blind eye and pretend not to know."

At Jiang Ziya's words, the Rain Sound Spear could not hide his bewilderment and exchanged glances with the White Bone Collector.

The White Bone Collector, as if he had expected it, nodded his head and said a word to the Rain Sound Spear.

"Look at this. How can a person who reacts like this be a member of the new cult?"

"The laws of the new cult are above private feelings! How can you say such a thing..."

"Although I am a disciple of Master Tongtian, I have not officially joined the cult."

"What is that..."

Originally, the reason why the Tongtian Cult Master had completely taken Jiang Ziya as his disciple and had taught him the Manifest Demon True Art was largely due to the Taoist Lingbao.

However, in that process, since he had not gone through the ritual of joining the Xuan Cult, to be precise, Jiang Ziya was not a member of the Xuan Cult.

This was also due to the fact that Tongtian, who had intended to slowly make Jiang Ziya join the cult later, had put his original thought on the back burner.

However, unlike other sects that had lay disciples, it was impossible for the Xuan Cult to have such a system.

Jiang Ziya's words that he was a disciple of the Tongtian Cult Master but not a member of the Xuan Cult were enough to confuse the Rain Sound Spear.

The Manifest Demon True Art, the peerless divine art of the Heavenly Demon, was a secret ultimate technique of the new cult.

If one had learned the secret ultimate technique of the new cult but was not a member of the cult, this was an act that directly confronted the strict laws of the new cult.

Jiang Ziya felt an unusual atmosphere from the Rain Sound Spear's expression.

"...Scholar Jiang, I hope that there is not a single lie in your words."

"I have not added a single lie."

"Let's go back now."

"Just like this?"

"Since the report is the priority, it is right to leave the judgment of the matter to the Demon General Manager."

Although Jiang Ziya was curious about who the Demon General Manager they were talking about was, he did not think of holding them back as they were about to leave and asking.

The Rain Sound Spear and the White Bone Collector, who had lightly cupped their fists, turned their backs and left, leaving Jiang Ziya alone, without looking back.

Jiang Ziya, recalling their serious expressions at the words that he was not a member of the Xuan Cult, was engulfed in an ominous feeling that he was getting caught up in a bigger matter.

"Oh! The main round!"

Jiang Ziya, who had suddenly looked at the sky, realized that the deadline for the main round was approaching and was startled and turned his feet.

He had been so engrossed in the two that he had completely forgotten about the main round.

Jiang Ziya, who had hurriedly picked up the fish trap of the ferry boat that had been set up on the riverbank, took a couple of fish traps that were full of fish.

After changing Tonglin to a bow and tying it to his waist, and shouldering the fish traps on both shoulders, he felt a considerable weight.

Thump!

Jiang Ziya did not take the ferry boat again and displayed his divine footwork with all his might along the river.

The Fish Dragon Festival venue, which was visible from a distance, was already crowded with a large number of people and seemed to be quite noisy.

"I was almost late."

Jiang Ziya, who had arrived at the Fish Dragon Festival venue with all his might, looked around the messy competition venue and took the fish trap to the judge.

"You're a great young friend. But although the amount is sufficient, you were too greedy and were on the verge of being late."

If he had been a little later, he would have been disqualified even if he had caught a boatload of fish.

The judge, looking at the fish in the full fish trap, handed a passing plaque to Jiang Ziya.

Jiang Ziya, holding the passing plaque and the fish trap in both hands, looked around.

Surely the fishermen had been ambushed by the two demonic people in the river, but for some reason, the Fish Dragon Festival venue was as peaceful as usual.

"Hehe... you're back!"

At the Fishing Fortune Master's rough voice, Jiang Ziya turned around.

The Fishing Fortune Master, who had discovered Jiang Ziya, was walking towards him with a happy heart.

"Did you pass?"

"This person... I was the first to get the plaque. Rather, I was worried that you would be disqualified."

The Fishing Fortune Master smiled at the sight of him holding a fish trap full of fish in both hands. And he shook his passing plaque in front of Jiang Ziya.

Jiang Ziya, with a small laugh, looked around.

"What are you looking around for so much?"

"Actually... I found some broken ferry boats on my way back here. I was wondering if the fishermen had had an accident..."

"Hehe! If a fisherman can't even swim, how can he participate in the competition? It's not something to worry about, as it's common for ferry boats to be broken and for people to get hurt at the Fish Dragon Festival."

"Are there no dead people?"

"It's no good if you die while fishing."

Jiang Ziya let out a sigh of relief.

At least it seemed that the White Bone Collector or the Rain Sound Spear had not taken the lives of the fishermen who had come out on the ferry boats.

"Don't worry too much. Isn't that why I'm here, to prepare for such things?"

Jiang Ziya's eyebrows twitched.

"Then shouldn't you be prioritizing safety over fishing?"

Although it was a competition, the Fishing Fortune Master was a person hired by the village to prepare for any problems.

Even Jiang Ziya had been targeted by assassins, but the Fishing Fortune Master had not shown his face at all, so it was truly a neglect of duty and a dereliction of duty.

"You seem a little angry. Did something happen?"

"It's nothing."

But he could not tell the Fishing Fortune Master that he had been ambushed by the people of the Demonic Cult.

"Hehe... what a person. The finals won't be able to be so slow."

"I know."

Jiang Ziya, after saying his goodbyes to the Fishing Fortune Master, immediately found Xi Xichang, who was sitting in the audience.

Xi Xichang, as if she were bored, was sitting on one side of the audience with her chin in her hand, dozing off.

As Jiang Ziya stood in front of her, Xi Xichang, feeling a presence in the shadow that was cast in front of her, hurriedly raised her head.

"The attitude of the person who is cheering is not good at all."

"For someone who was so confident, aren't you too late? Gah!"

Xi Xichang, surprised to see the fish that were full on both sides of Jiang Ziya, got up.

"Why did you bring that?"

"I have to put it on the way out, so I brought it."

"Stay away."

Xi Xichang, startled by the fishy smell coming from the fish, moved far away from Jiang Ziya.

Although her head was already dizzy from the smell that filled the competition venue, it was understandable that she was startled since he had brought it right in front of her nose.

"You ate it well when it was grilled in the forest..."

"That was one or two, and this is... ugh."

Xi Xichang covered her nose and mouth with one hand and waved her other hand.

Since there were two loads of fish that had been dead for some time, even Jiang Ziya could feel a considerable smell coming from them.

"Let's go. Let's go."

Jiang Ziya, with Xi Xichang, who was following him from a distance, left the entrance of the competition venue.

There, a crowd of beasts and people waiting for free fish was gathered.

"Heave-ho!"

Although the amount of fish in the fish trap that Jiang Ziya had put out was considerable, it only took a moment for all of it to disappear.

Outside the competition venue, the smell of grilling fish was full, and the sight of people boiling fish porridge could also be seen without difficulty.

"This is the positive function of the competition."

Xi Xichang, covering her nose, approached Jiang Ziya's side.

"Yes, thanks to that, I have accumulated virtue."

"You've advanced to the finals, right?"

"Somehow."

"But why were you so late?"

"I was a little greedy..."

"I thought my eyes would pop out from watching carefully to see if you were among the people that the Fishing Fortune Master was pulling out."

Xi Xichang, as the number of disqualified people who were being carried out after falling into the water increased, had felt a little anxious that something might have happened to the late Jiang Ziya.

No matter how strong his martial arts were, the water was a completely different environment from the land.

There was a reason why the martial artists who lived on land were helpless in water arts.

"Did the Fishing Fortune Master pull people out?"

"He was the first to throw a pile of fish and to get a passing plaque, and after that, he was pulling out the people who had fainted after falling into the water."

"The Fishing Fortune Master..."

It seemed that the Fishing Fortune Master had not handled the matter as carelessly as he had thought.

Although Jiang Ziya felt a little uneasy, he soon shook off the thought.

Although the problem of the Demonic Cult was a problem, the Buddhist service venue that was now standing high in front of him was also a problem at hand.

"Do you know the Qinglong Temple?"

"The Qinglong Temple?"

Xi Xichang, at Jiang Ziya's sudden mention of the Qinglong Temple, tilted her head and then, after looking up at the Buddhist service venue, looked at Jiang Ziya again.

"Are those monks from the Qinglong Temple?"

"Perhaps..."

"If it's the Qinglong Temple... although it's not well known in the Central Plains, it's a group of esoteric Buddhist monks that is said to be located in the Western Regions."

"The Western Regions?"

"It's also a place that many monks visit because the Buddha of No Cause, who is called the Living Buddha among the Twelve Honored Ones, had practiced there in his youth."

"Do you know anything more in detail?"

"I don't know well either. Since it's not a place that has a very active exchange with the Central Plains... but I have heard that their tendencies are quite extreme and that their martial arts and Buddhist techniques are also different from those of the Central Plains."

"I see."

"But... how did you know that they were from the Qinglong Temple?"

(End of Chapter)