Daoist Competition

The road leading to Song Country is hidden deep within the mountains. After the merchant caravan passes through a lush, verdant Ancient Wood Forest, it enters a cavernous path under the guidance of a lead horse familiar with the route. The cave’s tunnels are interwoven with innumerable twists and turns, making it difficult for those unfamiliar to find the correct path.

The horse caravan travels along a winding slope. A light rain begins to fall, prompting the men to don raincoats and hats. A few of the women in the caravan retreat into the carriages for shelter, while many others open up oil paper umbrellas adorned with floral, avian, piscine, and insect patterns. Under the bamboo umbrella frames are brightly colored silk skirts, swaying with their steps and exuding an enchanting allure.

Within the caravan is a grand eight-horse carriage. Suddenly, the curtain is lifted, and the Yu Gu True Spirit pokes its head out, glancing from the front to the back with keen interest, occasionally making faces and causing several women to burst into giggles.

Zhang Yan shakes his head slightly. Lady Wang had originally prepared separate carriages for the two of them, but on this journey, whenever the Yu Gu True Spirit encounters beautiful women, it invariably engages in flirtatious banter. His handsome appearance further stirs the hearts of many women, with one even sending a fragrantly tainted bamboo book as a token.

It is only now that Zhang Yan understands why Sect Leader Qin keeps this Dharma Treasure close at hand, preventing it from causing trouble.

The carriage is fortunately spacious, able to comfortably seat five or six people. Inside, it is meticulously arranged with comfort and precision: gold and silver utensils and toiletries are in abundance, and a golden thread cage containing a timekeeping golden rooster, fed daily by an attendant, sits beside the carriage wall.

From these minute details, one can see that it is no exaggeration to say that Central Pillar Continent is the most prosperous of the Nine Provinces.

After observing for a while longer, the Yu Gu True Spirit grows bored and retreats back into the carriage, lounging lazily against soft, plush cushions.

He holds a wine jug in his hand all day, taking a sip of the sweet, mellow wine, savoring it. Suddenly, he turns and says, "Mountain and River Child, no wonder you claim that Central Pillar Divine Continent is a land of wealth and indulgence, a bustling place of smoke and willow. Merely looking at those splendid garments, they are beyond the means of ordinary folks in East Splendor Continent."

Central Pillar Divine Continent has rarely produced those who have ascended into the Dao, with many cultivators knowing that the Great Dao is elusive, thus seeking to enjoy longevity and happiness.

In this continent, princes and ministers lavishly woo cultivators with golden pearls and beautiful jade, and in powerful nations like Qi, Song, and Wei, hundreds of thousands of laborers are mobilized yearly to quarry mountains, cut forests, and construct temples and altars on perilous cliffs for offering sacrifices.

Such lax exploitation of labor would have long led to cries of suffering and public discontent elsewhere, but here the land is fertile, resources abundant, and with little weaponry rising, such spending is sustainable.

As the caravan traverses, they have already seen several beautifully adorned temples and altars, their beams painted and carved. As they approach, the sound of string and woodwind music, along with the slow, tranquil chime of bells, echoes from within, bringing a sense of joy and forgetfulness of worries.

In such fertile lands, one’s determination and will are easily eroded, and cultivators, like princes and nobles, wear brocade garments all day, travel by carriage, enjoy beauties and music, indulging in luxury, often deeply entangled in the web of the mortal world, unable to extricate themselves.

Zhang Yan hears the words of the Yu Gu True Spirit, sensing it has been to many places. Realizing he knows little of its origins, he asks, "Might I ask, which ancestor master did you follow back in the day?"

The Yu Gu True Spirit sets down the wine jug, wipes its mouth with its sleeve, and laughs with pride, "Listen well, Nephew. I was crafted by the Third Generation Sect Leader, Yuan Zhongzi. After developing true recognition, I underwent repeated sacrificial refinement under two Sect Leaders before finally gaining true spirit under the current Sect Leader Qin."

Zhang Yan’s eyebrows rise in surprise. Who would have thought this Heroic Festival Fish Drum had such grand origins?

He had heard from Zhou Chongju that the founding ancestor master of the Mingcang Sect was True Person Taiming. However, Taiming was not a native of the Nine Provinces, having come from beyond the skies. After establishing the Mingcang Sect, he vanished mysteriously after just over a century. The Second Generation Sect Leader was his attendant child, who became the Chen Family’s ancestor in the current sect.

Yuan Zhongzi, the Third Generation Sect Leader, was the first formal disciple recorded by True Person Taiming, the true founder of the Mingcang Sect’s foundation, and one of the ancestor masters who achieved breakthrough ascension.

Calculating it this way, this Heroic Festival Fish Drum has passed through the hands of four generations of Sect Leaders, its deep history far exceeding what he imagined. Yet, Zhang Yan wonders why successive Sect Leaders have refined this item, which cannot be used for battle or conflict, so diligently. For what purpose?