Chapter 315: Elder Lei's Imperial Capital Adventure (Part 2)

Chapter 315: Elder Lei's Imperial Capital Adventure (Part 2)

However, for the stability of the Great Tang Empire, this added a bit of uncertainty.

After all, the current Empress was also very young.

Having two suns in the sky was not an auspicious sign.

But the Empress's actions in recent years had indeed been worrisome, not just to the Ye, Lin, Chu, and Fang clans, but to others as well...

"The rise of Dragon Tiger Mountain's Tian Shi Fu from the depths has been incredibly fast."

Lu Zhen changed the subject, "However, there were signs, but we didn't expect that in addition to Xu Yuanzhen and Tang Xiaotang, there would be another rising star, Lei Jun."

At present, it appeared that there was only one Nine Heavens level Daoist master in the Tian Shi Fu, Xu Yuanzhen.

Both Tang Xiaotang and Lei Jun were at the Eighth Heaven level.

But their rapid progress was astonishing! The latest news was that Tang Xiaotang had reached the peak of the Eighth Heaven.

At this rate, how many Nine Heavens level experts would the Tian Shi Fu have in no time?

"At least for now, we can be certain that the Tian Shi Fu (Heaven Master's Mansion) of Dragon Tiger Mountain won't turn out like the so-called Human Path Nation." Shangguan Qing said slowly.

Lu Zhen heaved a sigh of relief. "Fortunately."

Shangguan Qing, still inside the house, gazed in the direction of Lianyun Pavilion, "Xuanyaozi Leizhong Yun seems to be a calm and self-restrained person. If he takes over as the Heaven Master, I believe Dragon Tiger Mountain will become more well-behaved."

..............................................

Lei Jun paid no heed to how the outside world speculated about his situation.

There were two things that currently piqued his personal interest.

Firstly, he wanted to hear about Meng Shaojie's insights and progress in his study of historiography.

Secondly, during his previous visit to Lu Zhen's residence, he had met someone intriguing.

This person was named Yu Cheng, a renowned master of medicine in the imperial capital of Luoyang, and a disciple of the Divine Physician.

In the martial arts tradition, there were generally believed to be three lineages: soldiers, body refiners, and healers.

Yu Cheng and his Return to Paradise sect were the famous healers among them.

At the banquet in Lu's mansion, Lei Jun had hit it off with Yu Cheng, who specially invited him to visit Return to Paradise another day.

Today was the day of the appointment, and after inspecting his disciple Zhuo Baojie's work in the morning, Lei Jun prepared to set out.

Just then, Lin Shan arrived, "Elder Brother Lei, are you going out?"

"I'm going to Return to Paradise as invited by Hall Master Yu," Lei Jun replied.

"Have you set a specific time?" Lin Shan asked.

"Not really, just today. Hall Master Yu said I could come at any time, so I plan to go earlier. Do you have something, Elder Brother Lin?"

"Nothing too important, just a Dharma assembly. I'm here to invite you." Lin Shan handed him an invitation while explaining, "It's hosted by a princess of imperial descent, inviting representatives from various sacred lands and aristocratic families to gather and discuss various topics related to Taoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism. It will be held during the day outside the city, and you are specially invited to give a speech. If you're interested, you can attend the assembly first, and then visit Return to Paradise in the evening as per Hall Master Yu's invitation."

Such intellectual gatherings were common in the capital, and Lei Jun had heard of them.

For others, this was an opportunity to further establish their reputation.

However, Lei Jun didn't pay much attention to that aspect.

Instead, he was intrigued by the prospect of representatives from various Taoist lineages gathering together to exchange ideas.

As he was considering the invitation, a light bulb suddenly flashed in his mind, and words appeared:

> Fulfill your promise and act from your heart. Each has its own cleverness, yet they all return to the same source.

Along with this were three fortune-telling sticks:

> Middle-upper stick, arrive at Return to Paradise at noon, there is an opportunity to obtain a third-grade opportunity, currently no risk, there will be a little cause and effect entanglement later, be careful, auspicious.

> Middle-upper stick, arrive at the White Horse Mountain assembly outside the city at noon, there is an opportunity to obtain a fifth-grade opportunity, no risk or aftermath, auspicious.

> Middle stick, go to places other than Return to Paradise and White Horse Mountain at noon, no extra gains or losses, neutral.

Hmm, overall, these were pretty good fortunes. Two middle-upper sticks.

One opportunity had a higher grade, but there might be some drawbacks.

The other opportunity had a relatively lower grade, but it was pure gain without any drawbacks.

As for the middle stick, it meant doing nothing, neither gaining nor losing.

The former corresponded to fulfilling his promise.

The latter corresponded to acting according to his heart's desire.

Of course, strictly speaking, choosing to go to the White Horse Mountain assembly first wouldn't be considered breaking his promise.

But...

> Each has its own cleverness, yet they all return to the same source.

What did that mean? Could the opportunities corresponding to the two fortune sticks come from the same source?

Numerous thoughts flashed through Lei Jun's mind, but his expression remained unchanged.

After some consideration, he politely declined Lin Shan's invitation, "I'll skip the assembly for now and head to Return to Paradise earlier."

However, he called his senior disciple, Zhuo Baojie, "If it's convenient for you, Elder Brother Lin, please take Hua Jie along to broaden his horizons and gain some experience."

"Why would that be inconvenient? Hua Jie, come with me later." Lin Shan didn't see any problem with that.

If it were him, he might have considered the implications and etiquette more carefully.

But given Lei Jun's current cultivation and status, whether or not to attend such an assembly was entirely up to his personal interest.

If he attended, it would be a rare occasion for the assembly.

If he didn't, it would be the attendees' loss, not his.

"Come, Baojie."

Lei Jun summoned his senior disciple and gave him instructions without any extra admonishments, explaining that although White Horse Mountain was very close to Luoyang, it was still outside the city, and one should always be cautious when going out, especially under the emperor's gaze.

Zhuo Baojie nodded solemnly.

Under the triple guidance of his great master, master, and third master, Zhuo Baojie usually maintained a cautious attitude in his daily life.

Except when he was feeling peckish...

"Take these with you." Lei Jun not only gave his disciple the Soil of Tranquility flag but also secretly added the Taiqing Eight Scenery Treasure Cloak.

For Lei Jun himself, it was a risk-free middle-upper stick, but for Zhuo Baojie, who was only at the middle third layer of the Nine Heavens, it might not be the case.

Since he was sending his disciple to take the other middle-upper stick, Lei Jun naturally wanted to make some preparations.

Although White Horse Mountain was within the range of his flying sword, in case of an emergency, Lei Jun could protect his disciple.

But since this was under the emperor's watchful eye, Elder Lei preferred to keep his little secret for a little longer.

After seeing Zhuo Baojie off with Lin Shan, Lei Jun set out for Return to Paradise.

Even within Luoyang City, Return to Paradise had a main hall and branch halls.

The branch halls were open to the public throughout the year, with a constant stream of visitors.

The main hall, however, was usually not open to outsiders.

But the relevant personnel had already been informed, and someone was there to receive Lei Jun when he arrived.

In the front hall, a slender, refined middle-aged man in his forties was waiting with a smile on his face.

Upon seeing Lei Jun, he stood up to greet him, "Elder Lei, welcome."

"Hall Master Yu, I apologize for the intrusion." Lei Jun returned the greeting with a Taoist bow.

Seating themselves, the pair exchanged pleasantries before Lei Jun took out an object and handed it to Yu Cheng, the Hall Master of Return to Paradise.

Yu Cheng's expression turned solemn as he received it, glancing at it briefly before heaving a long sigh of relief. "Thank you, Daoist Lei."

Lei Jun said, "You flatter me, Master Yu. I merely obtained this formula by chance."

Yu Cheng shook his head lightly. "The formula for Tian Luo Powder was created by my master's master many years ago. Unfortunately, it was scattered due to unforeseen circumstances. My teacher has been trying to restore it in recent years, but he still hopes to gather the scattered remnants to console his master's spirit in heaven. Today, we finally achieved this, and I must thank you, Daoist Lei, and Dragon Tiger Mountain."

He continued, "It's a pity that my teacher hasn't returned to the capital in recent years; otherwise, he would certainly be delighted at this moment."

The formula for Tian Luo Powder was something Lei Jun had obtained long ago in the universe of the heavenly book through a transaction with Thursday, also known as the future Maitreya.

Along with it, he had also acquired the lost formula for the Heaven's Origin Blue Scenery Pill, a secret of the Dragon Tiger Mountain Celestial Master's Mansion, and the formula for the Cold Light Pill, a specialty of the Shushan School, the sacred land of external alchemy.

Due to their unique resonance with Lei Jun's soul, the True One Law Platform and the Celestial Master Seal had exhibited unprecedented changes, allowing him to deduce incomplete pill and formula recipes using the first layer of the True One Law Platform.

In addition to successfully restoring his own version of the Heaven's Origin Blue Scenery Pill, Lei Jun had also managed to recreate the Cold Light Pill and this version of the Tian Luo Powder.

Previously, when Zhang Taigan took over as the head of Shushan, Lei Jun had brought gifts to congratulate him, including the formula for the Cold Light Pill, which delighted Zhang Taigan, Ji Chuan, and Ji Dongquan.

Now, during his visit to the capital's Return to Paradise, Lei Jun provided the formula for the Tian Luo Powder to Yu Cheng.

Yu Cheng was the founder of Return to Paradise, and his teacher was Sun Mingjing, the Divine Physician, a highly respected master in the lineage of medical practitioners in the Great Tang.

Sun Mingjing was already quite old but still traveled the world, discovering new medicinal ingredients while also offering his medical services without regard to his patients' backgrounds.

Even ordinary commoners sometimes had the opportunity to receive treatment from the Divine Physician himself.

Thus, in the human realm of the Great Tang, the reputation of the Divine Physician, Sun Mingjing, was exceedingly high.

Lei Jun said, "I have always admired your teacher's talent and demeanor, and it is unfortunate that I missed the chance to meet him today. However, I believe that there will be opportunities in the future."

Yu Cheng nodded repeatedly. "If you have the time, Daoist Lei, please stay in Luoyang for a while longer. My teacher has been away for many years, but according to his past habits, he should be returning to the capital soon."

Lei Jun replied, "I'm not sure how long I'll be staying in the capital, but if I can wait for the Divine Physician to return, that would certainly be for the best."

Compared to Ye Cheng, Chu Lin, Fang Hezhou, Shangguan Qing, and Lu Zhen, Lei Jun's interactions with Yu Cheng were more in-depth during this trip.

He wasn't representing himself but the Celestial Master's Mansion in their dealings with Yu Cheng's Return to Paradise.

The content of their discussions included mutual exchanges of rare and valuable medicinal ingredients and collaboration in the realm of pill concoction.

The Celestial Master's Mansion was the ancestral mountain gate of the Daoist Talisman sect, involving itself in the creation of talismans, pill concoction, and artifact refinement.

Lei Jun's master, Yuan Mo Bai, was currently the best alchemist in the Celestial Master's Mansion.

Yu Cheng also held him in high regard.

Now that Lei Jun had gifted him the formula for the Tian Luo Powder, even though the Divine Physician, Sun Mingjing, had already restored it, Yu Cheng still considered it a favor from Lei Jun and the Celestial Master's Mansion.

Thus, their negotiations went very smoothly, with Return to Paradise offering favorable terms in return.

Over the years, Lei Jun had studied pill concoction under Yuan Mo Bai, and his skills had gradually become more profound.

Now, as he exchanged ideas with Yu Cheng, both parties benefited from the discussion.

"Daoist Lei, your method of using the Yin-Yang Dual Thunder to drive the Thunder Heart Furnace for pill concoction is quite unusual and has given me much inspiration," Yu Cheng remarked.

Lei Jun humbly replied, "It's just a small trick that came to my mind. It's still quite crude, so please don't laugh at me, Master Yu."

Yu Cheng shook his head, and his eyes shone with a rare excitement. "You're too modest, Daoist Lei. This method is quite remarkable and is by no means a small trick."

As they chatted, time flew by, and before they knew it, it was already nearing noon.

Yu Cheng suddenly remembered something and apologized to Lei Jun before instructing his people to prepare a meal.

Lei Jun's expression remained unchanged.

However, as noon approached, the time mentioned in the fortune-telling sticks, he began to pay close attention to his surroundings.

If the Empress hadn't returned to Luoyang, Lei Jun could have freely used the Great Ultimate Heaven Earth Mirror to observe the inside and outside of the imperial capital.

But since the Empress was back, and Luoyang was the capital of the Great Tang, Lei Jun acted cautiously and refrained from directly using the Great Ultimate Heaven Earth Mirror to avoid being detected by the Empress.

Nevertheless, even without it, he could still monitor the area around Return to Paradise and his senior disciple Zhuo Baojie's location through his Heaven-Penetrating Earth-Piercing Talismans and the Heaven-Seeing Earth-Hearing Talismans.

Zhuo Baojie had gone to the White Horse Mountain assembly with his senior martial uncle, Cen Shan.

Lei Jun wasn't worried about the safety of his disciple and fellow sect members.

Although the assembly was in disarray, it wasn't due to the threat of enemies from the Three Heavens. Cen Shan, with his years of experience in the martial world, would surely be able to protect himself.

However, when Cen Shan wanted to find his junior martial nephew Zhuo Baojie, he couldn't seem to find him... or rather, the bear.

Through his Heaven-Seeing Earth-Hearing Talismans, Lei Jun knew exactly where his disciple was.

As soon as the chaos started, the little bear quickly put on the Taiqing Eight Scenery Treasure Cloak and then raised the Soil of Tranquility flag.

He had initially wanted to invite his senior martial uncle Cen Shan to join him, but due to the chaos at the assembly, they had become separated.

Zhuo Baojie could only continue on his own, wearing the Taiqing Eight Scenery Treasure Cloak and holding the Soil of Tranquility flag as he searched for Cen Shan.

With his cultivation at the middle third layer of the Nine Heavens, he couldn't utilize the full potential of these two artifacts.

However, most of the attendees were also at the middle third layer, so they couldn't see through Zhuo Baojie's disguise either.

Lei Jun, observing the situation, was relieved that there was no danger.

As for whether his disciple would obtain the fifth-grade opportunity mentioned in the fortune-telling sticks, it was up to fate.

What will be, will be; there was no need to worry.

Lei Jun turned his attention to the commotion happening near Return to Paradise.

As noon approached, his eyes, empowered by the Heaven-Penetrating and Earth-Piercing Talismans, flashed with divine light as he sensed activity outside. "They're here," he thought.

However, Lei Jun remained still and continued to sit quietly.

Soon, a disciple from Return to Paradise came to report, whispering something into Yu Cheng's ear. Yu Cheng then apologized to Lei Jun, "Please excuse me for a moment, Daoist Lei. There seems to be some trouble outside, and I need to go handle it. Please, help yourself to the meal."

"Of course," Lei Jun replied.

As Yu Cheng left, Lei Jun remained unmoving, calmly waiting for his host to return.

Before long, the noise outside grew louder and louder, and the vibrations became more intense.

Yu Cheng didn't return, and the commotion outside only escalated.

A disciple of Return to Paradise, standing by, wore a look of anxiety.

Lei Jun calmly asked, "What's happening outside?"

The disciple hesitated for a moment but then honestly answered, "Reporting to Elder Lei, it seems that someone from the Zhao Wang Palace is colluding with the White Lotus Sect, leading to the Shence Army's arrest. The people from the Zhao Wang Palace refuse to surrender, so..."

Lei Jun understood the situation.

Zhao Wang Zhang Teng had recently made headlines in Youzhou, a northern territory of the Great Tang.

Although he had never explicitly stated his intentions, his ambitions were more or less speculated upon by various factions within the Great Tang Empire.

However, it was unlikely that he would openly collaborate with the White Lotus Sect, which was branded as rebels by the royal family.

After all, the White Lotus Sect was deemed an enemy of the state.

His covert schemes were another matter altogether.

But the more Zhao Wang lusted for the imperial throne, the more careful he would be to avoid any apparent associations with the White Lotus Sect, the Dakhinesque Temple, or the Human Path Nation.

The sudden outbreak of this incident was puzzling and seemed to come out of the blue.

Under normal circumstances, the Shence Army wouldn't act so rashly, easily provoking the Zhao Wang Palace.

The clash between the two sides was unexpected.

If it were another time, Lei Jun would have simply enjoyed the show.

However, with the battle taking place right next to Return to Paradise, it was about to drag them into the fray.

The two martial artists of the Upper Third Heaven were wreaking havoc with their attacks, and though the destruction was concentrated, the shockwaves were far-reaching.

Half of the Return to Paradise building had already collapsed.

Although Lei Jun wasn't sure what the third-grade opportunity was, the middle-upper stick indicated that it should be found here. "If I hadn't arrived by noon, the main hall of Return to Paradise might have been destroyed by this battle," he mused.

With his Heaven-Penetrating and Earth-Piercing Talismans, Lei Jun could easily observe the two combatants.

Both were martial artists specializing in the Soldier Strike.

One wielded a large spear and was a Shence Army general, Dong An.

The other held a long pike and was a commander under Zhao Wang, Jiang Yuan.

Jiang Yuan's face was grim, and he had thrown caution to the wind, no longer concerned about the consequences of fighting the Shence Army.

As fellow experts in the Soldier Strike, their fighting styles were similar, with lightning-fast attacks.

However, their true martial intents differed.

Dong An favored an aggressive style, his spear attacks akin to a torrential downpour, striking from all directions at Jiang Yuan.

Jiang Yuan, on the other hand, employed a more static style, alternating between fast and slow movements. His long pike deflected most of Dong An's attacks, and he only counterattacked once or twice out of ten moves, but his strikes were quick and fierce, forcing Dong An to retreat repeatedly.

Yu Cheng intended to separate the two, but as a healer, he was not adept at close combat, despite being a Seventh Heaven cultivator.

Dong An and Jiang Yuan usually gave Yu Cheng some face, but now they were locked in a fierce battle, disregarding everything else.

If Yu Cheng dared to approach, he would undoubtedly be struck down by the spear or pike.

Aside from the two main combatants, the Shence Army soldiers who had come with Dong An began to surround Jiang Yuan's men, and a larger-scale battle was about to unfold.

As Yu Cheng fretted, a voice suddenly rang out, "What a disgraceful display in the imperial capital!"

He turned to see Lei Jun stepping out.

Lei Jun glanced at the damaged Return to Paradise building, his brow furrowed.

However, he didn't immediately take action but instead addressed Yu Cheng, "Master Yu?"

Yu Cheng forced a smile, "Please forgive my incompetence, Daoist Lei. I'm afraid I have to trouble you to intervene."

"Not at all, Master Yu. I also dislike conflict, but to prevent the situation from worsening, I'll try to mediate between the two sides."

Lei Jun continued, "Please excuse my intrusion."

After saying this, he vanished from his original spot and reappeared between Dong An and Jiang Yuan.

The two martial artists of the Upper Third Heaven were startled as their weapons, a large spear and a long pike, which could pierce through mountains and rivers, were about to strike Lei Jun.

Both men were astonished.

Then, in the next moment, their vision blurred as if a galaxy of stars had descended between them.

A starry figure appeared, resembling a divine being enveloped in a nebula.

It was the Doumu Star God, a unique skill passed down in the Tian Shi Fu (Heaven Master's Mansion)!

Lei Jun had transformed into the Doumu Star God, his hands clasped behind his back, and he neither dodged nor blocked.

However, the talismans swirling around him like a starry river deflected the incoming spear and pike, preventing them from causing him any harm.

At the same time, thunder rumbled, and the roars of dragons echoed as a purple Yang Thunder Dragon and a black Yin Thunder Dragon appeared, circling around Lei Jun.

The Yang Thunder Dragon reached out with its claw, grabbing Dong An and his spear in one swift motion.

The Yin Thunder Dragon did the same, capturing Jiang Yuan in its grasp.

In an instant, the two martial artists were immobilized.

Thunderous light radiated from Lei Jun, and the surrounding spectators involuntarily took a step back, awestruck and intimidated.

Anyone who dared to remain defiant was instantly paralyzed.

No casualties occurred.

After the starlight faded, revealing Lei Jun's true form, he calmly addressed the captured Dong An and Jiang Yuan, "Generals, please calm down."

PS: A 10,500-character chapter.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end