Chapter 369
Chapter 369
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 371
Chapter Title: Grandpa Dug Graves
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"This Daoist Changying is the headmaster who was nearly done in by my grandpa?"
Chen Shi sized up Daoist Changying, thinking to himself.
Daoist Changying looked like a middle-aged man, but the Daoist school had the Longevity Spring Technique, which allowed one to stay forever young, appearing only in their thirties or forties even when dying of old age. Thus, he couldn't be sure of Daoist Changying's actual age.
The group of Daoists who had followed Headmaster Changying in a rage were all dumbfounded. They had come expecting a bloody battle to subdue demons and defend the righteous path, only to find that the one desecrating the ancestral graves was the legendary Azure Sheep Ancestor from the tales.
"Who's the Azure Sheep Ancestor?" a young Daoist whispered, asking those around him.
Someone who knew the story replied, "He's the Azure Sheep Ancestor who was abducted by someone, so the previous headmaster in his fury changed the name of Taihua Azure Sheep Palace to Taihua Azure Palace."
The young Daoists all came to a sudden realization.
This incident was considered a secret within Taihua Azure Palace. The sect elders never spoke of it, as it apparently involved the reputations of one or more female ancestors. With deliberate concealment, the younger generation knew almost nothing of the story.
Daoist Changying was utterly deferential and smiling as he said, "Ancestor, the wind is strong here, and it's uncomfortable. Please follow this junior back to the palace."
Azure Sheep drawled lazily, "I just ate too much grass and haven't digested it yet. I'll rest a bit before going. Don't rush me."
Daoist Changying smiled obsequiously. "No rush, no rush."
He stood motionless in place, waiting quietly.
Azure Sheep lay on the grave mound for a moment, glanced at him, then stood up. "Fine, with you bull-noses standing here, I'd never get a good sleep. Let's go."
Daoist Changying was overjoyed and was about to have the crowd escort the ancestor back to the palace when he saw Azure Sheep Ancestor approach the wooden cart, harness himself to it, and apparently plan to pull it all the way to Taihua Azure Palace as a beast of burden.
Having harnessed himself, Azure Sheep turned his head. "Little Ten, Blackie Pot, get on. I'll take you to Azure Palace."
"Ancestor, please think this over!"
Almost every Daoist present prostrated themselves, pleading, "This is the last shred of dignity for Taihua Azure Palace!"
Azure Sheep snorted. "They all talk about quietude and non-action, yet you bull-noses are full of rules and regulations—utterly annoying. Little Ten, Blackie Pot, get on the cart."
"Swish!"
Dozens of flying swords were suddenly drawn and held at Chen Shi's and Blackie Pot's necks.
"Uncle Sheep, please think this over!" Chen Shi said hastily.
Blackie Pot nodded vigorously.
Azure Sheep had no choice but to unharness himself, grumbling, "That's what I hate about you all—calling me Ancestor but controlling this and that. I'm used to wandering free as a wild crane, to complete freedom. Stuck in Azure Palace, you'd manage me day and night, even the grass on my grave... Let's go. What are you standing around for?"
Daoist Changying wiped the cold sweat from his brow, clouds rising beneath his feet as he took the lead.
This foot-cloud technique, known as Cloud-Stepping, was far more difficult than sword flight. Many Daoist disciples hadn't mastered it yet and had to fly ahead on swords, leaving mostly uncles and grand-uncles behind.
Chen Shi performed Cloud-Stepping with ease, clouds naturally forming beneath the wooden cart. Blackie Pot also trod on rainbow clouds, following the group.
Many Daoists turned to look at them, inwardly amazed.
"Is that Scholar Chen?" an elderly Daoist asked amiably.
Chen Shi was quite pleased and smiled. "It is this junior."
The old Daoist's expression turned icy. "The sins your grandfather committed back then haven't been fully cleansed from Azure Palace! And you dare come to our Taihua Azure Sheep Palace! Very well—how many heads do you have?"
Chen Shi smiled. "This junior has only one. But this junior is a court official, a Hanlin Academy Attendant Scholar."
The old Daoist snorted but didn't press further.
Chen Shi inquired, "Senior, why are the successive ancestors of Azure Palace buried here? It's so remote, with no seals or restrictions. The mountains aren't verdant, the waters not limpid—clearly no feng shui treasure land. Moreover, these ancestral graves look so rudimentary. Given the stature of Azure Palace's successive ancestors, how could they be buried so simply?"
The old Daoist sneered. "Should our successive ancestors have been buried lavishly just to let your grandpa dig them up?"
He felt he'd gone too far and added, "We cultivators don't pursue material things much. The founding headmaster said that if one can't become an immortal in life, why lavish a funeral in death? So they all instructed upon death to use a simple coffin, buried in the earth to nourish the soil."
Chen Shi felt deep admiration. "The successive ancestors had transcendent realms and flawless Dao-hearts."
The old Daoist smiled. "Some also wanted to cultivate corpse-disintegration immortality and feared lavish burials would tempt others to covet the treasures in their graves, desecrating their bodies and preventing ascension."
Chen Shi's eyes lit up. "Then, did any ancestors achieve corpse-disintegration immortality?"
The old Daoist replied, "Some did in the past, but later it was somehow lost."
Chen Shi thought to himself, "No wonder everyone values the Water-Fire Tempering Art so highly."
Upon arriving at Taihua Azure Palace, they saw many palace halls with white walls and green tiles nestled among the mountains, scattered elegantly, adding a touch of human warmth amid the greenery.
Mountain paths connected these halls like silk threads strung with pearls.
The sect gate was midway up the slope, with many nearby villagers passing through it, streaming endlessly up the mountain—likely to burn incense.
With his yin-yang vision, Chen Shi had long seen this place was extraordinary. The flora and fauna of Taihua Mountain had long since attained the Dao through incense offerings, becoming extremely powerful entities hidden in the peaks. But their spirits and forms were immense; atop many summits loomed colossal beings comparable to God-Refining or Void-Returning realms, guarding the mountains and rivers.
Some otherworldly cultivators had also achieved the Dao, taking human form and mingling among Taihua Azure Palace's Daoists, indistinguishable from ordinary people. But occasionally, otherworldly primal spirits would flicker above their heads in the void—lions and tigers, exotic beasts, even cicadas, centipedes, and venomous snakes.
Their primal spirits vanished in a flash; even Chen Shi had to observe carefully to discern them.
Ordinary eyes couldn't see this; only celestial vision could. To normal people, everything appeared utterly normal.
Seeing Chen Shi's shocked expression, the old Daoist smiled smugly. "Impressed by the foundations of our Taihua Azure Palace, eh?"
Chen Shi nodded solemnly, gazing at the distant ranges. Around Taihua Mountain, the surrounding peaks were often pitch-black expanses, barren of any plants.
These peaks were ruined—some summits sheared off, others punched through at the center, some thrust upside-down into the earth by unknown hands, still others riddled with holes like worm-eaten wood.
No trace of life lingered in those places.
"What are those places?" Chen Shi asked.
"Eighty-Eight Demonic Peaks."
The old Daoist gazed with reverence. "This is where our eighteen founding ancestors subdued demons! The eighteen ancestors razed the eighty-eight demonic peaks and the demon gods entrenched upon them, shielding the Ming people and allowing them to thrive and multiply."
Chen Shi nodded lightly, filled with immense respect for those eighteen founding ancestors.
In that fervent era, humanity had no foothold on Xiniu New Continent amid rampant evils and demon gods. It was these qi refiners' fearless battles against them that birthed the current Xiniu New Continent.
Daoist Changying and the others escorted Azure Sheep into Azure Palace. Outside stood an ancient bronze statue of Azure Sheep, with an ever-burning incense burner before it.
Azure Sheep, long absent from this place, felt a surge of emotion upon returning. "I actually stayed here foolishly for over three thousand years. Little Ten, thank goodness your grandpa came—otherwise I'd still be a mascot stuck here!"
The Daoists all glared furiously at Chen Shi.
Chen Shi smiled faintly, unperturbed.
Daoist Changying smiled. "Ancestor has returned this time surely never to leave again, right?"
Azure Sheep shook his head. "I'm here accompanying Little Ten, not to return to Azure Palace. Besides, I've already died and become an evil. Staying in the palace would just be a source of pollution—better not to harm you all."
Daoist Changying quickly said, "Ancestor, how could this disciple ever disdain you? If Ancestor wishes to return, we'll offer incense day and night, ensuring your evil qi never flares. You could become the guardian deity of Taihua, revered for ten thousand generations!"
Azure Sheep was quite tempted by this.
He stayed in that small mountain village on Qianyang Mountain with limited incense. Though free, his inner evil qi grew daily. He could suppress it now, but eventually he wouldn't be able to.
Back at Azure Palace with unending incense, the chance of turning fully evil would drop greatly. He could even refine further with incense qi, perhaps restoring his peak pre-death state.
Seeing him wavering, Daoist Changying added, "Plenty of grave-mound grass!"
Azure Sheep hesitated, then said, "I'll stay a few days."
Daoist Changying was thrilled.
Taihua Azure Sheep Palace's bond with Azure Sheep was incomparable to that with other mountain spirits.
Among the few things the eighteen ancestors brought from Huaxia Divine Continent were Azure Sheep's forebears—a male and female pair. In the Daoist school, azure sheep symbolized vitality and pure yang, representing longevity and the immortal path. Thus, the founding ancestors named their sect Azure Sheep Palace.
Azure Sheep was their descendant, with an exceedingly long lifespan. Upon maturity, his power surpassed ordinary headmasters. Thus, even after a headmaster passed without a successor named, Taihua Azure Sheep Palace never descended into chaos.
Moreover, Azure Sheep was profoundly learned; no Azure Palace techniques were at risk of loss—ask him, and they could be relearned. Many headmasters had grown up under his watch, with deep affections for him. Thus, he became the symbol of Taihua Azure Sheep Palace.
This was also why the previous headmaster, discovering Azure Sheep abducted by Chen Yindu, flew into a rage—unable to beat him, he vented by removing "Sheep" from the sacred Daoist site's name.
Azure Sheep asked, "Changying, where's your master?" He meant the previous headmaster.
"He ascended to immortality."
Daoist Changying's face darkened. "Before passing, Master still wished to see Ancestor. He always felt deep guilt, thinking he hadn't treated Ancestor well enough, leading to your abduction by villains. Master wanted to ask why Ancestor left Azure Palace."
Azure Sheep fell silent for a moment. "That's exactly the reason."
Daoist Changying was puzzled.
Azure Sheep explained, "I was originally so happy in Azure Palace, watching generation after generation grow up, from ignorant little Daoist boys into the mightiest experts. I cared for you all meticulously, treating you like my own children. Then, one by one, you died."
He stroked his bronze statue, lost in a daze. "I nurtured generation after generation of headmasters, bid farewell to generation after generation, watched generation after generation of disciples mature, then gradually age and die. Every death pained me like losing a child. I can't forget your laughter and chatter by my side. But I had no way to save you—you know? I found no method to keep you alive, only bearing the grief of losing generation after generation alone..."
Daoist Changying was silent.
Azure Sheep continued, "Then Chen Yindu came. He came to Taihua Azure Sheep Palace to study under a master, but his talent was too high—he became your ancestors' disciple. Clever mind, that one. In his second month here, he thought all of Azure Palace's techniques ordinary. I watched him, found him intriguing, different from you all. When I went to eat grass on the forbidden ancestral graves, I saw him sneaking around with a Luoyang shovel, about to dig an ancestor's grave."
Chen Shi coughed repeatedly upon hearing this.
"...We talked a lot. I discovered his endless wild ideas. Not only did he plan to excavate the ancestors' graves to see if they'd hidden any longevity secrets, but also to seek the lost mysteries of the True King Era. So I joined him in digging many ancestral graves."
At this point, Daoist Changying looked extremely awkward and coughed repeatedly.
Azure Sheep went on, "...So when he said he was leaving Azure Palace, I decided to abandon everything and follow him to seek the True King Era's lost secrets. Only with this man could I find a way to keep you little Daoists from dying, so I wouldn't have to watch generation after generation depart."
Daoist Changying choked up. "If Master knew this was the reason, he wouldn't have blamed himself so much at the end. He always thought it was his fault."
"Not his fault—no one's." Azure Sheep patted his shoulder.
Daoist Changying wiped away tears, self-mockingly saying, "Ancestor must laugh at me. I still can't achieve detachment from things or emotions."
Azure Sheep smiled. "Even I can't—how could you? Little Ten, tell Changying the purpose of your visit."
Chen Shi assented, pondered a moment, then briefly recounted his encounter with Naive Daoist on Yin Mountain, omitting his feud with the underworld ghost clan. "Naive Daoist was once a fire-tending boy for Azure Palace's founding ancestors but cultivated to half-immortal body, nearly dying to the True Martial Demon-Slaying Sword. Now he wishes to return to Azure Palace and hopes you'll welcome him back."
Here, Chen Shi produced the True Martial Demon-Slaying Sword. "This immortal sword is the very one that slew Naive Daoist back then. He entrusted me to return it to Taihua Mountain."
Daoist Changying was moved and immediately led the Daoists in prostration. "We reverently welcome the sect's immortal artifact home!"
They weren't bowing to Chen Shi, but to the True Martial Demon-Slaying Sword.
Legend held this sword was forged by True Martial Emperor before ascension, left in the mortal world and enshrined on Taihua Mountain. Later, upon discovering Xiniu New Continent, the eighteen Daoists brought it to slay demons, earning great renown.
Chen Shi held the True Martial Demon-Slaying Sword aloft in both hands. Daoist Changying reverently approached, receiving it with both hands, bowing low and taking tiny steps into Azure Palace to enshrine the immortal sword on the altar.
Chen Shi let out a breath, having settled one major concern, and smiled. "If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave. When Azure Palace plans to retrieve Naive Daoist's corpse, just let me know—I can guide you there."
Daoist Changying thanked him profusely and urged, "Scholar Chen, don't rush off. Returning this sword is a great boon to our Azure Palace. Stay a few days; let us play the perfect hosts."
Chen Shi thought it over and agreed, then quietly asked Azure Sheep, "Did my grandpa really dig up the successive ancestors' graves with you?"
Azure Sheep nodded and whispered, "We did. Even found a few empty graves—no bodies inside, just clothes in some, or a single sword in others."
Chen Shi was stunned.
"Some had soldiered on to immortality," Azure Sheep said.