Chapter 147: Chapter 126: Huang and Wang Are One, an Ancestral Precept Bestows an Immortal Opportunity

In Hanyang Prefecture, lanterns were hung and decorations were put up everywhere!

There was a great celebration approaching. Old Master Wang was holding a banquet for his one-hundredth birthday and planned to set up a continuous stream of tables from the inner city all the way to the outer city. It was to be called the "Banquet of Ten Thousand Lives."

Every elderly person in the city over the age of one hundred could receive a silver reward and join the feast!

The Wang Family was a Fifth-Grade Clan in Hanyang Prefecture. Together with the Huang Family, they were known as the "Twin Powers," and it was no exaggeration to call them the two local emperors of the prefecture.

The Direct Lineage disciples from both of these clans were all successful. Some joined various Dharma Lineages, becoming Servants or even Inner Peak Disciples; others became court officials, enjoying wealth and glory.

Because of their prominence, each of their mansions occupied a thousand acres. Inside, corridors intertwined and winding paths led to secluded spots. An ordinary person who walked in was guaranteed to get so turned around they couldn’t find their way out.

"Fang Han, the Second Miss praised your good work with the horses yesterday! She said you’ve kept ’Thousand-Mile Snow’ looking full of spirit! She’s specifically rewarding you with fifty taels of silver!"

Outside the stable door, the gray-haired, towering Steward Wang boomed in a loud voice.

"Fang Han thanks the Second Miss for her reward!"

Upon hearing this, Fang Han, dressed in a gray tunic and a small cap, quickly knelt and raised his hands high above his head, steadily catching the five heavy silver ingots.

Fifty taels of silver was more than half a year’s wages for him—a truly significant reward. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

As soon as he stood up, he respectfully offered the silver ingots to Steward Wang with an obsequious smile and said:

"Steward Wang, this humble one is of low fortune and truly doesn’t deserve such a generous reward from the Second Miss. I must ask you, Steward, to help me share the burden."

The gray-haired Steward Wang looked old, but his muscles, bones, and skin were exceptionally strong. Up close, one could feel the scorching heat of his vital energy and blood.

He gave Fang Han a deep look and smiled.

"You’re a clever and sensible lad!"

Without another word or any pretense of refusal, he snatched four of the silver ingots and tucked them into his robes, then patted Fang Han’s shoulder.

"From now on, if anyone gives you trouble in the stables, just tell me. I’ll stick up for you!"

Fang Han forced an ingratiating smile. He clutched the single remaining silver ingot, turned, and went back to work, but his heart was a tangle of complicated emotions.

’Fifty taels of silver to buy my undying loyalty? Those Direct Lineage disciples of the Wang Family spend a hundred taels on a single meal. The favored Young Masters and Misses disdain gold and silver, using talisman money to purchase Spirit Rice and Spiritual Meals to nourish themselves... If I could also walk the path of Cultivation, why would I have to endure being at the mercy of others?’

As one of the Wang Family’s grooms, Fang Han’s duties were many and complicated.

First, he had to simmer soybean milk, then mix it with eggs and fine fodder. After feeding the horses, he had to lead them outside to walk several laps to aid their digestion.

The horses could neither be left hungry nor bored. Only with such meticulous care could one raise a fine, spirited steed.

By the time he finished, it was the Hour of the Pig.

Fang Han hastily gnawed on two hard, dry steamed buns before planning to go to bed.

As the saying goes, a horse doesn’t get fat without a midnight snack.

He would have to get up again during the Hour of the Rat and the Hour of the Ox to give Thousand-Mile Snow another feeding.

Despite the generous reward he received today, quite a few grooms in these stables had been whipped to death for failing to properly care for the Young Masters’ prized horses.

In his small shack, Fang Han fell into a deep sleep, and snores filled the air.

But his consciousness was unusually clear, as if he had been dragged into a dreamscape surrounded by ethereal, immortal energy.

"Where... is this?"

Fang Han was greatly alarmed. Before he could even steady himself, he saw a White Jade Dharma Platform floating in the air before him. Seated upon it was a white-haired old man with the air of a transcendent immortal and a powerful, profound aura.

A sudden stroke of insight struck him, and he immediately prostrated himself, his voice trembling as he spoke:

"This humble boy, Fang Han, pays his respects to the old immortal!"

The old man’s voice seemed to descend from the nine heavens, as deep and resonant as a great bell.

"I am the Venerable Mighty Spirit of Hanyang Prefecture, and my name is Jiang Shang.

I have seen a bloody light soaring over the city and divined that a great calamity is about to befall it!

This Venerable One has observed that you have a remarkable bone structure and are a person of talent. Though you are a slave in the Wang Mansion, you possess a restless heart.

You have used the hidden waterway in the back courtyard several times to sneak into the Inner Mansion and secretly watch the Wang Family’s Direct Lineage practice their martial arts. Is this Venerable One not correct?"

Fang Han’s face went deathly pale. Other than heaven, earth, and himself, no one else knew that he had been secretly learning Martial Arts, yet now his secret had been exposed in a single sentence.

’An immortal! He’s definitely an immortal!’

"This Venerable One asks you: if you could one day rise above the rest, what would you want to do?"

The old man’s tone was calm, yet it carried an authority that seemed to see right through a person’s heart.

A fire ignited in Fang Han’s heart. He summoned his courage and declared:

"I want to become the Prefect of Hanyang Prefecture and wield the power of life and death, forcing the Direct Lineages of the Wang and Huang Clans to submit to me! I want to fly through the heavens and move through the earth, to become an emperor, and never again be bullied by anyone!"

The old man, however, shook his head repeatedly, his tone tinged with a hint of pity.

"Your horizons are too narrow. The Nanzhan Continent spans ten thousand miles, and the Zhao Country is but a corner of the lands governed by an Inner Sect Dharma Lineage. On Beimang Ridge, there are three sects and two schools, with Cultivators as numerous as the clouds and an endless stream of powerful experts!

That expert in your eyes, Steward Wang, has only learned some crude techniques to strengthen his body, barely reaching the Second Layer of Qi Cultivation. Before a truly formidable figure, he is no different from an ant!"

Fang Han held his breath, utterly shocked.

It was as if he had never imagined that the world outside Hanyang Prefecture could be so vast!

"You were sold into slavery as a child and have never studied Daoism, so it is normal for you to be unaware of these things."

The old man’s voice softened a little as he continued:

"You were originally the Young Master of a rich family in Baojiao County, born to a life of luxury. Five years ago, the Jiao River burst its banks, destroying your home and fields. Your parents both died, your family’s fortune was wiped out, and only then were you bought as a slave by the Wang Family.

But did you know? The flooding of the Jiao River was no natural disaster. In truth, the Wang Family secretly sent men to break the dikes!

Under the pretext of the flood, they annexed tens of thousands of acres of fertile land at low prices, even developing a thousand acres of Spirit Fields, which allowed them to successfully advance to a Fifth-Grade Clan!"

Every word was like the tolling of a great bell, smashing violently into Fang Han’s heart.

In an instant, his eyes turned crimson, and he began smashing his forehead against the ground. THUMP! THUMP!

"I beg the old immortal to pass on your Cultivation Techniques to me! This boy is willing to serve you as Cattle and Horses, asking only for the chance to avenge my parents!"

The old man only said:

"In two days, the Wang Mansion will send people into Goose Mountain to pray for blessings for Old Master Wang’s birthday. If you can mix in with them, this Venerable One will grant you a great opportunity!"

...

...

’So this is what it feels like for an Upper Cultivator to manipulate a Lower Cultivator? No wonder they all love to scheme and plot!’

Inside the City God Temple, Jiang Yi’s expression was calm, but deep down, he felt a subtle thrill of satisfaction.

He felt like a god, with all living beings seemingly within his grasp.

The satisfaction and amusement derived from it far surpassed any other pleasure.

’So when I used to say all Upper Cultivators were animals, it was just because I wasn’t one of them.’

Jiang Yi felt a flicker of shame, but he immediately brushed the thought aside. ’When I’m an Upper Cultivator, there’s no way I’ll be like those insects!’

’I’ll definitely get along with the Lower Cultivators and live in harmony with them.’

With that thought, Jiang Yi summoned a large mass of Majestic Spirit Essence Qi to act as a bridge for communication, then instructed Jiang Shang to hurry to the Huang Mansion.

Besides the talented Fang Han, he had found another prospect among the countless commoners sold into slavery in Hanyang Prefecture: a side-branch disciple named Hong Yi.

’This time, I also need to find out Senior Brother Han’s whereabouts and see if he can help.’

...

...

The Huang and Wang Families were close neighbors, separated only by a wall. They both occupied the most valuable district in Hanyang Prefecture, the Duke’s Mansion, their estates and courtyards connected, their flying eaves almost touching. They interacted closely on a daily basis, as if they were one family.

Wang Yang crossed through the eastern side-gate of the Huang Mansion with practiced ease, passed through the ornately decorated ceremonial gate, and walked straight toward the inner courtyard.

He was the great master in charge of the Wang Family’s main branch and a Cultivator at the Sixth Layer of Qi Cultivation. Naturally, he could move through the Huang Mansion unimpeded. The servants along the way all bowed their heads respectfully and stood in attendance as he passed.

A moment later, he stepped into the Huang Mansion’s study. Such a private and important place would be impossible to enter uninvited if the two families did not share an unusually deep friendship.

At sixty years old, Wang Yang showed no signs of his age, his back as straight as a pine tree.

Upon entering, he saw Huang Yulang seated at a desk, brandishing a brush, and immediately spoke:

"Brother Yulang, what’s this I hear about the Qianji Sect sending a disciple over yesterday?"

Huang Yulang’s brush moved like a dragon in flight. Only after he completed the final downward-right stroke did he slowly set down his wolf-hair brush.

As calm as ever, he looked up and said:

"There are no walls in this world that are impervious to the wind. The Qianji Sect is an orthodox Dharma Lineage that receives Talisman Decrees. All they have to do is set up an altar and burn some incense, and they can summon Earth Deities like the Land God and the City God for questioning.

Seven or eight hundred Loose Cultivators have gathered over at Goose Mountain, and they’ve nearly slaughtered all the common folk in the nearby villages. How could a disturbance of this magnitude go unnoticed?"

"Then what are we to do!"

Wang Yang immediately began to pace back and forth in a panic, like an ant on a hot pan.

"My family’s Old Master hasn’t even started his ’Banquet of Ten Thousand Lives’ yet! If something goes wrong now, the plans our two clans have made..."

He didn’t finish his sentence, his voice already trembling.

When a Dharma Lineage became angry, blood would flow for a thousand miles. Countless Qi Cultivation Clans had been uprooted and utterly annihilated just like that.

Huang Yulang, however, was composed. He said lightly:

"Brother Wang, do not panic. I’ve already had that disciple with the surname Han taken to Lengsong Hall and settled in.

As long as he’s alive, the Qianji Sect won’t make any rash moves. The Life Qi of a Dharma Lineage’s disciples are recorded in their Talisman Decrees. As long as no news of his death is transmitted back, everything will remain calm."

A chill went through Wang Yang’s heart. Lengsong Hall was a critical location for both of their families. If it were exposed, they would be doomed beyond redemption.

"Once the bow is drawn, the arrow cannot be recalled. When doing things, the greatest taboo is to be timid and hesitant."

Huang Yulang tossed the wolf-hair brush into the brush washer, splashing a few drops of ink.

"In just one hundred and eighty years, our two families have climbed all the way from being Ninth-Grade Clans to the Fifth Grade. We didn’t get here by being content and law-abiding. Now that this Opportunity is right in front of us, how can we shrink back?"

His words were like a calming pill, allowing Wang Yang to gradually steady his Heart Spirit. He nodded heavily.

"Brother Yulang is right. I lost my composure."

A satisfied expression appeared on Huang Yulang’s face. He leaned forward slightly and lowered his voice.

"As long as we can open [Fengdu] and uncover that Hidden Daoist Lineage, I fear we will both immediately reach the Twelfth Level of Cultivation and ascend to the Flying Foundation Establishment Realm.

When that time comes, what will the Qianji Sect even matter? The three-thousand-mile Beimang Ridge will be ours to roam freely, and we’ll no longer have to live at the mercy of others!

Look back at the history of how the Fu Clan and the Kang Clan of the Zhao You Sect rose to power. Who among them didn’t rely on stumbling upon a great Opportunity to rise so suddenly!"

Wang Yang’s heart felt as if it were stuffed with a piece of red-hot charcoal, making his whole body burn with heat.

"Brother Yulang, is there truly a Foundation Establishment Immortal Fate within [Fengdu]?"

Huang Yulang said with certainty:

"It is absolutely true! Our two families have long since made inquiries from multiple sources. [Fengdu] is the foundation of the already hidden [Ghost Dao]. This Daoist Lineage was once attached to the [Divine Dao], and together they were known as the ’Ghost and God’ Dao. They nearly established the Yin Department together."

Wang Yang’s breathing grew ragged. For such a great Opportunity to fall into his lap... the Celestial Lord had truly opened his eyes!

"The Dao of Ghosts and Gods is inextricably linked to karma and destiny. It even—"

Even Huang Yulang’s composed expression showed a trace of excitement as he lowered his voice and said:

"It even involves the chance to attain the station of a True Monarch!"

His eyes met Wang Yang’s. It was as if everything was understood without a word, and they both burst out laughing.

On the desk, a long paperweight held down a sheet of Xuan paper. The ink on it had already dried, and ten words were written with a force that seemed to penetrate the page.

Who will be the True Master? He who bears the golden name!

This was an ancestral teaching passed down in the Huang Family.

It was a clear prophecy that the Huang Family, whose name meant "golden," was destined to produce a Foundation Establishment True Master!

For the sake of this immortal fate, the Huang and Wang clans had toiled for nearly two hundred years. Now, the time to reap the rewards was finally at hand.