Chapter 120 - Snow Pear Flavored Dead Gong (19)
Translated by Hua Li ^_^
“Master…”
Facing the question from Guyang, Song Lian immediately understood his master’s choice.
Although he knew that even if he confessed to stealing Gou Liang’s Nine PaG.o.da Tower, his master would surely find a way to protect him, admitting to stealing the Nine PaG.o.da Tower in front of these celestial masters would tarnish his reputation irreparably, leaving him ineligible for the position of Changtian Gate’s master.
Thinking about this, Song Lian’s heart felt like it was being torn apart, and the words of agreement were stuck in his throat, unable to be spoken.
Gou Liang saw through his thoughts at a glance, feeling somewhat amused.
How come Guyang was reelected as the 56th head of the Changtian Gate, but no one found out? That’s because the heir he chooses must have the same birth date and have pure yang bodies just like Guyang himself.
Song Lian was one of them, but not the only one.
And with his apt.i.tude, he wasn’t even originally on the list of candidates for Guyang’s successor.
Song Lian didn’t understand why his master would allow Gou Liang to distort the truth, but he didn’t dare to refute his master’s decision. After a moment of hesitation, Song Lian could only lower his head in humiliation.
“Master, your disciple knows he was wrong. I just wanted to see if the Nine PaG.o.da Tower was as magical as described in the books. Your disciple did not intentionally release the fierce ghost, but accidentally triggered the mechanism.”
With each word he spoke, his heart bled.
But there were no fools present who would be fooled by such insincere excuses.
Gou Liang sneered, “Even a three-year-old child is taught by their parents not to touch things in someone else’s house without permission. If I remember correctly, Mr. Song is two years older than me, right? Moreover, stealing is stealing. It is an indisputable fact that you wanted to erase the blood seal of the Meng family and take possession of the Nine PaG.o.da Tower as your own. No matter how many pretty words you say, it’s useless. Your master might forgive you for apologizing and shedding a few tears, but I’m not obligated to do so!”
“You—”
“Song Lian!”
Seeing Song Lian retaliate against Gou Liang, Guyang rebuked him.
Then, he turned to Gou Liang with a guilty expression and said, “Meng Tianshi, it’s my disciple’s lack of discipline. He has committed a serious mistake this time, and I will not cover it up. Whatever punishment you want to impose on him, please feel free to do so.”
“You really put me in a difficult position.” Gou Liang smirked coldly. “If someone stole Master Dugu’s Changtian Seal and wanted to claim it as their own, what would you do?”
Guyang was speechless.
If someone dared to do such a thing, they would have been crushed by him long ago!
But Gou Liang spoke without foundation, trying to take his disciple’s life with just a few words. Even if he had leverage over him, Guyang would never agree.
The two sides were at a stalemate, and Yuan Qing and the others exchanged glances.
In terms of their temperaments, regardless of whether or not there were irreparable consequences, Song Lian deserved to die for this.
But Guyang’s att.i.tude was also clear; he wanted to save Song Lian. They couldn’t afford to give face to the Changtian Gate, nor could they dare not to. Fortunately, the situation had been timely controlled without causing unnecessary casualties, and there was room for compromise.
At the same time, they were also worried that Gou Liang’s rash actions had offended the Changtian Gate and hastened to mediate.
Yuan Qing said: “Senior Brother Dugu, Xiao Meng has nothing to do with this. If he had said something wrong, please don’t take it to heart. After all, what Song Lian did…even I wouldn’t be able to tolerate it.”
“Yes, fortunately, no innocents were harmed.”
Although they said these words, seeing Song Lian admit his mistake verbally but show no remorse towards Gou Liang, and even retaliate against him, they had already wanted to slap him a few times.
But who made him have such a good master?
With emotions in his heart, Fang Yunshu’s tone couldn’t help but be ambiguous.
He said, “In my opinion, Nephew Song Lian, you should sincerely apologize to Meng Tianshi. Although he is younger than you, his cultivation is higher, making him your senior. If you sincerely admit your mistake, he won’t make it difficult for you.”
Liu Yiyi glared at him. Was he trying to mediate or add fuel to the fire?
Coughing, Liu Yiyi said, “Master Dugu, I have always admired the Changtian Gate’s principles. But you see, last night, Meng Tianshi exerted all his efforts to resolve the crisis in Shuangye City. He hasn’t even had a chance to catch his breath in the capital, and yet such a thing happened. In terms of reason and sentiment, Song Lian should apologize to Meng Tianshi. Otherwise, we cannot turn a blind eye and let Meng Tianshi suffer such grievances for no reason.”
Guyang was furious.
He who had roamed the world for more than three thousand years had always been a figure of flattery and praise, but this time, he, who was accustomed to being revered, found himself being pecked at by geese. He had to endure swallowing his pride and accept a slight loss from a young man barely twenty.
But the current situation forced him to swallow his pride.
Gou Liang could choose to be reckless, but he valued his reputation. He couldn’t let the Changtian Gate, which he had painstakingly cultivated for three thousand years, be ruined by this young man’s hands.
So Guyang nodded and said, “What the three of you said is quite right. Brat, why haven’t you apologized to Meng Tianshi yet?”
“Master…” Song Lian’s eyes were red. Seeing his master’s face full of coldness, his usually compa.s.sionate eyes now icy with anger, he was deeply shocked.
His master must be very angry, and there must be a reason why his master was willing to compromise to this extent.
If enduring a moment of humiliation could alleviate his master’s difficulties… Then what harm was there in swallowing his pride?
Realizing this, Song Lian gritted his teeth and turned to Gou Liang. With a straightened spine, he bowed his head to the ground in the most humble manner and said, “Meng Tianshi, I was wrong. Please… forgive me.”
Anyone could see the unwillingness and resentment in Song Lian’s eyes, but the more he hated Gou Liang, the happier Gou Liang felt—slapping someone who didn’t react was no fun at all, but isn’t it amusing to slap someone who’s angry but silent? Where’s the fun in “bowing and sc.r.a.ping”?
Gou Liang calmly accepted his gesture of respect, but showed no intention of letting him off.
Only when Song Lian had knocked his head five times did Guyang furrow his brow and speak up, “This time, it was my disciple who made a serious mistake. Meng Tianshi, rest a.s.sured, I will definitely punish him severely. This Sanqing Bell is a relic left by the elders of our sect. He was also a virtuous celestial master during his lifetime. Although this artifact can’t compare to your Nine PaG.o.da Tower, it’s not too bad either. Please accept it as a token of apology.”
Gou Liang reached out and accepted the bell as if he couldn’t see the curse lingering on it, smiling, “Senior, you’re too polite.”
“It’s only right.”
Guyang smiled kindly at Gou Liang as if relieved of a burden.
Song Lian had stopped knocking his head when his master spoke, but his master didn’t ask him to get up, instead conversing with Gou Liang in a relaxed manner as if he hadn’t noticed his tense body and reddened eyes, ignoring him completely.
Guyang said, “This time my disciple has made a serious mistake, but it has also served as a reminder for us. After all, the capital is a place full of people, and if the fierce ghost, suppressed for a thousand years, is released, even a small mistake can lead to a disaster. The Feng Shui array of the Qizang Pavilion is well-known, but Meng Tianshi’s energy is limited. If he faces another person with malicious intent, he might not be so lucky next time. Changtian Mountain is far from the hustle and bustle, with generations of celestial masters’ artifacts guarding it, and thousands of disciples in the sect. It’s a good place to suppress the fierce ghost for a thousand years.”
After a pause, Guyang glanced at Liu Yiyi and the others before turning his gaze back to Gou Liang, asking, “I wonder what Meng Tianshi thinks?”
Gou Liang had long antic.i.p.ated this calculation, and upon hearing this, he calmly replied, “Senior’s words make me feel ashamed.”
“This incident, I also bear responsibility for it. If it weren’t for my limited cultivation and my gullibility, this disaster wouldn’t have happened.”
“Being able to suppress the fierce ghost under the Changtian Gate is indeed the best… However, as the senior must have noticed, although I was fortunate enough to subdue the fierce ghost before, he also left a mark on me. It didn’t matter when my spiritual power was strong, but now that it’s weakened, if he were to escape, I wouldn’t be able to escape death. May I take a few days to recuperate? Once I recover, I’ll personally deliver the fierce ghost to the Changtian Gate. How about it?”
“Of course.”
Guyang saw through Gou Liang’s apparent scheming, but he didn’t mind.
He was confident that no matter what Gou Liang was planning behind the scenes, he would be able to find a way to kill Bi Xia and the young man who knew his greatest secret, leaving them no place to be buried.
Putting aside this matter for now, he turned to Yuan Qing and the others and said, “I’m sure you’ve all heard of the Changtian Gate’s tradition of opening up once every 60 years to invite celestial masters and friends who are half a step away from celestial master level to come and learn together. In a few months, it will be the sixtieth year of this tradition. Since we’re welcoming Meng Tianshi this time, why not advance the date a bit? In the next two days, Changtian Gate will send out invitations, and I hope you three will grace us with your presence.”
The three of them were extremely delighted.
—The Changtian Gate’s Jiazi discussion of learning, although it was a joint discussion of Daoist methods for mutual encouragement, everyone knew that it was an opportunity for outsiders to learn orthodox Daoist methods from the Changtian Gate.
It was a once-in-a-lifetime event, how could they miss it?
Yuan Qing, Liu Yiyi, and Fang Yunshu all agreed in unison.
*
Ten days later, Changtian Gate.
Changtian Mountain was hidden among the majestic mountains and hills in the southwest of Huaxia.
After pa.s.sing through the barrier, the full view of the Changtian Gate was reflected in everyone’s eyes.
It was located in a wide valley, forming a dragon-like shape with the mountains and water. Naturally, it had excellent Feng Shui, making people feel relaxed and open-minded upon entering. Although there was no mountain gate, the majestic Changtian Palace in the center was very conspicuous. The two characters “Changtian” were written on the plaque in an ancient script, exuding a mysterious power that filled people with awe and reverence.
Here is a quaint and ancient atmosphere, devoid of any modern touch, completely isolating the hustle and bustle of the mundane world.
A paradise, nothing less.
There were a total of fifteen daoists partic.i.p.ating in the Jiazi discussion this time, gathering the most mysterious forces of Huaxia in one place. The Changtian Gate left no room for negligence towards any one of them.
“Meng Tianshi, Mr. Bi, please come in.”
Seeing Gou Liang leading Bi Xia into the courtyard, the disciple welcoming them was somewhat surprised—although the invitation said one family member could accompany, no one had ever brought irrelevant people into the Changtian Gate for the sake of concentrating on learning the orthodox teachings.
However, she wisely didn’t show it and politely said, “Two gentlemen, you must be tired from your journey. Please rest here for a while. If you need anything, please shake this bell. There will be disciples waiting nearby, and you can instruct them as you wish.”
“Thank you.”
As soon as Gou Liang stepped into the courtyard, he felt the “thoughtfulness” of Guyang.
Just look at the statues of the Three Pure Ones in the courtyard and the twenty-eight constellations array formed by these inconspicuous arrangements, gathering strong positive and masculine energy, almost to the point of not having a sign that says “demons and ghosts entering will die.”
Fortunately, over the past ten days, he had been purifying the ghost energy from the cowardly ghosts subdued from the ancient tomb for Bi Xia day and night. With Bi Xia’s current cultivation base of five thousand years, even Guyang might not be his opponent. Guyang also knew this, so his actions were just to make things difficult for them, making them uncomfortable living here.
After the welcoming disciple left, Gou Liang leaned on Bi Xia and let out a big yawn.
Bi Xia also felt sorry for his hard work and said gently, “Sleep, I’ll watch over you.”
Gou Liang nestled on his lap, circling his waist, and said lazily, “This is Guyang’s territory. We should be careful about everything. When he suppressed you with the blood sacrifice of boys and girls back then, he was able to use even his own son to avert the disaster for him. He must have already planned an escape route for himself. Maybe he still has something to control you. Now is not the time to sleep.”
Bi Xia said, “If he wants to deal with me, he won’t be in a hurry at this moment.”
Gou Liang thought about it and realized that it was true. He relaxed himself, lying down on his lap, and soon fell asleep.
He hadn’t slackened for a moment during these ten days and was exhausted. Bi Xia gently stroked his hair and looked at his peaceful sleeping face, a hint of a smile appearing at the corner of his mouth. He didn’t lift his head until Gou Liang fell asleep.
The tenderness in his eyes was replaced by coldness. “Guyang, I didn’t expect you to have a penchant for peeping into other people’s private lives.”
He waved his hand, and a burst of ghost energy rushed towards the lingering ghost energy in the void. As the feeling of being monitored disappeared, Guyang, who had returned to his senses, was still a step slower, feeling a sharp pain in his eyes, leaving behind a trail of blood and tears.
The influx of ghost energy relieved the pain in his eyes. Guyang sneered, “Even if you two see through my intentions, so what? Changtian Mountain will still be your burial ground!”
That night, Guyang led his disciples to welcome the guests.
After a round of formalities, he said, “Tomorrow at noon, I will seal the fierce ghost together with Meng Tianshi. You can follow my unsatisfactory disciple around the Changtian Gate. If there’s any neglect, please forgive us.”
Everyone nodded in agreement.
But Gou Liang knew that Guyang wouldn’t wait until noon tomorrow.
Sure enough, at the break of dawn, a summoning bell rang, and Gou Liang felt his hand empty, with Bi Xia disappearing from his side.
“Bi Wuzhan, do you recognize what this is?”
With Guyang’s sinister smile, there laid a pile of bones next to him.
Bi Xia was stunned. Those were his own remains!
Realizing that something was terribly wrong, Bi Xia tried to leave, but found himself unable to move.
Guyang grabbed the neck of the bones, and Bi Xia immediately felt as if his throat was being choked, unable to make a sound. Guyang triumphantly said, “You must never have expected to see your own bones after three thousand years, right? To preserve these bones, I spared no effort. Bi Wuzhan, I waited for three thousand years and finally waited for you. Haha, I don’t know what method your little lover used to greatly increase your cultivation base in such a short time. But so what? As long as your remains are in my hands, you can’t escape my grasp.”
Guyang laughed sinisterly and, seeing Bi Xia unable to make a sound with his throat being choked, still puzzled, lifted his foot and kicked the knee of the bones.
Bi Xia felt as if his legs were pressed down with a thousand pounds of force, making him involuntarily repeat the posture of the bones. He resisted with ghostly strength, barely managing not to kneel down immediately.
Guyang watched with great satisfaction as he witnessed the dying struggles of his opponent.
He ruthlessly broke a rib from the skeleton, not in a hurry to kill Bi Xia, but to humiliate him. For three thousand years, he had been waiting for this day.
Bi Xia groaned, and the ghostly aura around him dispersed slightly.
“This skeleton has accompanied me for three thousand years. I have nurtured it day and night with ghostly energy, molding it into my puppet. Who would have thought that the formidable General Bi Xia in life would kneel before me in death.”
Watching Bi Xia’s futile struggles brought great pleasure to Guyang.
However, soon he felt that his formation was about to be broken.
He had underestimated Gou Liang’s abilities; his formation couldn’t even hold him for an hour. Guyang felt furious: “You have committed countless sins and are now reaping what you sowed. Why should I sacrifice ten generations of merit for you, Bi Xia? You should have died long ago, and now is no exception. After you die, I will go and kill your lover, let him accompany you in death! Accept your fate!”
Bi Xia’s eyes turned cold, and his ghostly aura surged, trying to break free from Guyang’s constraints.
Afraid of unexpected situations, Guyang didn’t delay any longer. With a fierce strike, he aimed to crush Bi Xia’s remains—
“Stop!”
At the critical moment, a strong surge of celestial energy shot out from Bi Xia’s robes, striking towards Guyang! Although Guyang dodged in time, he was still hit by the celestial energy for a moment. Even though he immediately possessed Guyang’s body again, the moment when he left his body just now was seen by Gou Liang and the others who came with him!
“Master!!”
“Head!!”
The disciples of Changtian Gate let out a sorrowful cry.
They couldn’t believe that Du Guyang would be possessed by a fierce ghost, but seeing it with their own eyes, they had no choice but to believe.
The Nine PaG.o.da Tower, carried by Bi Xia, was controlled by Gou Liang’s mind, flying out from Bi Xia’s body to retrieve the skeleton first. Gou Liang rushed to Bi Xia’s side, standing in front of him, and sternly shouted at Guyang, “Audacious ghost, how dare you possess Master Du Guyang of Changtian Gate! Surrender now!”
Guyang instantly understood Gou Liang’s intention. But before he could react, Gou Liang angrily yelled, “What are you waiting for, everyone? Don’t let this fierce ghost escape!”
Without waiting for Liu Yiyi and the others to act, the grieving disciples of Changtian Gate had already swarmed in.
“You scoundrel! Return my master’s life!”
“How dare you, a vile creature, possess our leader of Changtian Gate! Surrender!”
Thus, the battle between humans and a ghost erupted!