Daoist Competition

Zhang Yan glanced at the jade plate and signaled to Jing You beside him to take it. He said, "Sect Leader Qiao is too courteous. Elder Bai, please extend my thanks to him."

Elder Bai clapped his hands again, and a disciple led a white rhinoceros over, pointing and saying, "There’s another matter I would like to trouble True Master Zhang with. Could you take this mount to the Qingyu Sect?"

Since Zhongtai Sect invited True Master Tao as a sacrifice, they wanted to send the white rhinoceros over. However, the long journey made it difficult to fly across the sea, which was teeming with demons. Moreover, the Xuanyue Python Clan was pressing closely, making it impossible to dispatch reliable personnel. Upon hearing that Zhang Yan intended to return to the sect, they entrusted him with this task.

Zhang Yan saw the white rhinoceros with its head drooping to the ground, listless and weak, quite unlike its spirited self when he first saw it. He guessed it had been restrained by a forbidden technique, and with a smile, he said, "This is an easy matter. Jing You, take it aboard the ship. Since it is True Master Tao’s mount, make sure it is not mistreated."

Jing You replied, "Master, rest assured, I know what to do."

He walked over, the disciple handed over the reins, and also gave him a golden silk soft whip, reminding him, "Fellow Daoist, be careful. This demon may appear docile now, but it is under Master Zheng’s spell. Normally it’s very fierce, and if not whipped twice daily, it won’t behave."

Jing You listened, weighed the whip in his hand, and looked at the whip marks on the white rhinoceros. He leaned close to its ear and said, "Brother Daoist, as you can see, I am merely a runner doing errands, not the master. If you behave on the ship, eat well, sleep well, and cause no trouble, I won’t whip you. What do you say to this?"

The white rhinoceros glanced at him, snorted, and said, "I need to drink three barrels of strong wine every day."

Jing You laughed, "There is plenty of good wine on the ship. That can be arranged." Secretly he cursed, "Let’s see if you can drink yourself to death!" He took the reins, and the white rhinoceros obediently followed him onto the ship.

After Zhang Yan bid farewell to everyone, he called Fu Baoxing aside and said, "I am about to leave. Is there anything you want to say?"

Fu Baoxing thought for a moment and said, "There is something I don’t understand."

Zhang Yan nodded, "Go ahead and ask."

Fu Baoxing plucked up the courage and said, "Master Wu is gentle and often treats my mentor with respect. After becoming the master of the immortal city, he wasn’t completely impartial, but he never acted contrary to his duty. Was the punishment earlier too severe?"

Zhang Yan smiled slightly, with a deep meaning in his words, "The head of the Han Yuan Sect is you. After I leave, how to deal with things is up to you. Do you understand?"

While he was in the sect, these Nascent Soul cultivators wouldn’t dare overstep for a moment. However, after he left, it was uncertain whether his disciple would be able to keep them in check. The mention of the Dragon Carp affair was to show strength to Song and Tang, but with people like Wu Suquan, it was different. One had to show benevolence. The punishment before was a deliberate excuse, so after his departure, Fu Baoxing could lift the ban, offering a personal favor to ensure gratitude.

Fu Baoxing, being intelligent, quickly grasped the reasoning and gratefully said, "Master, your care and protection are invaluable. Even if I break into pieces, I cannot repay a fraction of it."

Zhang Yan looked at him with hopeful eyes, gently patted his shoulder, and said, "Disciple, take care of yourself."

Having said this, he turned and walked toward the ship, while those behind bowed deeply to send him off.

Wang Caiting lingered at the end. Once Zhang Yan boarded the ship, she approached Fu Baoxing and handed him a small item, whispering, "Little junior brother, this is from my sister and me to you."

Fu Baoxing saw it was a sleeve bag, guessing it contained Dharma Treasures or Elixirs, and hastily declined, "Master has already bestowed treasures upon me. How can I take more from my senior sisters?"

Wang Caiting sighed, "Little junior brother, it’s not easy for you here alone. Just take what your senior sister gives you." With these words, she slipped it into his arms and gracefully ascended the ship. Despite Fu Baoxing calling after her a few times, she did not turn back.

A short while later, Dragon Country’s Ship gave a gentle shudder, and from the ship’s bottom, layers of talismans floated up like brilliant golden flowers. The ship ascended into the skies and slowly sailed away.

Fu Baoxing had been brought to the mountain by Zhang Yan for cultivation since childhood and grew up to adulthood in the Han Yuan Sect, so the bond between master and disciple was deep. Watching Dragon Country’s Ship sail away, not knowing when they would meet again, he couldn’t help but feel sorrowful. Kneeling on the mountaintop, he kowtowed three times, saying in a loud voice, "Wish Master a safe journey, forgive your disciple for not seeing you off further."

Dragon Country’s Ship left the mountain gate, spent ten days at sea, and heard the rumbles of thunder in the sky, with dark clouds gathering.

This was the Thunder Belt of Wujin ten thousand miles outside East Victory Continent. When Zhang Yan traversed it back then, it took some effort, and even Dragon Country’s Ship was damaged to make it through.

Now, his mana had greatly increased, so he no longer needed to be as passive as before. He raised the Xuanhuang Great Hand, gently parted it, and cleared a pathway. Within a few days, he was through without any danger.

Beyond this point lay a smooth route. He retreated from the bow and went back to his cabin to meditate.

The ship sailed unperturbed on the sea for several months. One day, Jing You came to report, "Master, there is a letter from Qingyu Sect."

Zhang Yan had sent a letter to the Qingyu Sect before his departure, expressing his intention to visit. Now that a Flying Book had arrived, it likely carried important news, so he said gravely, "Let me see it."

Jing You promptly presented the letter.

Zhang Yan opened it and found it was penned by True Master Tao himself, stating that his senior disciple Guo Lie had failed to force the Nascent Soul stage, harming his Dao Foundation, and had to undergo soldier dissolution to reincarnate elsewhere. Hence, he was unable to host and had sent this letter to apologize.

He also mentioned that the Carp Tribe had been active recently, advising him not to come to the sect to avoid trouble, and as for the white rhinoceros, just let it be for now.

After reading, Zhang Yan couldn’t help but sigh. When he met Guo Lie back then, he was still at Xuan Guang cultivation level, and they got along well. But in the blink of an eye, more than two hundred years had passed, and things and people had changed.

He initially planned to stay at the Qingyu Sect for a few days, but with this, he no longer wished to linger and urged the ship to continue westward. After three months, Qifeng Island in the East Sea was faintly visible ahead.

...

...(To be continued. If you like this work, come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.)