Chapter 472 - 248: Elder: A Life for a Life—I’ll Stake My Old Bones! (Part 2)
When they saw the police cars drive away, the simplicity on the villagers’ faces disappeared.
The smile on the old man’s face also turned cold, and he said hoarsely, "They won’t give up easily. Make sure to deal with that man thoroughly."
Immediately, a burly man patted his chest, "Don’t worry, uncle. Our village’s two fish ponds and that one pigpen will ensure he disappears without a trace, leaving no evidence for the police."
"That’s good."
The old man nodded, his expression unchanged, as if such matters were nothing out of the ordinary.
"Alright, it’s over. Everyone, go home."
At this moment, overhead in the village, although the sun was shining brightly, it didn’t bring any warmth.
...
Mountain and Sea Mountain Range, Shaoyang Mountain.
A town at the foot of the mountain, with several thousand residents, remains unchanged.
Like the people in other places, the locals here rely on the mountain for their livelihood.
Thanks to the prosperous local tourism industry, the whole village has also flourished.
This kind of life has lasted for more than a decade. The town’s residents may not be extremely wealthy, but they are comfortably provided for, with no worries about food and clothing.
However, this good life for the town ended last month.
It was suddenly announced that the Shaoyang Mountain they depended on was designated as a special area.
Apart from the special area, the townspeople could still go up the mountain and gather herbs.
But except for the townspeople, all other unrelated people were not allowed to enter the mountain at all!
...
"Dong!"
"Dong!"
On Shaoyang Mountain, in a quiet room, Zhang Yuanyi was debating Daoist Skill with Lin Nanbei.
Hearing the chiming of bells, Lin Nanbei paused the debate, bowed and said, "Fellow Daoist, let’s go for the meal first, and continue our discussion afterward."
"Alright, that would be appropriate." Zhang Yuanyi also returned the bow, politely saying.
Zhang Yuanyi himself was of the orthodox Zhengyi Sect, a Celestial Master of Dragon Tiger Mountain, skilled in Daoist arts and highly respected—there was no doubt about that.
Lin Nanbei, although a younger generation, had been nurtured by official support, following the Daoist path not far behind him, which led to them becoming friends despite the age difference.
Of course, Zhang Yuanyi knew that this was an official plant, meant to facilitate control over the Daoist School they were in.
Not only Zhengyi, but there was also official personnel arranged within Quanzhen, and that was Li Jingye.
The two exited the building, stepping into an area filled with quiet rooms.
Shortly after they stepped out, there was movement from another quiet room nearby, from which two aged Daoist priests with youthful appearances emerged.
The younger of the two, whose skin was wrinkled but eyes remained bright, every move filled with a sense of presence, was none other than the Sect Leader of the Celestial Heart Sect, Song Liang.
"Senior Brother."
Despite his age, seniority automatically placed him one level lower than the Celestial Master of Dragon Tiger Mountain. Seeing Zhang Yuanyi, he directly offered a bow.
"Junior Brother, there’s no need to be so formal. We’re all family. How has your Daoist practice been lately?" Zhang Yuanyi responded and asked.
"I dare not claim any profound insights, coming here feels like a mayfly seeing the sun and moon, and my heart feels minuscule."
After exchanging a few words, they together headed to the dining hall.
Along the way, there were many Daoist Masters dressed in Daoist robes; the cosmic forces intertwined, creating a contrast of yin and yang.
Although the comings and goings seemed lively, a closer look would reveal they were distinctly divided into two factions.
They were unmistakably the Zhengyi Sect and the Quanzhen Sect.
Soon after the cultivation of mutated fruits and vegetables, the authorities promptly launched actions.
A document was issued to Daoist sects around the world, requiring each sect to select outstanding disciples and send them all to the Capital City for unified training by the authorities.
After a brief ideological reorientation in the Capital City, they were all sent to Mountain and Sea Mountain Range, using Shaoyang Mountain as their secluded training ground.
At the time of the founding of the nation, it was recorded that there were over eighty Daoist sects, but ultimately, fewer than fifty came to Shaoyang Mountain.
The biggest issue was that many sects, during their transmission, ended up losing their lineage.
Moreover, many of the sects sent inept members who were directly eliminated.
Apart from the few prominent mountains, it was rare for more than one or two disciples to come from each sect. Where disciples were scarce, the Sect Leader would personally come.
Finally, of the forty-eight sects that arrived at Shaoyang Mountain, eighteen belonged to Zhengyi, and thirty to Quanzhen—one could easily see who held the upper hand.
The rivalry between these two great traditions started over a thousand years ago. While not mortal enemies, they were indeed rivals, whose encounters always brought a heightened sense of competitiveness.
But under the present unusual circumstances, under the authorities’ enforced orders, not only did members of these two traditions cultivate together, they also lived and dined together, something no one could easily adapt to.
In the past, this would have been impossible!
And those who managed to arrive here were reputable figures in the martial world. When these prodigies met, the competitiveness intensified.
However, with official pressure from above, no one dared to create large disturbances, though minor friction was constant.
Zhengyi and Quanzhen’s rules differ, such as Quanzhen’s strict personal discipline, forbidding the consumption of any meat.
In contrast, the Zhengyi Sect, apart from a few restricted meats like beef and dog meat, are allowed to eat meat when it’s not a fasting day.
To ordinary people, Zhengyi might seem to align more with the image of Natural Daoist Skill.
But in the eyes of Quanzhen, Zhengyi was hooligans among the Daoists, whom they held in contempt.
Just like at today’s lunch, Quanzhen’s side only had vegetarian dishes, not a piece of meat in sight, whereas Zhengyi’s side had both meat and vegetables and was much more bountiful.
Just as both sides sat down, a sigh came from the entrance of the dining hall:
"All things have spirits. As monks, we should strictly discipline ourselves. Eating impure things adds to our karmic obstacles. Infinite Celestial Worthy."