12dz Chapter 91 Yun Quezi
Chapter 91 Yun Quezi
Wanchun Garden, a place of romance and beauty, with waterside pavilions and terraces.
A kind-looking woman wearing a lotus crown and a white veil held a bamboo pen, dipped it in gold ink, and carefully copied the scriptures stroke by stroke.
At this moment, a white rainbow crossed the eaves, skimmed across the emerald green pond, and transformed into a white ape, kneeling before the kind woman.
"Master Jingci, the local governments on both sides of the Yangtze River are eliminating demons. Although the eight divisions of soldiers arranged by my sect are hiding in the deep mountains on both sides of the river, they have already lost nearly half of their troops."
Jingci continued transcribing the scriptures without looking up, but quietly asked, "What did the authorities say?"
"The officials said that this was an imperial edict from Chang'an, personally overseen by the inspector, and the local government could only cooperate."
"How's business in Tangfang?"
"As instructed, whenever someone dies in Tangfang, the local government will forcibly collect the body under the pretext of preventing evil spirits from stealing corpses. We will then spend some silver to buy it back and hand it over to the Lord of the Alligator Dragon."
Jingci put down her bamboo pen and sighed softly: "Go to the foot of the old vine cliff at Xiongli Mountain in the south of the city, find Yun Quezi, and tell him that in ten days, he must spread clouds along the Yangtze River to cover it up."
……
Xionglishan Mountain, Laoteng Cliff, underground tomb.
Song Quyou caught up with Xiong Hai and arrived at the end of the misty tunnel.
Amidst the clouds and mist, the long corridor winds its way through the palace, its splendor appearing and disappearing.
It was a palace entirely white, with upturned eaves and overlapping brackets. A row of jade wind chimes hung under the eaves, chiming softly and delicately even without wind.
Song Quyou stopped and listened quietly. The sound of the jade bell was very different from the bell that often rang in his ears. The former made people feel excited, while the latter made people feel calm.
The palace gates were open, and above the lintel hung a white jade plaque with two seal characters engraved on it: "Yun Que" (Cloud Palace).
The two walked through the long corridor and, beneath the main hall, saw a stone tablet inscribed with:
Clouds gather to form a palace, winds guide steeds; immortals from the three mountains linger here. Bones turn to mud, life is found in decay; when will this dream of wealth and glory end?
Xiong Hai examined the inscription from head to toe, then gasped, "Is this person an immortal?"
Song Quyou shook his head and sighed softly, "If the immortals had ascended to heaven long ago, they would be merely eking out a living in this tomb."
The two people and the dog stepped onto the jade steps and entered the palace. The palace was extremely spacious, with surging clouds and mist on both sides. Thirty-six giant white jade pillars, carved with winding dragons, stood in the clouds and mist.
The dome of the palace ceiling hangs high, inlaid with countless mica minerals. The fluorescent light gathers and pours down like a galaxy, illuminating the entire palace as bright as day.
The hall was empty except for a high platform directly in front of it, on which sat a figure wearing a crane-feather cloak and a star-studded crown. Behind him, a jade wall shone brightly, obscuring his face.
The figure sat motionless, surrounded by swirling clouds, like a statue.
Xiong Hai gripped his rusty axe, his feet planted firmly on the ground at the palace entrance, daring not to take another step forward. His Adam's apple bobbed, and he lowered his voice, asking, "Brother Song, is...is that person alive or dead?"
"Whether he lives or dies..."
Song Quyou drew his long sword and strode forward.
Seeing Song Quyou's state, Xiong Hai sighed softly, gripped his rusty axe, and followed behind, his eyes fixed on the figure sitting upright on the high platform, not daring to blink for even a moment.
As they drew closer, the person's outline gradually became clearer.
Her white crane-feather cloak was as pure as fresh snow, and her star-studded crown shone with a faint glow.
The face in the shadows was youthful-looking with white hair, eyes slightly closed, and hands forming a strange hand seal resting on his knees, with long, slender, and fair fingers.
Unlike the skeletons and gods outside, the clouds surrounding him did not gather from the outside, but rather seeped out from his body in wisps.
Song Quyou raised his eyebrows slightly and said loudly, "The strange occurrences at Xiong Family Village, could they be the work of you?"
The sound echoed, and the person on the high platform slowly opened their eyes. Those eyes had no pupils, only two milky-white clouds forming vortexes.
Xiong Hai gasped, nearly dropping the rusty axe.
But then the person spoke slowly, their voice like wind blowing through a gap in the clouds, clear and ethereal:
"Young friend, you've finally arrived."
Song Quyou's grip on his sword tightened slightly, but he did not back down.
The person on the high platform was surrounded by swirling clouds, his crane cloak fluttering even without wind. His vortex-like eyes stared straight at Song Quyou, filled with joy and anticipation.
"You recognize me?" Song Quyou asked in a deep voice.
"I do not know you, but I urgently need the essence of the sun to restore my vitality. That is, the red sun elixir in your Niwan (upper dantian)."
Song Quyou frowned, recalling what his master had said before he left the mountain: "Awakening your innate wisdom and inheriting the Crimson Sun Elixir, you are a great medicine in the eyes of others, a medicine that everyone wants to take."
Along his journey, he hadn't encountered anyone coveting the Crimson Sun Flowing Crimson, so he gradually forgot about it. Unexpectedly, just as he had put the matter out of his mind, he encountered such a person today.
Song Quyou held his long sword horizontally in front of him, coldly watching the figure on the high platform.
Who are you?
The man smiled faintly: "My name is Yun Quezi. I originally cultivated in the immortal mountains overseas. More than a hundred years ago, I came to Qiantang and was guided by an immortal. I obtained the Taiyin Refinement Technique. In this underground palace, I gathered Yin energy and refined my body to shed decay and regenerate. Now, I only need a little bit of true Yang to ignite my vitality before I can ascend to heaven in broad daylight."
But Zhenyang could not wait any longer.
The other day, I was fortunate enough to receive a dream from an immortal who instructed me to come here, thus bringing you here to become my celestial being.
Yun Quezi smiled and continued:
"I hope you will grant my request, young friend, and offer yourself to help me become an immortal. After I become an immortal, I will enlighten you and we will enjoy boundless immortal life together."
Song Quyou gave a helpless, cold laugh, his eyes flashing with frost.
"Ascension in broad daylight? You can't even leave this underground palace, how can you talk about ascension?"
Yun Quezi frowned slightly, slowly stood up, his crane cloak fell down, revealing a pair of white bone feet that were as smooth and lustrous as jade. There was no flesh and blood on those feet, only surging white mist, which blended into the clouds and mist on the high platform.
Xiong Hai gasped, "Damn it, his legs have no meat on them!"
"I have heard that the Taiyin Refinement Technique has the effect of restoring physical form, but why are your feet still just bones? Is it because you are afraid of death and dare not let your body completely decay? Or dare not let your soul hide in the netherworld?"
So it seems you're not an immortal at all, but just a coward who clings to life...
"shut up!"
Yun Quezi suddenly flicked his sleeve, and the cloud patterns on the thirty-six giant pillars in the hall suddenly lit up. Countless clouds surged out from the pillars and condensed into dozens of cloud swords in the air, with the tips of the swords all pointing at Song Quyou.
"What do you, a mere Taoist priest, know about the 'Taiyin Refinement Technique'? What do you know about the Great Dao of Ascension?"
Yun Quezi's swirling eyes darted around rapidly, his voice piercingly cold: "Just one last step, just a spark of true yang away! The immortal appeared in my dream, saying you are my destiny; you should dedicate yourself to helping me achieve immortality!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Yun Quezi's sleeves billowed wildly, and dozens of cloud-mist longswords suspended in the air poured down like a torrential rain.
Instead of retreating, Song Quyou advanced, his toes stomping hard on the white jade floor tiles. He transformed into a streak of blue rainbow, weaving through the gaps in the rain of swords, his sword aimed straight at Yun Quezi on the high platform.
Yun Quezi sneered, formed a hand seal, and the surrounding clouds surged into a thick cloud shield.
When the azure rainbow pierced the cloud shield, it was as if it were stuck in a quagmire, unable to advance or retreat.
Seeing this, Xiong Hai's eyes turned red, and he swung his rusty axe, charging upwards: "Go to hell, you sorcerer!"
Yun Quezi didn't even turn his head. With a casual flick of his sleeve, a long whip formed from cloud energy lashed Xiong Hai's chest, sending him flying. He crashed into the stone tablet at the entrance of the hall, vomiting blood and fainting without uttering a sound.
With a roar, Dahuang transformed into a magnificent yellow dog and pounced on Yun Quezi.
Yun Quezi raised his hand and pointed a finger, a beam of white light hitting Da Huang right between the eyebrows. Da Huang whimpered, its body shrank rapidly, and it fell to the ground, kicking its four paws a few times before becoming still.
Song Quyou's pupils suddenly contracted and flickered.
Faced with Xiong Hai and Da Huang, whose fates were unknown, he neither shouted nor turned around.
Those dark, bright eyes suddenly flashed with lightning as they stared intently at Yun Quezi.
His body crackled with electricity, and a thick bolt of lightning shot through his longsword and pierced into the cloud shield.
The cloud shield trembled violently, and the milky white clouds were torn open by lightning, leaving a charred crack that turned into wisps of cotton wool that scattered in all directions.
Yun Quezi's expression changed slightly. He waved his sleeves repeatedly, and the cloud patterns on the thirty-six giant pillars swirled wildly. Countless clouds surged from all directions, transforming into hornless cloud dragons that roared silently with their huge mouths open, pouncing down on Song Quyou.
Ignoring the oncoming cloud dragon, Song Quyou's eyes flashed with lightning, his mind focused only on the dying Yun Quezi before him.
Electric arcs crackled around him as he transformed into a streak of intertwined blue and white lightning, hurtling towards Yun Quezi's throat.
Yun Quezi's pupils swirled rapidly as he formed hand seals, causing the surrounding cloud energy to surge wildly towards him, transforming into cloud barriers.
But Song Quyou was in high spirits and faced the cloud barrier as easily as a knife cutting through tofu.
The cold blade pierced through layers of clouds, its tip reaching Yun Quezi's throat.
Yun Quezi showed no panic whatsoever, nor did he form any hand seals. His youthful face and white hair were tinged with a smile, a smile of absolute confidence.
Song Quyou had no time to think about these things. If the blue and white lightning on his body moved forward another inch, it would blast Yun Quezi in front of him into dust.
But it's just one inch short.
Suddenly, Song Quyou felt a sharp pain in his chest, his strength abruptly stopped, and the bluish-white lightning on his sword was extinguished instantly.
original.
His chest was pierced by a hornless cloud dragon, its body entirely white and which had approached him without him noticing.
But then I heard blood splattering on the ground, drip! drip!
It was as if I could hear that silver bell sound again.
Song Quyou's vision blurred, and the surrounding palaces faded away, turning into a damp stone chamber; Yun Quezi in front of him became a dried corpse wearing a crane cloak; Song Quyou suddenly turned around, and the fallen Da Huang became a stone beast at the tomb gate; Xiong Hai, lying there vomiting blood, was hazy and glowing with golden light, his appearance indistinct.
As the clouds surged in, Song Quyou's vision changed, and he returned to the Heavenly Palace.
Blood trickled from the corner of Song Quyou's mouth as he turned to look at Yun Quezi: "Did you deliberately plant that cloud dragon egg in Xiong Family Village?"
"Young friend, some opportunities are not so easy to obtain."
Song Quyou looked down at the cloud dragon piercing through its chest. The dragon was pure white, with delicate scales like porcelain. It had no horns and some egg white on its body, indicating that it had just hatched.
Strangely, his old teapot had disappeared.
Yun Quezi stood with his hands behind his back, a smug smile on his face.
"You think the cloud dragon eggs in that stone chamber were naturally formed? You think the cloud-gathering formation in Xiong Family Village was really just to conceal a bandit stronghold?"
A metallic taste escaped Song Quyou's lips. He tried to grip the sword, but his right arm was no longer under his control, and the longsword clattered to the white jade floor tiles.
"That valley has been shrouded in clouds for over twenty years. In a place where the sun never shines for twenty years, can trees still grow? Can grass still grow? Shouldn't it be a dead land? Haven't you considered this, young friend?"
Song Quyou half-squatted, supporting himself on the ground, his left hand pressing hard against the penetrating wound on his chest, blood gushing out from between his fingers.
The cloud dragon pulled half of its body out of his body, its crystal-clear form stained with crimson blood, making it appear exceptionally alluring.
"That Xiong Family Village?... "
Yun Quezi summoned back the blood-stained cloud dragon, which lay on his crane cloak, its bloodthirsty eyes staring fiercely at Song Quyou in front of it.
"The Xiong Family Village is long dead, but this kid behind you is still alive."
"How did you do that?"
"Illusions are easy to break, but memories are hard to discern. Let people choose to recall them, since they are real."
Song Quyou gripped the long sword on the ground, staggered to his feet, and pressed several acupoints on his chest with his left hand, instantly reducing the amount of blood gushing from his chest.
Song Quyou glanced at the listless Xiong Hai on the ground and sneered.
"Your Excellency is truly cautious; even in death, you want me to die in a daze."
"Fine, I admit defeat today. You can devour this mangled body as you please. But even if I die, I'll carve a piece of flesh from your body so you'll know what pain is!"
As he spoke, Song Quyou endured the excruciating pain, mustered his last strength, and swung his long sword sharply, stabbing it straight into the chest of Xiong Hai, who was leaning against the jade pillar, bleeding and unconscious.
The longsword pierced the air and arrived in the blink of an eye.
The bear, who was on the verge of death, suddenly transformed into a wisp of cloud and drifted away in an instant.
"When did you find out?" Xiong Hai, who had transformed into clouds, changed into the appearance of Yun Quezi and stood behind another Yun Quezi with a faint smile.
Song Quyou collapsed to the ground, limp and unable to answer.
"Fine, since you've discovered my true soul, I might as well tell you."
"When you and that painter smelled the first wisp of mist on the cliffs of Xiongli Mountain, you were caught in my soul-snatching spell. Then, with the magic weapon of my master, Zen Master Huanyue, the Taiyin Mingxin Jing, Irresistible spell, you were bewitched..."
Song Quyou could no longer hear anything, his consciousness was hazy, and he struggled to look towards the door. The clear sound of bells kept ringing in his ears, and the ethereal palace and the dark and damp stone chamber switched back and forth before his eyes, making it hard to distinguish between reality and illusion.
The ringing grew more frequent, and a gentle breeze suddenly arose.
In his daze, Song Quyou no longer smelled the stench of decay, but rather a delightful fragrance; he no longer saw palaces or stone chambers, but rather a sky full of red plum blossoms, and a woman in a crimson skirt who seemed to step out of thin air.
My vision went dark, and I fell into a complete coma.
……
Inside the Cloud Palace, a woman in a crimson dress, holding a red umbrella and carrying red plum blossoms, stepped lightly into the palace.
She tilted and spun the red umbrella in her hand slightly, and strands of extremely thin crimson light hung down from the edge of the umbrella, swaying like silk ribbons, slowly taking Song Quyou's broken body into the umbrella.
Yun Quezi's expression changed drastically, and he looked at the woman as if facing a formidable enemy.
"I have no grudge against you, so why are you meddling in my business?"
The woman in the crimson skirt frowned slightly as a blue jade pendant, engraved with ghost patterns, floated out from under the red umbrella and landed in her hand.
Suddenly, the jade pendant emitted a bright blue light, and four ferocious demons emerged from it.
The evil spirits were all blue-faced with fangs, their beards like halberds, and their bodies were covered in surging, boiling, dark blue-black ghostly energy that spread across the ground along their burly bodies.
The four evil spirits scanned their surroundings, but when they saw a crimson figure behind them, they instantly withdrew their gaze, trembling and breaking out in a cold sweat.
"Bring your soul to me to claim your reward."
The voice was soft, but the four evil spirits didn't dare to breathe.
The woman in the crimson skirt left with her umbrella, and the fragrance of plum blossoms disappeared from the surroundings.
The four evil spirits breathed a sigh of relief, exchanged glances, and grinned sinisterly. They each took out their weapons: shackles, iron chains, mourning clubs, and demon-slaying knives.
Suddenly, a chilling wind swept through, and the auspicious clouds and celestial mists that filled the hall were scattered and destroyed by the eerie ghostly aura.
The clouds around the demon dissipated, revealing a gloomy stone chamber, which stood out starkly against the backdrop of drifting clouds.