Chapter 11
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Grand Protector
(Thanks to Grand Alliance Leader Daidai Youdian Dai!)
The spring sun bestowed its warmth, and all things shone with radiance. The sun climbed over the treetops, and the green mist on Fuzi Mountain dispersed. Zhou Yi’s left hand still held the letter. In thought, his right hand unconsciously swayed a pine branch that poked out nearby, making the dew on its tip rustle and fall.
“Thump-thump-thump” sounded footsteps.
A young Daoist acolyte appeared from the mountain path: “Senior Brother, Brother Zhang San and Brother Feng Si have gone to relay the message, but the other nominal disciples are scattered across Yongqiu, so it might take three to five days for them to return. The two Cao family guests who visited this morning didn’t linger; they went down the mountain and left on horseback.”
Yan Qiu wiped the sweat from his nose, smiling: “Xia Shu opened the gift box. Inside were many medicinal herbs. Master Zong in the storeroom looked at them and said they were good, aged medicines. They are truly generous.”
Generous indeed. But if their wishes were granted, it would be like fertile water flowing into their own fields. Zhou Yi looked down at the foot of the mountain. He hadn’t made any promises earlier, yet he had fully expressed goodwill. At least from Yue Sigui’s and Cao Chengyun’s perspective, the Taiping Dao was very interested in Li Mi. That was enough.
It seems Yue Sigui is a staunch supporter of Li Mi, and the Cao family’s second young master has been influenced by bad company. Fortunately, Old Master Cao has discerning eyes, averting a misunderstanding for the Cao family. Otherwise, these gifts might have been seen as favors from Li Mi.
Cao and Yue were very purposeful. Zhou Yi had to be wary of them exaggerating while also not dismissing their words entirely.
“Senior Brother, Senior Brother!”
Zhou Yi was lost in thought, and Yan Qiu called him twice. Only then did Zhou Yi approach, pat his shoulder, and head towards the storeroom while speaking.
Xia Shu was directing several helpers to move various goods and organize the ritual items. Don’t underestimate her age; as the saying goes, “a motherless child is cared for by Heaven.” Being by Jue Wuzi’s side had made her more sensible and clever than ordinary children. A Daoist acolyte from a poor temple learns to manage early.
With others present, Xia Shu leaned over and whispered: “Senior Brother, do we also need to pack the small plaques, gauze lantern covers, red ropes, colorful banners, and other small items from the altar area?”
“Pack them,” Zhou Yi said matter-of-factly. “How can we leave behind our tools for earning a living?”
The little girl looked as if she had just woken from a dream, her eyes wide, looking strangely adorable. “Are we going to flee to avoid disaster?”
Yan Qiu, beside them, looked nervously at his Senior Brother.
Zhou Yi didn’t deny it: “Senior Brother will tell you another principle: this is called preparing for a rainy day, being prepared means no worries.”
“As for ‘fleeing to avoid disaster,’ there’s no need to put it so miserably.” He had his own explanation, half-joking: “During the Warring States period, Mencius’s mother moved three times to find a better environment for Mencius to grow. One day, if we leave Fuzi Mountain, it will only be because people like the Hunyuan Sect have polluted the martial arts world of Yongqiu. We’re moving because we’re afraid you two little ones might be influenced by them. It’s not because my Taiping Dao is afraid of anyone, am I right?”
Xia Shu and Yan Qiu, who were initially apprehensive, had their childish emotions change quickly and were now amused. “Senior Brother is absolutely right!” the two children said in unison.
Zhou Yi hummed in satisfaction. “These few days, prepare more hard qigong medicinal ingredients, grind them, and fill the medicine sachets.” The two young Daoist acolytes immediately nodded. This task could only be done by them; no one else in the Daochang could do it. For example, practicing external Iron Cloth Shirt qigong required herbs like Astragalus, Chinese Angelica, Cinnabar, Monkey Bone, and Wumingyi (a type of mineral), and the exact proportions were secret formulas and not disclosed. Even a slight mistake would greatly reduce the effect. Not to mention that brewing with wine and topical washes were also distinctly different. External qigong was already demanding; it required external supplements. If the wrong medicine was used, the chance of mastering Horizontal Forging Gang Qi in this lifetime would be very slim. Therefore, the Taiping Dao nominal disciples accepted by Jue Wuzi were all people who practiced brick-slapping, sand-grabbing, and stone-lock exercises. Each one had rippling muscles and buttocks as hard as grinding stones.
Although they were only nominal disciples, these hard qigong practitioners also received benefits from Jue Wuzi. Those truly simple believers who came to the mountain were often common folk. As the saying goes, “the common people suffer when there is peace, and they suffer when there is chaos.” Zhou Yi couldn’t help but look at the incense burning at the altar; that wisp of green smoke, wasn’t it the ephemeral solace for the suffering people of a chaotic world?
The fifth day after Daoist Mu retreated from Yanggu.
Spring thunder rumbled like drums beating in the sky. Earthworms and mole crickets wriggled in the rice paddies at the foot of Fuzi Mountain, bringing up the scent of fresh mud. Zhou Yi stood in the Heavenly Master Hall before the Taiping Daochang’s altar, gazing at the spring rain falling like fine hairs.
Daoist ten-directions monasteries emphasize “bell and board constant presence,” used to gather Daoists, tell time, and arrange daily chores. The Taiping Dao, following tradition, naturally adhered to this. Seeing that the time was about right, Zhou Yi struck the bronze bell before the Yellow Heaven Divine Statue in the Heavenly Master Hall. This bell not only had the function of gathering the assembly but also carried the meaning of “one strike of the bell, and ten thousand demons submit.”
“Dong~!”
The bell’s reverberation echoed. Zhou Yi sat cross-legged on a futon, his back to the gathering, facing the two statues of Huang-Lao. Outside the hall, a large rustle of footsteps sounded. Xia Shu and Yan Qiu, the two young Daoist acolytes, led the way, followed by a “muscle jungle,” creating a particularly strong contrast. Twenty-three nominal disciples who practiced hard qigong were all present.
Despite their fierce appearance, they became refined and courteous upon entering the Heavenly Master Hall.
“Senior Brother~!” Xia Shu and Yan Qiu, as Jue Wuzi’s true disciples, led the chant. Then, the twenty-three nominal disciples also raised their strong arms in salute.
“Senior Brother—!” The big men spoke in unison, naturally exuding the blunt force of external martial artists. But their expressions were solemn, and they dared not show the slightest disrespect towards the figure sitting before the divine statue.
The Cao Residence Longevity Banquet in Yanggu had already spread throughout the Yongqiu martial arts world. There were even rumors in the streets that ‘the once-invincible Daoist Mu of the Completeness of Nature School barely managed to withstand two tenths of Heavenly Master Zhou’s power.’ As Taiping Dao nominal disciples, they naturally knew the truth. Although the rumors weren’t entirely accurate, their Senior Brother, who had always kept a low profile, had finally revealed the tip of the iceberg.
Taiping’s Miraculous Art, Star Shift! The Old Heavenly Master has an heir!
Everyone understood why they had been gathered here today. The Sui army was approaching. With the Old Heavenly Master gone, everyone had initially been uneasy, but after the Yanggu incident, their main pillar had become clear again.
The nominal disciples stopped thinking. Zhou Yi had already turned around, his gaze sweeping over them. Two men in cross-collared, narrow-sleeved martial attire stepped forward.
“Senior Brother, we have confirmed news that the Eagle Yang Guard has reached north of Kuangcheng.”
Kuangcheng wasn’t far; it was only about two hundred li (approx. 100 km) from Yongqiu.
“Were there any delays on the road?”
“Yes.” Dou Kui said, “Yuwen Chengdu’s cavalry commander, You Hongda, is currently leading men to suppress a righteous army. This righteous army belongs to Sun Xuanya’s people; they were recently routed by Zhang Xutuo, so they likely won’t resist for long.”
Zhang Xutuo again. Zhou Yi truly admired him. He glanced at Dou Kui, remembering Feng Si saying he had taken Old Li to see a doctor a few days ago, so he asked: “Where did you get your information?”
“It was all bought from the Giant Kun Gang,” Dou Kui said, wincing a little. “The intelligence gatherers from that Giant Kun Gang are truly cunning and devious. They somehow found out I was from the Taiping Daochang and immediately opened their mouths wide.”
“To buy this information, it cost a full three liang of gold.”
Zhou Yi also felt the sting. At that time, one liang of gold could be exchanged for thirty bolts of silk. One bolt of silk, according to the grain prices along the canal, could buy six dou (approx. 60 kg) of rice, or one iron sword from the Heyang foundry.
Dark, truly dark! To consume over five hundred dou of the Taiping Dao’s rice in one go, what else could it be but opening their mouths wide?
Giant Kun Gang—the name was certainly fitting. Like the Baling Gang, the Giant Kun Gang was also one of the Eight Gangs and Ten Associations, specializing in selling intelligence. Those who sell intelligence must be trustworthy, so the news Dou Kui brought was reliable.
“Anything else? Continue.” Three liang of gold surely wouldn’t buy just this much information.
“The intelligence gatherer said that he saw Sui soldiers along the way forcibly conscripting men, pushing ox-carts loaded with supplies, heading towards Jiyang.”
Upon hearing this, Zhou Yi immediately felt that the three liang of gold were worth it. As the saying goes, “troops and horses move, but provisions go first.” If the Eagle Yang Guard were coming to Yongqiu, they should head towards Chenliu. Going to Jiyang, then to Waihuang, and then to Yongqiu—wouldn’t that be a detour?
What a clever fellow, Yue Sigui, you were speaking falsely. Zhou Yi’s expression turned stern.
The surrounding nominal disciples, being very familiar with the area around Yongqiu, all heard that something was amiss. Feng Si and Zhang Cheng immediately stepped forward: “Senior Brother, if the Eagle Yang Guard chose this route, doesn’t that mean they are unlikely to come to Yongqiu?”
Zhang Cheng also said: “I think so too. Why would a large army take a route with so many river crossings?”
Zhou Yi didn’t speak, pacing a few steps in the great hall. Everyone remained silent, waiting for him to make a decision. They had all put aside their work to gather here. If the Eagle Yang Guard wasn’t coming, they couldn’t neglect their other businesses outside the Taiping Daochang.
“Let’s not draw conclusions yet.” Zhou Yi didn’t dare to be careless. “You two, bring the medicine sachets.”
“Yes,” Yan Qiu and Xia Shu replied and left.
He said to the assembled nominal disciples: “Don’t go down the mountain for now. Each of you take your medicine. For the next half month, external rituals and preaching will be suspended, and the time for believers to visit the mountain for blessings will be cut in half.”
“During this period, practice your martial arts here at the Daochang, and keep your weapons close.”
Although they had doubts, they all replied, “Yes.”
Zhou Yi’s expression softened slightly, and he announced another piece of news: “Once this matter is settled, I will select several nominal disciples to be officially recorded in the sect’s register, and they will be called Taibao. This means ‘protectors and guardians of the Taiping Dao.'”
“When Master returns, they will be given the karmic opportunity to learn the core scriptures of our sect, to nourish their internal spirit.”
Everyone rejoiced upon hearing this. “Thank you, Senior Brother!”
– Mochinuna.
