"Aniu, let's go! This person is not easy to deal with. We need to help Hong, so we can't get hurt here. Now a large army has come to the city. I heard they want to capture us monsters. We need to be careful." The girl's voice came out of Bailu's mouth again.
The bull demon looked at Jiang Liu, then gave a bitter smile: "Little Lu, it seems we can't leave! Come into my arms!"
Jiang Liu swallowed a "Mysterious Origin Pill," then held the Thunder Tribulation Peach Wood Sword. He bit his index finger and traced lightning runes on the sword, while his feet moved in a celestial formation, subtly aligning with the celestial positions. He pointed the sword diagonally towards the sky, a flash of lightning appearing on the blade, and another bolt of lightning was generated, falling towards the bull demon as the sword pointed towards him.
With a "moo," the bull demon appeared, and a large, jet-black water buffalo with blood-red eyes charged fiercely towards Jiang Liu like a mad bull.
"boom!"
Lightning struck, exploding on the cow's back, spraying blood everywhere.
"boom!"
The bull demon crashed headfirst into the large blue stone where Jiang Liu practiced his martial arts, instantly splitting it in two.
Jiang Liu's internal energy was completely depleted, but his strength remained. He took a step forward, executing the "Fragrant Elephant Crossing the River" technique, and punched the water buffalo in the abdomen. The power of the "Shock Technique" penetrated directly into its internal organs.
One punch, two punches... a total of nine punches landed on the same spot, and the water buffalo collapsed to the ground with a "thud," even shaking the earth.
"Don't kill Ah Chou! Don't kill Ah Chou!"
A white egret perched on the back of a water buffalo, its eyes brimming with tears, its wings flapping wildly as if trying to protect the buffalo.
"I didn't provoke you, yet you try to steal my treasure. The victor is king, the loser is villain. Since you dare to come, be prepared to be killed!"
Jiang Liu snorted coldly, his eyes filled with ruthless indifference.
"Xiao Lu, that's enough! We brought this upon ourselves, we have no one to blame but ourselves. But... how will Xie Hong survive alone in Wuyi Lane! Wuyi Lane! Heaven is going to destroy the Xie family!"
Chapter Fifty-One: The Wang and Xie Families of the Past
Wuyi Lane, the Xie family!
Together, these two terms form the name of the most prestigious aristocratic families during the centuries of the Wei and Jin dynasties.
When the elites migrated south, the Xie family became one of the most prominent families, often mentioned alongside the Wang family as the Wang-Xie clan.
In the Battle of Fei River, Xie An emerged from Dongshan and defeated Fu Jian, who had the ambition to cut off the river with his whip, turning the tide of battle; Xie Daoyun's talent was likened to "willow catkins rising in the wind"; Xie Lingyun said, "Of the ten measures of talent in the world, Cao Zijian alone possesses eight measures, I possess one measure, and since ancient times, the world has shared the remaining one measure"...
The Wang and Xie families were the most powerful clans and noble families in this land for hundreds of years. Compared with them, the current five surnames and seven prominent families are insignificant and cannot be compared at all.
Among the five surnames and seven prominent families, the Li family was the most prominent. Emperor Taizong, who is now a member of the imperial family, came from the Li family of Longxi.
Secondly, there is the Cui family. The Cui family of Qinghe is so wealthy that it rivals the wealth of a country. They are widely regarded as "the most prestigious family in the world and the head of the powerful clans in the north."
The third is the Lu family. The Lu family of Fanyang passed down Confucianism and produced great Confucian scholars for generations, whose learning was unparalleled in the world.
Fourthly, there was the Zheng family, which passed down its military traditions and produced many great generals.
Fifthly, there is the Wang family, which is not the same branch as the Langya Wang family that migrated south. However, the Langya Wang family in Jiangzuo has declined, and the Taiyuan Wang family has now become a top-tier wealthy family. This family is "king without being king, and not king but king".
The Seven Families refer to seven places: Longxi, Zhaojun, Qinghe, Boling, Fanyang, Xingyang, and Taiyuan. The five surnames in these seven places are the most prestigious families in the world.
Seven places, five surnames, the most powerful and influential families in the Tang Dynasty.
The once powerful and wealthy Wang and Xie families of Jiangzuo have declined. The Wang family is better off, having produced the "Sage of Calligraphy," Wang Xizhi, who attained immortality through calligraphy, enough to protect the Wang family from death and extermination.
The Xie family, however, has completely collapsed and fallen into the mortal world.
"Wuyi Lane? The Xie family?"
Jiang Liu frowned. He was naturally very familiar with Journey to the West; it had been broadcast every summer since he was a child, making it arguably the most frequently replayed TV series. But Journey to the West only tells the story of Tang Sanzang and his disciples!
Journey to the West is a vast world, encompassing the Four Continents and the Thirty-Three Heavens, stretching as far as the eye can see. The Tang Dynasty in the East has a territory of millions of miles, but it is but a drop in the ocean compared to the entire world of Journey to the West.
Journey to the West is too vast; it's not just the story of the journey to the West to obtain Buddhist scriptures, nor is it just the story of the Monkey King! Moreover, this world bears a vague resemblance to the history of the previous world, with some overlaps and others significant differences. If you try to understand the development of this world using your knowledge of the history of the previous world, you will absolutely be led astray, into a bottomless abyss from which you will never be able to climb out.
Jiang Liu frowned, a few thoughts swirling in his mind, and asked, "The Xie family you mentioned, could it be the Xie family of the Wang and Xie clans who migrated south? The Xie of Xie An? The Xie of Xie Lingyun?"
The egret stared intently at Jiang Liu, a glint of light flashing in its eyes. Then, two streams of bloody tears streamed down its face before it weakly nodded and said, "Yes!"
The water buffalo said in a deep voice, "Little Egret, what did you see?"
“He is not an enemy of the Xie family!” Bai Lu said.
"That's good! That's good!" The huge water buffalo nodded and said.
Watching the water buffalo and the egret exchange questions and answers, Jiang Liu interrupted, "Tell me, what is your relationship with the Xie family?"
The water buffalo sighed and said, "Now you are the butcher and I am the fish. Xiao Lu said you are not an enemy of the Xie family and are also a disciple of Master Xuanming, so there is nothing I cannot say. As you have seen, I am a bull demon. Before I became a demon, I was a water buffalo raised by Master Lingyun."
Over two hundred years ago, by chance, I chewed a spiritual herb, and Master Lingyun awakened my intelligence, allowing me to embark on the path of cultivation. Later, Master Lingyun was killed, and I went into hiding by Taihu Lake, where I met Xiaolu. I originally intended to cultivate and become Master Lingyun to avenge him, but by the time I was born, the world had changed drastically, and the Tang Dynasty had unified China. The Song Dynasty, which had killed Master Lingyun, had long since perished. We found the old Wuyi Lane, but the Xie family had fallen into decline, leaving only an orphan and his mother, Xie Hong. Years ago, Xie Hong's mother passed away. Now, the once-powerful Xie family is reduced to just Xie Hong.
To repay the kindness of Master Lingyun, I made a grand vow: to ensure Xie Hong's success, to bring prosperity to the Xie family, and at least to prevent their extinction.
Jiang Liu nodded; this water buffalo was indeed loyal and affectionate.
"Alright! Seeing that you're a man of principle, I won't kill you... However, you came here to seize the spiritual vein of my Qianlong Temple, and that can't be let off so easily..."
Jiang Liu thought for a moment and said, "You will guard the gates of my Qianlong Temple for ten years. In exchange, I will go and meet Xie Hong. If he has some talent, whether he takes the imperial examination to become an official or cultivates martial arts to join the army, I will give him some resources. If he has no talent and is just an ordinary person, then I will give him wealth and honor, help him get married and have children, and let him live a peaceful life. I think I, as a human, am more suitable than you two monsters."
The water buffalo slowly stood up, knelt on all four knees, and bowed its head, saying, "It is already a great kindness that you spared our lives. If you can help Xie Hong and help him succeed, I, Xie Chou, am willing to guard your mountain gate for ten years. I swear by my Dao heart that if I neglect my duty in the slightest, may I be struck by lightning and devoured by a demon!"
The bull demon Xie Chou bit his index finger and drew a blood curse on his chest. As if sensing something in the heavens, the blood curse instantly disappeared into his flesh.
Xie Chou felt it was worth it to exchange ten years of freedom for his and Xiao Lu's lives, plus the opportunities provided by Xie Hong and the Xie family. In fact, he made a huge profit.
Jiang Liu also felt that he had made a profit. This bull demon's strength was probably at the sixth level of the Qi Refining Realm. He only knew some rudimentary fist techniques and relied entirely on brute force to fight. If he could learn the exquisite fist techniques he obtained from the Dragon and Snake World, his strength would at least double.
Moreover, Jiang Liu wouldn't gain anything from killing these two monsters; it would be better to recruit them as henchmen. Xie Hong was merely a descendant of a once-powerful clan, now in decline! Like the swallows that once graced the halls of the Wang and Xie families, though they may have scattered when the houses collapsed, if Xie Hong possessed any talent, even without offering assistance, he wouldn't have taken advantage of his misfortune.
The bull demon is named Xie Chou, and his true form is a large water buffalo, over two hundred years old. Chou means bull! Taking Xie as his surname shows he hasn't forgotten his roots. Xie Chou, the bull of the Xie family! His strength is at the sixth level of the Refining Essence to Qi stage, his supernatural power is "The Strength to Uproot Mountains," possessing the power to move mountains. His weapon is the Xuanhua Great Axe, a mortal weapon. Years of tempering his body have made his hide incredibly tough and unbreakable, naturally giving him a set of defensive leather armor.
The egret, whose true form is a cattle egret, possesses the strength of the second level of Qi Refining. It is born with the ability to control the wind and has eyes that can see through good and evil, but it has no offensive capabilities!
After giving Xie Chou a simple treatment, Jiang Liu taught him a set of Shaolin boxing techniques, all of which were wide and powerful moves. Then he taught him two stances and two techniques: the stances were "Pushing the Millstone" and "Harvesting Wheat," and the techniques were "Antelope Hanging its Horns" and "Elephant Crossing the River."
"You continue practicing for now. Once you've recovered, we'll go to Wuyi Lane in Jinling to meet Xie Hong!"
Xie Chou practiced his fist techniques, a thought stirring in his mind. This fist technique was far superior to the one he had learned on his own. After pondering the technique for a while, he said in a deep voice, "Master, I can't enter Jinling City. The entire city is under guard, and the army is assembled. If I, a wild demon, am discovered by the soldiers in the city, I will definitely be attacked and captured!"
"Now that you are a demon of my Hidden Dragon Temple, you can naturally go to Jinling City!"
Chapter Fifty-Two: Changes in Jiangnan
Jiang Liu closed the mountain gate, pasted a "Thunder and Lightning Talisman" on it, then sat casually on the broad back of the water buffalo, holding a scroll of the Daoist Canon in his hand, and left gracefully.
There weren't any valuable treasures in the temple. The most precious spiritual vein had dried up, and the "Nine Heavens Thunder Orthodox Method" was in the storage space. A few Taoist temples and three or five statues—if anyone tried to steal them, they would only return empty-handed and get themselves into trouble.
As for the "copper-armored corpse," Jiang Liu found an extremely yin-heavy burial site in the back mountain and buried it there.
A white egret stood on Xie Chou's large horn, holding a Taoist scripture between its wings, reading it with great relish.
Water buffaloes have excellent stamina and are very familiar with the surrounding geography.
The Twin Peaks Mountain, where the Azure Netherworld Evil Path was located, was not too far away; they arrived near dusk.
Having died at Jiang Liu's hands, the heretical Taoist priest entered without any hindrance. At the summit of Shuangfeng Mountain stood an extremely luxurious Taoist temple, housing a dozen or so people: seven or eight beautiful maids and five or six burly men, all commoners from the foot of the mountain who certainly knew how to enjoy life, with plenty of delicious food and fine wine.
Jiang Liu wanted to send these enslaved people home, but due to the tyranny of the Qingming evil sect, they dared not move and knelt on the ground, trembling.
Helpless, Jiang Liu took the treasures of the Qingming Evil Path: three Blood Qi Pills, five Profound Origin Pills, and some alchemy materials. He rested in the temple for the night and left before dawn.
A single official road connects the north and south, fertile land stretching for thousands of miles, yet sparsely populated, dotted with desolate mountains and wilderness. Among the overgrown weeds lining the road, countless skeletons can be faintly seen. Centuries of war have claimed countless lives in the eastern region of Jambudvipa. To restore prosperity, decades of recuperation and rebuilding are inevitable.
Monsters roam the desolate mountains and wilderness, and ghosts haunt the ruins of dilapidated temples!
However, the Tang Dynasty, having been established for ten years, was not to be underestimated. The mountains surrounding the city had already been cleansed, and the monsters and ghosts had long since fled to remote areas.
Jiang Liu encountered three waves of armies of a thousand men each on his way from Qianlong Mountain. Each man rode two horses, all of which were precious steeds with demonic bloodlines, and they galloped towards Jinling City.
The air was thick with murderous intent, and the blade gleamed with blood, clearly indicating that he had just come from the battlefield.
What's even more striking are the captains leading these three armies, all of whom are innate martial artists, just one step away from achieving enlightenment through martial arts. Clad in precious armor, their weapons are all rare and top-tier mortal artifacts. One of them even rides a beast yet to take human form—a giant rhinoceros with a single horn.
Faced with such an elite army of a thousand, Jiang Liu would turn tail and flee immediately. While Lei Fa is powerful, he can only kill a dozen or so people. With his fists? That's a joke. Even if they lined up for you to kill, you'd be exhausted and die after a thousand punches.
In the battle between "GOD" and Wang Chao, "GOD" unleashed a thousand punches before finally dying from exhaustion. "GOD" possessed the peak innate strength of subduing the White Tiger and seeing the gods, yet he was still like this. Jiang Liu, who relied primarily on Taoist magic and supplemented by physical strength, dared not say that he could still fight against this group of professional soldiers who made a living by killing after exhausting his energy.
The large army swept past Jiang Liu without paying him any attention. However, the three captains kept their eyes on Jiang Liu from afar until the army had passed before turning their attention away.
"Phew! Iron Wall, that water buffalo was really terrifying! Could that Taoist priest sitting on the buffalo's back be an earth immortal?" The captain, whose face was covered by a steel mask, spoke in a hoarse voice, clearly not very old, probably only in his teens during puberty.
The running unicorn rolled its eyes and said in a deep voice, "You're sitting on my back just like me. That water buffalo is only at the sixth or seventh level of Qi Refining, and it's only a little taller than me!"
The captain's voice suddenly rose, saying, "A little bit? A whole lot taller than you! However, Earth Immortals can't interfere in mortal wars... This time, we're facing no simple opponent! Iron Wall, are you confident?"
"We managed to fight our way in and out of the Turkic army three times, don't you trust the brothers behind you?"
"I trust my brothers who have survived countless trials and tribulations... Brothers, let's ride fast! We'll be in Jinling City by nightfall. Big chunks of meat and big bowls of wine await us!" A burst of laughter erupted behind the young captain. Only the captain's face, hidden beneath his armor, showed a hint of worry as he murmured, "This is a great calamity, but also a great opportunity for us!"
Watching the dust kicked up by the army, Jiang Liu put away the Daoist Canon. A bad feeling arose in his heart. He said to Xie Chou and Bai Lu, "A storm is brewing! So many troops are heading south. Something must be happening in the south! Have you received any information?"
The egret flapped its wings, shook off a charred feather, and said, "I heard that some ghost king has been born, and has gathered a group of ghost soldiers and demon soldiers to prepare for a rebellion. Originally, a monster tried to recruit us, but we declined."
"Ghost King? How strong is he?" Jiang Liu asked.
The water buffalo boomed, "Earth Immortals are untouched by the mortal world and do not engage in worldly battles. Even if an Earth Immortal were to become restless and descend to the mortal realm to disrupt things, the Heavenly Court would surely send heavenly soldiers and generals to capture them. Therefore, it is certain that the Ghost King, who calls himself the Ghost King, is at most at the peak of the Refining Essence to Qi stage! He's just a clown, jumping around a lot now, but he's nothing more than a grasshopper in autumn!"
"Peak of Refining Essence into Qi, it seems the Southern Region of the Great Tang is about to descend into chaos!"
The water buffalo said again, "That's not necessarily true! Abbot, you just saw it yourself. Although the individual strength of that thousand-man army is not strong, the sheer number of them makes it difficult for a monster like me to fight against a hundred riders. If it were more than a hundred, I would have to turn around and run away immediately. If I were a little late, I would be trapped and unable to escape."
How many armored soldiers and cavalry could a peak Qi Refining cultivator slay? Legend has it that Ran Min, the Martial King, entered the Dao through martial arts and could become an Earth Immortal with just one step, but he was surrounded by ten thousand cavalry led by Murong Jun, the emperor of the Former Yan, and was killed at Eling Mountain... He was a powerful cultivator who entered the Dao through killing and was most skilled in large-scale military battles, yet he was no match for ten thousand cavalry.
"No matter how strong that Ghost King is, can he be stronger than the Martial Heavenly King?"
Jiang Liu did not refute, but asked, "Then how many armors can I cut down?"
The water buffalo turned to look at Jiang Liu and said, “Master, your cultivation is not strong, but you have mastered thunder magic and are proficient in martial arts, so you can fight beyond your level. But if we face a large army, you are not stronger than me, and I am not exaggerating... If we fight with all our might, I can kill three hundred armored soldiers, while you can only kill one hundred! Perhaps not even that! However, although we who have achieved Qi Refining are no match for a mortal army, as long as we don't get ourselves into trouble, escaping is still very simple.”
Jiang Liu nodded, tacitly agreeing, but then he smiled and said, "If you gave me such a large army, do you think I could kill any expert of that level?"
The water buffalo stiffened, its feet stopping in its tracks. After thinking for a while, it said, "Then it depends on how much armor damage the master is willing to suffer. As long as we hold the enemy back and prevent them from escaping, no one can defeat a thousand elite armored soldiers like that, unless they reach the peak of Qi Refining!"
"That's why I said the South is going to be in chaos. You don't think it's just that Ghost King, do you? Putting aside the strength of his ghost soldiers and demon soldiers, I believe there are also humans involved... Someone is plotting a rebellion, or there's an external enemy attacking!"
"Rebellion or foreign enemy?!"
"What's meant to be will be, let's go to Jinling City and see what information we can get!"