Wang Xuan led everyone back to Liangshan and introduced Shi Jin and the others to the Liangshan leaders.
Strictly speaking, Shi Jin was Wang Xuan's first disciple in this world, and the senior brother of Chao Gai, Song Jiang, and others. Moreover, Shi Jin had cultivated the "Ziyang True Explanation" for the longest time, and his cultivation had reached the third level of the Acquired Realm, so he was naturally able to subdue everyone.
Everyone present came to pay their respects to the eldest brother.
After exchanging pleasantries for a while, Shi Jin suddenly spoke up: "Master, on our way to Liangshan, we met a Taoist priest who had also heard of your reputation and was preparing to join the Liangshan bandits."
"A Taoist priest?" Wang Xuan was taken aback upon hearing this. The current emperor was known as the Taoist Emperor, who revered Taoism. Most Taoist priests were able to do quite well, and very few ended up as bandits.
Opening the entire novel "Water Margin", one finds several monks who became outlaws on Liangshan Mountain, such as the Flower Monk Lu Zhishen, and Wu Song also became a Buddhist monk.
However, there was only one Taoist priest, and that person was elusive, rarely seen, and spent most of his time away from Liangshan.
"Since you introduced him, why don't you call him over?" Wang Xuan was also a little curious. Could that person be Gongsun Sheng, the Cloud Dragon?
Shi Jin left the Liangshan Hall of Righteousness, but soon returned, accompanied by a Taoist priest.
The Taoist priest had a pair of eyebrows that slanted downwards and a beard that was half a foot long. He had a very good appearance and looked like an old charlatan.
"I have long admired Chief Wang's name, and seeing him today, I can confirm that he is indeed a dragon among men. I, Gongsun Sheng, bow to him." The Taoist priest gave Wang Xuan a Taoist salute and looked at him indifferently.
As expected, it was Gongsun Sheng. In the original story, Gongsun Sheng took the initiative to approach Chao Gai. Now that Chao Gai was following Wang Xuan, Wang Xuan thought he wouldn't have any contact with Gongsun Sheng for a long time, but unexpectedly, the other party took the initiative to come to him.
Wang Xuan frowned. He wondered if it was just his imagination, but when Gongsun Sheng stared at him, he felt uncomfortable all over, as if he instinctively resisted.
"Buzz!"
Influenced by Wang Xuan's intentions, the Eternal Tower of Heaven and Earth in his soul sea trembled slightly, and the feeling of unease dissipated completely.
Almost at the same time, Gongsun Sheng, the Cloud Dragon, groaned, a trickle of blood flowing from the corner of his mouth, his face pale.
"Not good! This is a backlash from the spell!" Wang Xuan's face turned cold, and his heart was filled with dread.
Gongsun Sheng's little tricks might fool others, but they couldn't fool Wang Xuan!
Wang Xuan had read many books in the main world and had broad knowledge. He could guess from the slightest clues that Gongsun Sheng had just been using magic to observe his fortune, but was attacked by the backlash because of the abnormal movement of the Eternal Tower of Heaven and Earth!
"It seems I underestimated everyone! I thought the Water Margin world was a world in the end of Dharma, so I didn't need to pay much attention and could just live a carefree life. I never expected that there would still be people in this world in the end of Dharma who could use magic!"
Wang Xuan reflected on his actions inwardly, but on the surface, he pretended to be concerned and stepped forward a few steps, saying, "Mr. Gongsun, what's wrong? If you're unwell, then let me help you to rest."
As he spoke, Wang Xuan reached out to help Gongsun Sheng up.
The Water Margin world is ultimately a world in the Dharma-ending Age, and the upper limit of martial power in this world is not high. Wang Xuan could clearly sense that Gongsun Sheng's strength was at most only at the third or fourth level of the Acquired Realm.
As long as he gets close to Gongsun Sheng, no matter how many tricks the other party has, Wang Xuan will be able to easily subdue him.
Gongsun Sheng had clearly sensed Wang Xuan's ill intentions, and quickly took a few steps back, sneering, "I had long suspected that your background as the White-Clad Sword Saint was questionable. I've never heard of you in the martial world; it's as if you appeared out of thin air. I never expected you to be one of us!"
Chapter Twenty-Eight: Battle of Wits
"A fellow practitioner? Are there really many people in this world who can use magic?" Wang Xuan became even more alert. Without saying any more nonsense, he rushed towards Gongsun Sheng and decided to capture him first.
Once we capture Gongsun Sheng, we can then interrogate him gradually.
With Wang Xuan's cultivation at the tenth level of the Acquired Realm, his speed far exceeded that of ordinary people. Before Gongsun Sheng could react, Wang Xuan had already rushed to his side and reached out to grab his shoulder.
But just as Wang Xuan's palm was about to fall, a faint light flashed across Gongsun Sheng's body, blocking Wang Xuan's hand.
"Innate Qi?!" Wang Xuan was startled. He had thought that Gongsun Sheng was an innate master pretending to be weak while actually being strong.
But after observing carefully, Wang Xuan felt reassured.
Because Gongsun Sheng was clearly not using innate protective energy, but rather a mysterious and unpredictable power, which came from a talisman above his head.
Although Gongsun Sheng had a talisman protecting him and blocked Wang Xuan's attack, he was still startled. He quickly said, "We are now in the end times of Dharma, and the spiritual energy of heaven and earth is becoming increasingly depleted. Fellow Daoist, you have been able to cultivate to such a level, which is enough to shock the world."
"I presume that your reason for joining Liangshan is to seek the power of destiny among the stars of Liangshan? How about we cooperate?"
Wang Xuan gleaned a great deal of information from the few words Gongsun Sheng revealed.
Gongsun Sheng clearly knew long ago that Liangshan would produce thirty-six Heavenly Spirits and seventy-two Earthly Fiends. In the original story, the reason he colluded with the Liangshan heroes was to plot against their fortune!
In the original story, Gongsun Sheng took the initiative to approach Chao Gai. Now that Chao Gai has joined Liangshan ahead of schedule, he has joined Shi Jin and others to sneak up on Liangshan.
If Gongsun Sheng hadn't used magic to spy on Wang Xuan and ended up being harmed by the magic, Wang Xuan wouldn't have been able to see through the opponent's weakness!
Wang Xuan still had some doubts, so he deliberately asked, "Although the Liangshan Heavenly Stars possess great fortune, why should I share it with you? With your strength, I could easily kill you!"
Upon hearing this, Gongsun Sheng sneered, "Fellow Daoist, don't think that just because you have the upper hand, you can manipulate me at will. I come from the Zixu Temple on Erxian Mountain, and my master is True Man Luo! If you insist on fighting me to the death, my master will settle accounts with you in the future."
Wang Xuan narrowed his eyes slightly; he was indeed somewhat wary of the mysterious and unpredictable Master Luo.
But he came to the world of Water Margin to reap its fortune. Since the other party came knocking to take a share of his wealth, even knowing that the other party had powerful backers, he couldn't pretend nothing had happened.
“If you want a share of the fortune, you can do so, just leave the talisman above your head, and I will grant your request,” Wang Xuan continued to probe.
Gongsun Sheng's expression changed drastically, and he said coldly, "The Qi Luck Talisman is a closely guarded secret of our Daoist sect. Since you dare to covet it, then it is a fight to the death!"
Seeing this turn of events, the Liangshan leaders around them had long wanted to capture Gongsun Sheng, but they gave up without Wang Xuan's orders.
Upon hearing that Gongsun Sheng was about to turn hostile, Shi Jin, the Nine-Tattooed Dragon, was the first to jump out and kick Gongsun Sheng.
Gongsun Sheng reached out and grabbed, the talisman above his head emitting a faint light, which froze Shi Jin in place. Then he grabbed Shi Jin's feet and threw him away.
"This evil Taoist is powerful! Everyone, attack together!" Seeing that even their senior brother had suffered a loss, no one dared to fight alone anymore. A group of Liangshan heroes swarmed forward, ready to gang up on Gongsun Sheng.
Unexpectedly, Gongsun Sheng used his magic again, creating a large cloud of mist that disoriented everyone.
"Well done, Gongsun Sheng, the Cloud-Piercing Dragon! With just this skill of riding the clouds, the name 'Cloud-Piercing Dragon' is truly well-deserved!" Wang Xuan shouted, drawing his sword.
His sword has no name; it was just a toy he had when he was a child, but it is still a low-grade magic weapon-level longsword!
At this moment, as Wang Xuan channeled his inner energy into his sword, a faint blue light began to shimmer on its blade.
With a single slash, Wang Xuan cleared a large section of the clouds in front of him, as if it had been dispersed by a strong wind.
After several strikes, the mist in the Hall of Righteousness completely dissipated, but where was Gongsun Sheng now?
"As expected of a sorcerer! He even tricked me!" Wang Xuan's face darkened, and he shouted, "Chase him! Although Gongsun Sheng can use magic, he is still just a mortal. He can't have gone far; he must still be on Liangshan!"
Shi Jin, Chao Gai, Song Jiang, and others accepted the order and left.
Once everyone in the Hall of Righteousness had left, Wang Xuan suddenly threw out the sword he was holding.
The sword flew like a silver lightning bolt, instantly traveling more than ten feet and embedding itself in the entrance of the Hall of Righteousness.
A stream of crimson blood oozed from around the blade, and then a staggering figure appeared—it was none other than Gongsun Sheng, the Cloud Dragon.
It turns out he didn't run away earlier, but used magic to conceal his presence, planning to escape after they had all left.
However, Wang Xuan's cultivation had reached the tenth level of the Acquired Realm, his spiritual sense was sharp, and he also had a subtle resistance to Gongsun Sheng's magic. Only then did he see the other party's whereabouts, and he suddenly launched an attack, severely injuring Gongsun Sheng with a single strike.
"How did you see through my invisibility technique?" Gongsun Sheng clutched his wound tightly, looked at Wang Xuan, and asked.
Wang Xuan smiled but remained silent.
When Gongsun Sheng first used magic in front of him, he was also a little puzzled.
You must know that the world of Water Margin is a world in the Dharma-ending Age, where the spiritual energy of heaven and earth is almost exhausted. How can it still manifest its divine power?
But he soon discovered that when Gongsun Sheng used magic, he did not consume the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, but rather a mysterious and unpredictable power.
Wang Xuan was very familiar with that power; it was the power of destiny!
Logically speaking, even though Gongsun Sheng is one of the Thirty-Six Heavenly Generals, his fortune is finite and cannot withstand such depletion. However, the fortune he is consuming does not come from himself, but from the talisman above his head.
Since it is the power of destiny, Wang Xuan possesses the Eternal Tower of Heaven and Earth, a supreme treasure that can suppress destiny and also allow him to sense destiny, thus revealing Gongsun Sheng's hiding place.
Gongsun Sheng gritted his teeth. Wang Xuan's knife had just pierced his right side. Although it wasn't fatal yet, he would bleed to death if he didn't receive timely treatment.
"Fellow Daoist, do you really intend to fight to the death with our Zixu Temple?" Now that things have come to this, Gongsun Sheng has no choice but to use the name of Zixu Temple to make Wang Xuan wary.
Wang Xuan sneered: "Now that things have come to this, do you still harbor any illusions? Perhaps your Zixu Temple is very powerful, but I am not afraid!"
"If you answer my questions honestly, I might spare your life. But if you remain stubborn, then I'll have no choice but to send you to your death!"
Wang Xuan walked straight to Gongsun Sheng's side and pulled his sword from Gongsun Sheng's body.
Gongsun Sheng let out a miserable scream, and blood immediately gushed out. If he was not treated soon, he would die in less than the time it takes to brew a cup of tea.
"Ask whatever you want, and I will answer truthfully as long as I know the answer!" Faced with the threat of death, even Gongsun Sheng, with his strong Daoist heart, finally yielded.
Chapter Twenty-Nine: Hidden Secrets of the Water Margin
"I never expected that the world of Water Margin would have such an unknown side." Wang Xuan sat there in a daze, his emotions hard to calm down.
After being interrogated, Gongsun Sheng told him everything he knew.
It turns out that the world of Water Margin wasn't always a desolate, spiritually barren world. In ancient times, this world had once been glorious.
Although it's not as chaotic as the main world with its gods and demons, it can still be considered a high-level martial arts world. It's common for those who have achieved great success in their cultivation to live for thousands or even hundreds of years.
Until the end of ancient times, when Emperor Zhuanxu, one of the Five Emperors, severed the connection between heaven and earth, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth gradually dried up.
Over thousands of years, the once-prosperous martial arts world has now degenerated into a world in decline, and even the world's very origin has been lost.
Even so, the traces of those ancient powerhouses have not been completely erased. Over the long years, some of their cultivation techniques and even magical artifacts have been passed down and obtained by later generations.
The Zixu Temple, where Gongsun Sheng resides, is one of the ancient lineages. Their lineage excels in the Dao of Qi and Luck. Since the spiritual energy of heaven and earth has been depleted, they use secret methods to borrow the power of Qi and Luck to replace spiritual energy in casting spells!
However, the secret techniques of Zixu Temple are far inferior to those of the Eternal Tower of Heaven and Earth, and cannot directly seize the fortune of others and transform it into one's own fortune.
They only temporarily borrow the luck of others to cast spells; luck is just a one-time consumable.
However, ordinary people have only so much luck; every bit they use up is a bit less. When their luck is completely depleted, disaster will strike, and ordinary people simply cannot withstand their torment.
Those targeted by the Zixu Temple were all outstanding figures from past dynasties, individuals with great fortune!
Gongsun Sheng's arrival at Liangshan was clearly not without ill intentions. It turned out that Gongsun Sheng's master, Master Luo, had foreseen a great upheaval in the world, with thirty-six Heavenly Spirits and seventy-two Earthly Fiends descending upon the mortal realm.
These Heavenly Spirits and Earthly Fiends are favored by Heaven, each possessing great fortune, and are undoubtedly easy prey for the Zixu Temple.
Gongsun Sheng was ordered to go down the mountain to infiltrate Liangshan and integrate into its system so that he could use secret techniques to extract the fortune of the entire Liangshan!
What surprised Wang Xuan even more was that Gongsun Sheng was not one of the destined Heavenly Stars and Earthly Fiends at all; this guy was simply a husky that had infiltrated a wolf pack.
Of course, this husky, in order to conceal its true nature, planned to kill a Liangshan hero and take his place.
In order to draw more fortune from the heroes of Liangshan, Gongsun Sheng's ranking in Liangshan must be higher, preferably in the top five.