Blade - Unbound

Chapter 94: The Medicine King Temple Beneath Zhongnan Mountain

Left Minister Lu Kang!

If one wanted to be accurate, the word “former” had to be added before the title. This old man was Zhou Pan's backer! Li Yan had even suggested to Zhang Shitong that they simply kill this old fellow back then.

It had to be said, this man before them was one of the Guanzhong Plains’ greatest corrupt officials. People like Zhou Pan, who handled the dirty work of making money, were far from the only ones under him. Li Yan had almost been fooled by his dignified appearance.

Seeing their strange expressions, Lu Kang simply assumed they were shocked by his identity.

He shook his head slightly. “There's no need to mind it. This old man has already left office and is returning home. I am no longer the Left Minister.”

“Oh, pardon us.”

Li Yan and the others turned around and headed back inside.

Lu Kang looked visibly surprised by their reaction. The middle-aged guard Fengping quietly said beside him, “Master, these are merely crude jianghu folk. They know no etiquette. There is no need to concern yourself with them.”

Lu Kang looked up at the sky and nodded. “It seems this rain will stop earlier than expected. Let's set out now. We can rest at the Zhongnan Mountain relay station. It will also be a good opportunity to bring Madam and Young Lady up the mountain to offer incense.”

Fengping respectfully cupped his fists.“Yes, Master.”

He began making arrangements. Before long, the entire party departed from the abandoned residence.

***

“Hah!” Once they were gone, Sha Lifei finally snorted in laughter. “That old bastard is still acting important after losing his position. How disgusting!”

Wang Daoxuan also laughed helplessly. Shaking his head, he sighed, “I observed his physiognomy. His heavenly court is full; his earthly storehouse is solid; and his eyes are clear and spirited. He bears the appearance of a wealthy and benevolent man.

“Who would've thought he'd be a great villain masquerading as a loyal official? One truly can't judge people by appearances.”

They had gathered plenty of intelligence on Lu Kang while dealing with Zhou Pan. The former Left Minister had risen from a humble background. After decades in officialdom, he had become infamous for his greed and ruthlessness.

In a remarkably short time, he had transformed the Lu Family into one of the most prominent clans. More importantly, he was slippery beyond belief. He had participated in countless shady affairs yet always emerged clean, slipping free of every trace of blame. Otherwise, how could someone like him have troubled a powerful family like Right Minister Li’s for so long?

Had fate been slightly kinder, he likely would have become the Provincial Administration Minister.

Sha Lifei's eyes rolled mischievously as a strange grin appeared on his face. “This old fellow has accumulated a fortune after years in office. Now, he's offended the new Provincial Administration Minister. He's basically a giant fat sheep! If someone kills him, they'd gain both money and a reputation for delivering justice.

“There will definitely be a bunch of people swarming him to deliver justice. When that happens, we'd better stay far away. No need to get splattered with his dirty blood.”

Li Yan smiled. “That makes sense. With Lord Lu drawing everyone's attention, we should be able to pass through Niubei Ridge safely and reach Fengyang sooner. Anyway, we'll wait another two hours before setting off.”

WIth a plan in mind, nobody felt any urgency. Only after the sun fully emerged around midmorning did they continue their journey.

***

After descending the slope and navigating several bends, the road became much more difficult. The Ancient Qin-Chu Road had existed for countless years. Many sections of the stone pavement had long since cracked apart.

The broken flagstones were mixed with mud, and the rain had left the road riddled with potholes. Furthermore, the entire route climbed steadily uphill.

Though the horses frequently lost their footing, it was at times like these that the pallbearers' skills truly shone. Carrying ropes and shoulder poles, they spread themselves along both sides of the cart. Working together, they pushed while adjusting their footwork.

Though they appeared to move independently, the heavy coffin remained perfectly steady. Even when crossing uneven ground, it never wobbled.

Li Yan couldn't help but praise, “Excellent skill!”

Wang Daoxuan smiled. “Of course. As the saying goes, ‘Funeral work is eight parts pallbearers, two parts coffin’. The strongest pallbearers are said to be the capital’s Auspicious Bureau. I've heard that when training to carry imperial sedan poles, seventy two men must jointly lift a dragon-log of equivalent weight. A bowl of water is placed on top. They train until not a single drop spills, no matter how rough the terrain.

The lead pallbearer, Scarry Yue, chuckled sheepishly. “Their craft is far beyond ours. They even have specialized positions such as spotters, banner-bearers, standard-bearers, escorts, and carriers. Not only are they highly skilled, but many are practitioners of the mystic path.”

Then he lowered his voice. “I once heard a story. More than ten years ago, a great drought struck the north. The Yellow River dried up, and an earthquake exposed a Stone Dragon Coffin. Strange phenomena appeared in the heavens, and many people died.

“It was the people of the Auspicious Bureau who worked together with the Taixuan Orthodox Sect. They performed rituals the entire way while carrying the Stone Dragon Coffin into Mount Wangwu for suppression. It was only then that the disaster was brought under control.”

Even Wang Daoxuan looked intrigued. “I've vaguely heard of it, but very few people know the details. And those who do refuse to speak of it. Brother Yue, do you know more?”

Scarry Yue chuckled bitterly, “I'm just an ordinary man. I know some trade taboos, but if something like that truly happened, I would only be standing helplessly by. How can I possibly know secrets like that?

“Our profession worships the God of Poverty. After all, we're among the lowest of the low trades. If there were other options, who would willingly do this kind of work? As long as we can earn enough to eat, that's good enough.”

Seeing his expression, Wang Daoxuan changed the subject. Looking toward the distant mountains, he smiled. “Since we're idle anyway, I'll tell a story.”

***

“The Medicine King spent many years living in seclusion on Zhongnan Mountain. One night, an old man came seeking his help. He claimed to be an ancient dragon dwelling in Kunming Lake outside Chang'an.

“The weather had been dry for months and no rain had fallen. A foreign monk had begun conducting rituals by the lake to pray for rain. The people burned incense and knelt in worship.

“However, the monk harbored sinister intentions. He planned to exploit public resentment, kill the dragon, extract its brain, and use it to refine medicine.

“The Medicine King said, ‘Saving you is easy’, but beneath Kunming Lake lies a Dragon Palace containing three thousand divine medical prescriptions. Lend them to me for study, and I'll resolve this calamity for you’.

“There, the old dragon hesitated. After all, those prescriptions came from the Heavens itself. The Heavenly Emperor had forbidden their transmission. But desperate to survive, the dragon eventually agreed. Soon afterward, the waters of Kunming Lake surged skyward, causing the foreign monk to die from rage and frustration.

“Those prescriptions eventually became the Thousand Golden Prescriptions, saving countless lives.”

“I've heard that one!” Sha Lifei immediately shouted. “The Medicine King Subduing the Dragon!”

Li Yan frowned thoughtfully. “I heard the story as a child too. But looking at it now, it feels rather strange. Most people only claim to love dragons. If there were truly a dragon living in Kunming Lake, the entire mystic path would go mad.

“Also, that foreign monk's methods... No matter how I look at it, it resembles treasure-hunting techniques. He merely borrowed the name of rainmaking.”

“That may very well be true.” Wang Daoxuan smiled. “In the past, Chang'an illuminated the four corners of the world. Experts of the mystic path gathered there in great numbers. There were even ritualists from the West and the Southern Seas.

“Perhaps there were hidden circumstances involved, but such matters are beyond our ability to know. The reason I mentioned it is something else. As we pass through the Zhongnan Mountain, we may not have time to visit famous masters or offer incense atop the mountain.

“But at the foot of the mountain stands a Medicine King Temple which enjoys abundant incense offerings. We should stop and offer three sticks of incense.”

Li Yan nodded. “The Medicine King's merits are immeasurable. We should definitely pay our respects.”

Even Old Meng, who had climbed down to personally lead the horses through the slippery slopes, fell silent for a moment. “My grandson... Till today, I still don't know what illness he has. He's simply been dull-witted since birth.

“I'll offer some incense as well.”

***

Having a destination made the climb easier. Shortly after the afternoon hour of the monkey, they finally reached the foot of the Zhongnan Mountain.

Mountain ranges stretched endlessly into the distance as clouds and mist enveloped the peaks. The forests around were deep and tranquil. Several winding mountain paths disappeared into the trees before vanishing into white fog.

However, the road was now noticeably more crowded with numerous pilgrimage groups.

Not all of them came from the Guanzhong Plains, but rather from distant provinces. Though they had endured exhausting journeys, this place served merely as their starting point. The trek into the mountains still awaited them. Most chose to rest at the foot of the mountain first and recover their strength before ascending.

Also, the Ancient Qinling Road was one of the primary routes connecting north and south. As such, it was lined with relay stations, inns, tea houses, checkpoints, and numerous supporting facilities.

A relay station known as Zhongnan Relay stood nearby. Several inns and tea shops surrounded it. There were even stores specializing in incense and candles.

Naturally, the area was bustling. Li Yan's experience was even more profound. As he looked up at the Zhongnan Mountains, his eyes filled with shock. He had visited the place in his previous life. However, with his divine ability, the experience he had was transformed entirely.

Wang Daoxuan had once explained that famous mountains and rivers as well as blessed lands and heavenly fields were connected to earth veins below and to the sun, moon, and stars above. They gathered innate astral qi and formed powerful spiritual fields.

The Zhongnan Mountain itself was not officially considered a blessed land, since it was not a single mountain. Rather, it was merely one section of the Qinling Mountain Range.

Among the main peaks, Mount Taibai was the “Xuande Heavenly Field,” while Mount Cuihua was the “Supreme True Heavenly Field of Western City.”

In other words, Li Yan had not yet reached the true core. Yet even standing at the foot of the mountain, he could smell an immense aura. It was upright, fierce, and pure. It smelled refreshing yet overwhelming, like a giant standing between heaven and earth. Its sheer presence pressed down upon him.

Wang Daoxuan laughed when he saw Li Yan's reaction. “You'll get used to it. The peaks of the Qinling Mountain Range make up one of the great dragon veins. Many places are like this. You possess the divine ability of smell, so your perception is especially intense. I've never had such fortune.

“The only time I ever experienced something similar was through a ritual altar. Cultivation in the mystic path isn't solely about spells and supernatural powers. Simply witnessing the vastness of heaven and earth makes a lifetime worthwhile.”

Li Yan sighed. “You speak the truth, Daoist Wang.”

He was now even more eager to see the true heavenly fields and blessed lands.

***

As expected, their funeral escort team remained unwelcome wherever they went. Not only the inns, even the tea houses wanted nothing to do with them.

Everyone understood the meaning behind the refusal and eventually, they parked the cart deep within a roadside grove. Taking turns standing guard, they headed toward the Medicine King Temple before continuing their journey.

After all, judging from their circumstances, they would likely spend most nights in abandoned temples, ruined houses, or the wilderness. As long as it wasn't raining, they could travel day and night.

Sha Lifei suddenly pointed toward the right. “Little Yan, look!”

He was pointing at the imperial relay station. Relay stations were among the empire's most important facilities.

As such, some were enormous. A large relay station typically contained guest quarters, postal offices, the relay master's residence, military offices, horse shrines, stables, warehouses, detention cells, and quarters for relay workers. Many were even surrounded by walls.

Combined with nearby settlements, they could resemble small cities. The mountainous terrain limited Zhongnan Relay to a small station. Yet, it still possessed all essential facilities. Even from outside the walls, one could hear warhorses neighing in the stables.

At that moment, the relay master stood respectfully at the entrance, seeing off a group of travelers. It was Lu Kang and his family, accompanied by their guards.

Li Yan froze briefly before shaking his head. “We miscalculated. If we had known they intended to climb the mountain, there would've been no need to wait those extra two hours.”

Since there was nothing to be done, they followed Wang Daoxuan onward.

“They're heading up the mountain.” After observing the route Lu Kang's party had chosen, Wang Daoxuan shook his head. “A trip up and down takes at least two days. It seems Lord Lu isn't in any hurry at all.

“Come, this is the path leading to the Medicine King Temple.”

***

As Wang Daoxuan said, the temple wasn't far away. A single turn along the mountain path brought them to it. Nestled within a mountain hollow, it occupied a sizable area and possessed a tranquil atmosphere.

Many worshippers were already present. People came and went with solemn expressions.

One young man appeared to be praying for a sick relative. As he burned incense and kowtowed, tears filled his eyes. “Medicine King, my mother has been bedridden for a long time. She grows thinner every day. Please bless her and help her recover soon...”

Many others prayed for similar reasons. The atmosphere was contagious, as even Old Meng's eyes reddened slightly. He respectfully offered incense and bowed repeatedly with utmost sincerity.

Watching this scene, Li Yan was moved. Truthfully, he didn't know how much effect incense offerings truly had. Any deity capable of gathering divine astral qi within the mortal world was fundamentally an earth deity. Such beings protected a region from malevolent entities.

That alone qualified them as gods of fortune. However, birth, aging, sickness, and death were natural laws. If offering a single stick of incense could cure illness, even true immortals would be overwhelmed.

The order of Heaven itself would descend into chaos. Perhaps all it could really do was comfort people. Regardless, the Medicine King's merits were immeasurable. He had saved countless lives. Even if one simply came to honor his memory, sincere worship was entirely appropriate.

With that thought, Li Yan accepted three sticks of incense. After lighting them, he respectfully placed them into the censer and looked up at the Medicine King's statue.

It had white brows and a benevolent expression, with a walking staff and gourd in hand. The statue was gazing down upon the mortal world with a hint of compassion.

Excellent craftsmanship...

Statues like that were created by artisans of the mystic path. After they were created, other experts performed consecration rites and installed sacred organs within them. Placed in temples and worshipped for generations, they gradually accumulated incense power and condensed divine astral qi.

If a statue was poorly crafted, the incense offerings naturally suffered as well. Li Yan silently praised the work before preparing to bow. He could already smell the rich scent of incense clinging to the statue. With so many worshippers, divine astral qi had naturally formed long ago.

However, at that moment, the Summoning Writ imprint on his left hand suddenly grew hot. His vision blurred as another illusion appeared before his eyes.

The surrounding light dimmed while the wooden altar and offering table rapidly decayed. They crumbled into dust and vanished. In their place, an old man sat upon an ancient weathered stone platform. His clothing was identical to the Medicine King's, but there was something strange about the rest of his appearance.

He had yellow fur with black stripes, and fangs protruding from a broad mouth. His eyes seemed to be able to pierce through everything under the heavens and he had a huge forehead. Upon that forehead was a bold character that Li Yan would never fail to recognize.

“King.”