“Is this Chang Ying Daoist the sect master you said my grandpa nearly made?” Chen Shi studied Chang Ying Daoist, thinking to himself.
Chang Ying looked like a middle-aged man, but Daoist longevity techniques could preserve youth; even when they died of old age they often looked only in their thirties or forties, so Chen Shi could not be sure of Chang Ying’s true age.
The Daoists who had followed Sect Master Chang Ying over looked dumbfounded. They had come in angry expectation of a demon-slaying, defending-the-Dao battle, and were stunned to find that the one insulting the ancestral graves was the legendary Patriarch Blue Goat.
“Who is Patriarch Blue Goat?” a young Daoist whispered, asking around.
Someone who knew the story replied, “He’s the one who was kidnapped, and the previous sect master was so furious he removed the word ‘goat’ from the sect’s name, changing Blue Goat Palace into Tai Hua Qing Palace.”
The young Daoists all suddenly understood.
Within Tai Hua Qing Palace this matter was a taboo among elders; they kept silent because it was said to involve the reputations of one or several female founding masters. With deliberate concealment, the younger generation basically didn’t know the story.
Chang Ying Daoist was properly respectful, smiling, “Patriarch, it’s windy and uncomfortable here. Please, allow this junior to escort you back to the palace.”
Blue Goat replied lazily, “I just ate a lot of grass and haven’t digested yet. I’ll rest a bit before leaving. Don’t rush me.”
Chang Ying plastered a polite smile, “Not rushing, not rushing.”
He stood there without moving, waiting quietly.
Blue Goat lay on the grave for a moment, glanced at him, then rose and said, “Fine. If you lot stand here, I can’t sleep. Let’s go.”
Chang Ying rejoiced and was about to have everyone escort the patriarch back to the palace when Blue Goat walked over to the wooden cart, looped reins around himself, and actually intended to hitch himself up to pull the cart to Tai Hua Qing Palace.
After strapping himself in, he called back, “Little Ten, Black Pot, get in the cart. I’ll take you to Qing Palace.”
“Patriarch, think this through.” Almost every Daoist present kowtowed and begged, “This is the last shred of face for Tai Hua Qing Palace!”
Blue Goat snorted, “You all talk about tranquil non-action, yet you’re full of rules and regulations. Annoying. Little Ten, Black Pot, get on!”
Whoosh!
Dozens of flying swords were suddenly placed, blade-edge to throat, aimed at Chen Shi and Black Pot.
“Uncle Goat, think this over!” Chen Shi blurted out.
Black Pot nodded repeatedly.
Blue Goat had no choice but to remove the reins, complaining, “I’m annoyed you call me Patriarch but control every little thing. I’m used to a free life, wandering clouds and wild cranes. Stuck in Qing Palace and managed every day, even told what to do with the grass on my grave… come on, stop hesitating.”
Chang Ying wiped the cold sweat from his brow, his soles generating clouds as he led the way.
But the cloud-stepping he used was called the Stepping-Cloud Technique, which is more difficult than flying on a sword. Many Daoist juniors could not use it, so the sword-fliers went ahead and the older uncles and grand-uncles remained behind.
Chen Shi casually performed the Stepping-Cloud Technique, the wooden cart producing its own cloud-aura; Black Pot also trod on clouds and followed with the rest.
Many Daoists glanced over at them, secretly surprised.
“Is that Scholar Chen?” an older Daoist with a kindly face asked.
Chen Shi smiled with pleasure, “This junior is he.”
The old Daoist’s expression turned cold, “Your grandfather’s crimes have not been cleansed from Qing Palace! You dare come to our Tai Hua Qing Palace? Fine, how many heads do you have?”
Chen Shi grinned, “This junior has only one. But this junior is an imperial official, an Attendant Academician of the Hanlin Academy.”
The old Daoist snorted and did not press the matter further.
Chen Shi asked, “Senior, why are the successive founding masters of Qing Palace buried here? This place is remote, unsealed, the hills and waters aren’t auspicious—definitely not prime feng shui. Besides, these ancestral graves are plainly simple. The founding masters of Qing Palace were of great status. How could they be buried so simply?”
The old Daoist sneered, “Our founding masters were given grand burials—did your grandfather dig them up?”
He felt he had pushed too far and added, “We who cultivate do not seek external things. The sect founders said: if one cannot ascend in life, why lavish burial in death? So at the end of life they ordered thin coffins, buried with soil, to tend the earth.”
Chen Shi felt genuine respect rising, “The ancestors’ realms were lofty, their Dao hearts pure and unobstructed.”
The old Daoist smiled, “Some also feared giving grand burials because they were cultivating to become Corpse Liberation Immortals; a lavish tomb would attract attention to treasures, have people desecrate the corpse, and spoil their chance at immortality.”
Chen Shi’s eyes brightened, “Then have any ancestors actually become Corpse Liberation Immortals?”
The old Daoist said, “There were some before, later the method was lost.”
Chen Shi thought: No wonder everyone valued the Water-Fire Refining Art so much.
When they reached Tai Hua Qing Palace, they saw many palace buildings with white walls and blue tiles scattered among the mountains, harmoniously arranged, adding a touch of mortal life to the greenery.
The palace pavilions were connected by mountain paths like silk threaded with pearls, linking one palace to another.
The mountain gate sat mid-slope, and many locals passed through it, climbing the mountain in streams, likely to burn incense.
Chen Shi used yin-yang sight and already perceived the extraordinary nature of this place. The plants and beasts of Tai Hua Mountain had, over time and incense offerings, been elevated—many had attained the Dao and become immensely powerful beings hidden in the ranges. Their spirits and manifestations were gigantic; on many mounts there were colossal entities comparable to Refined Spirit or Return-to-Emptiness level, guarding the rivers and mountains.
There were also strange cultivators who took human form and blended among the Qing Palace Daoists. Occasionally, in the void above their heads, alien primordial spirits would show: lion and tiger beasts, bizarre creatures, and even autumn cicadas, centipedes, and poisonous snakes.
Their primordial spirits retracted in a blink, and even Chen Shi had to watch carefully to make them out.
This scene is invisible to ordinary eyes; only the Heavenly Eye can see it. To common people, everything appears normal.
The old Daoist saw Chen Shi’s astonished expression and, not without pride, said, “Now you see the foundation of Tai Hua Qing Palace?”
Chen Shi nodded earnestly and looked toward the distant mountains, where the surrounding peaks of Tai Hua Mountain were blackened, bereft of vegetation.
Those mountain peaks were broken and damaged—some had snapped summits, others had hollows punched through them, some peaks appeared to be thrust into the ground, and some mountains looked as if worm-eaten, riddled with holes.
Those areas had no signs of life.
“What place is that?” Chen Shi asked.
“Eighty-eight Demon Peaks.”
The old Daoist’s face showed worship, “This is where our eighteen founding masters subdued demons! The eighteen masters cleared out the demon gods occupying the eighty-eight demon peaks, giving the Ming people a sky to live under so they could flourish.”
Chen Shi nodded lightly, admiring those eighteen founding masters.
In that fervent era, humanity had no foothold on the demon-infested Western Ox New Continent; it was those brave Refined Qi practitioners who fought the demons and demon gods that earned the present Western Ox New Continent.
Chang Ying Daoist and company escorted Blue Goat into the Qing Palace. Outside the palace stood an ancient bronze statue of Blue Goat and an incense burner, the incense never extinguished.
Blue Goat had been away a long time; revisiting his old place moved him, “Back then I foolishly stayed here for over three thousand years. Little Ten, thank goodness your grandfather came, otherwise I’d still be a lucky charm on display!”
The Daoists all glared angrily at Chen Shi.
Chen Shi smiled faintly, unconcerned.
Chang Ying said, “Patriarch, now that you’ve returned, will you stay?”
Blue Goat shook his head, “I accompanied Little Ten on this trip, not returning to the palace permanently. Also, I’m already dead, turned into an evil spirit; staying in the palace would be a source of contamination—better that I don’t harm you.”
Chang Ying quickly said, “Patriarch, this disciple could never disdain you. If you are willing to return, we will offer incense day and night to ensure your evil qi does not flare, and turn you into a guardian deity of Tai Hua, admired for ten thousand generations!”
Blue Goat was quite tempted by these words.
In the small mountain village on Qianyang Mountain where he had been staying, incense offerings were limited; though free, the evil qi within him was increasing day by day. For now he could still suppress it, but over time he might not be able to. Back at Qing Palace, constant incense would greatly reduce the chance of his turning fully into an evil spirit. Moreover, through the energy of incense offerings he might further his cultivation, perhaps even regain his former peak.
Chang Ying, seeing his interest, hurried to add, “There’s plenty of graveyard grass!”
Blue Goat hesitated a moment, then said, “I’ll stay a few days.”
Chang Ying was overjoyed.
The feeling Tai Hua Qing Palace had toward Blue Goat differed from the mountain spirits. Of the things the eighteen founding masters brought from the Divine Continent, among them were two ancestor blue goats, a male and a female. In the Daoist school, the blue goat symbolized vitality and pure yang, representing longevity and the Dao. Thus the founding masters named the sect after the blue goat.
Blue Goat was a descendant of those two, with a long lifespan. As an adult he became powerful, stronger than many ordinary sect masters. So even if the sect master had died and a successor not been chosen, Tai Hua Qing Palace would not fall into chaos.
Additionally, Blue Goat was extremely learned; no one worried the sect’s methods would be lost. If something vanished, they could consult him. Many sect masters had literally been raised under his watch, and their feelings toward him ran deep, making Blue Goat the symbol of Tai Hua Qing Palace.
This was also why the previous sect master, upon discovering Blue Goat had been kidnapped by Chen Yindu, was furious. He could not beat Chen Yindu, so he angrily removed the character “goat” from the sect’s sacred name.
Blue Goat asked, “Chang Ying, where is your master?” He meant the previous sect master.
“He ascended.”
Chang Ying’s face darkened, “Master wished to see Patriarch before he passed. He always felt guilty, thinking he had not treated Patriarch well, which led to the kidnapping. Master wanted to ask Patriarch why he left Qing Palace.”
Blue Goat fell silent a moment, then said, “That is the reason.”
Chang Ying did not understand.
Blue Goat explained, “I used to live happily in Qing Palace, watching generation after generation grow from ignorant little Daoists into the strongest of experts. I took care of you, treated you like children. Then you one by one died.”
He stroked his bronze statue, dazed, “I raised master after master and watched them leave, watched generation after generation of disciples grow old and die. Every death tore at me as if my children had died. I cannot forget the laughter and joy you had around me. But I had no way, you know? I couldn’t find any means to keep you alive; I had to bear the loss of generation after generation of loved ones alone…”
Chang Ying was silent.
Blue Goat continued, “Then Chen Yindu came. He came to Tai Hua Qing Palace to study an art but had such a sharp mind he became your master’s disciple. That man was clever. In his second month at Qing Palace he already found the sect’s methods unimpressive. I watched him and found him unlike you; he was intriguing. Once when I was grazing atop the forbidden ancestral graves, I saw him sneaking about with a Luoyang shovel, ready to dig up an ancestor’s tomb.”
Chen Shi coughed repeatedly at this.
“…We talked a lot. He had so many strange ideas. He planned to dig up the masters’ graves not only to see if they hid long-life methods, but also to search for lost secrets of the True King era. So I joined him and we dug many ancestor graves.”
As Blue Goat spoke, Chang Ying’s face became extremely awkward and he kept coughing.
Blue Goat went on, “…So when he said he wanted to leave Qing Palace, I decided to abandon everything and follow him to find the lost secrets of the True King era. Only following him could I find a way to stop you little Daoists from dying; I wouldn’t have to watch generation after generation of disciples leave me.”
Tears choked Chang Ying, “If my master had known that reason, he would not have blamed himself so much before dying. He always thought he had done wrong.”
“No fault of his, not his fault.” Blue Goat patted his shoulder.
Chang Ying wiped away tears and self-deprecatingly said, “Patriarch, forgive me. I still cannot be free from attachment and sentiment.”
Blue Goat laughed, “I can’t do it either, let alone you. Little Ten, tell Chang Ying the purpose of your trip.”
Chen Shi obliged, and after some thought briefly recounted the incident on Yin Mountain with Daoist Tianzhen, omitting the grudges between him and the underworld ghost clan, “Tianzhen Daoist was once a fire-tending servant who cultivated to a half-immortal body and nearly died under the True Martial Exorcising Sword. Now he wants to return to Qing Palace, hoping you will receive him.”
At that, Chen Shi drew out the True Martial Exorcising Sword, “This immortal sword is the one that slew Tianzhen Daoist. Tianzhen asked me to return it to Tai Hua Mountain.”
Chang Ying was moved, immediately leading the Daoists to bow, “Welcome the sect’s relic back to the mountain!”
They were not bowing to Chen Shi but to the True Martial Exorcising Sword.
That sword was rumored to be the Exorcising Sword forged by the True Martial Emperor before his ascension, left behind in the human realm and enshrined on Tai Hua Mountain. After the discovery of the Western Ox New Continent, the eighteen Daoists brought it to the new continent to exorcise evil and demon gods, winning great fame.
Chen Shi held the sword with both hands. Chang Ying stepped forward respectfully, accepted the sword with both hands, bowed, and with small steps entered Blue Goat Palace to place the immortal sword on the altar.
Chen Shi had settled a matter weighing on his heart, breathed easier, and smiled, “If there is nothing else, I will take my leave. When Qing Palace plans to welcome back Tianzhen Daoist’s body, please inform me. I can lead you there.”
Chang Ying thanked him repeatedly and urged him to stay, “Scholar Chen, do not rush to leave. You have returned this sword and done a great kindness to our Qing Palace. Stay a few days so we can fulfill our host duties.”
Chen Shi considered and agreed, then quietly asked Blue Goat, “Did my grandfather and you really dig up the ancestral graves?”
Blue Goat nodded and said in a low voice, “We did. We even unearthed several empty graves—no bodies inside, only clothes in some, and only a sword in others.”
Chen Shi was stunned.
“Some had transcended by soldierly means,” Blue Goat said.
