Chapter 567: Seal the mountain for four hundred years

A grand convoy slowly moved south, its impressive scale far surpassing that of Lu Shengxiang, the newly appointed Minister of War and Grand General Dingding. Among more than two hundred people, eighty were Imperial Golden Guard cavalry, adorned with golden-hilted sabers. The remaining hundred or so riders were all dressed in black, carrying various weapons, and without exception, each had a conspicuous brass-colored embroidered fish pouch hanging from their waist. The number of carp tails embroidered on the brass pouches varied, with some having as many as seven and others four or five. This signified that they were martial artists from the jianghu (martial arts world) who had been granted honors by the Liyang imperial court. They were no longer mere wanderers but possessed legitimate official status. With these pouches, they could enter passes and cities without needing identification papers. Liyang martial artists who had made their name in the jianghu all took pride in acquiring a brass-colored embroidered carp pouch. Liu Haoshi's pouch had eight golden carp embroidered on it, but that Celestial Phenomenon realm master never wore it. On this journey, three individuals wore seven-carp pouches, symbolizing first-rank masters, and as many as fourteen wore six-carp pouches, denoting second-rank minor grandmasters. All top sects, including Longhu Mountain, the Wu Family Sword Tomb, and Dongyue Sword Pond, had sent trusted confidants to accompany the convoy. More numerous were the "jianghu carp" who had long ago attached themselves to the Dragon Gate, having served the Ministry of Punishments diligently over the years. They helped the court gather intelligence and pursue roving bandits, and in return, the court granted them a protective talisman for their travels in the jianghu, a mutually beneficial arrangement.

Two hundred riders escorted only one carriage. This opulent carriage, displaying imperial grandeur, was pulled by four Ferghana horses. Surrounding the carriage were over twenty eunuchs, among whom were interspersed first-rate masters with six or seven-tailed brass fish pouches, each performing their duties in an orderly fashion. They traveled south without stopping in cities, only setting up camp in the wilderness. However, military outposts along the route would invariably dispatch between one thousand and three thousand light cavalry to escort them from a distance for hundreds of miles. The distance between them was always strictly maintained at one li (approximately 500 meters). During the journey, a military unit violated the rule, approaching within half a li, likely intending to curry favor. This backfired spectacularly, and the commanding officer was stripped of his armor and rank that very day. For half a month, neither the Imperial Golden Guard elite cavalry nor the masters with brass fish pouches ever saw the carriage curtains fully drawn. A dedicated eunuch was responsible for delivering food and drink. Each time, they would kneel before the carriage curtains, speak in a low voice, and then a hand would lift a corner of the curtain to receive the food box. Next time, a new box would replace the old one, and so on. Initially, some speculated that Liu Haoshi, who was rumored to be only a step away from being a Land Immortal, was inside. However, upon realizing that eunuchs also had to carry and clean a chamber pot, they became unsure of the truth. Most of them had been suddenly informed by Zhao Gou (the intelligence agency) that they needed to go to the capital, without knowing why. Moreover, after meeting with Zhao Gou's agents, they had to depart immediately, unable to inform their sect elders, parents, wife, or children. They were then assigned this task, which wasn't particularly arduous, but felt eerie. Even when the Crown Prince traveled south, it wasn't this extravagant. Could it be to stir up trouble for Wang Xianzhi in Wudi City? Otherwise, what person or object in the world would be worth mobilizing such first-rate masters, equivalent to a small portion of the jianghu's might?

The truth about the carriage occupants was surprising: there were only two people. One was an old eunuch, deeply aged, dozing against the carriage wall. His vibrant red python robe indicated his significant status. His original name had long been lost to time; he was a survivor from the former Dongyue state. After entering the Dongyue imperial palace years ago, like most eunuchs, he adopted an elder eunuch as a "foster father." He was then honored with a bestowed name by a master of higher status than his birth father, only then truly entering the fold. It's worth noting that during the chaotic Spring and Autumn era, countless pitiable individuals, despite cruelly castrating themselves, failed to become eunuchs. This aged eunuch, now worthy of being called a "Diao Si" (a highly respected eunuch), was named Zhao Siku. He was over forty when he arrived in Taian City. His second master served in the Imperial Horse Administration of the Taian City palace and didn't achieve great eunuch status. It was the most inconspicuous apprentice, Zhao Siku, who slowly climbed the ranks. He successively held seals for the Directorate of Imperial Regalia and the Directorate of Seals, serving two Liyang emperors flawlessly. For so many years, he hadn't made a single small mistake. Even Han Shengxuan (Renmao) didn't hesitate to smile at this colleague. Zhao Siku was indeed one of the rare Diao Si eunuchs who didn't need to defer to Renmao. The heads of the other twenty-four yamen (government offices) had to be equally cautious when encountering Han Shengxuan in the past. Zhao Siku was a close friend of Song Tanglu's master, the current head of the Directorate of Ceremonials. Coincidentally, the "paired wives" (de facto wives) of both old eunuchs died on the same day, month, and year. After Song Tanglu became the chief eunuch, he showed no sentimentality towards anyone, including his own master. Only towards Zhao Siku did he consistently show junior respect. The fact that two consecutive Liyang "emperors-in-waiting" (a subtle jab at the emperor's true power) held such high regard for one person demonstrates the profound influence of Eunuch Zhao Diao Si.

The physically frail old eunuch sat cross-legged, dozing with difficulty, unable to hide his fatigue. A sudden movement startled him awake, and with a sleepy expression, unsure of what he had dreamt, the old man sighed softly.

Liyang took over the Spring and Autumn era, including its territory, gold, silver, armories, and even concubines. These actions, whether reasonable or slightly flawed, were not widely criticized. However, one measure taken by the late Liyang Emperor years ago drew controversy both internally and externally: his almost complete acceptance of eunuchs from the eight fallen states of the Spring and Autumn era. This led to the Taian City imperial palace becoming remarkably crowded and bloated, with no fewer than twelve directorates, four offices, eight bureaus, and twenty-four yamen (government departments). At the time, neither Liyang's military generals nor civil officials fully understood this. A new dynasty was about to launch a decisive battle against the Northern Mang barbarians; how could they concern themselves with these emasculated men who only knew how to gossip and scheme? But the late Liyang Emperor turned a deaf ear. The old Grand Secretary, who was Zhang Julu's mentor, submitted memorials one after another, all of which disappeared without a trace. As the wars gradually ceased, those eunuchs behaved themselves, proving unusually loyal to their new masters. For two decades, they worked diligently and conscientiously. It was only heard that old eunuchs died peacefully of old age within the palace; never was there a rumor of anyone causing chaos in the inner court. Although this was certainly related to the contributions of Renmao Han Shengxuan, it was clearly more about these eunuchs' gratitude for the late Emperor's extraordinary mercy, which prevented them from becoming homeless after their states fell. When others lost their homelands, they could at least survive by relying on a skill. How easy was that for eunuchs?

The old Diao Si eunuch glanced at the corner of the carriage out of the corner of his eye, then lowered his eyelids again, utterly unperturbed. In the corner sat a middle-aged man, sleeping peacefully. He had a handsome and elegant appearance, with a vertical crimson mark between his eyebrows, like a third eye opening beyond his two. Eight years ago, the old Diao Si eunuch took charge of the Directorate of Seals, responsible for imperial edicts, official documents, and seals within the inner court. In just two years, he was transferred to the Directorate of Imperial Regalia, which managed the imperial seals of all sizes. After Renmao "suddenly died," the old eunuch, who had been preparing for a peaceful retirement, neither was promoted to the Directorate of Ceremonials nor had any leisure. Instead, he was led by two Qi practitioners, grandmasters independent of the Imperial Academy, to see a "thing." Zhao Siku went from incredulous to calm, then eventually to numb, all within half a year, because even the most extraordinary object couldn't withstand being stared at all day long. From that day on, Zhao Siku began to learn secrets that ordinary people could never know in several lifetimes. For example, hundreds of "Dragon-Supporting Faction" Qi practitioners were dispatched to various locations, gathering celestial thunder from grotto-heavens and blessed lands to forge an unprecedented "Thunder Pool." Another secret was that successive Heavenly Masters of Longhu Mountain, upon deeming their Taoist magic perfected, would come to Taian City to engrave a talisman for a certain object. This act of writing talismans often took several months, even half a year, exhausting their vital energy and spirit. To this day, since the founding of Liyang, eleven generations, a total of eighteen Grand Heavenly Masters, have successively drawn talismans and created seals, solely to suppress this "person" in the carriage, the "Carefree Person." This was Gao Shulu, the only one who truly walked the jianghu as a celestial being. The contemporary jianghu's so-called Four Realms of First Rank were fundamentally derived from this "person's" martial arts insights from four hundred years ago. It was also this person who incorporated the Vajra Realm into the realm of masters, and intentionally or unintentionally brought foreign Buddhism, which had been completely suppressed by Confucianism and Taoism, into prominence. However, in the catastrophe four hundred years ago, Gao Shulu traveled throughout the land for ten years, killing whenever he felt like it, causing bloody storms throughout the jianghu, with no one daring to call themselves a master. Among the masters who died at Gao Shulu's hands were two Sword Immortals alone. Eighty-one True Men from Taoist sects across the land gathered and spared no effort to form a demon-suppressing grand formation, yet they were all slaughtered by Gao Shulu atop Difu Mountain, who then left with the words, "I am a Human Immortal; what demon is there to suppress?" and freely departed. Gao Shulu finally encountered an unknown young Taoist in a narrow path. That battle was so immense that nothing since has compared to it. Even now, some firmly believe that only if Qi Xuanzhen of the Demon-Slaying Platform or Hong Xixiang of Wudang Mountain emerges to fight Wang Xianzhi could a battle of similar scale occur. The old Diao Si eunuch, Zhao Siku, faced this individual, who couldn't be described as truly alive or dead. The current "Gao Shulu" neither ate nor drank, neither inhaled nor exhaled, like an insect hibernating for four hundred years. His body showed no signs of shrinking, still pristine as jade, except for the eighteen talismans from the Heavenly Masters of Longhu Mountain. Prior to these, there were still eighteen restrictions from the previous Grand True Men of various renowned Taoist mountains. Among them, the first nine came from the original Taoist ancestral mountain, Wudang Mountain. The very first immortal charm, which later generations of Taoists from various mountains and temples called the "Mountain Opening Talisman," was precisely the work of that nameless young Taoist who put the once-unstoppable Gao Shulu into slumber. A single talisman supported the "Stairway to Heaven" for more than ten Taoist mountains and Qi practitioner sects in later generations.

Zhao Siku tugged at his expensive, thick velvet mink hat. The old man was no master; he had never practiced martial arts. Ten thousand Zhao Sikus couldn't stand against one Han Shengxuan. Being old, he was particularly sensitive to the spring chill. Zhao Siku had also wondered why the Zhao imperial family was willing to let him be this "key-holder." Was it his lack of martial skill? Was it his twenty years of treading on thin ice without transgressing? Or did Han Shengxuan leave some "last words" for the monarch when he left the palace? Zhao Siku twitched the corner of his mouth, looking at the celestial being across from him, who resembled a clay bodhisattva, wanting to speak but hesitating. So many years of caution finally prevented the old man from talking to himself. Zhao Siku, "Siku" (meaning 'to ponder suffering')? The old Diao Si chuckled. What had he feared most all these years? Talking in his sleep. Speaking human words to humans and ghost words to ghosts—what was difficult about that? The difficulty lay in speaking the truth.

Zhao Siku had originally thought he would die of old age, closing his eyes with a belly full of secrets. He didn't expect that at the very end, Beiliang, whom his young master served, would quietly transmit a message. An inconspicuous palace maid delivered the message. Zhao Siku had no doubt that the message was divided into two parts: the first part consisted of words his young master had spoken during their farewell years ago, known only to heaven, earth, Zhao Changling, and Zhao Siku. After that, it was probably Zhao Changling, the 'yang talent,' entrusting it to the 'yin talent' Li Yishan and his kind. Zhao Siku fell into deep thought. The Green Pavilion Zhao clan, from which he originated, was once one of the ten great noble families of the Spring and Autumn era. It was just unknown why Zhao Changling, as the legitimate eldest grandson, abandoned a perfectly good family inheritance to pledge allegiance to the Xu family instead. It could be said that without Zhao Changling's family support, Xu Xiao, the "Human Butcher," would never have risen so quickly from the large number of Liyang generals. Zhao Siku felt no obligation of death-defying loyalty to the Green Pavilion Zhao clan. He only clearly remembered the young master's demeanor, his protection, and his discerning kindness. What Zhao Siku could do was to deliver the detailed southward route and the specifics of the military preparations to Beiliang. The secret buried in his heart for twenty years was like an uncorked jar of old wine; he drank it all in one gulp, eager to get it off his chest.

Zhao Siku habitually extended two withered fingers and furrowed his brows. He simply couldn't fathom what Beiliang would use to contend for this celestial being. There were two keys, for two separate actions: the method to open (unseal) was in Zhao Siku's hands, while the means to re-seal Gao Shulu lay with the hidden Qi practitioners. Even if Beiliang succeeded, they would merely acquire an enormous, extremely hot potato, both literally and figuratively. No one knew what Gao Shulu would do upon waking up four hundred years later. Once the Mountain Opening Talisman was torn, only those who could "seal the mountain" would barely be able to speak with Gao Shulu. Otherwise, would a madman who had slaughtered all the masters under heaven be willing to listen to half a word of nonsense? Zhao Siku looked at the serene-faced middle-aged man sitting on the floor and softly said, "My master gave me, this old eunuch, the name Siku (Pondering Suffering). These years, aside from the weariness of schemes and intrigues, I can't really say whether it's been bitter or not. You, Gao Shulu, are called the 'Carefree Celestial Being.' As for 'carefree,' I've heard that in Buddhism, it means sealing off two additional senses beyond the six, to achieve true freedom. Such freedom, for someone like me, a common man wallowing in the mud, is unimaginable. But I wonder, having been sealed away by so many Taoist True Men for four hundred years, how can you still be called 'carefree'? Ah, well, never mind. Though you can neither see nor hear, I don't want to kick a man when he's down..."

The old Diao Si muttered to himself.

The sharp whistle of a whistling arrow suddenly pierced the air.

Far from being startled, Zhao Siku felt a sense of relief. The old man was simply curious about what Beiliang would use to challenge them. Although they were on the southern edge of the imperial capital region, for Beiliang to have an ambush of several thousand soldiers here, even if it was a temporary defection, would be too terrifying. This would be tantamount to indirect rebellion.

The truth would certainly catch the old eunuch, Liyang, and even Beiliang off guard.

At the end of the post road, as far as the eye could see, there were only three riders. The rider on the left was a thin young man with the rough features of a Northern Mang male. He stared at the imposing two hundred riders opposite him, his eyes burning. He chuckled, "As the Central Plains saying goes, 'a wolf travels a thousand li to find meat,' doesn't it?" The rider on the right carried a broken spear. The central rider was a white-robed individual with a delicate, feminine appearance and an extraordinary bearing.

The cavalry escorting Gao Shulu southward, intending to deal with Cao Changqing, did not stop but continued riding forward. The old eunuch lifted a corner of the carriage curtain and softly uttered, "Oh." It turned out to be the fiend from Zhulu Mountain. Zhao Gou's records showed that the white-robed figure who had once stopped Monk Wuyong was indeed Luoyang, the foremost fiend of both Northern Mang and the entire world. It was just unknown how he had come to rule Zhulu Mountain. As for the two riders beside him, Zhao Gou had no intelligence whatsoever.

It has been eight hundred years since the Great Qin lost its deer (lost its empire).

The old eunuch, with his back to Gao Shulu, naturally did not notice that the sealed individual behind him seemed to have opened his eyes slightly.