Yinshan Record

Chapter 547 Let's use the jade hook to fish for the golden toad (Part 1)
The old Taoist priest Lu Chuan gave a general account of what happened back then, and Su Che understood most of it.

Seeking out the old Taoist priest Lu Chuan to find out the ins and outs of this matter is actually the most appropriate thing to do.

If you were to stop Old Su and ask him, perhaps he would glean some hidden meaning.

People would think this was a blaming of Old Su for his poor protection, and question why he didn't go after the White Deer Cave.

The answers I received from Lao Su were not without their embellishments and omissions.

Lu Chuan was the most neutral observer, and most importantly... he would never deceive the sect's leader or the abbot of Zhixin Temple about anything.

“If the abbot wants to get to the bottom of this, why not ask that person?”

As he spoke, the old Taoist priest Lu Chuan pointed in the direction of Jiankang City.

"Him?"

Su Che looked inward and realized that he had been blind to his own shortcomings; he had indeed forgotten about such a person.

"Those who follow the divine path can lay a net across the heavens and earth when they close their eyes, and can observe the vast mortal world as if wielding a mirror in their palm when they raise their eyes."

The old Taoist priest Lu Chuan shook his whisk: "Although I am observing from the sidelines, I am still subject to hearsay. But that person has been in charge of this place for hundreds of years. How could any past events or karmic connections escape his discerning eyes?"

City God, Earth God, Mountain God, River God—these deities may seem worthless and ubiquitous, but they are all righteous gods of the state. The City God of Jiankang City is the best in this regard, and if we were to truly discuss supernatural powers and magic, he would be no more than equal to the Immortal of Longevity.

However, when it comes to the subtleties of supernatural powers, there are aspects that even the immortals of longevity cannot match.

After all, every inch has its advantages and every foot its disadvantages.

This City God of Jiankang is the spirit of the wise and virtuous prime minister who founded the Great Liang Dynasty. He normally protects Jiankang from disasters and plagues, and keeps demons and ghosts at bay. He also ensures favorable weather and abundant harvests in the surrounding area.

In this chaotic and suffering world, a pure land has been preserved.

What is most remarkable is that this person, with his gentle yet upright character, is well-known not only among the common people but also within the cultivation world, and is considered a righteous figure whose story has been passed down through many generations.

"It was I who forgot about this person."

Many thoughts flashed through Su San Gongzi's mind, and he secretly made a plan.

We should devise a plan to trap this City God.

"I plan to find a place to live northeast of Jiankang. If there is any imperial decree from within the gate, I will trouble you to go there."

As soon as Su Che spoke, Lu Chuan quickly agreed.

The two chatted for a while longer. Su Che grabbed the old Taoist Lu Chuan and talked about the past and history of the various sects on the mountain, and also inquired about the various forces near Jiankang City.

Although Su Che had already read the information about the Imperial Guards, there were many secrets that the human court could not investigate. With the help of Lu Chuan, a high-ranking official of the Yellow Heaven Path who had been stationed there for many years, Su Che also gained a lot of knowledge.

Having reaped a bountiful harvest, Young Master Su, along with his two henchmen, Lu Bai and Zhu Yi, left Sheshan and prepared to return to Jiankang City.

They had only gone halfway down the mountain when they saw a large group of people on horseback leading the way, their banners obscuring the sky. Interestingly, among the group were many bald men of all ages, each wearing shackles and being whipped by soldiers with leather whips and sticks. They cried and wailed all the way, looking quite miserable.

Su Che gave him a wink, and Zhu Yi stepped forward and used his skills as a secret police officer to interrogate people, pretending to be a merchant going up the mountain to the village, and finally got the gist of the matter.

It turned out that Princess Jia'an from the palace had some unknown reason and suddenly came to this Sheshan Mountain to worship the Bodhisattva. As a result, the guards who came to clear the area ran into a group of monks dismantling the courtyard wall, which was covered with treasonous words.

Originally, this was precisely the time when Old Su was using his skills to change the world, and the nobles thought that the monks were just using tricks to curry favor with Old Su.

Thus, this group of monks had run into Princess Jia'an's sword. She immediately dispatched soldiers to raid the temple, rounding up all the bald monks and sending them to prison, seemingly setting the stage for a major upheaval. Although the bloodshed hadn't yet arrived, panic had already gripped the various temples on Mount She, causing them to close their doors to visitors. Some astute senior monks had even led their handsome young novices down the mountain with their valuables and fled.

Su Che smiled inwardly upon hearing this.

What was originally a casual prank ended up making the mountain beautiful and lush.

However, this Princess Jia'an...

Among the targets gathered by the Zhongyuan Net, there was one who came from the palace, but it is unknown which one it was.

I should find an opportunity to go to the palace again to investigate.

After descending Sheshan Mountain, Su Che instructed Lu Bai and Zhu Yi to return to the manor and send a message to the little fox. He then straightened his clothes and wandered around Jiankang City for a while.

However, they were observing the city of Jiankang before them using the methods and principles of Taoism.

The capital of the Great Liang Dynasty, Jiankang, is nominally a large city, but it is actually divided into three parts.

The northernmost point facing the mighty Yangtze River is Taicheng.

This place is the site of the palace, which also contains an armory, gardens, workshops, and other important military facilities. Outside the palace city walls are two smaller towns, and beyond those are the residences of nobles and commoners.

All of these together constitute Jiankang City, the capital of the Great Liang Dynasty.

The river winds around the northwest like a dragon swimming, while the mountains sit in the southeast like a tiger crouching. The bustling world is vast and boundless; indeed, the landscape is limitless.

Su Che sat upright under a sycamore tree, casually waving his hand to bring down a slightly yellowed leaf. He then used his magic to lightly touch the leaf between his fingers and palm before waving it forward.

It was as if a wisp of mist had emerged from this place, and in a short while, the air was filled with the scent of wood, and a thatched hut appeared, surrounded by bamboo fences of varying density, with stone benches and a stone table in the middle.

All of this before my eyes was created by Su Che using illusion magic. He sought reality within illusion and truth within falsehood. As long as his magic power did not fade, all of this before my eyes could not be more real.

Su Che then used his magic to carefully renovate the thatched hut.

A few specks of moss hang from the eaves, a few colorful butterflies flutter through the gaps in the bamboo fence, a chessboard lies across the stone bench, and spiderwebs swirl between the window frames.

After Su Che finished doing all this, he turned around and looked at himself. His clothes were as white as the moon, his jade belt was adorned with pearls, his black boots were decorated with gold thread patterns, and his jade pendant and sachet complemented each other.

He was a wealthy and noble prince, but he didn't look like a Taoist practitioner.

With a casual flick of his wrist, he transformed into a Taoist robe and hemp shoes, and went straight into the thatched hut. He sat quietly on the futon, silently reciting the Yellow Court Classic, but his mind was far away.

Until the moon rises and the crows set, and the stars fill the sky.

Su Che had already achieved perfect harmony between body and mind, and his five senses were in a state of deep concentration. He clenched his teeth three times, raised his head, and let out a sharp shout towards the sky.

"rise."

A beam of white light rose from the Niwan Palace and shot straight into the sky.

However, after a brief moment of brilliance, a cloud of green mist arose around it, which was actually a fog obscuring the moon and swallowing the white light.

Using the techniques from the "Zhou Jue Yin Tian Secret Manual," the Third Young Master Su propelled his own mastered magic talisman straight to the heavens.

The bait has been given away; I just don't know how many goldfish I'll catch.

(End of this chapter)