Chapter 535 (1): Differences In the Paper Kites In the Sky

Even though it was the end of autumn, the trees on Palace Willow Island remained as lush and exuberant as ever.

𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

This island was the home of the True Realm Sect, and it was also where the sect's ancestral hall was situated.

Over the past year, the entirety of Bamboo Scroll Lake, including Palace Willow Island, had been constantly undergoing drastic changes. The True Realm Sect possessed immense wealth, and it had hired many Mohism mechanists and Naturalist geomancers to examine the terrain and ascertain the state of the mountain roots and water fortune.

Additionally, large numbers of immortals and artisans from various schools of thought had been hired as laborers to carry out different projects. Jiang Shangzhen had told them to spare no expense, stipulating that every single floor tile, window, and everything else had to be the best that the Eastern Treasured Vial Continent had to offer.

Among the hired laborers were hundreds of cultivators who excelled in constructing immortal abodes, and the vast majority of them had come from the Parasol Leaf Continent. These people had to travel to the Eastern Treasured Vial Continent via intercontinental ship, and upon their arrival, they were all arranged to stay in various immortal inns.

Just the costs of their intercontinental ship fare and accommodation alone amounted to an astronomical sum that would've enough to bankrupt many of the past island factions of Bamboo Scroll Lake.

Hence, it was made known to all of the immortal sects on the Eastern Treasured Vial Continent that the True Realm Sect possessed an absurd amount of wealth, and with three and half guest elders of the Upper Five Tiers among its ranks, the True Realm Sect had no fear in flaunting its wealth.

Those three and half guest elders consisted of a female sword immortal from the Northern Complete Reed Continent by the name of Li Cai, the old man from the Jade Tablet Sect that originally had hopes of becoming the leader of the True Realm Sect, the Unpolished Jade Tier Liu Laocheng, and finally, Liu Zhimao, who was on the cusp of the Unpolished Jade Tier.

At the moment, Liu Zhimao was in seclusion, preparing for a breakthrough, and some of the islands around Palace Willow Island had already been placed into a state of lockdown.

Jiang Shangzhen and Liu Laocheng were slowly strolling along the riverbank, under the swaying canopies of the nearby willow trees.

Jiang Shangzhen snapped off a willow branch, then wove it into a crown before placing it onto his head as he smiled and remarked, "It's nice to reflect on events of the past every once in a while, isn't it, Brother Liu?"

Liu Laocheng offered no response.

In his eyes, Jiang Shangzhen was a very strange man. He was extremely vicious and liked to hide his ruthlessness behind an amicable, smiling demeanor, but he was also a stickler for rules. Of course, among the rules laid down by Jiang Shangzhen, there were many aspects that were considered unsatisfactory to others.

Guan Yiran had approached the True Realm Sect on many occasions to complain about these rules, and Li Fuqu was often sent to the general's residence to argue with the dissenters. Their arguments never yielded any constructive outcomes, and they would always devolve into furious yelling matches where everyone banged the tables and tried to talk over one another, but thankfully, none of the arguments had escalated into physical altercations.

This wasn't because Li Fuqu had a mild and easygoing personality. Instead, she had reined in her temper in light of a warning from Jiang Shangzhen, telling her that her life wasn't worth any money, nor was the reputation of the True Realm Sect. The only thing under the heavens that was truly worth money was money itself.

The meaning behind Jiang Shangzhen's seemingly errant remark from earlier about how it was nice to reflect on events of the past was very simple. He was telling Liu Laocheng that he was aware of the latter's past romantic entanglement, but at the same time, he was reassuring Liu Laocheng that he wouldn't use this knowledge against him.

Liu Laocheng took this reassurance at face value, trusting that Jiang Shangzhen would abide by his implicit promise.

Following Liu Zhimao's successful breakthrough, the True Realm Sect had three guest elders of the Upper Five Tiers.

The reason why there were only three was because the old man who had defected from the Parasol Leaf Sect was already doomed.

At the time, he had been surrounded by four Unpolished Jade Tier cultivators, but only two of them were involved in the battle, while Liu Laocheng and Liu Zhimao were only there to watch and make sure that their target didn't get away.

They had killed him to set an example.

Li Cai and Jiang Shangzhen had confronted the old man together, and upon seeing Li Cai, the old man didn't even have the courage to face Jiang Shangzhen in battle. Unfortunately for him, he wasn't even able to attempt an escape before he was struck down on the spot.

It wasn't a riveting battle at all. In fact, it was so uneventful that many of the cultivators on Palace Willow Island only sensed a fleeting, momentary disturbance before everything returned to normal.

"Tell the disciples of our True Realm Sect to be more respectful when they encounter Daoist priests from the Divine Edict Sect in the future," Jiang Shangzhen suddenly said. "Tell them that if they get into a fight with anyone from the Divine Edict Sect, regardless of whether their actions are justified or not, our True Realm Sect won't do anything if they're killed.

“If, instead, they kill someone from the Divine Edict Sect, then they will be decapitated, and Li Fuqu will personally deliver their head to the Divine Edict Sect as a gesture of apology."

"Alright," Liu Laocheng replied with a nod.

"You don't really understand why I'm doing this, do you?" Jiang Shangzhen asked with a smile.

Liu Laocheng shook his head.

It was easy to understand.

Despite how untouchable the True Realm Sect appeared, it was actually in a rather precarious situation on the Eastern Treasured Vial Continent. It had no allies to speak of, and it had enemies everywhere, including the Great Li Empire. Hence, they had to bow to the Divine Edict Sect in order to avoid trouble.

However, even though Liu Laocheng understood the decision, he was still rather impressed that Jiang Shangzhen was willing to submit to the Divine Edict Sect to this extent.

Even though he was an official immortal in possession of the Cloud Cave Blessed Land, he embodied what it meant to be a vagrant cultivator far more than most vagrant cultivators.

"My current situation is just like yours," Jiang Shangzhen sighed. "I have to accumulate more power while also making others believe that I can be contained and controlled. I wonder who the Great Li Empire will ultimately choose to keep our True Realm Sect in check.

“The Eastern Treasured Vial Continent is great in every way with the exception of the Song Clan's dominance. It's absurd to think that a mortal empire has hopes of completely controlling the cultivation world! Back on our Parasol Leaf Continent, cultivators reign supreme, and all mortal empires must bow down to us."

"That was actually the case in the Bamboo Scroll Lake of old as well," Liu Laocheng said with a smile. "The rulers of all of the neighboring nations were constantly fearing for their lives."

"It's not the same," Jiang Shangzhen disagreed with a shake of his head. "The lawless Bamboo Scroll Lake of old was a bit like the savage lands of ancient times, where all of the demonic forces under the heavens are free to roam with no qualms or opposition. The deities in the heavens feed off the worship of the people, while the demons on the earth feed on the people themselves. That's why the sages who created the civilized world are so revered.

“It's not only foolish people who take the good aspects of their lives for granted. In reality, almost everyone makes that mistake. Right now, what do the mortal citizens of the Majestic World say about mountain and water deities, plant spirits, and ghosts and yin entities? In their eyes, those things only exist in some faraway fantasy land in the middle of nowhere, concealed from the public eye.

“Even if some live among them, they are bound by countless rules that govern their actions. This is why people are so confident that any demonic forces that dare to wreak havoc in the civilized world will be sure to meet their demise at the hands of righteous immortals. Peach wood talismans and door gods are extremely prevalent everywhere, and people can visit temples and monasteries to pray for peace and prosperity.

“If there is to come a day when us humans, regardless of whether it be mortals or cultivators, have to swap places with those demonic forces, what do you think will become of us? Is that not a chilling thought? I don't know about you, I'm truly afraid of such a future."

"I never think about such things," Liu Laocheng said.

"That's fine because there will be people who think about these things in your stead," Jiang Shangzhen replied with a nod. "It's thanks to them that you can maintain your mental sanctity and focus on your cultivation. Even if the world is turned on its head in the future, people like you will be able to survive anyway. Given your lofty cultivation base, you'll always have a way out of whatever desperate situation the world finds itself in.

“Regardless of how terrible the state of the world becomes, it seems like there will always be people to bail out the likes of you and Liu Zhimao, while you can simply sit back and enjoy the fruits of their labors. It's kind of like me, actually. I can earn money while standing, just as I can earn money while laying down."

Liu Laocheng's brows furrowed slightly.

"But what if all cultivators on the mountain summit think the same way that you do?" Jiang Shangzhen asked with a smile.

"That won't happen," Liu Laocheng replied with a shake of his head.

"And that's what's so interesting about this world," Jiang Shangzhen mused. "We don't even think about all of the good in the world that we take for granted, but we think about the bad all the time, and those thoughts often drive us to rage and indignation."

Liu Laocheng was a little perplexed. He didn't know what Jiang Shangzhen wanted to accomplish by telling him all of this.

However, Jiang Shangzhen had already reverted back to his usual casual demeanor, lightly treading over the riverbank as he changed the subject and said, "In novels, all of the friends of the hero are good people who do good things, and even if they die, they always get what they want in death. On the flip side, the bad people always receive the retribution that they deserve. Have you read any of these novels, Brother Liu?"

"Never," Liu Laocheng replied with a shake of his head.

"You need to broaden the range of your reading material," Jiang Shangzhen said with a smile.

Liu Laocheng knew that this was merely a joke, so he didn't take it seriously.

Jiang Shangzhen was a very strange man who never seemed to have anything important to do. Outside of cultivation, he would adopt different disguises and wander aimlessly through the four cities on the edge of Bamboo Scroll Lake. He would always return from his trips with trinkets and toys for the child brought back by Li Cai, and he would play with the child and teach him how to walk, often spending hours on pointless tasks.

Liu Laocheng often found himself feeling very perplexed about Jiang Shangzhen. Was it something about Jiang Shangzhen's strange personality that had allowed him to reach his current heights, or had he developed this strange personality over time after reaching his position of power?

Jiang Shangzhen strode over to a dock, then said, "Prior to going to into seclusion, Liu Zhimao asked me for his past territory, including Cyan Gorge Island and White Fish Island, and he intended to give it to his disciple, Gu Can, because he didn't know what I planned to assign that piece of territory near Cloud Pagoda City to Gu Can.

“However, despite his young age, he didn't display any fear or hesitation in accepting the territory offered to him. Fortune truly does seem to favor the brave."

"That boy may grow into a thorn in our True Realm Sect's side if he remains in Bamboo Scroll Lake," Liu Laocheng said.

Jiang Shangzhen turned to him with an amused smile.

A candid smile appeared on Liu Laocheng's face as he continued, "I'm not just saying this because I have bad blood with him and Cyan Gorge Island. I don't think it would be a good thing for either myself or the True Realm Sect for Gu Can to grow unchecked."

"What do you think Gu Can is relying on the most to keep himself safe?" Jiang Shangzhen asked with a smile.

"That would be Chen Ping'an, of course," Liu Laocheng replied. "Even though Chen Ping'an is no longer here, his influence and the rules that he taught to Gu Can are more than enough to keep him safe. On top of that, there's also Guan Yiran, who's on very good terms with Chen Ping'an, and perhaps there are others that I'm unaware of.

“Those people will be sure to observe Gu Can's every move from the shadows, which means that Guan Yiran will also be keeping an eye on me, Liu Zong, and the True Realm Sect. I'm sure Gu Can has already realized all of this."

Jiang Shangzhen didn't deny that allowing Gu Can to grow unchecked would be detrimental to the True Realm Sect.

Even though Liu Zhimao's cultivation base was inferior to Liu Laocheng's, the former had dealt with the Great Li Empire far more than the latter. On top of that, he had a stronger desire than Liu Laocheng to become the ruler of Bamboo Scroll Lake, so in some regards, he had greater perspective and foresight than Liu Laocheng.

Of course, Liu Zhimao was only willing to think more about these things because they concerned his personal interests, while Liu Laocheng was more focused on progressing further on the path of cultivation, so he was more single-minded and less weighed down by distractions.

Jiang Shangzhen could guess why Liu Zhimao had paid a visit to Gu Can prior to going into seclusion.

Clearly, he had gone to pass down his treasured cultivation art to his disciple, and reprising Cyan Gorge Island from the True Realm Sect was also a form of insurance that he was putting in place for Gu Can.

Liu Zhimao had done this because he had managed to glean a long-term plan of Jiang Shangzhen's.

As opposed to allowing the Great Li Empire to support an unknown force to target the True Realm Sect, it was much better for the True Realm Sect to take the initiative and offer up a suitable candidate for the job to the Great Li Empire.

This was the most efficient and least detrimental option for both sides.

Jiang Shangzhen had openly visited the Dragon Spring Prefecture on two occasions, and he had made no secret of this as he was intentionally trying to send a message to certain people.

The bridge between Chen Ping'an of Downtrodden Mountain and Jiang Shangzhen of the True Realm Sect were Gu Can and Cyan Gorge Island.

Hence, the true test that the True Realm Sect had to face was never Gu Can, Bamboo Scroll Lake, or even the Divine Edict Sect. Instead, the true test would come after the Great Li Empire conquered the entire continent and began focusing its efforts on warding off an almighty, otherworldly force.

That would be the moment when the True Realm Sect had to make an all-important decision.

However, even Liu Zhimao was completely oblivious to all of that, let alone Liu Laocheng. They were just a pair of vagrant cultivators, why would they go looking into esoteric teachings that didn't appear to have anything to do with them when there was a colossal entity in the form of the True Realm Sect standing right before them?

What did a vagrant cultivator know aside from how to cultivate? They spent their entire lives being oppressed and looked down on by official immortals, and at the end of it all, they still naively believed that cultivation base and power were everything.

Why did they never think about why the Jade Tablet Sect had a leader that was about to reach the Ascension Tier, or how Jiang Shangzhen had managed to accumulate his current wealth?

At the moment, the world was a civilized place governed by the rules of the Three Teachings and Hundred Schools of Thought, but in the very beginning, everyone had started from nothing, mere puppets to be manipulated by the deities above as they saw fit. If everyone had started from the same humble beginnings, how had official cultivators managed to rise up above their vagrant counterparts?

Jiang Shangzhen wasn't trying to belittle vagrant cultivators. Back when he was traveling through the Northern Complete Reed Continent, he had been a vagrant cultivator for many years, and he had excelled in that regard.

Jiang Shangzhen cast his gaze toward the rippling Bamboo Scroll Lake as he said, "Teachers don't punish their students too much. Instead, they do too little, and their punishments are too light, so their disciples and students quickly forget the lessons taught to them. No one bothers to consider whether their defiance and refusal to learn would be hurtful to their teachers.

“Perhaps their teachers would become disappointed someday and simply give up. If all of the people in the world who are willing to amicably espouse principles become disappointed someday, then there will truly be no hope left for the world."

These words didn't really resonate with Liu Laocheng, and he offered no response.

All of a sudden, Jiang Shangzhen turned to him and asked, "Perhaps you don't have to heed the earnest words of an Unpolished Jade Tier sect leader, but what if he were at the Immortal Tier instead?"

A cold chill instantly ran down Liu Laocheng's spine.

"It's fine," Jiang Shangzhen reassured with a smile. "One should not be punished for transgressions made out of ignorance. Originally, I didn't want to reveal the truth to you so soon. That treasure that I hid on Ya'er was actually what was truly meant to decide your fate, but I've changed my mind now because I've suddenly come to a realization: when it comes to reasoning with vagrant cultivators like yourself, my fists will suffice.

“Trying to put more thought into something like this would only be a waste of my time, time that could be better spent spending money."

Liu Laocheng remained expressionless and silent.

For the first time in a long time, he felt a sense of all-encompassing peril, the type that could spell the end of him given just the slightest misstep.

"In the past, I always felt like regardless of whether one was a cultivator or not and regardless of the quality of one's character, they would all eventually become a little smarter once they reached certain heights. However, I've come to learn over the years that this is not the case, and that has been a rather disappointing revelation for me," Jiang Shangzhen sighed. "Liu Laocheng, I suggest you really take some time to look inward and cultivate your mental state.

“You need to make some fundamental changes in the way that you think about things. Otherwise, don't even think about trying to catch up to me. In fact, you'll be left far behind by even Liu Zhimao, and eventually, even Gu Can will surpass you. When that time comes, you'll come to realize that you're nothing more than a massive joke.

“For a very long time to come, Gu Can will remain an ant that you can easily crush, but you'll never be able to kill him. Liu Zhimao will have become your equal by then, and as for myself, I will already be far above you."