Chapter 19 - 18: A Single Sword to Cut Away the Chaos
There is a saying that wealth, companionship, law, and land are the four essentials of cultivation. While claiming that not a single one can be lacking might be an overgeneralization, these four are nonetheless exceedingly important to any practitioner.
Alchemical pills, without a doubt, qualify as a cultivator’s "wealth." Consequently, an institution like the Danxia Institute, which controlled the supply of Miracle Elixirs, would never have a low standing in any sect.
The Danxia Institute was situated on the far eastern edge of the Tai Su Continent and occupied a vast expanse of land. It boasted more than a dozen Spirit Peaks dedicated to medicinal fields alone. Beyond that, a large section of the great marsh along the border had been cordoned off to cultivate various aquatic spirit herbs, with herb farmers and alchemists bustling about everywhere.
At the center of the dozen or so Spirit Peaks stood a pair of connected mountains, one taller than the other. A grand pagoda stood atop the taller peak, its apex wreathed in dark, rumbling clouds. A ceaseless torrent of celestial lightning poured down like rain, striking the top of the pagoda. A closer look revealed that the pagoda’s middle section was shaped like an Eight Trigrams Burner, inside which a great fire burned inextinguishably. The flames only roared higher with each lightning strike. In the lower section, countless Daoists of the Danxia Institute bustled about; some adjusted restrictive formations to control the heat, while others calculated the timing, periodically feeding Spiritual Gold, precious ores, and medicinal stones into the furnace.
The division of labor was clear. Though it resembled Artifact Refining, it was, in fact, the true art of Alchemy—they were refining nothing less than ’Golden Cores’. This was, without a doubt, the Danxia Institute’s ever-active Celestial Furnace.
On the shorter of the two peaks, buildings and courtyards dotted the landscape. This was where the Danxia Institute conducted its day-to-day business.
In one particular courtyard, a Red Copper Pill Furnace stood. Inside it, streaks of spiritual light tumbled about, their colors constantly shifting. Two Daoists sat cross-legged on either side, periodically casting a Magic Formula into the furnace. After a moment, the activity within the furnace subsided, leaving only the incessant crackling of the fire.
The Alchemy session appeared to have reached a pause. The two Daoists relaxed and closed their eyes to meditate. However, not two breaths later, the sound of a chiming bell suddenly echoed from outside the courtyard. Both men had to open their eyes again. One of them, a middle-aged Daoist with a long beard but no eyebrows, furrowed his brow and shouted, "Enter!"
A Daoist Child scurried in and, without waiting to be addressed, prostrated himself on the ground. "Reporting to the Elder," he said, "a Law Enforcement Disciple has arrived. He says you are summoned for questioning."
"Hm?" The Daoist with no eyebrows was none other than Chen Yuanji. He couldn’t help but feel surprised. ’What could a Law Enforcement Disciple possibly want to question me about?’ After a moment of thought, one possibility came to mind. ’Could that man, Zhu, have tattled to the Law Enforcement Hall?’
But Chen Yuanji immediately dismissed the idea with an inward sneer. ’That slippery sycophant Zhu wouldn’t dare offend me. It must be Xuzhuang. He likely went to the Ministry of Affairs Hall, got stonewalled, and has now run off to tattle.’
Although he was fairly certain of the cause, his face showed nothing. Chen Yuanji affected a puzzled look and asked, "Rise. Did the Law Enforcement Disciple state the reason for this? Am I to go to the Law Enforcement Hall for questioning?"
The Daoist Child pushed himself up from his prostrate position and replied, "Elder, the Law Enforcement Disciple said it is regarding the Danxia Institute cutting off the supply of Sixth-Transformation Golden Cores to the Ministry of Affairs Hall. He has asked you to go to the Ministry of Affairs Hall for questioning."
"What?" Chen Yuanji froze. "To the Ministry of Affairs Hall? What right does the Ministry of Affairs Hall have to summon me for questioning?"
The Daoist Child replied, "The Law Enforcement Disciple said that True Disciple Xuzhuang, Junior Martial Uncle Xu, is personally overseeing this matter."
"Absurd!" Chen Yuanji flicked his wide sleeve and sneered. "So what if he’s a True Disciple? Is he trying to order the Danxia Institute around? Go back and tell that Law Enforcement Disciple to return with an official writ from the Law Enforcement Hall!"
The Daoist Child acknowledged the order and departed.
The other Daoist finally spoke. "Senior Brother, are you withholding this batch of Sixth-Transformation Golden Cores because of this new True Disciple?"
Chen Yuanji remained noncommittal. The other Daoist frowned, looking as though he wanted to speak several times, but ultimately he lapsed back into silence.
Just as tranquility was about to settle over the courtyard, the bell chimed again from outside. Chen Yuanji’s brows furrowed deeply. "Enter!" he snapped.
As expected, the Daoist Child had returned. He had barely taken two steps into the courtyard when his knees buckled and he fell to a prostrate position. Trembling, he said, "Elder, the Law Enforcement Disciple refuses to leave! He even took out the True Inheritance Golden Sword and said... he said..."
"Said what? Out with it!" Chen Yuanji demanded.
The Daoist Child’s prostrate form trembled, and he haltingly relayed the Law Enforcement Disciple’s exact words.
"Hahahahahaha!" After hearing the report, Chen Yuanji laughed instead of growing angry. "That brat Xuzhuang is utterly ridiculous! So what if they blame this matter on me? Go. Repeat my original words to that Law Enforcement Disciple: tell him to return with a talismanic decree from the Law Enforcement Hall. If he still refuses to leave, then let him wait!"
The Daoist Child scrambled to his feet and hurried away. The courtyard grew quiet again for a moment, but neither of the two men resumed their meditation. After a short pause, the other Daoist spoke up again. "That Xuzhuang was only promoted to True Disciple a little while ago. I’d never heard of him before. How did you end up on bad terms with him, Senior Brother?"
Chen Yuanji did not remain silent this time. "Junior Brother Mo, have you heard about that Xuzhuang representing our sect at the Taixuan Sect’s Golden Core Grand Ceremony recently?"
"I have, of course," said Junior Brother Mo.
Chen Yuanji sneered. "Then do you know what kind of trouble that brat caused on his trip to the Taixuan Sect?"
"Trouble?" Junior Brother Mo sounded confused. "From what I’ve heard, the trip went quite smoothly..."
Suddenly, as if a thought struck him, Junior Brother Mo asked uncertainly, "Senior Brother, are you referring to how Xuzhuang killed Yang Lian, the True Disciple of the Celestial Fire Sect, in a duel?"
Chen Yuanji gave a slight nod. Junior Brother Mo’s brow furrowed. "So what if he was a True Disciple of the Celestial Fire Sect? When peers duel, the weaker one loses. The Celestial Fire Sect has no grounds for complaint. That Yang Lian was a veteran Golden Core, yet Xuzhuang, who had only just achieved his Golden Core, managed to slay him. Everyone in the sect is saying his talent is astonishing..."
Seeing him start to lavish praise upon Xuzhuang, Chen Yuanji’s expression soured and he quickly interrupted, "Do you even know who Yang Lian was? His father is Yang Huai Venerable, a Nascent Soul Venerable of the Celestial Fire Sect! He has a real chance of attaining the Primordial Spirit realm, and his power and influence are immense..."