Chapter Ninety-Two: Meeting Fellow Daoists

After the car passed through the gates of the institute, everyone got out.

At first glance, the scenery was plain enough, austere and severe, with only a fountain lending it a touch of liveliness. Yet beyond the fountain stood a stone wall carved with nine dragons, and that was anything but ordinary. Nine five-clawed divine dragons of different forms seemed to live and breathe upon its surface, their spiritual energy faintly spilling forth as though they might awaken at any moment. Under Jiang An's Heavenly Eye, it was clearly an entrance shimmering with a soft white light.

"Master Song, Brother Jiang, this is your token for entering the inner estate. Please keep it safe."

Ouyang Shi handed each of them a small, exquisite white jade plaque no bigger than a thumb, then took the lead and walked straight toward the stone wall. The wall rippled faintly like water, and in the next instant Ouyang Shi's figure vanished.

Naturally, Jiang An and the others followed him inside.

Suddenly the world opened before them, revealing hidden wonders.

Jiang An now stood upon a square of white jade. At the center of the plaza rose five stone statues: Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, Black Tortoise, and in the middle of them all, the Qilin. The five great divine beasts of the land were magnificent and unrestrained, lifting their heads to the sky and roaring, their presence as weighty as mountains and seas, inspiring awe in all who saw them.

Beyond the plaza stretched a vast realm of layered peaks and rolling ridges, picturesque and serene. Through the drifting mist could be seen towers, halls, pavilions, and waterside cottages scattered across the hills like stars in the sky. White cranes occasionally flew past, while tiger roars echoed from within. It was truly a celestial paradise on earth.

Jiang An gave a slight nod. The spiritual energy here was already dense enough for proper cultivation. A fine place indeed.

Of course, there were certainly many experts here as well. The moment he arrived, Jiang An sensed a concealed divine perception lightly sweep over them.

"Anyone who comes here for the first time is probably stunned by the sight," Ouyang Shi said with rare pride. Then he explained, "Within a radius of several dozen li, there are countless peaks. Every grandmaster who joins the Mountain Estate of National Defense is granted an entire peak as a place for cultivation. The tallest peak directly ahead is called Jade Sun Peak, and the building on it is the Hall of the Four Guardians, where the envoys take turns keeping watch. Deeper inside there is another peak called Immortal Court Peak, the secluded retreat of the estate's founder, Commander Xiang of the Chu family. Heh, Brother Jiang will learn more about all this in time. For now, please come with me. We'll go to the Hall of Heavenly Diligence to meet the elder in charge. Grandmaster Jiang, since this is your first visit, be careful not to take a wrong path. There are many restrictions here..."

As they walked, Ouyang Shi introduced Jiang An to some of the basic affairs of the headquarters.

Commander Xiang of the Chu family had been in secluded cultivation for decades, and most people in the estate had never even seen that legendary figure. Beneath him, the Four Great Envoys were like the stabilizing pillars of the entire place, taking turns to oversee the Hall of the Four Guardians. Matters too difficult to decide could be brought to them for instruction, while day-to-day affairs were managed by the elder council.

The Mountain Estate of National Defense had three basic ranks: commanders, honored retainers, and envoys. Even the lowest commander had to be a grandmaster, and promotion depended on merit and seniority. To become an honored retainer, one had to either spend more than ten years in the estate or render great service. Otherwise, even a formidable expert at the third realm would still remain only a commander upon joining. Naturally, each rank came with different benefits. The so-called elder council was chosen from among the honored retainers.

There were nine elders in total. The four strongest among them did not handle administrative affairs, as they were the successors to the Four Great Envoys, usually called candidate envoys. The remaining five were the true executors of daily governance: three managing elders, one disciplinary elder, and one merit elder.

And unfortunately, the Yuan family patriarch, Jiang An's enemy, was precisely the merit elder.

The Mountain Estate of National Defense absorbed new members from very mixed backgrounds: rogue cultivators, sect disciples, and clan members alike. The Yuan family patriarch was named Yuan Yong, and he was none other than the second uncle of Lincheng's Party Secretary, Yuan Kai. In his youth he had been utterly unremarkable, but nearing middle age he seemed to achieve sudden enlightenment and rapidly rise as though aided by divine favor, breaking through to grandmaster status before joining the estate. He had no wife or children, and over the course of decades he had made countless contributions, ultimately taking the position of merit elder, with great power and extensive connections.

As for strength, among the elder council the four candidate envoys were all formidable experts of the third realm, while the other five were only at the peak of the second realm. Once a person reached the third realm, they would naturally feel the Great Dao to be within reach and would be unwilling to waste cultivation time on mundane affairs. Thus, whenever an honored retainer advanced to the third realm, he would either take part in the selection for candidate envoy, or else go into secluded cultivation in the rear mountains.

The three of them walked along and soon arrived at a lower peak beside Jade Sun Peak, Gentleman's Peak, where the Hall of Heavenly Diligence was built.

After climbing ninety-nine steps, the three reached the summit. Before them lay a flat stone-paved terrace. At the center stood a large three-legged bronze cauldron, taller than a man and wide enough that several people could embrace it. Incense burned within, and wisps of blue smoke drifted outward, carrying a faint, lingering fragrance.

Beyond the great cauldron rose a grand hall, its eaves high and its corners upturned in every direction, exuding an inexplicable majesty. The yellow roof tiles gleamed in the sunlight like the inner palace of an ancient emperor.

"Ouyang Shi and Jiang An request an audience with the elder!"

At the hall entrance, Ouyang Shi called out in a loud voice. He mentioned only his own name and Jiang An's, because Song Han was not merely the head of a great clan but also a powerful expert of the third realm. How could he possibly be said to be seeking an audience with someone of lower cultivation?

"Please come in, all of you!" A kindly voice came from within.

The three walked inside. Five people had already been waiting for them. Seeing this, a strange light flashed in Ouyang Shi's eyes. Normally, when a newcomer came to report for the first time, only the three managing elders would be present for the examination. Today, all five had arrived. It seemed the rumors were true after all.

The interior was spacious yet simple. Five elders of varying appearances sat upon yellow cushions. The moment they saw someone enter, all of them stood and cupped their hands toward Song Han.

"Greetings, Master Song."

This was the respect due to a true expert.

"Fellow Daoists, Song also returns your courtesy." Song Han gave a slight nod in response.

Only then did everyone sit back down on their cushions.

Jiang An glanced over the assembly. The two men and one woman seated in the center were arranged relatively close together; they should be the managing elders. To their left sat an old man with a red face, stern and dignified, sitting upright and staring straight ahead with an unsmiling expression. He was likely the disciplinary elder. On the far right sat a plump old man with a kindly face and a smile that never left the corners of his mouth. He seemed easy to get along with, and there was nothing unusual in the way he looked at Jiang An. Yet this man was precisely the merit elder, Yuan Yong.

What a fox with truly deep concealment.

Jiang An thought to himself. If Ouyang Shi's words were true, then Yuan Yong was his enemy, planning to set a trap for him. Yet from his expression and demeanor alone, not the slightest sign of enmity could be seen. He was clearly hiding a knife beneath his smile. Such a person was dangerous.

"May I ask, Master Song, what brings you here?" asked one of the round-faced managing elders.

"I came uninvited, so I must be intruding. First, I wish to see my friend Guo Jingzheng. I heard he is preparing to enter death-seclusion in an attempt to break through the bottleneck of the third realm, and before he does so, I wanted to see an old friend. Second, I hope to discuss the matter of the dynasty organization with all of you," Song Han said unhurriedly.

Who in the room did not know about what had happened in the Song family? The round-faced elder said, "Fellow Guo is at Golden Flame Peak. This attempt to break through the bottleneck will involve some rather risky secret methods, and there is even the possibility of death. Since Master Song has come to visit an old friend, that is only proper. I can immediately send someone to guide Master Song there. As for the matter of the dynasty organization, we can discuss it later. After all, since Fellow Jiang has come to report to the estate, we still need to go through the proper procedure."

"Of course Song understands this. But there is no hurry to see Fellow Guo just yet. Since Fellow Jiang is somewhat connected to the Song family as well, Song would like to stay and observe the ceremony, if that is permissible."

The round-faced elder thought it over. The head of a great clan shared the fate of the state and naturally had no reason to betray them. Moreover, Song Han was not only a great expert; according to the intelligence, Jiang An was also his son-in-law. Remaining to observe was a small matter indeed... With that in mind, he sought the opinions of the other elders with his eyes. Seeing them nod slightly, he said, "Then Master Song is naturally welcome to observe."

"My apologies for the disturbance." Song Han nodded, then fell silent, making it clear that he intended to remain detached.

Though he had not ridden in the same car as Jiang An on the way here, his divine sense could scan within a radius of thirty meters, and he had naturally heard what Ouyang Shi said. Thus he had changed his mind at the last moment and decided to stay and watch.

Within the sea of consciousness, it was called divine sense; when extended outward, it was generally called spiritual perception. In truth, the two were one and the same. Divine sense also had two states: intrinsic sense and intentional sense. Intrinsic sense referred to the state in which a cultivator's divine sense was released on its own without conscious direction; intentional sense referred to the state in which the cultivator actively used it. Compared with intentional sense, intrinsic sense was weaker and covered a narrower range. To use an analogy, it was like a radar: intrinsic sense was merely the automatic daily scan with only a small amount of power engaged, whereas intentional sense was when someone was operating it directly with full power.

A cultivator could not possibly keep all of his divine sense fully released at all times; that would be exhausting. So in ordinary circumstances, they relied on intrinsic sense, whose range was very small. Precisely because of this, he had not discovered the anomaly at his banquet immediately.

And the reason he stayed was to see how things would develop. To be honest, he now truly placed great importance on this son-in-law.

"Fellow Jiang, I am Lu Qiu. First, allow me to represent the estate in welcoming your加入..." The round-faced elder, Lu Qiu, saluted Jiang An.

That address as "fellow Daoist" felt strangely familiar to Jiang An, as though he had returned to the Immortal Realm. He returned the courtesy at once.

"Elders, Jiang An greets you."

The five elders in attendance all returned the salute in turn, creating an atmosphere of harmony.