Longevity Chronicles
Chapter 455 - 317: Immortals, Demons, and Devils Gather at Ancestor Dragon, Yellow Robed Attendants Spout Evil Sound

Upon suddenly seeing Yin Susu, Tao Qian felt the surging impulses in his heart immediately extinguished by the cold wind and chilly flames.

One of the princesses of the Devil God Army that brought disaster upon the world, Yin Susu!

And the Ancestor Dragon Society, a group devoted to national salvation and saving the people!

How could these two be entwined?

Tao Qian wracked his brain but couldn't fathom such a development.

Though during his time in Southern Yue, Tao Qian had not seen Yin Susu commit evil acts, at least not overtly—her misdeeds were not as egregious as those of her husband, Tang Xianzong.

But that was just on the surface. Others might not know the details, but how could he, Tao Qian, be unaware?

Originally, he had been captured by Yin Susu as a "male concubine" for her amusement and taken back to the Princess Mansion. Taking advantage of the situation, he learned many secrets, and had it not been for Bai Qin teaching him the "Joyful Zen Magic Skill," he would have truly lost his Essence Blood and Primordial Yang to this demoness.

As the ninety-seventh princess of the Devil God Army, her reputation was undoubtedly significant.

Tao Qian did not need to hide his dissatisfaction and directly asked Zhong Ziyang with a dissatisfied tone,

"Mr. Zhong Daoist, if I'm not mistaken, that group should be from the Devil God Army, right? Among them, a woman named Yin Susu, a Devil God Princess. Her husband, Tang Xianzong, once caused a great calamity in Southern Yue, almost killing millions of people. As a couple, she cannot be disconnected from his actions."

"Such a demoness can enter the Ancestor Dragon Society as a hero and participate in the Shangyang uprising?"

Upon hearing Tao Qian's words, both Zhong Ziyang and Lin Bujue showed wry smiles.

Especially Lin Bujue, who also displayed dissatisfaction and did not hide the aversion towards Yin Susu in his eyes.

Zhong Ziyang formed a Dharma Seal with his hand, silencing the voices of the three, before he began to speak,

"Mr. Lin Daoist, don't be angry, and listen to me."

"Our Ancestor Dragon Society, although now we have accumulated a good deal of resources and have many fellow heroes, that is the result of a long struggle. We, especially Mr. Ying Daoist, have initiated numerous uprisings and reforms before. Some stirred little waves, some didn't... He has also tried different methods, all ending in failure."

"Afterwards, Mr. Ying Daoist reflected on these lessons, resolved to not be hasty, and decided that the first thing to do was to choose a place, disrupt the world order dominated by Evil Cultivators, grasp power, and then consider other matters."

"To achieve this, it is necessary to unite all the forces that can be united, even if it means temporarily tolerating some from heresy and heterodoxy."

"As long as the initial goals align, they can be utilized."

"The Devil God Princess is like this, and the Taiping Army remnants were allowed to join the society for the same reason."

After hearing this explanation, Tao Qian fell silent, contemplative.

He did not continue to ask other questions, such as "What happens after grasping power?"

He did not need to ask; he already knew the answer.

"If this is the thinking, once the Ancestor Dragon Society succeeds in the uprising and takes control of New Moon Province."

"The first step would likely be to propose a real core charter and governance philosophy, followed by who supports and who opposes it, then comes the familiar elimination of dissidents, internal conflicts, until Ying Qingdi and his group truly reap the fruits of victory."

"However, if I can think of this, wouldn't these 'superfluous branches' destined to be pruned, like Yin Susu, also foresee it?"

After this train of thought, the tumultuous Human Dao Destiny within Tao Qian gradually subsided.

With no change of expression on his face, he only looked around with his eyes, focusing on those whose auras were non-human.

And sure enough, he noticed something.

There were proper heroes from the Daoist, Buddha, and Loose Cultivators, and Tao Qian first noticed this group.

Then there were many complex individuals from heresy and heterodoxy, like Yin Susu, who clearly followed the Demon Path and were by no means few.

At that moment, Tao Qian's gaze was suddenly drawn to five figures.

These five were clearly not from the Human Clan.

Three men and two women, each with the head of a fox, deer, tiger, chicken, and wolf, respectively.

Their clothes were colorful, made of finely stitched together pieces of various colors. Despite this, they did not appear vibrant, but rather sinister, as each piece of cloth was stained with fresh blood and dirt, along with messy stitching, which made one think: these clothes might have been pieced together from the clothes of many corpses.

Zhong Ziyang, wanting to show transparency, took the initiative to introduce them as Tao Qian subtly looked over,

"They are the Five Beasts Ghost, neither devil nor demon, but some sort of alien beings."

"In Qiantang Province, Fengling County, a great plague broke out one day, and there was fighting between two warlords, resulting in corpses both inside and outside the city. On Fengling Mountain outside the city, five newly sentient wild animals were driven by extreme hunger and descended the mountain. Along the way, they ate corpses and drank blood. Such behavior should have turned them into five Beast Demons."

"But unexpectedly, the will of the dying refugees gradually invaded these beasts, and they slowly transformed into some kind of alien beings."

"Daoist, don't look down upon them because of their appearance. They are morally ambiguous, on one hand retaining the habit of cannibalism, and on the other, refusing to eat the good-hearted, with an aspiration to save the world, wishing there would be no more plagues or wars."

Upon hearing this, Tao Qian nodded in admiration.

Previously, Zhong Ziyang mentioned that he had sent a message in advance to Ying Qingdi, who called the members together to discuss important matters.

Clearly, they were now in the process of gathering people.

To facilitate the journey, Zhong Ziyang cast a spell to conceal the presence of the three of them, forging a path toward the mountain behind the Ancestor Dragon Hall, planning to first take Tao Qian and Lin Bujue to meet Ying Qingdi as well as other core members.

After explaining the situation and setting the strategy, they would then go to the Ancestor Dragon Hall's meeting hall to discuss the details of the uprising with all the members.

However, it must be said that Zhong Ziyang indeed had great regard for Tao Qian. Whenever he saw Tao Qian curious about a particular member or their background, he would introduce them one by one through voice transmission.

Tao Qian had a wealth of experience, survived numerous disasters, and had even hung a sky lantern for nine days, witnessing many major events within the seventy-two provinces.

But when it came to the finer details of worldly affairs, he couldn't compare to the likes of Zhong Ziyang, a senior cultivator who roamed the world, healing others with his medical skills. Naturally, Tao Qian was happy to listen and broaden his knowledge through the introductions.

"Daoist friends, do not be alarmed—the three Daoist friends are indeed 'zombies,' but they are also true heroes."

"Several months ago, Han Chun, Zhao Yue, and Zhu Yu banded together to assassinate the notoriously wicked warlord Murong Bao of the Northern Land. This man was maniacal, having cultivated from the Ancient Demon Scripture 'Cannibal Book Complete Volume,' and his forces also comprised a Cannibal Army. Although their assassination attempt failed, by chance they were saved by a senior from the Side Door, the 'Heavenly Corpse Daoist,' and each inherited the teachings of the Heavenly Corpse, Earth Corpse, and Human Corpse."

"These three Daoist friends should have returned to their sect to practice Corpse Refining, yet they were concerned with the welfare of the common people. After some twists and turns, they joined our Ancestor Dragon Society."

...

"That Daoist friend over there is known as 'An Nan Demon Lord.' He bears the name of a demon because his true origin is that of a Heavenly Demon from the Outer Realm. By a twist of fate, he was born to a woman of the Human Clan. His mother bore him while pregnant, without despising his demon nature, and diligently taught him for over a decade. Astonishingly, she truly eradicated his demonic nature. An Nan, taking an alternative path, cultivated the Outer Realm's Demon Scripture using human nature and heart in place of a Demon Heart, unexpectedly forging his own path. Today, he has reached the Cavernous Mystery Realm—an admirable achievement."

...

"Those two Daoist friends who arrived together both belong to Divine Spirits."

"One is a Yellow Robed Land God, and the other is a Green Robed Mountain God. Both are gods from the Qilu Province of the Northern Land, each protecting their domain, nourished by Incense Fire Wish Power, with no mediocre cultivation."

"Subsequently, Qilu fell into the hands of one of the favourite daughters of the Devil God, the merciless Hong Fu Demon. This Female Demon ravaged mountains and shattered temples, and in no time, she had toppled many temples and sanctuaries within the Qilu Province that received incense offerings, replacing them with 'Devil God Palaces.' This move helped to alleviate the old monster Devil God's agony, and the Hong Fu Demon grew even more favoured."

"Displaced from Qilu, these two gods may have been wounded at their roots but still retained some Divine Powers and also joined the Ancestor Dragon Society."

...

"That Daoist friend is called 'Pei Hong,' a true hero who cultivates the powerful 'Heavenly Blade Demon Suppression Scripture.' He not only leads the Heavenly Blade Army but is also a prominent general within our Ancestor Dragon Society."

"The life of Pei Hong Daoist has been full of hardships. He was originally from the Changbai Province of the Northern Land, a region at the northernmost edge nominally under the court's rule—although the ruling power has always been controlled by the Jin Family. The Jin Family cultivates the Demon Scripture 'Rat Demon Extinguishing World Scripture' and, to boost their cultivation, forces the entire province's mortals to follow the Rat Demon rituals, shaving their heads and changing their clothing."

"Those who did not comply were killed without mercy."

"Pei Daoist was among those who resisted, leading his soldiers against the Jin Family for years through trials and tribulations and, finally, with the Ying brothers' help, fleeing Changbai."

"If this major undertaking succeeds and the time is ripe, we must assist Brother Pei in attacking the Jin Family."

...

"That group of people needs no introduction from me—they are from the Taiping Army."

"Not long ago, the Taiping Army erupted in civil strife, with six kings waging war against one another, causing the once mighty Taiping Army that swept across over a dozen provinces to decline."

"Everyone knows that the 'Primordial King' Zhang Yuanji escaped with the Bright Scripture, but they don't realize that another young officer unexpectedly attained the upper volume of the Daoist Great Book 'Taiping Scripture' during the chaos."

"That would be Daoist Xu Wenkai. However, his relationship with our Ancestor Dragon Society is more of a partnership, much like the Devil God Princess Yin Susu and others."

...

As Tao Qian finished listening to Zhong Ziyang, the three had already crossed the erupting geothermal fires and stepped onto Hidden Dragon Mountain.

While feeling the lively atmosphere of the mountain, they made their way to the back of the grand hall, eager to see the core members of the Ancestor Dragon Society, including Ying Qingdi.

But just at that moment, Tao Qian suddenly felt an ominous premonition.

Following his senses, he looked up toward the area directly above the Ancestor Dragon Hall.

There, something like a great golden disc hung in the air.

Gleaming gold, shining brightly, as if cast from pure gold, surrounded by clouds, anyone would know at a glance that it was a treasure.

But before Zhong Ziyang could offer an introduction, this "Golden Mirror" suddenly began to flicker.

Bands of light, like clusters of golden mist, were projected out, tumbling onto the ground and strangely transforming into bizarre silhouettes.

These individuals were each holding different objects—incense porcelain plates, Spiritual Fruit and Nectar. Were they the attendants responsible for welcoming the many members and cooperators on the mountain?

But these attendants, wearing tattered Yellow Robes without a hint of any other color even in the waistbands, which were a rich shade of yellow, and with the heavy hood covering their faces, left it impossible to distinguish between male and female in the shadows. Behind each one's head flickered a peculiar yellow light.

They approached the guests with humility and utmost respect,

But before serving them, they would always begin by saying, "May the Ancestor Dragon Soul bless you."

At this moment, even though Tao Qian's presence had been concealed by Zhong Ziyang's spell, a passing Yellow Robed Attendant, as if ignoring the Magic Skill, slightly bowed and said, "May the Ancestor Dragon Soul bless you."

Without a chance to react, the attendant's yellow figure had already flashed by.

Just as Zhong Ziyang was about to introduce, an idea preemptively sprang into Tao Qian's mind:

[You are being contaminated by the Evil Sound of the Yellow Robed Eunuch... Immunity available!]

...

ps: Caught up in mundane matters of midlife, not feeling well and dare not say more, adjusted for a few days and felt a bit better, here's this short chapter, and tomorrow comes the ten-thousand-word chapter.