Lord Gutless gave off an alluring aroma, tantalizing the taste buds of the assembled Divine Way spirits.
Watching this, Mountain God Tan's left lip twitched, the whites of his eyes shrinking as his majestic face instantly turned sinister and terrifying. A tidal surge of killing intent welled in his heart.
Yet after serving as a mountain god for so long, how could he lack shrewd restraint?
Gazing at Qin Xuan, who was now withdrawing the true fire, he suppressed his killing intent.
"Mountain God Tan, shall we strike together?"
From a tall tree thirty zhang away, the multicolored spider sent a voice transmission into his ear.
Sheng Hu stared at Qin Xuan, itching to cast down a poisonous web.
Whether by order of the Huanyin Sect or for the bounty offered by the Lan River Water Palace, as a member of Poison Scorpion Valley, she was the most eager to attack.
Having suffered a setback once before, however, Sheng Hu harbored misgivings and sought to drag Mountain God Tan into the fray with her.
To the spider's disappointment, Mountain God Tan offered no reply.
This old deity was turtling up.
Meeting Qin Xuan's gaze, Tan Gang's expression gradually relaxed. He knew full well that striking now would leave him without a pretext, amounting to an open provocation against Yuansong Temple.
He had no desire to leap into such an obvious trap.
Sheng Hu could flee back to Chuanlai Commandery, or even escape far away to Qingzhou Prefecture to hide in the easternmost reaches of the Nine Provinces.
But he was a deity with an official conferment.
He could not venture beyond a thousand li from his domain of incense, and Yingyang Prefecture would never offend Guanjiang Mountain on his behalf.
Therefore, though seething with resentment, Mountain God Tan forced a smile and instructed his subordinate deities, "Collect Lord Gutless."
"Yes!"
Mountain Ghost spirit official Tan Chi stepped forward and picked up the cooked crab from the ground.
Using the most elemental cooking method, the Divine Quail True Fire had rendered the crab so wonderfully fragrant that mouths watered.
Even the three sacrificial offerings in the temple fell far short; it was practically ready to be served at the dining table.
Yet having worked alongside Lord Gutless, they could hardly feast on a former colleague.
Mountain God Tan spoke again: "Take it to the River God's manor later. Tell the River God that Young Master Qin of Yuansong Temple disregarded the rules and murdered a demon of the Divine Way without authority."
Qin Xuan sneered. "Mountain God Tan, if you seek to sow discord between me and the demon Divine Way, I will never admit to it. Just now, it was you who wielded an axe of incense to strike Lord Gutless down. I did my utmost to protect him, but Lord Gutless could not bear the humiliation and leaped into the flames. You are the one who caused his death."
Qin Xuan did not fear the River God's manor; he was merely using words to provoke Tan Gang.
Yet the old deity seemed possessed by a turtle, acting as if he had heard nothing. He even countered to disgust Qin Xuan: "Young Master Qin, the protector deity Shi Chun from my temple was also framed by you. Captain Lu has already reported this matter to Prison City."
Hearing this, Qin Xuan could not be bothered to waste more breath on this slippery old fox, nor did he care to trade further verbal barbs. He spoke bluntly: "Mountain God Tan, given your temperament, you hardly seem the type to risk offending Guanjiang Mountain over a few promises from a black catfish demon.
"I am quite curious—whence came your malice, your killing intent, and such resolve against me?"
On Mountain God Tan's stiff face, a genuine smile rarely flashed. "When you have the leisure to visit the Mountain God Temple for a chat, I shall clear up the misunderstanding with you."
With that, an uneasy premonition suddenly arose within him. Without lingering a moment longer, he led his retinue of Divine Way spirits, riding clouds and mist of incense back toward the temple grounds.
The two elders lying in ambush had found no opportunity to strike, and now revealed themselves at Qin Xuan's side.
The elder holding the fishing rod looked in the direction of the Mountain God Temple, then turned to ask Qin Xuan, "Did you tear down his temple or something?"
"No."
"Then why is he so bent on killing you?"
"Indeed," the elder who wielded the One Origin Heavy Water Fiend said, equally bewildered. "This Mountain God Tan has resided on Hawk's Beak Mountain for over three hundred years, always conducting himself with prudence. When I saw him fifty years ago, he was nothing like this. Today, he feels like a total stranger, acting as though he holds a bitter blood feud against you."
Qin Xuan shook his head. "As time passes, mortals change, and so do gods. Did the two seniors notice any clues?"
The rod-bearing elder stroked his chin. "His spirit lifespan is nearing its end. By all reason, his divine statue should have dimmed, and his incense aura should have decayed. Yet his divine power is even more potent than in the past, defying the natural order."
"Indeed."
Having spoken, both turned to Qin Xuan.
"Had we rashly struck just now to probe him, the situation might have spun out of control. Mountain God Tan had a great demon beside him, and that band of protector deities and spirit officials is not something you could handle alone."
"This disciple understands." Qin Xuan offered thanks with a smile. "Disturbing the peaceful cultivation of the two seniors this time truly weighs on my conscience."
The two little old men showed rare smiles and offered a word of counsel: "Your talent is superb; do not let it go to waste. Stir up fewer troubles, maintain a tranquil mind in seated oblivion, and refine your qi with diligence."
"Understood!"
The two elders conjured clouds and mist, escorting Qin Xuan into the air toward Pingyuan Commandery City.
Standing atop the clouds, Qin Xuan gazed toward Hawk's Beak Mountain in the distance, wondering if Master Bear had succeeded.
***
Meanwhile, Mountain God Tan rode the clouds of incense toward the Mountain God Temple. Along the way, the Divine Way spirits voiced plenty of venomous remarks about Qin Xuan, yet their frustration remained unappeased.
Lady Soul Snatcher said, "That little thief seems privy to a great deal of insider knowledge. Using Lord Gutless to stir up trouble this time was precisely meant to provoke you into acting."
"His scheme was far too clumsy; how could I fall for it?" Mountain God Tan replied. "Yet Lord Gutless's transmission aroused suspicion. Most likely, he fell into Qin Xuan's trap. But if it was merely to test me, wasn't telling me to bring reinforcements too risky?"
Lady Soul Snatcher was about to say that it was done to make the ruse appear genuine, when...
She saw Mountain God Tan's expression drastically change.
Baffled, she followed his gaze into the distance, only to see billows of smoke pouring from the front hall of the Mountain God Temple. People were banging gongs and drums, shouting that a fire had broken out.
Lady Soul Snatcher's eyes swept behind the incense hall of the temple; the two gatekeeper deities tasked with guarding the rear courtyard lay unconscious on the ground!
Tan Gang steered his cloud downward in a swift descent.
Hurrying to the side of one of the gatekeeper deities, he struck a pulse of incense divine power into his nostrils to awaken him. "What happened?!"
The spirit was dazed and shook his head, saying only that he did not know.
Awakening the one on the right, he heard the spirit mutter groggily, "A gust of black wind slammed into us, and then we passed out... It felt like something broke into the courtyard."
Tan Gang hurried to inspect the premises.
After a search, he found nothing missing.
Suddenly, remembering something, he immediately dismissed the deities outside, keeping even the spider demon Sheng Hu barred from entering.
Tan Gang rushed toward the secret chamber within his bedchamber. Lady Soul Snatcher, being in cahoots with him, knew of this location. As the two entered, they discovered footprints deeply impressed into the bluestone tiles; the formation array laid here had been shattered!
"Not good!"
Both Mountain God Tan and Lady Soul Snatcher paled. They pushed open the chamber's heavy doors and descended underground.
This place was actually a Buddhist shrine. It enshrined no Bodhisattvas or Arhats, only an ancient lamp. The ancient lamp remained, but the treasure hanging before it had vanished without a trace.
"Where is the kasaya?!"
"The kasaya is gone!"
In an instant, their hearts sank to the bottom.
Lady Soul Snatcher and Mountain God Tan both radiated killing intent.
"We were tricked! It was that boy from Yuansong Temple!"
Lady Soul Snatcher could hardly believe it. "But how could he know?"
Mountain God Tan hammered a fist into the wall, blasting a massive hole through the shrine. His face was dark as stagnant water. "No wonder Lord Gutless sent that transmission! It was his deliberate arrangement to draw us away from the Mountain God Temple, creating an opening for the thief behind him!"
"Regardless of how he found out, he cannot wash his hands of this." Lady Soul Snatcher's face grew foul. "I thought that at his young age, he could only boast with glib words and knew nothing of schemes. Who would have thought the brat was so cunning as to play us like this? He probably knows the secret here as well."
"Trouble. We are in grave trouble now." Lady Soul Snatcher became thoroughly agitated. "Doesn't this hand him leverage over us, making it impossible to move against him?"
Mountain God Tan's expression turned terrifyingly frigid. "If he is smart enough, he won't speak a word of this.
"With the kasaya lost, this can no longer be concealed. I must make a trip outside."
With that, Mountain God Tan first changed into inconspicuous clothes. Then, facing a mirror, he assumed a different disguise, turning into a yellow-faced man. Restraining every trace of his incense aura, he headed straight for the commandery city.
……
The two elders returned to the temple, while Qin Xuan went to Jinghu Manor to recount everything he had learned to Senior Mao Yan.
In particular, the news gathered from Shopkeeper Hu—the words of that water palace advisor—weighed heavily on his mind.
"Senior, are his words credible?"
Mao Yan replied, "I have conversed with several fellow Daoists from Guanjiang Mountain. In their accounts, Clear Water Flood Dragon King is indeed of such a temperament."
A doubt arose in Qin Xuan's mind. "Senior seems to regard the Flood Dragon King's faction with great importance."
"Yes and no."
Mao Yan explained for him:
"Though Guangling Water Palace falls far short of Guanjiang Mountain, North Sea Dragon Palace backs it. The Ling River where the Flood Dragon King resides is the largest river across several surrounding prefectures, harboring resources valued by the Dragon Palace. Thus, many North Sea demon clans are stationed there.
"Clear Water Flood Dragon King is effectively a pawn placed by the North Sea in the Ling River. So long as he does not move, the North Sea demon clans will not stir."
Mao Yan said slowly:
"Therefore, you need not be overly anxious. The likelihood of the Flood Dragon King intervening is minuscule. I merely told you to look into it to give you a chance to make trouble for the Lan River Water Palace. Otherwise, why would I call it an easy errand?"
Qin Xuan had originally wanted to bring up how that unscrupulous merchant Shopkeeper Hu had extorted him, but now he felt too embarrassed to mention it.
Had it not been for running errands on Madam Wei's behalf, the ascetic elders of the temple would not have mobilized.
Without them, slaying the crab demon, probing Mountain God Tan, and helping Master Black Bear along the way would have been nearly impossible.
He could not help glancing toward Hawk's Beak Mountain.
Master Bear's character as a bear should not be too bad. He borrowed the kasaya, so he surely won't renege on the substantial benefits he promised...
Chapter 68