Longevity Chronicles
Chapter 652 - 422: List of World Governors, Not Learning Sword Technique

Zheng Yin had previously acted excessively obstinate and disdainful of the world, but much of it was a pretense.

He had experienced so much and was a truly clever person; how could he not realize that his "Art of Assassination" was not even a shortcut but merely a temporary fix?

It wasn't that he was unwilling to form an organization similar to the "National Salvation Congress" or the "Ancestor Dragon Society" and control a large army, but rather, he couldn't.

He couldn't cultivate any Great Lifebook Scripture, had no backing, and could only maintain his force of magic slaves because the Zheng family had some assets to consume.

His curse killing technique was incredibly potent, but it wasn't without its limits; otherwise, he would have long ago completely eradicated all the demons in Qiantang Province.

The most crucial issue was that he couldn't reveal himself to others.

One limitation led to another, forcing "Zheng Yin," a strange man, to remain hidden and continue his assassinations.

But now, upon meeting Tao Qian and hearing the plan,

It seemed as though Zheng Yin had been awakened. Although his face remained composed, his eyes were filled with excitement, and he immediately said,

"This plan is feasible!"

"It's tough for a true master to play the double agent, deceiving both sides. Once these two great demons are trapped and killed, the control of both Tiannan and Qiantang provinces will become vacant."

"But there will still be trouble afterward. The Tiannan Gao Family might not be a concern, but what about the Demon Buddha Temple? Even if it is severely hurt by taking out the Three Arhats — Kongchan, Shipi, and Liansha, there's no telling if the Demon Buddha Temple won't seek trouble later."

"Hmm? It could be possible to draw 'Li Ren' to our side; the person is capable, and his Han Mountain Army is a formidable force."

"It's just a pity that Han Mountain Temple is no match for the Demon Buddha Temple, and likely won't withstand..."

Before Zheng Yin could finish, Tao Qian gave a mysterious smile.

He raised his hand to summon the phantom of Master Shenxiu and pointed, saying,

"People only know of that day in Yinping City when I posed as the Wu Gou Monk, overpowering Shenxiu Monk and obtaining the Buddha Treasure."

"Little do they know, it was I who agreed with Shenxiu Monk to set up that gamble, each deploying skills, looking to solve the trouble in Qiantang."

"Han Mountain Temple may not stop the Demon Buddha, but it's different if replaced by the Free Temple."

After Tao Qian finished speaking, Zheng Yin clapped his hands and exclaimed in approval,

"This method sounds reasonable. If it truly can be achieved, then Qiantang will be free of worries."

"However, precaution is necessary in all things. Should we perhaps first find suitable candidates, form a core staff, so that when the time comes, we can handle the governance without causing too much upheaval that would allow powerful families and corrupt gentry to seize power, thereby continuing to irritate the common people."

"And these candidates should be especially proficient in practical affairs."

"The people previously associated with you in 'National Salvation Congress' and 'Ancestor Dragon Society' are all beings of immortal stature, skilled in slaughtering and divine powers, but they lack the knowledge of governance."

Tao Qian could now clearly see that although Zheng Yin possessed means not inferior to those of strong individuals like Zhong Ziyang and Chen Xiyi,

His status was indeed that of a noble family scion.

Yet his stance was entirely on the side of the common folk.

Admiring the mana of the immortal talents, but he quite disdained their wisdom in managing practical affairs.

Thinking it over, what he said did hold some merit.

Thus, after listening, Tao Qian nodded in agreement, praising while also asking, "Indeed, this is an important matter. Do you have any recommendations for people?"

It seemed Zheng Yin had been waiting for exactly this question from Tao Qian and promptly gave his response.

He didn't have extraordinary power and couldn't summon phantoms or illusions.

But with an exceptional memory, he could describe orally.

"I've surveyed the province in dreams along the Heavenly Track, and my magic slaves are scattered throughout all of Qiantang, precisely knowing which individuals in the province stand out."

"Zhao Gongda, although this person bears the surname Zhao, has no ties with the millennia-old famous Zhao family, being an orphan who picked up a roll of the 'Lotus Falling Skill' and entered the Dao. Later he cultivated many heterodox Daoist Scriptures by reciprocal cancellation method and reached Transcend Mortality at the age of seventy-six, thoroughly severing his path to further Dao."

"Though poorly skilled in cultivation, his talent is sharp, and he is just and incorruptible, skilled in the art of governance. The former Zhu dynasty was debauched, but under his magistracy, Qiantang territory was quite peaceful. If not for your fatal blow to the Zhu Dynasty, he might have been promoted."

"Having backed the wrong side during the 'Change of Arhats,' he was demoted to a mortal and nowadays resides outside Suzhou, in Three Immortals Town, pretending to be a school teacher. If he is brought out, he could serve as a governor."

…

"Next is Meng Shoudao. This man is a disciple of one of the Twelve Daoist Sects, the Pure Yang Sect, with a chivalrous spirit and a wide network of contacts ranging from inheritors of Daoist and Buddhist teachings to peddlers and runners, or even those of heterodox practices. He has considerable repute within Qiantang territory... Summoning him could temporarily keep Qiantang free from many intrusions and allow for recuperation."

…

"Guo Huchen, this man is a son of famine-stricken commoners who joined Cao Gang to fill his stomach, receiving part of the 'Blood River Scripture' due to his innate divine strength. Later, unwilling to assist tyrants, his cultivation was destroyed by his master, yet he awaited death at the wharf until, by chance, he met a strange person that night and was given a roll of 'Martial God Scripture.' Within hours, he accomplished the Foundation Establishment, and within months, entered the Cavernous Mystery."

"Who knows what divine support he has, but now in Qiantang Province, one of the few cultivation sects not eradicated by the Demon Buddha Temple is the Martial God Temple he founded himself."

"Summoning him, along with Li Ren's Han Mountain Army, could well protect the myriad people of Qiantang from the harassment of evil demons."

…

Inside the Buddha Tower, Zheng Yin spoke, and Tao Qian listened.

The matters these two discussed were indeed about replacing the current Cheng Arhat and the Demon Buddha Temple with another set of officials to govern Qiantang.

Anyone listening would say these two were delusional fantasists completely lacking in self-awareness.

But the lone eavesdropper, Yuan Gong, somehow felt that the two might just be capable of accomplishing it.

Especially after Zheng Yin mentioned many governors and expressed concern about still needing many core personnel,

Tao Qian then applied a Sublime Dharma, directly using "Human Dao Destiny" as a medium to select thousands of suitable names from the tens of millions of people in Qiantang Province.

Combining these thousands of people with those approved by Zheng Yin, such as Zhao Gongda, Meng Shoudao, Guo Huchen, and Li Ren.

Within days, a meticulous and disciplined official hierarchy could be established, ensuring it wouldn't follow in the footsteps of the National Salvation Congress or Ancestor Dragon Society.

As soon as the list was finalized, Zheng Yin was thoroughly convinced.

Not just him, Yuan Gong also hadn't expected that Human Dao Fortune could be used in such a way?

After the two agreed on the details, Zheng Yin, unable to contain his excitement, rushed off to act on his own.

Tao Qian repeatedly tried to retain him, offering to create opportunities for him to spend time with Zhen Ci'en, but Zheng Yin declined them all.

Before leaving, he dropped a line,

"Personal matters, let fate decide."

"How can I delay when there is a good remedy to save the mortals of Qiantang?"

"If we delay further, millions of people will generate 'Buddha Incense' which will end up completely feeding those thieving bald heads at the Demon Buddha Temple."

Having said that, Zheng Yin left via the powers of the Heavenly Track from the Sky-reaching Floating Pagoda.

...

He had just left when Yuan Gong's mocking laughter emanated from Tao Qian's arms.

"Lazy brat, you should take note, this lad, together with Yu Yanshi, Ying Qingdi, and others you've met who take matters into their own hands, are the true saviors who are likely to rise to the occasion, avert chaos at the last moment, and stabilize the collapsing edifices."

"You roam around yet don't forget to indulge in romantic affairs, impregnating that Kitten, but what kind of image does that show?"

"In my opinion, you're not cut out for that, honestly cultivate, quickly breakthrough to Ultimate Happiness, step onto the Daoist Transformation, and achieve the Tribulation Immortal—that is the proper thing to do."

"Let's not talk about others, you've delayed this long, isn't it time to learn my 'Sacrifice Sword Skill' in full?"

After Yuan Gong finished, he expected Tao Qian to at least agree to learn the technique of 'Destroying Buddha.'

However, he quickly got his answer.

Tao Qian shook his head and said, "I won't learn it, I won't learn it."

The Yuan Gong Statue trembled with anger and sternly rebuked,

"Why won't you learn? Could it be that now you have enough treasures and Divine Skills, you no longer value my Sacrifice Sword Skill?"

"Pah, that's because you're shortsighted. Although you now have treasures and Divine Skills, you lack a truly formidable method of slaughter. Any Ultimate Happiness Cultivator could trouble you and take your life."

"If you mastered the complete Sword Technique, especially the tenth form, not to mention Ultimate Happiness Cultivators, even if you encountered an Outer Realm Evil God someday, you could still slash them down with a single sword."

"Besides, learning the Sword was a promise you made long ago, what now, are you planning to break your promise?"

After Master Yuan blurted out, Tao Qian fell silent.

After a moment, he scratched his chin and reluctantly replied,

"Master Yuan, don't be upset!"

"It's not that your disciple intends to break his promise, but just that I'm temporarily not learning it."

"The last time Master Yuan took me to the Outer Realm, we retrieved some heritage from the Rootless Demon Lord, including secrets like the Secret Demon Buddha Corpse Transformation Technique, the All Heavens Demon Net, the Ten Thousand Demons Slaying Immortals, and the Great All Heavens Invisible Demon Flame—these overwhelmingly powerful secret demon powers are sufficient for my current Cultivation. Once I've mastered them, I'll come to learn the Sword from Master Yuan."

No sooner had Tao Qian finished than the statue shook even more violently.

Yuan Gong flew into a rage and inadvertently spewed,

"Nonsense!"

"Not to mention the other techniques, to refine that 'All Heavens Demon Net,' you need to capture no less than forty thousand Outer Realm Heaven Demons and consume countless Treasures. Even now that you've attained Ultimate Happiness Realm, you'll need at least a hundred years to succeed."

"Once you've refined that net, my old bones will have turned into ash by then..."

At the last phrase, Yuan Gong finally realized, and then also sank into silence.

Moments later, bits of crimson smoke flew out, condensing into Yuan Gong's external form.

His eyebrow furrows as he stared at Tao Qian, "When did you know that teaching the Sword Technique would turn me to ash?"

Tao Qian chuckled awkwardly and replied, "I'm not blind, sir. The last time you slashed the Rootless Demon Lord, your soul almost dissipated instantly. Plus, from your usual nagging, it wasn't hard to guess."

Yuan Gong couldn't help but show a resigned expression before he sternly said, "Don't worry about my life and death, you promised to learn the whole Sword Technique, and afterwards I have my own arrangements. If you truly recognize me as your Master, then contribute more effort when we rebuild the Secret Demon Sect later."

Despite hearing this, Tao Qian remained unmoved and continued shaking his head.

After a moment, he outright laid his cards on the table,

"Master Yuan, we have been together for so long, do you not know what kind of person your disciple is?"

"If learning the full Sword Technique would lead to Master Yuan's complete death, I, Tao Qian, would likely mutate and fall transforming into an Evil Demon right then and there."

"So, this Sword Technique, I really can't learn it, I just can't."

After Tao Qian spoke these sentences, Master Yuan was left unable to argue further.

He knew well that these words were true.

If it were any other Secret Demon Sect disciple, perhaps they would see things differently, such as fulfilling the Master's wishes and so forth.

But Tao Qian would certainly not view it that way.

People differ, and so do their principles.

After pondering for a while without a solution, Yuan Gong had no choice but to wave his sleeve, shouting angrily, "Duobao this fellow, what kind of troublesome disciple did he find me, ruining my heritage."

Then he coldly glanced at Tao Qian, morphed back into crimson smoke, and withdrew into the statue.

Seeing this, Tao Qian couldn't help but curl his lips, muttering some strange words like "blatant hypocrisy" and "prickly proud hypocrite."

ps: About the final system and such, actually it's still far off, just exploring it... The outline is only about one-third written. Also, double rewards left only for three hours, don't waste your monthly ticket, please vote for Longevity, thanks a lot.