Seeking Fortune and Avoiding Misfortune: Starting from the Celestial Master’s Mansion
Chapter 315: The Image of Master Lei

Dong An and Jiang Yuan were both taken aback.

Jiang Yuan’s eyes were sharp and watchful, but he remained silent, his face full of caution.

Dong An, however, took a deep breath. “Daoist Master Xuanxiao of Mount Longhu?”

Lei Jun gave a slight nod. “This is the imperial capital. The two of you causing such a disturbance—what kind of conduct is this?”

Dong An restrained some of his sharpness but kept his gaze firmly locked on Jiang Yuan from the Zhao Prince’s residence.

“You’re right, Daoist Master,” Dong An said. “I acted recklessly in the heat of the moment. However, this matter is of grave importance. I must ask you, Lei Daozhang, under no circumstances can you allow this man to escape!”

Unable to break free, Jiang Yuan stopped struggling altogether. But upon hearing Dong An’s words, he immediately refuted, “Someone in the court is trying to frame His Highness Zhao! The prince has absolutely no ties to the White Lotus demon monks—this is a deliberate setup!”

Dong An was about to respond, but Lei Jun interrupted him. “I happened upon this matter by chance. My intervention at Hui Tiantang was already overstepping my bounds on behalf of the sect master. I have no interest in ruling on either of your claims.”

He turned to Jiang Yuan. “With such a commotion, General Lu of the Divine Strategy Army will be here soon. How this unfolds will be left to them.

“As for your life, you need not worry. Given the severity of this case, His Majesty will certainly look into it personally. You will have the opportunity to plead your case before him.”

Jiang Yuan fell silent for a moment before lowering his head toward Lei Jun. “Thank you for your mediation, Daoist Master Xuanxiao. You are right—if one is truly righteous, there is nothing to fear from shadows. I trust that His Majesty will judge fairly and will not allow His Highness Zhao to be wronged.”

Dong An said no more either, lowering his head. “Thank you, Daoist Master Xuanxiao, for your mediation.”

The purple Yang Thunder Dragon and the black Yin Thunder Dragon both dissipated at that moment.

Dong An and Jiang Yuan regained their freedom.

However, with Lei Jun’s tall and imposing figure standing before them, neither of the two had the slightest thought of resuming their fight.

Jiang Yuan dared not flee either.

Though he still felt uneasy, his expression had regained its composure. He gathered the Zhao Prince’s retainers who had followed him to Luoyang.

Dong An also called back the Divine Strategy Army unit under his command.

The soldiers of the Divine Strategy Army still eyed the Zhao Prince’s men warily.

But with Lei Jun present, they dared not act rashly, only keeping a cautious distance.

The battlefield that had been full of shouting and bloodshed just moments ago returned to a tense silence.

At that moment, the sect master of Hui Tiantang, Yu Cheng, approached Lei Jun. “Daoist Lei, it was truly fortunate that you were here today. Otherwise, the consequences would have been dire.”

Yu Cheng’s cultivation was not weak—he was a rare Upper Three Heavens healer.

However, fighting against opponents was not the specialty of healers.

Though they possessed strong self-preservation abilities, their strength lay in assisting allies rather than directly confronting enemies.

Healers had their own martial techniques for physical cultivation, but compared to martial artists trained in combat techniques, their greatest flaw was their lack of speed and explosive power.

This meant that while Yu Cheng could attempt to protect himself against Dong An and Jiang Yuan, he had little ability to intervene or suppress them.

The only method he could have attempted was poison.

While a healer’s poisons differed from the witchcraft of the Southern Wasteland, in the imperial capital of Luoyang, there was no way Yu Cheng could have acted freely.

Moreover, given the vitality and physical strength of Dong An and Jiang Yuan, unless they were wounded and bled, Yu Cheng had no certainty of poisoning them effectively.

Poison also took time to take effect.

If Lei Jun had not been present today, Hui Tiantang’s main sect would likely have been completely destroyed.

Thus, even though Lei Jun said he was overstepping his bounds, Yu Cheng, despite his anger toward Dong An and Jiang Yuan, felt even more gratitude toward Lei Jun.

As he looked at Lei Jun from the corner of his eye, Yu Cheng grew even more astonished.

Being in the imperial capital, Yu Cheng had a wide network of connections.

He had long heard of Xuanxiao Daoist Lei Chongyun, the rising High Elder of Mount Longhu.

The rumors of Lei Jun’s rapid advancement in cultivation and his formidable strength in battle had been spreading for years. Even in Luoyang, people often discussed the powerful Lei Elder of Mount Longhu.

Yet, as the saying went, hearing was no match for seeing.

Both Dong An and Jiang Yuan were martial artists at the Upper Three Heavens level, moving at lightning speed. Ordinary cultivators couldn’t even track their movements, let alone intervene in their battle.

Even if someone managed to keep up with their speed and step into the fight, Dong An and Jiang Yuan could quickly adjust and counter.

But just moments ago, Lei Jun had nonchalantly stepped into the battlefield, arriving at precisely the right moment—intercepting both Dong An’s spear and Jiang Yuan’s halberd with flawless precision.

His timing was executed to absolute perfection.

Dong An and Jiang Yuan had no time to change their moves; their weapons had already been halted by Lei Jun.

Yu Cheng had encountered many martial experts before, but the outcome here could mean only one thing:

Lei Jun, a talisman cultivator, was even faster than Dong An and Jiang Yuan, who were martial artists.

Faster—and also far more precise.

Naturally, that also meant he was much stronger.

He had not dodged but had instead directly withstood the combined assault of Dong An and Jiang Yuan with the power of his Tianshi Mansion’s Destined Star Avatar.

Such defense was beyond the capability of an ordinary Eighth Heaven talisman cultivator’s Doumu Star God Apparition.

Even a simple realm advantage wasn’t enough to explain it.

The sheer piercing force of a martial artist’s focused strike was among the strongest in the world.

Few exceptions existed—such as a Daoist Alchemical Sect flying sword that had been carefully aimed over time or the divine archery of Confucian scholars.

But both of those required extensive preparation. In terms of instantaneous explosive power, no cultivators from other traditions could match a martial artist’s assassination techniques.

These techniques were so overwhelming that history recorded many instances of weaker fighters defeating stronger ones through sheer precision and speed.

Yet, Lei Jun had simply stood his ground and endured the combined strike of Dong An and Jiang Yuan.

Yu Cheng thought to himself, This Lei Elder has truly reached the second tier of the Eighth Heaven, having cultivated his Divine Court Inner Aspect. Moreover, his Divine Court is stronger and more stable than those of his peers…

For talisman cultivators, after cultivating their Divine Court Inner Aspect, the benefits were not immediately visible, but they granted immense defensive power.

A cultivator’s Divine Court was the embodiment of all their accumulated insights.

While the Divine Court Outer Aspect varied for each person, the Inner Aspect provided a uniform benefit—enhancing one’s defensive capabilities. The stronger the foundation, the greater the defense.

As Yu Cheng looked at Lei Jun, he sighed internally. This Daoist is the best proof of that.

Yu Cheng was not the only one with such thoughts.

When General Lu Zhen of the Divine Strategy Army arrived shortly after and heard Dong An’s account, he also looked at Lei Jun with renewed gravity.

Indeed, this Daoist Master Lei must always be overestimated—never underestimated… Lu Zhen thought.

Fortunately, Lei Jun was composed and restrained, rarely seeking conflict and only acting when necessary.

He is a true Daoist sage…

Lu Zhen respectfully greeted Lei Jun and Yu Cheng. “I must thank Daoist Master Lei and Mister Yu. I am ashamed for failing to keep my subordinates in check.”

Lei Jun calmly returned the greeting. “General, you are too kind. I do not seek conflict, but given that this is the imperial capital, I could not stand idly by while such chaos endangered the people. However, I have no interest in ruling on the matter—only in keeping the peace. The rest I leave to you.”

Yu Cheng also expressed that he had no objections.

Lu Zhen nodded. “I appreciate your fairness.”

He turned to Dong An and Jiang Yuan. “His Majesty is personally overseeing this matter. The truth will be uncovered. You will both have your chance to speak, but do not act recklessly again.”

Both men saluted. “We have disturbed His Majesty—we accept our guilt.”

The matter was now in the hands of the court.

As for Lei Jun, he had already gained what he needed—his Third-Grade Opportunity had fallen neatly into place.

With just one glance at the Senluo Jade Disc, Lei Jun knew it would be useful for refining artifacts later.

A spiritual item like this was perfect for carrying the Confucian artistic essence of the Azure Sea Painting Brush, Confucian Ink, Haoran Paper, and Moonlight Inkstone—a set of brush, ink, paper, and inkstone representing Confucian philosophy.

When fused together, they would complement each other seamlessly, enhancing their combined potential.

As for lingering troubles, they might arise from the entanglement between the Divine Strategy Army, the Zhao Prince’s residence, and the White Lotus Sect.

However, Lei Jun’s involvement was minimal, and there could be a way to navigate this situation…

Hmm?

While conversing with Yu Cheng about selecting materials for alchemy and medicine refinement, Lei Jun suddenly sensed something.

On the surface, he seemed to be lowering his gaze to look at the prescription Yu Cheng was writing, but in reality, his Heavenly Perception and Earthly Comprehension Talisman was silently activating within his eyes.

Though the distance was vast, his Heavenly Sight and Earthly Hearing Talisman still transmitted visual fragments from White Horse Mountain outside Luoyang.

He wasn’t sure whether it was within expectations or beyond them.

The so-called heretics and evil cultivators exposed and surrounded by the law enforcement forces were, in fact, White Lotus Sect disciples.

In the ensuing chaos, some of them attempted to break through by force, while others moved stealthily, showing signs of successfully escaping the siege.

Among them, one White Lotus Sect disciple was particularly anxious.

His heart was filled with frustration.

The affairs in the city were already settled. Whether they succeeded or not was up to fate.

He only wished to escape as soon as possible. But despite his efforts, he had ended up being exposed in White Horse Mountain and surrounded.

Fortunately, he still had a chance to break free…

"Bang!"

Just as that thought crossed his mind, his vision suddenly turned pitch black.

He felt a warm liquid trickling down his head—his own blood.

Only after that came the intense pain from the back of his skull.

Unfortunately, the monk's consciousness had already begun to fade.

He wanted to dodge and turn to see who had ambushed him.

But before he could react—

"Bang!"

A second heavy blow landed.

No matter how unwilling he was, he collapsed forward onto the ground.

Standing behind him was a short but sturdy figure, dressed in a deep-red Daoist robe—a black-and-white bear.

It was Zhuo Baojie.

With the Eight Sceneries Treasure Mantle of Supreme Purity concealing his presence, he had snuck up behind the monk completely undetected.

Then, he simply raised his furry little paw.

At such close range, a bald monk taking two direct slaps from a bear’s paw? The outcome was obvious.

Lei Jun couldn't bear to watch. He diverted his Heavenly Perception and Earthly Comprehension Talisman away.

Disciple… why are you getting more and more underhanded?

After knocking down the White Lotus Sect disciple, Zhuo Baojie initially wanted to alert the law enforcement forces.

However, stronger White Lotus Sect monks suddenly appeared nearby, seemingly sent to rescue their trapped comrades.

Without hesitation, Zhuo Baojie immediately activated the Eight Sceneries Treasure Mantle of Supreme Purity again and shook his Breath-Taking Flag, vanishing on the spot.

Since Luoyang was too close, these high-ranking White Lotus Sect monks dared not linger for long. When they discovered their comrade was dead, they had no choice but to retreat as swiftly as possible.

Zhuo Baojie rejoined Lin Shan and the others as if nothing had happened.

The Divine Strategy Army soldiers soon arrived at White Horse Mountain.

Because of the involvement of the White Lotus Sect, Lin Shan and Zhuo Baojie cooperated with the authorities and remained in the area until the next day before returning to Lianyun Temple.

The previous night, Lei Jun had taken the Senluo Jade Disc and returned to Lianyun Temple after bidding farewell to Yu Cheng.

Since his disciple and fellow sect members had not been detained, Lei Daozhang naturally didn’t need to go to the government offices to retrieve them.

“This was truly unexpected.”

Lin Shan shook his head repeatedly.

After hearing about the events that unfolded near Hui Tiantang, he speculated, “Was the Zhao Prince’s residence truly involved with the White Lotus Sect, or were they framed?”

The confirmed presence of White Lotus Sect disciples only added layers of uncertainty to the situation.

“Let’s wait and see how things unfold,” Lei Jun said.

Lin Shan nodded, while Zhuo Baojie obediently followed suit.

Later that day, if the authorities required further cooperation, Lin Shan would handle it.

Zhuo Baojie, however, was more interested in the rumors about his master that he had overheard upon returning to the city.

Compared to before, when many people only knew Lei Jun’s name but had no concrete impression of him, now, Daoist Master Xuanxiao of Mount Longhu had shaken all of Luoyang.

Few knew the exact details of the battle between Dong An and Jiang Yuan.

But countless eyes had personally witnessed the two massive dragons—one purple, one black—emerging in an instant and suppressing two top-tier martial artists.

It was not about showing off strength.

Rather, it was about protecting his friends and shielding the innocent people caught in the conflict.

Lei Jun’s intervention had been brief yet breathtaking, and it gave him a more tangible presence in the minds of the people.

Gradually, he was no longer just a distant, legendary figure.

People now saw him as a young yet immensely powerful figure.

Strong, yet calm and detached.

Cold, yet compassionate.

If, in the past, his presence had been akin to “a celestial master descending from the heavens”,

Then now, it was as if the celestial master himself had truly arrived.

Lei Jun remained unfazed by his newfound reputation.

Instead, he turned to his disciple and asked, “What did you gain from this trip?”

Zhuo Baojie replied, “I listened to many senior practitioners’ lectures at the law enforcement assembly, and I gained some insights. Also…”

He took out a small porcelain bottle and handed it to Lei Jun. “I obtained this from that White Lotus Sect monk.”

Lei Jun uncorked the bottle, took a glance, and nodded. “White Lotus Frost Dew.”

Noticing how Zhuo Baojie’s expression remained serious but his eyes darted hungrily towards the bottle, Lei Jun chuckled.

“I’ll keep this for now. If you drank it, it would only satisfy your cravings, but it wouldn’t be very useful. However, I did bring back some items from Hui Tiantang. You’re in for a treat.”

The little bear immediately brightened up, though he maintained a formal expression. “I trust Master’s arrangements completely.”

Lei Jun smiled and handed him a Miniature Pouch.

Zhuo Baojie was instantly overjoyed, hugging the pouch and leaving in high spirits.

Meanwhile, Lei Jun examined the porcelain bottle and raised an eyebrow.

“This must be the Fifth-Grade Opportunity mentioned in the Upper-Moderate Omen from White Horse Mountain.”

White Lotus Frost Dew was rare and valuable, but its significance to Daoist cultivators like Lei Jun and Zhuo Baojie was limited.

However, the omen had indicated no hidden dangers or negative consequences with this opportunity, which was a good sign.

Later, he could test if the White Lotus Frost Dew had other potential uses or trade it for something more suitable.

North of Luoyang, in a grand mansion.

A plaque above the entrance bore the character “Ye.”

Luoyang had two renowned Ye Clan residences—one in the north, one in the east.

These belonged to the Cangzhou Ye Clan and the Qingzhou Ye Clan, respectively.

At this moment, in the northern Ye residence, Ye Feishan of the Cangzhou Ye Clan was quietly grinding ink in his study.

He had arrived in Luoyang earlier in the year.

Compared to Ye Cheng of the Qingzhou Ye Clan, Ye Feishan was far more low-key.

He handled matters discreetly, yet his information-gathering network was razor-sharp.

After grinding the ink, Ye Feishan began writing.

However, his words did not remain on the paper.

Instead, they faded like smoke, drifting into the air and soaring beyond the study, carrying messages to distant places…

These messages were being sent to his father, Ye Wei, the current head of the Cangzhou Ye Clan, and his grandfather, Ye Moquan, the elder patriarch residing in Youzhou.

There were three key points in Ye Feishan’s report:

First: Lei Jun’s Unmistakable Rise

Lei Jun’s strength had been publicly confirmed—his emergence, widespread social interactions, and influence in Tianshi Mansion indicated that preparations were actively underway for a leadership transition.

Such a clear and direct movement could not possibly have been done without the approval of Tang Xiaotang, the current Tianshi.

Even though she was not presently at Mount Longhu, it was evident that she had already resolved to step down voluntarily.

Thus, any hopes for internal strife within Mount Longhu due to a power struggle between Tang Xiaotang and Lei Jun could now be discarded.

Second: White Lotus Sect’s Dangerous Instability

For years, the Cangzhou Ye Clan had been secretly supporting White Lotus Sect, Huangtian Sect, and the Vast Void Temple.

Currently, the White Lotus Sect was divided into two factions, and one of them had received considerable assistance from the Cangzhou Ye Clan.

However, their recent entanglement with the Zhao Prince’s residence indicated signs of reckless decision-making and internal discord.

Most alarmingly, the Cangzhou Ye Clan had not been informed in advance of this development.

This was a significant cause for concern.

A few years ago, the Holy Master of Maitreya had emerged from seclusion, momentarily forcing both factions to cooperate.

However, since the Holy Master had returned to retreat, the tensions that had been suppressed before were now resurfacing.

The White Lotus Sect might undergo significant changes in the near future.

Ye Feishan’s brush paused for a moment after writing this.

Then, he continued with the third key point—

Third: The Zhao Prince’s Hidden Past

After thorough investigation, it had been confirmed that approximately thirty years ago, the Zhao Prince had traveled to Greater and Lesser Pass Mountains for unknown reasons.

The details remained unclear and required further investigation.

Thirty years ago…

At that time, the late Emperor Zhang Qilong was still on the throne.

And the Zhao Prince had already begun moving in the shadows.

Ye Feishan’s expression turned serious.

As he finished writing, the ink on the paper faded into smoke, rising like mist, carrying the messages away.

Then, he stood up, waved his hand, and reset the study—returning the brush, inkstone, and paper to their original places.

Afterward, he stepped out of the study and ordered his subordinates to continue gathering intelligence.

Meanwhile, at Lianyun Temple…

Within Lei Jun’s deep-set eyes, his Heavenly Perception and Earthly Comprehension Talisman quietly activated.

He casually spread out a sheet of paper.

Then—

A brush suddenly lifted into the air on its own.

It hovered over the paper and began writing rapidly.

“Interesting… There’s a high-ranking member of the Cangzhou Ye Clan using the ‘Letters as Face’ technique to communicate from within Luoyang?”

Lei Jun’s lips curved slightly. “Could it be Ye Feishan?”

When the brush finished writing, the paper looked completely chaotic—like a child’s careless scribbles.

But Lei Jun’s expression remained serious.

As his Heavenly Perception and Earthly Comprehension Talisman glowed, a focused ray of light fell upon the paper.

For a brief moment, the random strokes seemed to align—becoming orderly and clear.

Through his enhanced vision, he could now see a series of images forming in his mind…

“Hmm… This is similar to what happened during the Huai Mountain Incident. Looks like the White Lotus Sect is showing signs of internal fractures again.”

Lei Jun narrowed his eyes slightly.

“Greater and Lesser Pass Mountains?”

"Compared to the White Lotus Sect, is Zhao Prince Zhang Teng more likely connected to the former Lone Eagle Khanate?"

After analyzing the gathered intelligence, Lei Jun nodded faintly.

The Cangzhou Ye Clan’s intelligence network was quite impressive.

They had already begun piecing together fragments of a greater scheme.

But Lei Jun was even more curious to see what new discoveries they would uncover next.