Seeking Fortune and Avoiding Misfortune: Starting from the Celestial Master’s Mansion
Chapter 354: Tang Guoshi's revenge

After combing through Huang Xuanpu’s former seclusion site, Xu Yuanzhen made further gains. After some time refining and contemplating, she gradually gained a degree of confidence.

So, once Tang Xiaotang’s official investiture as National Preceptor concluded, Xu Yuanzhen took her leave and set off on her own journey overseas to search for Penglai.

Tang Xiaotang was also quite intrigued by Penglai—not just because of its legendary status as one of the Nine Heavens, but also due to its potential ties to the Western White Emperor from the Ming Mortal Realm.

Back then, during a fierce battle at sea, their opponent fled. Tang Xiaotang had felt quite regretful afterward. If it hadn’t been for the successful slaying of Daoist Kang An during the Bashu and Nanzhao campaign—and the amusing failure of the Vajra Division Master Jialuotu—she might’ve been even more hung up on the escape of the Western White Emperor.

Now, with a chance to find Penglai—possibly connected to both Huang Xuanpu and the Western White Emperor—her interest naturally reignited.

But now that she had been appointed National Preceptor, she had responsibilities to uphold. As unreliable as she might normally be, she couldn’t just vanish immediately. Plus, she was also somewhat curious about what life as a National Preceptor might be like.

Naturally, Xu Yuanzhen wasn’t going to wait around for her.

All Tang could do was sigh in resignation.

---

In Luoyang, the imperial capital, Lei Jun was still watching the ceremony. After using a Thousand-Mile Transmission Talisman to finish his conversation with Senior Sister Xu Yuanzhen, he gave a small nod.

Normally it wouldn’t be an issue, but at this moment, with Luoyang as the focal point, the Empress was channeling vast amounts of national destiny and dragon vein energy, producing colorful waves of light that shot into the sky, enveloping the entire capital. This created significant interference with other people’s connection to the spiritual energy here.

Even Lei Jun’s Transmission Talisman wasn’t as convenient to use as before.

Fortunately, both he and Xu Yuanzhen were highly perceptive. With a bit of tweaking on both ends, they managed to complete the communication smoothly.

Lei Jun wasn’t at all frustrated—in fact, he welcomed the opportunity to test himself under these unusual conditions.

After all, such environments were rare to encounter.

---

As the call ended, Lei Jun looked across at Tang Xiaotang, clad in a purple-gold Daoist robe, receiving the imperial golden seal from a ceremonial court lady.

From this moment on, the Tianshi Mansion of Mount Longhu would have a new seal in addition to the Tianshi Seal—the National Preceptor’s Seal.

By Lei Jun’s side, Lin Shan and other disciples of the Tianshi Mansion watched the ceremony with surging emotions.

Now that Tang Xiaotang was bestowed the seal by the Emperor, connected to the nation’s destiny, she would benefit from the fortune of the land—and in turn, this would subtly affect the entire Tianshi Mansion as well.

Through this link, the ancestral grounds at Mount Longhu would occupy an even more prominent place on the Tang Dynasty’s map. As the earth veins and spiritual energy shifted, Mount Longhu might become the most critical node south of the Great River—or at the very least, one of them—worthy of comparison with ancient capitals like Jianye.

---

Thinking back to the days around the Battle of Liwai, the talismanic disciples who had lived through that era wore complex expressions.

Lin Shan, who had personally witnessed Tang Xiaotang’s entry into the sect, felt this even more deeply.

Strictly speaking, she hadn't officially joined—she had merely entered the Daoist Children’s Academy at the foot of the mountain and had never undergone the Initiation Ceremony.

And yet, she had become the Tianshi… and now, the National Preceptor of the Tang Dynasty.

It hadn’t even been sixty years.

---

Back then, due to the influence of his master, Shangguan Ning, Lin Shan had been quite close with the imperial family.

But never did he imagine that one day, Tang Xiaotang would be named the National Preceptor.

Her transformation had been tremendous—and so too had the Tianshi Mansion’s.

Compared to others, Lin Shan had an even deeper sense of this change.

Because, after attaining the Seventh Heaven Tongtian Realm, the divine art he chose to cultivate from the sect was the Thunder Law Talismanic Canon.

Nine Heavens Thunder Ancestor Apparition.

Yang Thunder Dragon!

Once upon a time, this was a supreme art only Li Family elders could train in.

In those days, even people like his master Shangguan Ning, Yao Yuan, Yuan Mobai, Xu Yuanzhen, and Tang Xiaotang had never been taught this art at the Seventh Heaven stage.

Some may have been more suited to fire or life-bound talismans, but there’s a difference between choosing the most suitable divine art and being restricted to only one option.

---

Thankfully, those days were over.

Now, disciples of the Tianshi Mansion could freely choose their preferred divine art and prepare accordingly before advancing to the Seventh Heaven stage.

Lin Shan had desired the Thunder Law, and so received the Yang Thunder Dragon.

Chu Kun, who preferred the Life Canon, also received that training.

In fact, thanks to the meticulous efforts of the last two Tianshis—Tang and Lei—the mansion may soon develop new divine arts for future disciples.

At this thought, Lin Shan’s gaze shifted from Tang Xiaotang in the distance to Lei Jun, standing ahead and to his side.

Beyond nostalgia, his heart was now calm.

---

Unlike in his younger years, when he was eager to build court connections, Lin Shan now preferred the peace of the sect’s ancestral grounds.

Still, having returned to Luoyang to oversee the construction of Longhu Temple for the new National Preceptor and to extend the influence of the Tianshi Mansion in the Tang capital, Lin Shan devoted himself wholeheartedly—without any ambitions for his personal future.

He took up the role simply because he was capable and familiar with the capital—more so than other high-ranking elders.

With Zhang Jingzhen and Shangguan Ning both declining the post, Lin Shan, being the most well-known high priest in Luoyang, stepped forward.

---

“Senior Brother Lin, is Longhu Temple completed?” Lei Jun asked during a brief pause in the ceremony.

Lin Shan nodded. “The temple is structurally complete, inside and out. Only a few interior decorations remain. That’ll be done in the next few days.”

Longhu Temple was built on imperial land with court funding, with Lin Shan and other elders overseeing the project.

“The temple is well-placed and beautifully arranged. You can rest assured, Master.”

What Lin Shan didn’t know was that his sect master was pondering how often Tang Xiaotang would actually live in the temple.

---

“Though the court provided generously, they've practiced austerity in recent years,” Lin Shan added. “The materials are fine, but the interiors are relatively modest.”

“I’ve already instructed disciples to bring furnishings from the ancestral grounds.”

Lei Jun returned from his thoughts. “Austerity, huh?”

Lin Shan nodded. “Indeed. After years of war and disaster, the imperial treasury has been rapidly depleted.”

Having spent years in Luoyang and dealing with many contacts, Lin Shan had a rough idea of the court’s finances.

Lei Jun nodded slowly, a thoughtful look on his face.

He had suspected the imperial court’s heavy expenditures—but now, he was starting to have doubts.

---

“Master, is it really true there are four Great Khanates?” Lin Shan asked in a hushed voice, low enough for only the two of them to hear.

If such information spread, the consequences could be severe.

At present, only a few high priests in the Tianshi Mansion were privy to this knowledge.

Lei Jun’s expression didn’t change. “So far, it seems to be true. The two incursions by the Lone Eagle Khanate were made by secondary forces—subsidiary tribes, not the true main force.”

Lin Shan frowned. “How could those foreign tribes rise to such power?”

Lei Jun replied, “We still don’t know. My personal guess is they once occupied one of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths. During the spiritual decline of the mortal world, they built their foundation using the abundant spiritual resources there. When the realms reconnected, they tapped into the population of the Song Mortal Realm to rapidly grow. It was the perfect storm—opportunity met with little resistance.”

---

“Sounds like… the Great Wilderness,” Lin Shan mused.

The ferocious and domineering martial aura from the Golden Khanate and Lone Eagle Khanate made him think of the rumored Ten Earths realm, the Great Wilderness.

Lei Jun nodded. “We can’t confirm yet. Too many unknowns. For instance, the Great Qian Dynasty—a foreign empire that once ruled the Ming Mortal Realm—may be from the same lineage as the Golden and Lone Eagle Khanates.”

Lin Shan took a deep breath. “The Qian Dynasty's gone, but here in the Song Realm, the Lone Eagle and other tribes look like they're at their peak.”

Lei Jun gave a faint nod, choosing silence.

In truth, he was contemplating another matter:

---

Did the Vajra Realm of Mount Sumeru—or rather, its Buddhist sects—have ties to the Lone Eagle Khanate?

Watching both factions stirred memories from Blue Star—records he’d read before transmigrating.

Two separate worlds, yet eerily familiar.

No direct evidence yet.

The imperial court’s prisoners had no specific recollections of Sumeru.

Was it that other Khanates had contact, but the Lone Eagle didn’t?

Or was there really no connection at all?

If that were the case, maybe Lei Jun was just overthinking.

---

But something still felt off—the Vajra Division’s behavior was strange.

Given geography, they were bound to clash with the Lone Eagle Khanate.

Yet compared to how they actively fought evil sects like those from Yellow Springs and Shushan, they seemed to be avoiding the Khanate.

The first invasion—Master Jiasheng and others were conveniently in the Southern Wasteland. Venerable Renzhu kept his movements hidden—only to reappear near Mount Longhu’s earth veins.

During the second invasion, even though Suo Yang had informed them, their reinforcements arrived late—again missing the battle.

It didn’t seem like fear.

More like… awkward avoidance.

---

Which made Lei Jun think—maybe the upper echelons of the Lone Eagle Khanate had heard of the Western Buddhist sects, even if they hadn’t met face to face.

If any survivors made it back and reported, it could become a security risk.

Now, Lei Jun wondered—which division of Mount Sumeru had reached the Song Mortal Realm besides the Vajra Division?

Countless thoughts flashed through his mind… but eventually, all quieted down.

---

Despite the court’s austerity, the ceremony was still grand and well-prepared. Guests were warmly received.

Later that evening, the newly appointed National Preceptor Tang Xiaotang officially moved into Longhu Temple.

Lin Shan and other disciples followed.

Lei Jun, now the Tianshi, stayed for a short while before returning to Mount Longhu.

With the Preceptor title now housed in the Tianshi Mansion, Empress Zhang Wantong made no pretense—she formally granted Tang Xiaotang the right to share in the national destiny.

All of Mount Longhu’s Tianshi Mansion would benefit from it.

The Tianshi Mansion, however, remained notably restrained.

Aside from the newly constructed Dragon-Tiger Temple in Luoyang, with High Priests personally leading and stationed there permanently, Lei Jun and the Tianshi Mansion showed no real intention or action to expand aggressively.

Time passed swiftly—half a year flew by, and summer arrived.

Just like always, Lei Jun cultivated peacefully within the Mountain Gate, overseeing sect affairs.

It wasn’t until recently that a report came in from Luoyang.

The newly appointed State Preceptor, Tang Xiaotang, was about to leave the capital on a journey.

She had obediently stayed in Luoyang for half a year, basically playing the role of a lucky charm. But now, Preceptor Tang couldn’t sit still any longer.

As Great Tang’s State Preceptor, though she was often required to remain by the Emperor’s side, she also had duties to travel and observe the realm.

This time, Tang Xiaotang seized that opportunity to leave Luoyang in a perfectly legitimate manner.

Her first stop upon leaving Luoyang was no surprise—she headed straight back to her own Tianshi Mansion on Mount Longhu.

As for her second stop, Lei Jun didn’t even need to think hard to guess.

The Vajra Division of Mount Sumeru.

She’d been waiting for this day ever since she ascended to the role of State Preceptor.

This summer, in the name of promoting unity and cooperation between Daoism and Buddhism, Preceptor Tang personally traveled to the Western Region, beginning with a visit to Vajra Monastery.

There was nothing particularly unusual about the monastery.

Clearly, they’d been preparing for her visit for some time.

But Tang Xiaotang’s next move left the entire Vajra Division of Mount Sumeru utterly speechless.

That summer, Preceptor Tang went door to door, traveling all over the Western Region, inspecting every corner.

She paid special attention to areas that Lei Jun had previously mentioned—places where serfdom was rampant while Buddhist monasteries thrived on incense offerings.

Partly, she was checking on the welfare of the common folk.

But she was also trying to track down Bomu Ge, the expert from the Lone Eagle Khanate who had slipped away before.

Unfortunately, that lead didn’t pan out.

Still, the Vajra Division remained in complete disarray.

As winter approached and New Year drew near, Tang Xiaotang, as State Preceptor, had no choice but to temporarily leave the Western Region and begin her return journey—back to the Central Plains, back to Luoyang.

For Lei Jun, having his Little Senior Sister Tang Xiaotang out and about meant he didn’t have to worry about attending various ceremonies or rituals.

Of course, Tang Xiaotang didn’t really worry about them either.

Most of the time, it was representatives from the Mount Longhu faction who handled that—typically Lin Shan took on that work.

So, Lei Jun continued his peaceful cultivation.

And now, with the arrival of winter, it was time for another Initiation Ceremony at Tianshi Mansion on Mount Longhu.

“There’s a young man in the Fourth Academy of Daoist Apprentices, with Illuminated-level comprehension. He’s being officially initiated into the mansion today,” said Yuan Mobai, speaking with Lei Jun about the ceremony.

Lei Jun replied, “Is he the one Elder Liu brought back from the north?”

Yuan Mobai gave a slight nod. “Senior Brother Liu’s sudden emergence from seclusion really did come at the right time.”

Youzhou in the North had long been considered the Lin Clan’s private territory. All major travel and trade passed through them.

The Tianshi Mansion’s influence had rarely extended into that area.

Even though Xu Yuanzhen had, through sheer force, broken the Lin Clan’s Ancestral Grounds in Youzhou, it wasn’t like Jinzhou or Jiangzhou, where the clan had been uprooted completely. So, for the everyday folks there, it still felt like a nation within a nation ruled by the Lin Clan.

Now, however, with Prince Zhao’s Mansion opening doors, it became much easier for Tianshi Mansion to seek out promising talents from the area.

More and more Talismanic Daoists were heading north to try their luck.

Elder Liu Xiao was one of them—and he actually managed to bring back a disciple with remarkable potential.

Yuan Mobai, being well-acquainted with him, had previously even borrowed Wang Guiyuan’s help to refine Talisman Ink for him.

Elder Liu had never taken in a disciple before. Now that he had a true successor, Yuan Mobai was genuinely happy for him.

“Does the Sect Leader have concerns about Prince Zhao?”

Just like he had done with Tang Xiaotang, now that she was Tianshi, Yuan Mobai addressed anyone who attained that status as Sect Leader, even if it was his own disciple.

Lei Jun had tried talking him out of it a few times, but Yuan Mobai insisted, and Lei Jun couldn’t force the issue.

So, they each called each other what they wanted.

“Master, your insight is sharp. I do have some concerns about Prince Zhao,” Lei Jun replied.

Yuan Mobai waited silently for more.

He could tell that Lei Jun’s concern wasn’t just about Prince Zhao Zhang Teng growing closer with the Ye Clan of Cangzhou and the Lin Clan of Youzhou recently—it felt like there was more to it.

“Not long ago, I intercepted some face-letter transmissions between the Ye Clan of Cangzhou and the Lin Clan of Youzhou. They mentioned Prince Zhao’s recent improvements in cultivation… and that his Martial Blade Intent has changed. It feels… unnatural.”

“No further details?” Yuan Mobai asked thoughtfully.

Lei Jun shook his head. “Still need more confirmation.”

Yuan Mobai gave a slow nod. “The world is changing, and so are people’s hearts.”

“It’s never wrong to strengthen oneself,” Lei Jun said with a smile.

Master and disciple exchanged a knowing look.

After Lei Jun, Yuan Mobai had successfully refined the Crimson Spirit Wild Bone, reaching the Fourth Layer of the Divine Court Stage within the Eighth Heaven Realm. His Divine Court’s Celestial Gate and Galaxy had become even more refined and solid.

“Next comes the long grind,” Yuan Mobai chuckled. “I’ll need to borrow that Reversal Essence of Heaven and Earth Qi from you.”

“It’s ready whenever you are, Master,” Lei Jun replied.

Back when he first broke the Yellow Heaven Sect’s Ancestral Altar, Lei Jun had obtained this treasure. He refined most of it but kept a portion carefully nurtured till now.

Its nature made it perfect for Yuan Mobai to comprehend his next path.

Strictly speaking, that treasure originally came from Huang Xuanpu—a friendly contribution, so to speak.

After chatting a bit more, Yuan Mobai took his leave.

Lei Jun, meanwhile, turned his gaze westward.

Though Tang Xiaotang’s aggressive visits were a major headache for the Western Buddhist Sects, they swallowed it all without retaliating.

That, however, made Lei Jun even more wary.

He suspected they were up to something behind the scenes...

---

Western Region, Vajra Division of Mount Sumeru.

Inside the Vajra Monastery.

Master Jiasheng stood before the Vajra Division Leader, Jialuotu.

“Master, what about His Highness the Crown Prince and Prince Zhao?”

Jialuotu replied calmly, “Maintain contact, but don’t expect much.”

“Both of them?”

Jialuotu nodded. “They’re both waiting for a shift in the political landscape. Neither is willing to be the one to break the stalemate. And frankly, they don’t have the power to do it yet.”

Master Jiasheng nodded silently. “If that’s the case, there really isn’t anyone suitable here for our purposes.”

He asked quietly, “Then what about the timing?”

“Sooner is better than later,” said Jialuotu. “Hopefully it can be done quickly. I’ll go personally—I'm leaving now.”

“Master, and the Lotus Division?” asked Master Jiasheng.

“No matter the starting point, as long as the ending is in the mortal realm of another side, we’re not crossing any lines.”

“Understood, Master.”

“Go and retrieve the treasures like Bi Luo Flowing Pearl from Sumeru—start making the necessary preparations.”

Master Jiasheng acknowledged with a bow, then added, “Tang Xiaotang is really pressing us. Seems she’s not backing down anytime soon.”

Jialuotu replied, “Let it go for now. Once I return from Sumeru, we’ll settle everything.”