Chapter 56: The Witch is Unjust, Zhou Cheng is Unrighteous

  After Zhou Chengshi covered up the heavenly secret, he had a plan and called in several people under his door to instruct them.

  "Pay respects to the teacher, Wan Jie Jin An!" The crowd heard Bai Yun's account of what he had seen and heard on his way back, and they felt somewhat uneasy in their hearts, but they did not know what exactly had provoked the teacher into such a towering rage.

  Although Zhou Chengping is usually on Qingqiu Mountain and does not pay attention to etiquette, once there is a message summoning him, the various door-to-door still know the order of seniority and respect for elders, and the teachings are in order. Zhou Cheng looked at the crowd with satisfaction, and several people knew how to distinguish between occasions, which was also considered polite and courteous.

  "You must remember, do not leave the mountain gate for a hundred years, otherwise, you will be on your own!" Zhou Cheng said solemnly, sounding quite ruthless. He was also helpless, having just messed up the grand plan of heaven's machinery, and within a hundred years, even he himself would find it difficult to figure out that confusing heavenly machinery. If his disciples secretly left the mountain, he feared that they might fall into someone else's trap, and he wouldn't be able to rescue them in time.

  "We carefully remember the teacher's words and dare not disobey." Everyone saw that the teacher's words were different from usual, knowing that what he said was true, and they should stay in Qingqiu Mountain, don't go out to suffer misfortune.

  Zhou Cheng looked at the uneven cultivation of his disciples and had some doubts whether he had been too harsh. The cultivation of these people was far from enough to be used in future struggles. Now that the matter with the human tribe was settled, it was time to think about the next move. "You all need to carefully comprehend the great principles of our sect. Once your moral character is high, it's easy to obtain magical powers. After this matter is settled, I will help you all cultivate for a period."

  Everyone listened to the teacher, who rarely spoke in such a golden tone for thousands of years, and suddenly had some doubts in their hearts, fearing that something was about to happen. "Thank you, Teacher."

  As soon as he left Qingqiu Mountain, Zhou Cheng thought to himself: This time the human tribe is in great trouble. First, don't care about how other saints help or hinder, but the witch and demon tribes are ultimately the culprits. The human tribe can suffer from disasters, but they cannot be slaughtered and enslaved by the witch and demon tribes at will. Hmph, since you are not benevolent, then don't blame me for being unrighteous. This time, I'll make you two have a good look.

  Zhou Cheng left Qingqiu Mountain and took a step forward, but he directly arrived at Wuzhuang Temple.

  The Wuzhuang Temple is still the same, only more desolate. The Taoist temple is quiet and cold, no longer as prosperous as it was when I came last time. All kinds of spirits are also invisible, leaving only a couplet at the door: "Longevity and immortality, the abode of gods, with heaven's longevity, the home of Taoists."

  After Hongyun's misfortune, Zhenyuanzi was deeply hurt and would not easily venture out to observe the world unless it was a major event. His daily routine consisted of cultivating his spirit, harmonizing yin and yang, grasping kan and li, and manipulating mercury and lead. He had taken in a few human refugees as disciples, and several people under him were studying the Tao, reciting the Huangting Jing, and worshiping heaven and earth. Zhenyuanzi was always approachable and would wholeheartedly dispel doubts for those who came to ask about the Tao. As one of the most accessible gods, he gradually earned the title of "Ancestor of the Earthly Immortals".

  Zhou Cheng arrived at the outside of the pavilion, saw that the pavilion gate was tightly closed, and faintly heard the sound of lectures coming from inside. He concentrated his mind to listen carefully, and it turned out to be the great Tao of Hong Jun, which was also the realization of Zhen Yuan Zi himself.

  "Town Yuan immortal, friends come from afar, how can you shut the door and not see them? Haha...". Zhou Cheng stood outside the gate, saying loudly.

  Zhenyuanzi was just lecturing on the subtleties of the Tao, and he himself was so absorbed in it that his disciples were all delighted and gained a lot from it. However, just then a loud shout came from outside, which startled everyone. The disciples were all annoyed and wanted to go out and see who dared to make such a disturbance. But Zhenyuanzi's words calmed them down.

  "You all stop messing around, quickly follow me to go see the Holy One." Zhenyuanzi heard that voice and knew without needing to calculate that it was his fourth senior brother, Zhou Cheng, who had arrived.

  Zhenyuanzi's master and apprentice had just come out to observe when they saw a Daoist in a green robe, holding a wooden staff in his hand, with a simple yet elegant hairstyle, a face full of kindness, and hair flying around him, exuding an extraordinary aura that seemed detached from worldly dust.

  "Zhenyuanzi has met Qinglian Shengren." Zhenyuanzi led his disciples to pay their respects. At this time, Zhou Cheng had already become a saint and could no longer be as casual as before. Even if he was the ancestor of the earth immortal, he couldn't avoid the convention.

  "A little courtesy is enough." Zhou Cheng smiled brightly at Zhen Yuanzi.

  Zhenyuanzi immediately led Zhou Chengjin to the main hall of the temple, instructing his disciples to bring ginseng fruit and offer it to Zhou. The two ate the fruit while discussing Daoist teachings.

  Zhenyuanzi casually picked a few questions about the Taoist scriptures and asked Zhou Cheng, then turned to the main topic: "May I ask, what brings the saint here this time?"

  Zhou Cheng saw Zhenyuanzi like this, and didn't chat idly anymore. He went straight to the point and said: "I have come here because I see that a great disaster is not far from you."

  Zhenyuanzi was shocked upon hearing this. If someone else had said that he would encounter great disaster, it would have been an absurd tale, but this was a statement from a sage, so there must be some truth to it. In his panic, all he could do was repeatedly calculate the heavenly mechanism in order to try and catch a glimpse of what was to come.

  Zhou Cheng saw Zhenyuanzi frantically waving his hands and feet, calculating non-stop, but in the end it was all in vain, and he couldn't help but laugh.

  Zhen Yuanzi repeatedly calculated the heavenly mechanism, but only felt that everything was vague and confusing, with yin and yang mixed together, the heavenly mechanism in disarray. Suddenly, he became somewhat flustered, got up and bowed to Zhou Chengdao: "I still hope that Fourth Brother will tell me."

  This town's Yuanzi was not a fool either, knowing that such chaos in the heavenly mechanism must be caused by a sage disturbing it, and fearing that something big was about to happen, connecting with what Zhou Cheng said, he became even more frightened.

  "Zhenyuanzi, do you know why Hongyun died?" Zhou Cheng said with a mouthful of ginseng fruit.

  "It was, however, because he had the means to achieve sagehood. When Zhenyuanzi saw Zhou Cheng mention the matter of Hongyun, his heart couldn't help but feel gloomy. The death of Hongyun was simply a case of being wrongly accused."

  "You already know that this husband is innocent and the principle of wrongly accusing him. Is your great calamity not also a general one?" Zhou Cheng said with a stern expression.

  Zhenyuanzi was shocked as soon as he heard it, and the crime of carrying a jade pendant, the jade pendant mentioned, was probably his own ginseng fruit tree and the defensive treasure map.

  "Although the carrot tree is rare, it doesn't provoke evil thoughts in thieves. Your book, however, serves as a defensive tool, and in reality, it's a precious treasure that ensures your safety." Zhou Cheng saw that Zhenyuanzi's expression was flustered, and with one sentence, he pointed out his weakness.

  Zhenyuanzi heard that his own earth book defense was so strong, the last time the demon tribe people used the Zhou Tian Xing Dou Great Array to attack for a long time, but couldn't break it. With his current strength displayed, he feared its power would be even greater.

  "I humbly ask Fourth Brother, who wants to harm me?" Zhenyuanzi fell to the ground and kowtowed, and the Saint also accepted this bow.

  "Those who harm you are none other than the demon tribe. In the previous great war between witches and demons, the River Chart fell into obscurity, and the demon tribe's power has somewhat declined. It seems that our existence is well-known, and it's hard to avoid another great war between witches and demons. To strengthen their power, the demon tribe may have set their sights on you, the master of this land." Zhou Cheng said directly, as Zhenyuanzi was a great god of the Honghuang, he naturally knew that another great war between witches and demons was unavoidable.

  "I shut my door and stay inside, yet I will still be harmed?"

  "Zhenyuanzi, it's laughable that you've cultivated for millions of years and yet still don't understand the great way. Don't you know that in this world, there are only a thousand days of being a thief, but no one can guard against thieves for a thousand days? Even if one sits at home, disaster will still come from heaven." Zhou Cheng thought that Zhenyuanzi was really too naive and foolishly optimistic.

  Zhenyuanzi's expression turned gloomy and his mind was in a state of panic after hearing Zhou Cheng's words. "I still hope that Fourth Brother will save me."

  "I had said it long ago, that I could protect the human tribe for 500 years and bring them peace for a long time. However, just as the 500-year period has passed, this time the witch and demon tribes have slaughtered the human tribe, but I am unable to take action, entangled in many things, afraid of not being able to resolve it smoothly. But with your identity, you are just suitable for carrying out all sorts of plans."

  Zhenyuanzi suddenly understood upon hearing Zhou Cheng's words, this matter of the human tribe was just a condition for saving himself. He immediately fell into contemplation, this heavenly mechanism was unclear, he couldn't calculate it, nor did he know whether Zhou Cheng's words were true or not. But this human tribe was indeed at the forefront of the storm, if he got involved carelessly, no difficulty would become difficulty. These words of Zhou Cheng, feared to be a plot against himself.

  "Let the Fourth Brother know that I'm naturally aloof and don't want to get involved in human affairs. With my Earth Book, my cultivation has greatly increased, and by relying on the mountain's defenses, the demon tribe shouldn't be a concern! Zhenyuanzi indeed had a good idea - with his own Earth Book, plus the sect's grand array, his cultivation has greatly increased. As long as he stays hidden and doesn't venture out, unless it's a saint, who can do anything to him?"

  Zhou Cheng saw Zhenyuanzi like this, but seemed to have known it early, and didn't say much. He stood up and walked straight out of the main hall, disappearing in an instant.

  Zhenyuanzi was stunned, how did the fourth brother come and go so suddenly? Just as he was puzzled, he heard Zhou Cheng's voice transmission and broke out in a cold sweat.

  "Tortoise shell, hard to protect the town."

  The great land of China, wind and rain are blowing, natural disasters and man-made calamities are endless, my hometown Sichuan is suffering even more, just in Mianyang Beichuan alone, nearly 10,000 people have died. In mourning...

  Horizontal Plane [Void Condenses Sword Path]

  Guo Xiao Mo [The Great Sage of the West: Wukong]

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