Way of the Devil

Lu Sheng sat back down. He felt that this empire was truly in a hopeless situation right now.

The empire was like an old person with a chronic illness being hammered by several burly men.

Even if it was not dead, it would be on the brink of death.

He took a deep breath before asking, “Where’s Divine Martial General Zhu Chengguo right now?”

“The Divine Martial General is still suppressing the Zhaoyi Clan to the north. Word just came in about the death of the Zhaoyi King.” Mi Gong shook his head slightly. “However, he’ll need at least 20 days to return from his campaign.”

This was if the general rode the exclusive carriage.

“The elites will support the heavens if it comes crashing down. Let’s put this matter aside for now. Is there any word from master Wu Youzi?” After Lu Sheng calmed himself down, he swiftly returned to the main topic of interest.

“Wu Youzi was seen sending out messenger doves. However, we don’t know anything about the replies he received.” Mi Gong shook his head slightly.

Since there was no news, Lu Sheng had no choice but to wait. He waved his hand and dismissed Mi Gong. Then, he sat down again.

Time waited for no one. Nobody could blame Lu Sheng for being anxious. His karma this time was to save an entire empire. The stage was too large. Even Lu Sheng was not confident in himself.

The city in which the Moon Prince’s mansion was located was a middle-sized city called Dixuan. Dixuan City was surrounded by six heavily manned forts.

Throughout the next few days, Lu Sheng went to visit the army in the forts. However, nothing caught his attention. They were no different from ordinary soldiers.

However, it was fortunate that Wu Youzi returned soon enough.

He did not return alone. He brought another slender and lanky old man in blue robes.

The old man came, looked at Lu Sheng for three days, and then left without saying a word.

Lu Sheng did not understand what had just happened. However, he immediately received the certification of being a Clear Crane Sect’s disciple which Wu Youzi posted to him. He was also invited to visit the Clear Crane Sect.

Lu Sheng happily agreed.

**********

Green Vine Mountain. The Clear Crane Sect’s mountain base.

Several interconnected greenish Taoist towers formed the entirety of where the Green Crane Sect was based.

Inside the Taoist tower, the current sect leader, Long Hezhi, was sitting beside a chessboard with a helpless expression on his face. He could not place the chess piece in his hand. He was looking at the junior disciples who hurried over.

“It’s such an important matter, why did you not tell us sooner, Sect Master? Why did you choose to wait until now to tell us this?” The Taoist nun’s expression was sour. “He’s a crown prince, what good would cultivation do him?”

“You’re mistaken to speak like that, Junior Apprentice Sister. Our Clear Crane Sect has enjoyed great development recently. If the ordinary disciples from the outside world had not supplied us with various resources, we wouldn’t have been able to endure to this day,” said the sect master Long Hezhi as he shook his head.

“Even so, that can’t be the reason for you to break the ancestral rules!” said another Taoist with cold eyes.

“It’s not as troublesome as the two of you make it out to be. The Taoist sects won’t care about a minor sect such as ours. If we scared the crown prince away with our trials and whatnot, we’ll be suffering a great loss!” said Long Hezhi calmly.

“Even so, you can’t have no reservations at all, right? How can you just grant him a discipleship on a whim? Are you seriously intending to teach him the skill formulas?”

The sect leader’s junior apprentice sister was exasperated.

“That’s only natural. However, we’ll have to wait until he’s completely tempered his heart,” said the sect master as he nodded. “Besides, our major and minor sutras were created to rear cranes. Not many people are interested in this. The crown prince… might just be interested in this on a whim. He might lose interest soon.”

“But…”

“Here he comes!” Sect Master Long Hezhi suddenly stood up. He tossed the chess piece in his hand away, straightened his clothes, and strode out.

He walked out the door, passed the incense burner, and went to the main entrance.

Two of the children were leading two men in.

One of them was Wu Youzi. Everyone knew him. The other was a young man with a decent look and a noble air.

The two of them wore gray Taoist robes. When Wu Youzi saw the sect master, he immediately pulled the other person over and bowed respectfully.

“Disciple Wu You pays his respect to the sect master.”

Lu Sheng stepped forward, cupped his fists, and loudly spoke, “My name’s Huang Jing. I hear that there’s an actual immortal in the Clear Crane Sect. So, I’m here to be taught.”

As he spoke, he sized up the three individuals who stood before the base.

He heard from Wu Youzi that there were only three proper branches within the Clear Crane Sect. The sect master led one branch, the second master uncle Bo Ruqing led another, and the third uncle master Zheng Qingjian led the remaining one.

Wu Youzi’s teacher was Zheng Qingjian. However, his temperament was not smooth enough. Hence, even after years of cultivating the White Feather sutra, he made no progress.

The moment Lu Sheng walked in the door, he immediately recognized the three elites of this minor sect.

The sect master Long Hezhi was a bald old man with a long beard. He had a sorrowful expression.

The third uncle master Zheng Qingjian looked genial. He was smiling as he stroked his beard and sized Lu Sheng up.

“You’re too courteous, Crown Prince. For a person outside of the world, I’m not fit to teach you anything. However, if you’re willing, you may join this old man’s sect.” Surprisingly, the first person to speak was the third uncle master, Zheng Qingjian.

Lu Sheng looked toward the sect master Long Hezhi.

“That won’t do, Junior Apprentice Brother. You’re occupied with training the red-crown cranes. I should be the one to personally instruct the crown prince in Taoist skills,” said Long Hezhi with a solemn expression.

“That won’t do. You have to attend to a myriad of affairs on a daily basis, Senior Apprentice Brother. Cultivating Taoist skills requires time and energy. Timing is important for the White Feather sutra. If the breakthrough points were to be affected…” Zheng Qingjian shook his head.

“Say no more, the two of you. It’s more appropriate for him to follow me. I’m the most attentive toward my disciples among the three of us. On top of that, I’ve recruited disciples from noble families before. I have some experience in this matter…” Bo Ruqing interjected.

“…” Lu Sheng stood there at the entrance looking on as the three of them fought over him. Wu Youzi was also speechless at the side.

However, Wu Youzi had warned him about this situation on their way here.

Compared to the other sects, the Green Crane Sect did not conduct itself like a Taoist sect at all. It was more like a business. Anyone who managed to become the teacher of the Moon Prince’s crown prince would surely be heavily reimbursed by the Moon Prince’s mansion in the future. It would be of great help toward their cultivation and quality of life.

Although the second and third uncle masters were against accepting disciples on a whim as they were worried about tarnishing the sect’s image, when it came to the actual recruitment process, they would surely fight to be the first one.

After the three of them bargained for Lu Sheng, as the sect master, Long Hezhi obtained the privilege to be Lu Sheng’s master.

The three of them swiftly ordered the Taoist children and the other Taoists to prepare the materials needed for the formal ritual of Lu Sheng’s acceptance as a disciple.

At this moment, a clear call of a red-crown crane was heard.

A flock of white cranes flapped their wings slowly and flew across the Taoist hall slowly. With the white mountain fog encircling them, they resembled a painting that depicted the immortals’ abode.

Long Hezhi had heard about Lu Sheng’s request a long time ago. He knew that Lu Sheng wanted to see a genuine Taoist skill or two. He was the person with the most profound cultivation base among the three elites, and although the White Feather sutra did not contain any Taoist skill, it was still capable of unleashing some ordinary Taoist arts.

When he saw the white cranes flying through the air, he swung his horsetail whisk and spoke in a loud voice. “We have a new disciple joining the sect today. Yue He, aren’t you coming down to meet your new junior apprentice brother?”

Lu Sheng was slightly stunned. He looked to his left and right. Other than the ordinary Taoists and Taoist children in gray robes, he did not see any newcomers in the vicinity.

While he was still puzzled, there was a sudden clear call of a crane in the air. A white figure descended and landed gently before everyone else.

It was a huge white crane more than two meters tall.

This white crane had lively eyes. It resembled a human person and not a beast as it stood there. It took a few steps with its straight legs on the rock floor. Then, it twisted its neck, plucked a feather from below its wing with its sharp beak, and presented it to Lu Sheng.

“Take it. This is a welcome gift from Yue He,” said Long Hezhi drily.

Lu Sheng looked at the feather and at the crane. He gripped the feather firmly and solemnly. Then, he cupped his fists at the white crane and bowed.

“Thank you, Senior Apprentice Brother.”

“It’s senior apprentice sister,” Long Hezhi corrected him.

“Alright. Thank you, Senior Apprentice Sister Yue He.” Lu Sheng nodded.

“Yue He’s white feather has the function of calming one’s mind and cleansing one’s heart. You can use it when you read, practice martial arts, or cultivate the major sutra,” reminded the third master uncle Zheng Qingjian solemnly.

Lu Sheng nodded and thanked him.

There were only three leaders in the Clear Crane Sect. The official disciples numbered 15. Most of them were not on this mountain. Instead, they were scattered all over the other mountains where they cultivated in seclusion.

In truth, their cultivation involved rearing white cranes.

Then, the official disciple acceptance ritual begun. After carving the Clear Crane Sect’s mark on Lu Sheng’s arm, Lu Sheng was now an official member of the Clear Crane Sect.

Even after initiating him, Long Hezhi had to put on a show of telling Lu Sheng to temper his Taoist heart.

However, after presenting Long Hezhi with 5000 catties of silver, Lu Sheng’s Taoist heart immediately became smooth.

Hence, he was taught the most basic of all enlightened skills, the Clear Crane Enlightened Skill.

There were only three layers to this mantra. There were no distinction of tiers or superiority.

The three layers were merely Initiation, Mastery, and Full-mastery.

The only difference of this enlightened skill compared to the other skills taught by the sect was that the Clear Crane Enlightened Skill was more like an inner skill mantra. The greater one’s competence was, the higher one’s tier would be.

After learning the enlightened skill, Lu Sheng was told to cultivate it well. While he tempered his heart, cultivating this enlightened skill would brighten up his mind, sharpen his sight, and make him as light as a swallow. He would move as gracefully as a crane, and would be resistant to most illnesses.

Because of its simplicity, this skill required years of cultivation for its effects to show. Hence, after Lu Sheng obtained the mantra, he stayed back in the Taoist tower to observe the others before returning to the prince’s mansion with Wu Youzi.

As for the sect’s core White Feather sutra, he would have to wait until his Taoist heart was completely formed before he could be taught higher enlightened skills.

It was one of the sutras which truly belonged to the sect. It could not be taken lightly.

On his way back, Wu Youzi kept drilling this notion into Lu Sheng. If he cultivated genuine sutras before his Taoist heart was complete, it was highly possible for his life to be in danger.

Lu Sheng did not insist. He was already content with obtaining the Clear Crane Enlightened Skill.

He could already guess at the direction in which the Taoist powers of this world were heading through the Clear Crane Enlightened Skill.

The main objective here was becoming one with the heavens, being in harmony with nature, relying on the power of the universe, absorbing the parts that were beneficial, and expelling the harmful parts from one’s body, to spit out the old, take in the new, and replace the old with the new.

Eventually, the cultivator would attain the powerful tier of becoming as long-lived as the heavens and the earth.

This Clear Crane Enlightened Skill required the cultivator to focus his heart and cleanse his Qi. He would have to look at an organ called muyuan in his body.

The Enlightened Skill referred to this internal inspection as spiritual infusion as the cultivator had to infuse his spirit into this muyuan.

The peculiar thing was that this muyuan was not actually inside a person’s body. It was situated directly below the chin and before the chest.

The muyuan existed in the air outside the body.

Of all the cultivation methods Lu Sheng had come into contact with before, they either worked on his body or required him to focus his spirits and temper his willpower. This was his first time exerting force on something outside of his body.