The Tongshan Sect, as the name suggests, is situated atop Tong Mountain.
The origin of the name Tong Mountain is easy to imagine. Every year during the Qingming Festival, this towering mountain is covered with tung flowers, their white petals and red stamens creating a breathtaking scene. Because of this magnificent sight, the mountain was named Tong Mountain by those who came before.
The Tong Mountain range stretches like a dragon, with clouds steaming and mist swirling, and is rich in spiritual energy. This area is home to many talented individuals and has produced numerous scholars and extraordinary figures, leaving behind many splendid chapters and strange tales.
In short, whether it's for cultivation, studying, or cultivating one's character, Tong Mountain is an ideal place.
The Tongshan Sect is also a centuries-old sect. The first generation head, Ancestor Tong Sheng, is said to have ascended to immortality, passing down the unique sword technique "Six Styles of Tong Mountain" to future generations. With this sword technique, the Tongshan Sect is virtually invincible.
The "Six Styles of Tong Mountain" can only be practiced by the head, the elders, and their successors. Other disciples have no access to this formidable sword technique.
While traveling, Li Fengchan shared some gossip about the Tongshan Sect. Initially, the Tongshan Sect was the guardian deity of this land.
In the past, the foot of Tong Mountain was prosperous but lacked military strength, and the people here were often bullied by soldiers from the nearby city and bandits from the neighboring mountains. Incidents like smashing shops and looting were common.
At that time, the trend in cultivation was for practitioners to remain detached and uninvolved, not meddling in worldly affairs. In other words, they kept their hands in their pockets and ignored the suffering of the people below.
It sounds absurd, but many cultivators back then thought and acted this way.
Later, a young cultivator named Qiu Tong passed through this place and, seeing the suffering of the people, felt indignant. He stood up for justice, drawing his sword to uphold righteousness. Not only did he act himself, but he also persuaded the cultivators in the mountains to abandon their indifference.
Qiu Tong spent a long time and used his actions repeatedly to prove his point, eventually swaying those cultivators.
Many years passed after that. The people of Tong Mountain found peace, and Qiu Tong became the first head of the Tongshan Sect.
"It's a pity that the Tongshan Sect has changed so much now," Li Fengchan sighed. "I wonder if Ancestor Tong Sheng, if he were alive, would be heartbroken to see his sect rotten from the roots."
Tao Mian looked at the moon on the horizon, speaking softly.
"He probably already knows, but is powerless to change it."
Immortals are not omnipotent; they too have worldly ties they cannot unravel.
After some idle chatter, the three finally arrived at the mountain gate of the Tongshan Sect.
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Li Fengchan led the other two to a secluded spot.
"Above is the Tongshan Sect. The mountain gate has guards only at the main entrance, but there is a protective formation around it. If outsiders intrude, the formation will activate, sending thousands of spiritual powers piercing into the body like needles, leaving no remains."
Li Fengchan turned to the master and disciple duo.
"By the way, do you have any way to break—"
She didn't finish her sentence because Tao Mian was already standing inside the formation, looking at her innocently.
"You said there's a formation here?" He seemed confused. "I thought it was open, so I just walked in."
"…"
She looked for Shen Bozhou, thinking there must be a companion with her.
Then she saw Shen Bozhou following in the footsteps of the Little Taoist Priest, hesitating for a moment before stepping into the Tongshan Sect's territory.
Shen Bozhou was a bit surprised.
"Little Taoist Tao, it seems you can really just walk in here."
"…"
Who could understand Li Fengchan's silence?
Tao Mian turned to look at the woman still lingering outside.
"Little Fengchan, come in from this side."
Tao Mian made a gesture as if lifting a curtain, and the protective formation opened an invisible entrance for him.
Li Fengchan was a bit skeptical.
"Is this okay? You're not tricking me, are you?"
"If you want us to make a grand entrance, that's fine too," Tao Mian said, about to lower his hand. "Just a slight touch, and the Tongshan Sect will line up to welcome us."
A click would summon a luxurious supreme welcoming team.
"…"
Before Tao Mian's hand completely dropped, Li Fengchan bent down and slipped inside.
The three entered smoothly, and Li Fengchan was still a bit apprehensive.
"Did that hand gesture really work? Just like that, you opened a gap in the protective formation?"
"A gap? What are you thinking, like cutting clothes with scissors? It's not that easy." Tao Mian waved his hand dismissively.
"I thought so," Li Fengchan nodded. "So what did you use? A magical artifact or an illusion? Did you make the formation recognize us as disciples of the Tongshan Sect?"
"It's not that complicated," Tao Mian replied honestly. "I just disarmed their protective formation."
"…Are you serious?"
"Yeah."
"So the Tongshan Sect is now completely defenseless?"
"Mm," Tao Mian nodded, waving his hand again. "It's back up now, they're protected again."
Li Fengchan realized something.
"Ah! So when you said a touch would make the Tongshan Sect line up…"
Tao Mian turned back with a smile.
"Of course, I was joking, just to ease the tension. You looked like you were about to faint."
The words of an immortal, mixed with truth and falsehood, left Li Fengchan a bit confused and slightly annoyed.
"Oh, I was so scared just now…"
"What's there to fear? Just think of it as entering your own backyard."
"Then could you lead the way? You're familiar with your own backyard."
"…"
Tao Mian stopped and even took a couple of steps back.
"Miss Li, please, it's up to you."
Little Tao Immortal had survived in the mortal world for so many years by being adaptable.
With this little interlude, the atmosphere among the three lightened considerably. Now Li Fengchan led the way, with Shen Bozhou and Tao Mian walking side by side behind her.
Li Fengchan, as she claimed, had a good memory and could generally recognize the direction.
However, during the years she was away, the layout of the Tongshan Sect had changed slightly, and she occasionally took a wrong turn, but eventually found her way back.
With such a reliable helper, Tao Mian saved a lot of effort.
In fact, he could have slowly found his way using the golden-nosed beetle, but the beetle, for some reason, had fallen asleep, perhaps from overeating at dinner.
The golden-nosed beetle also needed rest and sleep, and Tao Mian had already figured out its pattern. It didn't often get sleepy, but when it did, it slept for three to four hours.
Now they arrived at a row of small bamboo houses, about five or six in total. Each house was occupied by a cultivator, with fences separating them.
Li Fengchan didn't continue walking.
"This should be the place," she whispered, "but I'm not sure which house Xun San lives in. We'll need to check each one."
Tao Mian said that was easy.
He pulled up his mask to cover half his face and chose a nearby wall to climb over.
Li Fengchan grabbed him.
"Wait, wait! You should scout first!"
She whispered softly.
Tao Mian replied, his voice muffled by the mask.
"What's there to fear? If it's the wrong place, we'll move to the next. Just say you accidentally passed by. No one here knows me anyway."
"No, you—"
Before Li Fengchan could finish her next sentence, Tao Mian had already climbed over the wall. She and Shen Bozhou had no choice but to follow.
Once inside, they found Tao Mian standing stiffly in place.
Tao Mian hadn't expected that even when he was just here to kidnap someone, he'd run into an old acquaintance.
Ah Jiu, who couldn't sleep and was sharpening a knife in the courtyard, was surprised.
"Tao Lang, what are you doing here?"
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