Longevity Chronicles

Tao Qian and Yunrong, in the end, were unable to satisfy the young girl's thirst for knowledge.

The two disregarded Jin Xiuju, who had been spouting aggressive words the whole time, and stepped out of the courtyard to meet Jin Tianyang, who had arrived with many spiritual material treasures.

Tao Qian, who had come with a purpose, readily accepted the latter's invitation.

Within a few words, they had agreed on the matter of becoming a Guest Elder.

Afterward, Jin Xiuju pulled the two of them toward the bustling living room of Jin Mansion.

The "Sister An Ya" whom Jin Xiuju mentioned was actually the Princess of Rashamon Country, married to the Ninth Prince who came with a warship, and also known as Princess Zhao of the Longevity Heavenly Dynasty.

It was unclear what suddenly inspired this Princess Zhao to invite many people to Jin Mansion for a salon.

As the trio left, Jin Tianyang's side, featuring a goat-bearded old butler, asked puzzled,

"Master, the tribute contract we signed with this devil seems rather lenient."

"According to the contract, this Master Jin Lin hardly needs to do anything, even if our Jin Family faces trouble, he can choose not to lift a finger."

Jin Tianyang smiled slightly upon hearing this and responded directly,

"You get what you pay for, not just in the mortal world but in the Cultivation World as well."

"Since we haven't paid a huge price, we naturally can't expect significant help. This dragon demon comes from the overseas Immortal Island, rich in natural resources and spiritual materials. Although I have collected many spiritual material treasures with money, it's hard to impress a devil cultivator of his kind."

"However, there is no need to worry; there's plenty of time to come. As long as he is willing to stay, there will be many opportunities."

"I've heard he got into some trouble with his cultivation and needs various female devils... That's very good. Send out orders to add 'female devil' to the list of things to collect. It doesn't matter if their cultivation is low or if they haven't transformed; be it cat demon, dog demon, chicken demon, fox demon, or flower demon, as long as they are charming and attractive, we will eventually find one that pleases this dragon demon."

"Yes, Master."

...

Tao Qian, who was being pulled by Jin Xiuju toward the Jin Mansion Living Room, naturally was unaware that the wealthy merchant behind him had started searching worldwide for female fairies after discovering his "hobbies."

Jin Tianyang, lacking significant talent in cultivation, was, however, skilled at pleasing important figures; even the Ninth Prince found his service satisfactory.

It seemed that Tao Qian, this mere dragon demon newly exposed to the world, would also pose no problem.

Before long, as the trio neared the living room, they had not yet fully entered when they overheard intense debates coming through the window.

Voices rose and fell in succession, and the content was all related to cultivation.

Moreover, the subjects they debated were immensely challenging, so much so that Tao Qian also found himself utterly unable to offer an opinion.

A group of apparently young men and women were arguing over which path in the Cultivation World — Daoist, Buddhist, Demon, Devil, heterodox, noble families, etc. — held the most promise, was closest to the Great Dao, or could truly achieve eternal longevity and invincibility.

Initially, each spoke well of their own views, but soon it escalated to mutual attacks.

Yet, although all these young people showed signs of cultivation, most were superficial, merely at the Energy Introduction and Refining Realms.

Their means of attack were also primarily by citing examples.

It just so happened that Tao Qian and his companions reached the window, and their glimpse perfectly captured most of the scene inside the living room.

At that moment, a young man dressed in a Daoist robe, disheveled and acting as an ancient free-spirited poet, took the lead and said,

"Everybody knows that our Daoist sect has Twelve Major Daoist Sects, with numerous Divine Power Skills, and most do not require severe penalties. But the Buddhist methods are different—it often makes people castrate themselves and clean their bodies, avoid meat and fish, not be angry, and not harm living beings... I had a cousin troubled by a devil monk's gift when he was young, who cut off his 'descendants' root' and shaved off his entire head of annoyance hair that very night, claiming he wanted the emptiness of the Four Greats to become a Buddha and an ancestor."

"Brother Xu, you should be careful not to fall for the tricks of those Buddhist bald donkeys and end up utterly empty too."

"Your family's electric car company still needs you as the heir."

The one being targeted, a young man who looked frail but dignified, also the son of a wealthy businessman, was dressed in a normal long gown and robe, sitting next to a kindly-faced, emaciated old monk.

The young man, less tempered than the old monk, became somewhat angry upon hearing the slander and couldn't help but respond,

"Brother Song, you needn't worry about me. The method I practice is not that of devil monks and Demon Buddhists, but the Supreme Dharma of Qingjing Temple. It doesn't require me to castrate myself or shave off a whole head of annoyance hair."

"Rather, it's you, Brother Song, who should be cautious. I heard you're practicing the Magic Skills of Lingxu Sect. Although this sect claims to belong to Daoism, as far as I know, most Daoist cultivators don't recognize it, only saying that it belongs to heresy and heterodoxy."

"Brother Song, you also know heresy and heterodoxy is mixed with good and evil, mostly involving methods of walking off the beaten track, like consuming hair and drinking blood. Be careful not to get scammed."

This Xu-named youth revealed the other's secrets with a single statement. The young man next to him, however, was an unrestrained middle-aged man holding a large fan.

Hearing this, he was not annoyed but laughed carelessly several times.

Unexpectedly, someone else got angry; it was a woman dressed in bright red, fiery and vigorous. Beside her sat an imposing middle-aged beautiful woman with a red plum embroidered on her brow, whose expression was sharp. The red-clothed woman suddenly slammed the table and retorted to the Xu-named youth,

"Xu Damo, make it clear, what is wrong with heterodoxy?"

"My Xuan Miao Temple is a major sect of the Heterodox, a great heterodox sect. We usually slay Demons and devils, and protect the local people. How could we possibly walk the crooked path or consume hair and drink blood?"

Caught off guard by this woman, the Xu-named rich merchant's son, also a disciple of Qingjing Temple, immediately turned red-faced and quite embarrassed.

Just then, the old monk by his side did not move an inch, apparently not planning to help him out of this predicament.

As the argument was about to escalate, the host of this salon, a Rashamon girl sitting in the principal seat, filled with exotic charm and breathtaking beauty, suddenly intervened.

It was strange, as she was a woman from an exotic realm, yet she spoke the official language of Longevity Heavenly Dynasty and Demon City fluently, indistinguishable from the locals.

This captivating Rashamon girl, who could turn the heads of all living beings, flashed a brilliant smile and interjected,

"Please, stop arguing. I have some understanding of the many factions and paths in the Longevity Heavenly Dynasty's cultivation world."

"Be it Daoist, Buddhist, Demon, or Devil, heresy and heterodoxy, or the major families like the Zhang Family, the Xiu Family, and the Si Family, each possesses supreme methods to achieve longevity."

"As the common saying goes in your Tian Chao, 'The Great Dao is simple, leading to the same destination by different paths.'"

"Speaking of which, An Ya admires you people of Longevity Heavenly Dynasty. I've heard that now the Twelve Major Daoist Sects, Buddhist temples, and Major Demon Sects—all major forces of the cultivation world—are integrating with the mortal world, and billions of people might have the chance to come into contact with and cultivate the Longevity Techniques."

"Unlike in our Rashamon Country, where transcendent Magic Skills are controlled by those damned magicians."

"But now An Ya is married here too, so am I not also a person of your Longevity Heavenly Dynasty? I wonder if I can learn these Longevity Techniques?"

This speech had an excellent effect.

The bickering ceased indeed, and now in the living room of Jin Mansion sat many people, their backgrounds exceedingly complex.

Tao Qian quickly glanced around and, aside from a large group of young men and women from Demon City with diverse backgrounds, also saw idle imperial family members, celebrities from the city, and famous actors. However, these once-prominent figures were now getting little attention here.

The ones truly in the spotlight were a group of cultivators, Daoist, Buddhist, devil, demon, heretics, and noble families alike.

Listening to the Rashamon girl's words, they all sneered secretly inside.

Most thought: Barbarians, fit only to be slaves, yet dare to dream of learning our Longevity Techniques?

Although that was their thought, no one spoke up.

Everyone knew!

This breathtakingly beautiful Rashamon Princess called "An Ya" had another identity—she was the wife of the Ninth Prince, who had been made Prince Zhao, the real ruler of Demon City.

Contempt in the heart was one thing, but offending someone with words was another.

Of course, there were still some courageous ones who spoke up.

In the room were several young people with complex auras, not descendants of affluent families. They were there because of their substantial reputations.

Now with frequent protests and similar events happening within Demon City, these few were the leaders.

Originally, they were ordinary students, who would have taken the imperial examination and served as officials in the Longevity Heavenly Dynasty.

Unfortunately, they were shocked by a monumental change that had not occurred in a millennium, and they were furious about the sudden and severe suffering endured by tens of billions of the Longevity Heavenly Dynasty's common people.

Each had a heart to save the world, but none had yet joined the rebel forces; they were still exploring their own principles and methods.

Some followed the path of cultivation, others replicated techniques from the Western Barbarians.

The leader among them, a young man dressed in a simple light-colored robe, seemed very plain.

He appeared to be around twenty, with clear eyes and well-defined features, possessing a handsome appearance. If it had been before the great upheaval, entering the palace examination, he might have been appointed the top scholar by a beauty-loving Emperor.

However, at this moment, this young man heard the feathery words of the Rashamon Princess and Prince Zhao's wife, and immediate anger flashed in his eyes.

Without regard for the vast difference in their statuses, he suddenly stood up and burst out angrily,

"Envious? Princess, are you envious of these young masters? What about the tens of billions of ordinary people in the Longevity Heavenly Dynasty is there for you to envy?"

"We dealt with corrupt officials' exploitation earlier, and now we face countless demons and ghosts... Longevity Techniques? Ha! If these techniques were truly useful, why would the situation in the sixty-seven provinces of our dynasty be so rotten?"

"How could rebel armies like the Taiping Army, Devil God Army, and White Lotus Sect sweep through the provinces causing devastation and suffering?"

"How could absurd warlords like Zhang Jiudeng, Yang Yu, Dong Xiu, and Xu Wan seize control of entire provinces, enslaving civilians, and acting tyrannically?"

"And you, Rashamon Princess, the wife of Prince Zhao, if you truly consider yourself married into this country, you should advise your husband, the esteemed Ninth Prince, when you return not to create further slaughter. He should properly play his role as Prince Zhao and leave the affairs of Demon City to those who are serious about their duties."

"Do you want to learn Secret Techniques?"

"Who in Demon City doesn't know that the Ninth Prince has deep connections with the Taishang Demon Sect? Why don't you directly learn the Demon Sect's Secret Techniques from him?"

"Or is it that you, the Rashamon Princess brought in by a battleship, can no longer meet that temperamental, cruel, and tyrannical Prince Zhao?"

"Hisss..."

When the young man had finished his bold speech, the living room of Jin Mansion fell utterly silent.

Everyone was stunned, including Tao Qian and two others standing outside the window.

People often talk about courting death, but even courting death shouldn't be like this.