Cultivation: I Can Traverse Otherworlds

In this world, some people hold high positions yet are muddle-headed and incompetent, spending their days indulging in pleasure and extravagance.

Some come from humble origins, yet possess a chivalrous heart, their word as good as gold.

But it is precisely because of all sorts of people that many things become interesting, and the world becomes vibrant.

CREAK...

Early in the morning.

The gates of Baiyun Temple had just opened when a visitor arrived.

"Lord Jiao."

Huang Er put down the door bolt and bowed.

"Mm." Hai Pig Jiaoru, sticking out his large belly, glanced around the courtyard, his gaze lingering for a moment on a nearby persimmon tree.

"Is your Temple Master in?"

"He is." Huang Er nodded.

"Lord Jiao, you’ve come at just the right time. The Temple Master is about to leave on a long journey. If you had been any later, you might have missed him."

"Heh..." Jiao Ru chuckled softly.

"Daoist Ziju is quite the busy man, never in the temple. I heard someone offered a hundred gold coins for him to make a house call, and he still refused."

"Tell me, what Immortal Mountain has the Daoist Master been visiting on his travels that makes him so reluctant to return?"

"Well..." Huang Er gave a dry laugh.

"This old servant is just a gatekeeper. How would I know the Temple Master’s whereabouts?"

"True enough." Jiao Ru shook his head and strolled into the Daoist temple.

"Daoist Master!"

"Lord Jiao."

Zhu Ju invited him to sit, and his two young apprentices, Qingfeng and Ming Yue, already knew to serve tea and water to their guest.

"Gong Si is dead."

Jiao Ru got straight to the point.

"Did you know, Daoist Master?"

"Dead?" Zhu Ju’s expression didn’t change as he sighed.

"Gong Si’s mountain root was sunken and his lower court was lacking. It was not the face of a long-lived man. I predicted a calamity would befall him soon, and that only through cultivating his character could he avoid it. A pity he didn’t listen to my advice. What can one do when a man seeks his own doom?"

"I wonder, did he have any wives, concubines, or family in the Divine Capital? We were acquaintances, after all. Though I cannot chant the Sutra of Rebirth for him, I should at least send some token of my condolences."

"You don’t need to trouble yourself with that, Daoist Master." Jiao Ru smiled.

"Gong Si never married, but he kept two mistresses on the side, who even bore him several children."

"Those mistresses of his..."

"Were all divided up by his ’friends.’"

Huh?

Zhu Ju shook his head, speechless.

It wasn’t surprising that his fair-weather friends would do such a thing.

"I heard that before the incident, Gong Si paid a visit to Baiyun Temple." Jiao Ru looked over, his eyes probing.

"And even took incense money from the temple’s merit box."

"Yes." Zhu Ju nodded, his face calm.

"I was away from the temple at the time. Had I been here, I would have certainly tried to persuade him with kind words. Perhaps he could have avoided his fatal calamity."

"Is that so?" Jiao Ru said.

"You’re not the one who did it?"

"Lord Jiao, you jest." Zhu Ju smiled faintly.

"I am a man who can’t even truss a chicken... Although I have practiced martial arts before, how could I possibly be a match for someone like Gong Si?"

"Heh..." Jiao Ru turned away, his voice low and haunting.

"Gong Si was just a petty man. His death is his death, it’s nothing. No one will care."

"But Gong Si died in the dungeons of Mingyu Tower, and his killer also freed the ’Double Extreme Hand,’ Weii Zhengping. That man is a heinous outlaw and also a First-Grade Grandmaster. There’s no telling what atrocities he’ll commit now that he’s escaped. That’s the real cause for concern."

"Dungeons?" Zhu Ju asked.

"Mingyu Tower has private dungeons, and Lord Jiao does nothing about it?"

"It’s not just Mingyu Tower that has private dungeons. Daoist Master, you should be asking which powerful family in this entire Divine Capital *doesn’t* have their own." Jiao Ru shrugged.

"Besides..."

His tone shifted.

"Daoist Master, do you know who the court’s most favored princess is?"

"I’ve heard a little." Zhu Ju monitored nearly a hundred noble families in the Qunxing Workshop, so of course he wouldn’t be ignorant of such matters.

"The Seventh Princess, Qii Wanyan."

"Wanyan. It means ’bright and beautiful jade’," Jiao Ru said.

"The tallest building in the Princess’s Mansion is called Mingyu Tower."

’So the master of Mingyu Tower is the Seventh Princess, Qii Wanyan?’

’That would explain it.’

’The Empress Dowager is currently tormented by illness and doesn’t have long to live. The Empress is not favored by Emperor Chong’an. This makes the most powerful woman in the world the one who has garnered all favor and affection—the Seventh Princess, Qii Wanyan.’

’Only she would have the authority to command a Divine Treasure Martial Saint.’

"So that’s how it is!"

Zhu Ju nodded in understanding, then said slowly,

"Lord Jiao, you said someone killed Gong Si and casually rescued the Double Extreme Hand. Why couldn’t it be that someone was rescuing the Double Extreme Hand and just happened to kill the dungeon guard, Gong Si?"

"Both Mingyu Tower and the constables at the Government Office think that." Jiao Ru smiled.

"But I wanted to come and ask you, Daoist Master."

"Ask me?" Zhu Ju waved his duster lightly and said,

"I have seen this Double Extreme Hand, Weii Zhengping, before. Judging from his face, his fated calamity had arrived, and it was a mortal one with no chance of survival."

"Lord Jiao need not worry."

"Oh!" Jiao Ru raised an eyebrow.

"You mean to say the Double Extreme Hand is already dead?"

"Wuliang Celestial Venerable," Zhu Ju intoned.

"He has met his fated end."

"HAHA..." Jiao Ru laughed heartily.

"Good that he’s dead! Just fine that he’s dead!"

"Oh, right."

"Lord Geng is also dead."

Speaking of Geng Wenyong, his expression changed slightly, a look of regret appearing on his face.

"Lord Geng and I had met a few times. Although we weren’t on the same path, I greatly admired him as a person."

"What a pity!"

"A pity indeed," Zhu Ju nodded, then changed the subject. "I heard the rebel army from Zhuozhou is already marching on the Divine Capital. In your opinion, Lord Jiao, can the Court suppress them?"

"A few refugees are hardly a threat," Jiao Ru said.

"The difference in power between a martial artist and someone who has never trained is immense. And a Divine Treasure Martial Saint can single-handedly stand against an army of ten thousand. Even with military formation techniques, those aren’t mastered in a short time."

"Suppressing the rebellion will be over in a day. It’s not worth worrying about."

Zhu Ju smiled but said no more.

As one of the Twelve Unscrupulous Marshals of the Divine Capital, Jiao Ru was well-informed about all matters, big and small, in the city. However, he was clearly unaware of the true situation with the rebel army.

’A Martial Saint?’

’This refugee rebel army is no ordinary force. They’ve already broken through several cities, and there were major powers along their path. Yet, even Divine Treasure Martial Saints dared not lightly challenge their vanguard.’

’Theoretically, in a world where ultimate power belongs to the individual, ordinary people don’t even have the chance to rebel.’

’Dynastic changes in this world have always been caused by clashes between great powers, not by starving refugees.’

’So...’

’There must be other powers supporting these refugees from behind the scenes. Zhu Ju knew that disciples from many Martial World Sects were involved, fanning the flames and stirring up trouble.’

’But what is their goal?’

’To throw the world into chaos?’

’Monitoring the Qunxing Workshop really does let one learn some unknown secrets.’

"Lord Jiao, I will be leaving on a long journey soon. I may be gone for a month or two. I’ll have to trouble you to look after the temple," Zhu Ju said, pulling his thoughts back to the present.

"And Qingfeng and Ming Yue."

"Don’t worry." Jiao Ru waved his hand dismissively.

"With me around, no one will dare bully your two little apprentices."

"Then I thank you," Zhu Ju said, clasping his hands.

Since buying Baiyun Temple, he spent at most three months a year there. The vast majority of his time was spent "traveling" abroad, something Qingfeng and Ming Yue had already grown accustomed to.

*

*

*

Main World.

Zhu Ju’s figure appeared on a desolate, deserted island. His Divine Thought swept the area, and after confirming no one was around, his body transformed into a streak of light and shot into the sky.

WHOOSH...

The Wind and Thunder Blade Wings unfurled from his back. With just a light flicker, his entire body shot forward several dozen zhang.

The wings beat continuously.

His figure shot into the distance like a phantom.

Ever since advancing to the Dao Foundation Realm, Zhu Ju had been nurturing the Wind and Thunder Blade Wings in his Dantian. Although they hadn’t yet transformed into a Magical Treasure, they were very close. Now, propelled at full power, his speed was so great that it would leave a Mid-Stage Dao Foundation Cultivator in the dust.

Calculating the distance, as he neared the edge of Yunjing Island’s array perception range, Zhu Ju retracted his Wind and Thunder Blade Wings and brought out the High Grade Spiritual Artifact, the Dust Banner.

Swirling mist enveloped him, and he proceeded forward at a steady pace.

Before long, Yunjing Island came into view in the distance.

SWOOSH!

Two streaks of light flew over from the front, revealing two young faces—disciples of the Yunjing Commerce Association.

Anyone who could use a High Grade Spiritual Artifact to fly through the sky must be a Late-Stage Innate Qi Refiner.

"Elder Zhu."

"There’s been a strict inspection of cultivators entering and leaving the island recently. So, if you would please, lower your Protective Spiritual Light so this junior can scan you with the Magic Realm."

"Oh!" Zhu Ju dispersed the Dust Banner and asked,

"Did something happen?"

He frequented Yunjing Island and was a familiar face to the patrol staff, so this was the first time he had encountered such a situation.

"Yes."

The man nodded.

"A Tribulation Cultivator has been spotted nearby. Two of the Commerce Association’s Dao Foundation Elders were attacked; one died and one was injured. It’s caused a huge stir."

"No problem. You may return to the island, Elder."

"A Dao Foundation Cultivator dead and another injured?" Zhu Ju’s heart went cold.

"Who was killed and who was wounded?"

"A Dao Foundation Elder from the Wang Family died, and Uncle Yann Ying was seriously injured. He’s currently at home recuperating."

’Yann Ying was injured?’

...

Setting aside their shared connection through the Jade Void and Bright Void sects, Yann Ying had been the one to bring him into the Commerce Association. For that reason alone, he had to pay a visit.

"Junior Brother Zhu."

Yann Ying lay on the bed, his face pale and his eyes listless. He forced a smile and waved his hand weakly.

"You came, and that’s enough. Bringing gifts makes us seem like strangers."

"Senior Brother." Zhu Ju handed the gift to a servant and asked,

"How are your injuries?"

"..." Yann Ying’s expression darkened slightly, and he sighed.

"I managed to escape with my life, but my foundation was damaged. Unless I can find some Heaven and Earth Spiritual Object to replenish it, I’ll have no hope of achieving the Great Dao in this lifetime."

"But it doesn’t matter."

He seemed to have come to terms with it.

"Even if I hadn’t been injured, I never would have reached the Golden Core in this life. It’s probably for the best that I’ve given up on that notion. Now I can relax, enjoy life, and spend time with my family."

"Who did it?" Zhu Ju frowned.

"With your cultivation and strength, Senior Brother, even if you couldn’t defeat a Mid-Stage Dao Foundation Cultivator, you should have been able to retreat unscathed."

"It was Liuyunzi." Yann Ying’s eyes narrowed.

"Wang Cang, Liuyunzi, and I had arranged to explore a secret location together, but we were ambushed."

"That wouldn’t have been a problem, but I never expected Liuyunzi to suddenly turn on us. He not only gravely injured me but also got Wang Cang killed."

"If I didn’t have a life-saving item on me, I’m afraid I would have followed Fellow Daoist Kui to the grave!"

"Liuyunzi?" Zhu Ju’s expression changed.

"He betrayed the Commerce Association?"

"Yes." Yann Ying nodded.

"He didn’t just betray the Commerce Association; he conspired with outsiders to harm us. And the Association suspects there are others involved."

"Junior Brother..."

"You’d best not go out so often for the next few years, lest you invite gossip."

Zhu Ju gave a wry smile.

He had to travel to the Otherworld, so every so often he would leave the Commerce Association to find a deserted place to cross over.

Yann Ying’s meaning was clear.

Zhu Ju’s frequent trips for no apparent reason didn’t matter under normal circumstances, but now, they looked very suspicious to others.

’Could he be in contact with the Tribulation Cultivators outside?’

"Fellow Daoist Zhu."

Just then, a Dao Foundation Cultivator wearing a silver-shouldered cloak walked into the room. He bowed to Yann Ying, then turned to Zhu Ju.

"There are some matters I need to understand."

A Marketplace Patrol Envoy.

"Fellow Daoist Yuan," Yann Ying began.

"Junior Brother Zhu is not a problem."

"Of course." Circulation Envoy Yuan smiled upon hearing this.

"I also believe Fellow Daoist Zhu, but I have my responsibilities. Fellow Daoist Zhu, you’d better come with me."

"Alright." Zhu Ju sighed and stood up.

"Rest well, Senior Brother. I’ll come again another day."

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