108: The Five Immortals Alliance, a Century-Long Pact
The river wind howled, carrying a biting chill and the scent of water, sweeping across the ravaged river bend.
The four Grey-robed figures lay collapsed on the cold, rocky shore. Fragments of the bronze lamp were scattered about, the ghostly green flames long extinguished, leaving only a faint, nauseating stench of scorched matter lingering in the air. They struggled to rise, as if drained of all strength, even the simple act of lifting a hand becoming immensely difficult. The shadows beneath their hoods trembled violently, betraying an aura of utter disbelief and terror.
In the river, the giant catfish with the severed tail had vanished without a trace, leaving behind only a large expanse of murky, churned-up water tinged with dark red blood-foam and the persistent, pungent stench of rot. The glow from the crimson jade pendant had long since dimmed, and along with it, the aura of the demonic catfish swiftly receded and concealed itself.
Li Muchen stood in place, the moonlight outlining his tall, straight figure. His blue robe fluttered slightly in the cold wind. The earth-shattering single finger flick and brush of his sleeve moments ago seemed to have cost him not a shred of effort.
He slowly walked toward the four Grey-robed figures.
The sound of his footsteps was exceptionally clear in the silent river bend. Each step seemed to land directly upon the hearts of the Grey-robed figures, making them tremble even more violently.
"You... who exactly are you?!" The Grey-robed figure with the hoarse voice who had spoken first struggled to lift his head. His hood slipped slightly, revealing a pale, gaunt, and deeply wrinkled male face, roughly in his fifties. His eyes were muddy yet held a trace of lingering fanaticism and deeply buried fear. "Changchun Temple... no, the entire White Mountains and Black Waters region has no one like you!"
Li Muchen did not answer. His gaze swept over the four. Apart from the old man who spoke, the other three—two men and a woman—were all around thirty or forty years old, their faces equally pale and their eyes filled with panic. Their grey robes were made of a special material, neither hemp nor cotton, with a coarse, textured feel. Twisted talismanic patterns embroidered in dark red thread on the robes were now slightly dimming along with their masters' waning aura, as if losing their vitality.
"Who I am is unimportant," Li Muchen's voice was calm. "What's important is, who are you? Which faction do you belong to? Why did you set up an altar here to perform sacrifices, consort with demonic creatures, and commit acts that harm living beings? And also, what exactly is the meaning of the 'Century-Old Pact' and 'Old Ancestor's Return' you mentioned?"
The old man's Adam's apple bobbed as if weighing his options, a flicker of struggle in his eyes.
Another, younger male Grey-robed figure suddenly jerked his head up, hissing, "Don't even think about learning anything from us! We serve the 'Five Immortals Pact' and act upon the decree of the 'Old Ancestors'! Everything we do is to usher in a new order! You... you disrupted the sacrifice, severely injured 'Black Water Yuan Lord'... the Old Ancestors will never let you go!"
"Five Immortals Pact? Old Ancestors?" A flicker of light passed through Li Muchen's eyes as he recalled the words on the jade plaque at the bottom of the well. "Is it the five immortals: Hu, Huang, Bai, Liu, and Hui? Which of the Old Ancestors you speak of is it? Or perhaps... a collective term?"
The young Grey-robed figure seemed to realize he had spoken out of turn and immediately shut his mouth, glaring at Li Muchen with venomous eyes.
The old man, however, suddenly let out a bitter laugh. "Enough... enough... given the situation, hiding it is useless. Your methods, Your Excellency, are something I have never witnessed in my life. I fear... I fear even the high and mighty Elders in the temple may not be your match." He panted a few times before continuing, "That's right. We... belong to the 'Five Immortals Alliance'. Not under the banner of any single immortal family as you might understand, but rather... an alliance established a hundred years ago. It was jointly decided upon by several major Taoist temples and 'Chu Ma Xian' halls in the Northeast at the time, along with the five immortal Old Ancestors, to fulfill a 'contract'... a liaison and execution alliance."
He spoke very slowly, as if each word cost him great effort. "The pact stipulates that a grand sacrifice must be held every hundred years. Using specific methods and a specific 'Spirit Medium' as a guide, we communicate with heaven and earth, stabilize the contract, appease the five immortals, and safeguard the peace beyond the pass. Simultaneously, the alliance selects suitable Disciples to Cultivate some... secret arts derived from Ancient Shamanic Methods and local Earth Immortal Legacy, responsible for handling matters related to 'non-human' existences that ordinary Taoist temples find inconvenient to address."
Li Muchen listened quietly, many clues in his mind beginning to connect. Changchun Temple's ambiguous attitude, the special incense ash at the bottom of the well, the eeriness of the Weasel Spirit's plea for title, and the existence of this 'Five Immortals Alliance'... It seemed that in this Northeast land, there truly existed a complex, centuries-old web of relationships among the Taoist sects, the 'Chu Ma Xian', remnants of ancient shamanism, and the forces of cultivated Essence Spirits. And the so-called 'Century-Old Contract' and 'sacrifice' were one of the pivotal points maintaining this web.
"So, Chen Feng being chosen as the 'Spirit Medium' was the work of your Five Immortals Alliance? And the Weasel Spirit's plea for title by the ancient well in the abandoned village was also one of your 'specific methods'?" Li Muchen's voice turned cold.
The old man's facial muscles twitched. He lowered his voice, "A Spirit Medium... must have a compatible birth chart, a pure soul, and a connection with the local earth qi. Once selected, there are... trials. The plea for title by Lord Huang San (the Weasel Spirit) was one of them. If one can pass the trial, they naturally become a qualified 'Spirit Medium', participating in the grand sacrifice to communicate with the ancestral spirits. It is the highest honor. If they cannot pass... then such is their fate. Their soul, flesh, and blood are considered an offering, nourishing the mountains and rivers."
"Such is their fate? An offering?" A sharp chill surged in Li Muchen's eyes. "Luring people with evil arts, coercing them with demonic creatures, treating the life and death of living humans as child's play, and yet you dare to call it honor and offering? How are your actions any different from those of demons!"
"What do you know!" The young Grey-robed figure grew agitated again, coughing up bloody froth. "Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures! The Century-Old Pact is nearing its end, the energy of heaven and earth is shifting, and the five immortal Old Ancestors are restless! Without a sufficiently significant, sufficiently pure 'Spirit Medium' to conduct the grand sacrifice and stabilize the contract, once the Old Ancestors become enraged and tear up the agreement, the entire region beyond the pass will suffer devastation! Sacrificing the few to save the many, what is wrong with that?!"
"Heretical nonsense," Li Muchen's tone was icy. "If a contract requires the lives of the innocent to sustain it, then the contract itself has already entered the Evil Path. If the five immortals would bring calamity upon the Mortal world due to insufficient sacrificial offerings, then they are not immortals, but demons, deserving of extermination!"
"You... you dare blaspheme the Old Ancestors!" The young Grey-robed figure's eyes nearly burst from their sockets with rage.
The old man, however, let out a long sigh, seeming both weary and somewhat lost. "These arguments... are not without challengers within the alliance. It's just... a century-old tradition, deeply entrenched and hard to change. Moreover, dealing with the five immortal Old Ancestors is no easy task? Their power is far beyond that of ordinary Cultivators. Which alliance leader or Elder throughout the generations hasn't acted with extreme caution, treading on thin ice? Maintaining the status quo is already difficult enough, let alone changing it?"
He looked at Li Muchen, a complex, inscrutable glint appearing in his muddy eyes. "Your cultivation is profound, Your Excellency, I admire that. But... these waters run deep, involving immense stakes. It is far from as simple as you perceive. Behind the Five Immortals Alliance are the five lineages of Old Ancestors who have cultivated for hundreds, even thousands of years, their countless descendant clans throughout the Northeast forests and mountains, and those Taoist temples, halls, and even... some prominent Mortals whose interests have long been intertwined with theirs. Pull one thread, and the whole web moves."
"So what?" Li Muchen's expression remained unperturbed. "When one sees injustice, one should draw their sword. Demonic heretics and Evil Paths should be swept away. If those five immortal Old Ancestors truly dare to wreak havoc, I'll simply cut them down."
The plain tone carried a sharp, confident edge that seemed to look down upon everything.
The old man was stunned. The other three Grey-robed figures were also dumbfounded, as if they had heard the most absurd words in the world.
Slay the Five Immortals Ancestors? Those are nearly god-like beings in Northeast legends! Even within the Five Immortals Alliance, they are revered and worshipped with utmost awe. Who would dare harbor even a trace of disrespect, let alone speak of 'slaying' them?
"Your Excellency... Your Excellency, do you know what the Five Immortals Ancestors truly represent?" the old man said hoarsely. "They are not ordinary Essence Spirits. They have long ago condensed the Power Of Will from worship and incense, possessing vast Divine Abilities, akin to earth deities! Especially the Old Ancestor of the Liu Family; rumors say it is nearing its transformation into a flood dragon, capable of overturning rivers and seas! Old Ancestor Hu possesses illusion techniques that can reach the heavens, able to invert heaven and earth! The Huang family is treacherous, the Bai family unfathomable, the Hui family omnipresent... Your Excellency, though powerful, cannot fight alone against many!"
Li Muchen neither affirmed nor denied this, instead asking: "You mentioned earlier that the alliance Cultivates Ancient Shamanic Methods and Earth Immortal Secret Arts. That special incense, its refining method, does it originate from the shamanic Legacy?"
The old man hesitated for a moment, then nodded: "Yes. That 'Tongyou Spirit-Guiding Incense' requires seven specific Spiritual Plants from deep within the old forests, essence blood from aquatic creatures over a hundred years old, and... and Moonlight Essence collected during specific, auspicious hours as catalysts. It must be blended using ancient methods and aged in cellars for three years before it can be used. Burning it allows one to commune with specific earth vein spiritual energies, rouse the slumbering consciousness of ancestral spirits, and also... pacify some restless 'non-human' existences. Ordinary exorcism incense is ineffective against them."
"Moonlight Essence from specific hours..." Li Muchen pondered thoughtfully. No wonder the scent of that incense ash was so peculiar—a blend of the shamanic's primal fervor, the aquatic's yin-cold fishy odor, and a thread of the moon's pure chill.
"What was your purpose in setting up an altar here and burning this incense? Merely to refine it, or was there another scheme?"
The old man's face changed slightly, his lips moved, but he did not answer immediately.
Li Muchen's gaze swept over the cleared patch of ground and the still-churning whirlpool in the river's center. He already had a deduction: "Was it for the 'Black Water Yuan Lord' in this river? Using the incense as a lure, offering some condition in exchange, to make it serve your purposes? Just like using that Weasel Spirit to 'test' Spirit Mediums?"
"You... how do you know that?" the young grey-robed figure exclaimed involuntarily.
The old man closed his eyes, then said dejectedly: "Correct. The 'Black Water Yuan Lord' is a spirit of the waterways in this Black Water Ridge area. Although not formally listed among the five immortals, it possesses considerable Dao cultivation, particularly skilled in concealment, tracking, and water control. The alliance needs it at certain times... to assist in guarding the 'sacrificial offerings,' ensure the ritual proceeds smoothly, and... handle any unexpected incidents."
He spoke euphemistically, but Li Muchen understood perfectly. Guarding offerings to prevent escape; handling incidents naturally meant eliminating unstable factors like himself that might disrupt the ritual. This 'Five Immortals Alliance' indeed operated with meticulous and ruthless precision, incorporating mountain and water spirits into their 'order.'
"Where is your main altar, or rather, the preparatory location for the next Grand Sacrifice?" Li Muchen asked the most critical question.
The old man's eyes snapped open, and he shook his head repeatedly: "No... I cannot say that! That is the alliance's highest secret. Besides the Elders and a few core stewards, no one knows the exact location! This old one... this old one was only ordered to receive the 'Black Water Yuan Lord' here and periodically burn the 'Tongyou Spirit-Guiding Incense' to maintain contact with it, nothing more!"
"Truly do not know?"
"Truly do not know!" The old man's tone was resolute, but his eyes flickered slightly.
Li Muchen pressed no further. He could see that this old man might genuinely not know the exact location, but he certainly knew some related clues or characteristics. However, forceful interrogation was not the best strategy now. These four were mere pawns, privy to limited core secrets, and their minds were already steeped in the so-called 'covenant' and 'Old Ancestors,' difficult to sway easily.
He raised his eyes to gaze into the depths of Black Water Ridge. Under the moonlight, the mountain contours resembled slumbering giant beasts, harboring endless secrets. Now that he knew of the existence of the 'Five Immortals Alliance' and the 'Centennial Grand Sacrifice,' and knew their evil nature of using living people as offerings, he was determined to intervene in this matter.
The immediate priority was to find the exact location of their Grand Sacrifice and also... whether the chosen 'Spirit Medium' Chen Feng was just one of them? Were there other victims?
"You four, aiding tyranny and abetting evil, though not the primary culprits, are still not without blame," Li Muchen withdrew his gaze, looking at the four on the ground. "Today, I will cripple your cultivation and destroy your Demonic Weapons. I hope you will turn over a new leaf and refrain from such heaven-defying, harmful deeds. If I find you committing evil again, I will not spare you."
As his words fell, he flicked his fingers in quick succession. Four strands of golden light, fine as gossamer, shot into the Dantian and Qi Sea areas of the four Grey-robed figures.
All four shuddered violently, the color instantly draining from their faces. They let out low groans of agony. The aura around their bodies rapidly withered like deflated balloons. The last traces of fanaticism and magical spiritual light in their eyes completely dimmed, becoming no different from ordinary, physically weak individuals. Their grey robes, inscribed with talismanic patterns, also seemed to lose their support, turning dull and lusterless, the patterns fading away.
Li Muchen then made a grasping motion in the air. The fragments of the bronze lamps on the ground and the remaining bits of Magical Artifacts and Talismans on the four individuals all flew up. They were enveloped in a sphere of Pure Yang Pill Fire above his palm, instantly reduced to ashes, not a trace of evil aura left behind.
Having done all this, he no longer looked at the four, now limp as mud and ashen-faced, and turned to leave.
"Wait... wait!" the old man suddenly shouted with all his remaining strength.
Li Muchen's footsteps paused slightly.
Gasping for breath, the old man struggled to say: "Your Excellency... if Your Excellency is determined to involve yourself in this matter... perhaps... you could go to the 'Snow Nest' to investigate..."
"Snow Nest?"
"Yes... deep within Black Water Ridge, there is a mountain hollow where snow never melts year-round, shaped like a nest or mortar. There... the earth qi is extremely yin, yet it also contains a rare thread of yang harmony and vitality. It is... an excellent location for refining certain special Magical Artifacts, or... temporarily sealing 'Spirit Mediums.' The alliance... occasionally uses that place." Having said this, the old man seemed to have exhausted all his strength, collapsing to the ground and speaking no more.
Snow Nest... earth qi extremely yin, yet containing yang harmony and vitality?
Li Muchen committed this to memory, gave a slight nod, and with a flicker of his figure, vanished into the vast night. Only the howling river wind and the four Grey-robed figures, crippled in cultivation and with uncertain futures, remained lying on the cold, stony shore.
He did not return directly to the inn. Instead, following an extremely faint trace of aquatic, fishy, bloody aura left behind when the demonic catfish fled, he moved upstream along the river, expanding his Divine Sense to search meticulously.
Although the 'Black Water Yuan Lord' was wounded and fled, the Huangting Vitality Dao Rhyme contained within Li Muchen's finger strike had invaded its monstrous body's Origin, not so easily expelled. Following this faint resonance, he might find its true lair, and even... discover more clues related to the 'Five Immortals Alliance' or this Grand Sacrifice.
More importantly, he needed to confirm whether the spiritual nexus of Black Water Ridge's waterways, like the 'Snow Nest,' had also been tampered with by these heretical demons, becoming part of their evil ritual.
Under the moon, above the cold river, a cyan figure flew along the riverbank as if riding the wind. His Divine Sense spread out like a net, meticulously combing through this seemingly tranquil, yet actually turbulent and undercurrent-filled landscape of mountains, rivers, and earth.
The night was still long. The filth and secrets hidden within these White Mountains and Black Waters were being slowly uncovered.