115: Night Talks at Xitou: A Century-Old Secret

After the group left Snow Nest, Li Muchen did not return to the Laoguan East Inn by the same route. Since the alarm at Snow Nest had been triggered, even though the malevolent intent of the blood pool had been purified, there was no guarantee there were no other contingencies or means of detection. The inn was crowded and full of prying eyes, and being too close to the core area of Black Water Ridge, it was no longer a safe place.

He identified the direction and led the group northeast, deliberately choosing rugged, difficult mountain paths and snowy forests to traverse. Chen Feng and Daoist Master Xuangu each supported the two weakest young men, while Li Muchen carried the remaining two, one in each hand. His figure leaped and flew through the mountain forests, leaving only faint traces in the snow that were quickly smoothed over by falling snowflakes and mountain winds.

Although Daoist Master Xuangu's cultivation was damaged, his foundation remained, and he was relatively familiar with the mountain paths. Along the way, he pointed out several relatively hidden places where they could rest temporarily. Finally, before sunset, they reached a small, nearly isolated village located on the eastern foothills at the periphery of Black Water Ridge.

Calling it a village was generous; it was merely a dozen or so households scattered along a small, unfrozen creek. The houses were mostly built of rough-hewn logs, low and simple, with roofs covered in thick thatch and accumulated snow. As dusk approached, a few wisps of cooking smoke curled upwards, hinting at a touch of human warmth amidst the vast, snowy peaks.

"This place is called 'Xitou Village.' The families here are all old households who moved here a century ago to escape war or bandits. The folkways are simple and honest, and they have very little contact with the outside world," Daoist Master Xuangu said quietly. "This humble Daoist came here to gather herbs years ago and formed some acquaintance with an old hunter in the village. Perhaps we can seek temporary lodging here."

They stopped in front of a household with a slightly larger courtyard, where several wind-dried animal skins hung by the door. After knocking, an old man with graying hair, a vigorous spirit, and a face weathered by wind and sun opened the door. Seeing Daoist Master Xuangu, he was first stunned, then his face lit up with pleasant surprise: "Daoist Master Xuangu? How did you get here? And in such a state? Please, please come in quickly!"

The old man's surname was Han, precisely the old hunter Daoist Master Xuangu had mentioned. He ushered the group inside. The heated brick bed was warm, driving away the chill from their bodies. Old Man Han didn't ask many questions. Seeing everyone's ragged clothes and hungry, weary faces, he immediately instructed his daughter-in-law to boil water and heat up food, and also dug out some clean old clothes for them to change into.

After everyone had washed up a bit, drank some hot soup, and warmed their bellies, they gathered around the warm brick bed. Only then did Old Man Han look at Daoist Master Xuangu with concern: "Master, you... did you encounter danger in the mountains? And these young fellows..."

"Brother Han, to be frank, we did indeed encounter serious trouble," Daoist Master Xuangu said with a bitter smile, omitting the key details. "There is a group of evil cultists causing trouble in the mountains. This humble Daoist and these young friends were unfortunately captured by them. Fortunately, this Daoist Master Li here acted righteously and rescued us, allowing us to escape. However, that group is quite powerful now. We need to lay low for a while and will be troubling you for a few days. I wonder if that's acceptable?"

Upon hearing this, Old Man Han's expression turned serious: "Evil cultists? Could it be those people rumored in recent years to be up to no good deep in Black Water Ridge? Don't worry, Master. Stay as long as you need! Our Xitou Village is remote; outsiders won't find it easily. Even if they do come, the few dozen young and old folks in our village aren't pushovers!" His words were simple but carried the fierce loyalty and righteousness characteristic of mountain folk.

Once settled, Li Muchen had Chen Feng and Daoist Master Xuangu look after the five young men who had suffered severe physical and mental torment. He himself sat opposite Daoist Master Xuangu in a side room of the Han house. By the light of an oil lamp, they began a detailed conversation.

"Daoist Master Xuangu, how much do you know about the 'Five Immortals Alliance' and the 'Century-Old Covenant'? And what role did Changchun Temple play in all this?" Li Muchen got straight to the point.

Daoist Master Xuangu let out a long sigh, his sallow face etched with deep weariness and sorrow: "This matter... it's a shame for the Daoist community of the Northeast, and an indelible stain on my Changchun Temple."

He fell silent for a moment, as if organizing his thoughts, then slowly began: "The so-called 'Century-Old Covenant' did indeed exist initially, dating back to the Late Ming and early Qing dynasties. At that time, beyond the pass was a chaotic mix—shamanic wizards, mountain spirits and wild monsters, and Cultivators of all kinds coexisted and frequently clashed, bringing suffering to the common people."

"Later, some profoundly accomplished, enlightened Daoist masters, along with several of the most powerful 'Earth Immortals' of the time and the newly established Qing court's Imperial Shamans, jointly established a covenant of 'non-aggression and mutual maintenance of order.' They used a dragon vein node on Changbai Mountain as the foundation and engraved a 'covenant stone' to anchor it."

"The agreement was that the Human Race Cultivators and the Spirit Mediums of the Immortal Families would not recklessly invade the cultivation grounds of the five immortals. In return, the five immortals had to restrain their descendants from causing large-scale harm to the mortal world and, at specific times, assist in suppressing certain ancient, lingering evil forces beyond the pass. Every hundred years, a grand sacrificial ceremony was to be held. Using offerings of livestock and grains as tribute, they would communicate with the heaven, earth, and ancestral spirits to reaffirm the covenant's power."

"For the first century, this covenant indeed played a positive role in stabilizing the region. Those presiding over the sacrifices were mostly the Daoist temples, shamanic lineage holders, and some capable Immortal Family mediums who had participated in the original pact. Over time, these individuals formed a loose Alliance, the precursor to the 'Five Immortals Alliance.' The resources needed for the sacrifices were also jointly provided by all parties."

"However, times change," Daoist Master Xuangu's tone grew heavy. "Since the late Qing dynasty, the nation's fortune declined, and the Daoist community waned. True, enlightened masters became fewer and fewer."

"And after the founding of the new nation, although the national fortune greatly increased, it was already the end of the Dharma Age. The Daoist community declined further. Meanwhile, to sustain their own cultivation, the five immortals lineage gradually made increasingly harsh demands for the sacrifices. The offerings gradually shifted from livestock and grains to 'spiritual objects' containing Spiritual Qi, and then... to 'Spirit Mediums' with specific birth dates and pure souls! Under the guise that 'Spirit Mediums' could better communicate with ancestral spirits, it was, in reality... merely to satisfy the selfish desires of certain beings or to perform some kind of evil ritual!"

"Changchun Temple..." Daoist Master Xuangu's voice trembled slightly, filled with bitterness. "As one of the main Daoist temples involved in the original pact, successive abbots have been core members of the Five Immortals Alliance. Initially, they might have still harbored righteous intentions, trying to restrain and mediate."

"But later, power within the Alliance gradually fell into the hands of some radical Xuan Chengs and Elders who were deeply entangled with the five immortals. Not only did they tacitly accept the evil practice of using living humans as 'Spirit Mediums,' they even actively participated in selecting and capturing them! Those within the temple with a shred of conscience who raised objections were either marginalized and suppressed, or... like this humble Daoist, framed and reduced to prisoners or even sacrificial offerings!"

"It was only in recent years that this humble Daoist gradually noticed that some Elders in the temple, such as the Law Enforcement Elder Xuan Cheng, the Teaching Elder Xuan Hui, and others, had very close dealings with Elders like 'Purple Fiend' and 'Black Wind' within the Five Immortals Alliance, often engaging in shady activities."

"Some outstanding Disciples or visiting Fellow Daoists within the temple, if they had special birth dates, were prone to 'disappearing' or 'dying accidentally.' This humble Daoist investigated secretly and found clues pointing deep into Black Water Ridge. I intended to investigate further, but inadvertently let the news slip. Xuan Cheng and the others set an ambush, captured me, and sent me to that demonic den, Snow Nest."

Li Muchen listened quietly. Many clues in his mind finally connected into a clear thread. No wonder Changchun Temple's attitude towards Chen Feng's matter was ambiguous, even subtly manipulative. No wonder that 'Purple Fiend Elder' could operate in Black Water Ridge for so many years. No wonder the Five Immortals Alliance acted so brazenly—they had long since infiltrated, even controlled, a significant portion of the Daoist forces in the Northeast, forming a vast community of shared interests.