Chapter 1 Jin'ao Lane

Jin'ao Lane, the old residence of the Prince of Yong.

In the hands of the Prince of Lu, a wisp of desire spun around before slowly dissipating. His face was gloomy as he learned of the events that had transpired in Jining Prefecture's Jiaxiang County.

His bank had been destroyed, and the people guarding it had been killed by intruders. Although this matter originated from Mi Long's greed, in this world of bright sun and moon, who dared to disrespect him so blatantly?

Killing them just like that was a slap in the face.

"Striking a dog depends on its master. Mi Long was a loyal subordinate. It seems the opponent is not to be trifled with, which is why he didn't invoke my name."

If the opponent were easily bribed, Mi Long would have certainly used his name to intimidate them. But the desire conveyed back was only Mi Long's apology... What use was an apology now?

How desperate must he have been to not even utter his name?

It seemed the person who killed him was both powerful and unreasonable.

And most importantly, Mi Long's last wish conveyed the message that the opponent could use Yellow Heaven Teachings' magic, destroying his Buddhist techniques and leading to his demise.

The situation became increasingly perplexing.

"The leader of the Yellow Heaven Teachings is right under my command. Could Mi Long have encountered Zen Master Huyan? Absurd! I must ask that Lord of Fire about this Yellow Heaven Teachings' magic!"

The Prince of Lu was about to use his massive golden wheel to contact the Lord of Fire when his body suddenly trembled, and a look of surprise appeared on his face.

"The Vajrakilaya Hell Mark has also been eliminated?"

"What exactly is happening in my territory?"

The Vajrakilaya Hell Mark did not belong to the Prince of Lu, but he could sense its presence. He immediately activated the golden wheel to send messages to the demons and monsters in the Jining area, ordering them to investigate the situation.

Before long, demons and monsters returned with reports. After learning of the situation, the Prince of Lu was first stunned, then a surge of anger arose from his heart, threatening to erupt as malevolent fire from his orifices. His face changed, gradually transforming into a visage of green skin, sharp fangs, and furious eyes.

"The followers of the Eastern Mahayana Church have all been arrested by the neighboring county's government. Before that, a large-scale massacre occurred in the county town, and even the local magistrate was killed by these cultists?"

"That horse was my man! How dare they kill my man!"

The magistrate was a crucial means of controlling the local area. Mi Long's casino had worked hard to turn the magistrate into a gambling addict, and with his protection, they had plundered the local wealth and treasures. Furthermore, the desires of those gamblers served a great purpose; the Hell Mark hidden beneath the Eastern Mahayana temple was prepared for this very thing.

But before he could dispose of the Eastern Mahayana temple after using it, these cultists had made the first move!

Moreover, what enraged the Prince of Lu even more was the appearance of the Yellow Heaven Teachings' true form. In many places where murders and brawls had occurred, the bloodied words "The Illuminating Bodhisattva is also the Lord of Fire" were left behind, along with the Yellow Heaven Teachings' slogan: "The Taiyin gives birth to light, illuminating the sacred fire."

The demons and monsters had thoroughly investigated the local situation. Traces of arson were everywhere, indeed very similar to the actions of the Yellow Heaven Teachings.

Rumors of the fire at the Forbidden City had spread in some northern regions, especially among the demons and monsters. The Lord of Fire's reputation had also soared in their circles.

A true warrior dares to set fire to the Forbidden City. Putting aside everything else, since the founding of the Great Ming, the Lord of Fire was the first cultivator, or rather demon, this powerful. Most importantly, this girl's cultivation was not high at all.

Many demons sighed in regret. So, the defenses of the Forbidden City were this weak? If they had known, they would have joined in the attack, chopped up Emperor Wanli, and eaten him. Who knew if eating the emperor would increase their cultivation?

The Prince of Lu did not care about the demons' chatter. He cursed them, and they immediately fell silent.

The Prince of Lu further mused that the Eastern Mahayana Church was just the Yellow Heaven Teachings in disguise, trying to use him as well.

What gave them the audacity?

Who had they turned to for support?

Come to think of it, the origins of this sect had always been unclear. So, it was a wolf in sheep's clothing!

"Good, good, Xu Hongru, you are already dead. Although this person destroyed my casino, he also killed these rebel Yellow Heaven Teachings. But I cannot take it out on you. I can, however, take it out on your master!"

"Lord of Fire! It seems your father is not dead yet!"

.......

Wucheng County. The Lord of Fire was just departing when she received a message from the Prince of Lu. She was accompanied by a disoriented young man.

Prince Lie Jie had killed the villagers of Wucheng County and, as instructed by the Lord of Fire, refined them into Blood Flesh Pills, which greatly advanced his cultivation. He had even transformed from a ghost-god into a human-god. This meant he had completely transformed, transcending the path of the ghost immortal and able to pursue cultivation beyond the human immortal stage.

The righteous cultivation paths in the world were of five types: heaven, gods, earth, humans, and ghosts. The paths of heaven, gods, earth, and humans were progressively ascending, while the ghost immortal was the lowest and most difficult path to the Great Dao.

Breaking free from the path of the ghost immortal meant breaking free from the Taiyin and entering the cycle of the sun. This should have been a good thing.

Prince Lie Jie thought so in his heart as well.

At least the flesh and blood of the villagers still lived on in his body.

He was lost in thought, while the Lord of Fire was being berated by the Prince of Lu.

"My father? My father is dead.... No, what are you talking about? How could my father be resurrected? His cultivation isn't even as high as mine. If he could be resurrected, he would have done it long ago...."

The Prince of Lu's voice came from the spiritual talisman:

"You're afraid that your father will come back to steal your position as leader! Who doesn't know how ruthless you are, and you're still trying to deny it to me! I'm telling you now, your father is alive and causing arson and murder on my territory. That Eastern Mahayana temple.... Never mind, I doubt you even know! What do you know? You're just a pawn! A puppet to be manipulated! You're just a dog to be summoned and ordered around!"

"This matter is not over, and I'll ask you one question. Just answer me with a yes or no!"

"No heaven, no earth, no self, no person, Wuji transformation, before the Sound of Majesty, after emptiness! Is this scripture and spell from your Yellow Heaven Teachings!"

The Lord of Fire was stunned on the spot. The spiritual talisman still carried the Prince of Lu's curses.

But her mind was a mess, as if struck by lightning. She could not make sense of anything, and a great sense of fear spread from Andromeda!

"This is indeed a spell from the Yellow Heaven Teachings...."

"Damn it, so it really is your spell..."

"But, I just created this spell."

"Hmm?"

The Prince of Lu's voice clearly showed doubt, waiting for the Lord of Fire's explanation.

The Lord of Fire hurriedly said, "This spell is a new spell that I wrote not long ago. It hasn't been compiled into scriptures or teachings yet, and it's only tentatively named *The Imperial Zenith Majestic Sound No Heaven Precious Scroll*. There are twelve spells inside. This one reverses the four elements and can turn blessings into karmic retribution...."

"This is a new spell that I created with reference to *The Scripture of the Extinction of the Dharma*. I'm not even proficient in using it myself, and sometimes it even damages my own blessings, turning them into karmic fire and ruining my cultivation. How could it be used by someone else!"

The scene fell into an eerie silence. The Prince of Lu's voice paused for a long time, but he still believed the Lord of Fire was making excuses:

"You haven't shown this spell to anyone else? You didn't have any drafts? You didn't tell your father about similar ideas? In short, this spell appeared over there, and it was the message Mi Long sent me before his death. Even the words are exactly the same. You're not going to tell me that one of your followers, from thousands of miles away, suddenly comprehended the new spell you just wrote!"

"I know that sudden enlightenment is an unreasonable thing. Sometimes, with a flash of inspiration, one understands certain spells. But can your Yellow Heaven Teachings' heresy also be suddenly enlightened? I'll try it with your scriptures. If I can't suddenly enlighten it, I'll tear your three souls apart!"

"Since you say this is a new spell that you wrote, then immediately, right now, give me a reasonable explanation!"

The Lord of Fire was speechless. How would she know what was going on? She only felt that since her rebirth, she had encountered nothing but misfortune. The manipulation by Li Shanhe and the guidance of the Song court had turned all her past achievements into laughable mockeries. Resentment filled her heart, and she could not help but retort:

"Prince of Lu! We are just collaborators, at most your guests! How can you speak to me in this tone! Would I lie to you? What good would it do me to lie to you!"

"If it was my people who destroyed your bank and burned your territory, then why would I continue to work for you? Wouldn't I be afraid of you causing trouble for me! Why don't you think about it!"

From the spiritual talisman, came the Prince of Lu's cold laughter: "So, of course I've thought about these things. It's precisely because I can't figure it out, because I don't understand, that I'm asking you!"

The Lord of Fire was once again speechless. The Prince of Lu, seemingly having vented his anger, calmed down a bit and told the Lord of Fire to quickly take Prince Lie Jie to the designated location. Something big was coming.

"On the fifteenth of August, there will be a lantern festival on the Qinhuai River. Humans, gods, demons, and ghosts will all be there. You must go to the Qinhuai River before that night....... This is my arrangement. Don't ruin my plans again. I'll put the matter in Jining Prefecture on your father's head for now. Another day, when I find your father..."

"I will help you kill him!"

Having said that, the light on the spiritual talisman disappeared, signifying the end of the call.

The Lord of Fire was also full of anger, cursing her father, who she didn't know was dead or alive. At the same time, she could not help but think that it was only because she didn't have the capital right now that she had to obey the orders of Li Shanhe and his group, and be under this prince. She had originally thought he was a good boss, but now it seemed he was just a grumpy ghost!

"Serves your bank right for being burned. Damn it, good riddance! I burned the Forbidden City, and one day I'll burn your Jin'ao Lane to the ground!"