The Immortal’s Poison

Chang Li peered at Ji Fei once. The old monk immediately took a few steps forward. He explained the origins of ‘Rely on the fate of Ishvara, the land of Caturapramanah’ to Wen Leyang.

 According to the legend, there was a young monk born with profound roots of wisdom in the ancient times. He understood a great supernatural power through his meditation of Buddhism magic. The young monk did not understand that the scorching heat in his body that was growing stronger was actually the utmost highest magic art of the Buddhism Sect’s cultivators. He thought that he was not a devoted Buddhist. He provoked the wrath of the Bodhisattva into sending down a punishment that would burn himself to death soon.

 The young monk was dejected and dispirited. He did not dare talk to his master teacher about this, more so to his senior and junior brother disciples. He ran to the back of the mountain secretly every day, and squeezed out the scorching heat from his body with great effort. As time passed, the vitality that was forced out of his body opened up a place of the outer fringe. That was precisely the fantasyland that was described by Taoist cultivators.

 It was said that this young monk was supposed to be the reincarnation of some Buddha from the western paradise of Sukhavati. He was supposed to return to the Devaloka in this lifetime, yet he wasted his life vitality due to his stupid actions. Therefore he could only continue to cultivate in the state of his reincarnation.

 Wen Leyang had never heard of the concept ‘a place of the outer fringe’. He was slightly stunned as he was looking at Chang Li. He wanted to ask but he did not know how.

 Chang Li’s expression turned slightly solemn. Yet there was still mischief contained in the corners of her eyes and charming brows, “Depending on the few of our cultivation base,” as she was saying that, she pointed to Zhui Zi and Hanba, “even if our cultivation base is more profound by ten times, it’s still impossible for us to condense our own place! The fantasyland is an ability that is only possessed by the Great Luo Golden God in the legends.”

 This matter was regarded as a joke by the Buddhism Sect that constantly used the classic tales as an explanation. There was an eminent monk who gave this place a name based on the origins of the place of the outer fringe. It was known as the ‘Rely on the fate of Ishvara’, that coincided with the meaning that it was formed in a baffling manner by following the fate of God.

 Afterward, there was another monk who added a ‘the land of Caturapramanah’ behind ‘Rely on the fate of Ishvara’. He hoped that he could propagate the Buddhism magic art, and persuade people into acting in benevolence.

 The old, demon rabbit Bu Le once mocked ‘Rely on the fate of Ishvara’ by saying it truly contained a little Buddhism mind and Zen spirit. When it was forcefully added with ‘the land of Caturapramanah’, it sounded like an elegant, antique building that had a signboard of ‘Scrumptious and Cheap Large Steamed Stuffed Buns’ – making it inferior at once.

 The young monk’s unintentional deed was why this stretch of area that was opened up using magic power, was not sealed with any prohibition spell. Anyone was allowed to enter and leave at will. While the place of the outer fringe existed in the world, it could not be seen by the common folks. It became a stretch of the holy land in the cultivation world.

 When the old monk, Ji Fei was done explaining, the fat monk, Shui Jing too continued, “The legend is not dependable, but this stretch of place truly exists. It has since stopped being some Buddhism Sect’s holy land.”

 It was unknown since when the ‘Rely on the fate of Ishvara, the land of Caturapramanah’ had turned into a place where cultivators from everywhere gathered. Some people came and refused to leave; settling down immediately. There were many lone cultivators without sect who were mingling there. As time passed, the place turned into a spot akin to a free harbor. Any type of job was available here. Whether it was to extract information, or look for treasured weapons or hiring help, there was always someone who was willing to do any job.

 ‘Rely on the fate of Ishvara, the land of Caturapramanah’ was a place of the outer fringe that was pure and holy from its structure. The only miraculous part was only that ordinary people could not see it. It did not offer any help to improve cultivation, understanding of heaven or magic power. That was why the domineering influence of the cultivation world did not matter to it.

 Over centuries, the cultivation world had already formed a tacit understanding of the outer fringe. All sorts of forces entered and left at will, they were allowed to pursue and kill the enemy. They were also allowed to evade the pursuit. Of course, it would not be a problem for them to deal with businesses there, they could do anything they pleased.

 Wen Leyang was a little confused from listening to that. He could not refrain himself from asking, “They could do anything they pleased? There is no need for them to follow rules?”

 The old monk, Ji Fei burst out laughing, “The rule originates from the heart. If you have no enmity with the person before your eyes, and someone were to stuff a knife into your hands, then you will toss the knife away too. If you are absolutely irreconcilable with the person before your eyes, and there is a rule that says you are not allowed to kill the person, does that mean that you will not kill him then?”

 The little supreme leader Liu Zheng too laughed, “The people who cultivate, possess mighty power in their bodies, they are not restricted by rules. This place of the outer fringe is no different than the cultivation world. Have you ever heard of rules in the cultivation world?”

 The ‘Ishvara, Caturapramanah’ was extremely famous in the cultivation world. Ninety-nine percent of cultivators had heard of the place before and more than half of cultivators had been there before.

 In the village chief’s huge house, there was a large batch of master cultivators and demon immortals who gathered. However, before Little Five saved Qin Zhui’s life, there were only a few people who had heard of the place ‘Rely on the fate of Ishvara, the land of Caturapramanah’.

 When Chang Li was trapped for two thousand years, Hanba was busy killing demons and extracting its primordial energy. Zhui Zi had only been resurrected. There was even less need to mention Tuo Xie’s disciples. Wen Shulin from the Heaven-telling Sect barely dealt with the cultivation world in the past, of course he had never heard of it too.

 On the contrary, it was Ji Fei and Shui Jing who were beyond familiar with this place.

 The two monks talked and continued after one another. The two silly uncles who had been hiding in the corner listening jumped up together. They spoke in unison, “Yes, so what happened to the young monk afterwards?”

 There was an uproar, and the people in the house chuckled aloud…

 Chang Li laughed as she shot her gaze towards Wen Leyang, “This stretch of place on the outer fringe… you will still need to pay a visit after all.”

 The old monk Ji Fei had a loose tongue. He immediately complemented from the side, “That place is a Buddhism Sect’s restricted area in the ancient times. The surroundings are suppressed by demon-repelling stones. It is as easy as breathing for the few demon immortals to attempt to charge into the place, yet it will also startle the people in there. Everyone discussed and agreed that Liu Zheng is requested to go for this trip supposedly; but he had other matters to attend to, so the both of us shall be accompanying you on this trip.”

 Recently there was news that was transmitted from the highland’s snow peak that the Kunlun disciples who were possessed by the firecrackers were gradually waking up. Liu Zheng immediately departed to coordinate with his disciples.

 Wen Leyang was duty-bound to attend this trip. He was stunned for a moment upon listening to the old monk Ji Fei’s words, “Is there such a thing as the demon-expelling stones? If it is as you said, the golden monkey is not there then?”

 Long before Wen Leyang’s return, the people in the family were discussing Qin Zhui’s incident attentively. Even though the golden monkey was not in the outer fringe, but the domineering influence of the descendants of heaven’s cone nails was certainly hidden there. Not that it coincided naturally with Wen Shulin’s calculation result. Whether it was for the investigation of Kong Nuer’s whereabouts, searching for the golden monkey Qian Ren, or to eliminate those descendants of the heaven’s cone nails to ensure the Nine Peaks Mountain’s safety; this trip to the outer fringe was imperative.

 Chang Li roughly explained the conclusion from the prior discussion. Following that she reminded Wen Leyang, “Your trip is only meant to extract information and see if there is anything suspicious. In case you can… in case you do discover the whereabouts of the descendants of heaven’s cone nail, or discover the enemy then do send back a message. We shall kill our way in together!

 Other than master teacher Wen Leyang and disciples, little Chi Maojiu would be joining them too. Mumu’s zombie would startle the demon-expelling stones there, so they could not join the trip.

 Wen Leyang still had some concerns. Whether Ji Fei or Shui Jing, or himself, they have since become very famous personages in the cultivation world. It was a worry that they would be instantly recognized the moment they arrived at the place.

 Small-eyed Xiao Sha laughed in contempt, “Leave the four of you to me!”

 Qin Zhui too only knew that he was imprisoned in the outer fringe. He was unclear of the specific location of the prison. Even if he were to join the trip he would not necessarily be of any help. Moreover, he was harmed by the Mourning Cauldron’s malevolent energy. Even though his life was free from harm after he had consumed the Centipede Grass, yet it was predicted that he would turn back into an ordinary person after he was completely healed. There was no way to tell if his foundation establishment could be rebuilt.

 Other than Wen Leyang’s people for this trip, Zhui Zi was in charge of tracking Red Pot and investigating the exact scheme that the psychotic toad planned towards the Wen family for the past few years.

 Hanba Fifth Brother on the other hand would travel together with Wen Leyang, only that he would not be entering the outer fringe. He would stay outside and coordinate with them, in case of emergency.

 Chang Li brought Mumu and the two silly uncles along to assume personal command over the Nine Peaks Mountain.

 The group of people spreaded out after the discussion was completed. Wen Leyang stayed in the home for a few more days. Xiao Sha started bustling about. This time Xiao Sha exerted all his strength. Not only did he patted on their faces for disguise and choked their throats to change their voices, he even disguised the few persons’ bodies.

 Xiao Sha’s Art of Jianghu was impressive as expected. By the time they had walked out of the house, other than the one-armed little Chi Maojiu, Chang Li could not even tell which was Wen Leyang.

 Wen Leyang was patted into a sad-faced middle-aged man, while Ji Fei was turned into an old man with a hunched back. The fat monk Shui Jing on the other hand turned into a young lad with a shy face. Chi Maojiu turned into a one-armed strong woman.

 Not only their appearances, even their voices and mannerisms were changed. Their body shapes were changed in accordance. Even though the transformation was not considered overly dramatic, their muscle contraction was controlled to perfection. At one glance, their entire self all appeared indigenous. They had the appearances that were grown over decades naturally.

 Wen Leyang’s group of six bid farewell to the family’s people and descended from the mountain.

 ‘Rely on the fate of Ishvara, the land of Caturapramanah’ was located at the back of Mount Putuo’s Buddha Peak. It was not a top secret location. Ji Fei and Shui Jing travelled with ease due to their experience. They guided Wen Leyang and the rest as they travelled far towards the southeast. Whether it was travelling by car, foot or boat, or rest and lodging, the both of them made arrangements well. There was no need for the rest of the people to worry. During their journey the two brothers chatted continuously as they described the specific situation of the outer fringe to their companions repeatedly.

 In the beginning Wen Leyang was listening to them in all seriousness. Afterwards the more he listened the more he felt that this place was a free market. Everyone could acquire what was needed from there. If one were to earn from there then it was one’s ability. If one were to suffer loss then it was one’s misfortune. Of course, if you were to refuse to submit to your loss, as long as you were capable of locating the person who framed you, you were also allowed to challenge the other party to a fight and kill. When it really came down to the moment of killing you could compete with your abilities or your friends or your treasured weapon, no one really cared about that.

The famous sects like the right path of Five Blessings conducted themselves with dignity. They would not be mingling in the matters there essentially. At most they would send some intelligent disciples to build an outpost there to extract information.

 The three types of people that were most frequently seen in the ‘Rely on the fate of Ishvara, the land of Caturapramanah’ were –

 Firstly, those were the cultivators who resided there permanently. These people’s cultivation base may not necessarily be very profound, but most of them were proficient with some peculiar skills. Some were skilled in refining immortality pills and forging weapons, some were skilled in tracking. Others were best at torturing and interrogating, while some were specially trained in spreading rumors. There were craftsmen capable of making fake immortal vessels. Anyhow anything that you could have thought of was available here!

Secondly, those people were the cultivators who belonged to sects with harboring intent in their hearts. Some were truly wishing to accomplish something, while some were straightforwardly there to take a chance. It was said that someone bought a heaven’s cultivation secret recording from the ancient times.

 Thirdly, those people were the cultivation disciples who were completely inexperienced in the society. Most of them would be strolling around under their master teachers’ guidance, such that they could accumulate the capital experiences needed for them to travel around the world in the future.

 Wen Leyang, Chi Maojiu, Ji Fei and Shui Jing were not the foolish people who pursued their journey with supernatural powers instead of travelling by train. The modern age’s transportation vehicles were capable of vastly reducing their travelling time. They arrived at Mount Putuo two days later. Hanba, father and daughter entered the mountain with them and escorted them for a distance before they stopped there. The remaining four continued to advance.

 It did not take long before they crossed the main peak of Mount Putuo, known as the Buddha Peak Mountain. From that point on they kept bumping into people who welcomed them. They asked if they were visiting in a hospitable manner and volunteered to be their guide. They were so enthusiastic that they made Wen Leyang too embarrassed to reject them. While the two brothers Ji Fei and Shui Jing stood on his left and right, they chased away the guides who were looking for business deals. The fat monk Shui Jing managed to laugh and told Wen Leyang in the midst of pressing affairs, “It has been like this all along. Before we arrived at the place, someone is already out to make business deals here!”

The old monk on the other hand scoffed, “When we were still passing our days in the outer fringe, this gang of young lads had yet to enter the cultivation world!”

 The two monks did not have any lack of experience in thieving in the past. Of course they spent a lot of time here bartering for useful immortal pills and herbs, but four years ago they became famous on Mount Hua. Even though they failed to become the Great Virtues, their statuses were heightened. The two brothers had high expectations and a strict demand for themselves, so they refused to step into this stretch, where the good and bad people were all mixed up.

 When they finally stepped onto a nameless treacherous peak, the old monk Ji Fei led Wen Leyang to the front of a steep cliff. He said smilingly, “I am going to enter first, then all of you shall follow! Upon saying that, he stepped off the cliff. The old monk’s body was in a diagonal position, he somersaulted and dropped.

 The situation was almost what Wen Leyang had imagined. There was no prohibition spell on the outer fringe. The process of entering the place would only require one to take a step forward and enter another layer of the world… The only difference was that the old man did not disappear like how Wen Leyang had imagined him to. He dropped all the way, and finally, within an agonizing scream, he landed on the ground outstretched.

The hunchback that Xiao Sha spent laborious effort to create for him was completely straightened from the fall.

 The fat monk Shui Jing’s face was filled with puzzlement. He stuck out his head and looked down, his mouth was muttering, “Has the place of the outer fringe’s entrance been changed?”

 The old monk whined and stood up. A large group of people with different attire suddenly bored out, and surrounded the old monk Ji Fei with an uproar.

 Wen Leyang thought that the incoming people were enemies. He somersaulted his way down. Shui Jing and little Chi Maojiu followed closely behind. The moment they touched the ground, the group of people had only scattered off for a moment before they surrounded Wen Leyang and the rest again.

 They surrounded Wen Leyang and the rest and chattered continuously. They spoke loudly in all sorts of slangs and accents. Wen Leyang felt that he was suddenly being surrounded by five hundred Red Pots. After a long while he realized that the outer fringe’s entrance was changed as expected. These people were here competing against one another to guide their way in.

 Even though the cliff was not high, Ji Fei’s fall was so hard he felt all emotional. He glared at the group of wild guides before him and he felt ferocious. He lifted a finger and scolded them, “Even if the damn entrance has been changed, there is no need for all of you to wait until I have fallen before you are willing to come out!”

 The guides each took an oath. They first said that they did not realize that someone was coming, then they praised Wen Leyang’s group of people for possessing a profound cultivation base such that they were uninjured. Their abilities were slightly higher than the supreme leaders of the Five Blessings…

 Not long ago, the outer fringe’s entrance was changed. This group of wild guides’ businesses were doing excellent, but there was no lack of cultivators like Ji Fei and Shui Jing. They depended on their familiarity to the place, and acted uncourteous towards the guides that welcomed them along the way. Generally, this kind of behavior would result in the cultivators being condemned to the punishment of freefalling.

 The old monk Ji Fei was inherently generous and magnanimous. He scolded them for a while and let the matter go. He haggled with the guides for a while and finally picked a short and small fellow with a Sichuan accent. The rest of the people scattered off.

 The short and small fellow was agile. He shuttled through the great mountain. He was more agile than an old ape, he was also very chatty. He guided Wen Leyang’s group of people as they chatted and laughed towards the depth of the mountain range.

 There was utterly no need for the rest of the people to inquire. The short and small fellow explained the reason himself, “Over a month ago, Shiwan Mountain was quaking profusely. Its spiritual vitality burst apart and resulted in our stretch of ‘Rely on the fate of Ishvara, the land of Caturapramanah’ to follow and quake. The initial entrance had collapsed…”

 Before he could finish his sentence, Ji Fei was shouting, “What kind of nonsense is this? Shiwan Mountain’s quake is not related to this stretch. Back in those days the old monk… the old monk had been here hundreds of times. I have never heard that the outer fringe is connected to Shiwan Mountain!”

 The short fellow was not in a hurry, he answered with a smiling face, “If not for the Shiwan Mountain’s quake that implicated this place here, we would never know that the outer fringe is connected to that ghostly place. This is the newest information here. If you were to inquire about this on the inside, then you will need to pay extra as a reward.”

 The size of the outer fringe was not too similar to an ordinary space. Even though this place was connected to Mount Putuo and the Chaos Great Mountain at the same time, it was not like its linear distance was as huge as between two mountains. It was more like the immortal master teacher’s magic protective circle that guided in three unique lands on the Goddess Peak back then. One could step into the Black and White Island from the Goddess Peak in one step, yet in reality those two places were more than thousands of kilometers away.

 Wen Leyang counted the days. When the entrance of the outer fringe collapsed, it was the same time as the wild burly man struggled free from the ghost formation that led to the subterranean cavern in the Chaos Great Mountain. That fall of the old monk Ji Fei earlier was caused by Hanba.

 The short and small fellow continued to laugh and said, “The earthquake on the Shiwan Mountain affected the place a lot. The situation has returned to normal mostly. Everyone is dealing with businesses as usual, they are still bustling about as before.”

 After they crossed two ridges, the short guide led the crowd onto another cliff. This time Ji Fei was smarter, he allowed the guide to jump first. The guide did not speak anymore, but he exerted his strength and jumped forward, his body vanished into thin air.

 Ji Fei was still a little worried. He insisted that Wen Leyang and the rest held hands before he was willing to jump.

 The four of them held hands then leaped off the cliff. Wen Leyang did not feel anything at all. After he took the leap, his feet sank. When he lowered his head to take a look, he was already stepping firmly on a flagstone road.

 It was only then Wen Leyang had understood the so-called outer fringe. This was a huge city without any enclosing walls. Buildings in all colors were spread out far away. There were the pavilions and pagodas with carved beams and painted rafters with streamers blowing in the wind. There were also modern shops and premises, with the signboard standing in great numbers.

 The big streets and small alleys crisscrossed like a spider web. The people on the road could not be considered as a noisy crowd, but the place was absolutely not desolated. The pedestrians were dressed in all sorts of attire. There were the feather fans and silk handkerchiefs used by ancient scholars, the long robes and mandarin jackets, the Taoist monk’s robes and the Buddhist monk’s outfits, western dresses, and leather shoes…

 The short guide stood on the side, he stretched out his hand and giggled as he asked for payment.

 The old monk too did not waste time talking nonsense. He procured a piece of spiritual talisman he took from the little supreme leader, Liu Zheng from his chest pocket. The Kunlun Sect was a profound orthodox sect. The spiritual concealment talisman, the body-cleansing talisman and the thunder fire concoct were all selling like hotcakes here.

 The guide received the spiritual talisman and he did not pester anymore; he left in a joyous mood.

Chi Maojiu was wondering, theoretically they had ‘entered the town’ now. The guide ought to be selling his goods even more. He should be fighting to stay behind and continue to guide their way. Yet the short man did not bother to ask, he turned around and left.

 The fat monk Shui Jing chuckled as he explained, “This is considered the tacit understanding in the outer fringe. As long as you have entered, no one will be bothering you anymore. If you need a guide, then you can hire one from the specialized store.”

 Ji Fei added from the side, “The people who come here, most of them are hiding secrets in their hearts that cannot be told to others. If those little characters outside were to make such a deal, if they are not careful they can end up being killed to prevent divulgence of secrets. The guides in the store are supported by some influential people. They are not afraid of accidents. Moreover, they are also more prestigious. They will absolutely never reveal the client’s secrets. Even though their payment is more expensive, it is still appropriate for both parties.”

 Wen Leyang looked up and everywhere. He sized this unusual and grotesque city with peculiar styles up and down. He nodded to Ji Fei and Shui Jing, he chuckled and said, “Let us take a stroll first!”

 The old monk burst out laughing. He guided the way in front, while the fat monk Shui Jing turned around and walked in the other direction.