CHAPTER 544: 542

Scholar Zhu’s brows were tightly knitted. "Not enter Chenzhou City?"

"You must be wondering why, right?" Li Ang, prodding at the tumor, conveyed the message. "It’s like this: after he woke up, he claimed to be an elder from a previous generation of Longhu Mountain who was the victim of a malicious assassination attempt during his Great Yin Body Refinement. His body was fragmented into several pieces. Only the head—that is, the Auspicious Beast itself—was able to escape to Annam territory by relying on the self-destruction of its Primordial Spirit to stop the enemy. According to the Auspicious Beast’s profound karmic senses, two pieces of its former body happen to be in Fengzhou and Qizhou, which are the exact two locations you, Scholar Zhu, divined before."

?! Scholar Zhu’s eyelids twitched. He involuntarily glanced at the two heads lying on the table. Does that mean these two heads were also once fragments of the Longhu Mountain elder’s body, remnants from the Great Yin Body Refinement? Who? Who could kill a Longhu Mountain elder and evade pursuit from Longhu Mountain? And what plan did he harbor, allowing the body fragments to turn into demons?

Scholar Zhu’s mind was filled with questions. Across from him, Li Ang continued to send messages unhurriedly. "The Auspicious Beast told me that because we’ve been in close contact with it, we’ve been tainted by its ’karma.’ If we even approach the vicinity of Chenzhou City, we’ll be sensed by the enemy who killed the Auspicious Beast in its past life. That enemy is the hidden mastermind behind all of this, and right now, he is within Chenzhou City..."

***

"Roasted meat, seared meat, roasted goose, cooked mutton!"

"Exotic fruits and vegetables, fresh seasonal fruits, wines, vinegars, and seafood!"

"When fortune arrives, buy estates, find a wife~"

On the streets of Chenzhou, Luo Siyuan, an eighteenth-generation Disciple from Longhu Mountain, listened to the bustling cries of the marketplace with a gentle smile. He was a young man of plain appearance with a slightly round face. He wore a simple green shirt and not the formal Zhuangzi Jin of the Zhengyi School; his casual demeanor resembled that of a student from the Imperial Academy.

It was noon, and the market was bustling with noise and activity. A Cargo Jack hawked knives and scissors along the street. Carts parked on the cobblestone road displayed taffy candies. Shops on one side sold golden oranges, frost-sprinkled persimmon cakes, and dragon-coiled dates, while stalls on the other offered milk sweets, tadpole noodles, fermented bean soup, jade paste, and stuffed lotus roots, both raw and cooked. A deep breath was enough to taste the rich sweetness in the air.

"It’s Taoist Head Luo!"

"Taoist Head Luo has arrived!"

Luo Siyuan seemed very popular here; the street vendors all recognized him. Seeing him approach, they greeted him warmly, stuffing all kinds of snacks into his arms, regardless of whether he could eat them all. A young girl selling flowers shyly picked a red flower from her basket and tossed it atop the heap in his already full arms. Then, amidst the good-natured laughter of the street folk, she blushed, turned, and fled in embarrassment, leaving Luo Siyuan standing alone, blinking innocently.

He had lived in this city for many years. Though a Direct Disciple of Longhu Mountain, he carried none of the airs of an accomplished cultivator. He was approachable, residing in an ordinary lane and often seen wandering the streets and alleys. Routinely, he performed rituals, offered feng shui consultations, treated illnesses, and exorcised demons, all free of charge. On occasion, he even helped repair leaky roofs, write calligraphy for shop signs, mediate neighborhood disputes, or leverage his status as a Longhu Mountain Disciple to help residents pursue justice against "important figures."

Everyone in Chenzhou City loved this kind and gentle young Taoist priest—everyone except his fellow disciples on Longhu Mountain. They had never approved of Luo Siyuan’s casual and unruly manner, his refusal to wear a Taoist Robe, his disregard for propriety, and his abstention from all mountain ceremonies. As for the sect elders’ suggestion that he take up the position as head of a local Taoist temple, he showed little interest, paying lip service but ultimately ignoring the directive. His laziness and disrespect were extreme.

If he were an ordinary Disciple, his seniors would have long ago ordered him to reflect behind closed doors, forbidden him from leaving, and punished him by making him transcribe the sect’s rules a hundred times without the aid of any cultivation techniques.

Unfortunately, his Master had once been an elder of Longhu Mountain. Although that elder had disappeared many years ago, and the Long Spirit Lamp dedicated to him in the temple had long since been extinguished, the prestige of his former title still allowed his Direct Disciple, Luo Siyuan, to exercise a bit of willfulness without attracting rebuke or investigation from the sect’s current elders.

CRUNCH.

Luo Siyuan bit into a pear, smiling and greeting acquaintances as he strolled leisurely along the street. He passed teahouses, taverns, inns, butcher shops, temples, and government offices. Amidst the endless stream of pedestrians and mules, he paused, lowering his gaze to the river by the roadside.

The river bustled with boats: boatmen rowed, trackers pulled from the shore, and loaded cargo vessels docked at the port. Nearby, a pleasure boat drifted lazily by, its passengers engrossed in wine, tea, and the riverside scenery, utterly oblivious that they too had become part of the view for someone on the bank.

From the opposite bank, a wedding procession approached, the groom looking dashing and high-spirited on his tall horse. From a house on this side of the river came the sound of an infant’s cries, mingled with the gentle humming of a weary woman comforting her child.

How wonderful.

Luo Siyuan’s mouth curved into a smile, a barely perceptible trace of longing flickering in his eyes. He had lived in Chenzhou City for so long, yet he had never tired of its ordinary, bustling, yet serene and harmonious daily life.

It’s time to go.

The sweet pear was finished. Luo Siyuan tossed the core into the river. With a wave of his sleeve, he stored the snacks from the neighbors within it, tucking only the red flower into his pocket.

PLOP. The pear core hit the water.

He then strode purposefully towards the Chenzhou Governor’s Mansion.

***

"Monk Zhu? Are you there?"

A knock came at the door. Men Fang stood outside, saying respectfully, "Taoist Head Luo Siyuan from Longhu Mountain, south of the city, wishes to see you. He says he has an important matter to discuss."

"Luo Siyuan..."

Scholar Zhu exchanged a glance with his companion and took a deep breath. He gathered several sheets of paper densely covered with Morse code from the table, placed the two demon heads into his inventory, wiped away the remaining bloodstains, and cleared the lingering scent from the air. Only then, with a composed mind, did he say calmly, "Understood. Did he mention what it’s about?"

Men Fang thought for a moment. "Exorcism, I believe?"

***

In the cave, Li Ang silently put away his Ruitu Military Knife 300 and his Life Paper. He gazed thoughtfully at a crack high in the cave wall where sunlight leaked through.

If what the Auspicious Beast said is all true...

Xing Hechou glanced at the hominid lying unconscious on the stone bed (drowsiness induced by the brain modification surgery) and said with a wry smile, "Then this is really going to be difficult."

"Do your best and trust to fate," Li Ang said calmly. "Act according to your heart; don’t force things. We’ve already relayed all the intelligence to Scholar Zhu. What they do next is their decision. We can only make other preparations; we can’t offer any direct help. Any attempt to personally enter Chenzhou or meet with Scholar Zhu face-to-face would taint them with a karmic aura, leading to their detection. Now, they’re on their own."