Chapter 153: Transformation Art (Seeking Monthly Votes)

After his shift ended, Lu Xiang, as usual, greeted several colleagues: "Let's go play a few rounds."

"My wife won't allow it."

"I wish I could be as carefree as you, but I have three children at home to support."

The colleagues all refused; Lu Xiang waved his hand and went off by himself.

Zhou Leizi quietly followed behind, watching him enter the "Changhong Gambling House" in Chengnan.

Zhou Leizi ate at a stall outside the gambling house, then sat and stared at the entrance.

Half an hour later, Lu Xiang came out.

Zhou Leizi hid behind several diners.

Lu Xiang looked around cautiously; seeing no suspicious people, he hailed a carriage and gave it a destination.

Zhou Leizi also hailed a carriage and followed behind.

Lu Xiang got off at the back door of a mansion in the northern part of the city, knocked, and went in.

Zhou Leizi memorized the address and quietly returned.

He was a ninth-rank law cultivator with no ability to infiltrate and gather further intelligence.

Tomorrow he would investigate the owner of this mansion; surely everything would become clear then.

Not long after Zhou Leizi left, Wu Jinghan emerged from that small door.

Wu Jinghan's carriage was parked half a street away; after walking over and boarding, he could barely conceal his excitement: "Return."

The brothel had already begun receiving guests; the front courtyard was bustling with lively chatter.

Wu Jinghan entered through the back door; hearing those sounds from the front, he couldn't help but smile inwardly. The courtesans of the Pingtian Association were all beautiful as flowers, with graceful figures.

But they all used the "City-Overturning Art" to conceal their true faces.

If that art were dispelled, those patrons now embracing beauties in their arms, calling them "treasure" and "heart's desire" one after another, would likely shove the women away on the spot and cry out, "There's a ghost!"

Wu Jinghan chuckled softly, then walked from the back courtyard along a small path into the garden.

Suddenly, Wu Jinghan stopped in his tracks.

A very fine silk thread stretched horizontally before him; had he not been prepared in advance, Wu Jinghan would have walked straight into it.

"Helmsman," he bowed and called out.

The trees in the garden trembled and rustled.

Vaguely visible was a huge spiderweb hanging between the trees in the rear garden, with more than a dozen silk threads extending all the way to the front courtyard.

A giant black-bellied spider crawled out from the woods; its sharp mouthparts opened, emitting a series of giggling sounds: "Old Wu, you really should listen to what those people in the front courtyard say. When they're holding little beauties in their arms, they dare to blurt out anything. It's truly too amusing, hee hee hee..."

She lowered a strand of silk from the web to the ground; her body shifted and transformed back into human form.

She was an absolute beauty, even more gorgeous than the Holy Maiden by a third.

It was just unknown how much of that was real.

The Helmsman cultivates the "Transformation Art," capable of changing into a thousand forms.

Her Transformation Art has not yet reached the Upper Three Ranks, so she can only transform herself, not others.

Wu Jinghan couldn't help but think inwardly: Why transform into anything else? This woman insists on becoming a giant-bellied spider, crawling on the web all day, eavesdropping on everything from east, west, south, and north, making everyone in the helmsman's hall afraid to speak freely.

"Helmsman, this subordinate has met that High Law Lord from the Shanhe Office!" Wu Jinghan was still somewhat excited.

"Was it truly her?"

"Dragon eyes, snake tail—there is only one person in this city who cultivates the Dragon Transformation Art. It cannot be anyone else," Wu Jinghan stated with great certainty.

"Oh? Then tell me, do I look like that female High Law Lord?"

The Helmsman twisted her body; her legs turned into a snake tail, and with a blink of her eyes, they became gray-blue vertical pupils.

Wu Jinghan felt utterly speechless. Could they not discuss serious matters properly?

"Helmsman," Wu Jinghan advised, "This is not a game. Those who cultivate the Dragon Transformation Art are each more arrogant than the next; they can least tolerate anyone impersonating their appearance."

"Hmph." The Helmsman snorted, then resumed her previous appearance: "Speak. Is the Shanhe Office willing to support us in establishing a temple for the Great Sage Pingtian?"

"She agreed!" Wu Jinghan said. "But she has a condition."

"As expected." The Helmsman was equally excited: "What condition?"

"She wants us to kill Xu Yuan."

"That newly arrived Deputy Inspector?" The Helmsman frowned: "Why this condition?"

"This subordinate does not know. But... today, news came from the Filth-Removal Office that Lin Zi may already be dead. This Xu Yuan was personally dispatched by Ma Tianshou; he likely intends to strike at Ma Tianshou's power."

The Helmsman snorted and muttered, "Dog biting dog," but her beautiful eyes shifted as she said, "Xu Yuan insulted you without cause; that is an insult to our Pingtian Association. He must be killed!"

Wu Jinghan, on the contrary, felt some hesitation: "He is a Deputy Inspector of the Filth-Removal Office, an official of the eighth rank. Killing him is easy, but it would completely offend the Filth-Removal Office..."

The Helmsman countered: "Between the Filth-Removal Office and the Shanhe Office, which do you choose?"

"How can we choose? Regardless of which one, as long as they are willing to cooperate, we must fully satisfy their demands."

To put it bluntly, as long as they deign to look upon us with favor...

"So you still wish to cooperate with the Shanhe Office without offending the Filth-Removal Office?"

Wu Jinghan was left speechless.

The Helmsman stroked her brow with her finger, pondering: "True as that may be, we must not act too brazenly. Hmm, we cannot make our move within the city... Ah, I have it!"

The Helmsman beckoned; Wu Jinghan immediately leaned his ear close.

"The Twin Generals Pass has recently encountered some troubles. Take the temple there and act in that area! Feed Xu Yuan to the temple; that will conveniently save us a batch of blood offerings!"

"This subordinate obeys!"

The night passed quietly. Song Lu woke from a sweet sleep, glanced at the almanac, and her face fell into a frown.

"Why is heavy makeup banned again today!"

"A woman who wears no adornment shows disrespect to herself and her beloved."

Besides "heavy makeup," today also bans:

Opera performances, temple worship, and climbing to heights.

Thus, the one with a tear-stained face was not just Song Lu.

Banning opera and temple worship is one thing.

The actors simply won't perform today, and the temple keepers can just flee the temple gates.

But banning "climbing to heights" makes officials and commoners inside and outside the city tremble with fear.

How is "climbing to heights" defined?

Many wealthy households have three or five steps at their entrances; does stepping up count as climbing to heights?

Fortunately, over these many years, people have figured out that the "height" in the ban on "climbing to heights" has a rough standard: any position above one's own height.

Do not climb to places higher than your own head; if you climb up, you will surely see the most terrifying thing of your life!

This has restricted many livelihoods.

Builders dare not start work, for if walls are built too high, trouble easily arises.

Those who go up the mountains to chop firewood dare not go.

Many businesses related to "towers" have stopped...

The cautious ones dare not even ride horses or sit in carriages.

After Xu Yuan got up and washed, he met with everyone: "Where is Captain Song?"

Fu Jingyu said gloomily, "She said she feels unwell today and is resting in bed; if there are no official duties, do not summon her."

"Oh." Xu Yuan agreed, then asked, "My lord the Commander should have news to return today, right?"

Zhan City is not far from Luo City; a distance of several hundred li, which Captains can reach in one day on fast horses.

Just as they were speaking, Lang Xiao Ba entered: "My lord Xu, there is news from the Iron Boat Gang; they have found Zhang Laoya."

I was careless; last night I drank with a few young brothers, you lacked martial virtue, and I accidentally drank too much...

My condition is very poor today...

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(End of this chapter)