Chapter 18: Thirteen Zodiacs, Ancient Capital of Six Dynasties

The Central Earth's mountains and rivers have many strange sights; deep within a great mountain.

Melodious bell sounds resounded, and curling incense smoke rose.

Hidden by mountain forests, an ancient and simple Daoist temple was concealed within. Deep inside the temple, in a small building, a secluded room was lit with dim light. In the center was a large round table with thirteen seats. Although they were empty and unoccupied, a candle and three sticks of clear incense were lit in front of twelve of the seats, leaving only the seat at the very top empty and cold.

The rising incense smoke revealed the phantom images of twelve types of animals, corresponding to the legendary thirteen zodiacs.

"Neither cut off nor extinguished, there is a rest in the seventy-third generation... The transmission of the Zhenwu Mountain jade tablet should have ended by now..."

Just then, a low and slightly magnetic voice resounded, accompanied by the slight trembling of the pig-shaped incense smoke.

"Chu Chaoran is a living True Person of the current age, having entered the Pure Yang Ultimate Realm... We cannot reach in, so naturally, we don't know the situation inside."

The chicken-shaped incense smoke floated, carrying an aged voice.

"The brothers of the Gan family didn't come out; it seems they were planted. It was a waste of my effort to lure them from Southern Yunnan."

The horse-shaped incense smoke swayed, accompanied by a cold laugh.

"Two bugs, still wanting to stir up trouble on Zhenwu Mountain? It's already incredible that they could sneak in. Could it be that we could get in just by buying a ticket?"

A deafening drone came from the tiger-shaped incense smoke.

"The Three-Corpse Daoist once said that all unreasonable things must hide a reasonable explanation..."

Just then, the dragon-shaped incense smoke swayed gently, accompanied by a vibration like thunder. As soon as the voice started, the secluded room suddenly became quiet.

"What kind of realm is Chu Chaoran in? The Pure Yang Ultimate Realm, surely having entered the Unity of Heaven and Man. Every blade of grass and every tree on Zhenwu Mountain is under his control... Those two little bugs were probably sensed by him the moment they got off the plane."

The dragon-shaped incense smoke swayed, his words causing everyone to fall into silence.

"Then why..." The horse-shaped incense smoke transmitted a questioning voice.

"The Three-Corpse Daoist said that all things in the world wait for the time to change..."

"Once the opportunity arrives, there will be variables that cannot be stopped by human power!" The dragon-shaped incense smoke became even more ethereal.

"Are those two bugs the variables?"

"At most, they are catalysts for the variables!" The dragon-shaped incense smoke was filled with faint arcs of light, appearing extremely mysterious.

"Find a way to figure out what happened on Zhenwu Mountain these past two days. Who exactly did the Zhenwu Jade Tablet fall into the hands of? That thing is related to the great calamity of the Daoist gate eighty years ago."

As soon as these words were spoken, the secluded room fell into silence again.

Eighty years ago, the Central Plains suffered a calamity, the common people were devastated, and the masters of the Daoist sects across the world gathered at Long Hu Shan to jointly hold the 【Putian Dajiao】.

It must be known that there are three types of the highest rituals in the Daoist gate, which are the 【Great Luotian Grand Offering】, the 【Great Zhou Tian Grand Offering】, and the 【Great Putian Grand Offering】.

These three types could only be held in ancient times by the Emperor's edict and the imperial decree. At that time, all the Daoist experts in the world would gather in one hall to invite the gods and immortals of heaven to bestow blessings upon the mortal world and protect the country and its people.

Among them, the Great Luotian Grand Offering is to welcome 1,200 gods of heaven.

The Great Zhou Tian Dajiao is to welcome 2,400 gods of heaven.

The Great Putian Dajiao has the highest specifications, welcoming 3,600 gods of heaven. Because of this, since the history of the Daoist gate, the Great Putian Dajiao has only been held seventeen times in total.

The last time was eighty years ago, but who could have thought that the ritual, which was originally intended to pray for blessings for the world, would become the great calamity of the Daoist gate...

After that day, the experts of the Daoist gate in the world withered, many dharma lineages were cut off from then on, and the elite generation of Zhenwu Mountain all remained there...

Even Long Hu Mountain, one of the top ten Daoist gates in the world, has closed its gates since then, and no incense has been lit for eighty years!

"During that great calamity, only one person walked off Long Hu Mountain alive."

"Chu Chaoran!"

"Eighty years ago, Chu Chaoran was also just starting out, with the demeanor of a youth... It is said that he brought a bloody hand out of Long Hu Mountain, which belonged to his master."

"What that bloody hand was holding was the Zhenwu Jade Tablet."

Voices rose and fell in the secluded room.

"The Zhenwu Jade Tablet hides the secret of the great calamity of the Daoist gate... The Three-Corpse Daoist said that if the Wu Wei Gate wants to flourish, it must break the mystery of this calamity." A grim voice came from the dragon-shaped incense smoke.

"Hehe, the Daoist gate started from Zhang Daoling of Long Hu Mountain and has spanned two thousand years. Nine times of 【Destroying Mountains and Cutting Temples】 failed to exterminate my Wu Wei Gate. In this generation, it is destined to flourish."

"The great calamity of the Daoist gate has passed for eighty years, and the Zhang family of Long Hu has all died out."

"Let's first find out the whereabouts of the Zhenwu Jade Tablet."

Voices fell. Suddenly, the rat-shaped incense smoke moved, and a faint voice resounded, which could not even be distinguished as male or female.

"Everything is already destined, because we are..."

"The Thirteen Zodiacs!"

The twelve incense smokes rose slowly, as if bowing and offering gifts, drifting toward the empty seat at the very top.

Jiangnan Province, Yujing City.

The land of the Six Dynasties' gold powder, the ten-mile gilded river.

As a world-renowned ancient capital, Yujing City is also one of the only two cities in the country that carries the name "Jing".

"I'll take you home."

Just off the plane, Li Yishan shouted that he wanted to drive Zhang Fan home.

"No need, my dad is coming back today, I happen to buy some food to take back."

"Uncle Zong is back?" Li Yishan couldn't help but ask.

Zhang Fan's family conditions were average. When he was twelve, his mother passed away due to a car accident, leaving only him and his father, Zhang Lingzong, to depend on each other.

Ever since Zhang Fan entered high school, Zhang Lingzong had been away all year round, working on construction sites, relying on frugality to support Zhang Fan through his four years of college.

In the past, it was the busiest time at the construction site, and Zhang Lingzong would only return at the end of the year before the New Year.

"Graduated, he probably didn't feel at ease about me, so he came back to take a look." Zhang Fan said casually.

Over the years, although the father and son only gathered together at the end of the year, he also knew his father's hard work and concern.

"Tell me when Uncle Zong is about to leave, I'll treat him to a meal."

After parting with Li Yishan, Zhang Fan took the subway home alone. Just past the peak commuting hours, there weren't many people on Line 2, especially the further away from the city center, the fewer people there were on the train.

"I drank too much last night, did you send me back?"

Just then, a delicate voice came from the side, permeating with a hundred turns of charm.

Zhang Fan subconsciously glanced over. A girl with twin tails came into view—tall and thin, wearing a JK miniskirt, white tube socks, black leather shoes, and carrying a cute fox bag, she was on the phone.

"You sent me back, and you didn't touch me, you are really good."

The twin-tailed girl's eyes were filled with spring, and her voice was slightly pinched, making the person on the other end of the phone feel restless. A resolute voice came out.

"I like you, so I respect you..."

"I like it so much, I promise to be with you..."

"I'm not lying to you... I tested ninety-nine boys, only you held back and didn't..."

"Alright, don't be jealous, they all left the next day..."

"Be good... I promise you, the child will definitely take your surname in the future..."

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The twin-tailed girl's red lips had a faint luster, appearing particularly alluring under the subway lights.

"Hmm!?"

Just then, Zhang Fan raised an eyebrow and showed an unusual expression. Just now, he clearly saw a furry tail exposed under the twin-tailed girl's miniskirt, which swept past almost instantly.

"Really know how to play." Zhang Fan curled his lips.

At the same time, the twin-tailed girl's conversation just ended. She turned her head, and her watery eyes happened to meet Zhang Fan's.

The twin-tailed girl smiled slightly, but she walked toward him...

Before she even got close, a faint scent of perfume permeated, very much like the breath of all things recovering in spring.

"Ouch..."

Suddenly, when the twin-tailed girl passed by Zhang Fan, she lost her footing, stumbled, and was about to fall to the ground.

Zhang Fan was quick-witted and hurriedly supported her. The twin-tailed girl leaned toward Zhang Fan's chest, one hand resting on it, and a warm, soft, and numb feeling followed.

"Are you okay..."

"Thank you, big brother..."

The twin-tailed girl looked at Zhang Fan weakly, appearing both polite and harmless.

"It's so good to meet big brother..."

Just then, the subway arrived at the station. The twin-tailed girl looked at Zhang Fan and said weakly: "Big brother, I'm here, do you want to get off together?"

"I'm at the next station." Zhang Fan shook his head.

Hearing this, the twin-tailed girl was stunned for a moment. Watching the door about to close, she could only look at Zhang Fan twice more and got off the subway with doubt.

Zhang Fan looked through the window at the twin-tailed girl walking further and further away, and subconsciously touched his chest.

"Hmm? Why is there a tuft of hair?"

Zhang Fan raised his hand and found that his chest was stained with a tuft of hair at some point—red short fluff, and a strange musky smell.

"A bit disgusting." Zhang Fan sniffed and threw the tuft of hair aside.

At the same time, the twin-tailed girl just got off the subway and fell into a deserted corner, actually talking to her own shadow.

"What's going on? I borrowed his peach blossom debt, why is there no reaction? He actually rejected me?" The twin-tailed girl no longer looked weak, appearing a bit fierce.

"Little girl, 'Chuma' is not so easily practiced... You've only burned a few sticks of incense, yet you think you can use the methods passed down by our Hu family ancestors as you please?"

A sinister laugh sounded, and at the same time, the twin-tailed girl's shadow actually turned into the shape of a fox head.

The so-called "going out to horse" is to practice by borrowing the power of spirits and monsters. The most famous ones are the five families: Hu, Huang, Bai, Liu, and Grey.

Among them, the Hu family has the most arts, and 【Peach Blossom Debt】 is the easiest one to practice.

Anyone who borrows the Hu family's 【Peach Blossom Debt】 will definitely have a romantic encounter when going out, have many admirers around, and the person they love in their heart will mostly be able to follow them.

However, borrowing the 【Peach Blossom Debt】 means being controlled by the "going out to horse" immortal family. The most critical thing is that repaying the debt requires one's own yang energy.

"I used your fox hair, why is the spell useless!?" The twin-tailed girl gritted her silver teeth.

"Hehe, your own Daoist attainment is not enough, and you blame me?" The sinister laugh sounded again.

"I'll help you... but you have to add a chicken offering tonight."

As he spoke, the fox-headed shadow swayed gently, and the shadow between the eyebrows seemed to be covered by a group of light, presenting the shape of a peach blossom petal. A faint fragrance permeated, causing passersby in the distance to stop...

"Peach blossom debt, peach blossom debt, neither returned in life nor buried in death, yang energy is like wealth, ten evils and great defeat..."

The sinister voice resounded, carrying a hint of mystery and depth.

A dissolute smile appeared on the twin-tailed girl's face. What she liked most was finding targets on the subway. Those who were moved by lust and liked to hit on her body had to borrow debt to repay...

The 【Hu Xiaojiao】 she worshipped was the one with the highest talent among a litter of little foxes in the Hu family...

"Don't you like peeking at me? Grandma will let you peek enough..." The twin-tailed girl sneered.

"Ah..."

Just then, a shrill scream sounded abruptly in her ear.

The twin-tailed girl's expression changed suddenly. Looking down, she saw that the peach blossom light spot between the eyebrows of the fox-headed shadow was burning fiercely, and a pool of fishy, foul-smelling blood slowly gushed out.

"What's going on? You... how are you hurt?" The twin-tailed girl's eyes widened, surprised.

"He... he... that kid..."

The sinister voice sounded again, without the evil madness and arrogance just now, carrying deep fear and weakness.

"What's wrong with him?"

"Orthodox Xuan Sect, Daoist Qi pulse... That kid is a member of the Daoist gate!!?"

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 19 =====