Chapter 478

Zi Shu, are you well?

Heir of Zhongnan Mountain, are you well!?

At this very moment, these two utterly opposite identities appeared simultaneously on one person.

One represents the heir of one of the Ten Great Daoist Sacred Mountains.

The other represents the most mysterious entity among the Thirteen Zodiacs of Wuwei Gate.

Zhang Fan had imagined countless possibilities, but never expected the person standing before him to be this man, this face.

“An Wuyang? How could it be you? How could you be Zi Shu?” Zhang Fan raised an eyebrow, his expression strange.

Ten years ago, the Thirteen Zodiacs rebelled and ambushed his family beneath Longhu Mountain; Zi Shu was among them.

Some said it was merely his shadow—he never truly participated, nor was he entangled in that turmoil.

Others claimed it was the real Zi Shu, who suffered grave injuries in that disaster and has never recovered.

Fang Changle also said he had never seen Zi Shu’s true face, yet he could smell the stench of deep, incurable illness.

Regardless, how old was An Wuyang ten years ago?

How could he possibly be Zi Shu!?

Hum…

An Wuyang said nothing; he sat there, and suddenly his third eye trembled slightly.

A night breeze stirred, and behind him, a ripple surged—those who observed with their Yuan Shen could see an ancient, mysterious temple materialize, its incense smoke coiling into a gray, hazy great rat, hidden within the temple.

“Zi Shu Palace!?” Zhang Fan’s heart stirred.

He knew An Wuyang was proving his identity.

On that day, when his Yuan Shen left his body and entered Tai Sui Village, he had seen Qin Ergou enter the Xu Quan Palace with the same phenomenon.

All Thirteen Zodiacs could take dominion over their own Destiny Temples and ignite incense.

This was the most definitive proof.

“You really are Zi Shu?” Zhang Fan murmured softly, still struggling to accept it.

He had heard from Meng Qi that An Wuyang’s origins were extraordinary.

Many years ago, Chu Chaoran wandered the world and adopted many orphans; Xia Weisheng was one of them, brought back to Zhenwu Mountain.

An Wuyang was another—except that Chu Chaoran had sent him to Zhongnan Mountain instead.

Precisely because of this connection, when Master Chaoran took disciples, An Wuyang was among those rumored to be chosen.

With such a background, how could he possibly be linked to Zi Shu!?

“Are you here to learn my identity, or to find Xiao?” An Wuyang glanced sideways.

“I’m just curious—you’re the most mysterious of the Thirteen Zodiacs.”

Zhang Fan smiled lightly, his expression returning to normal, and sat down without invitation.

“If so, the only two Zodiacs I haven’t met are Chou Niu and Wei Yang.”

“Wei Yang… you’ve already met him.” An Wuyang suddenly said.

“Who?” Zhang Fan froze, a look of confusion on his face.

“The newly appointed chairman of the Jiangnan Dao Alliance.” An Wuyang said casually.

“Wu Qingnang!?” Zhang Fan’s gaze sharpened into a thread, his expression altered as the image of that consumptive wretch flashed in his mind.

Who could have imagined that the new chairman of the Jiangnan Dao Alliance was Wei Yang among the Thirteen Zodiacs!?

“This… infiltration is too deep.” Zhang Fan sighed.

“The Daoist sects infiltrate Wuwei Gate just as deeply—among the Thirteen Zodiacs alone, some are theirs.” An Wuyang said coolly.

“To be honest, it’s mutual—you in me, me in you. In the end, who can tell who is who?”

An Wuyang’s expression remained calm and detached; he didn’t even bother distinguishing or sorting out such black and white.

“You just revealed his identity so casually?” Zhang Fan looked at An Wuyang with hidden meaning.

“So what? You’re not clean yourself—can you go shouting it across the world?” An Wuyang said coolly.

“Mutton soup’s here.”

At that moment, the owner brought up a bowl of mutton soup and a meat-stuffed bun.

Zhang Fan reached to take it, but An Wuyang moved it to his own side.

“Owner, bring another portion for him.” An Wuyang said calmly.

“…”

“Got it!”

The owner called back, turning and walking into the shop.

“Who isn’t clean?” Zhang Fan picked up the previous thread.

“You’ve gotten too close to Xiao—how clean are you?” An Wuyang sipped his soup, not looking up.

“Besides, you’re the last surviving heir of the Southern Zhang—your identity is even more sensitive than Wuwei Gate’s.”

At these words, Zhang Fan’s gaze darkened sharply.

“You know.”

“Of course I know. Your identity isn’t a secret among the Thirteen Zodiacs. Besides, on that day on Maoshan, when our Yuan Shen clashed, I recognized it as the Divine-Demon Holy Embryo.” An Wuyang whispered.

“My master is Ye Beichen—he fought your father countless times and studied the Divine-Demon Holy Embryo deeply.”

“I forgot about that.”

Zhang Fan smirked, giving An Wuyang a long look.

That Zhongnan Mountain Master Ye Tianshi was Zhang Lingzong’s old rival.

“Let’s get to the point.”

An Wuyang put down the half-eaten meat-stuffed bun and said calmly: “Xiao has almost certainly entered the Living Dead Tomb.”

“He’s entered once before.” Zhang Fan said grimly.

“I know, but this time is different—you’ve read the manuscript. That ancient tomb was originally meant to hold coffins.” An Wuyang said solemnly.

“The Eight Kings Carrying the Coffin… this legend is vague and elusive, tied to the Nine Methods; even the founding of the Coffin-Bearers was due to this phantom tale.”

“Do you know who’s buried in that coffin?” Zhang Fan couldn’t help asking.

“I don’t know.” An Wuyang shook his head softly: “That’s the truth the Coffin-Bearers seek.”

“Some speculate it holds a true immortal.”

“Immortal!?” Zhang Fan fell silent, deep in thought.

“That has nothing to do with the current situation.” An Wuyang’s logic was clear, steering the topic back.

“To enter the Living Dead Tomb, one must cultivate Jia Sheng Gui Si.”

“I know that—but in all the world, only two people have mastered this method.” Zhang Fan said calmly.

“Xiao and Luo Sen.” An Wuyang whispered.

“You even know Luo Sen?” Zhang Fan began to sense the depth of Zi Shu.

“I accessed his files when I was with the Shangjing Dao Alliance.” An Wuyang said coolly.

“That must have been top-secret archives.” Zhang Fan gave An Wuyang a meaningful look.

“His mother was originally an experimental subject of the Coffin-Bearers—they used the residual bone and blood of Jia Sheng Gui Si cultivators to modify her, then faked an accident to let her escape. She later mated with a man from the Pure Yang Wang family and gave birth to that aberration named Luo Sen.” An Wuyang whispered.

Zhang Fan fell silent. From the moment Luo Sen was born, his fate was doomed.

From the first day he appeared in the world, he was regarded as a monster.

Jiang Your Majesty sent him to that orphanage.

Sanqi Orphanage.

“He awakened Jia Sheng Gui Si—but unlike Xiao, he took a different path.” An Wuyang said solemnly.