Chapter 289: You certainly have a knack for wishful thinking

It was late spring with a hint of summer; the twilight was heavy, and the martial artist returned, carrying his blade.

At this time, the crabapple tree was full of flowers and leaves, making it inconvenient for him to hang up his bamboo hat and precious blade, so he set them on the table, sat down, and picked up some water to drink.

"How did your investigation go, Lord Luo?"

"This matter of harming people is likely unrelated to that person on Mount Feng." Luo Seng set down his cup and let out a long sigh.

"Oh?"

"Those women did indeed turn into dried corpses, but just as the coroner said, they didn't just lose their body fat; they also lost their vital essence and blood."

Luo Seng's expression was solemn as he began to speak:

"Without exception, their facial expressions were all a mix of a smile and a frown. On their entire bodies, there was only a single red dot on the neck. I don't know what caused it, but it certainly doesn't look like the methods of that person on Mount Feng."

"I questioned their families, and they all said the women never returned after going to Mount Feng."

"But I had two constables dig through the case files from the last few years. Those constables remembered similar cases, and after finding the files, we indeed discovered that in recent years—aside from the most recent ones—there were about a dozen cases of women being harmed or going missing every year. Whenever a body was found, it was basically the same."

"The yamen is mostly a bunch of good-for-nothings. They either say it's the work of yaoguai, or they push it onto that person on Mount Feng, claiming the women were 'starved thin.' If no body is found, they just say the women lost weight, regained their beauty, and eloped with their lovers."

"If it's clearly supernatural, and the relatives refuse to let it go, they have the Ministry of Rites invite people from the Ju Xian Fu to intervene. The Ju Xian Fu usually sends one or two eccentric experts to take a look. Some honestly say they are powerless, while others are slick and just muddle through, claiming they've exorcised the ghost. If it happens again, they just say it's the work of a different yaoguai."

"But I found the families of these women, and after questioning them, I discovered that they were all harmed at least a few days after returning from Mount Feng, and some had never even been to Mount Feng at all."

Lin Jue and his junior sister listened intently, trying hard to think.

Only the fox lay lazily to the side.

Lin Jue thought for a moment, but couldn't hear or deduce anything, only that it should truly have nothing to do with that Senior Hua.

Although he had thought so all along, he had to consider the relationship between Senior Hua and the grand-uncle of the Fuchi Temple, the relationship with the Red Leaf Temple, and the relationship with his second junior uncle. Furthermore, the two of them had accepted a paper donkey from her, so they were naturally inclined to favor Senior Hua, which is why he had always suppressed such thoughts in his heart.

Only after hearing Lord Luo speak did he finally breathe a sigh of relief.

"It's not easy for Lord Luo to have run to so many places and done so much in half a day." Lin Jue said with genuine admiration.

Luo Seng glanced at him, not making things difficult for him:

"I don't know what made them so impatient recently. They should have been looking for targets on the way to Mount Feng, and those previous women must have had something in common. It's just been too long. I've asked a few constables to patiently ask their families who they saw, where they went, what they said, and what they did before they died. It might take a few days to get results."

"Actually, a jianghu person suggested a method to me, and I think it's feasible."

"Who? What method?"

"An old monk who doesn't keep the precepts. He reminded me that many perpetrators will return to the scene of their crime to check, especially to see what clues they might have left behind."

"I've heard of this theory too."

"Originally, since this is an experienced hand and so much time has passed, the feasibility isn't very high. But with the talisman paper gifted by your Senior Hua, and by borrowing your reputation—and Master Fan Tian's reputation is even better—perhaps we can lure that person out." Luo Seng said, "In any case, we'll do both things at once. Whether we can find them depends on heaven's will."

"I'll leave it to you, Lord Luo."

Lin Jue said, then paused:

"When Lord Luo went out to investigate, my junior sister and I also asked a knowledgeable Jixian senior. The Jixian senior left us a poem. It may not be accurate, but it can serve as a reference for Lord Luo."

The junior sister had originally been propping up her chin, rubbing her face with it out of boredom. Hearing her name, she cast a glance over, then immediately stood up and picked up the paper.

Luo Seng took it and read it carefully.

"'The old immortal lights the furnace in Chang'an, first taking river water, then taking mountains. A few parts mist and jade color, half is the human world, half is the elixir.'" Luo Seng paused, immediately grasping the point, "'Half is the human world, half is the elixir...'"

"This Jixian poem has other deep meanings. Because we heard this poem before, it was written by the Jixian senior our master befriended back when the Corpse Tiger King of Huizhou was secretly hoarding wealth." Lin Jue explained for him, "The Jixian senior used the same poem, so there must be a deep meaning, but I've thought about it for a long time and am still not sure what the connection is."

"The Corpse Tiger King of Huizhou was eliminated by you?" Luo Seng suddenly showed a look of surprise.

Even the crabapple tree in the courtyard seemed to tremble.

That Corpse Tiger King is not the same sort of creature as the Alligator Dragon King.

That was a true yaoguai king who had attained the Dao.

If a person attains the Dao, they are a Zhenren, equivalent to an immortal in the human world. If they ascend to heaven, they would certainly not be a minor god or immortal. If they attain the Dao through martial arts and can act as a protector for an Emperor, they might be conferred the title of Zhenjun.

And this Corpse Tiger King was different—

Whether it be Zhenren or immortals, not every one of them is skilled in combat. In fact, it could be said that the majority are not skilled in combat. Moreover, the more ancient the immortal, the less skilled they are in combat. If one traces it back to the ancient times when even national wars required a three-point agreement, it wouldn't be strange if some immortals didn't even have miraculous powers or spells to protect the Dao.

But a fierce tiger is naturally skilled in fighting and killing.

Luo Seng had been with Lin Jue for so long, so clearly his understanding of these matters had increased significantly.

"I can only say it's related to us. We discovered it, then reported it to the Profound Heaven Sect on Mount Qiyun. Half a year later, the Three Sages of the South descended, and in three days, they eliminated the Corpse Tiger King." Lin Jue explained.

"It was Third Shixiong who discovered it." The junior sister said.

"In that case..." Luo Seng smiled suddenly, thinking of something else, "That Lord Nan is also a fake?"

"Perhaps."

"No wonder when you heard about this Lord Pan, or heard about this Master Fan Tian, your expressions were strange, and when you heard about this Lord Nan, your expressions were just as strange." Luo Seng laughed.

"Good memory."

"..."

Luo Seng shook his head, saying no more, but continued to hold the paper and look at it.

"Mountains and rivers...

"Refining elixirs..."

Luo Seng muttered to himself while glancing at the crabapple tree.

It is said that "foxes" living in the city are often good at divination. Luo Seng knew that "foxes" good at divination are actually very few. Most "foxes" rely on living among people, eavesdropping on their conversations, and then having social interactions among themselves to pass on information. Therefore, a fox often knows many things and can know things that seem like they shouldn't be known.

For example, a fox living in the south of the city knows about the affairs of a certain family in the east of the city, and a fox living in an ordinary household knows about the family affairs of the Wang Gongguizu and even major court affairs, so they are considered to be capable of divination.

It's just not certain if these two are like that.

However, firstly, such matters are often mutual. Lin Jue had once told these two not to spread what they heard in the courtyard, so naturally, he wouldn't pry into other people's privacy from them. Secondly, these foxes also have their own way of surviving. They wouldn't dare to speak of such major events. If they did, they would "suffer heavenly condemnation," which in reality is likely being dealt with by capable people.

Just as he was thinking this, a slight movement suddenly came from the quiet room.

The three of them and the fox turned their heads at the same time, looking at the quiet room.

Before long, Lin Jue had walked to the quiet room, looked at the gradually waking Master Wan, and said:

"Master Wan is awake? How do you feel?"

"Lin... Master Lin?" Wan Xinrong was a bit dazed, "I, why am I here?"

"You went to Mount Feng to find that evil god and were beaten into a state of heavy injury. Later, I returned to the capital, and just as Wu Lingshi came to find me, we went to Mount Feng and brought you back."

"Mount Feng... evil god..."

Wan Xinrong muttered to himself, his eyes suddenly widening, and his teeth clenched:

"Did the Master eliminate that evil god?"

Lin Jue shook his head: "You were all alone, went to someone else's territory, and are still alive now. Don't you know the reason?"

"I don't know..."

"I heard you scolded them quite severely."

"That yaoguai harmed my wife! So what if I scolded it? I hate that I can't peel its skin, pull its tendons, drink its blood, and eat its meat!" Wan Xinrong gritted his teeth and couldn't help but cry out, "Master! That was my wife who had been with me since I was down and out! It's all my fault! My fault for neglecting her!"

At this moment, looking at him, he did indeed show some depth of affection.

To be able to go to Mount Feng alone to trouble that yaoguai in a fit of rage, one would think it wasn't a pretense. No wonder when Fan Tian Shi was being a rascal, he added a contrasting good word.

"Master Wan, look at you, your hatred is so heavy. If he were truly the enemy who killed your wife, would he have left you alive? Do you think he couldn't see that you practice the Five Elements Spiritual Method and have the vitality brought by the Wood Element spiritual aura to protect your body?"

"This?"

Wan Xinrong was suddenly stunned: "Master means..."

"Lord Luo and I have been investigating this matter for the past few days. Perhaps it's not that simple." Lin Jue said, "Your injuries are too heavy, rest well. We will investigate this matter clearly."

"..."

Wan Xinrong actually rolled over and got up.

He was worthy of practicing the Five Elements Spiritual Method. Even though there were hardly any bones left unbroken in his entire body, with a few drops of spiritual liquid from Lord Luo and a spiritual pill from Lin Jue, he had recovered in such a short time.

It seems that while this person's ability is average, his cultivation should not be shallow.

After rolling over and getting up, he actually knelt and prostrated on the ground, forcing himself to gather strength, enduring the pain, and kowtowing to Lin Jue and the others with tears streaming down his face:

"If Master Lin can truly avenge my wife's murder, from now on, this life of mine belongs to the Master. Wherever the Master points, I will go."

Lin Jue naturally went to help him up immediately.

Luo Gong remained unmoved, standing at the door with his arms crossed, watching him kowtow and listening to him speak like this, only laughing once:

"You certainly have a knack for wishful thinking!"

Wan Xinrong only kept howling and kowtowing repeatedly.

Lin Jue pulled him up and, to change the subject, took out two books.

"It just so happens that my junior sister has finished copying the remaining two of the three techniques I promised Master Wan earlier. Master Wan, take them and study them, and don't think about other things for now." Lin Jue said, "Tomorrow I will find you a physician who specializes in bone-setting, so your bones don't grow back crooked."

Night had already fallen.

Lord Luo went out again.

A bamboo hat, a long blade; the martial artist walked hurriedly on the street.

The hidden streets of the capital were a gathering place for jianghu people, where lights burned all night and the smell of alcohol was intoxicating. Sometimes Lord Luo talked to others, and sometimes other jianghu people whispered to each other.

In the small courtyard.

The fox jumped onto the desk, blew at the lamp, and only jumped down after seeing the night-watch lamp ignite a bean-sized but golden flame.

Lin Jue walked around the room.

He picked up the tattered Daoist robe, showing a look of heartache.

"Clothes! Ruined!"

The fox's voice came from the side.

"Yeah."

"Buy a new one!"

"That's not so easy."

"Easy! Buy it on the street!"

"That's not how it works."

"It works!"

"The cloth bought on the street isn't woven from clouds by a fairy, so how could it be that soft? A newly made Daoist robe also has loose threads, places that chafe, and places that don't fit. I've worn this robe for several years, and only now have I slowly worn it into a shape that suits me. If you don't wear clothes, you wouldn't know; this kind of clothing is the most comfortable to wear." Lin Jue said slowly to it, "Besides, people have feelings."

The fox tilted its head and looked at him, not quite understanding, only hearing one sentence:

"Fairies weave cloth with clouds!"

"That's a story."

"Story!"

Lin Jue was helpless and had no choice but to throw away this Daoist robe.

"I'll tell you later."

So he took out the ancient book, thought for a moment, then took out the wood carving, summoned the Silver-Eating Ghost, and prepared to ask it.