Chapter 26: Heavenly Earth Treasures

At this moment, the substitute spirit statue in his dantian was stirring restlessly.

Li Yan widened his eyes and searched carefully, soon spotting the target.

There, atop the opposite courtyard wall, a black snake had coiled itself—thick as an adult’s arm, hissing as it flicked its tongue, its eyes glowing green.

This thing clearly bore something unnatural; any ordinary person would be terrified.

But Li Yan, upon seeing it, felt an inexplicable sense of it being a delicacy.

He remained expressionless, pretending not to notice, yet his left hand pressed against the pommel of his Guanshan blade, while his right reached into his robe for the Three Talismans Devil-Sealing Coin.

The snake slithered down silently, like a night breeze.

Its head never left the room where the senior madam lay, seeming anxious, winding its body toward it.

Wherever it passed, the soul-guiding lanterns all went out.

A sudden clarity arose in Li Yan’s mind.

This snake was likely something with cultivation.

The senior madam’s lost soul departing her body was almost certainly tied to it.

No matter what, kill it first.

“Don’t move!”

Yet just as he prepared to act, Wang Daoxuan’s trembling voice came from behind, whispering: “If you startle it, it’ll be destroyed completely!”

No sooner had the words left his mouth than the black snake seemed to sense danger—its form dissolved and vanished swiftly, as if it had never been there.

The sweet fragrance was gone, never to be smelled again.

Li Yan felt regret in his heart, but no anger.

He knew Wang Daoxuan wouldn’t deliberately ruin his chance—his warning must have had reason, so he asked: “Master, what was that?”

Wang Daoxuan, clearly startled himself, swallowed hard and said:

“That… is Tian Ling Di Bao!”

Tian Ling Di Bao?!

Li Yan’s heart jolted—he remembered the name.

The widow Wang had once said that during the previous dynasty, the martial master Yang Yi sought victory over the Golden Yurt Khanate and hired a Biebao man to scour the land, discovering a heavenly-earth spiritual treasure, which he forged into a pair of demonic blades of immense power.

Later, the blades turned against their master and were melted down by the Da Xing court, reforged into one hundred and eight Three Talismans Devil-Sealing Coins—the very ones in his pocket.

How could Tian Ling Di Bao look like this?

As if sensing his thoughts, Wang Daoxuan whispered: “Tian Ling Di Bao come in countless forms, each born of different causes, yet all possess sentience—they are blessings of heaven and earth.”

“But to claim such heavenly-earthly fortune is no easy task. Each Tian Ling Di Bao has its taboos; without knowing its secrets, it’s like seeing the moon reflected in water or flowers in a mirror—visible, yet unattainable.”

“It has two greatest traits.”

“First: divine objects conceal themselves. Once they gain sentience, unless they choose to reveal themselves, even if their true form lies before you, you won’t recognize it.”

“Second: their nature is fierce. If mishandled—whether destroyed or captured—they instantly scatter all their heavenly fortune, turning pearls into rubble; some even take you down with them.”

Li Yan frowned. “So difficult?”

“That’s why the Biebao craft exists.”

Wang Daoxuan shook his head. “The Dao is infinite; its methods endless. Human energy is limited. Whether orthodox or heterodox, all must begin with foundational training from childhood.”

“These Biebao men, those awakened with Yin-Yang Eyes, are locked since youth in pitch-dark cellars, trained like night owls—their vision becomes razor-sharp…”

“And those like you, awakened with Nasal Root, are often cast into wastelands, graveyards, and deep forests, their eyes temporarily blinded by medicine, forced to find their way home by scent alone…”

“Moreover, Tian Ling Di Bao vary widely, so each Biebao man specializes differently—some probe mountains, some chase the sea, others burrow into tombs, each with unique skills.”

Li Yan’s head ached. “So I have to hire a Biebao man?”

Wang Daoxuan shook his head. “Most of them are eccentric, their whereabouts mysterious—I have no connections to them.”

“But I do know some of their methods.”

“Every Tian Ling Di Bao is born from heavenly-earthly fortune, yet inevitably has a counter—find its true form, apply the Five Elements’ generation and destruction, the Eight Trigrams’ directions, then locate the item that restrains it, and you can claim it.”

Li Yan fell silent. “What’s the true form of that snake?”

Wang Daoxuan smiled bitterly. “If I had the talent to recognize such treasures, I wouldn’t be reduced to this state. But I do know one thing…”

“It must be utterly unremarkable!”

…………

At dawn the next day, those who had hidden outside gradually returned.

Their zodiac signs clashed with the senior madam’s; they couldn’t approach the mansion, and after spending the night outside, they were all intensely curious, whispering among themselves.

The senior madam’s maids dared not speak.

But many had heard the commotion from last night; rumors spread, embellished and distorted, soon becoming absurd tales.

In their telling, spirits and gods had blocked the soul-summoning ritual—the Master Wang had opened his altar and battled spirits all night to reclaim the senior madam’s soul.

In short, the more fantastical, the better.

Thus, in the eyes of the household, Wang Daoxuan grew even more mysterious.

Yet within the inner courtyard, silence reigned.

Wang Daoxuan held the cun-guan-chi pulse points, examining the emaciated senior madam, occasionally stroking his beard, his brow furrowed.

This old Daoist had studied medicine; though inferior to Daoist healers of the Xuanmen, he was more than capable as a clinic physician.

As he suspected, though the senior madam’s soul had returned, she remained unconscious, her face withered, breathing out more than in. Ancient words said: all mortals have a destined span of breath.

Breathing out more than in—that is the sign of a life nearing its end.

After taking her pulse, Wang Daoxuan stepped outside with Master Lu and shook his head. “As I feared, the senior madam’s days are few. Her oil is spent, her lamp nearly out—no medicine can save her.”

“The one good thing is, with her soul returned, she may rest in peace after death. Master Lu, you should prepare soon.”

Master Lu sighed. “Thank you, Master.”

“We returned from the capital with no ancestral graves. Please help us select a favorable burial site—not for wealth or longevity, but simply for peace, for safety.”

“Naturally.”

Wang Daoxuan nodded and left the inner courtyard with Li Yan.

As they departed, Li Yan turned back for one last look, unwilling.

From last night until dawn, he had searched every possible place without rest, not closing his eyes once.

But as Wang Daoxuan said, Tian Ling Di Bao excel at concealment—sometimes they lie right before you, yet you cannot perceive them unless they reveal themselves.

!.

Though unwilling, he could only leave.

This was still the main courtyard of the Lu household, and all the guards had returned.

To find another chance, he’d likely have to wait until the funeral.

But who knew when the senior madam would pass?

His grandfather’s health was worsening; for these past days, neighbors had been caring for him—he couldn’t stay long.

Fortunately, Tian Ling Di Bao—if not sought by a Biebao man—were unfindable by others as well.

He could return later to search again.

Lost in thought, the two followed Lu’s steward back to the side courtyard.

After last night, the steward grew even more respectful toward Wang Daoxuan. “Master, you must be exhausted. The master ordered that after eating, you rest properly.”

“No.”

Wang Daoxuan shook his head slightly, gazing toward the earthen hill behind Gushui Village, his voice low: “The senior madam’s condition is grave. After eating, I’ll climb the hill to find a suitable site—before chaos erupts.”

The steward grew even more impressed. “Then we’re in your debt, Master.”

He bowed and ordered the dishes served, then withdrew.

Sha Lifei, who had also waited outside last night due to zodiac clash, could no longer hold back once the steward left. He came over, eating while asking questions.

Li Yan, after a moment’s thought, informed them he planned to leave first.

Wang Daoxuan stroked his beard. “Filial piety comes first—this cannot be delayed. Young Li, rest assured: once I finish here, I’ll come to Li Family Village to find you.”

After eating, Li Yan prepared to depart.

Perhaps to curry favor with Wang Daoxuan, upon hearing he was leaving, Master Lu personally instructed the steward to give him travel funds and select a horse as a gift.

It was a grand gesture—Sha Lifei’s eyes turned red with envy.

The three went to the stable, where over a dozen horses stood—none were steeds of legend, but clearly far superior to the frauds sold in markets.

Li Yan was in good spirits, inspecting left and right, finally choosing a large black stallion.

Young, gentle, it willingly came to his side to nibble on a carrot.

“Fine horse!”

Sha Lifei praised it, then turned to the tack hanging in the corner and grinned. “I once delivered saddles for a tanner—I know a bit. Let me pick you a good one.”

He ducked into the corner and rummaged through the gear.

“Huh? What’s this?”

As he moved the tack aside, he found a stick lying on the ground.

Pitch-black, scarred, with faint, blurred dragon patterns etched upon it.

The steward followed and frowned. “Why is this thing in the stable?”

Seeing their stares, he quickly explained: “This place once had over a dozen courtyards. After the master returned home, he bought them all and tore them down to rebuild.”

“One of them was the former residence of the Xianyang Drum King…”

Sha Lifei laughed. “Drum King? Does he look like a drum?”

The steward sneered. “You crude oaf, what do you know?!”

"In Guanzhong, we have many types of drums: ten-drum sets, Weiqi drums, Jiaolong turning drums, Lao Miao old drums... too many to count, each with its own lineage."

"Every Lantern Festival in Chang'an, a drum gathering is held, where countless drums thunder together in a spectacle unmatched anywhere—those who can claim the title of Drum King are exceedingly rare."

"This is an artifact left behind by a Drum King. When I was young, I once studied a bit of it—just to keep a memory. It was originally kept at home; how did it end up here?"

"Looks like nothing special to me—just a broken stick..."

Sha Li Fei mumbled, then casually handed it to Li Yan beside him.

Li Yan had always been interested in ancient artifacts in his past life; he took it and wanted to examine it.

But the moment it touched his hands, his expression changed abruptly!

(End of Chapter)