Chapter 341: Wang Wang Daoxuan

Rain dripped continuously from the straw hat.

The club unfolded, revealing a dark muzzle pressed tightly against the shrine, as if ready to fire at any moment.

Lu San was clever—he immediately seized the thing's weakness.

This was a river wild god.

A wild god, by definition, stood in opposition to the orthodox deities; not listed in imperial registries, it belonged to folk superstitions, unacknowledged and unworshipped by orthodox sects.

By regulation, wild gods were forbidden from public worship, let alone lavish offerings; once discovered, their shrines would be smashed and their spirits scattered.

Such wild gods were mostly mountain spirits or demons, falsely claiming to be mountain or water deities, luring ignorant villagers into worship, all while hiding in secrecy, afraid of exposure.

Like this one, known as "Black Head Great King," likely a black carp spirit that deceived fishermen into offering sacrifices.

At first, it would grant benefits—like bountiful catches.

But as the saying goes, "Summoning a god is easy; sending him away is hard." Over time, it became nothing but trouble—a common problem the Daoist sects had to handle.

The new-style firearm could shatter the shrine with a single shot.

The "Black Head Great King" sensed the threat, so it appeared to meet him.

After a brief exchange, Lu San's brow tightened further, muttering several phrases in the upper tongue, his expression growing stern.

Yet the black shadow merely thrashed its head wildly.

Lu San clenched his teeth and spoke a few more words.

The black shadow hesitated for a long while, then finally nodded.

Immediately, the surrounding gales ceased.

The black shadow vanished; in the distant lake, a two-meter-long black fish flipped over and dove beneath the water…

Lu San immediately retracted the club and hurried away with Wu Ba.

Not far from there, he twitched his ears, pulled Wu Ba into a nearby dense forest, and crouched low.

Heavy rain poured down as hooves thundered toward them.

It was the Shen family, arriving belatedly.

"Damn this rotten weather!"

The entire group was soaked to the bone, looking miserable; Shen's third brother was especially furious, cursing loudly.

Ahead of them stood the guide: the Wu Temple Master.

"Gentlemen, the entrance is right here."

His expression was calm as he pointed to the lake's surface.

Seeing the wooden boats drifting on the water, Shen's second brother's face darkened; he shouted at the Wu Temple Master: "What's going on? Did you leak the information?!"

Upon hearing this, the others glared angrily, gripping their weapons.

Shen Shen Jingcan, however, shrank back, saying nothing.

He had thought his silver tongue and his ties to both sides would let him navigate this smoothly and resolve the matter.

But in truth, he had overestimated himself.

The two sides had nearly come to blows on sight; neither side regarded him as anything. Speaking up now would make him the first to suffer.

Watching these bickering fools, the Wu Temple Master's eyes flared with anger; he sneered: "You really think only the Shen family knows of this place?"

"Beneath lies the tomb of Prince Wu Wu Youxu of Anping. Riches abound—many factions covet it. You're merely here by chance."

"Without me, you'd never find the entrance!"

"Shut the hell up!"

Shen's third brother, already short-tempered, grew impatient seeing the empty boats on the water: "Is it down there? How many have already gone in?"

The Wu Temple Master replied coolly: "A hundred or more, maybe a few dozen. The secret's out—every man, woman, and child from Baihe Bay has rushed in."

"I'm going ahead. If I'm late, I won't even get a sip of broth!"

With that, he and the White Blacksmith charged into the lake.

"Master, wait for me!"

Seeing this, Shen Shen Jingcan panicked and rushed after them.

"Pathetic creature!"

Shen's second brother cursed, but his blood was up; he no longer cared for anything else. He dismounted at once and led the group into the lake.

Raised beside Lake Liangzi Lake, they were skilled swimmers; each drew a knife, eyes blazing with greed, and dove into the water with a single plunge.

Of course, two men remained outside as lookouts.

Neigh!

As they fixed their gaze on the lake's surface, a horse's scream came from behind.

They spun around—Lu San had already mounted a horse, flicked the reins, and vanished into the storm.

Wu Ba, too large and unskilled at riding, had just managed to leap onto a horse, instantly crushing it to the ground.

"Aba aba…"

Wu Ba shouted frantically, sprinting off on foot.

He unleashed his latent power, moving on all fours like a beast through the rain—his speed was no slower than a horse's.

In an instant, the two were gone.

Only the two Shen family disciples stood stunned…

…………

Splash!

The Shen family group crawled out of the water.

Their swimming skills were good; soon after diving to the lakebed, they found the tomb's entrance, passed through a V-shaped waterway, and climbed out of a pond.

Darkness surrounded them; a foul, rotting stench filled the air.

"Quick—torches!"

Shen's second brother felt a sudden unease and whispered urgently.

Though they had rushed here, they hadn't forgotten essentials: torches wrapped in oilpaper and flint.

Soon, several torches ignited, illuminating the surroundings.

Before them lay a cavern, sizable in size; the stone walls appeared corroded by something, pitted and pocked, gleaming with metallic luster.

Where they stood, stone steps extended into the pond; all around lay decaying flesh and bones.

Human and beast alike, piled haphazardly in heaps.

On the distant walls, broken metal chains lay in fragments; the ground was strewn with massive stones, resembling some kind of animal eggs.

More shocking still: ahead in the corridor lay several corpses, cleanly severed in half, internal organs scattered everywhere, their deaths horrific.

"This… what is this?"

Several Shen family youths turned pale, stumbling backward in terror, tripping and plunging into the pond with a splash.

"Useless brats!"

Shen's third brother spat: "They're just corpses—what's there to fear? Stick close, don't wander off."

He turned to the Wu Temple Master and the White Blacksmith, his tone noticeably softer: "Gentlemen, is this a trap? How do we disable it?"

He wasn't a fool—he'd already sensed something was wrong.

Across Shenzhou, many ancient tombs had been looted; some had become ruins. He'd entered abandoned princely tombs before.

Even the finest couldn't rival a palace; most had a single corridor leading inward, with antechambers, side chambers, and rear chambers.

But this? It was clearly strange.

Ahead remained a pitch-black cavern; the torches lit only the immediate area, revealing nothing of its depth—let alone the fact that they'd encountered so many corpses right at the entrance.

The Wu Temple Master glanced over and said: "I'm no tomb robber—I don't know how to handle these things. If you're afraid, turn back now."

These words enraged Shen's third brother, his eyes blazing.

But the White Blacksmith quickly spoke: "It's a trap, yes—but already disabled."

He pointed upward.

There hung a circular blade, threaded with chains, but struck by some force and driven deep into the stone wall.

Seeing the Shen family's wary expressions, the White Blacksmith smirked, feigning innocence: "Gentlemen, traps right at the entrance mean valuable treasures lie deeper."

"Many have gone ahead already. If there are traps, they're their misfortune—who cares?"

With that, he and the Wu Temple Master raised their torches and marched forward without hesitation.

Watching the two recede, Shen's second brother gritted his teeth: "If we've come this far, we won't leave empty-handed."

"Follow them—stay alert!"

He held the most authority among them; even after splitting from the family and reclaiming his inheritance, he had been the one to make the decisions. The others naturally obeyed him—though they remained extra cautious.

Holding torches, they looked left and right, finally making out the terrain.

It was called a tomb, but resembled a mine.

Along the walls, traces of human excavation were visible—but far more numerous were those strange corrosion pits, small and large, densely packed.

When lit by torchlight, they gleamed with metallic sheen.

The ground was uneven; had it not been for stone statues of men and horses placed every hundred meters, no one would believe this a tomb.

Yet as they walked, they noticed something odd.

Ahead, the Wu Temple Master and the White Blacksmith seemed to be speeding up, their figures and torches barely visible.

"You two—wait up!"

Shen's third brother growled irritably.

!.

Yet, the two figures ahead were walking faster and faster.

With no choice, the others could only quicken their pace.

But at that moment, the shadows ahead flickered, splitting into three figures and flames—some veering left, some right, some advancing straight ahead, as if using a body-splitting technique.

"Stop!"

Shen's second son felt an inexplicable unease and immediately raised his hand.

In an instant, all three figures and flames vanished.

Everyone felt a chill run down their spines; Shen's third son couldn't help swallowing hard. "Second brother, this… could it be a ghost?"

No sooner had he spoken than he spat three times onto the ground.

In the countryside, strange tales abound; many had heard them—whether walking at night or passing graveyards, the word "ghost" was strictly forbidden.

Shen's second son's expression was equally uncertain.

"Let's go forward and take a look."

He knew better than anyone else: by now, they had no way back. The Shen family could not return, their daily expenses were heavy, and some even owed gambling debts.

If they didn't get money, it would be worse than death.

The group, trembling with fear, pressed forward. When they reached the spot where the Wu Temple Official had passed, they suddenly understood.

It was a three-way fork, and on the stone walls of the side passages were embedded several massive bronze mirrors, perfectly creating refractions.

But the problem was,

Which path had the Wu Temple Official taken?

Shen's second son ordered someone to stand far away and observe.

Indeed, everyone's shadows were split into three, yet no matter which direction they walked, the same light and shadow pattern appeared.

The ground here was slippery, and no footprints could be seen.

"Take the middle path first!"

Shen's second son gritted his teeth and led the group into the central passage.

The torchlight gradually faded. They failed to notice that the shadows of their departing figures on the bronze mirrors were slowly reappearing.

Each face was pale, lips curled in sinister grins…

…………

Boom!

Thunder roared; heavy rain poured down the official road.

Lu San hunched low, urging his horse to gallop, letting the rain strike his face without slowing.

The little white fox clung tightly to his clothes behind him, swaying violently; the wild man Wu Ba ran with his entire skin flushed red.

Yet none dared complain.

Though they usually favored Lu San and kept their distance from Li Yan, they all knew who the true leader of this group was.

Now that Li Yan was in trouble, Lu San was naturally frantic.

Finally, faint candlelight appeared ahead.

It was Shen Family Dam.

Traveling by boat would have been faster, but Lu San knew the center of Lake Liangzi Lake had become a place of great evil—his own strength would only trap him there.

Outside the Shen family mansion, two white paper lanterns swayed.

The erected stage was pitch black.

A play was scheduled for tonight, but summer weather was unpredictable—even the most experienced farmer hadn't anticipated such sudden rain.

The performance had to be canceled.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Lu San pounded on the Shen family gate. Before the servant could ask, he rushed in and found Wang Wang Daoxuan reading, his face grim. "Something's happened!"

Wang Wang Daoxuan's heart skipped. "What happened?"

Lu San briefly recounted the events, then said gravely: "I asked the wild spirit of the lake. Because the lake's center has become a place of great evil, all the lonely spirits of Gaochang County are trapped inside."

"Every time there's a stormy night, they go mad. This time, they were stirred by the 'Man Yan,' triggering an early outbreak that pulled Brother Yan into the array."

Wang Wang Daoxuan's head throbbed. "This… what do we do?"

Lu San said gravely: "I wanted the lake's wild spirit to help, but the Black-Headed King dares not approach—unless we can pacify or lure away those wild ghosts."

"We don't have much time. The ghost city in the lake only appears during storms. When it will appear again is unknown—we must rescue Brother Yan tonight."

"Master Daoist, do you have a plan?"

"Don't rush, let me think…"

Wang Wang Daoxuan's heart pounded, forcing himself to calm down. "Brother Yan is a living Yin Officer. When Yin Soldiers appear, how could they fear a ghost city? If he hasn't emerged yet, there must be another reason."

Lu San said gravely: "Regardless, I must enter to rescue him—I just can't think of a way to lure away the ghosts."

At that moment, Shen Shen Jinghong arrived, having heard the news.

The Shen family was currently holding a funeral; many were trapped indoors by the rain. Hearing something had happened, some curious onlookers came over.

Wang Wang Daoxuan was fretting when he spotted a man peering nervously from behind Shen Shen Jinghong—he brightened instantly and stepped forward quickly.

"Master Wu, can you take on a job for five thousand taels of silver?"

"Five thousand taels?"

Master Wu was the troupe leader of a Han opera group from Jiangxia County. Hearing Wang Wang Daoxuan's words, his eyes lit up. "Of course I'll take it! What's the job?"

"Simple!"

Wang Wang Daoxuan said: "Perform a ghost play!"

"Huh?!"

Master Wu's face turned pale at once.

……

Half an hour later, at the Shen Family Dam ferry.

Nearby stood a large brick house, originally an old family home, now half-collapsed and repurposed as a stage.

The stage had been simply arranged.

The troupe members were already dressed, each uneasy.

Though Master Wu had agreed under heavy payment, he was still anxious. "Master Daoist, this stage faces north—the most ominous 'Yin Stage.' Will this even work?"

The orientation of a stage mattered greatly.

Stages facing south or east were called "Yang Stage"; those facing north were "Yin Stage"; those facing west were "White Tiger Stage."

As the saying goes: "To grow rich, avoid the White Tiger Stage"—for it easily brings quarrels and fights.

But the most ominous was undoubtedly the "Yin Stage."

Opera originated to entertain the gods.

Using an "Yin Stage" might summon something unforeseen.

"Don't worry."

Wang Wang Daoxuan glanced at Lake Liangzi Lake through the rain curtain. "As long as you follow the rules, performing a ghost play isn't that dangerous."

"Remember—no matter what you see, you must finish the play!"

The second update will come later.

Also recommending a friend's book.

Just preparing to go pro when the Old Man Comeback System arrived.

【Rejoin a team and unlock your Old Man System!】

Eighteen-year-old Li Yi snapped back to reality, staring at his QQ chat window, silently clicking the 'X'—RNG is such a pit!

(End of chapter)