Chapter 444: New Perspectives on the Gou Die

The Gou Die has indeed strengthened considerably.

Li Yan immediately made his judgment.

Normally, the Gou Die only reacts when one gets close enough or directly touches traces of demonic qi.

But now, even before approaching the temple, it had already sensed something.

Without hesitation, Li Yan immediately focused his spirit to sense.

Instantly, mist enveloped the surroundings.

But unlike before, where the mist was thick and obscured everything, now it had clearly thinned, allowing him to see objects a hundred meters away.

Li Yan's lips tightened slightly, his heart pounding.

Yin Changsheng used this method to uncover countless hidden truths of heaven and earth—perhaps even more than the original stele forest of Wang Chan, the Ancestor.

Thinking of this, Li Yan carefully observed his surroundings.

Within a hundred meters, the ground was entirely sandy soil, barren and unremarkable, showing no unusual signs.

Beyond a hundred meters, however, the mist was thick and impenetrable.

Only directly ahead of him, within the dense mist, were two massive dark shadows.

Li Yan's heart stirred, and he changed direction.

Indeed, no matter which way he turned, the two massive dark shadows always moved with him, appearing directly ahead.

Li Yan instantly understood.

Those two dark shadows were the task-receiving points.

Recalling the past, he had once wandered blindly through the mist, yet always eventually found the task point—now he knew why.

Without hesitation, Li Yan pressed forward.

As he drew closer, the two dark shadows revealed their true forms: two bronze artifacts, each three zhang tall.

Though ancient, they bore no verdigris; instead, they glowed a pale gold, shimmering with metallic luster.

Seeing them, Li Yan froze.

He had seen these before—in his past life!

Xiao Zun!

"Xiao" refers to the owl, also known as chixiao.

Some speculated the chixiao was a divine bird of the Shang, but since the Zhou dynasty, its reputation had steadily deteriorated.

Moreover, this creature was linked to a great figure.

Fu Hao!

In his past life, these artifacts had been discovered in Fu Hao's tomb.

This object was also tied to warfare.

"The great affairs of a state lie in sacrifice and war."

If the Houmuwu Ding was the premier "sacrifice" vessel of his past life's bronze age, then Fu Hao's Xiao Zun was the premier "war" vessel.

Legends also claimed the chixiao was connected to night and dreams.

Li Yan faintly sensed there might be some connection here…

The two Xiao Zun stood side by side, forming a passage; nothing else existed.

Li Yan took a step forward.

Instantly, the surroundings changed dramatically—he saw a well.

So this was it…

The Yin Si of the Netherworld used the Xiao Zun to communicate with them!

Suppressing his excitement, Li Yan observed again.

This time, two wells appeared simultaneously.

One ordinary stone well, with black water swirling, indicated a yin criminal nearby, or someone who had returned from death, or one using dark arts to prolong life.

The other well, filled with bloody water, indicated demonic qi that had escaped into the mortal realm.

Li Yan had seen these before—nothing unusual.

What shocked him was the surrounding environment.

Previously, thick mist obscured everything.

Now, the mist had thinned, revealing everything clearly within a hundred meters.

The ground around him was covered in ancient sandy conglomerate rock, as if polished by some force, barely maintaining a flat surface.

Beyond, he could make out several towering pillars, and half of a giant foot, clad in an official boot, standing beside one.

But everything remained blurred.

Seeing this, a flash of insight struck Li Yan.

Those weren't pillars—they were desks!

But that giant foot was astonishing—its sole was taller than he was. Were the Yin Si deities all giants?

Thinking of this, Li Yan turned back to the Xiao Zun behind him.

It wasn't that others had grown large—it was that he had shrunk!

Everything before him defied reason; he had never seen anything like it, and dared not show too much surprise, lest he be noticed.

With more visits, he'd likely uncover the secret.

Thinking of this, he hurried forward a few steps.

He first examined the well with bloody water.

Indeed, the escaped demonic qi came from Ma Santong.

Encased in a stone coffin lined with bronze, lay a blood-colored phantom in the shape of a child, pierced through by a bronze spike.

Unlike before, Ma Santong now appeared as a gaseous form, with three treasures—gourd, fan, and qi bag—floating at its center.

The treasures had outlines but were also gaseous, pierced by bronze spikes; only the qi bag's spike had been partially withdrawn.

Li Yan found it familiar.

Wasn't this just like his Five Directions Luo Feng Flag?

Could all the Da Luo Fa Jie artifacts look like this?

It seemed Ma Santong had only escaped with a single strand of demonic qi, yet carried the aura of the "qi bag" treasure with him.

This thing was merely a leather sack—if his guess was right, it must have attached itself to any bag-type artifact…

Accepting the task, the reward was still Divine Gang.

Next, Li Yan turned to the second well.

But after viewing it, he was startled.

The yin criminal was someone else…

…………

Another blink, and Li Yan regained full awareness.

There was a clear time differential between the inner and outer spaces of the Gou Die.

His cultivation had improved; the experience he just had consumed barely an instant—the moment Chong Xu Daoist had mocked him, his words had just ended.

Others who heard it also felt doubtful.

The serene scene before them hardly seemed troubled.

"Why so eager, Daoist?"

Li Yan said calmly: "You're willing to let us follow you up the mountain—surely you harbor doubts too."

"Without clarifying this, it remains a threat… Don't you agree?"

Upon hearing this, Chong Xu Daoist's expression flickered, then he turned away with a cold snort: "Ling Fengzi, open the mountain gate and welcome our guests!"

"Yes, Master!"

The young Daoist Ling Fengzi bowed respectfully.

At this moment, he too felt suspicion rising.

Though Chong Xu Daoist spoke harshly, his etiquette was another matter entirely.

Opening the mountain gate to welcome guests was a formal honor reserved for equals—entirely different from entering through the side gate.

This behavior suggested he had something to ask of them…

Ling Fengzi, quick-witted, instantly understood the intent.

His master was stubborn and proud; he had already offended someone, and now, if he softened his tone, it would be like slapping his own face.

This act of humility would have to fall to him.

Thinking of this, Ling Fengzi's demeanor grew gentler; he smiled and gestured: "Ladies and gentlemen, please follow me." As he walked, he added: "Legend says that when Laozi departed west through the Hangu Pass, his green ox transformed into this mountain."

"Our Qingniu Temple was founded in the Qin dynasty, rebuilt after numerous wars, and expanded over generations by our predecessors—hence its present scale…"

The group followed him through the archway and into the temple.

The temple bore clear signs of repair—some bricks and stones were ancient, others relatively new, and fengshui arrays had been installed.

They had visited many temples—Taibai Mountain's Doumugong, Huashan's Chunyang Palace, Wudang Mountain's Golden Summit—this Qingniu Temple was nothing remarkable by comparison.

The only unusual feature was the main hall.

Simple, grand, majestic, still preserving Qin dynasty style.

Throughout the temple, groves of green bamboo thrived; after the autumn rain, the lush green cast a gloomy shade, carpeting the ground in yellowed bamboo leaves.

Whether ordained Daoists or lay disciples, all wore plain Daoist robes—some swept the ground, others practiced martial arts—all orderly and disciplined.

"Greetings, the Supervising Abbot."

"Greetings, the Supervising Abbot."

!.

All the Daoists along the path bowed and greeted Chongxu Zi.

"Yuanqing, come here."

Chongxu Zi called over a tall, sturdy Daoist and asked sternly: "I ask you, did anything unusual occur in the monastery last night?"

This Daoist was likely the "Patrol Inspector," responsible for temple etiquette, maintaining order and security within the monastery.

He bowed, his expression grave: "Last night, when our senior uncle descended the mountain to subdue demons, we burned incense and chanted sutras in support—but two of the ancestral troops altars in the monastery exploded, and the remaining three suffered heavy damage..."

"We'll discuss this later!"

Chongxu Zi waved his hand and said sternly: "What I want to know is, did any malicious intruders sneak in last night?"

"Report, Senior Uncle, we detected none."

The Daoist looked puzzled and quickly shook his head.

"Hmm."

Chongxu Zi gave a slight nod, expressionless, and turned to Lingfeng Zi: "Take our guests to the quiet chamber. I'll change my robes and join you shortly."

"Yes, Master."

Lingfeng Zi immediately gestured: "Ladies and gentlemen, please follow me."

He led them into a quiet chamber and served tea: "Ladies and gentlemen, this is Qinglong tea from Fengdu, cultivated since the Song Dynasty. Here are also some osmanthus cakes, made by the monastery's kitchen."

"Please wait a moment—our Master will arrive shortly."

After he left, Sha Lifei could not help asking: "Young Master Li, what's going on? Did we make a mistake?"

Li Yan whispered: "Didn't you notice the old Daoist's demeanor has grown even gentler? Something serious must have happened in the monastery."

"Everyone, be ready—act at any moment!"

To prevent accidents, besides "Fast Boat Zhang" and the boat crew disciples, even the Bai family had climbed the mountain and all were armed.

Hearing Li Yan's words, the elderly woman Bai Wan suddenly spoke: "Something is indeed amiss."

"On the way here, I observed the surrounding mountains and rivers, the vegetation was gloomy, the forests dense, and several marshy depressions existed—ideal for miasma to breed—but I saw none of them just now."

Long Yan'er beside her mused: "I've seen this before. The Cultivation Sect uses secret methods to cultivate miasma—this is exactly how it looks."

She raised her pale palm, upon which lay a tiny silkworm, golden-yellow, yet its skin as hard as insect armor.

Golden Silkworm poison?

Li Yan cast a meaningful glance but said nothing.

Long Yan'er's origins were not insignificant, but her intentions were far from pure; she always tried, deliberately or not, to learn about joining their group.

Now she even revealed the Golden Silkworm poison—clearly trying to prove her usefulness—but Li Yan would not take the bait.

Seeing his indifference, Long Yan'er's eyes flickered with resignation; she clenched her fist, and the Golden Silkworm vanished.

Li Yan ignored her, suddenly smelling the osmanthus fragrance. He picked up an osmanthus cake and placed it in his mouth—his eyes instantly brightened: "Excellent craftsmanship! Who knew this Qingniu Monastery had a Kitchen General!"

In the culinary trade, there were Imperial Chefs, Yamen Chefs, Market Chefs; in monasteries, they were Temple Chefs, skilled in preparing vegetarian dishes.

The osmanthus cake was sweet but not cloying, leaving fragrance in the mouth.

Such skill could only belong to a Kitchen General.

Others followed suit, picking up cakes to eat—except Wu Ba, who devoured two portions without even tasting them properly, sweating profusely and scanning the room anxiously.

Wang Daoxuan smiled faintly and passed his plate over; so did Long Yan'er.

"Delicious! Delicious!"

Wu Ba grinned foolishly, took the plate, shoved the cake into his mouth, nodding vigorously, his eyes squeezed into slits with delight.

Seeing this, everyone smiled, and the atmosphere eased somewhat.

Creak~

At that moment, the door suddenly opened. Chongxu Zi, now in fresh robes, entered with Lingfeng Zi.

Both wore Daoist robes, yet each carried magical weapons.

"Lingfeng Zi, close the door!"

Chongxu Zi's expression turned grim.

Lingfeng Zi seemed to have guessed something; he quickly shut the door and hung a bronze talisman above it to block spiritual detection.

"Ladies and gentlemen, something has indeed happened in the monastery..."

Chongxu Zi did not sit but spoke directly: "The man just now is Yuanqing, our Patrol Inspector, responsible for patrolling the mountain gate."

"He is left-handed, yet he bowed with his right hand. His gait is unnatural—he's injured, yet told me nothing happened."

"Also, he was close to Master Wu Faluo, the withered tree..."

Li Yan listened, thoughtful, then asked: "May I ask, Elder, did you hear of the blood-colored child demon I mentioned earlier?"

Now that matters had reached this point, Chongxu Zi no longer held back: "I've heard of it. During the turmoil at the end of the Tang Dynasty, Sichuan remained relatively stable while the Central Plains collapsed, drawing in many refugees."

"Among them were demonic cultivators causing chaos. One demonic Daoist, known as the Jianghuai Plague Daoist, spread plague everywhere, then offered talismanic water as cure, attempting to manipulate hearts and incite unrest in Sichuan."

"Wherever he went, common folk often saw blood-colored children—but all who saw them fell ill and died within three days at home."

"A master from Qingyang Palace came and joined forces with the then-abbot of Qingniu Monastery to subdue and kill the demon. But his magical artifact—the human-skin sack—was split in two and sealed separately in two locations."

"I checked earlier—the one sealed here at Qingniu Monastery is gone. When the fire broke out at Qingyang Palace in Chengdu, they claimed a jade plate was lost—but Master Kumu's true goal was almost certainly that object!"

"Ladies and gentlemen, Yuanqing is the Patrol Inspector—he has done countless covert deeds. I cannot trust anyone else for now."

"I hear you are wandering immortals. Our monastery offers as reward several locations of 'celestial spiritual treasures' in Sichuan—please help us quell this matter."

"Also, please keep this secret afterward."

"Agreed."

Li Yan nodded without hesitation, then rose, his expression calm: "Elder, I have a lead. Let's move."

Chongxu Zi paused, then nodded.

He had lived in Fengdu long enough to vaguely suspect it involved the Living Yin Official's methods.

The group left the quiet chamber. Li Yan looked eastward and asked: "What lies that way?"

Chongxu Zi replied: "That's the vegetable garden and the monastery's herb fields. Beyond, lies deep forest and dense mountains. Beyond several peaks live native villagers."

"That way. Let's go."

Chongxu Zi blinked, frowning: "But Yuanqing..."

Li Yan said sternly: "If we act inside the monastery, innocents may be harmed. Don't worry—if we're right, they'll intercept us on the way."

Chongxu Zi nodded, then signaled. Lingfeng Zi led the way toward the monastery's eastern side.

Their large group marched noisily, drawing many glances—but with Chongxu Zi present, no Daoist dared ask questions.

Only the Patrol Inspector Yuanqing watched from afar, a flicker of sorrow in his eyes, then swiftly departed.

Outside the monastery lay a herb field, filled with ordinary medicinal plants, mainly used to treat villagers below the mountain.

The spirit ledger glowed cold, indicating direction.

Li Yan led the group through the herb field. As they entered a dense forest, he frowned and approached a large tree.

Clang!

Suddenly, he drew his blade and split the trunk open.

Inside was hollow—a corpse tumbled out with a thud.

"How is it him?"

Sha Lifei stared, stunned.

The corpse was decayed, dead for many days, yet the face was still recognizable.

It was none other than Wu Faluo—the man they had captured in Shennongjia, who had described the anomalies at Qingniu Monastery...

(End of Chapter)