Chapter 658: Xu Fu

Xu Fu's remaining notes!

Upon seeing this record, all were stirred to attention.

In the false Yin Si of Luoyang's Qin Palace, Li Yan obtained a Qin bamboo slip from an ancient zombie; after verification by "Jin Yanfeng" of the Ghost Market, it was confirmed to be written in ancient "Jin Que Shu" script, composed by Xu Fu before his voyage overseas in search of immortality.

He left behind three scrolls of bamboo slips, recording the Path to Immortality, the secrets of the False Yin Si, and the Luoyang prohibitions.

The "False Yin Si" and "Luoyang prohibitions" had already been deciphered—of little use now.

Only the "Path to Immortality" was what Li Yan had been relentlessly gathering information on.

As for what "seeking immortality" truly meant, they already knew—it was an illusion; the immortal mountains overseas were mere fantasy.

But Xu Fu was very likely also a member of Zhao Changsheng's organization.

The "Path to Immortality" he left behind was clearly not so simple.

Now that a lead had surfaced, and with the tiger demon having stolen it, how could they not raise their guard?

"What is the origin of this 'Bao Hua Bookhouse'?"

Wang Daoxuan promptly asked the scribe beside him.

The scribe had already been bribed by the Chen family and knew these people were of great stature; he dared not be careless, bowing and replying: "Your Reverence, the Bao Hua Bookhouse is located in our Zhangqiu Town, specializing in carving and selling books…"

As he explained, the others understood the reason.

Although Zhangqiu Town was a vital canal hub with thriving commerce, it lay within Luzhou and was not far from the Kong Mansion—naturally steeped in scholarly culture.

The town housed not only a Confucian Temple and Anping Academy, but also the specialized Bao Hua Bookhouse.

The "Bao Hua Bookhouse" had long existed, established since the founding of the Great Xuan Dynasty, now over a hundred years old.

Its proprietor, a local Confucian scholar, enjoyed close ties with the Kong family.

It not only sold books, but its carved woodblock New Year prints were shipped far along the canal to Beijing, Tianjin, and the northern frontiers.

High officials and literati traveling the canal often stopped to attend literary gatherings.

They were local gentry and prominent figures.

"Fu Bo, could you help introduce us? I'd like to ask him something."

Wang Daoxuan turned to the old steward, Chen Fu.

"This…"

Chen Fu hesitated, "Your Reverence, could we discuss this after returning home?"

Seeing his expression, Wang Daoxuan understood. "Very well."

…………

"The proprietor of the Bao Hua Bookhouse is Meng Yicheng."

Back at the mansion, the old steward Chen Fu immediately explained the reason.

"To be honest, my Chen family has a past with the Meng family."

"My master's father once worked as a laborer for the Meng family; later, when my master mastered martial arts and established this household, the Mengs looked down on him with contempt, and their younger generations mocked him in conversation—my master chose to ignore them."

"Though there was no open conflict, there was no contact either…"

"I see."

Wang Daoxuan listened, his brow slightly furrowed—but not surprised.

Some poor men grow envious when others rise; some rich men resent the poor when they climb.

Given this, it would be improper for the Chen household to intervene directly.

Who should they approach…

As he pondered, a Canal Gang disciple suddenly rushed in, panting: "Fu Bo, something terrible has happened!"

"The Bao Hua Bookhouse caught fire—rumor says many in the Meng family are dead!"

……

"Fire! Fire!"

The town's night watchman banged his broken gong, screaming hoarsely.

It was still daytime; thick smoke rolled, and chaos reigned all around.

The Bao Hua Bookhouse stood on Danqing Street, surrounded by shops selling calligraphy, paintings, brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones; as a canal hub, all had built warehouses to store goods.

The shopkeepers nearby sweated profusely, mostly directing their apprentices to block the flames, lest the fire spread and consume their entire fortunes.

Some civilians, under constables' orders, tried to extinguish the fire, but the narrow, chaotic streets meant buckets of water poured on the blaze only seemed to fuel it, making the flames burn fiercer.

Carved wooden windows crackled in the inferno.

Century-old pine beams turned black and curled under the fire's tongue.

"Let me go!"

An elderly woodblock master wept and struggled to rush into the flames, held back by five young men.

Thousands of woodblocks carved by his family over three generations were turning to ash within the fire…

When Wang Daoxuan and the others arrived, this was the scene they saw.

"Fu Bo, what do we do?"

The Canal Gang disciple hurriedly asked.

The Chen-Meng feud was known to all of Zhangqiu Town.

"They abandoned Confucian benevolence—we must not abandon the righteousness of the Jianghu."

Fu Bo gave an immediate order: "Put out the fire!"

At his command, a signal fire shot skyward; dozens of Canal Gang men, bare-chested, surged from the docks.

The Canal Gang had abundant manpower and far greater organization than the civilians; their boats bearing the "Yi" banner directly blocked the river, with dozens of buckets lined along the shore like a long chain.

One bucket after another of water was hurled onto the bookhouse.

Meanwhile, the yamen finally rolled in the water dragon cart.

Together, they forced the fire under control.

But strangely, the fire clung like a medicinal plaster—each time it seemed nearly extinguished, it reignited with the wind, accompanied by a nauseating stench of charred flesh.

"It's stone oil!"

Sha Lifei smelled it and instantly paled, shouting: "Quick! Cover it with earth!"

Chen San had given orders before leaving, and the Canal Gang men obeyed faithfully.

Large quantities of soil, stones, and sand were thrown into the fire.

Soon after, the flames were finally extinguished.

The once-magnificent Bao Hua Bookhouse now lay only as smoldering ash.

"Your Reverence, this fire isn't natural—it was set deliberately!"

Sha Lifei whispered to Wang Daoxuan.

Wang Daoxuan nodded grimly, then spoke quietly to Fu Bo beside him.

Fu Bo immediately coordinated with the constables and led the Bao Hua Bookhouse's staff to the Meng residence.

The Chen family had saved them despite past grievances—the Meng family could not pretend ignorance.

Moreover, they had no time to dwell on such matters.

Inside the Meng mansion, chaos reigned equally.

Servants were pale-faced; the muffled sobs of maids echoed; the floor was drenched in blood.

"Tell us—what exactly happened?"

The town's constables were pressing for answers.

"I… I don't know."

The servant trembled, replying: "Master hosted guests today—scholars and students from miles around came to hold a poetry gathering in the courtyard."

"Suddenly, a strange wind blew, frost formed on the ground, and Zhou Xiucai from Baigou Town went mad, grabbing Master and demanding a bamboo slip. When we tried to restrain him, he suddenly grew impossibly strong and killed several of us…"

Upon hearing this, Wang Daoxuan and Sha Lifei said nothing, swiftly entering the house.

"Hey hey, you—"

The constable tried to block them, but Fu Bo hurried forward to explain.

After Sha Lifei produced his Daoist credential, the constables ceased their interference.

After the Chengdu Wang Mansion battle, there was one advantage.

All Twelve Yuan Chen's Daoist credentials had been replaced with black ones.

This was the privilege of orthodox Daoist sects—when encountering demonic entities harming people, they could act directly.

When needed, they could even request aid from nearby yamen and garrison units.

The Meng residence was a three-court mansion, thick with scholarly air.

The group arrived at the central hall, "Xie Fang Zhai," and found it in utter disarray.

Crimson blood and black pine-soot ink pooled on the blue-brick floor, forming strange patterns.

Several scholars lay dead on the ground, all in a reversed bow posture.

Their heads twisted backward, as if forcibly snapped, their pallid faces frozen in grotesque grins.

Most striking was the ceiling beam.

It was coated in frost; the massive tiger paw prints had not yet faded…

"Has this thing gone mad?"

Sha Lifei was puzzled. "Earlier at Jingyang Ridge, it avoided killing, trying to hide—why now, so brazen as to attack openly in broad daylight, within a town?"

They did not automatically attack every supernatural creature—some even had non-human allies.

Like the Zouyu of Shennongjia, though unable to speak the same language, they could coexist peacefully.

But if this act is committed, regardless of reason, it will be a feud to the death.

Even if they do not act, the Enforcement Hall cannot let it pass.

Wang Daoxuan pondered, "It seems the object was not obtained. As for why the murder occurred, we must capture the perpetrator before interrogating."

Sha Lifei whispered, "What do we do now?"

Wang Daoxuan gazed at the corpse of Meng Master, eyes still wide open in death.

"Retrieve the object, set up the altar."

"While the three souls have not yet scattered, I will summon the spirit to question it!"

………

The Meng family now has no one in charge, and the yamen runners are cooperating fully.

Soon, the ritual altar was fully prepared.

Wang Daoxuan ordered men to bring in an elm wood Eight Immortals table, placing three yansheng coins under each leg to symbolize the "Three Talents of Heaven, Earth, and Man," and draped it in indigo coarse hemp cloth, echoing the image of "blue sky suppressing evil."

Summoning spirits for questioning is usually mastered by those experienced in crossing over to the yin realm, and must be done at Zi Hour.

Wang Daoxuan excels more in warding off calamities and invoking blessings.

But he possessed a treasure.

Upon the altar stood a bronze incense burner at the center, an xuan yuan shell luopan on the right, and a strange lamp on the left, crafted from rhinoceros horn, filled with blood-red lamp oil.

This was the treasure "Rhinoceros Horn Lamp," acquired from the Ghost Sect's Tongtian San Niang during his time in Ezhou.

Made from the horn of a Tongtian rhinoceros, it could pierce the veil of the netherworld.

To prevent frightening others, all personnel—including the yamen runners—were driven out.

To prevent the yin spirits from being dispersed by sunlight, the entire hall was covered with black cloth.

"Wandering soul, where do you linger? The three souls have long departed; the seven poisons now arrive—by riverbanks, wild paths, temples, villages, palaces, prisons, graves, forests, in phantom terrors and lost true souls—I now summon the Hearth Deity of this household…"

As Wang Daoxuan chanted the "Spirit Binding Spell," a chilling wind swept through the hall.

He cast a casual glance, reversed his peachwood sword, and touched the candle flame to the rhinoceros horn lamp.

Instantly, the entire main hall was bathed in ghastly green light, as if they had entered the netherworld.

In several corners appeared spectral figures of scholars, drenched in blood, standing motionless with arms hanging.

They were the recently deceased victims within the hall.

This was precisely why Wang Daoxuan dared not waste time.

If delayed too long, these spirits would either enter the netherworld or dissipate.

Then, only a professional yin-crossing master could assist.

The spirit of Meng Master was among them.

Standing beside his corpse, back turned to all, utterly still.

To ordinary people, this scene would have induced near-fatal terror.

But to these men, it meant nothing.

Even Sha Lifei, once an ordinary man, was a hardened killer risen from the charnel house.

On the contrary, they dared not even breathe, fearing they might scatter the spirits.

Wang Daoxuan continued stepping the Nine Palaces, then picked up the cinnabar brush from the altar, chanting incantations and inscribing strange characters onto yellow paper.

This was called Tian Wen, also known as Ghost Script.

Simply put, it was the script used to communicate with yin spirits.

After writing several lines and drawing talismans, Wang Daoxuan lifted his peachwood sword, ignited the ghost script with the candle flame, and pointed sharply at Meng Master's spirit.

Huh~

Rolling waves of blue smoke instantly merged into the spirit's body.

The spirit of Meng Master, who had been facing away, slowly raised his arm and pointed to the left.

Wang Daoxuan gave a signal; Sha Lifei and Wu Ba immediately moved.

As they passed through the left side door of the main hall, Meng Master's spirit reappeared in the shadowed corridor, still back turned, but now pointing to the right.

Sha Lifei and Wu Ba were not surprised; they continued following.

Soon, they reached the study in the rear courtyard.

There, Meng Master's spirit appeared once more, pointing upward.

"I'll do it!"

Wu Ba said nothing, pushed off with his legs, leapt into the air, and gripped the ceiling beam with iron-like hands, then tapped left and right.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Soon, he found the spot with abnormal sound.

He raised his palm and struck—crack! the beam shattered outright.

Simultaneously, an iron box fell from above.

The beam had been hollowed out; the iron box was hidden inside, sealed by master craftsmen, then covered with wooden veneer—completely invisible.

Sha Lifei seized the iron box and hurried back to the main hall.

Wang Daoxuan dismantled the altar and opened the iron box.

Inside lay a bamboo slip, identical in texture to the one they had previously obtained.

"So it was here!"

Wang Daoxuan glanced at Meng Master's corpse, stroked his beard, and shook his head: "Meng's ancestors must have been unwilling to part with the sacred text, yet wished to claim fame—so they substituted a fake, leaving disaster for their descendants…"

"Is this the thing?"

Sha Lifei asked urgently.

When they left Luoyang, Jin Yanfeng had already passed the Golden Magpie Book to Wang Daoxuan.

Only a Daoist could understand this object.

Wang Daoxuan glanced at it a few times, his expression turning grave.

"Correct—it is Xu Fu's 'Seeking Immortality Chapter.'"

"If the tiger demon found the Meng family, someone in the city must be his inside agent."

"Let's return to the Chen residence and set a trap for the demon!"

…………

In the darkness, Li Yan's eyelids twitched slightly, then slowly opened.

He formed a hand seal, his chest rising and falling rhythmically.

Huh~

With just one exhalation, a violent wind erupted within the room.

After prolonged meditation, he had finally reshaped his visualization space.

His cultivation level may not have risen significantly, but it had become far more stable.

Do not underestimate this—how far one progresses with the Luo Feng Scripture may hinge on this very change.

Thinking of this, Li Yan turned to the bronze Zongmu Nuo mask beside him.

But as before, it had returned to ordinary, revealing no trace of aura.

Li Yan felt a flicker of disappointment, and shook his head slightly.

He had a vague suspicion.

To glimpse the Great Luo Dharma Realm is no simple matter.

First, one needs assistance from Erlang Zhenjun; second, one must visualize the Great Luo Dharma Realm, and both parties must resonate through the power of the bronze mask to sense conditions on the other side.

This endeavor carries great risk—if discovered, it violates heavenly law.

Who knows when the next opportunity will come…

After stowing the bronze Nuo mask, Li Yan looked out the window.

Unaware, the outside had plunged into complete darkness.

Yet Li Yan sniffed the air, frowned sharply, and swiftly pushed open the door.

There, Lu San sat outside on a stool, cradling the white fox.

And Sha Lifei crouched in the shadows of the roof, holding the Divine Fire Gun.

"What happened?" Li Yan asked.

"We found Xu Fu's bamboo slips…"

Lu San briefly recounted the events and whispered, "The Dao Master suspects the tiger demon's master is from Jianmu, so they've set a trap to capture him."

"Hmm, good I woke up in time."

Li Yan exhaled in relief, greeted the others, and took up his hiding position inside the room.

Yet, even after Zi Hour passed, the tiger demon did not appear.

Instead, Chen San, the Cao Gang's fleet commander who had been scouting, returned in haste.

"We found 'The Rotten Scroll Master,' Kong Hui!"

(End of Chapter)