Chapter 679: The Manifestation of Maitreya

Night Walker?!

Li Yan was startled and suddenly looked up.

He ignored Luo Mingzi's warning and immediately formed a hand seal to probe.

The Sense of Smell Dao activated; he caught the scent of incense and faintly discerned its silhouette.

It was a human-shaped phantom, roughly four meters tall, draped in a cloak, with chains clinking against its body.

Yes, it was indeed the Night Walker.

After discovering the anomalous ancient Queen Mother statue, Li Yan had commissioned others to meticulously compile data on the evolution of deities.

He maintained good relations with Mount Wudang and Mount Qingcheng; in this world, the Daoist lineages were orderly, and many lost ancient texts remained well-preserved, allowing the genealogies of popular deities to be clarified—the Night Walker being one of them.

Within Daoist circles, its primary duty was nocturnal patrol, overseeing human virtue and vice.

Together with the Day Walker, it was enshrined within the City God Temple.

The City God's night patrol followed fixed routes.

But the Day and Night Walkers moved with relative freedom; disturbances in the gangsha qi would draw them near.

If malevolent spirits or yin entities caused trouble, they would suppress them directly.

Of course, the Day and Night Walkers were not present everywhere.

Like an upgraded configuration, if the local City God Temple could barely afford to sustain soldiers and horses, it naturally had no surplus power.

Even in places where the Day and Night Walkers could manifest, they were often limited to reconnaissance.

In the capital, they were unquestionably stronger, comparable to some regional temple deities.

But through compiling data, Li Yan discovered their origins were more complex than assumed.

The worship of the Night Walker may be far older, rooted in ancient veneration of "night."

Ancient people believed darkness concealed unknown dangers, requiring divine guardianship or deterrence, hence they were also called the "Lord of Night" or "Patrolling Ghost Deity," likely the same as the two deities mentioned in the Classic of Mountains and Seas: Xiao Ming and Zhu Guang.

The Supreme Mystery Spirit Incantation Scripture refers to it as a celestial office, patrolling the mortal realm alongside the Day Walker.

In folk tales, it frequently appeared, interacting with mortals, punishing night-time thieves or rescuing the lost.

From all indications, this was also an ancient deity who had fallen silent amid human transformations, yet presided over change and rebirth.

Its true body may reside within the Great Luo Dao Realm; all manifestations in the mortal world were merely incarnations fueled by incense worship.

But regardless of whether these speculations were correct, it should never have killed indiscriminately like this!

Someone was controlling the Night Walker and acting recklessly!

The Hu woman clearly realized this too.

"Someone's behind this—retreat now!"

Her face darkened instantly; her fingers swiftly formed seals as she chanted rapidly: "Moonlight rises over forest, white smoke swells; Hu's Patriarch stands before the hall; left foot treads the path of Heaven and Earth, right foot kicks open the gates of Yin and Yang!"

Her incantation was swift, her gang step even faster.

Combined with the sway of her waist, she seemed like a fox dancing.

At the same time, white mist rose from the ground.

"Follow me closely!"

From the thick mist came the woman's sharp cry, then a cluster of will-o'-the-wisps exploded within it, scattering like countless fish in all directions.

"Impressive technique…"

Li Yan, upon seeing this, was visibly surprised.

He had gathered no small amount of Daoist intelligence; the Five Immortals Hall of the Northern Frontier was among them.

The origin of the Five Immortals Hall was Shamanism, yet it differed in key ways.

When Han civilians migrated from Luzhou and other regions to the Northern Frontier, they brought fox immortal worship and merged it with local Shamanic spirit-possession rituals, giving rise to the Outriding Disciples.

Thus, the core of the Outriding Disciples was spirit possession.

Similar to the spirit-invocation practices of central and southern regions, the universal technique was "Securing the Orifices"; the higher one's cultivation, the more clarity one retained.

But each of the Five Immortals had their own specialties.

The Fox Immortal excelled in bewitching souls, divining the Heavenly Mandate, exchanging lives, and borrowing fortune.

The Weasel Immortal excelled in concealment and soul-snatching.

The White Immortal excelled in healing and warding off evil from homes.

The Willow Immortal excelled in warfare.

The Ash Immortal excelled in accumulating wealth.

The organizational structure of the Five Immortals Hall was not rigid; as long as one completed the steps of "Invoking the Immortal, Mustering Troops, and Installing the Seat" to "raise the pole" and establish a hall, one could become an Immortal Hall.

But as Hu San Taoye and Hu San Taonai received Daoist imperial edicts, the Five Immortals Hall became an officially recognized lineage, and all halls were bound to obey their commands.

Each of the Five Immortals had unique strengths, but the Fox Immortal was the leader.

The reason was simple: the "Heavenly Mandate Divination"—the Hu Family Divination.

No matter how high one's cultivation, one still feared the Three Calamities and Nine Trials; only by understanding the Heavenly Mandate could one avoid disaster.

The Fox Immortal's combat prowess was not particularly high, yet this Hu woman's escape technique could both flee and confuse enemies—clearly a highly refined and orthodox lineage.

But they had still underestimated the Night Walker's power.

Li Yan felt the incense scent on the Night Walker erupt instantly.

Almost immediately, fierce winds surged and black mist engulfed the area.

The spectacle resembled the mobilization of Underworld troops.

Of course, their origins differed fundamentally, and their power levels were vastly unequal.

Even so, the Hu woman's escape technique was instantly shattered.

The white mist released by the Hu woman, along with the phosphorescent flames within, was instantly scattered.

A fox's mournful cry seemed to echo from within the black mist.

The white mist released by the Hu woman, along with its will-o'-the-wisps, was instantly scattered.

Meanwhile, the three of them had just leapt over the wall.

Still mid-air, the Hu woman groaned and fell, a thread of blood seeping from her lips.

But he hesitated, then stepped in front of the woman and pulled out the token at his waist.

Feng Shaoqing hurriedly lifted the Hu woman, but as he saw the darkness spreading up the wall, fear flashed in his eyes; his body tensed, clearly wanting to flee.

Yet after a moment's hesitation, he stepped before her and drew the token from his waist.

It was an official command from the Commandant's Office, possessing slight power to suppress evil.

Just as the darkness neared, it suddenly halted, stopping a foot from his face; frost formed on Feng Shaoqing's face, and he heard the clinking of chains.

Huh~

Suddenly, the gale surged and the darkness dispersed.

He grew overly confident, unaware that the Hu woman, having wiped the blood from her lips and risen, had not listened to his rambling—she was gazing into the dark alley to her left, bowing slightly: "Thank you for your aid, fellow Daoist. Why not reveal yourself?"

Feng Shaoqing, having narrowly escaped death, wore a look of wild joy; gritting his teeth, he said: "Hmph, the imperial authority of Great Xuan surpasses divine power. No matter what, the Night Walker belongs to the City God Temple—how could it harm an official of the court…"

He grew overconfident, unaware that the Hu woman, having wiped the blood from her lips and risen, was not listening to him at all—she was gazing toward the dark alley to the left, bowing respectfully: "Thank you, Daoist friend. Why not reveal yourself?"

From the darkness, Li Yan slipped the Warrant into his robe and stepped forward slowly.

Feng Shaoqing was deluding himself; this Night Walker was under someone's control—it cared nothing for imperial edicts. The true force that drove it away was Li Yan's status as a Celestial Official.

Celestial Officials roam without restriction; all mortal deities must yield.

No matter how strange this Night Walker was, its status could not change.

"May I ask, sir…"

As the Hu woman bowed, Wang the Widow's eyes widened in shock as she cried out:

"L…Li Xiao-ge?"

Li Yan did not rush to respond; instead, he turned to look down the distant alley, where flames and hoofbeats were approaching, then said: "The patrol troops are coming—let's find somewhere to hide first." Seeing Li Yan's youthful appearance yet his air of a master, Feng Shaoqing felt an inexplicable unease and said gruffly: "Good—they've come. A Night Walker killing people? I've never heard of such a thing. Let's get to the bottom of it."

The Hu woman turned her head, frowning slightly.

Li Yan did not respond immediately; instead, he glanced toward the distant alley, where firelight and hoofbeats approached, then said: "The patrol troops are coming. Let's find somewhere to talk first." Seeing Li Yan's youth yet bearing himself like a master, Feng Shaoqing felt inexplicably uneasy and said gruffly: "Good—they've arrived. The Night Walker killing people is unheard of; let's get to the bottom of this."

"Investigate? What exactly will you investigate?"

Li Yan was exasperated. "If you say the Night Walker killed someone, do you think anyone will believe you?"

"Whoever's behind this surely has preparations ready. Before you even give the order, you'll be thrown into prison and die in confusion."

Feng Shaoqing froze, then nodded. "No wonder Li Yan is so famous—you're right."

Li Yan was not surprised by his identity being recognized; he turned to the Hu woman.

This woman, called the Master of Incense, was clearly the leader of the group.

After hearing this, the woman's eyes flickered with hesitation, but seeing the torchlight now illuminating the alley entrance, she gritted her teeth and said: "We have someone at the front gate grain warehouse—follow me!"

Saying this, she turned and hurried off.

She had only suffered spiritual damage; her martial skill remained unaffected, and she moved swiftly, leaping and bounding.

Li Yan and Wang the Widow followed close behind.

After passing three dark alleys, ahead appeared a brick archway gate, its lintel carved with "Yu Feng Hao," worn and faded by years.

The Hu woman glanced around, then stepped forward and knocked on the bronze ring—three long, two short.

Immediately, a crack opened in the side door.

"Master! Hurry in!"

The door opener was a hunchbacked old man; though surprised, he said nothing, and after all entered, he checked the street again before swiftly closing the wooden door.

Inside, Li Yan silently surveyed his surroundings.

【101】 The place looked like an ordinary grain warehouse's front courtyard, but in truth, it concealed hidden secrets.

【102】 Seven grain silos, over a zhang tall, were arranged in the shape of the Big Dipper; each summit was covered with straw, yet beneath the eaves hung bronze fox-head bells—yet when the night wind blew, they made no sound.

And from underground, the scent of smoke and fire drifted up.

Li Yan saw this and was not surprised.

When Luo Fengzi described the capital's layout, he also mentioned the terrain of each district.

This area around Qianmen was always a hub for merchants; the *Records of the Five City Neighborhoods of the Capital* notes that here, grain warehouses and cargo depots stood thickly, with many underground storage chambers.

Indeed, the Hu woman spoke up: "This was an underground cache built fifty years ago by the Minister of Personnel. He was deeply corrupt; seeing the current emperor ascend the throne, he feared confiscation and dug a three-li secret tunnel beneath the Qianmen shops. Yet he still could not escape death. Later, we took it over, and now it connects to the backyards of six grain warehouses."

As she spoke, she pushed aside the reed mat on the eastern grain pile, revealing a dark, gaping hole.

After she entered, Li Yan followed after her.

As he bent low, his brow furrowed—he smelled the odor of old rice mixed with sulfur.

Were gunpowder buried beneath these grain piles?

What purpose could a Daoist sect have in amassing such an arsenal?

The tunnel was damp and cold; every ten paces, an old oil lamp was embedded in the walls.

Li Yan sniffed again, his suspicions deepening.

Hidden within both walls were trap mechanisms armed with crossbow bolts.

These people's identities must be suspect.

He showed no outward sign, but inwardly, he had already raised his guard.

Finally, they stopped before a stone chamber.

This place was arranged with even greater care, resembling a house.

The Hu woman stepped forward and turned the lamp stand.

Creak—creak—creak~

The bookshelf slid aside with the sound of mechanisms, revealing another chamber, roughly ten feet square.

Inside the chamber lay crates upon crates of armor and weapons.

Even two crates of firearms.

"Gentlemen…"

Li Yan halted at the chamber's entrance, refusing to enter: "You're not merely members of the Five Immortals Sect, are you?"

Feng Shaoqing's gaze turned dark; he stole a glance at the Hu woman.

Meanwhile, the widow Wang kept her head bowed, silent.

"We don't hide it from you, Young Master Li."

The woman suddenly made several hand gestures, lightly tapping her brow with her fingertip in the shape of a lotus, then spoke: "The clear wind cannot read; why turn scriptures at random? 'At the third watch, Maitreya's fire burns; one lamp illuminates the cold night.'"

"Maitreya Sect?!"

Li Yan was stunned; he unconsciously gripped his sword hilt.

He had never imagined these people were from the Maitreya Sect.

Years ago, during the battle in Guanzhong, Zhao Changsheng incited the Maitreya Sect's various factions to rise up together—but they were crushed by the imperial forces, suffering devastating losses.

Because of that, the once-mighty Maitreya Sect collapsed entirely; combined with imperial bans, only scattered remnants remained.

Dispersed across the land, they could never regain strength.

When had they regrouped in the capital?

"Young Master Li, don't be alarmed—we're not evil people…"

The widow Wang quickly spoke up: "This is my lost young mistress, rescued as a child by the Maitreya Sect…"

The Hu woman raised her hand, cutting her off, then bowed solemnly: "I am Hu Yuanyuan, the Maitreya Sect's Qianmen Incense Master. I've long heard of your righteous heart and courage. You should know the origins of the Maitreya Sect—so long as suffering souls exist in this world, the Maitreya Sect will never vanish!"

"We gather to burn incense not to oppose the court, nor to seize the throne—we merely help each other in this corrupt, wicked world."

"If you doubt us, go and investigate."

Li Yan naturally did not believe her, but he did not rush to turn hostile; instead, he glanced around and said coolly: "You brought me here—do you intend to recruit me?"

"Young Master Li, you misunderstand."

Hu Yuanyuan shook her head: "We only wish to show sincerity. I've heard the Twelve Zodiac Immortals are wandering immortals—I wish to make a deal with you."

Li Yan asked: "What deal?"

Hu Yuanyuan gritted her teeth: "Help me kill a man! He's a yin criminal hiding in the Ying Prince's mansion—I want his soul scattered, never to be reborn!"

Hearing this, Li Yan instantly understood.

The intelligence he gained from the netherworld indicated that Wuleji, hiding in the Ying Prince's mansion, had once slaughtered a village that venerated the Five Immortals Sect while lurking in the northern frontier.

The widow Wang and her group had lived in hiding for years—likely fleeing from him.

Of course, Li Yan would not be foolish enough to reveal this was also his target.

He frowned slightly, feigning confusion: "A yin criminal hiding in the Ying Prince's mansion? That's strange—what exactly is going on?"

Seeing his interest, Hu Yuanyuan dared not conceal anything and immediately recounted the full story.

The details matched Li Yan's suspicions almost exactly.

The only difference: Hu Yuanyuan had been a child when she was separated from her family; after so many years, her childhood memories were gone, and she believed her family had been attacked by bandits.

It was only when the widow Wang, accompanied by the fox immortal, passed through the capital, that she sensed Hu Yuanyuan's bloodline—and they finally recognized each other.

A young girl like Hu Yuanyuan rising to the rank of Incense Master—she must have endured unimaginable hardship. Learning that the perpetrator behind it all had been hiding in the capital all along filled her with rage.

Seeing Li Yan silent, Hu Yuanyuan clenched her teeth and said: "Young Master Li, you are famed across the land—you likely care nothing for gold or silver. If you accomplish this, I will give you an immortal's treasure."

"An immortal's treasure?"

Li Yan chuckled: "I know better than you what an immortal's treasure is—if such things truly existed, would you really give them up?"

Hu Yuanyuan fell silent for a moment, then slowly raised her head.

"Young Master Li, have you heard of the peaches of immortality that grant eternal life?"

(End of Chapter)