Chapter 730: The Legend of Mount Taodou

“Do you know where this is?”

The clerk was invited into the room, and Wang Daoxuan pointed to the record and asked.

It was already the third watch of the night; the clerk had been working nonstop for days, from dawn until now without closing his eyes, and his eyelids were already heavy with exhaustion.

Hearing Wang Daoxuan’s question, he feigned looking down at the text, though he hadn’t even seen what it was, and let his eyes droop as he replied, “Respected Daoist, this humble servant does not know.”

“Hmph!”

Lu San immediately grew displeased. “You haven’t even looked— are you mocking us?”

His demeanor might fool ordinary people, but it could not deceive a sorcerer who had awakened his spiritual power.

“Uh…”

The clerk’s mind sharpened slightly, yet he still smiled bitterly and bowed. “Gentlemen, I am but a lowly clerk— I merely run errands and handle menial tasks. I truly know nothing of the yamen’s affairs.”

As he spoke, he glanced again at the text and lowered his head. “Though I know nothing of this matter, I recognize this book. Whatever place it records, it has surely vanished by now.”

“Oh? Why so?” Wang Daoxuan asked, curious.

The clerk hurried to explain. “This is the capital, the foremost land of virtue. If evil spirits were allowed to fester and public resentment boiled over, wouldn’t that become a laughingstock?”

“Thus, both the Commandant’s Office and the Enforcement Hall take this seriously. Whenever they hear of suspicious gatherings, the Commandant’s Office sends men to investigate. During festivals or the first and fifteenth of each month, the City God Temple dispatches troops to patrol the capital’s surroundings.”

“Books like the ‘Record of Strange Demons Along the Canal,’ ‘Compilation of Heretical Shrines Along the Canal,’ ‘Records of Supernatural Events in the Jin Capital,’ and ‘Miscellaneous Accounts of Old Events Beneath the Imperial City’ have all served as official references for past court investigations.”

“Anything near the capital has been thoroughly examined.”

“Take this book you’re reading, ‘Compilation of Heretical Shrines Along the Canal’— it documents events from the Daxing era of the previous dynasty, at the ancient ferry crossing north of Tonghui Canal. Times have changed; today, it is a densely populated area.”

“If you go there now, you will likely find nothing.”

“That’s not right!”

Wang Daoxuan frowned. “If that place was already investigated, where did Lin Fatty get the beast-shaped mask from?”

The clerk sighed. “Those were all events of the previous dynasty. The Enforcement Hall’s men came from all corners of the land. Laws were lax back then— perhaps it slipped out during that time.”

At this, Wang Daoxuan and the others exchanged glances.

Though the clerk was slippery, what he said was true.

“No rush.”

Wang Daoxuan pondered. “We can continue reasoning.”

“If the object came from the previous dynasty and Lin Fatty stumbled upon it by accident, he must have found some clue but couldn’t locate it himself— hence why he sought Kong Shangzhao’s help.”

“If it were an ordinary treasure, Kong Shangzhao wouldn’t risk himself, and Kuai Dayou, with his vast experience, wouldn’t join them in such foolishness. This object must have intrigued all three of them!”

“Kong the scholar excels at unraveling threads— the clues must still lie within these books…”

With that, he led the others to continue paging through.

This time, they searched deliberately, focusing on entries describing treasures linked to the mask, and finally found something.

“Found it!”

Lu San picked up the ‘Records of Supernatural Events in the Jin Capital,’ pointing to a page. “Daoist, look— is this it?”

Wang Daoxuan took it and examined it closely.

This city had once been the Jin capital, Zhongdu.

Back then, besides the Jurchens, many other ethnic groups gathered here, and this book recorded many strange customs omitted by official histories.

Though many were absurd, they held some value.

By the flickering lamplight, Wang Daoxuan saw a chilling illustration and description on a page whose paper was unusually dark yellow, its edges seemingly soaked in water:

“The Tomb of the Nuo God was dug at the intersection of earth veins south of Zhongdu—not to worship a deity, but to imprison the severed head of the ancient spirit ‘Xiao Sheng’! Its eyes could ‘pierce the Nine Heavens Below’ and ‘draw the Yellow Springs’… The Jin court’s secret emissaries, the ‘Open-Eyed Ones,’ used ancient rites to forge ‘Living Soul-Subduing Statues’ to seal its orifices, lock the earth veins’ malevolent nodes, and ban its power to traverse the netherworld… Every yin year and yin month, blood offerings must be made to feed it, drawing its power without fully awakening it… Yet it eventually turned against them— the earth cracked, the temple collapsed, and the living statues turned to stone… Later generations, fearing it, called it the ‘Ghost Eye Pit’…”

“The State Preceptor obtained wood from Mount Taodou and forged a prison-stake to suppress it!”

The severed head of the ‘Xiao Sheng’ matched the beast-shaped mask Lin Fatty had acquired.

“The wood of Mount Taodou… so that’s it…”

Wang Daoxuan suddenly understood, his eyes filled with disbelief.

Seeing the others’ puzzled looks, he spoke with a complex expression: “I once collected and organized ancient legends of the netherworld with Li Yan.”

“The earliest record comes from the ‘Book of Documents: Canon of Yao,’ which calls it Youdu, because when the sun reaches this point, it sinks into the earth, plunging all things into darkness— hence the name Youdu.”

“At the time, legend held that Youdu was ruled by a manifestation of Houtu or by Tu Bo. Tu Bo’s form was terrifying: he held nine ropes, bore sharp horns, had a hunched back and bloodstained hands, a tiger’s head and ox’s body, and three eyes, hunting and devouring wandering souls.”

“Youdu was dreadful; wandering spirits feared to go there and drifted aimlessly. These drifting souls were governed by Shen Shu and Yu Lei, the gods of Mount Taodou.”

“Mount Taodou bore a giant peach tree, its branches coiling for three thousand li. Atop it perched a golden rooster, which crowed at dawn. At that moment, all ghosts returning from their nightly wanderings lined up beneath the tree’s ghost gate. Shen Shu and Yu Lei inspected them; those found guilty were seized, bound with reed ropes, and fed to hungry tigers. Thus, all ghosts trembled and dared not break the law…”

Lu San frowned. “This is myth.”

Wang Daoxuan shook his head. “Myth and history always hold some connection.”

“Legend says there was a Mount Taodou in Lu during the Han dynasty— whether true or not, the Jin State Preceptor obtained a piece of its wood and forged it into a talisman to suppress the severed head of the ancient spirit Xiao Sheng.”

“And the description of ‘Xiao Sheng’ sounds much like Tu Bo.”

“The Ghost Eye Pit, which once imprisoned Xiao Sheng’s head, was likely destroyed. During the Song and Daxing eras, it stirred again, deceiving the people into worshiping it in Nuo God temples.”

“Saying it suffered heavenly retribution suggests it was shattered by thunder magic.”

“And Lin Fatty sought Kong Shangzhao precisely because of this wood from Mount Taodou.”

Lu San frowned. “Why go through all this trouble? Why not tell the Enforcement Hall?”

Wang Daoxuan sighed. “Do you know what this wood represents? A thing from myth— if you told the Enforcement Hall, do you think they’d be the ones to claim it?”

He glanced at the departing clerk and whispered:

“Besides, we can’t tell them either.”

Lu San understood at once and whispered back: “Why not?”

“Because this involves ‘Living Yin Officers’ and ‘Those Who Return from Death’!”

Wang Daoxuan spoke gravely. “You know Li Yan’s story— ‘Living Yin Officers’ were once called ‘Yellow Springs Messengers’ or ‘Guests from Dongyue.’ Perhaps now they’re also called ‘Youdu Envoys’ or ‘Mount Taodou Travelers.’”

“Since Buddhism entered the Central Plains, the netherworld has changed. Li Yan’s ‘Living Yin Officer’ status is now unique— perhaps this object can aid him.”

“Moreover, this matter may involve the Great Luo Dharma Realm. We know nothing of its inner workings, but the human realm is now in upheaval— this is an age of fierce contention.”

“If we tell the Commandant’s Office, this opportunity may vanish.”

Lu San instantly understood. “Should we go back and tell Li Yan?”

Wang Daoxuan paused, then shook his head. “No.”

“Li Yan must guard the Sui Lun Zhenjun— that is more important. He has spent years planning for us; we cannot burden him alone.”

Lu San nodded in agreement. “All the places recorded in these ancient texts are ruined or gone. Daoist, how do we begin searching?”

“I don’t know yet, but I have a lead.”

Wang Daoxuan stroked his beard. “Didn’t Lin Bo say they mentioned the Ghost Market? The beast-shaped mask was found there— they’ll likely go there to search for clues.”

“Tomorrow, we’ll visit Su Garden. Nothing stirs at the Ghost Market without them noticing…”

…………

The next day, sudden heavy rain fell over the capital, unceasing.

Inside the ‘Listening to the Spring Pavilion’ at Su Garden, sandalwood incense still lingered as rain pattered against the pond outside.

“Thank you, Miss Zhao.”