Chapter 754

“Mount Tai is haunted?!”

Wang Daoxuan stroked his beard and chuckled dryly: “Impossible. This rumor is absurd. Where is Mount Tai? The foremost of the Five Sacred Peaks, the domain of the Great Emperor of the East!”

“Haunted in a sacred Xuan gate stronghold? Utter nonsense! If anything truly stirred, the Yin soldiers and divine generals under the Lord of Mount Tai would have torn it apart long ago.”

Lin the Fat also chimed in: “Yeah, Brother Sha, didn’t you just overhear some idle gossip at a teahouse? Rumors fly everywhere these days—we just went through hell in Jinan Prefecture. Don’t go stirring up trouble.”

Only Li Yan frowned slightly, lost in thought.

His journey had originally been prompted by the “shift in the Lord of Mount Tai’s position.”

Could this be related?

Sha Lifei, seeing no one believed him, stamped his foot in frustration and shouted: “Hey, this isn’t made up! Common folk might spread rumors, but those who hear the wind and speak falsely won’t last two days before their reputations are smashed.”

He cleared his throat, pulled a crumpled scrap of paper from his robe, and began detailing: “First, the haunting rumors aren’t baseless.”

“Since last month, every night at the third watch, wailing cries like ghostly weeping have echoed near Dai Temple—sharp as a blade scraping iron. Even stranger, people claim to have seen human-shaped ‘ghost fires’ drifting wildly amid the ruins of Your Majesty Shrine.”

Sha Lifei paused, noting Wang Daoxuan’s grim expression, then continued: “Second, disappearances. Students from the Mount Tai Academy have spread word that several elderly Daoists from Taishan Shangqing Palace have vanished without a trace.”

“One Daoist, Zhang Mingzhen, was in charge of the incense offerings at Jade Emperor Peak. Three days ago, while on night watch, he vanished into thin air. His fellow disciples found his peach-wood sword broken in two, stained with black blood on the stone steps!”

“Third, a local constable, drunk, let slip the truth. Yesterday, officers from the Commandant’s Office were patrolling the foot of Mount Tai at night when they encountered a procession of ‘paper men carrying a palanquin.’ The paper men had red cheeks and black eyes, bearing a black palanquin. When the curtain lifted slightly, a pale, lifeless human face was revealed.”

“They tried to chase, but were thrown to the ground by a gust of chilling wind. With so many strange events piling up, the authorities have deployed troops to seal the mountain—clearly to suppress some evil force!”

Seeing Sha Lifei’s serious expression, the others exchanged uneasy glances.

At that moment, Li Yan finally spoke: “This may not be false. I cannot say more, but something major has indeed happened on Mount Tai.”

He pointed upward.

Wang Daoxuan and Sha Lifei and the others instantly understood.

It meant the heavenly secrets could not be revealed.

Lin the Fat, Kuai Dayou, and the other three stared in confusion.

Sha Lifei glanced at Li Yan, saw no objection, and smiled mysteriously: “We’re all one family—I won’t hide this from you. Young Yan isn’t just a living Yin Officer—he also holds the title of Celestial Official. So, you get it…”

“Celestial Official?”

All three looked utterly baffled.

Few even knew of living Yin Officers, let alone Celestial Officials.

Even within the Xuan gate, only a select few were aware.

Sha Lifei gave a brief explanation, and the three immediately understood why Li Yan could say nothing more.

“Tsk tsk. The world holds more secrets than I thought.”

Kuai Dayou chuckled softly, his eyes alight with interest.

He’d sought to join the Twelve Zodiacs partly because of Li Yan’s reputation and the thrilling encounters along the way, and partly to keep company with the like-minded Kong Shangzhao.

In short—he just wanted to tag along.

But the longer he traveled with them, the deeper he sensed their hidden depths.

Wang Daoxuan’s expression grew grave as he mused: “This matter is clearly suspicious. Mount Tai lies at the boundary of Yin and Yang. If some disturbance has upset the balance, it’s only natural for ghosts and specters to seep in.”

He turned to Li Yan. “Young Yan, what should we investigate?”

Li Yan said gravely: “The situation is unclear. I have no leads yet.”

“For now, the troops have sealed the mountain. Tonight, I and the Daoist will use the Dunshu to sneak up and scout. Brother Sha, you keep gathering intelligence. We still don’t know what’s truly happening on Mount Tai—stay cautious.”

…………

Night fell, yet Tai’an City remained lively.

This was Mount Tai—the sacred site of imperial Fengshan rites. Since ancient times, its incense smoke had never faded; many even formed pilgrimage groups, traveling from all corners of Shenzhou.

These pilgrims spent months on each round trip. When the authorities suddenly sealed the mountain, they naturally refused to leave, so they stayed in the city.

Inns were packed; teahouses and taverns blazed with lantern light.

But as one neared Mount Tai, the city’s clamor vanished entirely.

The night was thick as ink; mountain winds carried the damp, earthy stench of soil. Tree shadows swayed, and the massive silhouette of Mount Tai crouched in darkness, radiating an indescribable oppression.

Along the official road to the mountain gate, torches stretched like a dragon’s spine. The clatter of armor and shouted orders pierced the silent night.

Row upon row of soldiers, spears and sabers at the ready, guarded every entrance and fork in the path.

Their expressions were grim; they carried heavy firearms, eyes scanning the dark woods as if enemies might leap out at any moment.

Beyond this outer cordon of government troops, as one neared the base of the winding mountain path, the atmosphere shifted abruptly.

The air reeked of sandalwood incense, the faint char of burned talismans, and a mingled, discordant hum of multiple spiritual energies.

At key nodes, small groups of cultivators patrolled in formation.

Though all were from the Xuan gate, their attire varied.

Those in Daoist robes with tall crowns and cloud-patterned sleeves were disciples of Shangqing Palace.

Women with hair pinned and plain, elegant robes belonged to the Your Majesty Yuanjun’s temple.

Those clad in black martial attire, backs sheathed with ritual swords, eyes gleaming like lightning, were enforcers of the Mount Tai Thunder Academy.

Others wore bright yellow Daoist robes, one hand holding a celestial tablet, the other a ritual sword—they were from the Jade Emperor Temple lineage.

This was the hallmark of Mount Tai’s orthodox teachings.

From foot to summit, the Eighteen Switchbacks held countless temples and shrines; add to that the Buddhist monasteries and minor sects within a hundred li radius, and the number of practitioners was immense.

Like Mount Emei, it was more a coalition of sects.

Some large, some small; some Buddhist, some Daoist; their stances differed.

Yet now, these low-ranking cultivators—who normally held grudges or even quarreled—were forcibly bound by invisible pressure and orders.

They kept a careful distance from one another, mostly silent.

Even when they spoke, their voices were hushed, each word weighed with caution.

“It’s already the seventh day. Have the elders made any move?”

A middle-aged Daoist from Shangqing Palace frowned, gazing upward at the path swallowed by darkness and mist.

A female disciple from Your Majesty Yuanjun’s temple replied softly, with a hint of complaint: “Who knows? They only told us to guard the lower slopes, not to leave our posts, and forbade any outside investigation of the mountain. But inside….”

She paused, staring into the dark. “I feel like something’s watching us.”

“Quiet!”

A Thunder Academy disciple scanned the surroundings warily and hissed: “Just do your duty. The elders are meeting at Jade Emperor Peak—they must have their reasons. I’ve sensed the spiritual qi of the mountain is wildly chaotic. This is no ordinary threat.”

“A threat?”

The Jade Emperor Temple cultivator snorted, voice rough. “The threat’s already here. A few days ago, that night patrol disciple—Zhang Mingzhen—what a fine foundation, gone without a trace! Even his Five Thunder Talisman shattered!”

“Our Jade Emperor Temple, closest to the peak, can feel the celestial qi veins twisting like severed tendons. This isn’t some ordinary demon or spirit!”

“Precisely because it’s not ordinary, the elders must gather to deliberate. Perhaps… they’re preparing some extraordinary array.” The Shangqing Daoist tried to reassure.