Chapter 112: The Tan Family of Xingyou — Tan Jiji

Shen Jizhou likely had no chance of catching up with his daughter now.

At this moment, Shen Shulan was already riding side-by-side with Lu Yuan, their horses galloping out of Fengtian City's towering walls.

Let us be companions in the mortal world, living freely and unrestrained~~~

Four swift horses raced north along the official road, kicking up a trail of dust.

The wind carried a chill that had yet to melt away, stinging their faces as it blew, but it couldn't disperse the sharp determination etched between the brows of the riders.

Shen Shulan rode alongside Lu Yuan, her cyan robes fluttering loudly. Her clear, cold, and perfect profile, under the morning light, seemed carved from ice and jade.

She suddenly tightened the reins slightly, slowing her horse's pace, and turned her head to look at Lu Yuan.

"Uncle-Master Lu."

Her voice was as calm and steady as ever.

Lu Yuan was taken aback upon hearing this. For him?

He instinctively wanted to refuse. His system storage was never short of good items.

However, before his words of refusal could leave his mouth, Shen Shulan had already moved.

She leaned over and pulled a long, rectangular sandalwood box from the saddlebag hanging beside her steed.

The surface of the wooden box was polished to a glossy sheen. The copper fittings at the corners had oxidized and turned black. The weight of time pressed heavily upon it, clearly an heirloom passed down for generations.

The box opened, revealing a lining of crimson velvet. Three short Peach Wood Swords lay quietly inside.

Each sword was no longer than a foot. The blades showed a deep reddish-brown hue, with fine, dense wood grain and a subtle, warm treasure glow flowing within.

The most peculiar feature was that each sword's blade naturally bore seven scar nodes. Their arrangement subtly corresponded to the shape of the Big Dipper.

"This is the 'Seven-Star Thunder-Struck Wood Sword' passed down from my great-great-master."

Shen Shulan picked up one sword and handed it to Lu Yuan without waiting for his opinion.

"My great-great-master was gathering herbs in the Taiyin Mountains back then and witnessed a three-hundred-year-old peach tree being struck by heavenly thunder. The tree's heart didn't die; instead, it produced these seven thunder scars."

As she spoke, she took the other two swords from the box and tossed them behind her without looking back, aiming for Xu Erxiao and Wang Cheng'an.

"He took the toughest section of the tree's heart and had the most famous old carpenter beyond the Great Wall carve these three ritual swords."

"After the swords were completed, they were placed before the Patriarch's incense altar for a hundred years, infused with incense offerings. They are exceptionally effective at warding off evil."

Xu Erxiao and Wang Cheng'an were somewhat dazed by this sudden, extravagant gift, flustered as they caught the ritual swords.

The sword in Lu Yuan's hand felt extremely heavy, far exceeding the weight of ordinary peach wood.

Intricate runes were carved into the hilt. They didn't look knife-carved but rather as if someone had dipped their fingertip in cinnabar and traced them over and over, allowing the talismanic power to deeply seep into the wood's very grain.

"Ordinary Peach Wood Swords are sufficient for dealing with newly deceased vengeful spirits."

Shen Shulan's voice was clear, cold, and resolute.

"Those Nurturing Malevolence Sites of the Wang family have had their Earth Veins polluted for decades. The things bred there are extremely sinister. Carry these swords. In a truly critical moment, they can save your lives."

Knowing the preciousness of this item, Lu Yuan was about to decline when Shen Shulan opened the second layer of the wooden box.

This layer contained several squares carefully wrapped in oilpaper.

She unwrapped one. Inside was a thick stack of Yellow Talismans.

The talisman paper wasn't a bright, vivid yellow but a soft, pale yellow tempered by time, as gentle as rice paper, with natural, feathered edges.

On each talisman, complex incantations were drawn with an exceptionally bright red cinnabar. The red was dazzling, almost glaring under the early spring sun.

"Yang Flame Filth-Breaking Talisman."

Shen Shulan pulled one out, pointing to the complex fire pattern at the talisman's head as she explained:

"The cinnabar used for drawing these talismans was mixed with rooster comb blood, mugwort juice gathered precisely at noon on the Dragon Boat Festival, and a trace amount of gold powder."

"The grandmaster who drew these talismans would only take up the brush on the day of the Major Heat solar term each year. Before drawing, he would observe a seven-day fast and purification ritual."

"This stack represents his heart's blood from three whole years."

With that, Shen Shulan distributed these oilpaper packages to Lu Yuan and the other two again, one package each.

Lu Yuan: "..."

This eldest daughter of the premier Daoist sect beyond the Great Wall truly had an extraordinary way of doing things.

This time, Lu Yuan did not refuse again, silently accepting them.

He would take the items first, keep them on hand just in case. Once this matter was settled, he could return them all together.

It was just that Shen Shulan's gesture of goodwill felt somewhat heavy.

Lu Yuan began pondering what he should give in return to be appropriate.

Seeing Shen Shulan about to pull more things from her baggage, Lu Yuan quickly spoke up to stop her.

"Senior Sister Shulan, that's enough. Let's keep the rest for now."

"When we get to the location and see the specific situation of the Nurturing Malevolence Site, we can take out what we need then."

They were on horseback now. Tossing things around, they might lose them.

Hearing this, Shen Shulan raised her hand to tuck a strand of wind-blown long hair behind her ear and nodded seriously.

"Alright."

...

The eleventh Nurturing Malevolence Site was located on the outskirts of Fengtian City.

The four of them whipped their horses and sped onward. On the evening of the second day, Lu Yuan and his companions finally arrived at a familiar place.

Mangniu Hamlet.

After resolving the trouble on the mountain last time, Lu Yuan had fallen unconscious immediately. When he opened his eyes again, he was already in the carriage back to the city and wasn't clear about the subsequent events.

Coming here today, it was convenient to check on things.

Firstly, they planned to lodge here for the night, rest and recuperate, so they could directly attack the eleventh Nurturing Malevolence Site tomorrow.

Secondly, it was a follow-up visit.

For Daoist priests, conducting a follow-up visit after completing a job was both standard procedure and a responsibility.

There were many subsequent trivial matters that ordinary folks didn't understand. Even if given repeated, detailed instructions and written notes, mistakes were inevitable afterward.

Minor mistakes were harmless, like cooking—a bit more salt, a bit less salt, it was still edible.

It's just a bit saltier, so you drink more water.

A bit bland, so you grab another pinch of salt and stir it in.

But if certain things were done wrong, it would be troublesome.

That wouldn't be about more or less salt; it would be like directly putting arsenic in the pot.

Zhenlong Temple's rule was that regardless of the job's scale, a follow-up visit was always conducted.

If Lu Yuan was truly unable to spare the time, he would ask his junior brothers from the temple to handle it on his behalf.

It was precisely because of this sense of responsibility that Lu Yuan's reputation had spread so rapidly in just over a year.

Upon entering Mangniu Hamlet, the ground was littered with red paper scraps from firecrackers set off during the New Year.

The entire village now had much more vitality and life force compared to the last visit. The oppressive, deathly stillness was gone.

Soon, the four arrived at Wang Laohan's house at the western end of the village.

A thick layer of red paper scraps covered the ground before the door, glowing like rosy clouds under the evening afterglow.

Before they even dismounted, the laughter of children from the courtyard reached their ears first.

The laughter was crisp, brimming with carefree joy.

"Second Ya! Slow down! Don't trip!"

It was the voice of Wang Laohan's daughter-in-law, loud and clear, full of laughter—a world apart from the woman who had cried herself nearly breathless over ten days ago.

The courtyard gate was slightly ajar, and the lively scene inside peeked through the crack.

The courtyard was swept clean, the bluestone slabs still bearing damp traces.

On the lintel of the main room, a brand-new red paper Spring Festival couplet was particularly eye-catching—"Heaven adds years, people add longevity; Spring fills the universe, fortune fills the home."

The calligraphy wasn't top-notch, but each stroke was written with extreme care.

The door gods were also new—Qin Shubao and Yuchi Gong, one with a red face, the other black, their eyes wide with anger, majestic and awe-inspiring in the twilight.

There were quite a few people in the courtyard, many unfamiliar faces, likely fellow villagers or visiting relatives.

Lu Yuan dismounted, stepped forward, and knocked on the courtyard gate.

"Goodness! Who's that, knocking on the gate? Just come on in!"

Wang Laohan's booming voice came from inside the courtyard.

Lu Yuan pushed the gate open and entered. In the middle of the courtyard stood a square table piled with unfinished dumplings.

White dough wrappers, chive and pork filling, with a small bowl of water and a chopstick placed beside them.

Seeing these dumplings, Lu Yuan's eyelid twitched.

This stuff... he really had little appetite for it now.

Had been eating them for almost the entire first lunar month...

Wang Laohan's daughter-in-law had flour on her hands, deftly pinching the edges of the dumplings.

Several women around her were helping, all curiously turning their heads to look at Lu Yuan at the gate.

Lu Yuan's gaze swept across the small courtyard and finally settled at the base of the western wall.

There, a small shrine had been newly built with yellow earth.

Before the shrine sat a coarse porcelain bowl filled with golden millet. Three sticks of incense had already burned more than halfway.

Azure smoke curled upward, spiraling into the twilight.

On the shrine, a neatly written red paper was pasted.

"Longevity Tablet for Benefactor, Daoist Master Lu".

Lu Yuan: "..."

Hah!

They'd set up a longevity tablet for him?

Before the tablet were offerings: a plate of frozen persimmons sprinkled with white sugar, a plate of golden-brown fried dough twists, and several eggs dyed bright red.

Wang Laohan was squatting under the eaves, sorting out a fishing net, a long-stemmed pipe in his mouth, not looking up.

But his daughter-in-law had sharp eyes. Looking up and seeing Lu Yuan, she exclaimed "Aiyo!" in surprise, the dumpling wrapper in her hand falling to the ground.

She hurriedly wiped her hands on her apron, quickly walking toward the gate while shouting excitedly:

"Dad!"

"It's Daoist Master Lu! Daoist Master Lu is here!"

This shout startled everyone inside the house.

Wang Laohan's wife and son rushed out from inside.

Wang Laohan himself abruptly stood up, covering the distance in a few quick strides to stand before Lu Yuan, so agitated his words stumbled:

"Aiyo! Daoist Master Lu! You... how come you're visiting during the New Year!"

"We were just saying, after the Lantern Festival, our whole village would go to Zhenlong Temple to offer incense!"

"How come you came ahead of time!"

Looking at the simple, honest faces of this family, Lu Yuan felt a warmth in his heart and smiled, cupping his hands in greeting.

"Just passing by, thought I'd drop in to see you all."

"If it's convenient, could you spare a room for us to stay the night? We'll leave first thing tomorrow."

Upon hearing this, Wang Laohan's eyes instantly lit up. He grabbed Lu Yuan's wrist with surprising strength and pulled him toward the main room.

"Convenient! Too convenient! We could even move our ancestors' tablets for you!"

"Daoist Master Lu, quick, come inside. The kang bed is warm. Get up on the kang and sit. Food will be ready soon!"

His shout was like lighting a firecracker in the courtyard.

The villagers, who had initially been somewhat reserved, instantly overflowed with enthusiasm.

Several quick-handed young women and wives gave Xu Erxiao and Wang Cheng'an no chance to react.

They swarmed over, helping unload the large wooden boxes from the horses' backs.

The genuine, heartfelt closeness and warmth made even seasoned veterans like Xu Erxiao and Wang Cheng'an somewhat overwhelmed, only able to repeatedly express their thanks.

Only Shen Shulan stood quietly to the side.

She had cultivated within the Taiyin Mountains since childhood and rarely took on jobs in rural areas.

She was accustomed to the respect of her fellow disciples, the ferocity of demons and ghosts, or the awe of wealthy gentry from the foot of the mountains.

This kind of gratitude, untainted by any impurity, pure as a mountain spring, was something she had never seen before and had absolutely no experience with.

The four entered the main room, took off their shoes, and got up on the kang bed.

The warmth shot up from the soles of their feet straight to the crown of their heads, dispelling the chill accumulated over two days and a night.

Wang Laohan brought a large plate of fragrantly fried melon seeds from the western room, placed it on the kang table, grinning to reveal a mouthful of yellowed teeth.

"Daoist Master Lu, I'll go kill a chicken right now. Tonight we..."

Before Wang Laohan could finish, Lu Yuan smiled and waved his hand, his words gentle but firm:

"Really, don't go to any trouble. We're not just being polite."

"We're out on important business this trip. We've been traveling since yesterday morning until now, two days and a night. We're truly exhausted."

"Just heat up some food for us. We'll make do with a few bites. Find a room for us to rest, that's all we need."

Lu Yuan paused, looking into Wang Laohan's sincere eyes, and added another sentence.

"Please don't feel bad about it. When we return from this trip, if we're still passing by, we'll definitely come again. At that time, you not killing a chicken won't do!"

These words warmed Wang Laohan's heart immensely. He nodded heavily.

"Alright, alright!!"

With that, Wang Laohan turned and rushed into the courtyard, shouting at the top of his lungs:

"Alright, alright, everyone stop wrapping! First, bring the cooked dumplings for the Daoist Masters! The Daoist Masters need to eat and rest!"

Hearing Wang Laohan's words, everyone in the courtyard quickly nodded and started boiling dumplings for Lu Yuan and the others first.

Xu Erxiao and Wang Cheng'an, touched by the warmth of the kang's edge, began to feel their eyelids grow heavy, their heads nodding.

Lu Yuan, under the dim light of the oil lamp, spread out the map of the Nurturing Malevolence Sites, his gaze falling on the next target.

Shen Shulan sat upright beside him. Her gaze sometimes fell on the map, sometimes on Lu Yuan's profile illuminated by the lamplight.

The eleventh Nurturing Malevolence Site, eighty li north of Mangniu Hamlet, "Luo Yan Slope".

The abandoned kiln site of the Qing Dynasty's "Yan Family Beauty Porcelain".

The Earth Veins were special, a "Yin Fire Embers" location. A hundred years ago, underground Yin Fire erupted, burning for three years, turning the earth and stones into a glassy state.

After the kiln was abandoned, the residual Yin Fire energy seeped into the Earth Veins, an extremely rare occurrence...

Just as Lu Yuan was about to turn the page, a deafening uproar suddenly erupted from outside the courtyard, instantly jolting the drowsy Xu Erxiao and the other awake.

It was the villagers of Mangniu Hamlet. Hearing that Lu Yuan had come, they all surged over.

Dozens of households, over a hundred people, completely blocked the small courtyard gate. Each face bore excitement and gratitude.

Everyone pricked up their ears to listen. It turned out the people of Mangniu Hamlet all knew Lu Yuan had arrived.

They were clamoring and making a commotion outside, wanting to see Lu Yuan, to thank Lu Yuan.

"Stop squeezing in, damn it!!"

Wang Laohan and his son used their bodies to desperately hold the courtyard gate shut, veins bulging on their foreheads.

"The Daoist Masters are tired! They need to rest! They have a long journey early tomorrow morning!"

"Don't disturb the Daoist Masters' rest!!!"

"Tonight, everyone keep your kids in check! No setting off firecrackers, don't disturb the Daoist Masters' rest!!"

"Aiyo, damn, who threw that? Hit me on the head!!"

Lu Yuan peeked through a crack in the window.

Goodness.

Seeing they couldn't get in, the people outside started throwing things over the wall.

Not bricks, but bundles wrapped in cloth, heavy and solid.

One was thrown with too much force, landed in the courtyard and scattered, peanuts and roasted nuts rolling all over the ground.

"Uncle Laohan! Give the things to the Daoist Master! Don't you dare keep them for yourself!"

"Am I that kind of person?!" Wang Laohan roared angrily. "Throw them and then scram quickly!"

The people outside shouted back at the top of their lungs, their voices full of laughter and sincerity.

"Daoist Master Lu! We've left the things for you!"

"Make sure to come back and visit when you have time!"

"On the fifteenth, our whole village will go to Zhenlong Temple to offer incense for you~~~"

As soon as this person finished, another, older-sounding voice shouted angrily:

"Daoist Master Lu isn't dead! What are you offering incense to him for!!!"

Lu Yuan: "..."

Those heartfelt shouts penetrated the door panels, echoing in the small main room.

On the kang bed, Shen Shulan's heart trembled inexplicably.

She looked at those simple, honest faces outside the window, then at the calm, composed Lu Yuan beside her.

She suddenly understood why her great-great-master always said: It is easy to slay demons in the mountains, but difficult to gather the incense of human hearts.

Slaying demons relies on the sword in hand.

Gathering incense relies on a sincere heart.

On the kang bed, Lu Yuan was a bit bewildered, then quickly got down and put on his shoes. Shen Shulan immediately followed.

Exiting the main room, Lu Yuan looked at Wang Laohan and his son and quickly said:

"Alright, alright, let me say a few words to the villagers."

Goodness, this made him feel like a big celebrity...

Truthfully, not all Daoist priests could enjoy this kind of treatment.

Some priests, after finishing a job for a client and leaving, would have the client hopping mad and cursing.

Some priests, before they could even start the job, would be waved off and refused by the client.

Just like... what happened when Lu Yuan first met Shen Shulan.

However, this kind of situation was very common for Lu Yuan. He encountered it almost every time during follow-up visits.

Hearing this, Wang Laohan and his son felt as if granted a great reprieve. They abruptly stepped back.

Several villagers who had been pushing too hard immediately cried out "Aiyo!" as they stumbled and fell inside.

Lu Yuan stepped forward to help them up, then stood at the gate, his gaze sweeping over each eager face in the twilight.

Lu Yuan's clear, bright voice, carrying a gentle smile, spread clearly across the crowd:

"I deeply appreciate the great kindness of all you villagers."

"As cultivators, aiding the world is our foundation. What I did before was merely a matter of coincidence, being in the right place at the right time."

Then Lu Yuan pointed at the fruits and snacks on the ground, his smile growing even more sincere and earnest:

"Since this is the goodwill of the villagers, I will accept it. It will serve perfectly as provisions for tomorrow's long journey."

"The weather is cold, the wind sharp. Everyone should return home early and rest."

"When my business is done and I return, if I have free time, I will definitely come to bother you again."

"For now, please disperse. Since the goodwill exists, it doesn't depend on this moment of clamor."

His words were like a spring breeze turning into gentle rain, gradually calming the boiling crowd.

As the "big celebrity" of the Fengtian City area, Lu Yuan had a way with formal speeches.

Under the urging of the village chief and elders, the people, with satisfied expressions, dispersed, looking back every few steps.

At that moment, the voice of Wang Laohan's daughter-in-law also came from inside the house:

"Daoist Masters, come inside quickly, come back and eat the dumplings."

Lu Yuan acknowledged and was about to turn around when a clear, cold voice, completely out of place with the rustic atmosphere, sounded from behind him.

"The Daoist Master is compassionate."

Hmm?

Lu Yuan turned around, performing a Daoist salute. "Blessings, immeasurable Celestial Master..."

Before he could finish, the person bowed deeply.

The newcomer was dressed in black, with a tall, straight figure and handsome features, though an unfathomable gloom lingered between his brows.

"The Malevolent Deity on Mangniu Mountain was presumably slain by the Daoist Master's own hand."

"Punishing the Netherworld, Tan Family, Tan Jiji. On behalf of my entire Punishing the Netherworld clan, I pay my respects and thank Daoist Master Lu Yuan!"

Lu Yuan: "..."

His brow twitched almost imperceptibly.

Again?!!!