Chapter 162: It's time to go and help Qingwan with her tongue!

First of all, Lu Yuan currently definitely didn't have enough evidence to prove whether the Faceless Venerable mentioned by Hu Tutu was the same as the Faceless Malevolent Deity mentioned by the old man.

But...

It was probably almost certainly the same!

After all, the location was identical.

If you said there were several people named Xiaoming in a village, that might be normal.

But the chance of duplicate names appearing within a single household was extremely small.

The Faceless Venerable mentioned by Hu Tutu could almost certainly be confirmed as the same Faceless Malevolent Deity the old man spoke of.

For a moment, Lu Yuan looked at Hu Tutu beside him, who was completely unaware and still slurping down her noodle soup with her head down.

The moonlight still shone down quietly.

"Full."

She looked up and smiled at Lu Yuan, her eyes curving into two crescent moons.

Looking at the still cute and adorable Hu Tutu before him, Lu Yuan felt the situation was somewhat absurd.

Earlier, he had praised her as being part of the "creation," transforming the dead into the living, the false into the real.

Now, thinking back, that praise might have been a bit premature.

Continuing the lamp for a proper deity was a good deed that accumulated hidden virtue.

Continuing the lamp for a malevolent deity? What was that?

That was aiding a tyrant, nurturing a tiger to become a calamity!

At this moment, Lu Yuan also put down his bowl. He still had a small half-bowl of noodles left, all clumped together; he really couldn't eat any more.

"As long as you're full, that's fine."

Lu Yuan stood up calmly.

"Let's go, I'll see you off."

Hu Tutu blinked her eyes.

"See me off? See me off where?"

Lu Yuan was already walking towards the door.

"Outside the mountain gate."

Lu Yuan's voice was flat and calm, as if he had no idea about the previous situation.

"It's late at night, you're walking alone in the dark, I'll accompany you for a stretch."

Hu Tutu let out an "Oh," quickly stood up, and trotted to catch up with him.

Moonlight slanted in from the doorway, stretching the shadows of the two people long.

Hu Tutu walked beside Lu Yuan, her hands clasped behind her back, her steps very light and quick.

As she walked, she looked around, glancing at the old locust tree in the courtyard one moment, the eaves of the side hall the next, then looking up at the moon in the sky.

Lu Yuan walked at a steady pace, just right to match Hu Tutu's steps.

They crossed the courtyard, passed by the side hall, and rounded the corner of the Sanqing Hall.

Soon, the two arrived outside the celestial gate of Zhenlong Temple.

Outside were stone steps; below the steps was a mountain path that curved and twisted, disappearing into the night.

The night wind blew over, carrying the scent of grass and trees from the mountains.

Hu Tutu stood on the threshold, looked outside, then turned back to look at Lu Yuan.

"Well then, Daoist Priest, I'm off."

She said, her voice crisp and clear.

Lu Yuan nodded.

"Be careful on the road."

Hu Tutu nodded with a smile, that smile under the moonlight like a freshly bloomed little flower.

"Mhm!"

She nodded vigorously, then turned and skipped down the stone steps.

After a few steps, she turned back again and waved at Lu Yuan.

"Daoist Priest, you should go back and rest soon too!!"

"When I have time, I'll come back to see you!"

Lu Yuan also waved.

"Alright."

Only then did Hu Tutu turn around reassured and walk down the mountain path.

Moonlight shone on her.

Shone on her two little buns.

Shone on her skipping, bouncing back.

Lu Yuan stood at the mountain gate, watching that small figure walk further and further away, becoming smaller and smaller, finally turning into a dot that vanished into the night.

The wind blew over, carrying a chill.

Finally, Lu Yuan quickly turned and strode towards the backyard.

To be precise, to go find the Deity of Beauty!

Lu Yuan's steps were fast.

As he crossed the courtyard, he instinctively glanced towards the side hall.

Qingwan's hall still had light on, faint and warm.

Lu Yuan paused for a moment, but still continued towards the backyard.

Now was not the time to go find Qingwan.

The Deity of Beauty's room was in the east side of the backyard, a separate small courtyard with a clump of bamboo planted at the entrance.

Moonlight shone on the bamboo leaves, the edges of the leaves glowing with a faint silver light.

Lu Yuan took a deep breath and raised his hand to knock on the door.

There was no movement inside.

Lu Yuan knocked again, still no movement inside.

Lu Yuan pondered, where had she gone wandering off to?

She definitely wasn't still playing mahjong; today, Aunt Qin and Aunt Qiao'er were busy measuring Zhenlong Temple, helping with its expansion.

They had no time for mahjong.

So, the Deity of Beauty, seeing she couldn't play mahjong, had probably run off somewhere to play...

Oh no!!

Oh no, oh no!!

Lu Yuan had come to find the Deity of Beauty not only to ask if she had noticed anything about Hu Tutu today.

Lu Yuan also wanted the Deity of Beauty to help him tail Hu Tutu!

Since he had discovered that Hu Tutu was continuing the lamp for a malevolent deity, Lu Yuan definitely wanted to go take a look!

Look at what exactly...

Wanted to see what was really going on!

Before, Lu Yuan thought this Continuing the Lamp Hu Family was purely kind-hearted.

Purely for the good of the people beyond the Great Wall or something...

But now it seemed, damn, he was still too young!

As the saying goes, everyone in this world must have something they seek!

Forget about others.

Even the Taoist sects that constantly preached "guarding the common people," weren't they also seeking incense offerings, seeking believers?!

How could there truly be those who sought nothing and did good deeds purely?

Of course, nothing in the world is absolute; there definitely are those purely good people.

But such people clearly wouldn't appear among the Ten Families!

So, Lu Yuan wanted to go take a look, to see what exactly the Continuing the Lamp Hu Family was seeking by continuing the lamp for proper deities and also for malevolent deities!

And besides that, there was another matter.

That was...

Could the Continuing the Lamp Hu Family have some relationship with the Commanding Ghosts Liu Family?

Of course, the Ten Families must have connections among themselves.

What Lu Yuan meant was, whether the relationship between these two families might be closer.

After all, one was cultivating malevolent deities.

And the other could extend the lives of malevolent deities...

If this were normal times, Lu Yuan wouldn't be in a hurry.

But now, the old man had run off to find the Commanding Ghosts Liu Family, and on his end, he had encountered the Continuing the Lamp Hu Family.

Even someone with the most careless mind should be somewhat alert.

And right now, Lu Yuan really couldn't leave.

Even though he was consuming spirit meat like crazy every day to replenish himself, he still hadn't recovered fully.

Moreover, even if he recovered fully, Lu Yuan couldn't move these next few days.

In another two or three days, Lu Yuan needed to restore Qingwan's tongue.

So, he wanted someone to follow Hu Tutu first.

But...

Damn it all!

When you didn't need the Deity of Beauty, she'd be loitering around in front of you every day.

Now that he needed her, Lu Yuan couldn't even find her!!

For a moment, Lu Yuan thought it over, fine!

Since he couldn't find the Deity of Beauty, he'd just have to do it himself!!

Thinking this, Lu Yuan turned and returned to his own room.

Pushing the door open, he didn't light a lamp, walking by moonlight to the table against the wall.

He reached under the table and pulled out a wooden box.

The box wasn't large, about a foot square, with a Taiji diagram carved on the surface, the corners wrapped in copper sheeting that had developed green rust, looking quite old.

This was the box where the old man had stored those Taoist ritual tools he passed on to Lu Yuan.

Opening the box and rummaging around, Lu Yuan took out a few items from inside.

A stack of yellow paper, cut neatly and evenly.

A pair of scissors, the blades gleaming coldly.

A cinnabar brush, the tip still red.

Lu Yuan then went to the corner and brought over a small earthenware jar, its mouth sealed with red cloth, a talisman painted on the cloth.

After doing all this, Lu Yuan sat cross-legged in front of the table, closed his eyes, and silently recited something.

After finishing, Lu Yuan opened his eyes, picked up the scissors, and began cutting the paper.

Snip, snip, snip.

The sound of scissors cutting through yellow paper was especially clear in the quiet night.

Lu Yuan was cutting out human shapes.

Not the complex kind with noses and eyes.

The simplest kind: a head, two arms, two legs, body connected together.

After cutting out one, Lu Yuan put down the scissors and picked up the cinnabar brush.

He dipped the brush tip in the cinnabar but didn't immediately start writing.

Lu Yuan closed his eyes again, murmuring incantations:

"Above the three heavens, the Dao is supreme."

"Among the ten thousand methods, burning incense comes first."

"By the command of the Supreme Elder, the brush descends to connect with the divine..."

After finishing, Lu Yuan opened his eyes and began drawing on the paper figure.

He was drawing a talisman.

Not drawing a face, not drawing clothes, just drawing a single talisman on the chest area of the paper figure.

The talisman was winding and twisting, looking like characters but not characters, the strokes exuding an indescribable strangeness.

After drawing one, Lu Yuan dipped the brush in cinnabar again and drew another on the back of the paper figure.

After drawing the two talismans, he placed the paper figure aside, picked up the scissors again, and began cutting the second one.

He cut three in a row.

Three paper figures, all the same size, the same appearance, with the same talismans drawn on their chests and backs.

Lu Yuan put down the scissors and picked up the earthenware jar sealed with red cloth.

He removed the red cloth.

Inside the jar was a black mass, unclear what it was.

But if you leaned close to smell it, you could detect a faint fishy odor.

It was blood.

And it was black dog blood.

Lu Yuan used his middle finger to wipe the mouth of the jar, his fingertip picking up a bit of blackish-red color.

He pressed his middle finger onto the top of the first paper figure's head, pressing down firmly.

When he removed his finger, a red mark remained on the paper figure's head.

He dipped again and pressed it on the second paper figure's head.

The third.

All three paper figures now had a red mark on their heads.

Then, Lu Yuan picked up the first paper figure, holding it with both hands, raising it before his eyes.

Moonlight shone on the paper figure, on those winding talismans, on the red mark on its head.

Lu Yuan looked at it and recited in a low voice:

"This paper is not paper, this form is not form."

"Borrow my eyes, borrow my ears, borrow my feet, borrow my body."

"Go to that place, observe that one's actions."

"Hear that one's voice, follow that one's shadow."

"By the Supreme Elder's urgent command, as by the law's command!"

After reciting the last line, Lu Yuan tossed the paper figure into the air.

The paper figure fluttered down.

Landed on the table.

Motionless.

Lu Yuan looked at it and frowned.

Picked it up, recited the incantation again.

Tossed it again.

It still fell down.

Still motionless.

Lu Yuan was silent for a moment, then suddenly remembered something.

He looked down at his hand.

His hand still bore the mark left from wiping the black dog blood earlier, blackish-red.

"Tsk~"

Lu Yuan couldn't help but click his tongue.

These past few days, he had really slacked off a lot.

He had been entirely busy with the mundane affairs of Zhenlong Temple, paying no attention at all to cultivation matters.

Cultivation was truly like rowing a boat upstream; if you don't advance, you retreat!

He had only applied the black dog blood and forgotten to apply his own blood.

While thinking that starting tomorrow he needed to cultivate seriously again, Lu Yuan bit the tip of his index finger.

A bead of blood welled up, bright red.

He smeared the blood on the paper figure's head, covering the black dog blood mark.

Then he picked up the paper figure again, closed his eyes, and this time recited something different:

"Essence blood returns to me, paper figure returns to me."

"My eyes are your eyes, my ears are your ears."

"Three steps following, five steps trailing."

"Thousands of miles, tens of thousands of miles, do not lose, do not part."

"I follow the command of the Supreme Elder Lao Jun!"

After finishing, Lu Yuan tossed the paper figure into the air.

The paper figure flipped twice in the air, fluttering down.

This time, it didn't land on the table.

It hovered in mid-air.

Just hovering there, neither rising nor falling, as if suspended by an invisible thread.

Lu Yuan opened his eyes and looked at it.

It slowly turned around, the blank face of the paper figure now facing Lu Yuan.

Lu Yuan looked at it and nodded.

"Go."

After he said this.

The paper figure swayed slightly, as if understanding.

Then it floated up, floated to the window, and squeezed out through the window crack.

Lu Yuan stood up, walked to the window, and pushed it open.

Moonlight streamed in.

Outside, the small paper figure was fluttering and floating towards the area outside the mountain gate.

It wasn't flying high, just a bit above the treetops.

It wasn't flying fast, but it kept moving forward.

Lu Yuan watched it fly away, then lowered his head and took out the other two paper figures from his chest.

He stacked the two paper figures together, folded them into a small square, and tucked them into his chest.

Keeping them close to his body.

This was just in case.

In case the first one lost track, these two could take over.

After all...

That Hu Tutu was not alone; she still had something following her.

Although Lu Yuan didn't know the strength of that thing, it was certainly formidable.

The paper figure might be discovered and destroyed if it was even slightly careless.

Lu Yuan glanced out the window again.

The paper figure had already flown out of the mountain gate and was floating forward along the mountain path.

Under the moonlight, that small white dot, fluttering and floating, looked like a butterfly.

Lu Yuan closed the window and returned to the table.

He put away the wooden box and placed it back under the table.

Then he sat cross-legged, closed his eyes.

Not to sleep.

To "connect."

His bitten index finger still throbbed faintly; he pressed that finger against the center of his brow and murmured softly:

"Eye connection, ear connection, heart connection."

"Three steps following, five steps trailing..."

As he chanted, his vision suddenly brightened.

Not actually bright.

He "saw."

Saw the mountain path, saw the moonlight, saw the shadows of trees on both sides receding backward.

That was what the paper figure saw.

It was flying above the mountain path, fluttering and floating forward.

The mountain path curved and twisted, the moonlight making the road surface appear pale white.

Insects chirped in the grass by the roadside.

In the distance, a small figure was walking slowly.

Not in a hurry at all.

Two little buns on her head swaying under the moonlight.

From Zhenlong Temple to Heishui Lingzi, based on Hu Tutu's speed, if she didn't hitch a ride and relied solely on walking with her two legs...

That would take at least seven or eight days.

That amount of time was absolutely sufficient!

The next three or four days passed peacefully and busily at Zhenlong Temple.

The first day.

Lu Yuan got up very early.

He sat cross-legged in his room, his index finger pressed against his brow, eyes closed, "watching" for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.

The paper figure was still following Hu Tutu, fluttering and floating above the mountain path.

Hu Tutu walked slowly, only crossing one mountain on the first day.

Lu Yuan withdrew his focus and began cultivating.

At noon, Aunt Qiao'er and Aunt Qin returned from outside, holding blueprints, gesturing and discussing in the courtyard.

"This area needs to be left open, to build a new Sanqing Hall in the future."

"No, no, look here, this area has higher terrain, best for building a hall."

Lu Yuan stood to the side and listened for a while, unable to interject, so he simply returned to his room to continue cultivating.

In the evening, he "looked" at the paper figure again.

The second day.

Lu Yuan continued cultivating.

The top-grade spirit meat was digested; Lu Yuan cut another piece to continue his major replenishment.

The qi in his dantian felt warmer than yesterday and circulated a bit faster.

Lu Yuan tried running a full cycle of the Zhou Tian Gong. Although it was still stumbling, compared to before, he at least managed to complete one cycle.

Now that he could run the Zhou Tian Gong again, Lu Yuan's recovery speed increased significantly.

Aunt Qiao'er and Aunt Qin went up the mountain again.

This time, Lu Yuan sent two disciples to follow them, helping carry measuring tapes and record data.

As for the Deity of Beauty...

She hadn't been seen these past two days. Ever since Aunt Qiao'er and Aunt Qin stopped playing mahjong, the Deity of Beauty had reverted to her previous behavior.

She had run off somewhere to play by herself.

Hmph.

And she said she wouldn't leave after their Fate Patterns were unraveled~

Probably the moment their Fate Patterns were unraveled, she wouldn't be able to wait a single second!

Time flies like a white steed's shadow passing a crack.

On the night of the fourth day.

Lu Yuan, who had just smoothly completed a full cycle of the Zhou Tian Gong, suddenly opened his eyes.

Checking the time.

Hmm...

It was time to go restore Qingwan's tongue!