Chapter 86: Old man, don't panic, I am the legitimate Celestial Master!

Lu Yuan was momentarily stunned, then immediately bowed and cupped his hands again, saying:

"Disciple Lu Yuan, pays his respects to Martial Uncle."

Hearing this, a trace of satisfaction finally appeared on Celestial Master He Xun's normally impassive face.

He gave a soft "Hmm," then leisurely began to speak:

"The matter of the list, Song Yan has already informed you, right?"

Lu Yuan's heart stirred, and he nodded immediately.

"Senior Brother has already explained everything, Martial Uncle."

Celestial Master He Xun's gaze fell upon him, carrying a hint of scrutiny.

"So..."

Without the slightest hesitation, Lu Yuan straightened his spine, each word spoken with firm conviction.

"Naturally, I must go! I will definitely go!"

"Man can conquer nature!"

*Pfft!*

Lu Yuan: "?"

What the heck was that sound?!

Celestial Master He Xun was silent for a few seconds, seemingly organizing his words, but it ultimately turned into a sigh.

"Since you call me Martial Uncle, I cannot simply ignore you."

"I've prepared a few people for you to accompany you. It's better than you taking two little snot-nosed kids."

Wang Cheng'an and Xu Erxiao, who were innocently caught in the crossfire: "??"

Who are you calling little snot-nosed kids?!

After a moment of surprise, Lu Yuan immediately bowed, refusing outright.

"Martial Uncle, that won't be necessary."

Hmm?

Upon hearing this, Celestial Master He Xun slightly raised his eyelids, a flicker of genuine confusion passing through those deep eyes.

"Why?"

"Do you insist on going to your death alone?"

But soon, as if he had figured something out, his tone softened.

"Or are you worried that bringing people from Tianlong Temple will split the merit when the merit ledger is written during the Celestial Master Grand Ceremony?"

"If you're worried about that, it's unnecessary."

Celestial Master He Xun waved his hand dismissively, his tone brooking no argument.

"I assure you, when the merit ledger is written, not a single name from my Tianlong Temple will appear on it."

"This immense merit will belong entirely to your Zhenlong Temple, entirely to you, Lu Yuan, alone!"

Lu Yuan, however, shook his head, his expression incredibly serious.

"That's not the reason."

Now, Celestial Master He Xun was truly puzzled, his brows furrowing.

"Then what exactly is the reason?"

Lu Yuan bowed and cupped his hands again, speaking each word with absolute clarity.

"My master doesn't like you, nor does he like Tianlong Temple."

"If I were to bring people from Tianlong Temple to destroy those Nurturing Malevolence Sites, then the 'Celestial Master' title gained in such a way, I'm afraid my master would not be happy about it."

"I want to obtain the 'Celestial Master' title for my master, solely to make the old man happy. Beyond that, I seek nothing else."

"If getting the title because of this would instead make him unhappy, then it's better not to get the title at all."

*Pfft! Pfft! Pfft! Pfft! Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!*

Lu Yuan: "?????"

No!!

Where on earth is that sound coming from?!

Finally, a long, complex sigh.

Celestial Master He Xun spoke softly:

"He Yin... found himself a good disciple..."

"Fine, go ahead. Just remember, in all matters, do not overreach."

Then, Celestial Master He Xun shook his head slightly again, saying:

"For us who are masters, we truly don't expect anything from you all. We only hope you can be safe and sound; that's more important than anything else..."

A warmth spread in Lu Yuan's heart. He bowed respectfully with cupped hands.

"This disciple will remember Martial Uncle's teachings."

"This disciple will naturally not overreach either. After all, I still have to provide for that old man in his old age."

Finally, the three of them, Lu Yuan and his junior brothers, paid their respects to Celestial Master He Xun and left the small courtyard gate.

Song Yan had already led three magnificent horses to the entrance.

Having been meticulously cared for over the past few days, the horses' coats were sleek, they had gained weight, and they looked spirited.

The three of them mounted their horses. From his elevated position, Lu Yuan looked down at Song Yan and slightly cupped his hands.

"Senior Brother, we part ways here. We'll meet again at the Luotian Grand Offering!"

With that, he raised his riding whip.

Three men, three horses, transformed into a trail of dust, heading north!

Straight for the third Nurturing Malevolence Site!

......

This third and fourth Nurturing Malevolence Site were precisely the places the old man had casually crossed off on the map back then.

According to the old man's thinking, what formidable things could possibly be near Fengtian City?

He certainly didn't believe his disciple's luck could be so abysmal as to run into a tough opponent exactly in the places he had skipped over, losing his life in the process.

Looking at it this way, barring any accidents...

Hey!

There really haven't been any accidents!

Accompanied by wind and snow, neighbored by ghosts and spirits.

This trip out had, in the blink of an eye, reached its twelfth day.

Lu Yuan and the other two had fought their way from the third Nurturing Malevolence Site all the way to the ninth.

The dangers and eerie events encountered along the way had all been resolved without major incident.

Lu Yuan's Cultivation grew increasingly profound, while Xu Erxiao and Wang Cheng'an had also matured from their initial noisy, easily startled selves, becoming much more steady.

Now, only six days remained until the opening of the Luotian Grand Offering.

Lu Yuan planned to tackle one last one before heading back.

To make it a round number, they would take down this tenth Nurturing Malevolence Site as well.

After attending the opening ceremony of the Luotian Grand Offering, they would come out again and continue working until the Celestial Master Grand Ceremony began!

Inside a dilapidated temple, the three of them packed their belongings.

Xu Erxiao looked at the map, muttering.

"Brother Lu, the next place is called Great Green Mountain Village."

Lu Yuan had just nodded, but before he could speak, Wang Cheng'an beside him suddenly went "Huh?" and looked up, blinking.

"Great Green Mountain Village?"

"Brother Lu, I seem to remember... that official notice we saw yesterday in Chengduo Town, the one about bandit trouble... wasn't that also about Great Green Mountain?"

Hearing Wang Cheng'an's words, Lu Yuan also blinked, thinking carefully.

He suddenly slapped his thigh.

"Hey, now that you mention it, it really seems like it was!"

Yesterday, passing through Chengduo Town, the notice board at the city gate clearly stated in black and white.

It advised passing merchant caravans and common folk to avoid the Great Green Mountain area recently.

If that's the case...

Lu Yuan pondered for a moment, then decisively took out the Nurturing Malevolence Diagrams again and glanced at it.

"Alright then, let's skip this one for now. We'll detour and head to the eleventh Nurturing Malevolence Site first."

Since the authorities had issued a notice about bandits, there was no need to go looking for trouble.

After finishing the ones further down, presumably the government would have dealt with the bandits over there by then, and they could come back later.

If, after clearing all the other sites, the bandit problem at Great Green Mountain still hadn't been resolved, then they simply wouldn't go.

They weren't short of just one or two sites anyway.

Having made up his mind, Lu Yuan pointed to another spot on the map and said directly:

"Change course! Head to Wu Family Gully!"

......

Meanwhile, in the bandit assembly hall cave at Great Green Ox Mountain.

The old man was sprawled haphazardly on the large tiger-skin chair, his face flushed red, letting out loud, resonant burps.

"Burp... what lousy wine!"

"Can't... can't compare to what my disciple got from his wife's family! Not even close!!"

"Burp!"

One foot rested rudely on the stone table in front of him, which was laden with large chunks of meat and peanuts.

One hand was picking his teeth, while the other still held a large wine bowl.

Below, a group of fierce-looking bandits stood in terrified silence, not daring to breathe loudly.

And the leader of these bandits, the one known as "Big Scar Wang," who could make children in the entire Great Green Mountain region stop crying.

At this moment, he was all smiles, carefully pouring wine for the old man from a wine jar.

"Hehe... Master, you're absolutely right..."

"I... how could I compare to your disciple and disciple's wife~~"

Whether he was too drunk to hear clearly or simply didn't, the old man reacted upon hearing this.

His foot, resting on the stone table, suddenly lifted and kicked Big Scar Wang squarely in the stomach.

With a *thud*, Big Scar Wang was sent sprawling, the wine jar in his hand flying out and shattering on the ground, spilling everywhere.

"Pah!!"

The old man spat a thick glob of phlegm on the ground, cursing with bleary, drunken eyes.

"You think you can compare to my disciple?"

"You're nothing but a dog's fart!!"

"Big Scar Wang, ah, Big Scar Wang! You're getting more and more useless!"

"Your granddad was a famous great philanthropist back in the day, and look at you! Turned into a damn bandit!"

Big Scar Wang, who had been kicked to the ground, showed none of his usual ferocious demeanor.

He scrambled to his feet, not even bothering to dust himself off, grabbed another jar of wine, poured for the old man while grinning obsequiously.

"Oh, my Master, please calm your anger..."

"It's just... circumstances forced me, the family fell on hard times..."

Big Scar Wang couldn't help but complain further.

"It's true my granddad was a great philanthropist, a truly kind man!"

"But he was only kind to outsiders, never cared about the family, didn't leave me much money in the end."

The more he spoke, the angrier he got.

"He had a great reputation outside, but we at home were practically starving!"

Listening to Big Scar Wang's grievances, the old man let out another burp.

He picked up the wine Big Scar Wang had just poured and downed another gulp, then mumbled incoherently.

"Your granddad, that man, was too generous with his hands."

"Back then, I also advised him not to be so extravagantly generous to outsiders all the time, to at least take care of his own family a bit."

Big Scar Wang, standing nearby, felt even more aggrieved upon hearing this and quickly leaned over to pour more wine.

"Hey~ Isn't that the truth!"

"If only he had left me a bit more money, I wouldn't have had to take up this head-risking business!"

Big Scar Wang filled the bowl again, but the old man didn't drink.

He slammed the coarse porcelain wine bowl onto the stone table with a *clang*, burping repeatedly as he swayed to his feet.

"Alright, no more drinking."

"Any more, and I really won't be able to get back."

Seeing this, Big Scar Wang hurriedly stood up to support him.

"Oh, my Master, we've barely started! What's the rush?"

"If you're drunk, just stay here for the night!"

"My life was saved by you back then, snatched right from the King of Hell's hands. I haven't had a chance to properly show my filial respect to you yet~"

Before he could finish, the old man suddenly turned his head, his drunken eyes wide open.

"You showing your thanks would be to kill a few less people!"

"Saving a little bastard like you, who knows how much karmic debt it's saddled this old man with!"

Upon hearing this, Big Scar Wang straightened up, patting his chest in assurance.

"Master!"

"About that, you can rest assured! My brothers and I have a rule: we only rob money, we don't take lives!!"

The old man raised an eyebrow, giving him a strange look up and down.

"Really don't take lives?"

Under the old man's stare, Big Scar Wang immediately grew somewhat guilty, his voice dropping as he awkwardly rubbed his hands.

"Well... there are always some fools who insist on resisting... we have no choice then, don't we?"

The old man snorted coldly, dropping the subject, and swayed unsteadily towards the cave entrance on his own.

"Not staying. If I don't get back soon, it'll be too late to draw the talisman for my disciple's wife."

The old man calculated the time in his mind.

It had already been fourteen days since he left. Two days to get back, just in time to renew Gu Qingwan's talisman on the sixteenth day.

Regarding the Nurturing Malevolence Sites, he had already investigated up to this tenth one at Great Green Mountain.

He figured his precious disciple, at most, would only make it to this tenth one before having to return for the Luotian Grand Offering.

The old man planned to return to Zhenlong Temple first, replenish the fifteen-day supply of talismans and "Green Memorial Invocations" for Gu Qingwan.

Then he'd saunter back and finish investigating the remaining sites.

Big Scar Wang followed behind, thinking somewhat strangely.

What kind of disciple's wife is this?

Why does she need talismans drawn?

Of course, Big Scar Wang didn't dare ask.

The old man walking ahead stumbled again, reeking of alcohol as he spoke.

"Probably in the next couple of days, my disciple will come leading two disciples from Zhenlong Temple."

"If a single hair on my disciple's head is harmed here..."

Before the old man could finish, Big Scar Wang was scared out of his wits, his voice instantly rising an octave.

"Oh, heavens above!"

"My Master, what are you saying?!"

"Even if I ate the heart of a bear and the gall of a leopard, I wouldn't dare do such a thing!"

"Besides, aren't we all family? When the brothers arrive, I guarantee they'll be treated with the best food and drink!"

Hearing this, the old man scoffed disdainfully.

"Who's family with a bandit like you!"

Big Scar Wang was taken aback, then quickly smiled apologetically:

"Yes, yes... I misspoke, I'll slap my mouth."

Before he could finish, the old man swayed and added.

"Also, that White Deer Chamber of Commerce belongs to my disciple's wife's family."

"If their caravans pass through here, don't be blind and try to rob them!"

These words made Big Scar Wang's head buzz.

Huh??

Isn't the head of the White Deer Chamber of Commerce that great beauty Zhao Qiao'er from Fengtian City?

Zhao Qiao'er needs talismans drawn?

Is this... the same person?

Big Scar Wang's mind was a muddled mess, but he didn't dare delay his response.

"Of course, of course, rest assured!"

The old man walked a few more steps, then as if suddenly remembering something, paused.

"Oh, right, if you don't want to do this business in the future, it's best to live a stable, peaceful life."

"If you can't live peacefully, then go find my other disciple's wife's family. Her younger brother is the captain of the Fengtian City Security Regiment!"

"That record of yours, better given to my disciple's wife's family than to benefit some outsider!"

Big Scar Wang: "???"

What the hell?!

How many disciple's wives does this old immortal have?!

No!

The key is... these are all major figures, each one a big shot. Are they all wives of the same disciple?!

Big Scar Wang's gaze subconsciously drifted into the distance, his face full of shock, as he sincerely sighed in admiration.

That disciple of the old man's... his kidneys must be damn good!

......

Meanwhile, on the other side.

As the owner of the good kidneys, Lu Yuan did not go to Great Green Mountain.

Instead, he bypassed Great Green Mountain and headed straight for the eleventh Nurturing Malevolence Site, Wu Family Gully.

The journey was much longer than anticipated.

As the three of them on horseback turned down from the mountain path, the daylight was rapidly being swallowed by the pitch-black mountain ridges.

The cold was biting.

"Brother Lu, according to the 'Notes on Guan Dong Taoist Temples,' there should be a Mountain God Temple built during the Qianlong era ahead where we can seek lodging."

Xu Erxiao, shivering from the cold, flipped through a yellowed, hand-copied booklet.

Lu Yuan narrowed his eyes, looking towards the village shrouded in the gray-blue dusk haze ahead, and shook his head.

"I'm afraid it collapsed long ago."

His tone was flat.

"This hamlet... it doesn't even have a trace of the vitality of living people left."

The incense and upkeep of a temple rely on the offerings and repairs from surrounding villagers.

Once a village declines, the temple becomes a resting place for lonely ghosts and wandering spirits, collapsing faster than anything else.

Lu Yuan said no more, lightly tracing a pattern with his right index finger on his left palm.

Earth Qi Divination.

His fingertip touched the northwest Qian position, sensing a thick, sticky, cold-oil-like stagnation.

Then he probed the southwest Kun position, only to find an "empty and perished" sign.

Yin and Yang not interacting, the Earth Veins severed.

Lu Yuan frowned slightly.

They were still some distance from the actual Nurturing Malevolence Site.

They hadn't even reached it yet...

Has the evil energy already leaked this far?

It shouldn't be that bad, should it...

"Let's go, head down and take a look."

He flicked the reins, his tone leaving no room for doubt.

"And get some food while we're at it."

The three urged their horses down the mountain. As soon as they entered the village entrance, an indescribable sense of eeriness washed over them.

It was too quiet.

Quiet as a grave.

The wind whistling through the withered fences, making a ghostly "woo-woo" sound, was the only movement in this Mangniu Hamlet.

In an ordinary mountain village, dogs would have been barking incessantly long before strangers approached.

But here, the local dogs tied outside a few courtyard walls merely lazily lifted their eyelids.

A few low, rumbling "grrs" came from their throats before they lowered their heads again, their eyes vacant, as if they had lost their souls.

Watching this, Lu Yuan frowned slightly.

Dogs' eyes see the Yin. These dogs had probably seen too many 'things' and couldn't be bothered to bark anymore.

Lu Yuan didn't speak, just sniffed lightly.

In the air drifted a faint, strange odor.

Like the sweet, rotten smell of old, damp coffin wood, mixed with the charred bitterness of burning medicinal herbs.

This definitely meant something was up!

"Put on your Taoist robes."

Lu Yuan instructed in a low voice.

Wang Cheng'an and Xu Erxiao immediately understood, taking out their Taoist robes from their work boxes and slipping them on over their leather jackets.

Lu Yuan stepped forward and knocked on the door of the first household.

With a *creak*, the door opened a crack.

A murky, wary eye stared at them intently through the gap.

Upon seeing the Taoist robes on the three of them, the wariness in that eye turned into a numb disappointment, and it shook its head.

*Bang!*

The door was slammed shut heavily.

Several households in a row reacted the same way.

One old woman even spoke from behind the door, her voice trembling:

"Taoists?"

"Taoists are useless too... hurry and leave. It's getting dark, the roads here aren't good to travel at night..."

Seeing this, Xu Erxiao and Wang Cheng'an blinked, then looked at Lu Yuan in the middle.

"Brother Lu, shall we leave then?"

"Let's finish dealing with the Nurturing Malevolence Site first."

To this, Lu Yuan directly shook his head.

"Since we've encountered demons and monsters, why not eliminate them?"

"There are still six days, it's enough time. We're staying here tonight!"

With that, Lu Yuan flicked the reins and rode forward on his horse.

Wang Cheng'an and Xu Erxiao's spirits lifted, immediately following.

The three walked and stopped, arriving at the westernmost end of the hamlet, in front of a solitary earthen-walled courtyard.

The one who opened the door was Wang Laohan.

A man in his early fifties, his back slightly hunched, the wrinkles on his face deep enough to trap mosquitoes.

But most striking were the whites of his eyes, tinged with an unnatural blue-yellow, and a faint ring of gray haze around the edges of his pupils.

In Taoist physiognomy, this is called "Yin Shadow Ring Eyes."

It indicates long-term exposure to Yin and turbid energies, coupled with severe mental torment.

This Wang Laohan heard that Lu Yuan and the other two wanted to seek lodging and get some food.

Wang Laohan sized up the three overly young "little Taoists," a flicker of pity flashing in his eyes as he spoke in a hoarse voice:

"I can give you some food to eat, but there's no place for you to stay. You should go elsewhere."

Having said that, Wang Laohan was about to turn back into the house to fetch dry rations for Lu Yuan and the others.

*CRACK!*

A thunderclap tore through the dead silence of the dusk!

Wang Laohan's whole body stiffened, and he whipped his head around.

At that moment, Lu Yuan, sitting sideways on his horse, looked down expressionlessly at Wang Laohan from his elevated position.

Electric light flickered around his right hand.

Lu Yuan slightly raised his chin, saying with a serious expression:

"Old man, don't panic. I am a legitimate Celestial Master!"

Wang Laohan looked somewhat astonished, seemingly not expecting a legitimate Celestial Master to be so young.

At the same time, snowflakes began to drift down from the sky.

After a long moment, his Adam's apple bobbed, his voice as hoarse as two pieces of sandstone grinding together.

"...Come in."

"The west wing is empty..."

Upon hearing this, Lu Yuan and the others dismounted. But Wang Laohan added another sentence, his voice pressed extremely low, as if afraid something might hear.

"But even a Celestial Master is useless..."

Huh??

Before Lu Yuan and the others could react, they heard Wang Laohan, while walking into the courtyard, continue in a hushed voice:

"At night, no matter what you hear, don't leave your room."

"Especially... don't go near the east wing room, and don't go to the backyard."

He paused, then added:

"Before the rooster crows, absolutely do not open the window."

The three of them exchanged glances, a hint of a smile playing at the corners of their mouths.

Don't leave the room?

You're joking.

We're definitely leaving!

The west wing room clearly hadn't been occupied for a long time, but it was tidy.

The kang mat was new, and the lamp wick on the table oil lamp had been trimmed.

What was unusual was that the window gaps had been meticulously sealed with yellow mud, leaving only an extremely narrow slit for ventilation.

On the inside of the door was pasted a faded "Zhong Kui Guards the Household" picture.

But the eye area of the portrait had been blackened and charred by incense smoke, effectively "blinded."

Lu Yuan ran his finger along the windowsill, picking up a layer of very fine gray-white powder on his fingertip. Bringing it close to his nose, he detected a faint smell of lime and sulfur.

"It's 'Purifying Wall Ash.' Made from cinnabar, realgar, lime, and aged mugwort leaves, fried and then ground. Used to ward off evil."

Lu Yuan said in a low voice. "But this ash has been sprinkled too thickly, and repeatedly. This room frequently needs 'purifying.'"

Soon, Wang Laohan brought dry rations, set them down, and left without another word.

The three didn't go out to ask questions either. After finishing the dry rations, they closed their eyes to rest in the room, quietly waiting for nightfall.

The sound of the wind grew increasingly mournful.

Soon...

The hour of Zi, which is 11 PM. The first strange occurrence arrived...