Chapter 194: The Visitor

As a young adult of the village.

When the village encountered a major event like a funeral, Zhong Kui naturally had to help.

Not only carrying the coffin, but also all the subsequent clerical tasks were to be handed to him.

So by the time he finished and returned, it was already late at night.

This was only the beginning; tomorrow they still needed to wait for the feng shui master to come and examine the geomancy, to determine the exact time and burial site, before the deceased could truly rest in peace.

Earlier, carrying the coffin was merely to bring it to the ancestral hall for temporary placement.

Among the elders guarding the ancestral hall, one had been a portrait-painter in his youth, so he was tasked with grooming the deceased's appearance.

Waiting for Zhong Kui to return home.

Then he saw Yu Lin lighting a fire in the courtyard, roasting two wild chickens, and waving at him, saying:

"You've been busy all night, tired? Come have something to eat."

"Thanks, Elder Brother Yu." Zhong Kui didn't refuse, sat beside him, took a roasted chicken, and began eating.

"Elder Brother Zhong."

"What's wrong?"

"You can see the spirit officials, right?"

"Pfft."

The meat Zhong Kui had not yet swallowed sprayed out directly; he turned his head to look at Yu Lin, who wore a smile, and said, "Elder Brother Yu, how do you know?"

"What do I do?"

"... a Qi practitioner."

"Then that's enough, isn't it?"

Yu Lin tossed the clean chicken wing bones into the fire and asked again, "When did you first discover you could see them?"

Zhong Kui thought for a moment and replied, "I'm not sure of the exact time."

"But the first time I saw a spirit official was when my father died."

"I originally thought I was seeing things, but after my mother passed away, I saw the spirit official again."

"Then elders in the village died one after another... well, never mind, that's roughly how it went."

"I don't know whether it's a blessing or a curse."

Yu Lin nodded, took another bite of chicken, and after swallowing, said:

"Don't worry; for you, it's a blessing."

"Tomorrow I'm going to Five Elements Mountain, so you don't need to prepare my meals."

Upon hearing that, Zhong Kui asked curiously, "Sure."

"Are you going to see the legendary divine monkey spoken of?"

Yu Lin nodded: "Yes."

"How about it? Do you also want to go see him?"

Zhong Kui also nodded: "Such a holy being—if there's a chance, naturally one would want to meet him."

"But I've heard that unless you're fated or a cultivator, you can't even find where Five Elements Mountain is!"

"Such a huge mountain, yet it's shaped like a hand..."

Yu Lin finished the last bite of chicken, wiped his mouth, and smiled faintly: "From now on, I'll take you to meet him."

"He should take an interest in you."

"Alright, I'm going to sleep; eat at your leisure."

Having said that, he rose and walked toward the house.

Zhong Kui didn't think much of it, finished his roasted chicken, didn't continue reading, and also chose to sleep.

Until the next day.

By the time he woke up, Yu Lin had already disappeared.

Zhong Xiao Mei didn't know where he had gone, so she asked Zhong Kui:

"Big Brother, where did Elder Brother Yu go?"

Zhong Kui casually replied, "He went to see a friend; today he said he didn't need me to prepare his meals."

"Later I'm going to the county to buy some supplies; is there anything you'd like me to bring?"

Zhong Xiao Mei shook her head: "All right, nothing."

"Big Brother, be careful—don't get caught by bandits!"

"You little brat." Zhong Kui chuckled, rubbed her head, and said, "Your big brother has at least studied cultivation for ten days or so."

"Dealing with some bandits is no problem; don't worry."

"Let's go eat."

"Okay." Zhong Xiao Mei thought it was fine too.

"Her big brother is now a cultivator! Invincible!"

The two siblings finished breakfast.

One went to wash clothes, the other left the house and headed for Chongyun County.

Along the way.

Zhong Kui saw a carriage approaching slowly ahead, so he stepped to the side of the road to let it pass.

The wheels rolled over the road, emitting a faint creaking sound.

Just as the carriage and Zhong Kui passed each other, a gust of wind happened to lift the carriage's curtain.

Inside the carriage, Li Jiancheng, who was reading, sensed something and lifted his head—

Their eyes met.

Li Jiancheng saw Zhong Kui's fierce face and was slightly startled, but quickly regained his composure.

He gave Zhong Kui a slight nod, inwardly thinking this person's appearance is truly ferocious.......

He did not know Zhong Kui, for what he had heard and learned were mainly about the deeds of the qi practitioner Yu Lin; when news of Zhong Kui reached him, he had already dismissed it as irrelevant.

Zhong Kui stood in place, watching the carriage gradually fade into the distance.

His brows furrowed slightly, and a hint of doubt appeared in his eyes.

He had seen many nobles and officials in the county town before, but the feeling that man gave him...... was especially different.

That was a concealed dignity, like a hidden dragon in the abyss.

Zhong Kui vaguely felt that, compared to this person, the so-called big shots he had seen before could only bow low and act small.

"Who exactly is he?" Zhong Kui muttered to himself.

"Forget it, it has nothing to do with me."

He shook his head, casting these thoughts aside.

Now the most important thing is to purchase the supplies needed for the journey to the capital for the exam; these irrelevant encounters need not be dwelled upon.

Zhong Kui adjusted his collar and continued walking toward the county town.

Sunlight filtered through the treetops onto him, stretching his tall silhouette.

Elsewhere.

"Your Highness, we have arrived at Zhongjia Village."

Zheng Xuan stopped in front of the gate of Zhongjia Village, got out of the carriage, stepped to the side, and opened the carriage door.

"Hmm."

Li Jiancheng got down from the carriage, scanned Zhongjia Village, and finally his gaze fell on a house with white cloth hung.

"A funeral?"

He stepped toward the village and intercepted a child who was playing rough with a companion.

The child asked doubtfully, "Who are you? I'm playing a game!"

Li Jiancheng took out a handful of candy from his pocket, smiled gently, and said, "Let me ask you a question."

"These are all yours."

Upon seeing the candy, the child's eyes lit up: "Wow! Really?"

"Really."

"Good! Ask away!"

"Is there a guest named Yu Lin in your village?"

"Yu Lin?! You mean the friend that Elder Brother Zhong brought back?!"

"Yes, that's him. Where is he?"

The child pointed to a distant house and said, "Elder Brother Zhong lives there, but he just went out."

"I don't know if his friend is there; you can ask Little Sister."

"Little Sister is Elder Brother Zhong's sister!"

Li Jiancheng got the answer he wanted and stuffed the candy into the child's hand:

"Good, these are all for you."

"Wow! Thank you, big brother, thank you, big brother! May you have fortune as vast as the Eastern Sea, longevity as the Southern Mountains, early birth of noble children, and grow old together.........."

".......... Where did you learn that? Never mind, don't say those things anymore."

Li Jiancheng didn't bother with the child's words and strode toward Zhong Kui's house.

Zheng Xuan followed, his eyes scanning the surroundings, fearful of another mishap, until they reached Zhong Kui's gate, where he raised his hand and knocked:

"Anyone home?"