Chapter 580: A Hall of Laughter

The crane died.

It completely disappeared from this world.

At the same time the crane disappeared, the physical body of Dìshì on the execution platform of Wǎngsǐ Chéng was torn apart and completely shattered.

When our side's battle reached its end, something also happened over at Fang Chuanzong's side; fortunately, with Hu Yulin's help, they managed to escape disaster.

The Dharma-body Buddha descended into the world; the sky of Zàng Qū showed an omen, and the entire Buddhism of Zàng Qū boiled over.

During the time I was unconscious, Xingchen had already been arranged properly.

Just as expected, he will stay in Zàng Qū, and the Copper Coin Person and the mysterious cat will always accompany him.

After Hu Sanmei, Hui Moqiong, Bai Shulan, and Huang Fan returned to their physical bodies, they all temporarily retreated to the mountains and forests, needing a long period of closed-door cultivation to recover.

The good news is that all four received commendation from above; not only did they gain merit, they also received enlightenment, so if they remain in the mountains and forests, they will be able to bless the people of their respective territories.

The Seven Halls Yama first returned to the Nether Realm; this battle eliminated a major hidden danger in the Nether Realm, and he will be very busy for a long time.

My aunt stayed to guard me, but no matter how I tried to persuade her, it was of no use.

Yu Nian's death left me utterly perplexed.

I really can't understand why, in the end, the crane had to be trapped in her body.

I still have a hurdle in my heart that I cannot get over—the arrow that finally killed Yu Nian was shot by my own hand.

I cannot forgive myself.

I desperately wanted to grasp something to prove that Yu Nian was still there, to alleviate the guilt in my heart.

My emotions remained tense, always on the verge of collapse.

No amount of consolation helps.

Liu Junyan really had no other choice; after my body had slightly recovered, he said, "Xiao Jiu, go wherever you want to go for a walk, I'll accompany you."

My first stop was Yin Dang Hang.

What I never expected was that Yin Dang Hang had collapsed.

It is said that on the day the crane died, a bolt of heavenly thunder struck and directly split it apart.

Fortunately, there was no one inside Yin Dang Hang at the time.

Yu Nian and Fan Chen were both gone; with no one to repair it, Lao San went to see the Chenghuang Lord, hoping the Chenghuang Lord would help him seek an explanation from the Nether Realm.

The Chenghuang Lord's feedback was that the location of Yin Dang Hang was too sensitive, not under the jurisdiction of the Three Realms and Six Paths, improper; since Yin Dang Hang was registered under the Chenghuang Prince, it was assigned to the Nether Realm.

As for where Yin Dang Hang will be located in the future, who will take over it, etc., the Nether Realm will arrange it on its own.

Lao San was temporarily incorporated into the Nether Realm.

I was greatly disappointed.

My second stop was Huicheng.

The funeral shop at the end of the street still existed, and I had the key.

I pushed open the door and immediately saw the gold ingot placed on the counter.

It had always been placed there, and no one had ever moved it.

After leaving the funeral shop, I squatted at the doorway and cried.

Yu Nian…… it really seems to have disappeared……

The once bustling pawnshop suddenly seemed to have returned to its very beginning.

Only I, Liu Junyan, and Li Qingying remained.

A Cheng and my aunt returned together to the Feng Clan.

Later, A Cheng came to see me; he said he used ancient shamanic arts to capture Yu Nian's dream, and he was certain Yu Nian was still there.

But when I pressed him about where Yu Nian would be, how she is now, and when she could return——

A series of questions left A Cheng bewildered; he couldn't answer.

I therefore concluded: what ancient shamanic arts to capture dreams? They were just kind lies meant to comfort me.

In the construction of the Jiuyan Zone, Hui Moqiong and the people of Hu Yulin kept watch, while Fang Chuanzong continually followed up; over there they established a large hall complex, divided into a main hall and four branch halls, each branch hall forming its own independent system.

Everything was developing according to our previous plans, everything was getting better, but I always felt an emptiness in my heart.

Li Qingying was the same.

She still looked the same as before, but from time to time she would also act foolishly.

I know, she was thinking of Hui Moqiong.

We used to think they were just animal immortals.

But looking at them now, it's probably not that simple.

Even though the Jiuyan Zone has already built a great hall complex, to them this temple…… is still small.

They deserve a vaster expanse of heaven and earth.

During this period, even Liu Junyan did not always stay in Wufu Town.

After the crane died, the formation array that had been suppressing the heavenly fortune was broken, and the heavenly fortune flowed back into the human world along those dragon veins.

But Kongji, who once walked the world, no one can say how many anchor points he laid down for the crane.

Liu Junyan then said, he needs to walk along those dragon veins.

I said, as an incarnate Buddha, his awakening is truly lofty; he has always taken wandering the world as his duty.

Liu Junyan, however, laughed and said, "I don't have that lofty an awakening; it's merely my son who sits high on the Buddha's throne, I owe him, and I am willing to clear the way ahead for him gladly."

Sometimes, I also accompany Liu Junyan when he goes out for a walk.

For over three months, our lives were in a completely stalled state.

Not thinking about the pawnshop, not thinking about Yin Dang Hang.

Wufu Town and the Jiuyan Zone were just left like that, with no planning at all.

Until the eleventh day of the eleventh lunar month, I and Liu Junyan were still out running when I received a call from Li Qingying, full of sobbing, her speech stuttering: "Xiao Jiu, you guys hurry back home, home...... something big happened at home."

I furrowed my brow.

In my view, we've already come to this; what big thing could still happen?

Before I could even ask, Li Qingying's phone was snatched away.

Immediately, Hui Moqiong's voice rang out: "It's been almost four months! Xiao Jiu'er, this young master has been in seclusion for so long, thinking that once I emerge I could comfortably move into the Gray Immortal Hall in Jiǔyàn qū, with all my clan's little ones coming to kowtow respectfully, my spirit tablet enshrined high, incense never ceasing..."

And then?

I rushed back, finally managing to emerge before the year's end, and as soon as I did I hurried back, only to find you all giving me the cold shoulder!

In Jiǔyàn qū, not even a sign for the Gray Immortal Hall!

Heartbroken!

This young master really feels so heartbroken!

Li Qingying on the other end scolded him softly, but her voice was also soft and gentle; obviously someone had just returned, and she couldn't bear to shout at him as she used to.

I held the phone, my vision blurred, choked up and unable to speak.

Hui Moqiong is really too lively.

With him around, the whole world seems to have become lively.

We immediately headed back.

The next evening, as we rushed back to Dang Pu, upon entering the door, the heat from the living room hit us.

Li Qingying set up a round table in the living room, on it two small electric hotplates with a hot pot on top—one a spicy beef broth, the other a mushroom chicken broth—along with a full table of side dishes, and several crates of alcohol and drinks on the floor.

As soon as we entered, familiar faces all lit up with smiles and turned toward me and Liu Junyan.

I had thought only Hui Moqiong had returned.

As it turned out, Hu Sanmei, Bai Shuolan, and Huang Fan were all there.

In the corner, Bai Jingmo was also there; his face looked as if he had just shed a layer of skin, the new skin tender and tender, and when the heat steamed it, it seemed it could be blown apart.

Hu Yulin sat close beside Hu Sanmei, thoughtfully helping to blanch the hot pot vegetables for his family's immortal child.

Hui Moqiong shouted at us: "You two just standing there at the door like door gods? Hurry wash your hands and come over to grab a seat; soon Old Fang and A Cheng and the others will be coming, and this table of good food won't wait for the slow..."

A hall filled with laughter.

(End of main text)

(Next chapter enters the side story~)