Chapter 33: Divination, Inquiry, Summoning Souls
In front of the Huacheng Folk Culture Management Bureau, in an elegantly ancient courtyard.
Li Xuan basked in the sunlight, which showed the first signs of weariness at four-thirty in the afternoon. He stood up from his wheelchair, stretched lazily, took a deep breath, greedily filling his lungs with air.
Not having to see his annoying colleague for a while was a delightful thing, and sending the troublesome junior sister away also brought him joy. The intertwining of these two good fortunes gave him a dreamlike sense of happiness.
Such joy, how could it not be shared with others?
Li Xuan thought, with a slight smile at the corner of his mouth, and took out his phone to call his master, Bi Xuzi.
“Hello? Master? Yes, it’s me! I have good news to tell you!”
Huasang glanced sideways at her senior brother, slightly parting her lips, wanting to say something but stopping herself.
Though she understood Li Xuan’s feelings at this moment well, after all, her junior sister, Fu Xinyi, was also a troublesome and annoying person.
However, Li Xuan’s current demeanor could not be described as simply cheerful.
Half a day ago, he had appeared as depressed and rotten as a large piece of spoiled meat, but now he had already left his wheelchair and was lively, a striking contrast that could make even An Qing shout “Wow!” in astonishment at the medical miracle.
Wait, something seemed off?
Noticing the joyful smile on Li Xuan’s face, which was shadowed by something dark, Huasang furrowed her brows, half-closed her eyes, focused her mind, and infused her spiritual energy into her eyes, quietly performing the art of divination.
Huasang practiced this art to constantly monitor her spirit pattern status, enabling her to adjust her spiritual marks and manage them as needed.
It was precisely because she knew that her spirit pattern status had remained stable for a long time that she found the two previous incidents of instability odd.
However, aside from being able to observe the spirit patterns, the art of divination had an additional effect: it could perceive the target’s emotions and fortune. Although not as accurate as divination, it could provide some insights.
As shimmering light passed through her eyes, thin mist like a veil unveiled itself before her. She saw Li Xuan’s spirit pattern’s ethereal shadow.
Dotted over the shadow were patches of mottled, mud-like stains, remnants of the Night Invasion, and above the shadow’s head were several wisps of pale yellow mist permeating the air.
Yellow indicates joy, freedom, vitality, internal satisfaction, and is also a sign of good fortune, perfectly matching Li Xuan’s current mood and condition. There was no problem here.
But if that’s the case, why was his forehead so dark?
While Huasang was puzzled, a wisp of black air suddenly rose from Li Xuan’s spirit shadow.
Black indicates darkness and ominous signs, hidden disasters.
How could this be?
Huasang frowned, wanting to remind Li Xuan to be cautious in his words and actions lately to avoid drawing trouble, but before she could speak up, the black air above his head grew denser, faintly overshadowing the pale yellow aura.
“Yes, someone sent junior sister Huasang back, so don’t worry! I guarantee there won’t be any slip-ups this time!”
“What? Of course, it’s not me. You know how important I am to the Huacheng Siye Society; without me, things wouldn’t run smoothly here. I’ve got a lot of work to do!”
“Who sent junior sister Huasang back? It’s Lu Yibei, the particularly annoying junior I mentioned to you before, and he frequently causes me trouble. By the way, Master, that guy said he yearns to join our Dachunyang Palace, so when he comes, please help educate him…”
Watching Li Xuan in conversation with his master, Huasang’s pupils suddenly quivered.
Then, she let out a light “Wow!” and jumped up from her wheelchair as if her rear were on fire, sprinting to the corner of the courtyard and hiding behind the old tree with a crooked neck.
Avoiding danger is a natural instinct; she wouldn’t shy away from exertion or trouble.
Crouched under the old crooked tree, the girl looked up at Huasang, puzzled and tilting her head.
Huasang glanced at the girl, pointed at Li Xuan, and explained, “That guy has dark clouds overhead; misfortune is approaching. Whoever gets close to him will be unlucky.”
At that moment, thick black air enveloped the upper part of Li Xuan’s spirit shadow, continuously expanding and churning, faint glimpses of red light showing through. Though it did not indicate d*ath, it was a sign of great calamity.
Currently, thick black air swirled above Li Xuan’s head, spreading relentlessly, and amid the turbulent waves, faint hints of red light shimmered—a clear sign of impending doom.
In the brief time it took to complete half a phone call, Li Xuan had completely consumed all of the good fortune he had just gathered. His actions could indeed be marked in the textbook level of divination as “joy leading to sorrow.”
Listening to Huasang’s words, the girl nodded thoughtfully.
In simpler terms, it meant, “Maybe we should avoid playing with him!”
Following that, she seemed completely unconcerned about what might happen to Li Xuan next, quietly unwrapping the candy and popping it into her mouth, savoring it slowly.
She wondered when Lu Yibei would next bring her some snacks—she needed to save some to make them last.
Mmm~ Corn is so great!
“Honestly, that brat Lu Yibei, as a Siye Society operative, is quite talented, but his personality and character are really poor. I believe that after your guidance, Master, he will definitely improve when he comes back… Hey, Master? Are you there?”
“That’s strange; we were talking fine just now, how did it suddenly disconnect?”
——————
At the same time, Zhenwu Mountain, deep in the back of Dachunyang Palace.
Surrounded by green mountains, a waterfall could be seen falling from the lush trees, landing in a small, cold pond. Though the pond was not large—about twenty to thirty meters square—it was very deep, and the water was a deep green, holding hints of extraordinary spiritual rhythm.
By the pond sat an old Daoist priest with white hair and beard, wearing a dark blue Daoist robe with a loosely opened collar, looking serene.
Next to him lay a strange beast resembling a giant dog, but more robust and handsome. Its entire body was covered in azure spiritual scales that shimmered with metallic luster, and its soft, silk-like golden fur extended from its head to its thick strong tail, gently swaying like flags in the cool breeze.
This strange beast is the guardian beast of Dachunyang Palace, a Shuishu Beast with powers akin to that of a Water Qilin.
At that moment, the Shuishu Beast, with its large head resting against the old Daoist’s waist, rubbed against him affectionately.
“Ha ha, good boy, good boy! Next time I come down the mountain, I’ll bring you your favorite purple spirit herb.”
The old Daoist laughed heartily, gently stroking the Shuishu Beast’s head, scratching its thick golden mane, causing it to emit comfortable snorts of pleasure.
Who could resist the charm of a dog or cat? Zhang Hainan was no exception.
From a distance, this man and beast by the pond basking in the sunset reminded one of an old man with his dog by the street in the evening.
At this moment, a figure quickly approached Zhang Hainan from behind, exuding urgency, stirring up winds that rustled the surrounding grass.
The newcomer was a middle-aged Daoist dressed in a dark robe, his expression anxious.
As the middle-aged Daoist landed lightly on the stone, his brows knitted together, and he stepped one meter behind the old Daoist, bowing slightly.
Before the middle-aged Daoist could speak, the old Daoist raised an eyebrow and asked, “Why the rush? Bi Xuzi, you are a senior in the sect; you should set a good example for your disciples.”
“Calmness is the attitude we practitioners should have while dealing with affairs. Acting so recklessly for your own causes is not good for the disciples to see.”
“You are correct, Chief Priest.” Bi Xuzi replied.
“Now, what brings you to me?”
“Reporting to the Chief Priest… My disciple Li Xuan in Huacheng just called me to say that Huasang is coming back, and this time, someone is bringing her back.”
“Oh, good news!” Zhang Hainan smiled.
“However…” Bi Xuzi hesitated several times before speaking, “However, Li Xuan said that the person bringing Huasang back is the prospective operative from Huacheng, Lu Yibei.”
“Oh, the prospective operative Lu… Ah!” Zhang Hainan’s words were cut off abruptly, his mouth twitching as he instinctively tightened his grip on the Shuishu Beast’s mane, pulling out a large tuft of it and exposing a patch of smooth scales beneath.
The Shuishu Beast, just moments ago reveling in being petted, dreaming of the purple spirit herb soon to be in its mouth, suddenly found itself bald on the top of its head and was taken aback.
In pain, it widened its eyes, squirmed its body, kicked its hooves wildly, and let out a howl, escaping from Zhang Hainan’s embrace. It stood by the edge of the pond, shot Zhang Hainan a fierce glare, and then dove into the cold pond not far off, vanishing without a trace.
“Who did you say brought Huasang back?” Zhang Hainan inhaled deeply.
He was so caught up in “petting a dog” that he hadn’t noticed the trouble brewing, and now he was in big trouble!
“Lu Yibei.” Bi Xuzi answered softly.
“Good grief, Li Tieshuan, look at the disciple you’ve raised!” Zhang Hainan exclaimed anxiously, calling Bi Xuzi by his secular name, “Didn’t I tell you to warn Li Xuan not to provoke that kid from the Lu family?”
The old man had indeed sent over fragments of Ling Tai Purification to him and had even intercepted his training quota. If it weren’t for this troublemaker Li Xuan, Lu Yibei wouldn’t have come to Dachunyang Palace!
Bi Xuzi, “…”
Who just said to be a responsible master, to remain calm, and set a good example for the disciples?
Hey, someone’s upset; I won’t name names!
“I did tell him, and he didn’t provoke Lu Yibei, but…” Bi Xuzi said with a wry smile, “But you didn’t say he shouldn’t ask Lu Yibei to replace him to bring Huasang back!”
Now he also wanted me to help him train Lu Yibei, trying to correct his bad habits!
While contemplating, Bi Xuzi saw Zhang Hainan’s expression change and quickly said, “Chief Priest, if you’re truly worried, why not let Qing Xiazi expel Huasang from the sect and prevent her from returning?”
“Nonsense!” Zhang Hainan roared, his face serious, “Once you enter the doors of Dachunyang Palace, no matter what happens—unless she personally instigates it—she remains my disciple of Dachunyang Palace. Such words should not be repeated in the future!”
Besides, I, Zhang Hainan, have lived my life undefeated; why would I be scared?
Even if scared, it’s just a little! Zhang Hainan thought, proudly lifting his chin.
Upon hearing that, Bi Xuzi bowed slightly, “Chief Priest, you are correct.”
Zhang Hainan waved his hand dismissively, “Never mind, I will make a trip to Zixiao Terrace first.”
Bi Xuzi was taken aback, “What do you want to do there?”
The so-called Zixiao Terrace is where Dachunyang Palace performs rituals to summon thunder. Depending on the strength of spiritual energy, the summoned thunder’s striking range can cover almost the entire northeastern hemisphere.
Zhang Hainan clenched his fist, glancing at Bi Xuzi, mysteriously saying, “What do you think? Naturally, I’m going to strike down that disobedient disciple Li Xuan!”
With that, he waved his sleeves, and ripples of colorless waves surged around him. The next moment, his figure shot up like a color stream, soaring into the sky toward the distant peaks.
“…” Bi Xuzi watched Zhang Hainan depart, remaining silent for a long time. He sighed inwardly and murmured, “It’s true what they say: a childhood trauma takes a lifetime to heal.”
The shadow left by that legendary predecessor on the Chief Priest was far too significant.
Though with the current strength of the Chief Priest, even if that legendary predecessor were to show up in person, they would still be unable to do anything to him.
However, this kind of situation is akin to holding a steering wheel to one’s father—no matter how old he gets or how incapable he is, the reverence in one’s heart never dissipates.
Nevertheless, Bi Xuzi was not worried at all about Li Xuan’s safety; he knew the Chief Priest always protects his own.
If the Chief Priest truly harbored murderous thoughts, he wouldn’t even need to go to Zixiao Terrace.
With the terrifying abilities of a Disaster-Class Spiritual Ability User, killing from a thousand miles away is not too difficult; just the heart’s desire could make Li Xuan’s prized vehicle self-destruct.
Zixiao Terrace alone would be hard to control, and Zhenwu Mountain was quite far from Huacheng. Even if Zhang Hainan summoned thunder, he wouldn’t be able to k*ll Li Xuan. At worst, he’d suffer minor injuries, nowhere near as severe as the Night Invasion caused by Huasang.
In fact, there were also benefits to tempering the body.
Within Dachunyang Palace, disciples specializing in physical techniques often utilized Zixiao Terrace for training.
“Tsk, tsk, that little brat thinks he could boast about how essential he is to the Huacheng Siye Society. Does he truly believe I would buy into his nonsense?”
“Yes, a little lesson for him will help him understand the principle of going with the flow and not meddling in everything. That wouldn’t be a bad thing either.”
Bi Xuzi actually rather liked his disciple Li Xuan; his talent was quite outstanding, and he had a strong sense of justice. However, he also had obvious flaws: suspicion, gossiping, showing off, and being combative, despite repeated admonitions.
What to do if a child doesn’t listen?
Usually, just one good beating will do!
A personal intervention from the Chief Priest; one wouldn’t stop until all the meridians were cleared.
————
Hearing the busy signal, Li Xuan put down his phone, looking puzzled at the screen. After pondering for a moment, he turned to look at Huasang, and upon seeing the empty wheelchair, he was momentarily taken aback.
“Strange, how could she disappear in the few minutes it took to make one phone call? Where did she go?”
“Boom—!”
As Li Xuan muttered to himself, a muffled thunder rolled overhead. Lead-colored clouds gathered in the sky, quickly blanketing Mudan Street and extending to distant areas.
Just as he looked up, brilliant blue lightning, like a fierce python, rained down from the horizon, striking him directly, making it look as if he were undergoing a tribulation.
“Boom!”
The lightning exploded, shaking the ground of the courtyard. In a blaze of brilliant light, tiny arcs of electricity surged like snakes, wildly darting across the ground.
In the midst of the lightning, a figure writhed uncontrollably, arms and legs flailing, resembling the dance of a peculiar rhythm.
Watching Li Xuan performing his true “lightning dance,” Huasang slightly parted her lips, letting out a soft gasp.
“Eh?”
What kind of Zixiao Ren Water Thunder Technique is this?
Who called the thunder, shocking my senior brother?
Just as Huasang pondered, the lightning faded, and the now charred Li Xuan lay on the ground, dazedly staring at the still ominous clouds above, exhaling a puff of black smoke.
Before he could gather his thoughts, rain started pouring down.
The downpour rapidly intensified, kissing the earth, and under the cover of torrential rain, brilliant columns of rain, with small snake-like arcs of electricity, fell down like a Gatling g*n firing incessantly upon Li Xuan.
The rain burst on his body, while arcs of electricity drilled inside him, exploding within, flooding his limbs with a delightful tingling sensation as they got electrocuted.
After a minute, the lightning suddenly paused momentarily, yet the dark clouds still loomed overhead, thickening as if reloading after having fired a volley of bullets.
Seeing this, Huasang stepped out from her hiding spot and hurried towards Li Xuan, reaching out a hand to help him up.
Though she could see that the thunder caller didn’t genuinely want to harm Li Xuan—aside from the first strike, the later bombardments were all controlled within a safe range.
However, it felt a bit pitiful to let her senior brother continue getting zapped like this; she couldn’t bear to watch.
However, just as she took a few steps, Li Xuan trembled, raised a shaky hand, and with a determined expression squeezed out the words through gritted teeth, “Junior sister, wait! There’s no need to help me; I’m perfectly fine!”
He was indeed fine!
Aside from the first lightning strike nearly injuring him, subsequent strikes landed precisely on key points.
With electricity surging inside him, not only was it gradually alleviating the Night Invasion caused by junior sister Huasang, but it also ignited his spiritual energy, stirring it within, refining his body.
In just these short few minutes, it equaled the results he would have achieved through three to five months of rigorous exercise and strict dieting.
Back in Dachunyang Palace, Bi Xuzi had let him visit Zixiao Terrace to utilize thunder technique for body tempering, stating it would be greatly beneficial for his cultivation.
He had avoided it, scared of the pain, using the excuse of “I’m focused on talisman studies, not those muscle heads. Why bother with body refining?”
Now it seems…
His master wasn’t deceiving him!
He originally thought he had done something wrong to be punished; now it appeared that it was not punishment at all but rather knowledge of his affliction from the Night Invasion, helping him heal!
Though the sensation of the arcs exploding inside him was painfully teasing, once the pain passed, an inexplicable comfort followed—it was a feeling he was almost beginning to love! Li Xuan thought excitedly.
From a distance, Huasang noticed a bizarre, unclear smile on Li Xuan’s face and was startled.
At that moment, the thunder rolled again, and bathed in the lightning, Li Xuan closed his eyes, spread his arms wide, letting out sounds of extreme enjoyment.
“Mmm~ Mmm~ Ah!”
It was as if that lightning was not lightning but a masterful massage.
“???” Huasang looked at Li Xuan, shivering slightly as she moved away from him.
Oh no! Has my senior brother developed a strange hobby or has he fried his brain?
————
A moment later, Zhenwu Mountain, Zixiao Terrace.
At the peak, surrounded by clear lake waters, a complex ritual platform carved from a large lightning-struck rock, an old Daoist floated in mid-air, his pale hair and dark blue Daoist robe moving as if there were no wind. A mass of incantations rose from around his body, condensing into complex symbols that soared into the sky.
After a long while.
Zhang Hainan slowly descended, waved his sleeves, dispelling the lightning, snorting with arrogant disdain, stepping out of the ritual platform, hands behind his back, leisurely walking down the mountain path toward the back.
In fact, the moment the first lightning struck, his resentment had already dissipated. Reflecting on how he had impulsively tormented his disciple, he felt some guilt and promptly adjusted the structure of the incantation, transforming punishment into violent healing.
As for why it was violent healing…
Letting disciples grow amid countless trials is, after all, the tradition of Dachunyang Palace, isn’t it?
Benefits obtained too easily, much like easily wooing a girl, would not be treasured!
Zhang Hainan thought, shaking his head, taking out an old mobile phone, opening the contacts, and locating the number for General, dialing it.
“Beep—beep—!”
“Hello, Ah Bing? It’s me, Old Zhang!” Upon hearing the call connect, Zhang Hainan cheerfully said, “I wanted to ask if you’re free right now?”
On the other end, there was a silence of a few seconds, followed by General’s calm and resonant voice, “Senior, I can’t play chess right now, nor am I interested in fishing. It would be better if you…”
“Hey, misunderstanding, misunderstanding!” Zhang Hainan interjected, “I just wanted to ask if the list we discussed last time for supporting the investigation at Yumen has been finalized. If not, how about I recommend someone?”
Though he wouldn’t expel Huasang from the sect, sending her out to experience would still serve the purpose of keeping her away for a while.
“About that…” General responded, with a hint of relief in his tone, “I’m afraid it’s a bit inconvenient. Huaiyuan Jun and the Wordless Book left as planned with twenty A-Class Spirital Ability Users on the day of the meeting and have already reached the surroundings of Yumen yesterday.”
“As it stands, they’re probably deep in the Gobi now, and we can’t contact them unless you can make the trip yourself; otherwise…”
Zhang Hainan, “…”
General’s meaning was very clear: the main force had already left, and recommending someone to join them would require his personal presence.
But Zhang Hainan certainly couldn’t leave.
Recently, the activities of the Solar Eclipse Society have been increasing, coupled with the return of the Holy Son from the Miracle Cult causing unrest in surrounding nations, leading to a large influx of Miracle Cult members and foreign forces into Z Country; he needed to be stationed at the rear.
In simple terms, his plans had gone awry.
Isn’t it a bit too coincidental that they had already entered deep into the Gobi?
What to do?
If he weren’t Qing Ji’s descendant, he could’ve just punched him and knocked some sense into him, Zhang Hainan mused.
“Senior, do you have any other matters?” Seeing Zhang Hainan silent for a while, General inquired.
“Oh, nothing else; let’s play gateball together another day.”
Zhang Hainan said this and hung up hastily before General could reject his invitation for elderly sports.
After mulling over it, he put away the old mobile and casually took out three coins, tossing them into the air and catching them with his palm.
When facing difficulties, one typically goes through three coping stages: first relying on personal experience; if that doesn’t work, then resorting to scientific methods; and if science fails to provide solutions or explanations, one turns to metaphysics.
Though up to now, Zhang Hainan still had many ways to delay Lu Yibei’s arrival at Dachunyang Palace.
However, as a Spiritual Ability User who could glimpse a bit of heavenly secrets, he sensed a faint awareness after repeatedly intervening ineffectively. He casually performed a divination using coins to inquire about good or ill fortune.
Carefully analyzing the divination sign shown by the coins, Zhang Hainan’s half-squinted eyes suddenly opened wide, and his slightly cloudy eyes trembled.
The sign has changed! Could it be… the tactics of that brat Lu Ming have truly taken effect?
If that’s the case, having that kid from the Lu family come back with Huasang doesn’t seem like a bad idea after all!
In that case, perhaps old Zhang could still help him avoid going down the wrong path. Zhang Hainan thought.
Yes, his fear of Qing Ji’s descendants isn’t as serious as he pretended to be.
It’s true that the past left psychological shadows, but, as he himself said, it’s only a little bit; otherwise, Lu Ming would never have been able to send Huasang up the mountain.
But Lu Yibei is a special case; he’s not just Qing Ji’s descendant but could also be a calamity leading to disaster.
When Lu Ming first came up the mountain, asking him to take in the infant Lu Yibei, he fully understood Lu Ming’s intent.
Keeping Lu Yibei within Dachunyang Palace, under the watchful guidance of many masters, should prevent him from going astray.
However, before accepting Lu Yibei, Zhang Hainan also performed divination to foresee the results of Lu Yibei growing up in Dachunyang Palace.
The sign showed the Kun hexagram below and the Gen hexagram above, known as the Bo (Break) hexagram. This hexagram signifies an excessive yin and a decline of yang, whereby the petty become powerful, leading to chaos in circumstances.
Staying in Dachunyang Palace was extremely disadvantageous for both Lu Yibei and the palace.
The inevitable nature of such destiny couldn’t be reversed by Zhang Hainan; he could only politely decline Lu Ming’s request while attempting to avoid any connection between Dachunyang Palace and Lu Yibei.
Having Huasang use the opportunity of anchoring Qin Nanzhu’s special space to deliver the Ling Tai Purification technique to Lu Yibei was already the maximum extent of acceptable contact.
So many years have passed, and only he and Lu Ming knew the results of the divination—his consistent display of overwhelming fear of Qing Ji’s descendants was also to protect Lu Yibei.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t touch Lu Yibei, who could potentially threaten Dachunyang Palace but couldn’t ensure that some of his overzealous and reckless disciples, eager to protect the sect, wouldn’t take impulsive action.
And now, just days later, performing another divination revealed that the sign had changed to the Dui hexagram above and the Gen hexagram below, marking a Shattering (Po) hexagram, which changed the context entirely.
This hexagram indicates a mixture of loss and gain, with benefits hidden within losses and vice versa. As long as one handles it cautiously, taking necessary losses can lead to lesser damage and overall benefits.
Going by the divination results, the best way to approach the situation would be to open up rather than close off. Aligning with nature and responding with caution might yield better outcomes.
Had he thought like this earlier, keeping that brat up on the mountain as a disciple wouldn’t have been problematic at all, right?
As the esteemed Chief Priest of Dachunyang Palace, a Disaster-Class Spiritual Ability User, having to feign fear of a young inexperienced child in front of the disciples was simply unbecoming!
Yes, it’s all just for show! Am I still scared of Brother Qing Ji?
It’s just that…
Zhang Hainan collected the coins and looked forward. The weary sun had already set below the horizon, and the night was extinguishing the last gorgeous red glow of the day. A string of fist-sized paper lanterns, seemingly alive, ran along both sides of the mountain trail.
But why did the initial divination foresee that the arrival of the Lu family’s child would create an imbalance of excessive yin and weakened yang?
This is quite strange!
————
As night fell, darkness enveloped the half-finished building at the edge of Huacheng University City.
“Mmm, hmm—!”
A soft, enchanting m*an echoed deep within the half-finished building. Soon, a girl in a red and white collision windbreaker, her face cold, stepped gracefully from the shadows.
Having found the place where Solang Pema had summoned souls last night, Lu Yibei expertly set up the altar, placing incense burners, offerings, and ritual wine. Then, with a “whoosh,” she poured out a pile of miscellaneous items from the God Realm Prototype and began to rummage through them until she found a gold necklace.
With her small hand tightening around the necklace, her gaze grew deeper as she muttered to herself, “It’s your turn now, little brother. Tonight, I have plenty of time to dig up all your dirty little secrets! You’ll have to confess every position you used with your senior sister’s best friend!”
Thus began the targeted summoning of Hu Chuan.
