Chapter 54: Why is she no longer following me?
In a secret chamber on the back mountain of the Dachunyang Palace.
Zhang Hainan was sitting cross-legged on a rattan mat, with a table in front of him. The smoke from a beast-head bronze censer curled up into the air, and an ancient bronze compass, slightly tarnished with green rust, was placed in the center of the table.
The compass seemed to be influenced by some kind of force, its needle spinning uncontrollably.
After paying respects to the ancestors today and entering closed-door meditation at the first opportunity, Zhang Hainan started to divine.
The divination continued until now, and the content being divined was the true masterminds behind the Secret Society.
As the needle of the compass spun rapidly, complex thoughts, blurry and chaotic shadows, and unbearable whispers continuously flashed through his mind.
Skillfully, he cleared away useless thoughts, images, and words from his mind, inching closer to the result he desired, and then…
Once again, he failed. The needle that was spinning swiftly came to a sudden stop.
Like the results of the thirty-something divinations that had come before, when he felt he was close to the truth after removing various disturbing factors, suddenly a myriad of thoughts and images exploded forth in his mind like a geyser.
And those thoughts and images pointed to anything but humans or urban legends, almost entirely lifeless objects.
Whether it was a sword, a folding paper fan, a mobile phone, a bag of chips, a box of cigarettes… even games and animations, which are virtual products.
These things, so commonly seen in the daily life of Dachunyang Palace disciples, were the results of the divination.
But how could these possibly pose a threat to the disciples? Zhang Hainan was puzzled.
Just as he was pondering, the jade mourning Gray Owl badge on the table suddenly emitted a faint glow.
He reached out and caressed the badge, and immediately heard Qing Xiazi’s voice beside his ear.
“Chief Priest, I have something important to report.”
“Speak, what is it?”
“Fu Xinyi ran into that person pretending to be your senior sister again,” Qing Xiazi said.
Wasn’t Luxianbei supposed to be in Shizhou City? Zhang Hainan frowned and said in a deep voice, “Didn’t I tell you to inform Fu Xinyi to expose the impostor on the spot if she encounters her again?”
“Well…” Qing Xiazi hesitated, her tone turning strange, “Xinyi asked, but that person claims to be Jujuzi, a disciple of the previous guest elder, and mentioned some things only someone who has spent a long time inside the mountain gate would know… and said… said…”
“Said what?” Zhang Hainan asked.
“…” After a long silence, Qing Xiazi continued, “That person also said, if you don’t believe it, you can ask Zhang Hainan if he knows Qing Ji and if he likes colorful scorpions.”
Zhang Hainan, “???”
Wait, how did Luxianbei know about this? Did Qing Ji tell him?
But Qing Ji’s soul fragment in Ling Tai Purification was severely damaged, didn’t he lose his previous memories?
Could it be… that the remnants of that kid’s soul still had memories?
A chilling thought struck, and Zhang Hainan’s face turned pale.
————
“I’m sorry, the number you have dialed is temporarily unavailable… beep!”
Huasang frowned, hung up the phone, and stared at the mobile phone screen, lost in thought.
This was already the fifth call she had made to her big brother, and she still couldn’t get through; the texts and messages on social media had gone unanswered.
Could it be that the scenes she saw in her dream were real? A wave of unease washed over her as she hurriedly dug through her contacts for her master’s number and sent a message.
It was inconvenient to talk with so many people in the car.
Huasang: “Master, are you resting?”
Most Adorable Master: “Are you trying to slack off again?”
Huasang, “…”
Master, have I fallen to such a lowly image in your eyes?
Clearly, besides slacking off, I also know how to float through life, take breaks, balance work and rest, and match action with stillness.
Huasang: “I didn’t mean to slack off, I just wanted to ask, why did big brother go to Shizhou City this morning? I suspect someone wants to harm him.”
Most Adorable Master: “You know someone wants to harm him too?”
What do you mean I know? Huasang was taken aback.
Most Adorable Master: “Just now, your junior sister Xinyi came to tell me that there’s news indicating that Yutang might be in danger. I was just about to contact your big brother! I want to see which blind fool dares to target my Qing Xiazi’s disciple!”
Huasang: “Where did Fu Xinyi get that information?”
Most Adorable Master: “She said it was told to her by the Chief Priest’s senior sister. I asked the Chief Priest, and he didn’t tell me, so I let the matter drop.”
Huasang, “…”
So you haven’t even verified whether the source of the information is reliable?
Just because you heard a rumor and had a bizarre dream, you’re eager to help my big brother out… Motherly love too much spoils a child!
Aren’t you worried the intel might be wrong, or that someone is deliberately spreading rumors?
My master is great in many ways, but when it comes to her disciples, she often acts impulsively.
Perhaps when she has her own children in the future, and can share some of that excessive motherly love, these situations will improve?
Huasang thought helplessly as she picked up her phone to type a message.
[No need to contact. My brother’s phone is unreachable, and he isn’t replying to messages…]
Pausing halfway through entering her message, Huasang continued typing to add another note.
[But Master, don’t worry. I’ll contact my brother when I arrive in Shizhou City. If I really can’t find him, I’ll use the Thousand Night Paper Crane. I know his birth date. If anything unexpected happens, I will inform you immediately. If you need, you can come over with people.]
The Thousand Night Paper Crane could be said to be Siye Society’s standard equipment—the original version of the Thousand Night Warehouse Owl. Before the invention of radio devices, it was commonly used by spiritual ability users for long-distance communication.
However, due to the need to provide precise birth data down to the hour for tracking, the Thousand Night Paper Crane’s tracking effect wasn’t very good.
After acquiring the production technology of the Thousand Night Paper Crane, the Siye Society improved it and created the Thousand Night Warehouse Owl that could track through the residue of spirit energy fluctuations.
After composing the message, Huasang clicked to send.
Though there seemed to be someone trying to m*rder Wu Yutang, and Huasang was worried about her big brother’s safety, the more anxious she was, the less effective it would be.
Understanding the ins and outs of the situation and finding Wu Yutang was the key.
Even if the situation was urgent, it would likely be too late for support to come from Zhenwu Mountain, and there were also disciples stationed in Shizhou City sent by Zhen Ting Hall. If support was truly needed, just look for them.
Moreover, it’s not an easy task for ordinary spiritual ability users or urban legends to take Wu Yutang’s life.
After all, he was an A-grade spiritual ability user, superbly skilled with a Peach Blossom Fan, and had even hunted A-grade urban legends alone; the reputation of the Peach Blossom Fan was quite renowned in Siye Society.
Although, that reputation did have a somewhat flamboyant flair to it.
Furthermore, with her big brother’s habit of befriending a red-faced beauty every time he descends the mountain, it felt a bit like the flowery thief in martial arts novels…
Wait, could her brother’s danger have something to do with a love m*rder?
Huasang was lost in thought when her phone received a reply from Qing Xiazi, vibrating again.
Most Adorable Master: “By the way, Sang’er, the Chief Priest also said you no longer need to monitor Luxianbei.”
No longer needed to monitor? Huasang slightly turned her body and stealthily glanced at the “Miss Wang” in the back seat.
Huasang: “Why not?”
Most Adorable Master: “I asked the Chief Priest the same question, and he replied that there are reliable high-level experts accompanying Luxianbei, and he won’t do anything out of line.”
Reliable high-level experts?
Could it be… the Chief Priest’s senior sister? Huasang nodded thoughtfully.
————
The bus continued to travel along the empty road.
Gradually, the green hills outside receded, and the city’s edges appeared in the distance. Soon, the bus entered a jungle of steel and concrete.
After asking Fu Xinyi some details about the Nightless Street, Luxianbei instructed her to find a deserted place to release the Zhipianxian and then relaxed her control over Zhipianxian, opening her eyes and deep in thought.
According to Fu Xinyi, there was a food culture street between the new and old campuses of Shizhou Academy, which was divided into three branches, one of which was called Bar Alley, where many spiritual ability users gathered.
There was a relatively obscure Clear Bar there, named Moon Scraping Wind, where solitary spiritual ability users often exchanged information; disciples from Dachunyang Palace occasionally went there to trade with solitary practitioners.
This allowed Luxianbei to boldly take her “little trinket” there to sell.
Wasn’t that just the kind of place that often appears in stories, a trading post for special groups, or a salon for supernatural abilities?
I wonder if they have any auctions; if so, with my predictive abilities, I might just be able to pick up a leak. Luxianbei thought.
However, Fu Xinyi’s words shouldn’t be taken entirely at face value!
The title of the century’s genius in Dachunyang Palace should carry some weight in Shizhou City; those solitary practitioners wouldn’t swindle her. But that doesn’t mean they wouldn’t swindle me.
Although on the surface, the solitary practitioners who could appear boldly in the boundaries of Shizhou City seem to have no criminal records, who knows what dirty little secrets they hide behind?
One small mistake in that kind of place could lead to a whole pile of dangerous and troublesome situations.
Take Hu Chuan as an example; who would have thought that a scumbag university student committing grievous harm to his ex-girlfriend hid a notoriously vicious A+ grade spiritual ability user behind that?
Previously, when Luxianbei was looking at the internal news of the Siye Society, she saw that in Canada, a jilted high school girl held a ceremony to curse her ex-boyfriend and accidentally released a witch urban legend sealed since the colonial era, wreaking havoc on three villages, resulting in a massacre.
So one wrong conflict could trigger a chain reaction.
To be on the safe side, she needed to change her outfit before going to Moon Scraping Wind, to prevent retaliation in case of a conflict, as well as to shake off Huasang and Fang Ji’s entanglements.
Luxianbei thought, lightly stroking the pocket of her tactical jacket that held the spell-casting mask created by Zhuyan, also recalling its maker.
Sorry, Gu Qiqi!
As the saying goes, seek peace and stability from Luxianbei, but let Gu Qiqi handle the fire and slaughter!
“Che—!” A light sound interrupted Luxianbei’s thoughts.
Looking out the window, the bus had come to a stop in front of a large parking lot, where she could vaguely see the words “Shizhou City Bus Terminal” on the building not far away.
Have we arrived? Luxianbei withdrew her gaze, preparing to stand up and get off, but as she looked up, she suddenly noticed that the other four people on the bus were collectively looking at her.
Huasang was lazily gazing at her, seemingly pensive, as if waiting for something.
Fang Ji was holding onto the seat, slightly on tiptoes, excitedly waving her hand.
And the two unknown men were nodding at her, flashing expressions that were hard to decipher as either a cold smile, a sinister grin, or a lecherous smirk.
d*mn, more trouble… Luxianbei frowned slightly, pulling down the brim of her tactical jacket, burying her head and walking toward the bus door, holding on to the slightest hope of passing unnoticed.
However, just after she took a few steps and passed by Salih and Sheim, Salih suddenly nudged her with his elbow and discreetly slipped a note into her hand.
Luxianbei, glancing at Salih with surprise through the lowered brim, saw Sheim beside him lean over and give her a look like “Kid, don’t leave after school!”
“???”
What are these two doing? What do they want? Are they targeting me?
Luxianbei raised her head slightly and responded to Sheim with a look that said, “If you’re not going, let’s meet behind the small woods!”
The spiritual fluctuations vaguely emanating from these two guys ranged between B+ to A, and while they were somewhat difficult foes, she still had a 99% chance of winning if she went all out.
After getting off the bus, she could change her appearance and then teach them a lesson…
If anything unexpected happens, let them find trouble with “Huacheng Gu Qiqi”!
With her mind made up, Luxianbei moved forward, and just a few steps later, as expected, Fang Ji immediately approached her.
“Let’s go, Sister Wang, let’s go find Luxianbei together?!”
Luxianbei looked up at Fang Ji, and at the moment their eyes met, that strange feeling as if something within her was being absorbed by those eyes surged again, causing her body to tremble slightly.
It’s happening again!
Could this girl be the type said to have a “natural charm that captivates the soul”?
What exactly has she drawn from me?
Luxianbei raised her head to meet Fang Ji’s eagerly expectant gaze, and then…
She was once again drawn in; she felt a sudden refreshing sensation, just like after a hot shower on a scorching summer day when entering an air-conditioned room, finishing a mint candy, and sipping on icy cold soda—she felt refreshingly overwhelmed.
Wow, this girl really knows how to absorb!
d*mn, this feels so strangely enticing…
Wait, do I want to look at her again?!
And so, for the third time, Luxianbei made eye contact with Fang Ji.
But this time, nothing happened. It seemed that what Fang Ji had drawn from her had reached saturation and could hold no more.
Somewhat disappointed, Luxianbei sighed silently and said to Fang Ji, “Alright, you wait for me at the bus station entrance; I’ve got to go to the restroom first.”
And then I’ll leave over the wall… Luxianbei added in her mind.
“Alright, alright!” Fang Ji replied excitedly.
After dealing with Fang Ji, as Luxianbei was deep in thought about how to handle the troublesome Huasang, she turned around only to find Huasang’s seat empty. Glancing up to look out the window, she realized Huasang had already gotten off the bus, leaving only her back behind.
Why isn’t she following me anymore? Wasn’t she close behind before…?
Wait! She wouldn’t think she collected enough evidence and is going to invite people to catch me, right?
No good, I need to hurry and catch up to see what’s going on!
Luxianbei thought, jumping off the bus and jogging after Huasang.
