Everyone at the Zhao residence listened to the soldiers' still-shaken descriptions, feeling a chill shoot straight from the nape of their necks to the top of their heads.
Another "themselves"?
Still kowtowing toward the Zhao residence?
Just imagining this scene made scalps tingle and teeth chatter.
For a moment, everyone's gazes, as if finding their pillar of support, turned in unison toward Lu Yuan.
In their view, as long as Daoist Master Lu Yuan was here, even the greatest evil spirits were nothing but clay chickens and pottery dogs. However, when they saw Lu Yuan's expression clearly, the slight sense of security that had just risen in their hearts instantly plummeted.
Lu Yuan's complexion was even more gloomy than the deep night outside.
He certainly wasn't frightened by this mere "malevolent qi manifestation" phenomenon.
What shocked him was the growth rate of the "Malevolent Slaughter Register"!
This was no longer simple malevolent qi condensation, but extracting living people's vitality and loyalty, transforming them into "yin spirits" worshipping itself!
The "Malevolent Slaughter Register"... had reached great completion!
This meant the Life-Severing Wang Family had sharpened their blade and were ready to strike at any moment.
Lu Yuan's thoughts raced as he rapidly assessed the situation.
It was now the fourth watch, yin and yang transitioning. The other side had just completed their final accumulation and still needed time to recover and condense malevolent qi. They wouldn't strike immediately.
During daytime when yang qi was at its peak wasn't the best time to strike either.
The true killing intent would come after nightfall tonight!
The time left to him was only today's daylight!
He must break this situation!
And for Lu Yuan to break the situation, it also had to be tonight!
The result of tracing the source on the high platform was clearly branded in his mind—southwest direction, the dilapidated mountain god temple!
That was the Life-Severing Wang Family's ritual ground, the "Malevolent Slaughter Register's" lair!
He must go!
And he must go personally as a Celestial Master, destroy the ritual ground, burn the malevolent register completely, to settle this once and for all!
But the problem came.
If he left, what about the Zhao household?
Xu Erxiao and Wang Cheng'an, those two half-grown lads, were fine following behind waving flags and shouting, passing ritual implements.
Have them guard the Zhao residence against the evil spirit invasion after the "Malevolent Slaughter Register" reached great completion?
They'd probably collapse at the first encounter.
He must call for reinforcements!
A Daoist expert with sufficient weight to coordinate with the protective array he'd set up during the day to hold the Zhao residence for a few hours.
So... he needed to get reinforcements!
But the problem was, Fengtian City was a day and night's hard ride from True Dragon Temple!
Even if he sent someone to True Dragon Temple at full speed now, the earliest they'd return would be 1:30 AM tomorrow.
By then everything would be basically over!
Lu Yuan sat in the center of the main room, pondering for a while, then suddenly stood up.
Go to White Cloud Temple!!
...
2:30 AM, the night wind like knives.
After an hour of hard riding, Lu Yuan and Wang Fu arrived at White Cloud Temple's mountain gate.
With Wang Fu, the Zhao residence's steward, they easily knocked open White Cloud Temple's main door.
Green lamps and ancient temple, inside a quiet room.
Lu Yuan's expression solemn, he bowed deeply to an old Daoist Master with white hair and youthful face sitting at the head.
He laid out the whole story, the stakes involved, without missing a word.
"...The matter is thus. The Life-Severing Wang Family uses the 'Malevolent Slaughter Register' to cause havoc, not only endangering Madam Zhao but also seeking to disturb Fengtian."
"True Dragon Temple disciple Lu Yuan earnestly requests White Cloud Temple's aid to jointly protect the righteous path!"
He believed that Daoist sects under heaven were one family. Moreover, Zhao Qiao'er was one of White Cloud Temple's biggest patrons. By both sentiment and reason, White Cloud Temple wouldn't refuse. However, that old Daoist Master only leisurely stroked his beard, not even lifting his eyelids, his voice so flat it carried no ripples.
"Yesterday this humble Daoist already heard disciples report. Since the Zhao residence has already requested True Dragon Temple's distinguished disciple to preside, they presumably don't trust White Cloud Temple's meager cultivation."
"Being so, why should we add feet to a snake and invite disgust?"
Lu Yuan: "???"
What nonsense was this old bull-nose spouting??
Are you daft?
Are you daft or what?!
He'd just babbled on for so long, wasn't it to say he couldn't handle it and needed White Cloud Temple to send a few Daoist Masters to help preside?!
How did this conversation loop back?
This bull-nose, playing dumb while knowing full well?
Didn't want to help?
Wang Fu at his side was already anxious as a cat on hot bricks. Hearing this, he became even more furious, suddenly standing up.
"What does the Daoist Master mean by this! My madam hangs by a thread. Your White Cloud Temple takes so much incense money from my madam each year, yet now you refuse to help?!"
The old Daoist Master finally opened his eyes, leisurely picking up his teacup and blowing on the floating leaves.
"Steward Wang's words are mistaken. Making good karmic connections brings blessings. Madam Zhao is a good person. President Liu of Changsheng Commerce Association in the south of the city is equally a good person. Temple disciples have recently all been requested by President Liu to perform blessing rituals. With the New Year approaching, we really cannot spare the manpower. This humble Daoist is also powerless."
Ah~
Understood.
The maidservant caught yesterday had been interrogated overnight.
One maidservant had taken black money from outside and placed those sinister techniques in the Zhao household.
As for who paid her, even when Wang Fu nearly beat her to death, she only said it was some hoodlum from the marketplace but everyone knew this was found by other commerce associations in Fengtian City as a middleman.
From the looks of it now, this commerce association was Changsheng Commerce Association.
The other side had already laid their cards on the table.
Presumably last night, Changsheng Commerce Association had given White Cloud Temple a very large sum of money.
Wang Fu trembled with rage, pointing at the old Daoist about to curse, but was held down by Lu Yuan's hand on his shoulder.
Lu Yuan slowly stood up, looking at that old Daoist expressionlessly, his voice terrifyingly calm.
"Since the Daoist Master has his own 'karmic connections' to make, we won't disturb you further."
Since the other side had walked the path to its end, saying one more word would be wasting breath.
Walking to the doorway, Lu Yuan's footsteps paused. Without turning back, he only left one ice-cold statement.
"Today White Cloud Temple cuts itself off from Fellow Daoists. In the future if disaster comes to your door, don't blame all Daoist sects for standing by with folded arms."
Inside the quiet room, the old Daoist listened to the receding footsteps, his lips curling into a mocking cold smile, muttering to himself, "Whether you can survive tonight, we'll see."
...
On the return journey, deathly silence all the way.
When the horizon showed a trace of pale dawn, Wang Fu finally couldn't help it and asked with a crying tone, "Daoist Master Lu... this... what can we do..."
Lu Yuan remained silent, the cold morning wind blowing his Daoist robe.
His hand unconsciously reached into the pouch at his waist, fingertips touching an ice-cold, smooth white jade bone token.
Call Gu Qingwan?
But once used, it meant the karmic connection with that terrifying existence deepened another layer.
Yellow Braised Chicken and the old man's warnings still rang in his ears.
Also, a Daoist subduing demons and eliminating evil, always asking an evil spirit for help, it just felt weird somehow...
Just as he struggled internally, almost about to make up his mind, the horse hooves gradually stopped.
The Zhao residence had arrived.
Lu Yuan lifted his head, his eyes completely dim.
Just at this moment, a cool voice carrying three parts surprise and seven parts uncertainty came from beneath the lantern light and shadow before the Zhao residence.
"Lu... Martial Uncle Lu?"
Huh?
This voice... sounded familiar.
Lu Yuan sharply raised his head, his gaze piercing through the dawn mist.
He saw before the Zhao residence, a group of horses and people had stopped at some unknown time. The leading graceful figure in white clothes surpassing snow with outstanding bearing, who else could it be but Shen Shulan?!
Yikes!!!
Lu Yuan slapped his thigh hard, dismounting in one smooth motion, taking three steps as two and rushing forward.
Lu Yuan stood firmly before Shen Shulan. His face that had been gloomy as water suddenly bloomed into an extremely brilliant smile.
"Sister Shulan!! What are you doing here!"
"Haven't seen you these few days, Sister Shulan you've gotten even more beautiful, just like a heavenly immortal!!"
"I really missed you to death~"
Shen Shulan was stunned by his sudden enthusiasm and that brilliant smile she'd never seen before.
After all, she'd never seen Lu Yuan so enthusiastic with her before...
This... now he's calling her sister...
And saying she's beautiful, like a heavenly immortal...
And that he missed her to death...
For a moment, on Shen Shulan's eternally icy, absolutely beautiful face, she couldn't control a blush rising. She asked somewhat stuttering, "Lu... Martial Uncle Lu, you... what is this..."
Behind her, a group of old acquaintances watched their otherworldly, absolutely beautiful young miss get flustered by Lu Yuan's teasing again until her face turned red.
Every one of them immediately ground their teeth in anger.
Damn it!!
Taking advantage of our young miss again!!!