Chen Ying's eyes had a slight hint of strangeness.
I am the same, but I did not show it on my face.
Lao Gong is Lao Gong, Wu Zhongkuan is Wu Zhongkuan. However, Wu Zhongkuan's memories and experiences are too numerous, which makes it normal for Lao Gong to have a sense of overlap.
At least there are immediate benefits, such as the attitude of the Du E Daoist Temple has changed from almost a fatal fight to being extremely polite and standing aside, with thanking Nana.
"Ugh... I have a poor memory... What did I do back then?"
"Sometimes I remember, sometimes I forget..."
Lao Gong muttered to himself. Suddenly, as if he had remembered something again, he spat a mouthful of saliva onto Xie Chaobi's foot, and said in an improper tone: "Ungrateful and disloyal!"
Xie Chaobi's face was filled with a mixture of bitterness and smile. He looked at Lao Gong's demeanor, full of sighs.
"Life is ever-changing, and even the divine Mr. Wu Zhongkuan has become this way today."
Xie Chaobi's gaze fell upon me and Huaying.
"If Wu Xian is with you, you naturally won't have any issues."
"Regarding the previous incident, I apologize. Recently, a wandering Taoist came to Official Kiln Town and registered at our sect. The inner temple was welcoming to fellow practitioners, but we didn't expect that the Taoist had issues and colluded with the Phantom Altar to disrupt our sect's feng shui."
"Although we discovered it in time, who would have known that he was so cunning and had already set up a lot of traps in the dark. It resulted in heavy casualties among our fellow practitioners, with over twenty people losing their lives."
"Therefore, I had to resort to this measure, almost causing trouble for the two of you."
Xie Chaobi spoke in a few words, quickly explaining the reason.
"I see, Du Shou Daoist Temple?" I mused.
"Companion, do you also have some knowledge of the Du Shou Daoist Temple?" Xie Chaobi stared directly at me.
"Hmm, I have killed a few people. However, I am not called Zhang Xu, and I had previously kept that a secret."
"Additionally, for the past two days, we were mistakenly identified as people from Du Shou Daoist Temple by the Phantom Altar. The Phantom Altar killed a friend of mine who was just an ordinary person, and then committed many evil deeds. I killed him out of anger, but feared causing trouble and hence used a false name to explain my actions."
I spoke more directly and did not hide anything else.
Xie Chaobo then showed a look of realization.
The remaining Daoists outside the hall all showed expressions of mutual hatred and anger.
"Is the dam still okay?" At this moment, Lao Gong suddenly asked Xie Chaobi.
Xie Chaobo's eyes flickered with a hint of joy and nodded, saying, "All is well."
"I'll go and check," Lao Gong said as he leaped forward, his head bouncing up and down.
Xie Chaobi was about to follow.
Lao Gong stopped at the threshold and gave Xie Chaobi a sidelong glance, his expression slightly colder.
"Huaying, go ahead, the object of your reverence should not be too far away," I said.
Huaying just followed Lao Gong.
Xie Chaobi glanced at me and then at Lao Gong's head, pondering and having more doubts in his eyes.
After Lao Gong and Huaying had left, Xie Chaobi spoke again, dispersing the other Daoists outside.
Of course, while dispersing them, he sternly instructed that not a single word about Mr. Wu's appearance here should be leaked.
The main hall fell silent, leaving only me and Xie Chaobi.
"O...
"Wu Xian, what did you do back then?" I asked, voicing my doubts.
Xie Chaobo turned his head to look at the statue of Wu Zhongkuan. His eyes reflected memories and a look of piety.
"The dammed lake in front of Du E Daoist Temple is over 30 years old."
Xie Chaobi opened the topic for discussion.
In fact, what we are in seems to be halfway up the mountain. The Daoist temple was built here, but behind it is a vast canyon where two rivers converge.
There is a natural barrier in the canyon, which forms a massive waterfall. The water flows from there to the downstream official kiln.
Many years ago, the barrier mountain dam was on the verge of collapse, and it looked like the canyon river was about to overflow directly, submerging much of official kiln. With the heavy floods, there were wails everywhere.
Mr. Wu Zhongkuan, a land deity like God, traveled here with his wife.
He manipulated feng shui and directed the Daoist temple's priests to excavate at different positions, forcing the mountain to drop two large chunks that blocked the almost collapsing dam.
The nearly overflowing canyon river was blocked, and instead, it formed a stunning view of a hundred waterfalls.
Afterwards, Wu Zhongkuan set up a series of feng shui to stabilize the formed dam.
It not only preserved the Du Er Daoist Temple's thousand-year gate but also saved thousands of people living below from certain death.
Since then, Du Er Daoist Temple has erected a statue of Wu Zhongkuan inside the temple, where it receives incense and offerings.
Although what Xie Chaobo said contained little ornate language and was not as vivid as Lao Gong's usual speech,
But just these simple words caused my heart to vibrate greatly.
Wu Zhongkuan has actually done so many things?
I was silent in my heart.
My impression of Wu Zhongkuan was more of him wanting to occupy Lao Gong's soul; he was an adversary.
In fact, upon second thought, when I consider the events in Qijia Village, Wu Zhongkuan stayed and sealed the village to punish the evil spirits, preventing them from manifesting.
People's goodness and evil are often not judged by a single event.
"It seems that Companion, you don't know much about Mr. Wu. Actually, I don't know much either, but I know that he has performed far more significant deeds than this. Come with me."
Xie Chaobo led me, but we walked towards the rear of the Three Pure Ones statue.
I didn't speak and followed him forward.
When we reached the rear, the first thing I saw was a curtain. Below the curtain was a door.
Xie Chaobi pushed open the door, revealing a one-meter-wide passage that led to a stone room in the back.
Xie Chaobo led the way, and I followed him inside.
The faint tapping sound was Xie Chaobi turning on a light on one side.
"Du E Daoist Temple is built on a mountain. The artifacts in this hidden room, companion, please take them as you wish."
Xie Chaobi waved his hand, indicating for me to look.
My pupils contracted as I saw the walls, carved out of the mountain, lined with hooks. Various peach wood swords, copper swords, eight-trigram mirrors, and even some artifacts I didn't recognize hung from them.
In the middle of it all, two cabinets stood. Various things were placed on the cabinets, including a few wooden fish. Seeing those, I looked confused.
Xie Chaobi noticed my change in demeanor and glanced at the wooden fish, smiling and explaining, "It's something from my own sect. Friend, you're young and know little of the classics, so it's normal. Are you skilled in symbolism or…?"
He was about to speak, presumably to recommend an artifact to me.
But at that moment, a dull sound reached my ears.
This sound, like the one coming from the stone room and above it!
Xie Chaobi's face suddenly changed color and he lifted his head abruptly to look upwards.
I looked up as well.
About two to three meters up, there was a copper bell with a diameter of about one meter, gently resonating.
With the sound of the bell, an unusual scene occurred.
A little gray mist seemed to flow out of me.
The gray mist quickly condensed into a shape in front of me, forming a face of a sharp-nosed, malevolent man, who screamed at me!
My face changed immediately...
This face, is it Liu You's?!
How is this possible?!
Liu You's soul was eaten by the waki rat, right?
No, no... I quickly realized that it wasn't a soul, but a remnant of death!
"Kill my body! Devour my soul! Make me suffer eternal torment!"
"Die! You must die! I want you to die!" The face formed by the deathly mist screamed and roared at me.
The bell sound became a resounding boom!
The face seemed to tremble, and then it turned into wisps of gray mist, dispersing in all directions...
Xie Chaobi's face also changed simultaneously.
He looked at me with suspicion, and sweat appeared on his forehead.
"The ghost-catcher you killed... what's his background?"
