"And immediately, me and Si Yan followed that direction and walked for a few steps, only to be blocked by a wall. Both of us leaped up almost simultaneously and managed to jump over the top of the wall. Upon landing, we found ourselves in a much quieter courtyard. On one side of the courtyard stood a tower, which was about two stories high, and in front of us stood a hall. "
Guided by Lao Gong, my companion Si Yan and I walked through the courtyard at his instructions. After exiting through a door at the other end, we continued to navigate within the Tianshou Daoist Temple.
After about seven or eight minutes, Lao Gong began to grin widely, his jawbone almost visible.
"There's no one around here." He spoke in a very low voice, only I and Si Yan could hear him.
I let out a slight sigh of relief.
At this moment, we were on a bamboo path, flanked on both sides by dense bamboo groves, with a narrow path in the center.
"Eat it." I handed Lao Gong a comb.
Reluctantly, Lao Gong bit onto one end of the comb and began to chew.
By swallowing certain objects, he could sense people's information and directions. This ability was actually very abnormal, a mutation of the fortune-telling skills related to Wu Zhongkuan's thread of soul.
At times, this seemingly simple and rough ability can actually be very useful.
Quickly, Lao Gong swallowed twice. He stretched his neck as if he had something stuck in his throat.
"Hmm..." Lao Gong's eyes were filled with suspicion.
"What's wrong?" I immediately asked.
"She's back to her original spot," Lao Gong licked his lips and said, "And there's no one else with her."
I took a slight breath of relief.
However, after a moment's thought, I asked, "Trapping a turtle in a jar?"
"It doesn't seem like... Ah, it's more like there was never likely to be any trouble here. The searchers were just going through the motions and have now left." Lao Gong answered solemnly.
"Should we go back?" Si Yan asked with seriousness.
Lao Gong nodded like a chicken eating rice.
"You and Lao Gong go back. After picking up Qin Yi, wait for me at the place where we rested earlier." Without hesitation, I directly took down the bag from my shoulder.
"This..." Si Yan's face slightly changed.
"The thread of soul, give it to me." As I spoke, I pulled out a talisman, placed it flat in the palm of my hand.
"Gag!"
Lao Gong coughed violently, and then vomited a grayish thread of tobacco, wrapping around the talisman. The paper slowly curled up into a ball.
This is a spirit-summoning talisman. In the Four Rules of True Methods, it is a common talisman scroll, whose function is merely to gather souls.
In the Daoist practice of capturing ghosts, besides the talisman having immense power to directly turn a ghost into a wandering soul, most of the time, spirit-summoning talismans are used to collect souls, to alleviate spirits, to suppress spirits, or for other purposes.
Si Yan furrowed her brow, looking somewhat uncomfortable.
After the talisman paper condensed into a paper ball the size of a fingernail, Lao Gong leaped onto Si Yan's shoulder, and I handed over the bag to her as well.
"Dividing our efforts will make things easier. It's hard to move around here with one person. If Qin Yi resists, tell her that you are my sister and she will believe you. If she objects, tell her that Sun Zhuo has reformed and decided to become the successor of the Four Rules Mountain, rather than a pawn of Tianshou Daoist Temple. To prevent Sun Zhuo from being distracted, I will save her myself." I once again spoke.
"The old man's fabricating stories is truly effortless. I didn't even catch the flaws at first.
This statement from Lao Gong, I'm not sure if he's flattering me or belittling me.
"Brother, be careful." Si Yan said earnestly.
"Don't worry, the Ice Mountain Miss, my strength is quite robust. That big stick, one or two came, would directly kill. If there were more people, I'd use the treasure of your ancestor Xianren. This is the critical moment, he alone is better. Anyone else would be a flaw. Hmm... Of course, except for me Lao Gong." Lao Gong laughed and said again: "It's better for him to go alone at this crucial moment. More than two would be a flaw. Hmm..."
Si Yan fell silent and turned back along the original path.
I took a few steps to the right, entered the bamboo grove, and then, I placed the talisman ball gently on my forehead.
This is a special overworld life with the ability to perceive. Lao Gong's positive soul ghost also has the ability to perceive.
For souls with a positive divine nature, although the perception similar to that of an underworld life has disappeared, they possess another ability instead.
For the existence of souls, they are more sensitive and can easily sense them.
Just like I regained my inner vision, I can almost distinguish ghosts and gods with a single glance, unlike before when I couldn't tell them apart.
A faint pulling sensation appeared.
I quietly felt it, and about ten minutes later, when this connection was fully established, I released my hand.
The talisman ball became wrinkled and adhered to my forehead, but did not fall off.
Exiting the bamboo grove, I walked straight ahead and then swiftly moved through the Tianshou Daoist Temple.
Without Lao Gong, it would be difficult to avoid people, so I didn't bother to avoid them. I walked around in a big way.
Soon, I encountered two Daoists. They emerged from a side path and, upon seeing me, their faces showed signs of confusion. However, they did not approach to ask who I was.
I walked slowly towards them.
One of the Daoists was already speaking, asking, "What peak are you from, and why do you cover your face?"
I raised my hand and moved a jade tablet once.
The two Daoists stood there, motionless, completely still.
After that, I continued to follow the connection downwards, gradually feeling that the slope under my feet became steeper, with steps every now and then. This was getting closer to the core of Tianshou Daoist Temple, with the terrain becoming higher as I got closer to the top of the mountain.
During this period, I encountered at least two to thirty people, all of whom were "mesmerized" by the jade tablet.
In other words, it should be called "questioning the heart."
It's fortunate for them that the Daoists from Four Rules Mountain want to ask the heart, it's not that easy.
This can be considered a random act of kindness.
After walking for about ten minutes more, I arrived at a Daoist hall.
This hall was larger and more majestic than all the halls I had passed in Tianshou Daoist Temple.
A signboard hung above, inscribed with only one character, "Longevity"!
My eyelids were pounding frantically. Wu Gang's thread of soul was actually placed in such a core location?
If there were too many Daoists inside, the jade tablet wouldn't be as effective.
After all, as soon as someone saw the jade tablet and witnessed its effect of making people dumbfounded, they would undoubtedly attack in a group, which would be extremely unfavorable for me.
I didn't enter through the main gate of the hall but instead walked around the side courtyard wall for a while. After quietly pressing against the wall and listening to ensure there was no sound inside, I then climbed over the wall and into the hall.
When I landed, I was especially quiet, making almost no extra noise.
This Longevity Hall was particularly spacious, with a large martial arts arena.
Yet, in the depths of the martial arts arena, there was no hall of Daoism.
The place where a Daoist hall should be was an enormous round stone, half-circle-shaped, standing there.
No… That wasn't just a stone. Carefully observing it, it seemed more like a bowl?
That bowl was immense, at least ten meters high, which was equivalent to three stories.
There were some small temples nearby, like living quarters for people.
The faint connection from Wu Kang's thread of soul was transmitted from that direction.
There were no people inside the Daoist hall, which was likely due to the appearance of the hall attracting them.
I was about to proceed forward.
Suddenly, my shoulder was lightly tapped.
This tap sent a shiver down my spine.
When did someone appear behind me!?
A sudden shock caused me to quickly turn around. I saw an elderly Daoist in front of me.
He held a broom in his hand, with a benevolent smile on his face.
The wrinkled skin on his face was covered in old man spots.
"Why are you so sneaky, young one? Many of our fellow Daoist brothers and elders have gone down the mountain to extinguish the fire. You didn't go, did you steal something?"
