Chapter 375: Sima Lan

Chapter 375: Sima Lan

“Qi Mo? Liang Mo?” Li Huowang felt utterly unfamiliar with these two names. Were there different branches within the Mo sect? What exactly was this so-called “heretical Liang Mo”?

Looking at the gaunt man beside him and the black bird perched on his shoulder, Li Huowang pondered for a moment before finally asking, “Brother Sima, what are Qi Mo and Liang Mo?”

Sima Lan was visibly surprised that Li Huowang didn’t even know about them. Soon, the blind-eyed black bird on his shoulder spoke:

“They were once of the same ilk. But one person, one thought; ten people, ten thoughts; a thousand people, a thousand thoughts. Each had their own ideas. With the death of the Grand Master, the Mo sect naturally split apart.”

“Though Liang Mo and the rest of the Mo sect believed in knowing the ghosts, heaven’s will, and rejecting fate, they twisted the original Grand Master’s meaning and ultimately strayed from the path. They allied with the Dongzhen Hall, and now they’ve become something neither human nor ghost.”

Hearing his bird speak such words, Sima Lan’s expression grew heavy, as if he were recalling some terrible memory.

He had come to understand it—whether someone was a heretic or not depended entirely on whether they threatened the stability of the Great Li Kingdom. Conversely, even if one did the most repulsive things, they could still be considered a legitimate sect.

Li Huowang stopped questioning further. It was just a matter of a sect splitting into factions. Compared to others’ troubles, he should be more concerned with himself.

Since he now knew that Bei Feng was the heart essence capable of breaking free from illusions, the next step was to find out where Bei Feng truly was and how he could extract the method of escaping illusions from him.

Cooperation? That option was discarded immediately. The Zuo Wang Dao couldn’t be trusted. And if they discovered his identity as a heart essence, he would never again know peace.

His only choice was to find Bei Feng and force the method out of him by sheer will.

As for how to do it, the Celestial Observation Bureau was now the most important lever he could find. Otherwise, why had he gone through all the trouble to infiltrate here?

After walking down the corridor for a while, Li Huowang keenly heard strange sounds coming from inside the walls.

Wood striking wood, wings flapping, and hurried footsteps.

Li Huowang ignored them and continued following Sima Lan forward. Just then, a eunuch-like man bowed his head low, pressed against the wall, and passed silently by.

As he brushed past Li Huowang, he made a quick move at the corner of the wall, and suddenly the wall opened.

In that instant, Li Huowang caught sight of the activity inside. On the wide windowsill far away, birds of various kinds continuously took off and landed.

Beside him, another eunuch carefully removed the paper from the birds' legs and placed them into small bamboo tubes. The papers descended via thin strings into a peculiar contraption made of bamboo pieces—like a spider covered in bamboo pipes.

But this bamboo spider was clearly moldy, with patches of varying sizes of mildew covering it. Not only on the outside, but also the wooden gears inside were thick with mold.

With a series of clicking sounds, the letters taken from the birds' legs were distributed to the eunuchs around through the pipes of the “spider.”

These eunuchs moved with practiced precision, sorting the slips of paper according to categories and placing them into small square boxes resembling medicine cabinets.

Eunuchs, message birds, bamboo spiders—everything moved swiftly and efficiently, each doing their part without error.

While Li Huowang was contemplating the information contained in this system, Sima Lan suddenly turned left, walking past a series of closed doors toward the lower levels.

“Remember this mark—any of the gates will do, Shoumen or Shengmen. Don’t get lost,” Sima Lan said, pushing open a door. A dimly lit yet hazy great hall appeared before Li Huowang.

Inside the hall stood many screens. The shadows of figures sitting or standing behind them proved that every screen concealed someone. Yet their voices were muffled and unclear—even Li Huowang couldn’t make out what they were saying.

Walking through this forest of black silhouettes and strange indistinct murmurs, Li Huowang felt deeply absurd. This place was truly the Celestial Observation Bureau, not some ghost market elsewhere.

To be honest, when he first entered, his heart raced with fear that his identity might be recognized. But thanks to Zhuge Yuan’s spindle, he had managed to avoid detection.

Li Huowang carefully observed everything around him. He noticed that like before, the screens and pillars were dotted with mold, giving the otherwise grand hall an air of dirtiness and age.

“Brother Sima, does this place often have southern winds? Why is it so moldy?” Li Huowang asked casually.

“Perhaps. It hadn’t been like this before. Only this year, at the beginning of the year.”

After speaking, Sima Lan pointed ahead. “First time here? Go see the Ling Tai Lang to get your shift started, then I’ll tell you more.”

Following the direction the bird flew, Li Huowang soon spotted a man sitting on his left, his face grave, calculating with his fingers.

He wore a long robe and looked ordinary. He stood behind a high counter, similar to a pawnshop.

If not for the setting, Li Huowang might have mistaken him for a storyteller from a teahouse.

“Nan Gong, bring me a Geng Qi, and start my shift,” Sima Lan’s bird flew to the table and pecked at it.

The man who was calculating didn’t even glance at Li Huowang. He calmly extended his hand. “Show me your badge.”

The man named Nan Gong touched the pattern on his waist badge and tossed it back. “Er Jiu, right? Er Niu told me already.”

Li Huowang remembered—his assistant’s name was something like Er Niu.

Watching Sima Lan chat with Nan Gong, Li Huowang began to consider his next move.

Just as Sima Lan finished talking and was about to lead Li Huowang forward, Li Huowang suddenly spoke up.

“Brother Sima, I’m new here. May I ask—by whom am I supposed to take on jobs?”

Sima Lan was slightly surprised, but didn’t show it. “Since your badge has reached the flag stage, you’re no longer taking jobs from anyone. You choose your own work.”

Sima Lan led Li Huowang back into the great hall and pulled aside a screen, stepping inside.

Behind the screen was nothing but a table and several stools. Sima Lan’s bird pecked at the table once more.

Soon, a pale-skinned eunuch entered, bowing deeply to both Li Huowang and Sima Lan. Their shadows were cast onto a landscape screen nearby.

“He can answer whatever you want to know—he arrived this morning and knows everything. You can also learn from him how many subordinates of lower rank than you exist in this bureau, and choose one to assist you.”

Hearing Sima Lan’s words, Li Huowang looked at the eunuch and asked, “Is this how jobs are usually assigned?”

(End of Chapter)