Chapter 628: Taoist

Chapter 628: The Daoist Man

The rhythmic clatter of hooves gradually slowed, and Li Huowang, gripping the reins, raised his head to gaze upon the towering city wall before him—massive, oppressive, and foreboding.

After a long day’s journey, Yinling City had finally arrived.

He had been here before. It was at this very place that Hongda had introduced him to the Jian Tian Si, where he had joined their ranks. This city was vast, arguably the most prosperous in all of Jiangnan Prefecture aside from the capital.

It was already dusk now. The great gate groaned slowly shut, and Fu Yulu, pulling the reins, urged her remaining steed straight into the citadel.

The horse reared up high, its front hooves slamming heavily against the gate, forcing it open. “Jian Tian Si business! All of you, get out of the way!”

Li Huowang tugged at the tentacles trailing behind Li Sui, then flicked the reins, quickly following suit.

Li Sui had put on her straw raincoat again. No matter how much Li Huowang tried to persuade her, she refused to change into another disguise.

According to their original plan, they were about to go to the City God Temple to meet Chen Blind.

But it seemed there were Jian Tian Si scouts at the gate. Before they had even gone far into Yinling, they were intercepted.

A young Daoist acolyte leaped from a tile roof beside them onto Fu Yulu’s carriage, whispering something into her ear.

As soon as the acolyte departed, Fu Yulu pulled the reins without hesitation, galloping off in the complete opposite direction from the City God Temple.

“Didn’t we say we were going to see Chen Blind? Why are we changing course?” Li Huowang, puzzled, caught up with Fu Yulu and asked.

“The plan has changed. Director Zheng wants us to come to him. This matter is of great importance—he will handle it personally. Don’t worry, he’s better than Chen Blind.”

“Director Zheng? Which Zheng? Where do we meet him?”

“Of course inside the city. You’re part of Jian Tian Si, aren’t you? Don’t tell me you don’t even know which way the secret entrance opens in Yinling?”

How could Li Huowang possibly know? Back then, when he didn’t have the Heart Turbulence Spindle, he had kept his distance from others in the organization to avoid revealing his true identity.

“Where exactly is the Jian Tian Si base?” Li Huowang asked with a hint of irritation. Why did everything keep taking detours?

“Near Linglong Pagoda.”

Upon hearing that, Li Huowang looked toward the distant, eye-catching ceramic tower. He remembered it as Yinling’s most famous landmark—the pagoda where the small-footed courtesans adorned with blue-and-white porcelain patterns were a major attraction.

Li Huowang’s expression darkened slightly. “What? Are you telling me that Linglong Pagoda is a Jian Tian Si operation?”

He recalled how those brothels treated people like objects, using some of the courtesans as entertainment for officials and nobles. Some of these women were deaf and mute.

Li Huowang didn’t believe they were born that way.

“Heh, you still call yourself part of Jian Tian Si? You really think too little of it,” Fu Yulu said with a smirk.

Just as Li Huowang’s face relaxed, she added, “The owner of Linglong Pagoda is a gift to the palace—it’s an imperial merchant. To be precise, it belongs to the Emperor himself.”

“………”

Li Huowang stared at the tower with a complex expression. He never imagined that the tower that devoured lives would be owned by Gao Zhijian!

At that moment, he passed a bookstore and jumped down from the carriage. Snatching a brush from a scholar-in-training, he quickly wrote a letter on rice paper.

By the time he finished writing and caught up, he saw Fu Yulu pushing the cult leader He Xin into the inn next to Linglong Pagoda.

Glancing at the graceful silhouette beneath the sheer veil, Li Huowang hurried inside.

There were more pressing matters. Since he had written a letter to Gao Zhijian, he left this matter to the Emperor of Great Li to deal with.

Though the inn appeared small, it was built with outer looseness and inner tightness. As soon as Li Huowang entered, he felt several pairs of eyes watching him.

Passing through rooms filled with guests, they soon reached a door adorned with the distinctive bronze eye mask of Jian Tian Si. They descended a flight of stairs, just like in the capital, it was built underground.

“In this spiral corridor, you seem to be quite the interrogator, Mr. Zheng. What’s your background?” Li Huowang asked, somewhat restrained.

Before Fu Yulu could answer, the man who had been reduced to a human stick, He Xin, spoke directly: “A court dog! Don’t dream of getting anything from me. With Yu’er’s protection, every follower of the sect stands firm to death!”

“Oh really? Stand firm to death? Then why did that shorty run away? Wasn’t he also a member of the sect?”

Hearing this, He Xin’s face darkened instantly, his voice bitter with rage: “Tai Shan Shi lacks sincerity toward Yu’er! After death, he won’t reach Yu’er’s side. He deserves only to be boiled in oil in the underworld!”

Fu Yulu reached out and shoved seven Buddha figures the size of thumbs into his mouth, silencing him completely. “You’ll see soon enough. Anyway, you’ve met this gentleman.”

“Met him?” A trace of confusion stirred in Li Huowang’s heart. He went over everyone he knew, but couldn’t recall anyone named Zheng.

But when they arrived at an underground temple, he finally realized who the man was—Zheng Boqiao, the Chief Astronomer of the Four Qi Bureau.

The Daoist from Fangxian Dao who had once made the lotus-head for Li Huowang sat cross-legged on a cushion, facing three statues of celestial lords, meditating in silence.

“Director Zheng! I’ve captured a cult leader,” Fu Yulu said briefly to the seated Zheng Boqiao.

But Zheng Boqiao didn’t turn around immediately. He sat motionless, like one of the statues on the altar.

He could wait, but Li Huowang wasn’t patient. “What are you doing? Stop stalling! The cult has reached Great Li too! If you don’t clear these people out quickly, do you want Great Li to end up like Great Qi?”

Hearing this, Zheng Boqiao finally opened his eyes. Swallowing hard, he picked up a whisk and turned around. “Daoist Brother Li, since we’re both of the Xuan Sect, why can’t you achieve the state of not being angry at six things? Your cultivation of the mind is insufficient.”

Seeing Li Huowang ignored him, Zheng Boqiao didn’t take offense. He paid no attention to He Xin on the ground, instead respectfully greeting the abbot of Zhengde Temple, Chan Du.

“Master, may your compassion be boundless. You’ve traveled a long way.”

“Ah, may the Buddha bless you, my dear one.”

“Since you’ve just arrived in Great Li, there must be many inconveniences. Please speak freely if you need anything. The Bureau will do its utmost to assist.”

“There is a good feng shui site east of Yinling City, unoccupied. Would it be agreeable for you to establish a temple there?”

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Next chapter update at 11:35 PM.

(End of Chapter)