Chapter 9

Qi Xuansu was searching for something called the "Xuan Yu," a highly special type of jade. His contact in the Qingping Association gave him a specially made compass that would react when it came close to the "Xuan Yu," and could also be used to search for the general direction of the "Xuan Yu" within a certain range. 520 Official Website

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In the previous rooms, the compass showed no abnormality at all. It was only when Qi Xuansu entered the study that the compass suddenly reacted, beginning to vibrate slightly.

Qi Xuansu took out the compass from his shoulder bag.

It was said that there was a treasure in the world that could contain a mountain in a grain of sand, and the size of the inner world varied according to the quality of the treasure. However, in the Daoist community, only third-grade Daoists could possess such treasures, and Qi Xuansu, a mere seventh-grade Daoist, naturally did not have one. He could only use a common shoulder bag, which he wore diagonally across his shoulder, not hindering his movements, with the bag positioned at his waist for easy access.

Qi Xuansu held the compass in one hand and saw the needle in the center of the compass first spin rapidly, then slow down, and finally point to the paperweight on the desk.

The paperweight was not made of paper but was used to hold down paper when writing or painting, often in the form of a long strip, also known as a paper press.

Li Hongwen's paperweight was quite ordinary, neither jade nor wood, but made of stone, and not worth much.

Qi Xuansu put away the compass, picked up the paperweight, and slowly applied force to it. Cracks began to appear on the surface of the paperweight, and pieces gradually fell off, revealing a hint of green inside.

Jade in stone.

Li Hongwen had hidden the "Xuan Yu" inside the paperweight and placed it openly on the desk. The Qingluan Guard, believing that Li Hongwen had hidden the item in a very concealed place, overlooked the obvious spot right in front of them.

Qi Xuansu removed all the fragments, and the "Xuan Yu" finally revealed its true form. It resembled ancient knife coins and a crescent moon, entirely green, half-transparent, with many fine blood threads inside.

Qi Xuansu played with the "Xuan Yu" in his hand for a while but found nothing unusual, seemingly no different from ordinary jade. He thought it might be due to his insufficient cultivation or lack of knowledge. Qi Xuansu did not delve deeper and placed the "Xuan Yu" in his shoulder bag, then left the place directly.

...

A heavy rain was pouring down, and on the river outside Fengtai County, a small black boat was drifting with the waves.

In the cabin sat a middle-aged man, dressed in fine clothing, with a beard that reached his chest, his black hair tied up with a jade hairpin. He had a unique appearance that made people forget the mundane world.

On the small table in front of him, an incense burner was burning, and a wisp of purple smoke rose. The man extended his hand, watching the smoke swirl around his palm, took a deep breath of the dragon's breath incense, and his skin, as smooth as jade, glowed faintly, looking both mysterious and eerie.

On the deck outside the cabin, Li Sansin, in a wretched state, knelt on one knee, drenched by the heavy rain.

Li Sansin had two identities: the first was a sixth-grade Daoist in the Qingluan Guard, and the second was a disciple of the Taiping Dao sect.

The Daoist community had three major sects: the Orthodox Dao, the Complete Perfection Dao, and the Taiping Dao.

The Orthodox Dao did not abstain from meat or marriage and used their real names instead of Daoist names.

The Complete Perfection Dao abstained from meat and marriage, and most used Daoist names instead of their real names, though some retained their real names.

The Taiping Dao had no taboos and was closest to the secular world.

The three major sects, besides respecting the ancestral temple, each had their own "sacred site": the Great True Person's Mansion for the Orthodox Dao, the Ten Thousand Longevity Palace for the Complete Perfection Dao, and the True Realm Pavilion for the Taiping Dao.

The True Realm Pavilion was located on an immortal island in the East Sea, so when Li Sansin mentioned the "East Sea" earlier, he was referring to the Taiping Dao.

However, regardless of the sect, all Daoist disciples were called Daoists, meaning practitioners of the Dao, and were divided into nine grades, with the ninth grade being the lowest, only slightly better than ordinary Daoist citizens and Daoist children, and the first grade being the highest, just below the Grand Master of the Daoist community.

Li Sansin was a seventh-grade Daoist in the Daoist community, on par with Qi Xuansu.

As for the person in the cabin, he was Li Sansin's senior, named Jiang Biyun, a fourth-grade Daoist.

The fifth-grade Daoist and the fourth-grade Daoist were a significant step apart, similar to the difference between an official and a clerk.

From the ninth-grade Daoist to the fifth-grade Daoist, they were all ordinary Daoists and did not have the qualifications to take disciples or teach the Dao.

Fourth-grade Daoists were called Sacrificial Wine Daoists, known as "mages" by the world, meaning they had the qualifications to take disciples and teach the Dao.

Some Sacrificial Wine Daoists could even be responsible for the incense offerings of a prefecture or hold important positions in the Western Kunlun Ancestral Temple, wielding considerable power. Of course, to be promoted to a fourth-grade Sacrificial Wine Daoist, one needed corresponding experience and cultivation. Without a background or merit, one had to at least reach the True Return stage of cultivation to become a fourth-grade Daoist.

In other words, Jiang Biyun was a person at the True Return stage, and if he were a Qi Practitioner, he would be at the Spirit Refinement stage.

At this moment, Jiang Biyun's face was dark, and his eyes were narrowed.

According to Li Sansin's account, it seemed that another Daoist disciple had caused a massacre in the county office, not only killing Zhou Feilong but also breaking Li Sansin's flying sword, almost causing Li Sansin to fall there as well.

Jiang Biyun was not too concerned about Li Sansin's life. Although Li Sansin was also a disciple of the Taiping Dao, he was not an indispensable important figure. If he died in Fengtai County, it could only be blamed on his own lack of ability, not on others.

What truly concerned Jiang Biyun was the mysterious Daoist disciple.

Since the sixth-generation Grand Master ascended, the Grand Master's position had been vacant, and the three Deputy Grand Masters nominally shared the power of the Daoist community, but in reality, each had their own plans. If the person who defeated Li Sansin was a disciple of the other two major sects, it would require careful consideration.

This time, the task of finding the "Xuan Yu" was personally assigned by a Taiping Dao True Person. The reason behind it, Jiang Biyun did not dare to speculate, but he vaguely knew that it was related to the True Person's "attaining the Dao," and it was not something to be widely publicized.

That was why he bribed a thousand-household in the Qingluan Guard and sent Li Sansin, using the name of the Qingluan Guard to act.

The intricate and deep background of this matter was known only to Jiang Biyun, the mastermind, and even Li Sansin was kept in the dark.

Li Sansin thought that finding the "Xuan Yu" was just a side task, and killing Li Hongwen was the main task.

The reality was the opposite. Finding the "Xuan Yu" was not only the main task but also a significant one, while killing Li Hongwen was just a cover to mislead others.

Previously, Li Sansin had considered Zhou Feilong as a pawn, but in Jiang Biyun's eyes, Li Sansin was also a pawn that could be discarded at any time. The difference between Li Sansin and Zhou Feilong was merely a matter of degree.

However, for some reason, Jiang Biyun did not explicitly tell Li Sansin this.

Now that the "Xuan Yu" had fallen into the hands of another Daoist disciple, it was a bit difficult to handle.

Li Sansin had Jiang Biyun as his backer, but did the disciples of the other two major sects have no support? They might even be old acquaintances.

Thinking of this, Jiang Biyun said to the outside of the cabin, "Come in."

Li Sansin, who had been left in the rain on the deck, wiped the rain from his face, entered the cabin, and respectfully bowed to Jiang Biyun.

Jiang Biyun put away his white, jade-like hand and asked Li Sansin, "What else did you discover afterward?"

Li Sansin softly replied, "Reporting to Uncle Master, according to the reports from the brothers who investigated the 'inn,' this person once revealed his identity to our informant, saying that..."

Seeing Li Sansin's hesitant expression, Jiang Biyun raised his eyebrows and said in a louder voice, "What did he say? Speak freely."

Li Sansin then continued, "He said that East Huazhen sent greetings to the Commander."

Jiang Biyun's face changed slightly, and he said softly, "East Huazhen."

Li Sansin respectfully replied, "Exactly."

Involving a True Person, even a fourth-grade Sacrificial Wine Daoist like Jiang Biyun did not dare to be the slightest bit careless.

A "True Person" was another title for a second-grade Daoist, also known as a "Taiyi Daoist." There were a total of thirty-six True Persons in the Daoist community, with a transcendent status, and East Huazhen was one of the top-ranking True Persons among the thirty-six.

If this matter really involved a second-grade Taiyi Daoist, then it should not be decided by a fourth-grade Sacrificial Wine Daoist like him. After a brief moment of thought, Jiang Biyun said to Li Sansin, "I will personally send a message to the True Person later, detailing the current situation and asking the True Person to make a decision. As for this person, do not alarm him or act rashly. If this person is indeed a confidant or disciple of East Huazhen, killing him would cause trouble not only for you and me but even for the True Person."

Li Sansin respectfully agreed and slowly left the cabin, then leaped into the river, standing without sinking, and walked on the rolling river water toward the riverbank in the heavy rain.

In the cabin, a beautiful woman remained, with a complex identity, both a direct disciple and a half-mistress of Jiang Biyun. The sordid details were unknown to outsiders and not to be spoken of.

The woman knelt beside Jiang Biyun with her head lowered, picked up a long-handled incense shovel, and scraped a few grams of incense from the dragon's breath incense block in the incense burner.

The cabin was immediately filled with smoke again.

Jiang Biyun sat cross-legged, his hands resting on his knees, his face hidden in the thick smoke, indistinct. He took a deep breath of sandalwood incense, making the smoke slightly lighter, and said with a cold expression, "Fengtai County is our Taiping Dao's territory. Take my credentials and letter of introduction, visit the local Sacrificial Wine Daoist, and ask him to check if there have been any records of Complete Perfection Dao disciples recently."

The woman, who was burning incense, responded softly, her voice sweet and soft, making one's heart itch, and her youthful and alluring figure was truly captivating. If it were a normal time, Jiang Biyun might have been tempted, but at this critical moment, he had no such thoughts. All his attention was focused on East Huazhen.

A second-grade Taiyi Daoist, in the ancestral temple, could hold a high position, and in a place, could lead a state's Daoist government. Who would dare to provoke such a powerful figure?

Moreover, the task was for the public, but the offense would be personal.

After much consideration, Jiang Biyun decided to hold back and wait for the situation to become clearer.

As the saying goes, not seeking merit but avoiding mistakes is itself a merit.