The Taoist priest raised aloft his luopan and began circling around the compound inside the enclosure. Chongxi watched on, scowling, "Dammit! He's looking for directions! He's the real deal!"
I said nothing, my lips pursed shut as I studied the Taoist priest at work. He beelined around the enclosure with his luopan and stopped in the end in front of three peach trees. He looked up and the winds overhead churned, with two auras, one demonic and dark and the other majestic and divine, roiling together!
Whoosh! Sands and dust kicked up into the air by the winds and no one could keep their eyes open with the winds snapping at us. Chongxi cursed loudly, "Dammit!"
All three of the trees were in their springtime opulence with several buds already blossoming. Someone had been tending to them with meticulous care; the twigs and branches have been adequately pruned. The grass straggling at the foot of the trees were beginning to take a shade of green bef
It was no ordinary punch. The few years of training in the ancient times had seen to that. My fist sank right into the center of the priest's face and sent him careening backward for several meters before he crashed to the ground, his face confused and perplexed even though I did not know which. Was he rattled by my strength, or was he puzzled at my sudden burst of anger, I did not know which.Edelweiss came up and stamped a foot on the priest's chest to force him down on the ground, but to no avail. The Taoist priest let loose a snarl and he somersaulted back up to his feet again, tossing an unsteady Edelweiss to the ground. "Very good," he commented dryly as he aimed an opened palm at me and he began muttering a string of incantations!Edelweiss flipped herself to her feet and was about to charge at him but I stopped her, pivoting her around so that I could shield her with my back being to the priest. A thunderclap ensued, followed by a flash of bright li
My sword was but only an inch away from the Taoist priest's chest. But it could go no further; an invisible force was gripping at my wrist, preventing me from going any further.I tugged at my arm, indicating my intent to yield and the invisible force that held me vanished. I looked back, searching for the source of the voice and saw a little boy, dressed in traditional Taoist garb, emerging from within the midst of the frozen crowd. The unusually placid look he gave when our eyes locked told me enough that this was no ordinary boy, for his gaze was as deep and unfathomable as the deepest waters of a quiet lake.Lin Feng and Chongxi formed up beside me and we bowed to him. "Our humblest apologies, Esteemed Celestial Master," I said, "I hope you understand that we have had no choice." "I understand fully, Master Shiyan," the little boy that was one of the Celestial Master Zhangs who was now an immortal said, "And I want to thank you as well, for showing kind
Big Sister looked morosely at the retreating back of the old man as he disappeared into his hut. She gave me a look that seemed to say a thousand words and I knew what she was thinking. I raised a hand, indicating my understanding of her notion.I panned my gaze unto Chongxi again who understood me and took out his slingshot. He spoke to it, saying, "Would you girls be willing to accompany the old man for the rest of..." "No need," the raspy voice of the old man came suddenly from inside the hut, "I refused to leave, partly due to you people. Somehow, their long watch for your arrival has become something that we shared. Whoever it was they were waiting for had become whom I was waiting for too. For tens of years, we would wait together and finally, you're here and the long watch has come to an end and this is where I should bow out." He came out from the hut, carrying a bundle on his shoulder reminiscent to how travelers in ancient times carried their belongings.
I gave Wang a compendious account of what happened here. After listening to my tale, Wang asked, "Urm, Brother Yan, do you need Captain Zheng to come over?" "Nope, I have it all under control here." Wang responded with a wordless hum, and the line went dead.My cordial conversation on the line with Wang left the foreman dismayed, shivering with consternation as he winced at the idea of what could befall him.I squeezed his phone back into his hands and placed an arm on his shoulder, "So, back to business. Come on now, I'm still waiting for your answer. Will you authorize my request? If you can't, then get me someone who can!" The foreman floundered with his phone, looking for a number and he tapped on it when he finally found it. He listened to his phone, waiting for someone to answer on the other end until he began saying, "Urm, Mr. Li..." Fearing more walloping from us, he told his employer, Mr. Li everything, all the while trying to keep himself composed
My watch was showing three when we reached town. Edelweiss and Na San followed along with me at the wheel on my old Volkswagen with Lin Feng driving himself, Chongxi, and Big Sister, in another car, following closely behind. "Shiyan," Lin Feng called to ask, "Where to now?"I pondered for a second and answered, "Lu Shengnan's teaching center first. That's our only lead for now." Lin Feng snorted an assent and the call clicked off.Our cars, both moving in a file, came to the street bustling with commercial activity and to our dismay, there were no parking spots available. We circled around and finally found a couple not far away from our destination. In busy shopping areas like this one, beggars can't be choosy.Our party waded through the currents of shoppers until we finally reached the entrance leading up to Lu Shengnan's place upstairs. Unexpectedly, we found the entrance locked by a sturdy-looking padlock. Lin Feng and I looked at Chongxi
By the powers of Master Six and Father, my companions and I were sent back through time, back into ancient China where we embarked on a quest of pilgrimage to strengthen and temper ourselves. With little said about our adventures in medieval China, we returned back to the present, once again being tossed down into the spiraling chaos of the invisible war for the dragon leys of China.It was during one of our many adventures in ancient history where Chongxi found himself a weapon. We left it somewhere in Wu Zhong before returning back to the present and recovering it was the first thing we did as soon as we came back. After retrieving it, we went back to town. Lu Shengnan had been abducted by Huang Li's people during our absence and in the final message she had been able to send me, there was only a four-letter word: Help.At the same time, Ji Qichen had been taken as well. His disclosing of vital information to me had been discovered by his confederates, th
Na San and I went back to outside Huang Li's interrogation room where we found Zheng Shuang waiting for us. He gave us two sets of lunch boxes. I pried open the chopsticks and opened my box, saying, "Let me speak to Huang Li and the four stupid dead logs. Do not let anyone in. And, it would be best to have..." "Already done, Shiyan," Zheng Shuang mentioned, "All recording apparatuses have been shut off. Apparently, our reputation and exploits have impressed the top brass of the District Headquarters and they are doing their best to fulfill any requirements we'll need." I nodded, ignoring the strange and curious stares from the other officers around us as we went into the interrogation room with the lunch boxes.We pushed through the doors and two other officers were on watch inside, one of them being the chief of the District Headquarter's Criminal Investigations Division whose name I could no longer recall.I gave them a knowing look and a curt nod, implic
Outside the interrogation room, everyone mobbed me for answers and I told them everything about Huang Li's talk with me and her final words. "Did you notice, Shiyan? Something wrong with her when she lost control of her temper just now?" Chongxi pointed out, chewing his cigarette, "Her soul was unsteady just now. But only for a brief moment, if you'd noticed.""I did," I agreed, nodding my head, saying, "Someone has tampered with her soul. She did mention that her father had done something terrible to her and her husband, Cao Xuedong. She did not say what specifically, but I guess it had something to do with their souls."Big Sister interjected suddenly, "You said just now Huang Li told you that everyone that looks the same like her bears the same rage and malice towards you?" I nodded. "I don't understand. What does she mean?" I paused for a moment's mulling before I answered, "I could only surmise she's referring to people that have the same cold and fros