Hearing Yan Kai's words, Lu Sheng didn’t get angry. Instead, he simply smiled.
“In that case, I’ll notify all the major figures in the city on behalf of you Taoist priests. If you need any assistance, feel free to visit the clothing stores, pharmacies, or blacksmith shops—everyone has been instructed to help the three of you.”
“That’s fine,” Yan Kai said with a solemn nod. “Then we’ll take our leave and head to the Lotus House for a closer inspection.”
“Taoist priest, please.” Lu Sheng smiled politely.
“I will go with you.”49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJyD6qv6Ugg
The Ranger woman, Zhuanfeng, followed behind them without hesitation.
As the three left, Lu Sheng gave a clear order—Yan Kai and his companions were to move freely within the Lu family estate, and no one was to obstruct them.
Lu Quanan, entering from outside, had overheard the conversation.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEcG65gAR2V
“Little Sheng, do you think those three are really useful?” he asked.
“It doesn’t matter whether they’re useful or not,” Lu Sheng replied calmly. “They saw I was injured and gave me a healing potion. That alone is worth the money we spent.”
“You’re in charge of this matter. Everyone in the mansion—including me—will follow your arrangements. Just carry it out with confidence!” Lu Quanan said firmly.
“Thank you, Father.” Lu Sheng offered a small smile.
After Lu Quanan left, Lu Sheng returned to his bedroom, where Xiaoqiao fed him warm, nourishing bird’s nest soup one spoonful at a time.
Since his previous injury, he hadn’t seriously resumed his martial arts training. After all, forcing his body to improve while still wounded was not strength—it was suicide.
But now that the yin energy within him had been expelled, he began to reconsider his path forward.
Seated in a rattan chair under the shade of the courtyard, Lu Sheng sipped bird’s nest soup slowly. His eyes narrowed slightly, his posture lazy and still.
Xiaoqiao glanced at him, hesitant, then spoke softly.
“Sir… Miss Qingqing hasn’t returned for several days. Could it be...?” she asked, worry etched across her face.
“Don’t worry,” Lu Sheng said, shaking his head. “There’s no need to rush. Some things are best left to professionals. If we interfere, we’ll only make things worse.”
“I just feel sorry for the Second Lady. She cries so much that her eyes are red and swollen every day,” Xiaoqiao whispered. “Sir, do you think they can really do it?”
“They should be able to uncover something, but I’m not sure how much,” Lu Sheng replied casually, though his mind was elsewhere—pondering whether Yan Kai had been telling the truth.
After thinking it over, Lu Sheng realized there was little reason for the Taoist to lie. If they were out to extort him, that small bottle of resurrection potion alone could’ve earned them a fortune. Their actions so far didn’t seem to hide any ulterior motives.
For now, he decided to trust them. There was no need to rush—those people would handle it. The demon within the Lu Mansion had already been dealt with, and things would remain safe for the time being.
However, what Yan Kai had said still lingered in his mind. If Jiulian City truly harbored more demons, then this was only the beginning. Lu Sheng recalled how much effort it had taken to defeat just one. If more appeared...
A heavy sense of urgency welled up inside him.
“You can go now. I need some quiet and rest,” Lu Sheng said suddenly.
Xiaoqiao gave a soft hum, helped him lie down, gently pulled the quilt over him, and quietly left the room.
The door creaked shut behind her.
A moment later, Lu Sheng slowly sat up, got out of bed, and walked over to the bookcase. From one of the drawers, he retrieved a small gray paper bag.
Carefully unfolding it, he revealed a pile of grayish-white fine powder—the remains of the demon after its death.
He wasn’t sure if it held any use, but remnants of such supernatural creatures often contained hidden properties. Instead of discarding it, he had preserved the powder with care.
Now, he poured a bit of it onto the table, studying it silently.
“If I want to learn what this is for... I’ll have to start with Yan Kai and the others,” he murmured.
After a moment of quiet thought, he returned the powder to its pouch, placed it back in the drawer, and lay down.
This time, sleep came to him peacefully.
When Lu Sheng woke up, night had already fallen.
Xiaoqiao was lighting the lamps in the room. At just twelve years old, she wore a simple white dress, the hem swaying as she moved about. She faced away from Lu Sheng, stretching slightly on tiptoe, her skirt lifting as she reached up to light the lanterns.
Lu Sheng coughed lightly to announce his presence, feeling surprisingly refreshed after his nap.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVA0ls2yzN7
“Ahem…”
Xiaoqiao turned around at once, her face lighting up with relief.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRQEpW2fDp6
“Master, you’re awake! There’s white fungus soup in the kitchen—would you like a bowl?”
“What time is it now?” Lu Sheng asked, sitting up.
“It’s almost the hour of Hai,” Xiaoqiao replied quickly.
Lu Sheng did a quick mental calculation—the hour of Hai meant it was between 9 and 11 p.m.
“It’s already that late? Have the people who went out earlier sent back any word?”
“You mean those Taoist priests?” Xiaoqiao asked.
“Yes.”
“Brother Yu Han has been waiting outside for a while. He probably has news.”
“Let Yu Han come in.”
Lu Sheng rubbed his temples, then got out of bed to dress. After tidying up his robes and securing his coat, the burly man Yu Han stepped inside.
“Young Master,” he said, bowing respectfully.
“Is there any news from Taoist Master Yan Kai?”
“Yes,” Yu Han answered. “Taoist Master Yan Kai went to the Zheng family and resolved a similar missing person case about half an hour ago. He’s now headed to the old residence of the Xu family.”
As Yu Han spoke, a trace of admiration crept into his expression. It was rare for him to praise others, but this time, he couldn’t help it.
That Taoist had solved the problem so swiftly. Yu Han had seen the demon himself—it could possess others, fly at incredible speeds, and emit a noxious, invisible poison. Even the Young Master hadn’t sensed its presence at first.
For someone to handle such a ghost with ease, he truly deserved to be called a master.
Lu Sheng, however, showed no surprise.
“Then, what about Miss Zhuanfeng?”
“We’ve found some clues. I’ve sent a few men to follow her outside the city. We should hear back soon,” Yu Han replied.
“They really are professionals. To find leads in just one day…” Lu Sheng sighed. “Come on, let’s go eat something. I just hope my sister is all right.”
Yu Han and Xiaoqiao remained silent. As servants, anything they said at that moment might stir trouble.
Lu Sheng led the two out of the bedroom. Two guards stood at attention by the doorway. Outside, a table had already been set with food and wine. A few maids moved quietly, wiping down bowls, chopsticks, and wine cups.
Lu Sheng took his seat, picked up his chopsticks, and brought a bite of food to his mouth.
“There’s news! Young Master! There’s news!”
A sudden cry came from outside the courtyard. Lu Sheng immediately stood up as a servant came stumbling through the gate, breathless and shouting.
“There’s news about the Second Miss! She’s been found—at the broken Taoist temple outside the city!”
There were three Taoist temples beyond Jiulian City’s outskirts, but only one was known as the "broken" Taoist temple. It lay to the north, nestled in a stretch of barren mountains near the icy white ocean. No one knew which deity it honored or when it had been built. It had long since fallen into disrepair.
Lu Sheng knew the place well—he had visited it a few times in his childhood. When it rained while he played outside the city, he and his friends would take shelter there.
“The Taoist temple near the white ice ocean?” Lu Sheng asked, his tone sharp.
“Yes, exactly there,” the servant answered quickly. “Miss Zhuanfeng said the missing people are likely gathered at that location. She told us to inform you so you could decide whether to investigate it yourself.”
“And Taoist Yan Kai? What about his group?”
“They’ve already left!”
Lu Sheng narrowed his eyes. He had only just recovered; under normal circumstances, he shouldn't be rushing off again. But this was a rare chance—one he couldn’t ignore.
If Taoist Yan Kai intended to stay in Jiulian City long-term, it would have been easier. But from what Lu Sheng had gathered, Yan Kai and his companions didn’t seem interested in settling down. Rather, they appeared to be merely passing through—tracking clues on a larger journey.
“It seems that if we want to obtain those legendary exorcism techniques or any advanced methods from this Taoist, we’ll have to think carefully about how to approach him,” Lu Sheng murmured to himself.
Originally, his plan had been simple: try to glean a few mental cultivation techniques used by the fabled Qi-cultivation art masters from Yan Kai. Since things like demons and spirits truly existed, there had to be effective methods to counter them.
“Gather a dozen men—we’re heading out to take a look for ourselves.”
“Yes!” Yu Han answered without hesitation.
…………
The evening wind howled through the mountains, sharp and biting like blades of ice.
A line of red torchlight moved swiftly through the darkness. At the front rode Lu Sheng, wrapped in a thick fur-lined coat atop a sturdy black horse. Behind him followed Yu Han, and trailing them were a dozen guards.
They traveled under the cover of night, and before long, the winding path led them to the foot of a narrow trail—just as Zhuanfeng had described. It was the road to the ruined Taoist temple.
The group looked like a seasoned patrol unit—torches in hand, swords at their hips, bows on their backs, clad in leather armor and helmets. Their footsteps were steady despite the chill.
After advancing several hundred paces through the frigid winds, the shape of an old gray-yellow Taoist temple finally emerged from the forest ahead. Once abandoned and dark, the temple now flickered with light and echoed faint human shouts.
Lu Sheng tried to listen, but the wind roared too loud, muffling most sounds from within the temple.
Still about a hundred paces away, he raised his hand to signal the group to halt.
Now that they were closer, the faint shouting from the temple grew clearer. It sounded like Taoist Yan Kai.
“Young Master, what should we do?” Yu Han asked, his voice low and tight with nerves. Sweat beaded at his brow despite the cold.
“No rush,” Lu Sheng replied, tightening the fox-fur collar around his neck. The snowy white fur hugged him tightly, offering both warmth and presence.
“If we charge in now, we’ll only get in the Taoist’s way. We must not be impatient.”
They waited in silence as the flames within the ruined temple grew brighter, and the sounds of confrontation louder—shouts, footsteps, perhaps even clashing.
Then, slowly, the noise began to fade. The shouting settled. The flickering grew steadier.
Lu Sheng raised a hand, motioning to one of the guards. The man stepped forward and handed him a torch. Lu Sheng took it in silence, the firelight dancing across his composed face, and began approaching the temple.
Yu Han instinctively moved to stop him—but then hesitated. He clenched his fists, took a breath, and followed.
“Follow me!” he barked to the rest.
The guards and servants, though visibly tense, obeyed. The rules of the Lu household were strict—none dared disobey in a moment like this.
Though Yan Kai and his team were the real line of defense ahead, and Lu Sheng stood strong in front, the rest were inexperienced. Most had never seen blood. But they held firm, torches flickering in the wind, walking into the unknown rather than fleeing from it.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡny7wMx3RO1
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