Day and night tour

Chapter 415 The Vicious Methods of a Rat
"A merger of two governments? That's quite a novel thing."

Zhou Xuan wasn't particularly interested in the appearance of the Witch God, since he was a firsthand witness and had firsthand accounts, so he didn't need to listen to others.

But Huangyuan Prefecture and Jingchuan Prefecture are now located together?
"Huangyuan Prefecture and Jingchuan Prefecture, one is due west of Mingjiang Prefecture and the other is to the southwest. How did these two prefectures, which are so far apart, come together?"

Zhou Xuan asked the painter.

The painter was so anxious that his eyebrows were furrowed in knots, and his forehead wrinkles were as deep as a small mountain. He said...

"For some reason, Huangyuan Prefecture suddenly disappeared. All the people were plunged into darkness, and then they heard a loud rumbling sound. When they saw the moon again, their prefecture was bordering Jingchuan Prefecture."

"Oh, the two prefectures have become one."

Zhou Xuan said, "That's not a big problem. At least the boundaries of the prefecture are clearly defined, and each prefecture's branch is responsible for its own affairs. It shouldn't make the Red Coffin Lady so anxious."

"That's true, but there are still many problems with suddenly merging the two governments."

The painter said cryptically, "Jingchuan Prefecture doesn't have the Ancient Tree and Golden Bell. Now that Jingchuan Prefecture has suddenly merged with Huangyuan Prefecture, the powerful factions like Xunlong and Master Ye from Jingchuan will eventually try to seize the Golden Bell."

The coffin-maker was in a panic... she was afraid Mr. Night would go berserk and suddenly deliver a fatal blow to her new neighbor.

Zhou Xuan sensed a feeling of "mundane family matters and trivialities".

"So the new neighbors are afraid of causing trouble." He flicked his sleeves and went into the shop: "Old Hua, go back and tell Guan Niang that Mr. Ye doesn't have the ability to step into Huangyuan Mansion and forcibly seize the Golden Bell."

The painter quickly followed. He had been busy all day with the civil arrangements after the reconstruction of Mingjiang Prefecture and dealing with the coffin maiden's complaints. He had no time to pay attention to anything else.

Regarding Zhou Xuan's trip to Jingchuan Prefecture, he only knew that Zhou Xuan had gone to kill Bi Fang, but he was still unaware of many of the details.

Seeing Zhou Xuan's confidence, and wondering where this great man got his confidence from, he asked, "Great man, times have changed. In the past, the Bitter Ghost Boatman, with his influence spread across the nine prefectures, was quite powerful and naturally wouldn't be afraid of Mr. Ye."

But today the Witch God has appeared. That night, with the Heavenly Venerable's backing, the Master plotted to seize the Golden Bell. The Bitter Ghost Hall is probably...

"The appearance of that sorcerer god was for Xuanzi's sake. What does it have to do with Mr. Ye?"

Yun Ziliang's voice drifted over.

He and Li Changxun finally returned to Dongshi Street.

The two traveled on the wind, but their speed was not as fast as Zhou Xuan's divine soul travel, so they returned a little later.

"What?" Upon hearing Yun Ziliang's ethereal words, the painter felt a sense of unreality.

The Witch God, one of the Four Heavenly Venerables, reappears in the mortal world, all for Zhou Xuan?
"What, is that not allowed?" Yun Ziliang asked, glancing sideways.

"It's not that it's impossible, it's just that..."

"The Witch God sensed that the Buddhist Kingdom was about to make a big move, so he asked me to deal with the Buddhist Kingdom. It won't be a waste of time; by killing the people of the Buddhist Kingdom, I can exchange them for incense offerings."

Zhou Xuan took the teacup from Xiao Fuzi, blew away the steam, sipped the tea, and said, "Whether this is a good job or not, we'll have to observe further. However, the Witch God won't back up Mr. Ye, so tell Coffin Maiden not to panic."

Furthermore, although Mr. Ye is known for his unpredictable and domineering ways, this branch of the gang will soon reform and become a model branch that embodies the "Five Stresses, Four Beauties, and Three Loves."

Li Changxun added, "That night, the head servant of Master Ye respected Master Ye very much. With Master Ye backing up the coffin lady, there's no need to worry about those odds and ends."

One by one, everyone explained the relationship between Zhou Xuan and Mr. Ye. The painter listened with increasing smiles and said, "Didn't you go to Jingchuan Prefecture to kill Bi Fang? It feels like you went there to become sworn brothers."

"Even if Bi Feng is killed, his son must be worshipped."

Zhou Xuan said, "You old painter also need to make some preparations, but not to deal with Mr. Ye, but to deal with the Buddhist Kingdom."

He put down his teacup and analyzed, "The sudden appearance of the Witch God and the inexplicable relocation of Huangyuan Prefecture can actually be seen as one thing."

"Master, do you believe that the alliance between the two prefectures is inextricably linked to the people of the Buddhist Kingdom?"

“There must be a connection,” Zhou Xuan said. “However, the fact that two prefectures thousands of miles apart could be merged into one suggests that the will of the Jing Kingdom might be involved.”

The concept of the supreme will of the Jing Kingdom is circulated in various temples and shrines of various religious sects.
Some say that the supreme will is dead.
Some say that the supreme will has fallen into an irrecoverable slumber.

Others say that the supreme will has gone mad, and heaven and earth are no longer subject to its oversight.
Various opinions have emerged.

"You mean, the Supreme Will did not die?"

The painter asked.

Zhou Xuan shook his head and said, "The Kingdom of Jing does not have only one will, but two: one is the supreme will that loves order, and the other is the 'Blood God Will' that enjoys chaos."
In the most ancient times of the Well Kingdom, when this kingdom was still called the 'Nine Glass Kingdom', its supreme will lured and captured the will of the Blood God from beyond the stars.
The two wills merged to form the new will of the Well Kingdom, giving birth to the Four Heavenly Venerables and the Nine Heavenly Gods. However, this Blood God's will was not fully integrated; it still occasionally sought to break free from the shackles of the supreme will.
This time, the merging of the two prefectures has led to chaos, so I suspect it's due to the intervention of the Blood God's will.

This long-winded talk made the painter's scalp tingle. He vaguely felt that Zhou Xuan had changed—become more erudite, spouting nonsense that he couldn't understand.

It is said that "a scholar should be looked at with new eyes after three days of separation," but the great man returned after only one day away, and he was so unfamiliar with everyone.

“Ah, this time when I went to Jingchuan Prefecture, I not only met the God of Witchcraft, but also the Supreme Will,” Zhou Xuan said.

"..." The painter's scalp tingled, and his whole body went numb.

What a blessing it is to meet the supreme "Lord" of the Well Kingdom.

"I didn't see him completely, just his back and figure. The feeling he gave me... the feeling... was similar to your figure."

Zhou Xuan pointed at the painter.

This startled the painter so much that he broke out in a cold sweat and immediately waved his hand, saying, "Sir, I dare not presume to compare myself to you, I dare not presume to compare myself to you."

"Alright, let's go back and rest first. I'll tidy up the books and beams. Let's finish the reconstruction of the entire Mingjiang Prefecture in one go."

"That is, that is."

The painter said with a smile, "We really have to thank you, Master. A few days ago, those other prefectures looked down on Mingjiang Prefecture and thought that Mingjiang was doomed. Now... let them be envious."

With Zhou Xuan's Heavenly Book of Will, Mingjiang Prefecture will surely be able to return to its pre-disaster bustling activity and prosperous atmosphere.

But that's not all—the ancient tree and golden bell have regained their radiance, two ancestral dragon-level guardians are protecting the prefectural city, the peach blossom ancestral tree has returned to Pengjia Town, and with the addition of the nine-stick-of-incense King of Xishan, he has completely lost any rebellious intentions and is united with Mingjiang Prefecture against the common enemy.

In the last three hundred years, Mingjiang Prefecture has not fought such a rich war.

In the past, painters were afraid that some influential figures would come to Mingjiang Prefecture and cause trouble. Now, he actually hopes that some ruthless people will come and test the mettle of "New Mingjiang".

"I really wish someone would come and bully us."

The painter's confidence comes from Zhou Xuan.

Zhou Xuan poured cold water on the painter, saying, "Old painter, I have to say something to you. Managing the prefecture is like living a normal life. You can't flaunt your wealth. You can say these things to me, but you should keep a low profile in public."

"Just be happy inside, keep the good days to yourself." Li Changxun was also fiddling with the record player on the side.

"Beautiful youth~ Flowing youth~ Like the Dongjiang River~"

The song "Good Youth" perfectly captures the current main theme of Mingjiang Prefecture.

"Then, sir, you should rest first. I'll head back now." The painter was pleased both in his heart and in his words. He didn't bother Zhou Xuan any longer, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and took his leave.

But just as he was about to leave, his eyes were drawn to the "gentle breeze and cloud patterns" on Zhou Xuan's Taoist robe.

He had been engrossed in their conversation and hadn't noticed Zhou Xuan's clothes.
Now that he had calmed down, he was unconsciously drawn to the natural and lively cloud patterns and couldn't help but take a second look.

Zhou Xuan patted the cloud pattern lightly and said to the painter, "Old painting, interested?"

“Oh, sir, I am also a master painter. I couldn’t take my eyes off these beautiful lines.”

"That's just right."

Zhou Xuan immediately extended an invitation, saying, "Old Hua, within this cloud pattern lies the existence of supreme will and the head of an ancient Buddha. Let's study it together?"

Good heavens, upon hearing "supreme will, ancient Buddha's head," the painter immediately activated the laws of space and made a hasty escape.

What makes him so worthy to study something of such great importance?
"Well, sir, I have to go now, or my mother will get sick from worry. Let's talk another day... another day."

"This painter is just a hypocrite?" Zhou Xuan smiled and went to the street alone to find a water carrier to buy hot water for a bath.

He's now aware of the pressure of maintaining an idol image, which is why he went to buy water. The dozen or so water carriers on East Market Street were working hard to transport water to Zhou Xuan's house, and they insisted on not accepting a single copper coin.

"Good men, I can understand not taking money, but we transport this water by the ton, and we don't slaughter pigs."

Forget about transporting water, there was a chicken stall owner on the street who was crouching down and leading a row of young women into the water purification shop.

"Everyone disperse, everyone disperse, are you trying to disrupt my order?"

Zhou Xuan smiled and shooed the chicken vendor away.

Zhou Xuan went to take a bath, while Li Changxun, "inheriting" his family's dragon-hunting business, fiddled with the record player, listening to a tune.

Zhao Wuyai then took Zhou Xuan's Taoist robe and examined it carefully.

The cloud pattern on his Taoist robe features an ancient Buddha's head. He is Wuya Chan, and has a deep connection with the ancient Buddha's head; it's perfectly normal for him to appreciate the cloud pattern.

However… he was so engrossed in watching that his face was almost touching Zhou Xuan’s clothes, making him appear somewhat… “perverted,” as if he were a clothes-sniffing fanatic.

Yun Ziliang then went straight to the "Da Si Xi Mahjong Parlor".

As soon as he entered the hall, the familiar faces of Yan Tong, Old Yang, the first landlord of Dongshi Street, Wang Mazi, the mahjong master of Dongshi Street, and so on, were all reflected in Lao Yun's eyes.

Back then, when the fire struck Dongshi Street, turning everyone at the Da Si Xi Mahjong Parlor into charred remains, it was Yun Ziliang who dug the bodies of these mahjong players out of the scorched earth and buried them properly.

Now, when old friends meet again, Yun Ziliang feels as if there's sand in his eyes.

An old Taoist priest stood at the entrance of the mahjong parlor, his eyes red. He was first spotted by the young apprentice, and then by the mahjong players inside.
The clattering of mahjong tiles fell silent. Everyone turned to look at Yun Ziliang, and apart from the old Taoist priest's sobbing, there was no other sound in the hall.

Everyone slowly stood up, and Old Yang waved his hand and shouted, "What are you all standing there for? Get up there!"

A large group of people, at Lao Yang's call, rushed over and tossed Lao Yun high into the air.

"Old Yun, you are our god."

"It is through life and death that true friendship is revealed; it is through life and death that true friendship is revealed. Those old masters of crosstalk are absolutely right."

"Boss Yun, just because you dug my corpse out of the grave and buried it with fanfare, I'll be a coward if I ever win a single penny from you again."

"Whenever we play cards, Yun Shen always gets the winning hand."

Yun Ziliang was treated as a hero of the mahjong parlor, constantly being tossed up, thrown down, and tossed up again...

Faced with his fellow card players' slogan, "When playing cards, let Lao Yun win first," Yun Ziliang timidly gestured, "I can't win money. A person's luck is limited. If I win a little more here, I'll win a little less there."

As he spoke, he choked up.

A Taoist priest who nearly died three hundred years ago, searching for dragons, never imagined that he would find a kind of emotional refuge in a mahjong parlor three hundred years later...

……

After Zhou Xuan finished his bath, he was about to go upstairs to his room when Xiao Fuzi called out, "Young Master, Grandpa Guishan is looking for you."

"Oh, old turtle." Zhou Xuan wrapped a dry towel around his head and walked towards the store's lobby.

As soon as Guishan Daoren saw Zhou Xuan, he began to complain: "Master, I dare not go back to my Guishan Daoist Temple now. The wicked rats have already knelt in front of my temple."

Besides Bi Fang, Zhou Xuan also wanted to kill that evil rat from the abyss.

He had Guishan Daoist impersonate a Daoist from Bifang, using the guise of "alliance" to lure out the Abyss Evil Rat.

“As soon as I got back, I was afraid that those wicked rats would ask me to meet the Rat King. I’m not good with words, and I was afraid I’d give myself away.”

"It's time to deal with these nasty rats."

Zhou Xuan took the towel, changed into a clean Taoist robe, and then, after drawing cloud patterns into the robe, drove out with Guishan Taoist and headed to Huifeng Medical College.

On the bus, Guishan Daoren seemed to have discovered a new continent, touching the window on the left and the seat cushion on the right.

"Sir, you really surprised me."

"Can't figure it out?"

"I didn't expect you to own a car at such a young age..."

"..." Zhou Xuan.

Zhou Xuan squinted: "So, after all this time, you thought I drove you back to the Taoist temple to show off my wealth?"

"Isn't that so?" Guishan Daoren asked, lost in thought.

"..."

Zhou Xuan shook his head and said, "A daytime journey with the divine soul is too fast. I want to drive slowly and see the magnificent scenery of Mingjiang Prefecture now."

For the rest of the family, rebuilding Mingjiang Prefecture represented hope for reunion.

For Zhou Xuan, it was more like a work of art.

He was a painter who splashed ink, bringing new life and vitality to the dilapidated Mingjiang Prefecture.

Although only one-third of the work is now complete, it hasn't dampened his enthusiasm for exploring and wandering around.

"Sir, you have quite the poetic touch."

"You think I'm just a nouveau riche?" Zhou Xuan glanced at the Taoist priest from Guishan and said irritably.

The Taoist priest from Guishan was so frightened that he shrank back and dared not respond.

Zhou Xuan and his Macon drove through many streets, those that hadn't been rebuilt and remained like ruins, deserted and desolate.

But in those rebuilt streets, children are running and playing around, some adults are holding lanterns to pray for blessings, some are setting off fireworks, and most have returned to normal life.

A major disaster brought the people of Mingjiang Prefecture together like never before. Free charity stalls could be seen on the streets, with signs in front of them that read, "In response to the call of the Great Master, food and drink are free."

These stalls are always bustling with activity, and children get to drink sour plum juice and eat osmanthus-flavored glutinous rice balls.

"Sigh, these glutinous rice balls symbolize good fortune. Our family is reunited this time. If you eat glutinous rice balls, your family will also be reunited."

"Thanks to the great man, he was so generous. That day, bricks and tiles were falling from the sky, and people were falling too..."

"Who can disagree? With Master Da here, everyone can rest assured while we eat and drink."

A friendly stall owner was inviting people from the neighborhood to eat and drink.

"Boss, you're offering all this for free. It must cost you a lot of money to do this in one night, right?"

"Spending money is nothing. My dad, my mom, and my eldest son are all back. Life is good again, and I'm genuinely happy."

"Besides, even if I lose all my savings, it's still better than during a major disaster."

"That's right, it's much stronger."

Everyone else agreed.

Sitting in the car, Zhou Xuan looked at the bustling scene outside and felt a warmth from the bottom of his heart.

"Such a beautiful city, such warm-hearted people, so much delicious food, drinks, and fun things to do, there are always some weirdos and scumbags who don't like it."

"Anyone who doesn't like these beautiful things, and who tries to destroy them, I'll beat them up!"

Zhou Xuan's hatred for the Abyss Rat intensified at this moment.

The Abyssal Rat is one of the perverts that seeks to destroy these beautiful creatures.

……

The Macon car stopped at the foot of Guishan Taoist Temple.

Before going up the mountain, Zhou Xuan instructed, "Old tortoise, I will use the tortoise breathing technique to hide in the cracks of heaven and earth. In order not to break the concealment, the way I communicate with you will be by forming words on your back, just like this."

He put on the "Taoist Ancestor" mask, activated the "Turtle Breathing for a Thousand Years" technique, and completely concealed his aura and senses. Then, on the back of the Turtle Mountain Taoist, he wrote four words: "Did you understand?"
Guishan Daoist had already helped Zhou Xuan act out several scenes, and they had developed a tacit understanding. He nodded and said, "Understood, Master."

"Go up the mountain."

The two of them, one in front and one behind, one in the dark and one in the light, went up Little Turtle Mountain.

When they arrived at the "Turtle Mountain Taoist Temple" at the top of Turtle Mountain, they saw about ten people kneeling at the entrance of the temple.

A woman named Sai Jinhua saw the Taoist priest of Guishan and immediately crawled on her knees to greet him, saying, "Taoist priest in heaven, we have finally waited for you. My king requests an audience."

"Scold them! Disdain them."

Zhou Xuan was writing words on the back of the Taoist priest of Guishan.

Guishan Daoist immediately put on his dramatic act and launched into a tirade against Sai Jinhua: "What are you doing here? Your rat king should take a good look at himself! A rat from the gutter dares to ally with my master?"

"My master is a god-level being in the heavens. Don't try to scam me, you stinking rat."

After saying that, Guishan Daoren kicked Sai Jinhua away and said, "Get lost. Even if I had your Rat King to carry my shoes, I would find him too cowardly."

Zhou Xuan was quite surprised. Had this Guishan Daoist ever helped people collect debts before? Why did he have to pick out such awful things to say? He had a whole repertoire of words in his head.

What he wants now is the opposite effect.

The more domineering and unreasonable he is, the more the Abyssal Rat will believe that the "alliance" is not a scam.

Sai Jinhua was kicked away by Guishan Daoren, but she was not angry. She continued to smile and said, "Daoist, our king is very capable."

"I didn't see any skill... but I certainly saw your stubbornness," Guishan Daoist said with a sneer.

Sai Jinhua quickly said, "Then may I show you the might of my Rat King?"

Guishan Daoist didn't say much, he just pouted and looked arrogant.

"This old tortoise is truly a talent; he gets into character so quickly," Zhou Xuan thought to himself, secretly praising him.

At this moment, Guishan Daoren resembled a fierce, savage, and arrogant deity.

Having received Guishan Daoren's approval, Sai Jinhua stood up and pointed towards a street in the distance.

"Master Dao, look over there."

Following Sai Jinhua's direction, the Taoist priest of Guishan looked in that direction.
As dusk settled over the street, it appeared from afar as if enveloped in a purple aura.

"That street is the one that Zhou Xuan rebuilt using the Heavenly Book. Its appearance is truly magnificent. However, take another look."

Sai Jinhua lowered her head and closed her eyes, communicating with the Rat King through her consciousness.

When she opened her eyes again, the atmosphere of the street had changed.

The vibrant purple aura has transformed into being "enveloped in a dark mist," clearly indicating that it has been entangled by an ominous aura.

What is the significance of this cloud of black mist?

Guishan Daoist's expression softened somewhat, and he asked Sai Jinhua.

"Master Dao, our family's Rat King can infinitely divide its consciousness, and we don't worry about Zhou Xuan finding it."

When the Book of Will rebuilt Mingjiang Prefecture, a portion of the Rat King's consciousness separated and entered the rebuilt streets, merging with them.

Sai Jinhua said solemnly, "Zhou Xuan is very proud of his reconstruction of Mingjiang Prefecture, but he doesn't know that we have already laid a trap. As long as the Rat King gives the order, all the reconstructed streets and houses will be invaded by rat energy, and the residents will be transformed into rat-transformed people."

"Mingjiang Prefecture will become a city of rats."

As Sai Jinhua's words gradually revealed the Rat King's abilities, Zhou Xuan was secretly surprised.

These abyssal rats are quite capable.

"Continue to express your dissatisfaction and force the Rat King to reveal even deeper methods."

Zhou Xuan then formed characters behind the Taoist of Guishan.

Guishan Daoist immediately revealed a disdainful expression, closing his eyes as if he had lost interest in the methods displayed by Sai Jinhua.
But actually, he was organizing his thoughts.

After a moment, he opened his eyes and said, "So what if Mingjiang Prefecture becomes a rat city? My master wants Zhou Xuan's life."

"Zhou Xuan's life is not so easy to take."

Sai Jinhua said, "Zhou Xuan made quite a show of himself in Jingchuan Prefecture today. First, he killed Li, the ghost who had been in charge of eight incense sticks at Mr. Ye's hall, and then he killed a great Buddha in the sky—the Buddha in green robes, which made the moonlight tonight faintly look blood red."

A blood moon in the sky is one of the unusual phenomena associated with the fall of a god-level being.

“If Zhou Xuan weren’t so hard to kill, why would my master need to find someone to join forces with? Since you can’t kill Zhou Xuan, then stop kneeling in front of my Taoist temple and hurry up and get out of here.”

Taoist Guishan directly ordered them to leave.

"Master Dao, wait a moment."

Sai Jinhua stopped Guishan Daoren and said, "I only said it was difficult to kill, not that it was impossible. Our Rat King has another skill, but it requires the cooperation of Bifang."

"If you have extraordinary abilities and can kill Zhou Xuan, my master will naturally cooperate." Guishan Daoist looked up at the sky with his nostrils shrug.

“My Rat King can corrupt Zhou Xuan’s Heavenly Book of Will.”

Sai Jinhua pointed to the sky.

Above Mingjiang Prefecture, there is a city in the clouds, formed from the condensed will of Zhou Xuan...

(End of this chapter)