Day and night tour

Chapter 422 Raven's Bun Shop

Huangyuan Prefecture and Yunlu Mountain are adjacent to Mudi Lake in Huangyuan.

The lake is not a dead lake; the Huangyuan River is its inlet, and the Xiling River is its outlet.

Stretching between two great rivers, this not-so-large lake, when viewed from above, really does resemble a shepherd boy riding on the back of an ox.

Because the lake breeze makes a sound similar to a flute when it blows through the mountains on both sides, it got the name "Shepherd's Flute".

At this moment, the alarm bells of Huangyuan Prefecture rang continuously, reminding people that a powerful expert had entered the prefecture, and a thick fog immediately rose over Mudi Lake.

The fog came quickly and left just as fast. In a blur, it seemed as if a veil had been lifted, and it receded directly, leaving dozens of fishing boats and covered boats on the lake.

Each boat moved like a spear on the lake, and soon approached the foot of Yunlu Mountain.

However, even after reaching the lakeside, there were still several hundred feet of distance to the foot of Cloud Deer Mountain.
But the boatman of the lead boat didn't stop at all; after reaching the shore, he continued rowing as if he were rowing.

The ship then began to sail on land.

"Land-based boat, the leader of the Bitter Ghosts has arrived."

Li Changxun, with his sharp eyes, could tell what kind of people they were just by looking at the style of the boats traveling on land.

Yun Ziliang also said, "We just came here for a stroll, but the ancient tree and golden bell started wailing, and somehow even the Bitter Ghost Master was summoned."

"What level is the leader of this Bitter Ghosts?" Zhou Xuan asked, somewhat curious.

"It's a bit high."

Li Changxun said.

"How tall is it?" Zhou Xuan asked again.

“Anyway, he should be better than me,” Li Changxun said.

This answer was quite unexpected for Zhou Xuan.

Although he often mocked Li Changxun as a "disgrace to the gods" and the bottom of the class, he was still a god-level being, and there was no reason for him to be inferior to the disciples of a sect in the human world.

"You don't understand. The Bitter Ghost gang is very united. The god-level 'Bitter Ghost' behind them, like the 'Bow Master,' is an ancient god who has lived for two thousand years."

The ruthless members of this sect, even after reaching the Nine Incense Sticks mark, won't ascend to the heavens to slay gods; they'll just stay in the mortal realm, like students who have repeated a grade.

Li Changxun lamented, "So the leader of the Bitter Ghosts is extremely skilled. Even if you were to find the second-to-last person in the Heavenly Vault to deal with this leader, you might not have a chance of winning."

"And who is second to last?" Zhou Xuan asked.

"Nine Palaces."

Li Changxun said, "It is the god-level behind the art of escape."

So this door is really that bad? One is the bottom one, and the other is the second bottom one?

“There’s a reason for that,” Li Changxun said. “Master, don’t forget that the other branches all have methods that are more than nine incense sticks in length.”

After nine incense sticks have burned, the storyteller will present the "Book of Will".

After the nine incense sticks are lit, the tattoo is the "Great God's Image".

However, the techniques used by the two schools, Xunlong and Dunjia, which require nine incense sticks to burn, are the "True Scripture of the Valley" that can only be comprehended after the two schools are united.

Over the years, only Hu Menxi Mountain King has come to understand this "True Scripture of the Valley," comprehending two levels of methods: "The Sage's Boundlessness" and "The Daoist's Inaction."

In the entire world, only Zhou Xuan comprehended the third level of the Valley Scripture, "The Way of the World".

"What a skill! You laymen have all figured it out."

Li Changxun muttered to himself. At that moment, he was thinking, if he could comprehend the "True Scripture of the Valley," how could he be at the very bottom of the rankings? He would at least be third from the bottom.

"Look at your pathetic self," Yun Ziliang said, exasperated, and cursed Li Changxun.

Meanwhile, the ship that was sailing on land had already arrived beside Zhou Xuan and the others.

The boatman asked, "Which heroes are you from, coming to Huangyuan Prefecture? Which boat would you like to take?"

Yun Ziliang raised his voice and said, "Boss Kugui, we're not going to take a boat to Huangyuan, we'll just take a stroll around."

He then pointed to Zhou Xuan beside him and said, "This is the chief scholar of Mingjiang Prefecture, who has some connection with your Bitter Ghost's Coffin Maiden."

"Oh? It's actually Master Da?"

The cabin curtain was lifted, and a middle-aged man stepped out.

He was dressed in a scholar's robe, holding a round fan that women usually used, and his long hair reached his waist, making him look like a scholar with a touch of rouge—if you didn't look at his face.

The face of this leader of the Bitter Ghosts was truly terrifying; he had the head, gills, and scales of a fish, and a sticky liquid slowly dripped from his face.

"Lu Xingzhou of the Bitter Ghost Hall greets the Grand Master of Mingjiang Prefecture."

Lu Xingzhou bowed to Zhou Xuan, and the sticky liquid on his face dripped down little by little.

Zhou Xuan didn't mind, after all, that earth child had hundreds of hands on its body, and he had seen all sorts of big scenes.

He also cupped his hands in a fist and said, "The three of us came to the manor to investigate a strange incident from many years ago. We originally planned to leave after we finished investigating, so we didn't inform the chief in advance. We apologize for the inconvenience."

"It's not an inconvenience at all."

Lu Xingzhou, fanning himself with a round fan, said softly, "Since the day before yesterday, Huangyuan Prefecture and Jingchuan Prefecture have inexplicably joined forces. Our three major branches in Huangyuan, fearing further trouble, have been patrolling the prefecture day and night."
Tonight, we heard the long tolling of the golden bell. We initially thought there was some banditry, but now that we see it's the Great Master, we can finally breathe a sigh of relief.

At this point, he clasped his hands in a fist and said, “Master, I have long admired your name. Although you have not been in the martial world for long, the things you have done are all more famous than the last. I have long admired you. Please come to Huangyuan Water Village for a drink after you have finished your business.”

"The drinking issue is easy to discuss."

Zhou Xuan agreed.

Upon hearing this, Lu Xingzhou laughed heartily and said, "Sir, you are very generous. However, you said you wanted to investigate a strange event from back then, but I don't know what it is. Perhaps I can help you."

His tone was sincere, and Zhou Xuan couldn't refuse. Besides, he did need some "locals" to answer his questions, so he said...
"Mr. Lu, have you ever heard of Master Lu Xue?"

"Of course I've heard of him. Although he passed away hundreds of years ago, his Buddhist name is widely known in Huangyuan."

Lu Xingzhou then said, "But the most famous event in Master Lu Xue's life was that he resurrected his family members twenty years later, breaking the ironclad law of reincarnation. Could the strange event that the Great Master suddenly came to inquire about be this one?"

At first glance, Lu Xingzhou, nicknamed "Fish Head," seemed terrifying, but after exchanging a few more words with him, Zhou Xuan actually developed a liking for him.

The first impression is elegance; whether in speech or gestures, everything reveals a high level of refinement.

My second impression was that he was intelligent; he guessed almost everything about Zhou Xuan's purpose in just a few words.

Zhou Xuan loved dealing with people like this.

He didn't hide anything and said, "I came here precisely because of this strange event."

"This is indeed a strange thing."

Lu Xingzhou said, "Several hundred years ago, among the suffering ghosts, some visited the Buddhist temple of Master Lu Xue and discussed scriptures with him over tea."

What was the outcome of the discussion?

“That’s all there is to it,” Lu Xingzhou said. “According to that bitter ghost disciple, Master Lu Xue’s Buddhist knowledge is quite disappointing. He understands six out of seven of the seven orifices of the ancient Buddhist teachings… but he doesn’t understand the other orifices. Although he has had some contact with the teachings of other Buddhist sects, he doesn’t have much understanding of them.”

Lu Xingzhou's words hit the nail on the head.

Master Lu Xue would tell everyone he met that he was able to revive his family members because of his devotion to Buddhism.

After hearing what Mr. Lu said, it seems that he is not very devout in Buddhism.

“Therefore, his resurrection of his family members must not have been through Buddhism,” Zhou Xuan said.

"That's true, but what methods were used to bring the family members back to life is an unverifiable injustice."

At this point, Zhou Xuan asked, "Mr. Lu, can you tell me, in which year did Master Lu Xue lose her relatives, and in which year were those relatives resurrected?"

"We need to investigate this matter. How long will you be staying in Huangyuan Prefecture, sir?"

"We must wait until the truth about Master Lu Xue's injustice is revealed," Zhou Xuan said.

“Then I will first have my disciple investigate. Once I have found out, I will have my disciple inform the Master of the year.”

"Then thank you very much, Mr. Lu."

At this point, Zhou Xuan bowed and said, "Mr. Lu, you are busy with official duties, and we also intend to go to Yunlu Mountain to investigate matters, so we will take our leave now. When I have some free time, I will go to Huangyuan Water Village to ask you for a bowl of water and wine."

“Sir, you are a man of few words, so I will not mince words. Let us part ways here. Please.”

"Please." Zhou Xuan and the others bowed and left.

……

After bidding farewell to Lu Xingzhou, Zhou Xuan, Li Changxun, and Yun Ziliang entered Yunlu Town.

Yunlu Town is located at the foot of Yunlu Mountain. The town is larger than ordinary towns and can be compared with some prosperous county towns. It is no exaggeration to call it an important town.

By this time, dawn was breaking, and an inn had already opened its doors.

This inn also serves breakfast, offering mutton soup, spicy soup, and various kinds of noodles, steamed buns, mutton shumai, and more.

Zhou, Yun, and Li, smelling the aroma, were immediately tempted.

"Want some?" Zhou Xuan asked.

"That goes without saying, I could hear my master's stomach rumbling just now."

"It smells good, it does smell quite good." Yun Ziliang did not deny it.

Zhou Xuan then entered the inn, found the waiter, asked for three guest rooms, and also picked out some food items.

Before long, the waiter brought out a tray with three bowls of steaming hot mutton soup, three baskets of steamed buns, three steamers of shumai, and a pot of hot tea.

"This pot of tea is a complimentary gift from our shop; it helps to cleanse the palate."

After the waiter set out the tea and food, he handed Zhou Xuan three keys and said, "Sir, the rooms have been prepared. They are Shui Lu, Wu Zhen, and Ming Xing on the third floor. Here are the keys. If you need hot water or bedding, just look for me."

"Water and Land, Enlightenment, and Understanding One's Nature are all terms used in Buddhist scriptures. You named your guest rooms after Buddhist terms?" Zhou Xuan asked. "Sir, we are a Buddhist town. The Maha Temple on the mountain is very famous. The people in the town are all lay Buddhists from all over the country. Our inn receives lay Buddhists every day, so naturally we have to create some unique features."

Zhou Xuan nodded, signaling the waiter to go ahead and get busy, while Li Changxun and Yun Ziliang at the table were slurping their food.

Lamb shumai, one bite at a time!
The beef and fennel buns are so delicious that the soup bursts out when you bite into them.

Yun Ziliang was only focused on eating, while Li Changxun urged Zhou Xuan to eat: "Master, the shumai and steamed buns are so delicious."

"Is it so delicious?"

Although Zhou Xuan didn't eat any, he could smell a stale odor from the juice that splashed out of the buns when the two elders were eating them.

If a food smells bad, how delicious can it be?

"It's really delicious, it has a... a... elixir flavor."

Li Changxun's description piqued Zhou Xuan's interest. He grabbed a steamed bun, broke it open, and was about to eat it.

Suddenly, he heard the sound of "drinking water" again, exactly the same as the sound he had heard in the secret realm not long ago.

His body immediately reacted to the stress, and even the steamed bun in his hand suddenly seemed repulsive.

"I'm not eating anymore. I'm going upstairs to take a nap. If you're finished eating, come upstairs and wake me up."

After saying this, Zhou Xuan put down the steamed bun in his hand, drank a cup of tea, wiped his hands with a handkerchief, and went upstairs.

"Xuanzi is really unlucky. These buns are so delicious."

Yun Ziliang grabbed another steamed bun in each hand and stuffed it into his mouth in big bites.

"It's really delicious, Grandmaster. Can you taste the flavor of an elixir in the bun?"

"What kind of elixir-like flavor is this?"

“It’s the pill I gave you yesterday,” Li Changxun said.

As Yun Ziliang chewed on the filling of the steamed bun, he pondered the taste and said, "It really does... taste a bit like an elixir. Are your elixirs made from steamed buns?"

"How would I know?" Li Changxun hadn't had enough steamed buns and shumai, so he waved and called to the waiter, "Waiter, two more baskets... four baskets of steamed buns, all with mutton."

"Okay," the waiter replied.

……

Zhou Xuan went upstairs, opened the door to the "Water and Land" guest room, and sat on the bed.

He always felt that the steamed buns at this inn were a bit strange.

"Why do Li Shanzu and Lao Yun eat so happily when it tastes so bad to me?"

Zhou Xuan became suspicious and wanted to investigate further.

He immediately put on the "Taoist Ancestor Mask," used the technique of breathing for a thousand years, and hid in the cracks of heaven and earth.

He walked out of the guest room like an invisible man, down the stairs, and all the way to the kitchen door.

At the kitchen doorway, three men in long robes and top hats stood leaning against the door, chatting idly.

These three people exuded an aura of perception.

"They are all people with connections and influence, and their status is not low, three incense sticks... or four incense sticks?"

Zhou Xuan pondered for a moment before speaking.

In this small inn, three disciples of the Taoist priests stood guard at the kitchen entrance, patrolling with their senses.
What does this mean?
This suggests that there might be some unspeakable secret hidden in the kitchen.

What's in the kitchen?

Zhou Xuan walked in confidently.

The kitchen at this guesthouse is spacious and divided into two areas, separated by a glass door.

One of the areas is specifically designated for waiting.

A dozen or so people, men and women, sat sadly on the sofa, waiting anxiously.

The other area is the actual kitchen area.

In the kitchen, there was a large pot with more than a dozen pale-faced sheep boiling inside.

Zhou Xuan leaned closer to the pot and examined it carefully; it was indeed a sheep.

Sheep's head, sheep's neck, sheep's body—it's absolutely true.

"Why are there disciples patrolling and so many people waiting at the gate just to cook a lamb?"

As Zhou Xuan was wondering, the old cook tossed a seasoning packet into the pot.

The way lamb is cooked varies from place to place. In some places, lamb is simply boiled in water with a little salt added, and that's considered seasoning.

However, in some places where people can't stand the smell of mutton, they'll add spice packets containing star anise, fennel, bay leaves, etc., to remove the muttony smell and enhance the aroma.
This ingredient packet isn't anything special.

But what's strange is the ingredient package itself.

Once the spice packet is added to the mutton soup, it reveals colors such as blood red and reddish-yellow.

What's in the ingredient packet?
Zhou Xuan turned his head and went to the corner of the kitchen, where he saw a man who looked like an apprentice pressing the ingredients in the spice packet with a stone mill.

Zhou Xuan took a closer look and realized that this was not a seasoning packet at all—what were the ingredients in this seasoning packet?
Blood-red cinnabar, clear yellow bezoar, and many other minerals that Zhou Xuan couldn't name.

When the apprentice was rolling the material bag, he used extremely force, making a crackling sound.

"This doesn't even look like a spice packet... It contains cinnabar and bezoar... It looks more like an alchemy kit?"

Zhou Xuan suddenly had this idea, but it wasn't entirely unexpected, given that Li Changxun's comment about "the taste of elixir in the steamed bun" had been a good precedent not long ago.

“One of the sheep has been thoroughly cooked; it’s time to get up.”

After the old cook shouted something, his two young apprentices each took an iron fork and speared a cooked lamb out of the pot.

This sheep, perhaps because it was overcooked and became bloated, had a very bulging belly.

The old cook was very quick; he immediately used a knife to cut open the sheep's belly.

With a "plop," a baby rolled out of the cut-open sheep's belly.

The baby was covered in bruises and looked quite terrifying, and there was a blurry raven tattoo on his belly.

Zhou Xuan's heart skipped a beat. Sure enough—the lamb being cooked in the kitchen wasn't lamb at all.

"Is it a rip-off?"

Zhou Xuancai had an idea when he saw the old cook take a wooden fish, place it on the baby's belly, and gently tap it while chanting Buddhist scriptures.

The raven tattoo on the baby's belly, amidst the Buddhist scriptures and the sound of the wooden fish, seemed to flutter and take flight.

"A mouse crying over a cat is just a charade."

As Zhou Xuan was inwardly complaining, suddenly, the old cook stopped playing the wooden fish and reciting scriptures, and called out towards the door, "Liu Fu, Wang Guo."

As soon as he finished speaking, a man and a woman stood up in the waiting area outside and helped each other into the kitchen.

Judging from their affectionate manner, they are clearly a married couple.

As soon as the man came in, he took out a black cloth that he had prepared beforehand and began to wrap the baby.

The woman knelt down and kowtowed, saying to the old cook, "Thank you, Master, for performing the ritual for my Ling'er."

The old cook said nothing, but dipped his finger into the boiling soup, took a drop, and placed it on the woman's forehead.

The woman kowtowed again, while the man, having already wrapped the baby, also kowtowed to the old cook. Then, the man and woman left, expressing their deepest gratitude.

The old cook then solemnly rinsed the mutton, chopped it up, and made steamed buns...

Zhou Xuan had to admit that he was shocked by the series of events unfolding before him.

He originally thought it was a shady shop, and that he was buying "solid meat buns," but although the old chef was cooking "humans and sheep together," he ended up only using sheep and not people.

He thought the baby in the sheep's belly was originally obtained by the cook through illegal means, but he never expected that it was a couple who took the initiative to teach the cook how to "exorcise" the baby.

"The whole thing seems really weird."

Even after seeing this, Zhou Xuan still couldn't understand what the cook did.

But he was certain of one thing: this inn held some strange and unusual things.

He immediately went out and, in a secluded place, revealed his true self before walking up to Yun Ziliang and Li Changxun, about to tell them the truth he had seen in the kitchen.

"If Lao Yun and Li Shanzu knew how the steamed buns they were eating were made, they would definitely tear this shop down."

"Old Yun, Old Li, stop eating the steamed buns..."

Just as Zhou Xuan was about to tell the two the truth, an old man who was eating pulled Zhou Xuan aside and said, "Young man, I noticed you didn't eat any steamed buns. It would be a shame if you didn't."

"why?"

Zhou Xuan asked.

The old man smiled and said, "You're in luck today. A high-ranking monk from the Maha Temple is cooking mutton soup made with 'ravens' and has made big meat buns. Eating them will bring you many benefits."

"Raven?"

Zhou Xuan didn't quite understand, but he remembered that the baby who was "cooked with sheep" did indeed have a "crow" tattoo on its belly.

The old man got angry and said, "You're obviously from out of town in Yunlu Town, but how come you don't even know what a raven is? Didn't you do your homework beforehand?"

"I really do not know."

Zhou Xuan said, clearly this old man knew his stuff. He suppressed his temper and asked, "What is a raven?"

(End of this chapter)