Day and night tour

Chapter 438 Cutting the Face
Upon hearing the shouts, Zhou Xuan abruptly opened his eyes. He was still sitting in the water of the secret realm.

The black water was still rippling.

The sixth incense stick floated quietly above the black water, and everything seemed unchanged.

Zhou Xuan glanced at the impatient Da Wa and San Wa, frowned and said, "You two rascals, are you giving false information?"

The incense for the Qinghong Fish is still burning, so how did it get stolen?

The eldest son jumped up and down in a panic, saying, "Boss, this incense is incense, and those two fish are two fish. They can't be confused."

Sanwa chimed in, "The one who entered the secret realm is the ancestral soul of the blue and red fish, while the Pisces born from that demonic monk in Huangyuan Prefecture is a newly born Pisces—it still needs to grow stronger."

"Yes, just like our two little babies, they are growing up very well."

At this moment, the third brother rode on the eldest brother's back, only his head showing, and solemnly said, "Chief, those newborn Pisces are supreme magical artifacts for alchemy. My brother and I have already sensed their vigorous spirituality."

"is it?"

"Of course, Pisces is being born, you have to keep an eye on it, otherwise, if someone snatches it away, that would be..."

"It's troublesome."

"Neither of us brothers can fish anymore."

The two children, singing in unison, were like a double act.

"Then I'll go keep an eye on things first."

Zhou Xuan stood up and left the secret realm...

……

The area in front of the fish-cutting platform remained bustling with activity.
Since the nourishing effects of the fish monk's flesh and blood were confirmed, the people of Huangyuan Prefecture went absolutely crazy, flocking over in droves.

Everyone carried some tools: chisels, planes, hoes, sickles, and so on—anything that could cut or separate meat.
The body of that big fish was covered with people, looking from a distance like swarms of leeches sucking the delicious flesh from a piece of plump meat.

"It hurts."

"It hurts."

The fish monk let out a painful howl; his body was riddled with holes and utterly mangled.
The fish monk was covered in wounds, so much so that he couldn't even figure out where it hurt.

But Zhou Xuan didn't feel sorry for him—for the past thousand years, the fish monk, just like these crazy people today, had sucked out the dazzling Buddhist name and countless incense money from the people of the city.

"Congratulations, Master, on being granted entry for six incense sticks."

Wuya Chan sensed Zhou Xuan's even more powerful incense aura and spoke.

"Thank you, Zen Master."

After Zhou Xuan responded, he asked the White Deer Alchemist, "Old White Deer, I'm the sixth incense stick in my lineage, and I specialize in alchemy—what's the name of this branch of my practice?"

"What? You can get into this Sky Dome Hall?"

Bai Lu, the sorcerer, was utterly astonished, and even forgot what Zhou Xuan had just asked.

"What is the Sky Dome Hall?"

Zhou Xuan asked.

"how to say."

The White Deer Alchemist scratched his head, organized his thoughts for a moment, and said, "We alchemists don't actually have a specific altar. It's just that in ancient times, there were many alchemists and qi cultivators, and the Jing Kingdom called us 'Alchemists of the Nine Provinces.'"
Later, a great calamity occurred. It was said that an extraordinary substance was refined in the alchemy furnace, which ran rampant in the world, eventually attracting the attention of ancient Buddhas and Taoist patriarchs, who joined forces to suppress it.

"What is that?"

Zhou Xuan recalled the scene from when he had gained enlightenment—a sky with its eyes gouged out—and his heart tightened. He then asked a question.

"It seems to be a pill demon."

The White Deer Alchemist said, "After that, the important figures of the Jing Kingdom discussed that alchemy was too dangerous, so they sent all the alchemists to the heavens."
Centralized management facilitates supervision, and the transmission of alchemy is also restricted; psychic disciples in the mortal realm are forbidden from comprehending it or establishing connections.

All disciples of the alchemy halls are assigned by the heavens; therefore, although there are many alchemy methods in the mortal realm, no true elixir can be produced.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Xuan felt that the "Nine Provinces Alchemists" group really did have the flavor of "red-hat alchemists".

"Since alchemists can only be appointed by the heavens, how did you master the art of alchemy?"

As soon as Zhou Xuan asked the question, the White Deer Taoist priest raised his head high, straightened his back, and said with an air of grandeur, "This humble Taoist priest was once a celestial being!"

"You've been up in the sky for a few days, look how capable you think you are," Li Changxun said disdainfully.

Zhou Xuan told Li Changxun not to rush to mock him, and asked, "Old White Deer, does that mean my position as a sorcerer was also assigned by Heaven?"

"It doesn't look like it."

The White Deer Taoist's eyebrows furrowed into a deep frown. He strained his eyes and stared intently at the sky, but he couldn't find any clues whatsoever.

"If the heavens were to assign a new sorcerer, a bronze furnace would appear in the sky, with fire inside. The weather today... is wonderful... there isn't even a single cloud."

Seeing no movement in the sky, the White Deer Alchemist sneered again, saying in a very sour tone, "Ah, not all alchemists are the same."

I have a legitimate position, while the senior staff member fell short—he used unorthodox methods.

"If that's how you are, then I'll have to recite a poem... No one will help me rise to the top..."

Upon hearing that Zhou Xuan was going to recite poetry, Bai Lu Fangshi's usual air of superiority vanished. He bowed and scraped, saying, "No, no, no, sir. I was just teasing you. What else do you want to know? I will tell you everything I know."

"Let's stop here for now. From now on, I'll need your guidance on alchemy."

Zhou Xuan said.

"Easy to say, easy to say."

The White Deer Taoist readily agreed.

Although they've taken the Fish Monk from Yunlu Mountain and are currently "rectifying the Dharma," even without the Fish Monk, there's still the Zoroastrian sect.
Those fiends of the Zoroastrian sect are like wolves and tigers. If they come for Cloud Deer Mountain, then the White Deer Taoist will not be able to withstand them, and the mountain will be taken away again.

However, as long as they can establish a connection with Zhou Xuan, the Grand Master of Mingjiang Prefecture has a strong and well-equipped army. What is there to fear from the Zoroastrian sect?
“Xuanzi, we need to make this clear... Once you've finished refining the pill, I need to taste it first.”

Yun Ziliang has already started ordering the pills.

"What kind of relationship do we have? Don't even mention just having a taste, I'll feed you until you're as vigorous as an old man!"

Zhou Xuan was in a good mood and even cracked a joke.

"Oh no, disaster is coming!"

During a lull in the conversation, Wuya Chan suddenly said something.

"What's wrong, Zen Master?"

"A new Pisces is about to be born."

Wuya Zen said.

“This is a good thing,” Zhou Xuan said.

"No...no good..."

……

More and more people gathered in front of the fish-cutting platform, and their emotions grew increasingly volatile.
Ah Niu, who was the first to get the fish, happily drove the oxcart, pulling his mother home.

His mother ate all the fish and meat. Now she is not only healthy, but also has a much better appetite. She was holding the "beef and scallion pancake" that her son bought for her and eating it with great relish.

Forget about looking sickly; her complexion is probably much better than that of ordinary people her age.

"Son, the beef patties smell delicious," the mother said.

"Next time I come to the city to sell mountain products, I will buy some for you."

"My son, I'm so sorry. I was so blinded by that Buddha...fish meat that I forgot you have a mental illness and didn't leave any for you to eat."

"If we try to grab any fish now, we probably won't be able to. Mom's got a really big appetite."

Ah Niu drove the oxcart with a smile and said, "Mother, don't think too much... My madness is fine. If I didn't have that madness, how could I hunt so many prey?"

This illness isn't all bad. When I'm in the mountains, my ears are sharper than a wolf's, and my eyes are brighter than an eagle's. Besides, I heard people talk about it when I was selling mountain produce.

"What did he say?"

"They said that in the Jiang family, there is an organization called the 'Blood Well Society,' whose members are all mentally ill like me. That organization has a way to cure mental illness."

Thinking of the rumors about the "Blood Well Society," Ah Niu felt hopeful about life and said, "Now that you're better, I'll go and buy another batch of mountain produce. After I settle you in, I'll sell the produce and raise money to go to Mingjiang Prefecture. Once I'm back, my daughter and I will start a new life."

Upon hearing Ah Niu's words, his mother quickly prayed, "May the gods protect us, may the Bodhisattva bring good fortune, and may we, mother and son, be healthy and free from illness and disaster."

"Wow, is this fish really that effective?"

The oxcart was moving slowly, and a middle-aged doctor quickly came over and stared at Ah Niu's mother for a while.

This doctor was someone my mother knew very well; it was Doctor Hu. For the past six months, he had been treating her stomach ailment.

"Hello, Dr. Hu."

His mother greeted him, and Ah Niu heard her, stopped the oxcart, got off, and bowed to Doctor Hu.

Doctor Hu then asked, "I heard that you stole fish and meat for your mother to eat?"

“Yes, look at my mother’s complexion, she’s so much better. That fish really worked wonders,” Ah Niu said.

"Let me take your pulse."

Without saying a word, Doctor Hu placed his right hand on his mother's pulse.

That pulse was extremely lively, even more powerful than the pulse of the doctor.

"It really works! It turns out that the rumor that fish can cure all diseases is not just a common saying!"

Hu Langzhong knew the state of Ah Niu's mother's illness better than anyone. Her illness was caused by his "medicine," which was comparable to a slow-acting poison.

At this point, Ah Niu's mother should have been suffering from severe intestinal perforation, but a little fish and meat cured her of such a serious illness!

Thinking of this, Doctor Hu released A Niu's mother's hand and strode towards his clinic.

"Dr. Hu, thank you for your help these past few days. It's almost lunchtime. How about I set up a table at Zuixianlou and invite you for a drink?"

"I'm not drinking anymore, I'm not drinking anymore. I have several important patients waiting for me to treat them. You guys go back first."

Doctor Hu didn't have any important patients to treat; he was thinking about stealing fish and meat.

"The more fish and meat we grab, the better. If we grab a lot, we'll stockpile it. The future reputation of my clinic depends on it."

This doctor understood the value of those fish and meat all too well. As soon as he returned to the clinic, he grabbed a sickle and rushed to the fish-slaughtering platform.

……

The area in front of the execution platform was packed with people, making it impossible to move. When Doctor Hu saw this, and then noticed the large fish hanging in mid-air, its flesh and blood almost completely gone, he realized that the crowd had completely thwarted the fish's movements.

He immediately tried to squeeze in, but there was no way he could get in.

"Get out of my way! Get out of my way! That's all white silver dollars! That's my three-story mansion! Get out of my way..."

Hu Langzhong became enraged and started shouting insults.

However, he wasn't the only one who was eager to grab the fish; everyone wanted to get a piece of the pie. It was all about squeezing through the crowd, there was no question of "giving way."

"Damn it, you're blocking my path to wealth."

This heartless doctor, Hu Langzhong, was not only cruel but also very cunning. He came up with an idea—

"Isn't someone blocking the way?" He moved closer, got close to the person in front of him, and slashed the person's face with the sickle in his hand.

The sickle is so sharp that it doesn't draw blood immediately after a cut; blood will only gush out several seconds later.
Taking advantage of this brief moment, Doctor Hu slipped a few steps to the side, making himself appear as if nothing had happened.

The person who was scratched first felt as if they had been stung by an insect on their face. A few seconds later, the pain began to appear, and they covered their face and cried out in pain.

Then, the blood could no longer be contained and seeped out from between his fingers, staining his entire body red.

"Oh no, oh no, murder! Murder!"

Upon seeing blood, he was reminded of the tragedy of murder, and the people around him erupted into chaos. Taking advantage of the confusion, Hu Langzhong pushed his way forward.

Seeing that he was one step closer to the big fish, Doctor Hu was extremely pleased with himself.
"Just a few more feet closer, just a few more feet closer."

Hu Langzhong was determined to repeat what he had just done, and he was choosing a new target to strike.

This time, he spotted a mother carrying her child while trying to snatch fish—clearly, the mother was going through all this trouble to get medical treatment for her child.

"If I slit this baby's throat, the riots will only get bigger, and then I can step right onto the Fish-Slaying Platform..."

The more he thought about it, the more smug he became, and he swung the sickle in his hand toward the baby on the mother's back.

When the blade was only an inch away from the doll's neck,
clang!
A folding fan flew out of nowhere, knocking away the sickle of the physician, and then a young figure suddenly appeared.

Zhou Xuan delivered a powerful kick to Hu Langzhong's stomach.

Doctor Hu immediately felt the pain and knelt down on the ground.
"I've always heard that the people of Huangyuan Prefecture are fierce and tough, but I never imagined that they would lay a hand on a child for fish and meat."

Zhou Xuan grabbed Hu Langzhong's right hand, stomped on the ground, and a dragon's roar, like rolling thunder, swept across the entire area.

The loud roar came so suddenly that the noisy street fell silent, and everyone was stunned.

The sudden silence filled Hu Langzhong with extreme panic, and the more panicked he became, the more he wanted to "cry wolf."

Taking advantage of the quiet surroundings, and also because I had recovered from the pain in my groin,
He immediately pointed to the woman whose face had been slashed not far away and falsely accused Zhou Xuan, saying, "I just saw it. It was this shameless young man who slashed that woman's face with a knife!"

He just wanted to take advantage of the chaos to steal the fish.

Everyone immediately turned to look at Zhou Xuan, their eyes blazing with fury.
Seeing that public opinion was being manipulated, Physician Hu added fuel to the fire, saying, "This young man is a born scoundrel. Just now, he was about to attack that child, to cut the child's throat... I couldn't stand by and watch, so I tried to stop him, but I couldn't beat him..."

As he spoke, several uninformed villagers, carrying hoes, drew closer and closer to Zhou Xuan, their gazes filled with ill intent.

But Zhou Xuan showed no fear. Instead, he sneered and looked at Doctor Hu as if he were watching a clown: "You smell of medicine in your hands. You are a doctor who dispenses medicine. Doctor, do you know what you are saying?"

“He’s still threatening me. Judging from his accent, he’s not a local. Let’s all unite and teach this outsider a lesson.”

While Dr. Hu was still shouting, a turbid river flowed down from the sky.

The river water pressed down on Hu Langzhong's body like a heavy iron weight, forcing him to kneel down.

"Where did this scoundrel come from, daring to slander the great master?"

Lu Xingzhou emerged from the river. He was a well-known figure in Huangyuan Prefecture, and his appearance, with his fish head, made him very... distinctive!

Among ordinary people, how many don't know him?
"Mr. Lu!"

"Master Lu."

Those who had been mocking Zhou Xuan and gathering together dispersed. Lu Xingzhou used his fan to nudge Hu Langzhong's chin and said...

"Open your dog eyes and take a look—this is Zhou Xuan, the Grand Master of Manjiang Prefecture! The evil monk Yu Heshang, who has been poisoning Huangyuan for many years, was also captured by him. From a certain perspective, the whole fish belongs to the Grand Master. Do you think he would rush to snatch the fish meat?"

Lu Xingzhou's words carried an imposing authority without anger.
Doctor Hu never expected that this young man would have such a powerful background. He immediately panicked and started making wild accusations again.

"My eyes were clouded just now, I mistook someone for someone else. The person who slashed the face wasn't this gentleman, but... but him..."

Doctor Hu pointed to another young man who looked handsome but lacked cunning, trying to shift the blame onto him.

A burst of laughter immediately erupted from the crowd.
"Hahaha, Zen Master Wuya, he's falsely accusing you of cutting your face!"

"That man is the number one monk in Mingjiang Prefecture. Are you sure it was him who cut his face?" Lu Xingzhou said coldly again.

"Who cut the face? Take a look for yourself."

Zhou Xuan had no time to waste on this unscrupulous doctor. He called out to Xiaonao and projected the whole story of the "face-cutting incident" onto the wall in the street.

When Hu Langzhong saw himself in the image, he knew he couldn't deny it anymore, so he quickly changed his tune and knelt down to beg for mercy: "Fellow villagers, I am a local from Huangyuan. I usually save lives and heal the wounded, but today I was just momentarily bewitched..."

Everyone watched as Hu the Physician continued to beg for mercy.

Zhou Xuan touched the tip of his nose and asked the people around him, "In Huangyuan Prefecture, how can people like this, who are like dogs, leave alive? If you're so orderly, what's the difference between you and Mingjiang Prefecture?"

His words actually inspired several enthusiastic men.

They brandished their weapons and lashed out at the unscrupulous doctor.

Three hoes swung down at Hu Langzhong's body simultaneously.

The two horns of the hoe were as sharp as ivory. With such a powerful swing, the six tusks pierced through Hu Langzhong's body.

Doctor Hu lowered his head and saw six iron teeth piercing through his chest and abdomen. He immediately gave a bitter laugh, unable to even utter the word "pain," and died.

“Master Wuya, you are right. When the Qinghong Fish is born, these people become very irritable. I just provoked them with a few words, and those three men killed the doctor without even thinking.”

Zhou Xuan whispered to Wuya Chan.

"The blue and red fish represent the good and evil of the human world. As the saying goes, 'Good deeds go unnoticed, but evil deeds are known to all.' When the two fish are born, evil will take the lead. If we let them continue to steal fish, the people will be influenced by the evil and it may cause a riot."

"I'll divide the rest of the fish."

Zhou Xuan stepped forward and spoke to Lu Xingzhou.

As he was speaking, his senses suddenly wavered. He opened his eyes and saw that there seemed to be two "uninvited guests" on the street.

One of them was sitting in a tree fishing, casting an empty rod without a hook.

The other person was holding a paper doll that looked rather strange.

They spotted Zhou Xuan, and instead of flinching, they clasped their hands in greeting...

(End of this chapter)