Day and night tour

Chapter 448 Scarlet Starry Sky

"If I refine this seven-colored pill, I will gain the approval of the heavens and become the alchemist they have placed their hopes on?"

Zhou Xuan gazed intently at every detail in the picture, lost in thought.

"The two souls, day and night, gazed at my pill with a thousand kinds of longing in their eyes. This means that the best way to nourish them is to use this kind of pill."

"The answers to the two matters have been found, and the truth about the third matter... how Hua Zi was saved is about to be revealed."

Zhou Xuan pondered to himself, "Old White Deer really didn't lie to me. The Qi Pill can be used to 'exchange Heaven and Earth' for Hua Zi's life."

That seven-colored elixir, which captivated countless hearts, was the treasure that could be traded for Hua Zi's life.

"Jingzi, you really are still the same Jingzi with thick eyebrows and big eyes. You've done me a great favor."

Zhou Xuan finished viewing the image, and the divination ended, but the work at the Blood Well did not cease.

I see,

In the center of the City God Temple, a blood-red vortex appeared, its rotation extremely rapid.
After the vortex spun at high speed, the crimson waves collided and crashed against each other. As the crimson waves dispersed, the shapes of menacing arms became apparent.

Those were eight arms covered with red silk threads, together supporting a long scroll.

The contents of the scroll resemble an endless starry sky, except that the moon and stars hanging in the sky are all crimson in color.

Upon seeing the "Crimson Starry Sky" painting, Zhou Xuan felt a strange sensation—the painting seemed to have become his personal possession, forming a close connection with him.

"Huh, the Blood Well even comes with some extras."

Zhou Xuan couldn't help but sigh, "Three offerings of nine incense sticks are indeed high-class. Even the service provided by Jingzi has become meticulous."

He waved his hand at the object, and the scroll detached itself from the eight hands in the vortex and flew over automatically.

As soon as Zhou Xuan got his hands on the scroll, he began to study it. However, no matter how he looked at it, he couldn't understand it. He didn't understand what those scarlet stars represented.

But he felt that since the scroll appeared at this point in time, it must be related to the seven-colored elixir.

"If it's related to elixirs, then it must be the formula for those elixirs?"

Zhou Xuan asked, "Jingzi, I want to ask you another question for free. Same rules as before: if you're willing to answer for free, then you can publish the answer. If you want to charge, then you can just stay silent and I'll find the answer myself."

After he finished speaking, he asked Xuejing, "Is this painting a recipe for an elixir?"

Snow began to fall in the temple, but this time the snow was very light, like a poor painter who was saving ink and hastily wrote the character "真" (zhen, meaning true/genuine). The snow then melted away, confirming Zhou Xuan's guess.

"Alright, Jingzi, I've figured it out. The better the food, the better the service. Next time, I'll definitely get you a god-level character with peak combat power so you can try it out."

Last time, Zhou Xuan did gather a group of people and worked together to kill Bi Fang—but that time, too many people were involved, all of whom were "helpers" he had invited. If he didn't distribute "Bi Fang" as a reward... then everyone wouldn't say anything on the surface, but deep down they would have their own thoughts.

"If only I had the strength to kill a god-level being, I could take all the profits from my own work and feed my brothers in the secret realm to their hearts' content."

As Zhou Xuan thought of this, a sigh of "comfort" suddenly came from out of nowhere in the City God Temple.

It seemed that the Blood Well sensed Zhou Xuan's feelings and was encouraging him...

……

The Starry Sky Scroll possessed its own spirit, and it shrank from a long scroll to the size of a palm, where it was taken in by Zhou Xuan.

He left the City God Temple and walked through the Black Water.

To be honest, ever since the Qinghong Fish entered the secret realm, those two little brats, Da Wa and San Wa, have stopped playing games and are only interested in playing with the fish.

"You two take it easy. It's not easy for two fish to eat flesh and blood. Don't let them get skinny before they've even grown any meat."

After giving instructions to Da Wa and Er Wa, Zhou Xuan turned and left.

The two children continued playing with the fish.

Although the two large fish, one blue and one red, are twins born from the same litter, their personalities are completely different.

The grass carp is like an "honest fish," not fond of swimming or making a fuss. It doesn't resist when held by the eldest and third children, and is very well-behaved.

The more this happens, the less the two dolls like to play with it. An overly obedient "pet" is less likely to please its owner.

The red fish is different. It keeps resisting. When it is full of energy, it will pounce on the two babies. When its energy is low, it will rest for a while. When it has recovered its strength, it will take a bite when the two babies are not paying attention.

The third and eldest children always managed to dodge the attacks with an air of nonchalance, followed by bursts of laughter.

Therefore, although the red fish was fierce, the two children were mainly happy to tease it, while neglecting the blue fish's "cloud and rain".

"Hey, big brother, the red fish has escaped."

"What are you standing there for? Chase them!"

The eldest brother immediately led the third brother, excitedly chasing after the red fish, while the blue fish swam to the bottom of the black water.

The bluefish, submerged at the bottom, momentarily lost its "honest" gaze, replaced by a cunning glint in its eyes. It swam along the bottom towards the edge of the secret realm.
They swam away so quietly that Miss Wall and the engineer didn't even notice.
When the bluefish reached the edge of the secret realm, its mouth suddenly opened wide, then opened and closed repeatedly, sucking at the "invisible" wall of the secret realm.

Suddenly,

On that wall, there was a spot where the radiance of life was rapidly fading.

Without vitality, the wall showed mottled, old marks, somewhat resembling a door panel that had been neglected for a long time and had peeling paint.

It also resembles the weathered face of an old man, full of wrinkles.
The bluefish had clearly grown larger.
As if sensing something, the black water immediately stirred up undercurrents around the bluefish. These undercurrents were incredibly powerful, with immense force contained between the currents. If the bluefish were to be careless, it would be crushed to pieces by the two opposing forces of the undercurrents.
But the bluefish, unperturbed, suddenly spat out its puff of liquid towards the wall that it had been sucking, leaving it mottled and worn.

A reflective substance adhered to the wall, and then, after attaching itself to the wall of the secret realm, it began to seep inwards.

Once the objects were fully integrated, the mottled areas on the wall became brand new, even reflecting light like a mirror.

Blackwater, seemingly having discerned the true purpose of the Blue Fish, ceased its surveillance and instead calmed the undercurrents...

……

Zhou Xuan had a strange feeling; he felt as if he had lost some of his life force.
Although he didn't lose much of his life force, he couldn't help but shiver as he faced the powerful wind from Huangyuan rushing towards him.

However, as soon as the Cold War ended, he felt a strange vitality surging within his body.

"Strange, what is this feeling?"

Zhou Xuan used his senses to check his body and then his secret realm.

Even with his powerful senses scanning the "reflective" wall several times, he still found nothing.

Zhou Xuan seemed unable to perceive this layer of "reflection".

"It's weird."

Zhou Xuan's investigation yielded no results, so he had no choice but to leave the secret realm and return to the Fish-Slaying Platform in Huangyuan Prefecture.

On the street, Bai Lu Fangshi, Yun Ziliang, Li Changxun, and the others had all woken up from the hypnosis of the "incense-burning Taoist priest".

The blue and red mist had disappeared from the street, and Zhou Xuan was now focused with his eyes closed. They knew then that Zhou Xuan had successfully guided Pisces.

Such a joyous occasion naturally sparked much discussion, especially among the White Deer Taoist, who was eager to see the Blue-Red Fish for himself.

Yun Ziliang and Li Changxun were all smiles; this master and disciple duo, the Dragon Seekers, were actually in the mood to joke around.

Unlike the relaxed demeanor of these people, Lu Xingzhou actually let out a long sigh of relief.

"Oh dear, if the Master's blue and red fish were stolen from Huangyuan Prefecture, I, Lu Xingzhou, would never know how to face the Master in this lifetime."

He regarded Zhou Xuan as an honored guest, and it was his duty to ensure the safety of the honored guest's person and property within his own territory.

If he fails to fulfill his duty, this somewhat refined but miserable leader will fall into extreme self-blame, and it will probably take him a long time to get out of this self-blame.

"It's alright, everything is alright."

"It's not just okay, it's very pleasant."

Zhou Xuan opened his eyes and picked up where Lu Xingzhou left off.

"Master, has Pisces already returned to the secret realm?"

"Those two fish brought a lot of vitality to my secret realm."

As Zhou Xuan spoke, he glanced around but did not see Zen Master Wuya.

Where is the Zen master?

Zhou Xuan asked.

Yun Ziliang pointed to the fish bones hanging not far away and said, "They're over there."

Before the two fish were even fought over, the fish monk's skin, flesh, blood, and tendons had been looted by the people. Now, only his enormous skeleton remained, hanging on the fish-cutting platform.

Zen Master Wuya sat suspended in mid-air inside the belly of the fish skeleton.

Those stark white bones, as if they had come alive, became soft and pierced through Master Wuya's flesh and blood one by one.

Although Zen Master Wuya did not shout, the "piercing" punishment caused beads of hot sweat to seep from his forehead.

“Zen Master, why are you doing this?” Zhou Xuan asked.

"Master, your Pisces is an opportunity bestowed upon you by the 'Supreme Secret' within my junior brother, who is also a Pisces."

Now that your opportunity has been fulfilled, the remaining task is for this humble monk to activate the supreme secret within your junior brother's bones, allowing the ancient Buddha's avatar, "Six Desires," to seek out the next mortal fool to inhabit and continue guarding the Blood God's will.

At this point, Zen Master Wuya began chanting, and Buddhist sounds filled the air, while the white bones churned wildly within his body.

A chilling flow of blood emanated from Wuya Chan's body, meandering continuously over the white bones.

Zhou Xuan sighed, finding it hard to look at.

"Sir, do you find the reactivation of 'Supreme Secret' quite terrifying and frightening?"

"I have that idea."

"The ancient Buddha was not entirely good, nor was he entirely evil. Among the twenty-one Dharma bodies, there are eleven righteous bodies and ten evil bodies."

When guiding someone to enlightenment, it's like when I enlightened someone in "Joyful Meditation"—their appearance is dignified and their demeanor is graceful.
When guiding evil beings, just like now, it will be even more wicked than any evil method. Please bear with me, Master.

Upon reaching this point, Wuya Chan immediately recited the "Mahavairocana Heart Sutra," and the blazing sun shone brightly, casting its golden light upon the skeleton.

The golden light mingled with the blood, forming one "red-gold Buddha seal" after another. These seals, as they surged and coalesced, eventually transformed into a large fish with a golden back and a red belly.

After glancing at Zhou Xuan and Wuya Chan, the big fish swam up into the sky.

The entire sky was an ocean of giant fish.

"Junior Brother Yu, when you are reborn and walk through the world again, do not make the same mistakes again."

"An evil body is not born evil, nor is a righteous body born righteous. Cultivate your mind and nature, be a good person, and don't let your senior brother suffer this pain of being pierced."

After the big fish flew away, the white bones scattered like sand, and Wuya Chan also fell to the ground.

He picked up a withered sycamore branch from the ground, swept it around himself a few times, and all his tattered appearance vanished.

"Congratulations, sir, on guiding Pisces. Judging from your joyful appearance, it seems that you have found a way to save Benefactor Mu Hua."

"Exactly."

"That's good, that's good. This humble monk can now sleep peacefully and dream of the Four Heavenly Venerables on your Taoist robe."

Wuya Chan left without warning. After bowing his head, the Zen master's personality disappeared, and the real Wuya Chan awoke.

Zhao Wuyai rubbed his dazed head and looked around: "Where did I end up here, buddy?"

"Fool, this is Huangyuan Prefecture."

Yun Ziliang went up and gave Zhao Wuyai a flick on the forehead.

The popping of the chestnuts was neither loud nor muffled, but just the right amount of force.

Lao Yun didn't dig this crack to educate his disciples, it was simply because his hands were itchy - Wuya Chan had been showing up since he came to Huangyuan Mansion, and he was too embarrassed to beat Zhao Wuya.

After holding back for two days, Yun Ziliang was starting to crave it.

"Grandmaster, why did you hit me?"

"This feel is amazing." Yun Ziliang was still enjoying it, feeling a tingling and numb sensation in his fingers, which was very pleasant.

Zhou Xuan called out, "Our affairs in Huangyuan Prefecture are settled. Let's go back to Mingjiang."

“Sir…please rest for another night. There have been many troubles and things have been chaotic today. You must be tired.” Lu Xingzhou said, trying to persuade him to stay.

“Mr. Lu, I have important matters to attend to at Mingjiang Prefecture, so I won’t bother you any longer. Thank you for your help these past two days. If you need my assistance in the future, please feel free to ask.”

"Our green hills remain unchanged, and our clear waters flow forever."

After Zhou Xuan finished speaking with his hands clasped in greeting, he lightly waved his folding fan and said to Yun Ziliang and the others, "Old brothers, let's call it a day."

As soon as he finished speaking, he threw the Cloud Deer Taoist, who had transformed into the ancient book "Cantongqi," into the secret realm and then traveled back to Mingjiang in a day.

Zhao Wuyai looked in the direction where Zhou Xuan disappeared and asked Yun Ziliang, "Grandmaster, I feel like Brother Xuan is a completely different person."

"What has it become?"

"He's become more charismatic, like he's our boss."

"When has he ever not been the boss?" Yun Ziliang said with a smile. "Ya Zi, let me give you a piece of advice: don't mess with your Xuan Ge'er anymore. He made a friend today, and he's really something."

"How powerful is he? More powerful than Grandmaster Li?"

Yun Ziliang glanced at Li Changxun and said, "You'd treat your Grandmaster Li like a pig to be slaughtered."

"I'm tired of hearing people gossip about me, so I'm leaving now."

Li Changxun stirred up a gust of wind and returned to Mingjiang Prefecture.

He only complained that Yun Ziliang was "talking nonsense," but he did not deny that the butcher could slaughter him like a pig. He was still somewhat aware of his own abilities.

……

The group returned to Mingjiang Prefecture one after another.

A large crowd had already gathered at the entrance of "Zhou Family Cleansing Shop," and police officers dispatched by the government were constantly maintaining order.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the master is unwell, so please don't bother him."

Before Zhou Xuan went to Huangyuan Prefecture, there was supposed to be another storytelling session, but he canceled it in order to save Hua Zi.

The reason for stopping the book was that I was unwell.

For the past two days, he has been in Huangyuan Prefecture, not in Jingyipu. People have been coming to visit Zhou Xuan in waves.

Some carried eggs, some carried ancestral herbs, and some were even traditional Chinese medicine practitioners.
Xiao Fuzi was busy receiving one group of guests after another, and she became so busy that she lost a lot of weight.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I have developed some acute illnesses these past two days. These illnesses come on quickly and go away just as fast."

Zhou Xuan appeared at the entrance of the Jingyi Shop and addressed the crowd.

As soon as he appeared, the people at the door became excited and cheered.

"Sir, you've really scared me these past two days. There's still a large part of Mingjiang Prefecture waiting for you to rebuild."

"What the hell are you talking about? We care about Master from the bottom of our hearts. The way you're talking makes it sound like we're blackmailing him."

"That's right! If you can't speak properly, don't talk nonsense. Sir, I brought some tonics with me. Take them back and nourish your body."

Zhou Xuan smiled. He knew that no matter when, as long as there were many people, all sorts of people with ulterior motives would appear.

Take the people in front of the door, for example. Of them, most of them are genuinely grateful to him and care about him. When they heard that he was sick, they thought of coming to visit him.

However, some people, seeing that Zhou Xuan hadn't appeared for two consecutive days, worried that he had run away with the bucket.
Some people were afraid that his illness would come on too suddenly and he would die—so the rest of Mingjiang Prefecture would have to be put on hold.

Zhou Xuan understood human nature, so he wasn't angry at the people who were "speaking nonsense." Instead, he pressed his hand down and said, "I appreciate everyone's kindness, but I've fully recovered and don't need any more tonics."

As for the storytelling, I will continue to perform in the next few days. Please keep an eye out for the news. Please head home now; the streets of Dongshi are narrow and can't accommodate so many people.

His sincere invitation to leave quickly took effect, and the crowd gradually dispersed. In Mingjiang Prefecture, this gentleman held considerable influence.

After everyone left, Zhou Xuancai and Xiao Fuzi from the doorway went into the shop.

"Young master, these people are too enthusiastic. They've been practically trampling the shop these past two days. We can't stop them no matter what we do."

"It's good that people are enthusiastic; when they are enthusiastic, I have more motivation to make vows."

With more wishes,
Zhou Xuan's elixir ingredients would then be inexhaustible.

……

Xiao Fuzi brewed tea for Zhou Xuan and then went to the street to find a water carrier to buy hot water.

Zhou Xuan took a sip of tea in the shop and called out, "Old White Deer, haven't you had enough of those two fish yet? Come out, I need to talk to you."

As soon as he finished speaking, the restrictions on the secret realm were lifted, and the White Deer Taoist, transformed into an open book, fluttered out.

“Sir, those two fish are truly treasures of heaven and earth. I can’t get enough of looking at them.”

"Let's not talk about that now. Let me show you something and see if you can understand it."

Zhou Xuan took out the "Crimson Starry Sky" scroll, which had shrunk to the size of a palm.

The scroll grew larger in the wind, becoming a long scroll two or three meters long.

"This is a pill formula. I know nothing about alchemy right now. Can you help me see how to use this formula?"

Zhou Xuan said...

(End of this chapter)