Slender willows sway in the breeze

Chapter 42 Departure from the Frozen Domain

After resolving the matter, Liu Sijun returned to the Liu residence again in a "sneaky" manner, and Guard Feng immediately reported to Liu Shiyuan.

Unable to obtain any useful clues from Zhu Yingrong, Liu Shiyuan spent the entire night in a state of anxiety and frustration.

Liu Sijun, who had disappeared for several hours, returned.

It was even more unbearable.

I fear that, as Zhu Yingrong said, Liu Sijun overheard their conversation in the ancestral hall and has already become suspicious of Chu's death.

After thinking it over, Liu Shiyuan got up and went to the backyard.

After Chu's death, he sealed off the Hidden Moon Courtyard. This was the first time he had set foot in this place in four years.

To be honest, he wasn't familiar with this courtyard either.

He only came over once, on the night of Sheng Liu Si Jun's birth, and also on the third-day celebration, the hundredth-day celebration, and the first birthday.

There were only four times in total.

They always left in less than 15 minutes.

Liu Shiyuan hesitated to go inside, standing at the courtyard gate, lost in thought.

Lu Danshi lay sprawled on a rooftop not far away, utterly bored.

The disciple sent a telepathic message, instructing him to keep an eye on Hidden Moon Courtyard.

Even when you're bored, you have to keep a close eye on things.

A quarter of an hour later, Liu Shiyuan stepped into Yinyue Courtyard and went straight to Chu's former bedroom. He immediately set up a barrier after entering.

Lu Danshi sat up straight, his eyes gleaming as he stared down below.

The fox's tail is finally about to be revealed; how could I not be excited?

Liu Shiyuan took out a black cauldron from the container. The cauldron was about three feet tall, with a round base. The protruding parts of the cauldron were engraved with hexagonal petal patterns, which were densely covered with the cauldron. A bright green smoke kept rising from the lid of the cauldron.

When Master Lu Dan was still in Yougu Palace, he had seen many alchemy furnaces.

This is truly the first time I've ever seen a cauldron so dark and black, with no discernible material, and engraved with such bizarre patterns.

After taking out the furnace, Liu Shiyuan stood in front of it, his hands constantly forming hand seals, and a bright green smoke instantly filled the entire room.

It appeared eerie and sinister.

What is the taste?
Master Lu's nose twitched slightly as he stared intently at the shimmering green smoke rising from the alchemy furnace.

This is not the aroma of elixirs being refined.

He wasn't entirely sure what it was.

However, one thing is certain: it must be related to the Chu family. Otherwise, why would someone stay up in the middle of the night and come to the Chu family's former bedroom to refine elixirs?

Even a ghost wouldn't believe it if I told you.

About 15 minutes.

Liu Shiyuan then put the furnace away.

The instant the furnace was put away, Master Lu seemed to hear a woman's shrill scream.

When Master Lu came to Qingqiu Courtyard, he told Liu Sijun about what had happened at Yinyue Courtyard in detail. Thinking of that scream, he couldn't help but wonder, "Disciple, could there be a female ghost in his alchemy furnace?"

Master Lu Dan said that he is very skilled at making medicine.

But having lived to this age, he has hardly ever seen any ghosts, let alone any vengeful ghosts who died tragically.

The scream he had just heard sent chills down his spine.

“When I went to Hidden Moon Courtyard last time, there was nothing unusual, and there was no female ghost.”

Cultivating oneself and exorcising ghosts are two different things.

Cultivating immortality focuses on the process of achieving immortality and becoming an immortal. In this process, one will also learn the ways to subdue demons and monsters.

Onmyoji are different.

In his previous life, Liu Sijun had captured countless ghosts, but he lacked spiritual power. Now, with the support of his cultivation, capturing ghosts and exorcising evil spirits is a piece of cake for him.

She tried to gather the soul's essence to search for traces of Chu Shi in this room before her death.

However, nothing was found. "Master, have you sensed any unusual yin energy?"

Master Lu shook his head: "Never."

"But the smell of that smoke is very unpleasant."

"I once read about a kind of evil magic in a book. After a person dies, their soul can be gathered into a furnace and refined. After that, it can be placed in a weapon like a weapon spirit, which can increase the weapon's combat power several times over."

Because only ghosts without any resentment can be used to forge a weapon spirit, otherwise, if one is not careful during the forging process, one will go astray and become an evil cultivator.

In more serious cases, they may become demonic cultivators.

However, after a normal soul dies, it should pass through the gates of hell to be reincarnated.

That's why it's called evil magic.

Master Lu knows alchemy, but what Liu Sijun is saying is something he truly doesn't understand.

Should we tell your grandmother about this?

"Do not."

Liu Sijun said, "It's not time yet. We haven't figured out who the ghost that was refined is, or why it ran to Yinyue Courtyard in the middle of the night."

“He’s not a professional weapon refiner, so he won’t amount to much in the short term. We’ll be setting off for the Frozen Domain early the day after tomorrow. I’ll try to find another opportunity to test him along the way. If I can find something on him, then it won’t be too late to tell Grandmother.”

Master Lu nodded and said, "Qing'er and I will not be with you on this trip, so please be careful in everything you do."

"I see."

September 10
The long-awaited day has finally arrived.

Before dawn that day, the entire Liu family began to get busy. Whether they were going or not, everyone had to come to the martial arts arena to see them off on this special day.

Liu Shiyuan clasped his hands in a fist salute and said with great enthusiasm, "Today, as the head of the clan, I will lead the most outstanding members of the clan to the Frost Domain. I will do my utmost to bring glory to the Liu family."

The old lady said, "As members of the Liu family, when we are away from home, we should stick together as one and work towards the same goal."

As he spoke, he placed his hand over Liu Shiyuan's hand and pressed down heavily: "As the head of the family, you should understand this principle even more!"

"Your son will remember your teachings."

At the beginning of the hour of Mao (5-7 AM), Liu Shiyuan led his team to the government office. When they arrived, the Chu family had already arrived.

Mo Linhou was also there.

Dressed in black, he stood tall and straight on the steps.

Following behind him was Pang Jing, the dark-faced general who had gone to the Qin family to arrest people.

How could it be him.

The Liu, Chu, and Qin families represent the scions of prominent families in Laiyang County. Although scions enter the Frost Domain every year, Laiyang County does not have them every year. The last time was two years ago, when Qin Shuyao and two disciples from the Chu family obtained this qualification.

That's why Liu Shiyuan was anxious.

In June, upon hearing that Yaohua Palace, thousands of miles away, was going to publicly recruit disciples, the three families did not receive an invitation from Yaohua Palace. However, Liu Shiyuan still hurriedly led two disciples from his clan who had already formed their core to rush there.

In the end, they still let him in.

Upon hearing this news, how could the Qin and Chu families let it go? Their patriarchs took the lead, bringing along their best disciples, and they finally caught up the next day.

The gap between them and the scions of noble families in other states and counties was enormous. But at least each family managed to secure two spots to go to the Frozen Domain.

For a noble family to send its scions to the Frozen Domain for training is an achievement for the prefect, and it brings honor to Laiyang Prefecture.

The prefect would usually send a capable assistant to accompany him.

This year is unusual, as the prefect has been dismissed and a new prefect has yet to take office.

But surely Marquis Molin doesn't need to personally intervene?

Not long after, about ten breaths later, Qin Songyu, the eldest son of the Qin family, arrived with two disciples from the clan.

"Sorry to keep you all waiting."

Qin Songyu looked to be around thirty-four or thirty-five years old, with a mole between his eyebrows. He wore a long golden robe, and there seemed to be gold threads hidden in the silk. Under the candlelight, the threads shimmered, making him even more imposing than Mo Linhou.

(End of this chapter)