No taboos

Chapter 439 Mortal Gods (Three-in-One)

Young Master Miao and Zhu Zhanlei shrank back and lowered their heads, like two quails in a storm, not daring to utter a sound.

Even without looking up, the two were quite certain that Lord Xu was staring at them with a murderous gaze.

But what can we do?

You sent someone to make the appointment at noon, and the two of them arrived in the afternoon.

And something strange happened... Zhu Zhanmei seemed to have a premonition; this time, she entered the yamen without being announced, and did so quietly.

She used to come with great fanfare.

We were happily discussing how to have fun that evening when she caught us red-handed.

Brother, I can barely take care of myself.

Moreover, you're being watched very closely, so who would be willing to tip you off?

But Xu Yuan really just wanted to tease Young Master Miao and Zhu Zhanlei.

Ping Tianhui entered Champa three times, and his behavior was quite eccentric.

After much deliberation, Xu Yuan realized that although acting with Young Master Miao would guarantee success, there was still a slight possibility of "unexpected events."

That's when I thought of the white fox.

Now that I've caught her red-handed, how can I not take advantage of it?
So he sent someone to invite Young Master Miao and Zhu Zhanlei to the Baiyue Pavilion.

Xu Yuan was still a little puzzled. Zhu Zhanmei often traveled between Luocheng and Zhancheng for official business, but what was Xu Miaozhi doing here?
Zhu Zhanmei raised her handsome eyebrows at Xu Yuan and said, "Let's go to Baiyue Pavilion."

Just go!
Who is afraid of whom!

Xu Yuan straightened his back and headed towards Baiyue Pavilion.

I have nothing to be ashamed of.

Xu Miaozhi looked puzzled, seemingly surprised and confused.

Zhu Zhanmei secretly watched, and for some reason felt a little smug: See? This guy is a womanizer, not as good as you thought before!
Xu Yuan sighed to the moon, "I really did go there to investigate a case."

Fortunately, I can't help but gaze at the moon today.

Xu Miaozhi was puzzled: Why are you explaining this?

Xu Yuan waved his hand, changing the subject: "Why did you come to Champa?"

"I have come to oversee the construction of the military fortress at the river channel camp."

The decision to station troops outside the wharf of Champa was made by the imperial court before Xu Yuan went to Luocheng.

This time, the official document was issued.

Xu Yuan said "Oh," and then felt there was nothing more to say.

She glanced furtively at Zhu Zhanmei beside Xu Miaozhi, and took the opportunity to reveal her plans for the night: "The Pingtian Society has come again, and they've brought a drop of so-called holy blood..."

Zhu Zhanmei listened quietly to the side without offering any opinion.

However, the faces of Young Master Miao and Zhu Zhanlei alternated between red and white, eventually turning into a purplish-brown color.

Gritting his teeth in secret!

That's going too far! You knew she was a vixen, but you kept it from us and secretly laughed at us!
But if you really want to say that the two of them were extremely angry... well, not really.

More often than not, it's about losing face.

A fox spirit has bewitched them for so long, and they still haven't realized it!

But deep down... think about it: a vixen? Actually, it's not unacceptable, right?
We cannot discriminate or treat humans and demons differently.

You should know that fox spirits have been the dream of scholars for thousands of years during the Ming Dynasty.

When they reached the entrance of Baiyue Pavilion, Xu Yuan finally explained the Pingtian Society's affairs, then let out a long breath and prepared to knock on the door.

Xu Miaozhi suddenly said, "Actually, some social obligations are unavoidable among men, and there's no need to take them too seriously when it comes to just playing along."

Xu Yuan turned around in surprise and saw that Xu Miaozhi truly thought so, completely at ease.

This was the prevailing atmosphere throughout the Ming Dynasty, or rather, this has been the prevailing atmosphere in Zhengzhou for thousands of years.

Xu Miaozhi's father and her thirteen uncles were the same; of course, they didn't consider it a "sin."

Those women who truly care will often leave a mark in unofficial histories or scholars' notes.

Because they are the "different".

As soon as Xu Miaozhi said this, Zhu Zhanmei's expression turned somewhat unpleasant.

Your puzzled look just now wasn't because Xu Yuan had damaged his image in your mind...

Is it because you think it's not a big deal?!
Did I get all excited for nothing?

Zhu Zhanmei was dressed in a smart outfit, looking heroic and spirited, with her hands behind her back.

Zhu Zhanlei, who was behind, saw his third sister clench her hands tightly.

Xu Yuan stepped forward and knocked on the door. After a while, the door opened a crack—but it wasn't the white fox's maid who opened the door; instead, it was two fox sisters.

Xu Yuan sent someone to meet with Miao Dashao and Zhu Zhanlei at noon, and of course also notified Bai Hu, telling her not to receive guests tonight.

The two little foxes were timid in the face of Xu Yuan.

He stammered, "My young lady isn't feeling well today..."

Xu Yuan pushed the door open without any hesitation and barged in.

The fox sisters wanted to obey their aunt's instructions to stop them, but they didn't dare to step forward. They pitifully hid to the side, as if they were about to cry—which made Zhu Zhanlei feel heartbroken!
Zhu Zhanmei was taken aback. Xu Yuan's behavior showed no "tenderness" towards women, indicating that there was nothing improper between him and the owner of Baiyue Pavilion.

Zhu Zhanmei's mood suddenly brightened.

Xu Yuan barged in and entered the white fox's bamboo hut, but she wasn't there. He slammed his fist on the table inside the hut and shouted, "Come out right now! Don't force me to punish you!"

Even the white fox dared not truly hide from Lord Xu.

If you really don't come out, then don't show up in Champa again.

The white fox, exuding a lazy, sickly beauty, emerged from behind a screen.

She gave Lord Xu a resentful look and said, "Your Excellency really has no mercy for women."

Her voice was a mix of coquettishness and a touch of hoarseness, both pleasing to the ear and captivating to the heart.

Unfortunately, Lord Xu is completely oblivious to romance.

Both Miao Dashao and Zhu Zhanlei felt a surge of pity.

Even though she already knew she was a fox.

Zhu Zhanmei glanced at the screen; it was as thin as a layer of gauze, and there was definitely no way to hide anyone behind it.

But the white fox came out from behind that.

No one knows where she is hiding.

However, it can be proven that Xu Yuan's statement that her strength was unfathomable was not unfounded.

"I need your help," Xu Yuan said, getting straight to the point.

To deal with a cunning old fox, don't try anything convoluted; you can't outsmart her.

This directness, ironically, made it difficult for the white fox to cope.

“My lord,” the white fox said frankly, “as you know, I am certainly not good at direct combat.”

That makes a lot of sense, but Lord Xu won't listen.

"Do you need to prepare anything? If not, let's set off now, time is of the essence."

The white fox rolled its eyes and changed tactics again: "Xu Yuan, you should know who's behind us. You've really got me killed, and he won't let you get away with this!"

I can tell you, he has the power to wreak havoc on the entire Jiaozhi region!

Xu Yuan only had one thing in mind: "If you obediently work for me, I can turn a blind eye in the future. Otherwise..."

The white fox was furious; this little thing was so stubborn!

"Yes, Your Majesty—" The white fox adopted a coquettish expression, portraying herself as "forced into a corner," "lonely and helpless," and "a weak woman."

Her "charm" has indeed permeated her habits.

And every move he made was actually "ill-intentioned," with the intention of deliberately provoking misunderstandings from any woman around Xu Yuan.

This is also part of her spiritual practice.

Xu Yuan turned and walked out. The white fox had already made preparations and brought everything it needed to.

As they were leaving, the white fox casually said to the two little foxes, "You two come along too."

The fox sisters pouted, clearly unwilling but not daring to disobey.

The group walked through the city.

Zhu Zhanlei and the others were very puzzled: Why are all the evil spirits in the city avoiding us?
This is the time when evil spirits come out in force at night.

In order not to alert the enemy, Xu Yuan and the others did not reveal their strength.

Seeing so many living people, those little evil spirits will surely rush up excitedly—they'll only sense the strength of the group when they're at least a zhang or two away, and then they'll be scared away.

But these little evil spirits are often so frightened that they turn around and run away from just across the street.

Zhu Zhanlei thought it over and over, but he couldn't bring himself to suspect the pair of fox sisters.

They... seemed to be the least threatening in the entire group.

Little did they know the formidable reputation of the fox sisters in Champa at night!

So, relying on the "intimidation" of the fox sisters, the group quickly arrived at Sanpingfang.

Once there, the white fox asked, "Lord Xu, can you tell me now who you're dealing with tonight?"

Xu Yuan nodded: "The Pingtian Society."

Then he briefly described the situation in the new branch of the Pingtian Society.

The white fox's eyes darted around as she said, "My lord, I have some information about the Pingtian Society..."

"Speak quickly."

"It is possible to do so, but..." The white fox looked oppressed again: "Could you use this information to gain a little pity from Your Excellency? Please don't force me like this in the future?"

Xu Yuan agreed without hesitation: "No problem. I will definitely discuss anything with you in advance."

Discussions are one thing, but in the end, things must be done according to my wishes.

You may offer your opinions, but I may also reject them.

The white fox knew immediately that this was an invalid promise.

She was secretly furious. How come her "law" had no effect on the little thing at all?
This feeling was stronger this time, though it had been the same before.

The white fox is knowledgeable and experienced.

She immediately guessed: "He has a new destiny? So he's more resistant to my 'law'?"

This is a very important matter; I must inform my elder brother immediately tomorrow.

Xu Yuan was already urging, "Hurry up and say it."

White Fox: "The Pingtian Society is nothing more than a pawn. Behind them is the largest religious sect in the southwest of Zhengzhou: the Chan Sect."

The so-called "Great Sage Who Pacifies Heaven" is one of the eight great protectors of the Repentance Sect.

When the imperial court was conquering Jiaozhi, the Great Sage Pingtian suddenly gained a group of followers, established the Pingtian Society, and spread his influence throughout Jiaozhi.

Compared to the Repentance Sect, the Pingtian Society's strength is negligible. It's said that the Repentance Sect has at least five top-tier members. That Grand Master is very likely a first-rate figure!

Xu Yuan shook his head and said, "This is not important intelligence. Both the Exorcism Division and the Mountain and River Division have it recorded in their secret files."

Xu Yuan had indeed seen it.

Even Zhu Zhanmei and Xu Miaozhi, who were standing next to them, showed no surprise.

The white fox said, "I haven't finished yet. Does my lord know the origin of this so-called Great Sage Equaling Heaven?"

Xu Yuan thought for a moment, then shook his head: "I don't know."

There is no record of this in the confidential documents.

There is only one guess: it might be a powerful evil spirit, weaker than "Lord Ruan Tian".

The white fox said, "The so-called Great Sage Who Pacifies Heaven is actually an ancient statue that was discovered by the Chan Sect more than a hundred years ago in a remote, uncivilized area in the southwest of Zhengzhou."

This deity has a human body and a bull's head, and possesses all sorts of evil and strange qualities. It is made of a mixture of materials such as stone, wood, fur, metal, and gemstones, and its entire body is filled with filth. It is said that when it was born, it permeated three hundred miles!
It took the Repentance Sect a great deal of effort to subdue them.

Afterwards, the Chan sect searched through all the ancient texts but could not find the origin of this god. They could only speculate that it originated in the distant past, perhaps from some ancient tribe.

At this point, the white fox asked, "How could something like this have any 'holy blood'? And how could it have offspring?"

Moreover, it is said that three years after the Pingtian Society was established, no one ever saw the so-called Great Sage Pingtian again.

Even the higher-ups of the Repentance Sect remained tight-lipped about this matter.

Xu Yuan frowned, disagreeing with the white fox's words.

Because we cannot use common sense about humans and demons to explain evil spirits, especially when it comes to great evil spirits like the Great Sage Equaling Heaven and Lord Ruan Tian.

They have a special method for procreation: sympathy.

It can impregnate a female without even physical contact.

If the fetish is even more unusual, it can even impregnate a male.

As for the "holy blood," that's even simpler.

Leaving aside the Ming Dynasty, if you bring Asmru over, he can tell you dozens of stories about "stone statues shedding blood and tears".

The white fox, observing Xu Yuan's expression, knew that what she said had failed to gain his approval.

Lord Xu has been in the Exorcism Bureau for more than half a year now. He has seen a lot of secret files and is no longer as ignorant as he was when he first came to Champa.

The white fox had no choice but to reveal the most important piece of information it possessed about the Pingtian Society: "It is highly likely that... there is some entity within the Repentance Sect that uses the Pingtian Society as a shell, claiming to be preaching for the Great Sage Pingtian, but in reality, it is stealing the Great Sage Pingtian's power!"
The so-called "Great Sage's offspring" is likely because he is about to complete the final step!

Everyone present was finally taken aback.

Xu Yuan subconsciously asked, "The Great Sage Equaling Heaven has already submitted to the Repentance Sect. Among the higher-ups of the Repentance Sect, who would want His power? Is it really necessary to go to such great lengths?"

“The Great Sage Equaling Heaven may not have submitted, but rather reached some kind of agreement with the Repentance Sect,” the White Fox said. “The eight great protectors of the Repentance Sect are all saints outside the sect.”

Moreover, those who plotted against the Great Sage Equaling Heaven may not have been human.

There are thirty-four 'worldly gods' in the Repentance Sect, and you may be one of these thirty-four.

If it is indeed a high-ranking member of the Repentance Cult plotting to seize the power of the Great Sage Equaling Heaven, then upon success, he might become the thirty-fifth worldly deity of the Repentance Cult.

This is of great significance to the Repentance Sect, as they are only one step away from completing the thirty-six Heavenly Spirits in their secular world.

Xu Yuan: "What effect does gathering all thirty-six mortal gods have on the Repentance Sect?"

"In the Repentance Sect, there has always been a legend of unknown origin: if thirty-six mortal gods could be gathered together, a small heavenly court could be established!"

Xu Yuan's heart skipped a beat. What a boastful tone!
However... given the current situation in the mortal world, the gods in Heaven are not performing any miracles. Could it be because evil spirits have disturbed Heaven?

The original Heavenly Court had some problems...

Even the Repentance Sect dares to boast about a "mini Heavenly Court".

After saying all that, the white fox was ultimately trying to tell Xu Yuan: "My lord, I have already explained the pros and cons to you."

If this so-called descendant of the Great Sage is truly a member of the Repentance Sect, ascending to the status of a mortal deity, then trying to stop him... would be incredibly dangerous.

Xu Yuan, however, remained resolute and unmoved.

In a courtyard ahead, a faint, dark red light flickered.

That was the new branch of the Pingtian Society established in Champa.

Xu Yuan waved his hand, and the group quietly slipped in.

Everyone present had the means to conceal their aura or even alter their appearance.

Xu Yuan led the way and met up with Miao Yan, who had been waiting there, in a nearby alley.

Miao Yan led them to a walled area and then imitated a few cricket calls.

A person climbed over the wall.

It was Miao Yan who arranged for an inside agent to infiltrate the Pingtian Society.

The informant whispered, "Gentlemen, everything has been arranged according to Lord Xu's instructions. Please come in with me."

Behind the wall is a small courtyard.

A dozen or so low-ranking members lived in this courtyard.

They've all been completely captivated by the inside man.

Xu Yuan then said, "Everyone, choose one and pretend to look like them."

The white fox said, "Let me do it."

With a flick of her sleeve, she transformed everyone into the congregation.

Foxes are indeed very skilled at this kind of appearance-changing technique.

Then everyone worked together to help the inside agent carry the drugged members over the wall.

Miao Yan led his men to meet them outside and secretly escorted the followers away to avoid being discovered.

After doing all this, they heard someone impatiently urging from outside the courtyard: "Big Head Mao, what's going on in your courtyard? The Dharma assembly is about to start, hurry up!"

The inside man responded repeatedly, "Coming, coming..."

He opened the gate to the courtyard and led everyone to the backyard.

Along the way, members of the congregation opened their doors and came out from each courtyard, flowing together like streams into the main stream and into the backyard.

The mansion was not large, but the Pingtian Society had secretly bought three other adjacent mansions.

Each courtyard housed about ten people, all of whom gathered in the backyard of the main house, totaling around three hundred people.

This backyard was originally a garden with artificial hills and ponds, but the original owner's skills were limited, so it was just a garden and far from being elegant.

However, after Pingtianhui bought the place, they made some changes.

After altering some of the stones and vegetation, the entire backyard became quite bizarre.

As soon as Xu Yuan entered the garden, he felt as if he had entered the lair of some great evil spirit.

That artificial hill originally had a small cave built into it.

In the darkness of night, the cave resembled a dark vortex, threatening to suck everything around it in.

When all the congregation arrived at the garden, they became wooden and stiff, and simply followed the person in front of them into the cave.

Xu Yuan and the others followed the flow of people inside.

Xu Yuan was sure he hadn't misread it: when he entered the cave, the entrance seemed to move like lips.

The cave descended downwards, and after about seven or eight zhang underground, a huge hall appeared in front of us.

This is clearly a newly excavated site.

It is two zhang high and thirty zhang wide.

The surrounding area and the top of my head were all mud, and it had never been reinforced.

However, right in the center there was a wide avenue, about two zhang wide, paved with huge stone slabs.

These stone slabs are clearly very old, covered with traces of erosion from the years, which contrasts sharply with the newly excavated underground hall.

On both sides of the ancient stone road, ten braziers were lit, with flames four or five feet high, burning quietly, their black and red colors intertwined.

As Xu Yuan followed the crowd, he secretly glanced at the fire pit and saw that the fuel in it was actually skeletons!

At the end of the ancient stone road, there is a huge, hot stone well.

The rocks at the wellhead are the same as those on the road.

Black mist surged in the well—Xu Yuan glanced inside and felt that something was watching him from within the mist, even feeling as if his soul was being pulled into the well by that "gaze."

"Big Head Mao!" someone suddenly called out.

One person, whose status was clearly higher than the others, came to their side.

The informant immediately put on a blank expression and bowed, replying, "Protector Lin."

"People from your courtyard, stand over there." Protector Lin pointed to a spot next to the stone well.

Around the stone well, four groups of people had already taken up positions according to the Bagua (Eight Trigrams) directions.

Mao Datou obeyed and led everyone to stand there.

Protector Lin said, "Tonight is the time for you to offer your sacrifice to the Great Sage Equaling Heaven!"

Mao Datou looked honored and excited: "It's finally our turn!"

Three more groups of people then stood up, all of them as excited and breathing heavily as Mao Datou.

After making arrangements for everyone, Protector Lin drew a whip and flicked it in mid-air:
Snapped!
Snapped!
Snapped!
With three cracks of the whip, Protector Lin shouted, "Silence!"

This is just a procedure; nobody is making a fuss.

"Please, Chairman Qiao—"

Suddenly, streams of black mist emerged from the cracks in the ancient stone road, the mist intertwining like vines before dispersing again.

Then four people appeared.

The man at the very front, known as "Master Qiao," was tall and thin, but his entire body was shrouded in a black robe.

Their heads and faces were completely covered.

Only on his chest, there appeared to be a special pattern drawn with blood.

The pattern resembles a skull bull's head, or perhaps a ball of flame.

As Master Qiao traveled along, he kept changing and eventually became a living being!
The other three leaders followed behind him.

The vice-chairman walked to the stone well and performed a complex ritual to worship it.

He was muttering incantations, but the voice was not human at all!
Xu Yuan felt both pain and itchiness in his ears.

My scalp twitched uncontrollably a few times.

It was only by using the power of "no taboos" that it was suppressed.

Xu Yuan sensed something was wrong and quietly glanced to the side. Sure enough, Zhu Zhanlei was already somewhat dazed and blank.

Xu Yuan thought for a moment, then temporarily activated the "branding technique" to quickly brand a layer of "unrestricted" power.

This technique, which was used to create a life-altering technique, quietly landed on Zhu Zhanlei.

The effect of this life-saving technique was very weak, but it was enough to help Zhu Zhanlei resist the infection.

Zhu Zhanlei's eyes flickered slightly, and he regained consciousness.

(End of this chapter)