No taboos

Chapter 520 The Old Demon

In the main hall, Luo Bei and Zhu Zhanlei finally got down to business.

Luo Bei talked at length about the local customs and sights he had encountered along the way, and then brought up the topic of local evil spirits.

This topic made Zhu Zhanlei particularly uncomfortable.

Since we're talking about local customs and culture, we can't leave out Xieliu Lane.

The White Moon Pavilion is the top choice in Xieliu Lane...

Zhu Zhanlei thought with disdain: You, a scion of a prominent family, don't care about romance and nature, what are you talking about evil spirits?
Zhu Zhanlei felt genuinely uneasy.

While dealing with the situation, she secretly observed Luo Bei's expression.

After observing for a while, he finally realized that Luo Bei was not testing him, and then inquired about Xu Yuan's situation.

He really came to ask about evil spirits.

Finally, he asked, "Are there any old markets in Champa? I would like to go and see them."

Xu Yuan was just telling Zhu Zhanlei what to do: to find a local scion of a prominent family and then find a way to get close to Luo Bei.

Xu Yuan didn't even dare to think about letting Zhu Zhanlei go in person.

Almost everyone in Champa knew that he had a close relationship with Zhu Zhanlei and Miao Yu.

The most suitable candidate is actually Wei Jinyuan.

But Xu Yuan knew the mess he had made—he had Wei Jinyuan act as his undercover agent.
Are you thinking too much?

Wei Jinyuan tipped off the enemy entirely to protect himself.

But now Luo Bei has actually "delivered himself to our doorstep"?!

Zhu Zhanlei rambled on for a few more minutes, and after secretly observing for a while, he confirmed that Luo Bei seemed genuinely unaware of his relationship with Xu Yuan.

Zhu Zhanlei chuckled inwardly and confidently told Luo Bei, "Leave this to me. I'll take my brother in tonight."

Then, as if casually mentioning it, he said, "I just happened to see something I liked at the old market a few days ago, so I'm going to buy it this time."

Luo Bei readily agreed: "I, your foolish brother, will settle the accounts for you, my worthy brother."

Zhu Zhanlei waved his hands repeatedly: "No!"

Luo Bei said solemnly, "Brother, please don't refuse. I came in a hurry this time and didn't prepare any gifts for you. Consider this a gift for us."

"How does this make..."

"If you refuse again, my dear brother, you will be looking down on your elder brother!"

Zhu Zhanlei reluctantly accepted: "Then... I'm ashamed to accept this."

So the two agreed that Luo Bei would come back before dark, and they would enter the old market together.

Luo Bei left satisfied.

Talking with Zhu Zhanlei is very comfortable. This kind of cryptic, probing, and mutually beneficial exchange is the normal procedure among the scions of prominent families.

Unlike that Xu Yuan, who wouldn't even give me a chance to meet!
As soon as Luo Bei left, Zhu Zhanlei rushed to the back hall, but Xu Yuan and the others were nowhere to be seen. Miao Yu's voice came from the next courtyard: "Over here."

Zhu Zhanlei rushed over and was surprised to see that Xu Yuan's eyes were like a rabbit's: "What happened?"

Miao Yu spoke in a low voice.

Zhu Zhanlei was also puzzled: "Is there a way to restrain one's destiny in this world?"

I've never heard of such a thing.

Xu Yuan pondered for a while and also found it strange: "If there really is a method in this world that can restrain one's destiny, how could it be unknown and obscure?"

But that mass of "epidemic insects" proves that Luo Bei does indeed have methods similar to life-stripping.

His own "Wangming" (a term of endearment for someone who is believed to have a destiny) was injured when he looked at Luo Bei.

"Could it be a method created by Luo Bei himself?" Xu Yuan wondered again.

but……

Judging from Luo Bei's various performances, he doesn't seem to have such "great talent".

Xu Yuan carefully recalled the chaotic "fate" he had seen on Luo Bei through "Looking at Fate"...

After a long pause, Xu Yuan said in a deep voice, "I need to take another look at him."

His Highness was the first to object: "No! If you look at him again, you'll go blind."

Xu Yuan chuckled, the medicinal pills inside his body taking effect.

In the blink of an eye, the injury was healed.

Princess Ruicheng looked at him with a hint of helplessness.

I knew I couldn't stop this guy.

"Mr. Wenqi..." His Highness had barely opened his mouth when Mr. Wenqi interrupted him, "Don't make me go with him, I want to protect you."

Ge Bei'er stepped forward: "I will accompany Lord Xu."

The two left Shanhe Division and quickly overtook Luo Bei.

Then Xu Yuan hid in the shadows and used "Looking at Fate" to glance at Luo Bei again.

Luo Bei walked with his hands behind his back on the streets of Champa.

The pedestrians around me were bustling about.

Luo Bei was exceptionally beautiful and possessed an ethereal charm.

It attracted frequent glances from passersby.

Especially those girls who are in the prime of their youth.

Xu Yuan was prepared to get injured this time, but the "no taboos" came into play again.

The resistance to Luo Bei's "law" has increased somewhat.

The first time I saw it, I was caught off guard.

The second time, my eyes still felt a strong stinging sensation, but it was bearable.

With tears streaming down his face, Xu Yuan carefully examined Luo Bei's "fate".

Whether it is human, beast, or evil spirit, and regardless of whether one's life is noble or lowly, they all rise from the top of one's head.

Luobei, however, is "different from others".

His life has twelve stages!

It has both coarse and fine parts, and is chaotic and disorganized.

It sprouted from his body like a branch or vine.

Not all of them come out from the top of the head; some come out from the shoulders and back.

Xu Yuan wanted to find Luo Bei's "natal line" - the line that extends straight out from the top of his head should be his natal line.

But the mark on Luo Bei's head was the finest and most despicable of all the marks!
Before Xu Yuan could even understand what was happening, he felt his eyes could no longer bear it.

I had no choice but to lower my head, close my eyes, and try to calm myself down.

I used the medicinal pills to treat myself again.

Luo Bei has already gone far away.

The two immediately followed.

Xu Yuan used "Looking at Fate" on Luo Bei for the third time.

Luo Bei walked among the crowd, seemingly gentle and refined, but his "life" was like a man-eating vine or tentacles, baring its fangs and claws at the "life" of the passersby around him!
They looked like they wanted to catch them all and eat them!
More than half of these fates are associated with a "destiny pattern"!
But for some reason, these destinies are all in a somewhat "weak" state, seemingly unable to unleash their full power.

Xu Yuan discovered another suspicious spot: the aura above Luo Bei's head, which appeared to be his natal star, was in a rather strange state.

He seems somewhat...old?
Xu Yuan's "observation of fate" can indeed roughly determine the age of the person without looking at their character.

But Luo Bei in front of me is clearly a young man in his twenties.

Judging from this natal chart, he is not just old; if you only look at his natal chart, this guy is a centenarian!
"Did I see wrong? This isn't his true life, but someone else's?"

Since his eyesight could still hold up, Xu Yuan examined the area carefully once more.

But no matter how you look at it, this dish should be Luo Bei's true destiny!

Not only because this destiny occupies the most correct position, but also because this destiny is firmly in sync with Luo Bei's soul!
Xu Yuan closed his eyes, turned off "Looking at Fate," thought for a moment... and opened his eyes again, but this time he wasn't using "Looking at Fate" anymore, but rather his Yin-Yang Eyes!
Xu Yuan was looking at Luo Bei's soul this time.

The soul seems normal.

The soul is a typical example of "appearance reflecting the heart".

In other words, self-awareness shapes the physical form of the soul.

If a person dies in their sixties, then when their soul is taken away by the underworld officials, they will look like they are in their sixties.

Only after reaching the Bridge of Helplessness and drinking the Meng Po soup to wash away their memories will their souls return to their original form.

So what was the original form of the soul...?

Many souls queuing on the Bridge of Helplessness have seen it.

Unfortunately, they forgot about it after finishing a bowl of soup.

Luo Bei's soul is what he looks like now.

Very young.

Xu Yuan couldn't see anything wrong with the soul, but he just felt something was strange.

Xu Yuan gestured to Ge Beier beside him: "Senior, please take a look at his soul."

Ge Bei'er nodded.

He was a fifth-rate divine cultivator, and most importantly, his Yin general "Seven Sisters" had incredibly rich experience.

Xu Yuan said, "Take a closer look. Is there anything unusual about this soul?"

Ge Bei'er and her husband really wanted to repay Xu Yuan.

Therefore, Ge Bei'er and Qiniang were carefully observing Luo Bei's soul.

“It seems…there’s nothing wrong with it…” Ge Bei’er couldn’t see anything wrong either.

Xu Yuan's brows furrowed tightly.

Even a divine cultivator couldn't see it?

So that means my intuition was wrong, and there's nothing wrong with Luo Bei's soul?
Suddenly, Ge Bei'er's voice changed to a woman's voice.

This time it was clearly Seventh Sister who spoke up: "There are some problems, but I'm not entirely sure."

Xu Yuan's spirits lifted: "Seventh Sister, please speak."

"Besides looking at their appearance and age, there is another very important indicator regarding how long a soul can remain in the mortal world."

The longer a soul exists in the mortal world, the more 'worldly defilement' it accumulates, and the more 'turbid dust' mixes into its soul.

Generally speaking, after a person dies, their soul enters the underworld to cleanse itself of worldly impurities and turbidity on the road to the underworld.

My lord, please examine Luo Bei's soul carefully. Although there doesn't seem to be much grime on the surface, there is an abnormal accumulation of grime in some hard-to-clean areas.

As for the turbid dust... it's mixed within his soul. He's also a divine cultivator, but only a fourth-rate one; I can't see it clearly anyway."

Xu Yuan then looked closely and saw that Luo Bei's soul surface seemed to be wearing a new set of clothes, bright and clean.

It glows faintly in the vision of someone with the ability to see ghosts.

However, the "difficult to clean" places that Qi Niang pointed out referred to certain parts of the skin exposed on the soul.

The back of the neck, the roots of the hair, etc.

It appeared gloomy and dark, as if covered with a layer of greasy grime.

Xu Yuan nodded and asked, "Seventh Sister, judging from the level of worldly defilement you see, how long has this soul existed in the mortal world?"

"About sixty or seventy years ago," Seventh Sister said again. "But this person must have some methods to cleanse himself of worldly impurities, though not thoroughly enough. So I judge that his actual existence must have been even longer."

Xu Yuan breathed a sigh of relief: "Thank you so much, Seventh Sister, you've been a great help."

Xu Yuan withdrew his Yin-Yang Eyes and gestured for Ge Bei'er to go back.

Xu Yuan kept his head down in thought the whole way, and Ge Bei'er didn't disturb him. The two entered the Shanhe Division through the back door—Ge Bei'er hurriedly bowed: "Your Highness!"

Xu Yuan was also taken aback; Princess Ruicheng was actually waiting behind the door!

Seeing Xu Yuan return, the tension on His Highness's face eased somewhat.

Xu Yuan couldn't help but feel a little moved.

"Have you found anything?" Zhu Zhanlei asked impatiently.

Xu Yuan said, "Let's go inside and talk."

Once inside and seated, everyone looked at Xu Yuan with expectant eyes. Xu Yuan's opening remarks astonished them all:
"It seems that Luo Bei has been possessed!"

"what?!"

Miao Yu frowned and shook his head first: "Impossible. No method of possession can escape the eyes of a divine cultivator."

Ge Bei'er also shook his head. He had checked and there were no signs of possession on Luo Bei's body.

Because of the existence of divine cultivators, Huang Ming had no fertile ground for possession.

Zhu Zhanlei said, "You don't know Luo Bei's background."

His family was originally a prominent clan in Hunan and Hubei provinces. Through generations of intermarriage, their influence had become deeply entrenched, extending almost throughout central and southern Zhengzhou. Moreover, many members of their clan and in-laws held key positions in several major guilds.

Why is Luo Bei considered a genius in all three fields? He is a cultivator of divinity, magic, and craftsmanship because his family has deep-rooted influence in the major guilds of these three fields!

The cultivators of Huangming are divided into seven major sects. There are no so-called "sects" among the seven major sects, but each of them has its own guild.

Unlike the literary scholars, the literary scholars call it "academy".

However, none of the factions in the Imperial Ming Dynasty had a unified guild; they were usually composed of several large guilds and numerous smaller guilds.

There are also guilds on the toe side, but their scale and influence are far less than those in Zhengzhou.

Even Wei Shiqi had to be wary of the influence of the Luo family from Hunan and Hubei.

Xu Yuan corrected him: "It's not really a possession. I'm saying it this way so that everyone can understand."

Actually, it should be... he used his special method to take away the 'life' of the original Luo family child.

And if I'm not mistaken, this child may have died shortly after birth.

This Luo Bei must be an ancient monster over a hundred years old!

Everyone still found it hard to believe, so Xu Yuan gave a brief explanation of Luo Bei's "law" abilities.

Everyone was silent.

If it's a matter of taking a life, then even a divine cultivator wouldn't be able to tell.

His Highness hesitated before speaking, "But this deadly promise... Your Excellency, you are a cultivator of destiny, so you can see it. The Luo family also employs cultivators of destiny. When Luo Bei was born, they should have consulted a cultivator of destiny to examine his fate..."

His Highness originally intended to point out the suspicious points, but upon reaching this point, he realized something himself: "That's right, he only made his move after the Luo family's cultivator had examined it!"

Xu Yuan nodded.

Moreover, Xu Yuan guessed that since Luo Bei's method could restrain life cultivators, it was very likely that it also had a way to deceive "fate look-ahead".

And he knew perfectly well who the Luo family's destined cultivator was.

As long as the Luo family's cultivators appeared nearby, he would use that method to deceive them.

"This old monster may have already used this method to take the lives of others and reincarnated in this mortal world several times!"

Everyone suddenly felt a chill run through their bodies!

In an era rife with evil spirits, what do powerful families fear most?
It means that one's own offspring have been "possessed" by someone else.

Because of the existence of divine cultivators, such insidious acts have been eliminated.

But now suddenly such a "method" has emerged, which can use deadly methods to indirectly complete the possession!

Everyone will wonder: Is Luo Bei the only one?

In this Ming Dynasty, just how many people have cultivated Luo Bei's method?!

If this news spreads, will many people with common surnames become suspicious and secretly observe their relatives?

Xu Yuan waved his hand and said, "There's no need to worry too much. This technique is too strange and it's definitely not easy to learn or cultivate."

The group exchanged a knowing glance, and Xu Yuan quickly dismissed the matter with a single sentence.

But everyone has their own ideas.

For example, Zhu Zhanlei and Miao Yu secretly thought that they should find an opportunity to invite Xu Yuan home so that they could secretly take a look at their close relatives.

His Highness then gazed at Xu Yuan with tender affection.

How many times has Xu Yuan helped himself eliminate "inferior suitors"?

Luqiu Yan, Sun Shou, Murong Zunlong... all arrived in Luobei.

There are problems!

Your Highness doesn't think it's your problem, but rather you assume it's your own fault. This is why Xu Lang sees people pursuing me, and while he doesn't say it aloud, he secretly wants to find out who these people are!

This is clearly irrefutable proof that he has feelings for me!

snort!
And yet you still have to pretend to be reserved in front of me.

Fine, fine, I'll give him a taste of sweetness.

"Luo Bei wants Zhu Zhanlei to take him to the old market of Xiaoxi Temple. I will greet those great evil spirits in the turbid world."

Tonight, Zhu Zhanlei, you just need to lead the way. No matter whose house Luo Bei asks, he will eventually be taken to Zhang Lao's shop..."

……

Having arranged everything, Xu Yuan returned to the yamen.

Pushing open the door, I found several small sandalwood boxes in my room.

Xu Yuan was taken aback, then came out and called out, "Xiao Ba!"

Lang Xiaoba immediately appeared: "My lord."

"what is this?"

"It was sent by His Highness. He said you weren't feeling well today, so he wanted to give you some nourishment." Lang Xiaoba said truthfully, "Senior Ge Bei'er brought it over with people, and I carried it into the house."

Xu Yuan opened the box, which was full of precious medicinal herbs.

A rough estimate suggests that just one box would be worth at least 20,000 taels of silver!
There are four boxes in total!
Xu Yuan remained silent. This rich woman was throwing money at me!
This……

How can anyone resist that?

……

Suddenly, the white fox revealed its enormous true form and lazily yawned on a rocky beach.

Several powerful evil spirits flew into a rage.

Especially the Fighting-Faced Ghost.

"How can we be manipulated by a mere living person?!"

"They are nothing but food for us, yet they dare to defy the Heavenly Order and order us around. They truly have no regard for their own lives!"

"We absolutely will not allow this!"

The white fox rolled its eyes in annoyance: "Then I'll go back and tell Lord Xu that you absolutely refuse to agree..."

"Wait!" an evil spirit called out to her.

The white fox turned its head and asked, "So you've agreed?"

"Absolutely not!"

The white fox grinned and was about to leap out.

She can now freely enter and leave the murky chamber.

"Wait a minute!"

The evil spirits blocked her way again.

So, are you going to agree or not?

Several powerful evil spirits said arrogantly, "We cannot agree!"

"You!" White Fox was furious; a bunch of useless idiots who were obsessed with saving face!
The Yin-Yang Python turned its two heads and said, "How can we let a living person order us around? But if it is the City God's will, we have no choice but to cooperate."

The other evil spirits immediately nodded: "That's exactly right!"

"We have no choice but to bow our heads when we're under someone's roof. If the City God agrees, we have no choice but to agree."

The white fox rolled its eyes and said, "Yes, yes, yes, this is indeed the City God's intention. Xu Yuan is just conveying the City God's orders."

"Alright, we'll grit our teeth and bear it!"

……

Luo Bei arrived as promised before nightfall.

Zhu Zhanlei had dinner with him, and then went to Xiaoximiao Old Market after dark.

Zhu Zhanlei wasn't just making things up; he had indeed seen something he liked at the Yin-Yang Python shop a while ago.

This is a fan.

When you open it up, the front is plain and unremarkable, just the fan ribs made of Xiangfei bamboo, and the white paper fan surface painted with strange rocks and orchids.

But turn it over—

This fan then turned into a fan made of human skin and white bones!

Three ghosts are painted on the fan.

They are: Water Ghost, Cat Ghost, and Examination Ghost.

Each one has its own unique abilities.

Although this thing isn't very good, only seventh-rate, getting it is equivalent to gaining three more abilities.

Therefore, the price is not low; Yin Yang Zhai is priced at 80,000 taels.

Zhu Zhanlei couldn't bear to part with it.

Today, I brought Luo Bei in and went straight to Yin Yang Zhai. We argued for a long time but couldn't get the price down.

Luo Bei stood to the side with a grim expression.

I meant to help you with the accounts, and you're ripping me off like this?
But the words had already been spoken during the day, and now... Zhu Zhanlei was lingering in the Yin Yang Zhai, acting as if he wouldn't leave until he bought something for me!
Luo Bei waited for a while, but finally lost his patience.

He also needed to find out about the two little foxes.

Even if you let him go out and ask around, he wouldn't dare.

This is the old market! Without a guide, who knows what kind of trouble those evil spirits will cause you?

Luo Bei gritted his teeth and silently took out a stack of silver notes and placed them on the counter.

Zhu Zhanlei smiled broadly: "Oh dear, I can't accept this..."

As he spoke, he pushed the silver notes toward the shopkeeper.

A moment later, a satisfied Zhu Zhanlei, fanning himself with a folding fan, walked out of Yin Yang Zhai with Luo Bei.

They had just inquired with the shopkeeper: there was only one shop selling information in the old market.

Zhu Zhanlei came out and said, "I know the location of that shop. I'll take Brother Luo there right away."

"No rush." ​​Luo Bei was no longer in a hurry. He walked through the old market with his hands behind his back.

It seemed as if she wanted to buy something else.

Go into any shop you come across and take a look.

Sometimes you even have to ask a couple of questions to the roadside vendors.

But at the end of each visit, he would always ask where the old man had gathered information.

The final answer was always the same.

After asking seven or eight times, he finally straightened his clothes and said to Zhu Zhanlei, "Let's go to Old Zhang's shop."

Zhu Zhanlei chuckled inwardly, "You think you're so cunning?"

Old Zhang cultivated a malevolent aura at the old market, causing his cultivation to surge dramatically.

He sat in a rocking chair in the shop, a pipe dangling from his mouth, and a pair of dark stone glasses hanging from his nose.

"Shopkeeper, I want to ask you something."

Luo Bei entered and spoke, but Old Zhang ignored him completely, still with his eyes closed, rocking back and forth in his chair, puffing on his cigarette.

"Shopkeeper?" Luo Bei called out again, but there was still no response.

Luo Bei frowned, and Zhu Zhanlei stepped forward at the right moment: "Shopkeeper, it's me, a regular customer."

Old Zhang then used his pipe to pull the stone mirror down a bit, and his deadpan eyes glanced at Zhu Zhanlei from above the mirror.

Then, in a sarcastic tone, he said, "What kind of trash did you bring? Don't you know the rules?"

"He's from out of town, please forgive him, shopkeeper," Zhu Zhanlei explained with a forced smile.

"Hmph!" Old Zhang snorted and pushed the stone mirror back: "Speak, what is it?"

"I've been trying to find out something. There are two fox spirits in Champa, and they often appear together..."

Before Luo Bei could finish speaking, Old Zhang stood up, waving his pipe and shooing him away: "Get out, get out!"

"You're not here to do business, you're here to kill me."

"Go, go, go!"

Luo Bei frowned: "Someone with a powerful background?"

Zhu Zhanlei restrained Zhang Laoya and said unhappily, "Old Zhang, don't play games with me. You're in business, and we're your customers. Every piece of information has its price. Just tell me how much you want. Don't try this trick on me!"

Luo Bei felt that the 80,000 taels he had just spent were worthwhile.

"Hehe!" Old Zhang changed his tune, no longer chasing people away, but instead ordering his assistant, "Close the door."

The waiter closed the door, and the shop was pitch black.

Old Zhang said quietly, "If I dare to sell, would you dare to buy? The backers behind those two are quite extraordinary."

Zhu Zhanlei angrily said, "Name your price, and stop arguing."

"Three hundred thousand taels."

(End of this chapter)