Under One Person: Dressed as Lü Liang, with vests all over

Chapter 162 Wang Ye: Old Lu, count me in!
"Entering through Shengmen, Jingmen, and Kaimen is auspicious; entering through Shangmen, Jingmen, and Xiumen is harmful; entering through Dumen and Simen is fatal."

Lu Liang saw that, in Wang Diqiu's memory, the person wearing the brass mask was chanting incantations while starting to channel Qi into the "open" character on the edge of the "conch shell".

After several dozen breaths, a faint light indeed appeared on the "conch".

Immediately afterwards, a sound drifted out from the conch shell.

The first voice to be heard was Tian Xiaodie's.

"Master Zheng, thank you for your help in resolving my doubts." Her voice sounded cheerful. "I didn't expect you to be knowledgeable about the Eight Trigrams as well."

"If you want to continue to improve your skills in talismans, the Eight Trigrams are an indispensable basic skill."

A deep male voice rang out.

"There's actually such a saying?" Tian Xiaodie's voice was full of surprise, and she couldn't help but ask.

“Hmm,” the deep male voice replied. “In our Shangqing, there is a saying that ‘the Eight Trigrams are the essence, and talismans are the application.’”

“That’s an interesting point, Master Zheng, could you elaborate?”

Shangqing, Master Zheng, and Lü Liang's minds raced, and they almost instantly guessed the identity of the man talking to Tian Xiaodie—

Zheng Zibu, who was born into the Shangqing Maoshan School, mastered one of the Eight Extraordinary Techniques, the "Tongtian Lu".

However, the man wearing the brass mask was clearly already aware of this, and his face did not show much surprise.

……

In the memory, Zheng Zibu's voice rang out again.

He chuckled and said:

"Hehe, for example, the Thunderfire Talisman needs to be drawn in the Li trigram position, and it also needs to rely on the explosive power of the Zhen trigram. In this way, the power of the drawn talisman will be stronger."

At this point, Zheng Zibu paused for a moment and asked in return:
"Fellow Daoist Tian, ​​do you know what the main parts of a talisman are?"

"Hmm... Talisman head, talisman belly, talisman feet?" Tian Xiaodie's tone was somewhat uncertain.

“Exactly,” Zheng Zibu affirmed. “When drawing these three parts, the principles of the Eight Trigrams were also indispensable.”

"The head of the talisman is often decorated with the names of the Three Pure Ones, corresponding to the Qian trigram in the celestial realm. The body of the talisman is inlaid with specific trigrams as needed. For example, the Gen trigram is used to ward off evil spirits in a talisman for protecting the house, while the Xun trigram is used to attract life energy in a talisman for attracting wealth. The foot of the talisman is grounded in the earth and needs to contain the patterns of the Kun trigram..."

“The talisman is the message of heaven and earth; the hexagram is the mechanism of yin and yang. The art of the eight trigrams is the foundation of magic. Without hexagrams, there is no talisman.”

"Only by combining the human trigram with the celestial trigram can one draw true qi into the talisman ink!"

After Zheng Zibu patiently and meticulously explained, he smiled gently and added:
"Hehe, actually, by extension, when Fellow Daoist Tian uses the art of Qimen Bagua, perhaps he could also try to reveal the hexagram using talismans."

"I've learned a lot," Tian Xiaodie praised sincerely. "The Shangqing Maoshan sect's expertise in talismans is indeed well-deserved."

"Especially you, Master Zheng, today's conversation with you has been very fruitful. You will surely make further progress in the art of talismans this time."

Zheng Zibu responded with a soft laugh, "Fellow Daoist Tian, ​​you don't need to be so polite."

"Although in the eyes of others, the talismans of Maoshan Shangqing are renowned, in our own view, alchemy and rituals are Shangqing's forte."

After making a remark, Zheng Zibu changed the subject and asked:
"Fellow Daoist Tian, ​​do you intend to use this talisman technique for weapon crafting?"

“Exactly,” Tian Xiaodie replied cheerfully without hesitation.

“I used the Divine Strategist Technique of Marquis Wu to craft some interesting magical artifacts, but these artifacts are exquisite but lack power.”

"Therefore, I'm thinking of incorporating talisman techniques into them, which might enhance their lethality."

……

Upon hearing this, Zheng Zibu enthusiastically suggested, "If that's the problem, I can recommend someone to Fellow Daoist Tian later."

"Could they be from the Heavenly Craft Hall?"

Tian Xiaodie offered a guess, and then continued enthusiastically:
"I heard that the Tiangong Hall has produced a pair of formidable brothers, Zhao Pingshan and Zhao Tianhai, whose weapon-forging skills are truly extraordinary."

"They will indeed be coming later, but I will not be introducing them, but another expert from Tiangong Hall."

Zheng Zibu let out a hearty laugh and praised him repeatedly:

"Hehe, although he is not well-known in the world of superhumans, in my heart, he deserves to be called 'Little Ban Shu'."

"Oh? To receive such high praise from Master Zheng, then I must meet him."

"You'll understand when you meet him; this Brother Ma is the real formidable one."

“Okay, then I’ll wait.” Tian Xiaodie replied happily.

After a few casual words, Tian Xiaodie's voice suddenly lowered a few decibels inside the "conch shell," asking with a hint of mystery and curiosity:
"Master Zheng, do you really think that what Wugensheng said can succeed?"

“I don’t know…” Zheng Zibu’s voice paused briefly, then he continued firmly, “However, I’m willing to give it a try.”

"I'm quite interested too, but the conditions he mentioned are probably not easy to meet."

Tian Xiaodie said in a low voice, a hint of worry in her voice:
"The ceremony requires eight artifacts passed down from the extraordinary ancestors of each sect, and also requires eight people proficient in the sect's techniques to perform the ceremony in a place shielded by heavenly secrets. How easy is that?"

"Hmm." Zheng Zibu responded in agreement, and after thinking for a moment, said:
"Didn't he say that once everyone arrived, he would take us to a special place? Maybe it's that place where the secrets of heaven are hidden?"

"Furthermore, the eight people guarding the eight gates and those eight artifacts don't need to be matched one-to-one, which actually reduces the difficulty somewhat."

"Haha," he laughed, "After all, the heirlooms of my Shangqing sect cannot be produced."

“Indeed,” Tian Xiaodie agreed. “The same is true for the Zhuge family. Apart from the patriarch, no one else can access that ‘Eight Trigrams Formation’.”

She exclaimed, "If that ceremony really succeeds, I'd love to see it for myself."

……

After that sentence, a brief silence fell over the conch shell, as if time had frozen.

Then, a burst of noise suddenly flashed by, as if someone had walked over from the side.

Soon, Tian Xiaodie's clear voice rang out again.

"Master Zheng, Yingzi is here. I'm going to chat over there for a while."

"Here, thank you for your help. Here's a little something for you."

"what is this?"

"I named it the 'Rao Liang Snail,' but the sound stored inside can linger for more than three days."

"Can it really store sound?"

"Of course! I just started saving it. You can listen to it later; it's very interesting."

"Injecting Qi into the 'rest' character mark on the edge of the spiral is to preserve the sound, while injecting it into the 'open' character mark is to let the preserved sound be transmitted again."

“It’s really novel…” Zheng Zibu exclaimed.

……

The conversation in "Rao Liang Luo" ends here, but the dialogue between the man wearing the brass mask and Wang Diqiu continues.

The man in the brass mask tossed the conch shell in his hand and let out a smug laugh.

"It was worth all the trouble I went through to steal this thing from Shangqing Maoshan. It really is a good item."

"Brother Hu, what should we do next?" Wang Diqiu from Yemaoshan asked respectfully.

"Of course, we'll use the information in this thing to collect artifacts passed down from the extraordinary ancestors of various sects."

"But we don't know the specific procedures of the ceremony yet."

“Then let’s keep looking for this thing.” The man in the brass mask turned his gaze to the sound transmission conch in his hand.

"The voices and intelligence personally stored by the Thirty-Six Thieves are invaluable. Tian Xiaodie must have made more than one."

“You don’t need to worry about that.” The man in the brass mask looked up at Wang Diqiu. “You go and retrieve our Wild Maoshan’s heirloom first.”

"We have them in Yemaoshan too?" Wang Diqiu asked in surprise.

“Of course,” the man in the brass mask chuckled. “However, it’s not in our hands right now.”

"Where is it?"

"Xiangxi, the Liu family." The man in the brass mask coldly uttered these words.

……

After reviewing Wang Diqiu's memories, Lü Liang carefully sorted through his thoughts, trying to connect all the clues.

The conversation between Tian Xiaodie and Zheng Zibu in the snail shell matched the words of the mysterious person who rescued Qu Tong.

Those thirty-six people all came from sects with ancestors who had achieved extraordinary sainthood.

If the sworn brothers invited were specially selected by Wugensheng.

Wu Gensheng's purpose in doing so is very likely related to Feng Baobao.

As for the ceremony mentioned in the dialogue, based on various indications, it is very likely that it took place in the Qinling Mountains.

Moreover, in the innermost cave of the Qinling Mountains, the place where Ziyang Shanren left his "Wuzhen Pian" (Awakening to Reality), there are many scratches on the wall.

The writing was scraped off by Wugensheng. Perhaps, that was the source of Wugensheng's knowledge of this ritual.

Lu Liang continued his analysis: Tian Xiaodie must have refined more than one of the spiral snails.

Based on the inscriptions above, there are likely four, each representing one of the eight directions.

Based on the information currently available, one was given to Wei Shufen and the other to Zheng Zibu.

So what about the other two...?

Lu Liang pondered to himself, "It's very likely that there's one in Zhuge Village, after all, Tian Xiaodie died outside Zhuge Village. And given her relationship with Zhang Huaiyi, it's also very possible that Zhang Huaiyi has one."

"As for Zhang Huaiyi's, it's either in Zhang Chulan's hands or with Tian Jinzhong of the Celestial Master's Mansion..."

In this way, the destination becomes clear.

……

"Brother Zhou, what should we do with this person?"

Luo Tiantian's voice interrupted Lü Liang's recollection.

Lu Liang turned his gaze to Liu Yanyan and said:
"Since he stole the Liu family's heirloom, it should naturally be dealt with by the Liu family."

As Lü Liang spoke, he handed over the still unconscious Wang Diqiu, followed by an antidote for the Sleeping Gu.
“Feed him this and he will wake up. I suggest that Patriarch Liu interrogate him properly.”

"If we find out anything of value, we hope Miss Liu will share it with us."

"Ah."

Liu Yanyan responded softly, her voice carrying a hint of sullen emotion.

She raised her hand to control the zombie and took Wang Diqiu from him, but her gaze fell on Lü Liang's face.

Although Lü Liang's words were polite, Liu Yanyan felt that he was much more distant than when they were alone, which made her feel uncomfortable.

Liu Yanyan pouted slightly, gave a soft snort, turned around abruptly, and stormed off angrily.

However, after walking a dozen steps, she couldn't resist turning back, waving her fist at Lü Liang, and shouting:

"Hmph! You owe me coffee, remember to pay me back!"

After saying that, without waiting for Lü Liang's response, he hurriedly quickened his pace and left.

As a result, Lü Liang didn't even have time to get his coat back.

"Never mind," Lü Liang said with a shake of his head and a smile.

……

"Coffee? What coffee? Brother Zhou, you guys actually made a reservation?"

Upon hearing Liu Yanyan's words, Luo Tiantian's eyes widened in surprise, and in her excitement, her voice cracked from the exertion.

Ignoring Luo Tiantian's startled reaction, Lü Liang went straight to the point and asked, "Are we still going to Fenghuang Ancient Town?"

"Yes, yes, of course I'll go."

Without hesitation, Luo Tiantian immediately responded. She quickly walked to Chen Duo's side, grabbed Chen Duo's arm, and said in a trembling voice:

"After working so hard all day, she really needs to relax. Besides, this is Xiaoduo's first trip, so we can't let it end halfway."

After hearing this, Chen Duo nodded obediently, clearly looking forward to this so-called tour.

then……

For the rest of the afternoon, Lü Liang was "forced" to act as both driver and photographer.

As dusk settled, Luo Tiantian was excitedly urging Chen Duo to go for a night cruise on the Tuojiang River when a notification disrupted their plans.

"Why the sudden emergency call? Those who are on leave or interns need to go back as soon as possible?"

As she scrolled through the group chat messages, she couldn't help but mutter to herself:

"Chasing down Lü Liang of the Quanxing Sect? It's him again? And we have to go all the way to the Xilin Grassland, which is so far away..."

Luo Tiantian muttered a few words before suddenly realizing that there was someone else next to her.

She quickly pursed her lips tightly and cautiously looked at Lü Liang and Chen Duo.

Seeing this, Lü Liang shrugged easily, a gentle smile on his face, and considerately comforted him, "I didn't hear anything."

Chen Duo, meanwhile, was earnestly struggling with the double scoops of ice cream in her hands.

Luo Tiantian sighed, "Xiaoduo, Brother Zhou, I have something to do and can't go back to Jinshi with you."

Upon hearing this, Chen Duo finally raised her head and nodded with a hint of regret.

"Don't worry, Xiaoduo, I'll ask you to go shopping together when I'm done with my work," Luo Tiantian said.

……

Luo Tiantian left quickly.

As Lü Liang watched her departing figure, a hint of a smile flashed in his eyes.

It seems that my previous arrangements were very effective.

If he doesn't step forward, the company is more likely to seek collaborations with other organizations, such as Great Love.

Therefore, he had the Quanxing people cause trouble from time to time to create the illusion that he was wandering around.

With the help of the domain's poison, this is not difficult to achieve.

Perfect timing! Right now, the main force of Nadutong is heading towards the Xilin Grassland, which makes it easier to get into the Qinling Mountains.

……

Two days later.

In the deepest cave of the Twenty-Four Valleys in the Qinling Mountains.

Lü Liang's gaze fell on Chen Duo, who was frowning:
"Xiao Duo, can you sense the exact location of the Qinghe Gu Gu?"

Chen Duo shook her head with a confused expression. "I can only sense that it's nearby, but I can't pinpoint its exact location."

Lü Liang's brows furrowed as well.

They had turned the cave upside down, even knocking on every part of the walls to make sure there were no secret passages inside.

But still, nothing was found.

Suddenly, Lü Liang's eyes flashed, and a flash of inspiration struck him, leading him to consider a possibility.

The mysterious person's abilities are clearly related to "dimensions." Could it be that the Qinghe Gu Gu is indeed in this cave, but in another dimension?
Therefore, Chen Duo could only vaguely sense the general location, but could never pinpoint it precisely.

"Forget it, let's go back first. If we can't find it, the others certainly can't either. Let's go check for other clues first."

After a moment's thought, Lü Liang made a decisive decision.

Unexpectedly, Chen Duo firmly shook her head, her eyes shining with unwavering determination:
"I want to try again."

She held up the earthenware jar in her hand, her eyes sparkling, and said:
"Perhaps the Nine Li Gu is not powerful enough. I want to refine the Two Elements Mayfly Gu here, then I'll definitely be able to find it."

Lu Liang raised his hand and gently patted Chen Duo's head.

This is indeed a method worth trying.

This is indeed a method worth trying. As one of the three extraordinary Gu of the Qinghe Miao tribe, the Two-Element Mayfly Gu's abilities are closely related to time and dimension.

And around the Twenty-Four Solar Terms Valley, there happens to be the most important material for the Two Elements Mayfly Gu – the mayfly.

Lü Liang took out a sound transmission ring and handed a food storage pouch to Chen Duo, earnestly instructing her:

"This contains half a month's worth of food and water."

"It's fine for you to stay here for a while. As long as you don't enter the Qi Bureau casually, this place is very safe for you."

"If you get tired of staying here, you can leave whenever you want. Even if you get caught by the company, don't be afraid. I will definitely get you out. Remember the route in and out?"

Chen Duo nodded vigorously.

……

Half a day later, Lü Liang walked out of the Qinling Mountains alone.

As soon as he arrived at the exit, he keenly sensed something was amiss.

A white mist, seemingly appearing out of nowhere, quickly spread out and enveloped him completely.

Immediately afterwards, a seemingly gentle but actually powerful gust of wind swept in from the side.

Lü Liang turned slightly to the side and spoke softly:

"Wang Ye?"

(End of this chapter)