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

"Gao Gen, where are you now?"

Upon hearing Lü Liang's question, Gao Lian immediately retorted, "What are you talking about? I don't understand."

Lü Liang remained unmoved and continued in a firm tone:
"Gao Gen, one of the Thirty-Six Thieves, must be a member of the Gao family."

"So what if it is? So what if it's not?"

Gao Lian looked at Lü Liang with wary eyes.

"If so, I would like to ask Manager Gao to help me answer a few questions."

“If not… then I’ll ask a few more members of the Gao family…”

Lü Liang smiled and shrugged. "Manager Gao, as you know, my methods are very suitable for asking questions."

Upon hearing this, Gao Lian's expression changed.

After a moment, he sighed and said, "It's no use looking for them. Gao Gen is long dead. He died during the Jia Shen Rebellion."

"Was it dealt with by the Gao family?" Zhang Xuan couldn't help but ask.

“No.” Gao Lian shook his head. “He severed ties with the Gao family long ago, so there’s no need for the Gao family to punish him.”

"The severing of ties was because of the sworn brotherhood with Wugensheng?" Lü Liang asked.

"But as far as I know, he joined Quanxing in order to better punish evil and uphold justice. The Gao family should know this, right?"

"You even found this out?"

Gao Lian looked surprised upon hearing this.

Since the Quanxing sect, Gao Gen has always been regarded as a traitor to the Qiliu sect.

Even when the Jia Shen Rebellion occurred, Gao Gen still considered himself one of the closest people to Wu Gensheng in the Quanxing sect, which is enough to show how well he concealed his true intentions from the outside world.

Unexpectedly, after so many years, this matter was exposed.

Gao Lian narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing Lü Liang. This acting leader of Quanxing was quite formidable in his intelligence gathering abilities.

……

Upon hearing Lü Liang's explanation, Zhang Xuan also showed a surprised expression.

He never expected that Gao Gen's identity would have these interpretations.

He pricked up his ears and listened intently to the conversation between Lü Liang and Gao Lian.

At this moment, Gao Lian finally suppressed his surprise and spoke again:

"Back then, Gao Gen did indeed join Quanxing with that purpose in mind, so the Gao family turned a blind eye to it and even secretly provided him with information to help him in his actions."

"However, this connection was severed before the Jia Shen Rebellion."

Upon hearing this, Lü Liang raised an eyebrow; this was different from what he had expected.

He confirmed, "In other words, the Gao family and Gao Gen did indeed break off relations, but not because he became sworn brothers with Wugensheng."

Gao Lian nodded. "It's because of the Trinity Gate incident."

"Gao Gen was also involved in the matter of the Sanyi Gate. Regardless of his initial intentions, the final outcome has already been determined."

“That was the number one Xuanmen sect. If it were to disband like this, the elders of the Gao family would naturally reprimand Gao Gen.”

"Gao Gen knew he was wrong for making such a mess, and he never contacted the Gao family again after that."

"We heard from him again when we received that list of thirty-six names."

"When the elders of the Gao family saw the list, they were also surprised. However, since Gao Gen is no longer considered a member of the Gao family, the Gao family will naturally not send anyone to look for him and bring him back."

"But in the end, Gao Gen came back on his own."

"When he returned, his injuries were extremely severe, and he died very quickly."

"Then what about his grave? Is it still in the Gao family's house?" Lü Liang pressed.

Gao Lian nodded and replied:

"I suppose so. The grave is located on the hill behind the Gao family's ancestral home. However, since he wasn't considered a member of the Gao family, he wasn't buried with the other Gao family ancestral graves, and there was no tombstone."

At this point, Gao Lian adjusted his glasses.

"That's all I know. I wasn't even born at the time, and I only heard about these things from my elders. I don't know anything more."

"I see... That's such a pity."

Lu Liang agreed verbally, but had other plans in mind.

He can go to the cemetery tonight.

Previously, Quanxing had extracted a cluster of memory energy from Zhang Huaiyi's corpse. If the remains in that tomb are indeed Gao Gen's, perhaps they can discover something as well.

However, these are definitely not things that should be told to Gao Lian.

This kind of digging up of ancestral graves has to be done secretly.

Therefore, Lü Liang only looked at Gao Lian and asked:
"Manager Gao, we would like to pay a visit to Senior Guan Shihua. I wonder if you could help us make an introduction?"

Gao Lian pondered for a moment, then nodded and said:

"Although I can help with the introduction, your visit probably won't go smoothly. Your mother-in-law definitely won't like you."

"Is it because I can summon spirits and command generals?" Lü Liang asked.

Gao Lian smiled and said, "Binding spirits and sending generals is only part of the reason; there is another reason."

"Although Jishetang, Baicaotang, and Santong Huozhen all have their own expertise in treatment, they are mostly good at internal regulation."

"The most skilled healers in the world of superhumans are not them."

At this point, Gao Lian asked Lü Liang:

Do you know the five major families of shamanic practitioners in Northeast China?

"I've heard of them," Lü Liang said, listing them off. "They should be fox spirits, yellow spirits, white spirits, willow spirits, and gray spirits."

Gao Lian nodded and then asked, "Do you know the abilities of each of these immortals?"

Lu Liang shook his head; he truly didn't know the answer to that.

Shamans have always been a mysterious presence in the world of supernatural beings, and there is no information about them in the information of the Yaoxing Society.

Gao Lian explained, "The abilities of the fox, yellow, white, willow, and gray immortals are not the same."

"The fox spirit is skilled in bewitching, the yellow spirit creates illusions, the willow spirit has boundless power, and the gray spirit glimpses the secrets of heaven."

"And the White Immortal is in charge of curing diseases and prolonging life."

Upon hearing Gao Lian's explanation, Lü Liang looked enlightened.

During the battle at the Sky Pier, Guan Shihua and her master, Old Man Liao, intervened and invited Liu Xian to help the Tang Clan. Liu Xian relayed information through the Sky Pier and even killed a Bihe Ren.

Bai Xian even saved Liang Wu'er, who was seriously injured and on the verge of death from the Tang Clan.

Therefore, it seems that Guan Shihua is worshipping Bai Xian.

Lü Liang looked up at Gao Liang, "Senior Guan dislikes me because of my medical skills?"

Gao Lian nodded. "Your mother-in-law has a bad temper. I advise you not to provoke her."

Lü Liang shrugged, smiled, and neither agreed nor disagreed with the suggestion.

……

As soon as Gao Lian left, Wang Ye immediately put his arm around Lü Liang's shoulder and teased him with a smile:
"Old Lu, you're not popular. You're not well-liked anywhere."

Lu Lianggang wanted to refute, but then he thought about it and realized it was true.

The same situation occurred last time at Tangmen and the time before that at Zhuge Village.

Wang Ye continued to tease, "Old Lu, you can't really blame them. Every time you come over, it's either for their treasures or for their big secrets."

"That's bad enough, but you keep contradicting yourself. You really deserve this."

Lu Liang raised his hand and touched his nose. It seemed that he was quite hated.

However, it's impossible not to visit.

After all, it's more important to make yourself comfortable than to make others uncomfortable.

……

Thanks to Gao Lian's introduction, Guan Shihua agreed to talk to Lü Liang and the other two.

As soon as Lü Liang arrived outside Guan Shihua's residence, someone led the three of them inside.

They eventually stopped at a church.

"So this is the branch office."

Lü Liang recalled Gao Lian's previous introduction about the gang.

Although he had expected it, seeing it with his own eyes still made his pupils shrink.

Because the atmosphere here is very special, the placement of every item in the room seems to be carefully considered.

Lü Liang noticed that there were seven blue bricks on the ground at the entrance, each with a hole in it, which together formed the shape of the Big Dipper.

As he walked further in, he saw a mahogany altar in the center of the room, covered with bright yellow silk cloth.

There were also many things placed on the silk cloth, with an antique-colored scroll in the very center, and the vermilion characters on it could be vaguely seen.

This should be the list of offerings and utensils for the main hall.

The hall list, also known as the "hall register", is made of yellow cloth with the names of immortals written in cinnabar. It is divided into four layers: "reaching heaven, exploring earth, breaking through barriers, and issuing orders", with a three-inch blank space at the top.

It is said to be derived from the idea that "the immortals did not write everything down, leaving blanks to await reinforcements."

On the left side of the altar, there is a bronze incense burner engraved with Bagua patterns, and on the right side, there is a bowl containing mugwort.

There are candlesticks on both sides. If you look closely, you will find that the patterns carved on the candlesticks are different. The candlestick on the left is carved with a dragon, while the candlestick on the right is carved with a phoenix.

Lü Liang put away his nonchalant expression.

He felt a strange sense of oppression here.

Indeed, no family that can last this long is simple.

Guan Shihua chose to meet them here at the brothel. Was she trying to give the three of them a hard time?

...Just as Lü Liang was pondering, Guan Shihua finally arrived.

After waiting for a while, Guan Shihua finally arrived.

This patriarch of a shamanic family in Northeast China, despite his silver hair, is in excellent spirits.

She was short and slightly plump, with two large gold earrings on her ears, and her silver hair was permed into a stylish and elegant pear-shaped curl.

"Lu Liang of Quanxing greets Senior Guan."

Lü Liang politely bowed and said.

Beside them, Wang Ye and Zhang Xuan also bowed slightly, but neither introduced themselves.

Guan Shihua realized that the protagonist of today's event was Lü Liang.

She glanced at Lü Liang and gestured for the three of them to sit down in the chairs opposite her.

Then, she picked up a pipe from the side, stuffed it with tobacco, and slowly said:
"Ha, I never thought that Lu Ci, with his fiery temper, could have such a calm and collected great-grandson. A bad bamboo produces a good shoot."

Hearing this, Lü Liang smiled.

This fortune teller's words are indeed legendary.

Guan Shihua lit a cigarette, took a puff, and glanced sideways at Lü Liang:

"Last time, it was you who made me make a long trip to Beijing."

"Heh, that incident caused quite a stir. Five members of the Ten Elders Society went to the Qinling Mountains, but they couldn't find a single person. It was a joke."

At this point, Guan Shihua glanced sideways at Lü Liang and said in an unfriendly tone:
"You avoided those guys last time, but you've come knocking on our door today. What? Do you think we shamans are easy to bully?"

"Senior, what are you saying? That's absolutely not true."

Upon hearing this, Lü Liang quickly waved his hand, while his gaze swept over the altar.

“I felt it the moment I came in.”

"Perhaps, the ability to bind spirits and command spirits does have a suppressive effect on shamans, but here, I might not be able to get the better of you under your guidance."

"Hmph! Good to know." Guan Shihua picked up her pipe and tapped it, then looked up and said, "Speak, what do you want?"

"I have come today to inquire about matters concerning the great shamans of Liangshan."

"The Great Shaman of Liangshan? Ha, why don't you just ask that kid from the Feng family?"

"Last time at the Ten Elders meeting, I saw that he was quite protective of you."

Lu Liang smiled upon hearing this, "I heard from Director Gao that the Feng family has been living in Jinshi all these years and has long since left Liangshan. They may not know much about what happened back then."

"As for you, senior, you are the patriarch of a shamanic family in Northeast China. You are highly respected and have experienced many major events in the world of supernatural beings. You are very familiar with the Liangshan shamanic lineage."

Guan Shihua bit the cigarette holder and slowly took a puff:
"Heh, that's a pretty good way to put it."

"When it comes to understanding the great shamans of Liangshan, we shamans are indeed second to none."

"I've met Feng Tianyang before. He was a pretty boy."

"Disciples of the shamanic families are called 'Dima,' while those from the Liangshan Dasha are called 'Bimo.'"

"Ha! Back then, they were the ones we suppressed, and now they're showing off in front of me."

At this point, a hint of disdain flashed across Guan Shihua's face.

"They like to collect spirits and exorcise them... Ha, they don't even think about how powerful a spirit that can be controlled by an ordinary Bimo can be. They're just trying to bite off more than they can chew."

"Unlike us shamans, who worship deities, each with extraordinary supernatural powers."

"Immortals without physical bodies cannot save the world. They pass on their teachings through spirit mediums to accumulate merit. We spirit mediums have made offerings to immortals for generations in exchange for their protection in critical moments. This is the right path!"

“Unlike the Liangshan shamans, who used to worship their ancestral spirits, they later started to collect all kinds of spirits.”

“Especially some of those with wicked intentions, how are they any different from those bastards from Yemaoshan?”

"They actually have the nerve to call themselves 'divinely ordained' and call us shamans 'unorthodox immortals'! They know nothing!"

Guan Shihua became more and more excited as she spoke, gesturing wildly with her hands and brandishing her pipe with great force.

"Senior, how do you think the shortcomings of the Liangshan shaman should be overcome?" Lü Liang asked.

"How would I know?" Guan Shihua scoffed. "I'm too lazy to study their stuff."

"To be honest, their cultivation techniques aren't that great. It's just that their sacred artifact that makes them a bit troublesome."

"That bell, it actually... Humph! It makes no sense!"

Upon hearing the words "sacred object," Lü Liang's eyes lit up, and he followed up by asking:

"Senior, I've heard that the shamanic family also possesses extremely powerful sacred artifacts. I wonder if I'll have the honor of seeing them today?"

"You want to see the incense used to summon the gods?"

"Yes," Lü Liang replied frankly.

Guan Shihua paused, her hand holding the pipe still. She stared intently at Lü Liang, leaning slightly forward, her eyes full of scrutiny.

Just when Lü Liang thought Guan Shihua was about to suddenly attack someone.

Guan Shihua slowly raised her hand and pointed to the area below the altar, next to the prayer mat.

"Yes, the incense is right there."

Lü Liang's gaze followed the direction she was pointing.

There, next to the prayer mat, was a round bamboo tube with yellowish-brown incense sticks inserted inside.

The incense sticks appeared to be made from some kind of tree bark, mixed with a small amount of oil, and there were dozens of them.

"Are these all incense sticks for inviting the gods?"

Lü Liang's eyes widened, revealing an expression of disbelief.

He looked up at Guan Shihua and couldn't help but ask:

"Senior, are you joking? Isn't incense a sacred object of shamanic families?"

“Yes.” Guan Shihua tapped her pipe on the table. “Who says you can only have one sacred object?”

Upon hearing this, Lü Liang and his two companions were stunned.

This situation is different from what I imagined.

Sacred artifacts are undoubtedly extremely precious items that have been passed down through various sects for a long time.

Moreover, the sacred artifacts from several sects that Lü Liang had previously come into contact with were indeed all unique.

Seeing the surprised expressions on Lü Liang and the other two's faces, Guan Shihua smiled with satisfaction.

She said slowly, "Sacred artifacts are indeed rare and precious heirlooms of various sects."

"However, the reason why incense is called incense for inviting gods is not because of its 'fragrance,' but because of its 'invitation to gods'..."

"If it's incense and candles, you can make as many as you want according to the secret method, but it's difficult to nourish them with 'divine' power."

"Therefore, even if I give this to you, it will be useless to you."

Upon hearing Guan Shihua's words, both Wang Ye and Zhang Xuan showed a hint of disappointment.

Lü Liang's eyes lit up.

He couldn't nourish himself with "divine" power, but there were people in Quanxing who could.

Xia Liuqing's divine mask allows her to invite gods to possess her.

Thinking of this, Lü Liang smiled sincerely at Guan Shihua: "Since they're useless anyway, why don't you give me a few, senior?"

Upon hearing this, Guan Shihua exhaled a puff of smoke, glanced at Lü Liang, and said with a half-smile:

"If I don't give it to you, you'll probably come and steal it tonight."

“How can something that has been known beforehand be called stealing?”

Lü Liang smiled and said calmly.

Guan Shihua choked on her words, nearly choking on her smoke. She exchanged a glance with Lü Liang, then sneered:
"Heh, as expected of Quanxing. They really don't care about the means as long as they can achieve their goals."

"You flatter me, senior." Lü Liang smiled calmly as always.

Guan Shihua choked again, and after a moment, she waved her hand.

"Fine, I'll give you three then, so you won't disturb the peace of the immortals so late at night."

"Thank you, senior."

Lu Liang cupped his hands in greeting, stood up, took three sticks of incense from the bamboo tube, and put them into his food pouch.

Before Lü Liang could sit back down, Guan Shihua waved her hand outwards again.

"Alright, you've asked what you needed to ask and gotten what you wanted. Stop bothering this old woman. I don't want to be called to those boring meetings again."

"Go, go, go!"

Lü Liang and the other two got up to take their leave.

The Deng brothers followed closely behind Lü Liang and his two companions, escorting them a long way before turning back.

……

Inside the hall.

After Lü Liang and his group left, Guan Shihua came to the shrine in the center of the hall and knelt on the prayer mat.

Immediately afterwards, she took out four incense sticks from the bamboo tube, lit them, and chanted aloud:

"One stick of incense invites the Hu, two sticks summon the Huang, three sticks turn the white willow ash into ash, four sticks mourn the king's descent..."

Please let the incense burn and let the white smoke rise gently.

Guan Shihua looked up at the plume of smoke, her expression grave, and asked:

"Did you see that just now?"

The next moment, her voice became deep and resonant, completely different from before.

The voice answered slowly:

"Yes, that's right, he's that person." (End of Chapter)