Dao Qi Wu Zang Guan Guan: I became a Daoist Master in the 1990s

Chapter 110 Ghost Bus

The mountain town was shrouded in darkness, and the damp, cold mist silently permeated the streets.

The dim yellow glow of the streetlights struggled to create a small, blurry patch of light amidst the misty vapor, barely illuminating a slightly worn black Santana parked on the side of the road below.

Inside the car, Li Fang sat in the driver's seat, his fingers unconsciously tapping the steering wheel, his gaze occasionally sweeping across the excessively quiet streets outside the car window.

In the passenger seat, Song Wan leaned back, her face frighteningly pale. A large piece of gauze was tightly wrapped around her chin, with traces of pale yellow medicine seeping through the edges. The medical tape used for securing the bandage looked particularly glaring against her fair skin.

Even after professional treatment, she still experienced persistent throbbing pain, causing her delicate brows to furrow tightly, making it difficult for her to relax.

An inconspicuous black plastic bag was carelessly tossed on the back seat, containing the blood-stained clothes that Qi Yun had changed out of.

"Li Fang, hasn't the surveillance footage determined the final destination of that person's van yet?" Song Wan's voice was somewhat hoarse, carrying the weakness of her injuries and a hint of barely perceptible anxiety.

Li Fang sighed and looked away from the car window: "The roads in this mountain city are like a maze, with so many twists and turns, and there are so few surveillance cameras, and eight out of ten of them are broken!"
The technical team is still checking and comparing at each intersection, which will take time.

"But Sister Wan, the boss made us come here in the middle of the night with the blood-stained clothes, just to wait in the middle of nowhere. Who are we waiting for? Is it... reinforcements from Chuancheng? Or some experts from Qingyang Palace?"

His tone was tentative and intensely curious.

When he worked in Chuancheng, he was filled with imagination about the famous Qingyang Palace, knowing that it was a mysterious place that the 749 Bureau would only knock on when it encountered a tough opponent.

"Just follow orders from above. Why ask so many questions?" Song Wan said coldly, her eyes closed, the pain in her chin making her feel extremely bad.

Li Fang was rebuffed, but couldn't suppress his curiosity. He licked his lips and continued, "Sister Wan, you're more experienced, could you give me some pointers? What's the Qingyang Palace all about? I've heard it's incredibly powerful?"

Song Wan opened her eyes, glanced at him, seemingly annoyed by his chatter, but perhaps the pain and the darkness of night had dulled her usual sharpness, and she still patiently spoke in a low voice.

"Qingyang Palace has a very high level of secrecy, and I don't have the authority to access the specific details."

I only heard my old man mention it casually, saying it was a very ancient and authentic lineage of Taoism, which seemed to have been interrupted in the middle. Then a successor suddenly appeared and managed to re-establish the lineage, preventing its extinction. In the palace, it's said that only the palace master and a handful of his direct disciples truly possess the skills and have received the true teachings; the rest are just ordinary Taoist priests, chanting scriptures and performing rituals to earn a living.

Li Fang's eyes lit up as he listened, and he looked on with longing: "So that's how it is... Sister Wan, doesn't our bureau say that after becoming a regular field officer, you have to go to headquarters to 'receive the ordination' and receive the secret teachings before you can truly step into the 'ordination realm'?"
You've already been officially hired, you must have received your official rank by now, right? How come…

He didn't finish his sentence, but the meaning was clear: How come you can't beat that guy with the sword?
Song Wan's face instantly darkened, her eyes slicing through Li Fang like knives, and she interrupted him irritably: "Receiving the talisman? Hmph, do you think receiving the talisman means you've reached the talisman realm?"

Receiving the ordination certificate is merely obtaining a stepping stone, signifying that you are qualified to open that door!
To truly overcome this hurdle, one needs persistent effort and the accumulation of one's own inner strength!
Do you really think that those who receive ordination are like cabbages growing on the roadside?

I was just one step away from that threshold! As for you?

She glanced at Li Fang from head to toe, her disdain undisguised. "Try to master your simplified 24-form Tai Chi first! If your foundation isn't solid, the earth will shake!"

Li Fang was so embarrassed that his face turned red, and he dared not ask any more questions.

at this time!

"Buzz—Crack!" The streetlight on the roof emitted a violent, death-struggle-like electrical hiss. The light flickered wildly a few times before suddenly going out completely. Along with the lights of the surrounding streets, it was as if an invisible giant hand had instantly extinguished them, plunging the surroundings into a chilling darkness.

"Damn it! Another line failure? This lousy place!"

Li Fang was startled and instinctively cursed. He reached for the car key to turn on the headlights.

However, as the key was turned, the engine coughed twice with a muffled sound and then shut off. Even the dashboard lights dimmed instantly, and finally, it fell into complete silence.

The car lights didn't even turn on once.

A chilling, unusual aura surged in from all directions without warning, engulfing the entire vehicle in an instant.

A thin layer of white frost condensed on the car window at a speed visible to the naked eye.

"Something's wrong!" Song Wan sat bolt upright, wincing in pain as the movement aggravated her wounds, but she couldn't care less at the moment. Her face was deathly pale, and her eyes were filled with horror. "Such strong ghostly energy! It's chilling to the bone... and it's closing in rapidly! Li Fang! Quick! Get out of the car! Get out of here!"

Ignoring her injuries, she abruptly pushed open the car door.

Li Fang also realized what was happening and hurriedly pushed open the door and jumped out.

The moment their feet touched the ground, they discovered that the surrounding darkness had thickened like ink, sticky and heavy, making it hard to breathe.

Even more terrifying, they found their bodies frozen in an invisible ice, making it incredibly difficult to even lift a finger. They could only stand there stiffly, watching helplessly...

Without warning, two car headlights lit up in the endless darkness ahead.

The dim, dull light pierced through the thick fog, shining directly on them like a stage spotlight, pinning them to the spot.

A chill that seemed to originate from the depths of their souls instantly gripped the two of them, making their scalps tingle and their hearts feel like they were about to leap out of their chests.

Oh no! What the hell is this thing?!

Immediately afterwards, a bus silently and slowly drove out of the suffocating darkness.

It was an extremely old bus, its design long outdated. Large areas of the paint had peeled off, revealing dark red rust underneath. The route signs on the side were blurry and illegible. Only the white license plate with red lettering on the front of the bus, illuminated by the dim headlights, was so clear it sent chills down one's spine.
D584
It drove exceptionally smoothly, without the slightest engine roar or mechanical friction sound, as if gliding on ice, silently sliding to a stop not far in front of the two people.

The door opened silently!

Song Wan and Li Fang's pupils constricted, as they desperately awaited the arrival of some terrifying being.

However, the next moment, a middle-aged man with a tall, strong build and a resolute face, dressed in a crisp gray Zhongshan suit, stepped out of the car with steady steps.

(End of this chapter)