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

Chapter 72 Heaven's Will is Clear: Saving the World and Eliminating Evil!
"Master Qi has gotten up?" Chen Gang's loud voice was deliberately restrained.

Qi Yun opened the door.

Chen Gang, dressed in official robes and looking very energetic, said, "Breakfast has been prepared downstairs. Please have some, Daoist. We can discuss our plans for today."

At the central table in the lobby, a sumptuous feast of congee and snacks awaits: thick and fragrant millet porridge, a steamer basket of thin-skinned and generously filled meat buns, several dishes of pickles, a plate of freshly fried golden and crispy youtiao (Chinese fried dough sticks), and two bowls of smooth tofu pudding.

The two sat down and began to eat and talk.

Chen Gang whispered, "Taoist priest, last night at the hour of Chou (1-3 AM), another person died in 'Willow Lane' in the west of the city!"
He was a night watchman, and his death was... exactly the same as before!
Her face was as beautiful as a peach blossom, and she died with a smile on her face. Her body has been taken back to the mortuary at the government office.

Qi Yun paused in his porridge-scooping motion, his brow furrowing: "In that case, our first stop will be the mortuary!"

After breakfast, horses were already waiting outside.

The two rode their horses to the yamen and headed straight for the gloomy mortuary courtyard.

An elderly coroner and two constables were already waiting outside the door, their faces pale.

“Master Qi, Chief Chen,” the old coroner’s throat was dry, “as you instructed, the body has not been moved.”

Chen Gang handed over a towel soaked in medicinal liquid: "Taoist Master, the coroner examined it before and found no external wounds or signs of poisoning. Therefore, we dared not touch it this time, for fear of contaminating the traces of evil spirits."

Qi Yun nodded and covered his face with a mask.

Chen Gang stood in the center of the courtyard but didn't take another step forward. Qi Yun found it strange, but also stood still.

The coroner, his face ashen, pushed open the heavy wooden door, and a strange, sweet fragrance mixed with a faint smell of decay wafted out.

The mortuary was dimly lit and chilly.

The coroner pulled a mechanism on the wall, and with a click, a male corpse was slowly lifted up by the morgue.

Despite being mentally prepared, Qi Yun's pupils still contracted.

The corpse was swollen and shiny, with a dirty dark green skin and large patches of lividity like splashed ink, especially dense and horrifying in the waist, abdomen and lower limbs, which were a filthy dark purplish-red.

His abdomen was swollen and distended as if it were about to burst open. His skin was stretched to the point of being almost transparent, and the dark green network of blood vessels formed by subcutaneous decay was faintly visible.

Dark red blood mixed with foam seeped from the mouth and nose.

On a cold autumn night, in just a few hours, the decay was as rapid as a corpse left to rot for several days in the height of summer!
However, that face!
Yet it is the most bizarre part of this terrifying body.

Her skin was smooth and rosy, with her cheeks flushed as if rouge had been applied, truly "a face like a peach blossom".

A slight upturn at the corners of his mouth held a frozen, utterly satisfied and joyful smile, as if he were lost in the sweetest dream, a stark contrast to the swollen, decaying body below.

That lingering, sweet fragrance emanates from this "peach blossom noodle"!

Even though Qi Yun had personally killed people and entered the Ghost Realm, he felt a chill rise from his tailbone.

He turned to the old coroner who was holding his breath beside him: "How could a body decompose so rapidly on a cold autumn night?"
Normally, a person's body would only stiffen and begin to show signs of rigor mortis within a day; such a sight would be impossible!

The old coroner's voice trembled: "Reporting to the chief, the strange thing is precisely this!"
All the victims in this case were like this!

From my limited observation, on the first day, the lividity was dense and net-like, the abdomen was swollen, and blood was flowing from the mouth and nose; on the second day, the flesh was ulcerated and oozing pus! It happened incredibly fast!

Chen Gang, who was standing nearby, asked with concern, "Taoist Master, could this be a plague?"

Qi Yun remained silent.

The medical principles taught by Xuanqing swirled in my mind: the human body is a microcosm, and essence, qi, and spirit are the three treasures, which are contained in the five internal organs and the five elements.

When essence is depleted, the body deteriorates; when vital energy is scattered, the spirit withers.

When a person dies, the spirit and vital energy cease immediately, but the essence dissipates slowly.

The corpse decomposed so quickly, its body decaying like an empty shell of rotten wood, clearly indicating that its vital essence and blood had been completely plundered!
It was definitely not caused by the plague. The plague damages people's vitality and appearance, and there must be symptoms of evil poison invading the body. Corruption is also a normal phenomenon. How could it leave behind a "peach blossom face" that has drained all the essence?
“It’s not a plague,” Qi Yun said in a cold voice. “It’s an evil spirit that drains the life essence of the dead, causing their bodies to decay so quickly.”

That 'smiling face amidst peach blossoms' was probably a residual illusion left when one's vital essence was completely drained, or a mark left by an evil entity.

Upon hearing this, Chen Gang's tense expression visibly relaxed a bit, and he let out a long sigh of relief: "It's good that it's not the plague! It's good that it's not the plague!"

He immediately realized his lapse in composure and quickly said in a serious tone, "Please forgive me, Daoist Master. It is not that I am afraid of death."

Once the plague broke out, it ravaged thousands of miles, leaving corpses strewn across the fields; it was something that could not be easily contained by human power.

These ghostly creatures, though terrifying, ultimately... ultimately leave clues, making them preventable and treatable.

His eyes revealed the fear of a superior, a deep-seated dread of an out-of-control pandemic, far exceeding any apprehension towards a single evil spirit. Qi Yun took in Chen Gang's changing expression and understood.

It seems that the other party invited me here not to catch ghosts, but to determine whether it was some kind of plague.

As for exorcising demons?

That is the duty of a "virtuous person," and as the chief constable of Jiujiang, he only needs to provide convenience.

"Master Qi," Chen Gang's tone regained its crispness, "what are your suggestions for the next steps? I will fully cooperate!"

Qi Yun smiled bitterly to himself, knowing that his meager skills made him ill-suited for tracing clues.

But when he thought of Xuanqing's chanting under the moon, "The dragon's roar in the box heralds its return," and of that backbone that "protects all living beings and cleanses the demonic atmosphere," a heavy sense of responsibility weighed on his heart.

“Officer Chen,” Qi Yun said calmly, “my skills are not up to par, and I fear I may not be able to keep up with tracking down evil spirits.”

However, now that we know Yangliutun is the place where the trouble began, and that three of our constable brothers have gone missing there, we must investigate further, no matter what!

A barely perceptible hint of approval flashed in Chen Gang's eyes, and then he shouted loudly, "Although Wang Hu is missing, his deputy Zhao Tiezhu is still alive! Tiezhu!"

"Your subordinate is here!" A capable-looking middle-aged constable stepped forward in response.

"Gather five skilled warriors and prepare swift horses!"
Follow Master Qi's orders and proceed to Yangliu Village immediately!
"Don't you dare slack off even a little on the road, or you'll regret it!"

Chen Gang gave the order decisively, then clasped his hands in a fist and bowed to Qi Yun, looking ashamed: "Master Qi, a new murder case occurred in the city last night, and there are many complicated matters. I also need to report to Lord Xie immediately. I, Chen... am really unable to be in two places at once and cannot accompany him in person. I hope you will understand!"

Qi Yun understood perfectly well, and said no more, only saying, "Officer Chen has important business to attend to. I would like to trouble you to lend me a suitable longsword."

"How difficult is this!"

Immediately, Chen Gang gave the order, and soon a constable came running over with a long sword.

The scabbard was ordinary, but it felt heavy in the hand.

A moment later, in front of the government office.

Qi Yun hung his sword and mounted his horse, while Zhao Tiezhu and the other six constables were already saddled and ready.

Chen Gang solemnly cupped his hands on the steps: "Thank you for your trouble, Daoist Master! I await your good news!"

The group walked through the streets and alleys, heading straight out of the east gate.

The official road was flat and the autumn sun was blazing.

Qi Yun rode his horse at the head of the procession, the wind whistling past his ears.

"Although the inheritance of the Five Viscera Observation was obtained effortlessly, it was not without its price. Since we made a promise to Uncle-Master Xuanqing, these things must be done in the end!"

Moreover, my journey through time began at the Five Organs Temple on Shenxian Mountain, and the lineage of the Five Organs Temple must be deeply intertwined with this.

It might even be related to my time travel from 2025!
The Crimson Hunt Fire can grow stronger on its own, and the jade slip was given to me by the Heavenly and Earthly Registers because of my previous exorcism of the ghost realm.

"The will of Heaven is clear; is it not urging me to slay demons and monsters?"

He sighed in his heart.

Previously, Qi Yun, despite possessing the Crimson Hunting Flame, ultimately thought that it would be enough to preserve his life in this chaotic world.

Self-preservation is an instinct.

However, after interacting with Xuanji and Xuanqing, Qi Yun also gained some understanding of cultivation!

Without a compassionate heart to save and help people, the path of the Great Way is ultimately just a mirage!

As soon as this thought arises, the selfish desires and distractions in my heart, driven by self-interest and aversion to harm, melt away like ice and snow, leaving only a clear and pure Daoist heart.

He abruptly pulled on the reins, glancing back at the imposing silhouette of Jiujiang City, his eyes now devoid of any hesitation. He then whipped his horse, shouting in a deep, resolute voice:

"Officer Zhao! Speed ​​up with me!"

　This chapter is a bit stiff and may need some revisions later, but the main content will not be changed, only the part about Qi Yun's cultivation of Tao and mind.

　　Previously, Qi Yun still had the mindset of an ordinary person, but from now on, he will gradually begin to cultivate his Dao heart, laying the groundwork for embarking on the path of Dao!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)