Tianjin, starting with unorthodox methods to achieve immortality

Tonight, the rain is even heavier, and the entire city of Tianjin is soaked in torrential rain.

Chen Mo, wearing a dark gray rubber raincoat, glanced down at his pocket watch; it was 9:45.

In this kind of weather, there are no police officers patrolling the streets, and most of the officers on duty at the inspection bureau are also huddled indoors taking a nap.

He pushed open the door and plunged into the rain, and a name suddenly popped into his mind.

Carrying a knife but no umbrella on a rainy night...

---

It's raining heavily.

The water on the street was ankle-deep, and rubber rain boots made a splashing sound as they stepped into the puddles.

He walked briskly along the base of the wall with his head down, his rain hat pulled low, revealing only his eyes.

Occasionally, a rickshaw would pass by, the driver wearing a tattered raincoat, his face obscured.

The East District Inspection Bureau isn't far from his home; they just took some things today.

Half an hour later, Chen Mo went around to the back alley, climbed over a low wall, and landed in the backyard of the inspection bureau.

The courtyard was pitch black, with only one or two windows on duty letting out a faint light.

He crept along the wall to the corner of the building, and then to the door of the third team's office.

The door was made of wood and fitted with an old-fashioned brass lock.

Chen Mo took out a wire, inserted it into the keyhole, and listened carefully.

A few seconds later, with a soft click, the spring snapped open.

He slipped inside and closed the door behind him.

The room was dark, with the curtains drawn tightly. Chen Mo took out a flashlight from his pocket and his gaze fell on the cup in the corner of the four-person table.

After wrapping it in oil paper and stuffing it into the inner pocket of his raincoat, he quietly left the house, climbed over the wall, and disappeared into the rain.

Back home, Chen Mo took off his soaking wet rain hat, hung it behind the door, and then placed four cups on the dining table.

The cup was wrapped tightly in oil paper and didn't get wet at all along the way.

Now comes the important business.

He pulled a red lacquered box from under the bed and took out several items: a palm-sized bronze mirror, an old compass, and several pieces of yellow paper.

The back of the bronze mirror is engraved with Bagua patterns, and the mirror surface is unlike ordinary mirrors; it is so dark that you can't see your reflection at all.

The compass is a celestial star guide, with the twenty-four directions densely engraved on its surface, and the magnetic needle in the center trembles slightly.

He placed the cups in pairs, with a piece of yellow paper under each cup.

Place the bronze mirror on the cup, fill a cup with water from the tap, and slowly pour it onto the mirror surface.

The water gathered into a thin layer, but did not overflow.

He put down the cup, held the bronze mirror in both hands, and began to mutter.

"Wandering souls, where do they linger?"

In the desolate wilderness, temples and forests.

Streets and alleys, ancient wells and lonely graves.

The green smoke points the way, and the mirror reveals its image.

"Hurry, hurry, as the law commands..."

As the final sound fell, his hands trembled, and the thin layer of water on the surface of the bronze mirror suddenly changed.

The originally gray mirror surface seemed to be illuminated from below, gradually revealing light.

Finally, it all came together to form a picture.

It is a room.

Chen Mo raised an eyebrow slightly.

A mahogany eight-immortal table, paired with a matching grand master chair, the chair covered with brocade cushions.

A set of pastel-colored teaware was placed on the table, and wisps of steam were rising from the teapot.

The ground was paved with blue bricks, but they were worn smooth and even, clearly indicating that it was the residence of a wealthy family.

The light from the electric lamp shone in from one side of the scene, casting the shadows of the three people on the wall.

Sitting at the head of the octagonal table was a man in his forties with dark skin and deep forehead wrinkles.

Ge Zhendong, Zhou Yuan, Liu Dayong.

Chen Mo narrowed his eyes, staring at the faces of the three people in the mirror.

In the scene, Ge Zhendong puts down his teacup and begins to say something.

You can't hear a sound, but the shape of their mouths looks like they're asking a question.

All three people were present.

Rosewood tables and chairs, famille rose tea sets, Western clocks—this is no ordinary household; it's at least a merchant's residence, or perhaps even a mansion.

He stared at the three people for a while, then suddenly realized he hadn't seen Lin Ruoyun.

Four cups, but only three people came out?

Where did that woman go?

Chen Mo stared at the bronze mirror for a while, and the image in the mirror gradually blurred until only a puddle of clear water remained.

He put down the bronze mirror, leaned back in his chair, and unconsciously tapped the table with his fingers.

Lin Ruoyun.

Four cups, three figures.

Unless the woman isn't in Tianjin tonight, or something is blocking her way.

The latter possibility made him sit up straight.

There aren't many things that can block tracking spells.

Either it was a formation set up by a highly skilled practitioner, or she herself is a sensible person who usually carries protective magical artifacts.

Recalling the Four Symbols Formation she had set up a few days ago, Chen Mo suddenly realized that the woman's residence must also have some interesting details.

But it doesn't matter whether it's a moment earlier or a moment later.

As for those three, their life force has already manifested on the yellow paper. If they are not collected tonight, their energy will dissipate after dawn, and it will be much more difficult to find them again.

He stood up, put the bronze mirror back into the red lacquered box, and then took out a horizontal knife from the bedroom.

The knife was drawn three inches from its sheath, and the blade was examined under the lamplight; its cold gleam remained.

He tucked the merit banner into his inner pocket and put the compass in his raincoat pocket; he'd rely on them to find someone tonight.

As Chen Mo was leaving, he glanced back at the four cups on the dining table.

"Send the three of you on your way first, and we'll reunite you tomorrow."

The door opened, and the sound of rain rushed in again.

He pulled his raincoat tighter and plunged into the night.

--------

The lights were on in Lao Ge's house.

The rain was pouring down outside the window, the sound of the rain pouring down like God was splashing water into the yard.

Occasionally, a bolt of lightning would strike, illuminating the window paper with a dazzling light, followed by a deafening rumble of thunder that made the window paper rattle.

A Western-style grandfather clock stood against the wall, its pendulum swinging back and forth, the ticking sound mingling with the rain and sounding particularly crisp.

Ge Zhendong sat in the main seat at the octagonal table, his elbows resting on the table, holding a cup of tea in his hand, but not bringing it to his lips.

The tea had long since gone cold.

"I've already inquired. Chen Mo is indeed recuperating at the Li family's house. It seems his injuries are quite serious. He was unconscious for a day and only woke up on the second day."

He placed the teacup on the table, the bottom of the bowl hitting the table with a dull thud.

"I've arranged for people to be near the Li family's house. As soon as he comes out, someone will immediately inform me, and then we..."

He made a throat-slitting gesture at the two of them, his eyes gleaming with a cold light. A bolt of lightning struck down just then, making his face appear pale and bluish.

"Zhou Yuan, what do you think?"

Zhou Yuan sat to Ge Zhendong's left and remained silent.

Only when Lao Ge asked him a question did he put the teacup he was holding on the table.

"Captain Ge," Zhou Yuan said, his tone slightly conciliatory, "I'd like to add something."

"That kid Chen Mo seems pretty easy to talk to. How about we give him some money to make up for it, say it was a misunderstanding that day, treat him to a drink, and let's put it behind us?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Ge Zhendong's lips twitched, but he didn't laugh; instead, it looked as if something was bothering him.

"Solve for peace?"

He repeated the two words, his voice low but filled with anger. "Are you unaware, or are you pretending not to know?"

"We used Chen Mo as the key figure that day, and we've already offended him terribly." He stared at Zhou Yuan, his eyes devoid of any warmth. "And now you're telling me to give him money to make amends? Do you think he's a fool? If you were in his shoes, would you be willing to accept that?"

Zhou Yuan opened his mouth to refute, but didn't know how to begin.

"Either don't do it at all, or do it thoroughly."

Ge Zhendong shook his head, his voice almost drowned out by the sound of the rain, "Who knows if he remembers it or not? If he turns around and bites us one day, that would be fatal."

"Alright, then we'll do it your way."

Zhou Yuan lowered his eyelids, and the tea sloshed in the bowl.

He was about to speak when the words suddenly caught in his throat.

The shadow cast by the lamplight under the octagonal table suddenly came to life.

"Be careful!"

Ge Zhendong roared and slammed the teacup in his hand under the table, using the force to leap backward.

The teacup shattered, shards of porcelain flying everywhere, and a dark shadow darted out from under the table, lunging straight at his face.

Zhou Yuan reacted quickly, touching the ground with his toes, flipping the chair backward, and landing with a backflip against the wall.

The sound of the teacup shattering still echoed in the room when the dark figure that had sprung out from under the table pounced on Ge Zhendong's face.

The sound of rain outside the window suddenly seemed to fade into the distance, leaving only a chilling atmosphere that rushed towards me.

Instead of retreating, Ge Zhendong advanced, letting out a deep shout, and his blood and energy suddenly surged.

He was at the late stage of the Qi and Blood as Mercury realm. When he circulated his energy, the blood in his body actually made a heavy, muffled sound like lead and mercury flowing. A scorching aura instantly spread from his body, and even the dampness in the room was evaporated into a white mist.

The dark figure was struck by this powerful and masculine energy, and a soft "hiss" sound was heard in mid-air, slowing its momentum.

In that brief pause, Ge Zhendong had already clearly seen what the thing looked like.

It was a flat, human-shaped black shadow, without facial features or thickness, like a silhouette branded after a person had been crushed flat.

In its flat hand, it held a long sword that was equally black but as solid as ink.

The blade is slender and slightly curved, with a faint glint of cold light visible at the edge.

"What the hell is that?"

Zhou Yuan's exclamation came from the wall.

Before he finished speaking, the shadows cast by the oil lamp in the room began to churn like boiling water.

One, two, three...

Seven dark figures rose from the shadows in different directions.

Each shadowy figure wielded a shadow blade. As the shadowy figures stood up, another, slightly fainter shadow emerged from the shadow beneath their feet, also forming a shadow blade, which separated from the main body like a clone.

Seven original bodies, seven clones.

Fourteen shadow puppets surrounded the three of them.

The sound of rain outside the window suddenly became clearer, pouring down on the tiles, but it couldn't extinguish the bone-chilling cold inside the house.

"Grab your weapons!"

Liu Dayong roared and drew his Tang sword from his waist.

He was at the early stage of cultivation, his qi and blood were like mercury, though not as profound as Ge Zhendong's. But when he got angry, his qi and blood surged throughout his body.