I am the old, fiery-faced man from the senior department.

"May I ask if you would allow me to perform my magic and examine your soul, sir?"

"The art of soul observation..."

Bai Zhou raised an eyebrow in slight surprise.

"Layman, do not worry, I swear to Heaven that I will never..."

"Taoist Master, there's no need for further words. Please begin your magic."

"Hmm... Layman, you are truly righteous."

The other party's cooperation touched Shi Huaguo deeply.

Since the other party trusted him so much, he would take him to appreciate the painting afterward, regardless of whether he was the one who took the painting or not.

"Please relax your mind, layman, and I will now perform the ritual."

Shi Huaguo closed his eyes tightly, made a hand seal with his hands, and chanted a spell.

Then, with a shout of "Swift!", his eyes widened, filled with golden light.

He turned his head slightly and looked toward where the daylight was.

Light filled his field of vision.

Further up, one could only see a pair of... no, a single eye, a radiant eye that shone in all directions.

"Um... what is this... what is this...?"

The other party made a move.

The enormous eyes gradually receded into the distance, and its massive form gradually became apparent.

Light on the scales, star on the tail, moon on the feet.

Its shape is like a star, and its form is like a dragon.

Its own form is as insignificant as a mayfly, a grain of millet in the vast ocean.

It was a fleeting moment, yet it felt like a century had passed.

When Shi Huaguo came to his senses from the shock, he realized that the incense ash outside had not yet been burned off.

"Has the Taoist priest seen enough?"

The call of daylight made Shi Huaguo even more awake.

Looking at the daylight, he sighed deeply.

"...This layman is indeed no ordinary person."

Its soul is like the sun.

That is the sun.

He came from the west, and the sun rose from the west.

There has been a saying since ancient times that clouds follow dragons.

The clouds in the sky have been lingering today, and coincidentally, distinguished guests have arrived.

Thus, three of the four fables have been completed.

The last sentence... "The organs originate from the five internal organs..."

How then can tools be generated from the five internal organs of a person?

Shi Huaguo pondered, his gaze sweeping between the two.

Right, Master didn't say this was used to describe a person.

This lay Buddhist Bai took three of them by himself; could the remaining one have been taken by him?

Do we have to use the Soul Viewing Technique again?

Don't even think about it.

Shi Huaguo looked over upon hearing the sound.

But it was the girl who was staring at him.

"Don't even think about using the same magic you used on Xiaobai on me."

"If you have any doubts, please ask me. My elder sister is only accompanying me and has nothing to do with this matter."

"Please do not worry, my two laymen. I have no wicked thoughts."

Seeing that the two men's words had changed, Shi Huaguo hurriedly spoke up to explain.

"But before my master went on his travels, he left me a parable. The painting can only be taken away when the destined person in the parable appears."

"I noticed that you, Mr. Bai, are interested in this painting, so I wanted to know if you are the person mentioned in this allegory. Everything I said and did just now was for this purpose, and I had no other intention."

After uttering a long explanation, Shi Huaguo gasped for breath a few times before returning to a normal breathing rate.

"uh-huh."

The man stood with his hands over his chest, neither confirming nor denying.

"I see."

Bai Zhou nodded slightly, seemingly accepting his explanation.

"Then, Taoist priest, can you tell whether I, Bai, am the person of the allegory?"

"...Master Bai has already fulfilled three of the allegorical points, but I still do not understand the fourth one."

Now that he had already told the story, Shi Huaguo no longer concealed it and told the two of them the parable.

Thunder rises from the north, and the sun rises from the west.

"Clouds follow the dragon's path, and organs originate from the five internal organs."

He murmured this fable during the day, lost in thought.

"Hmm... indeed, Xiaobai does fit these criteria."

A sense of curiosity also arose within me that year.

Thunder magic, imperial throne, race—these are all things that Xiaobai possesses.

This last one...

Nian looked at his hands.

No wonder the young Taoist priest had focused his attention on her earlier.

This suits her perfectly no matter how you look at it.

"Hmm, I think I understand what that means."

The sounds of daylight drew Nian's attention.

"Right? Just like I thought, Xiaobai."

"This must be my sister..."

Before he could finish speaking, he was forced to swallow his words back down.

"This...this is!"

Shi Huaguo was shocked!

Holy crap! Master! What did you give in exchange for these fables?! How come they were all accurate?!

"The organs originate from the five internal organs; this must be what it refers to."

Bai Zhou placed the arcane blade he had conjured on the table and spoke to the two of them.

"..."

Nian rubbed her eyes in disbelief, but the sharp blade on the table kept slapping her face.

How could this be...creating something out of thin air...how did this little guy do that?

"noob……"

She grabbed Bai Zhou's hand and examined it repeatedly, but no matter what she did, she couldn't understand how Bai Zhou had done it.

"Layman...could you please enlighten this humble monk?"

Shi Huaguo also couldn't understand how the knife had been shaped.

"It's just... um... the application of an ability."

Bai Zhou raised his free left hand and gently touched the Arcane Blade, which then transformed into a lifelike dove.

Its chirping, flapping of wings, and flight all seemed as if they were truly there.

"..."

He caught the pigeon and studied it carefully, even plucking a feather from it.

No matter how you look at it, the feathers look real.

This is a metal that possesses life.

"This metal... I've never seen anything like it before..."

She held the pigeon in her hand and gazed at the daylight, her words filled with inquisitive curiosity and a strange yet intense passion.

"Waaah... Xiaobai... you have to explain this to me properly when we get back."

"Ah."

Bai Zhou then looked at Shi Huaguo, who was in a strange state, and coughed.

"Master, have I met the conditions?"

"what……"

Shi Huaguo recovered from his shock at his master's great abilities, straightened his clothes, and replied to Bai Zhou, "Of course, Layman Bai is the one I have been waiting for."

"The painting is in the side hall. Please follow me, gentlemen."

The painting, which had been preserved for a long time, was taken away.

Shi Huaguo glanced at the so-called "incense money" left behind during the day and a spellbook called "Five Thunder Technique," and sighed deeply.