The Hairpin, To Mount Luo

"Miss An."

"Young Master Song, you're too polite. Just call me An Xue!"

Hearing Song Chengan's form of address, An Xue seemed somewhat at a loss.

She had already learned from An Ruifeng that the young man before her was an official from the Demon Suppression Division.

"I'm sorry to bring up your painful past."

An Xue shook her head. "It's been so many years already."

"Young Master Song, ask whatever you wish. I'll tell you everything I know."

Song Chengan nodded.

"How much do you know about the monster that bewitched your husband back then?" Song Chengan asked.

An Xue pondered for a moment, then said, "I'm afraid I'll disappoint you, Young Master Song. If you wish to ask about Lu Jingcheng, I can tell you a little of what I know."

"But if you're asking about that monster, I know very little."

"I discovered very early on that Lu Jingcheng had fallen for someone else, but I only knew that he had taken a liking to a woman outside. Beyond that, I knew nothing."

"I only knew that woman was from Mount Luo."

"From Mount Luo?"

"Luo Village, perhaps," An Xue said.

"There's only one village on Mount Luo."

"Actually, I realized back then that woman had deceived Lu Jingcheng."

"There was only one village on Mount Luo, but that village was destroyed by a natural disaster thirty years ago."

A natural disaster?

Song Chengan thought of the Lightning Calamity of Luo Village he had read about in the County Annals.

Could that monster have come from the village?

If it had come from the village, could he find First Boss Bai?

Song Chengan thought.

Perhaps he could find that monster through First Boss Bai, then retrieve the missing soul of An Mingxu from him.

If that soul still remained, that was.

He just did not know whether An Mingxu's soul had survived after thirty years.

"Has Miss An Xue ever seen this monster?"

An Xue shook her head. "I've never seen her."

"I only learned later that woman was a monster."

"Uncle Ruifeng arranged everything."

Song Chengan nodded.

"Then thank you for today, Miss An. If you recall anything else about that monster, you can have someone inform Master An."

"Alright. If I remember anything, I'll definitely write to Uncle Ruifeng," An Xue said.

"Then I'll take my leave first."

Song Chengan rose to his feet.

He was somewhat disappointed.

He had thought that, as one of the people involved, An Xue would surely know something about that monster.

Yet An Xue knew little more than they did. It seemed that he could only go to Luo Village and seek First Boss Bai now.

"By the way, Young Master Song."

"There's something."

Just as Song Chengan was about to leave, An Xue suddenly spoke.

As she spoke, she turned and returned inside.

Before long, she emerged with a hairpin in her hand.

It was a hairpin made from black jade.

Its design was exquisite.

"This was something Lu Jingcheng brought back from outside back then. At first, I thought he meant to give it to me."

"He never gave it to me, but he hid it away like a treasure. I suspect it was something that monster gave him."

"Something that monster gave him?"

"It's only my suspicion."

As she spoke, An Xue handed the hairpin to Song Chengan.

Inside the Void Heaven Mirror.

When Song Chengan entered, the Phantom Body practicing the Fire Cloud Staff Technique had already stopped and stood silently there.

"The practice is complete."

With a thought from Song Chengan.

That Phantom Body transformed into a cluster of Dao Fruit and was absorbed by him.

An understanding of the Fire Cloud Staff Technique flooded into his mind.

The Demon Subduing Staff in Song Chengan's hand instantly extended to twenty feet, and crimson flames burst forth across it.

Song Chengan began wielding it in the courtyard!

Waves of heat erupted one after another!

After completing the thirty-six forms of the Fire Cloud Staff Technique, Song Chengan withdrew his staff and stood still!

He felt incomparably refreshed!

"The might of this Fire Cloud Staff cannot be underestimated."

"Now that the Fire Cloud Staff Technique has reached great mastery, I should study that Alchemy Skill next."

Inside the Void Heaven Mirror.

As Song Chengan's thought fell, a new Phantom Body condensed into existence.

The moment it appeared, a pill furnace and several illusory spirit herbs appeared in its hands. It began refining pills over and over...

From time to time, the pill furnace even exploded, blasting the Phantom Body's face black with soot.

Song Chengan found it rather amusing.

"What else can I study?"

"Right, the Tracking Paper Crane."

Another Phantom Body condensed.

Along with it came a table, talisman paper, and cinnabar.

The moment this tiny Phantom Body appeared, it sat before the table and began drawing talismans and folding paper cranes.

"Work hard!"

Song Chengan left the Void Heaven Mirror.

"Song Chengan, you really are an immortal!"

A tiny head was peering over the courtyard wall.

It was Brother Dan.

Brother Dan's eyes were wide open.

"Not an immortal."

"It's just a trick."

"Come on, I'll take you to perform tricks on the street and earn money later."

"Goudan, why are you climbing so high?"

"Get down here!"

Before Brother Dan could speak, his mother's roar sounded from the neighboring courtyard.

Then Brother Dan's head vanished. Before long, Brother Dan's heart-wrenching cries rang out from the Zhou family courtyard.

Song Chengan shook his head, locked the door, and headed for Mount Luo.

Mount Luo.

At the dense forest before the mountain.

Song Chengan sat beneath the shade of a tree, troubled.

Whenever he had come to Mount Luo before, that Cat Demon had brought him.

This was his first time coming to Mount Luo of his own accord.

Then, rather awkwardly, he discovered that he seemed not to know how to reach Luo Village.

He did not know how to pass through the great formation before him.

He would sit for a while first.

With no other ideas, Song Chengan casually found a patch of shade and sat down.

Song Chengan suddenly sprang to his feet.

Just as he had thought he would have to return home and wait until next month, when Mount Luo came to have him teach these monsters before he could see Boss Bai, a figure appeared.

It was that Black Cat.

A string of grapes hung from its mouth.

It was about to enter the forest.

When it saw Song Chengan, it even nodded at him.

A smile appeared on Song Chengan's face.

But what left him dumbfounded was that after nodding, the Black Cat simply walked into the forest.

Song Chengan was stunned. "Hey, hey, wait for me."

"I want to see The Boss, but I don't know how to get in."

"You want to go to the village?"

"Yes. I don't know the way, so lead me there."

"Oh, oh. I thought you were cooling off here."

Song Chengan was speechless. Who in their right mind would come all the way from Spirit Mound to cool off here?

I must be out of my mind to come to this deep mountain forest to cool off.

"Having grapes today?"

Song Chengan followed behind the Black Cat and passed through the dense forest.

"No."

"Do you want some?" the Black Cat asked.

So polite?

Then I'll have some.

"Then I'll have a little."

"Oh, oh. Then wait a moment."

"Follow me."

Song Chengan was somewhat puzzled.

But he still followed the Black Cat.

The Black Cat went left, then right, then left again, eventually arriving before a Mountain God Temple.

Song Chengan was somewhat surprised.

He had not expected there to be a Mountain God Temple here.

Inside the Mountain God Temple.

Song Chengan saw a divine statue covered in cracks.

The Black Cat placed the grapes from its mouth on the ground.

Then it sat on the ground and closed its eyes.

After a while, it opened them.

"You can eat now!"

It said.