Not an Inch Left Uncovered

After Luo ZhengNan and Qiu Zhiheng reached an agreement, they returned to the hall and immediately issued an order for the entire Medicine King Hall to do everything in their power to capture Sang Xiu.

Many people are unwilling to put in the effort to perform rituals to ward off bad luck and prevent the spread of misfortune.

It's okay if you don't want to, Luo ZhengNan has a way.

If the White Lamb in the temple discover the whereabouts of a wandering monk, and the whereabouts are confirmed, they will be rewarded with fifty silver dollars. If they report the news in a timely manner and participate in the capture, they will be rewarded with pills that can accumulate Dao Affinity.

For each disciple with cultivation level who captures a mutilated cultivator alive, the reward is Snake Spot Pill. The main capturer will receive at least twenty pills, and the co-capturer will receive at least ten pills!

Luo ZhengNan is not Xiao Zhengong; he delivers on his promises of rewards on the spot!

With a generous reward, there are bound to be brave men. The next afternoon, Jiang Xiang Gang captured another monk.

Even those who are considered "dead cultivators" will eventually have to cultivate themselves. No matter how well they hide, they will always find an opportunity to disgust others. With experience, Jiang Xiang Gang's actions became faster and faster, and they captured another person that very night.

Jiang Xiang Gang made a move, Three Heroes Gate also made a move. Zhang Liuze had just been promoted to Bronze Seal and captured a monk in Inner Gully. Two other monks with Bronze Seals joined forces to capture two monks in Outer Valley.

The Azure Cloud Society arrested two people.

One person was arrested by the Hundred Flowers Gate.

The Fish Flower Gang was not powerful enough, and most of its disciples had no cultivation. They found the whereabouts of two undead cultivators, and Li Banfeng used the clues to capture them.

Qiu Zhiheng also apprehended two more people based on clues provided by Steward Feng and Yu Nan.

Besides Yu Heshun, fifteen other Medicine King Gully. Now that Yu Heshun is dead, one of the fifteen monks is dead, thirteen have been captured, and only one remains on the run.

Qiu Zhiheng was worried that some unruly cultivators might still try to sneak into Medicine King Gully. The major sects had promised to station their disciples at the train station, dock, and border. If they saw anyone acting suspiciously or looking for trouble, they would arrest them first.

Qiu Zhiheng disregarded the bad luck and left all the mourners at the pharmacy for questioning one by one.

Yu Heshun went to Medicine King Gully because he disgusted everyone around him and had nowhere to cultivate himself.

The situations of the other monks who came to Medicine King Gully were all different.

Some people fled their homeland because they had offended a ruthless person and were afraid of retaliation.

Some people want to change their cultivation location because their cultivation level is too slow.

Some people are simply trying to make a living in a different place because they are in dire financial straits.

But why did all these people choose Medicine King Gully?

Qiu Zhiheng used a technique, and these people finally told the truth.

They had a dream, a dream from their Grandmaster.

The Grandmaster told them that if they came to Medicine King Gully, they would find a way out.

Is it really that easy to believe things from dreams?

Moreover, even if it is truly a summons from the patriarch, Daoist disciples are not necessarily obligated to obey orders; matters of cultivation ultimately depend on their own will.

At first they ignored it, but the Grandmaster warned them in a dream that those who disobeyed the Grandmaster's instructions would suffer misfortune.

Within two days, these cultivators all encountered misfortune. Some fell ill, some were beaten, and some almost lost their lives. They dared not disobey their Grandmaster again and all came to Medicine King Gully.

Li Banfeng was very surprised to hear this; it turned out that even mourners were afraid of bad luck.

But why can bad luck in dreams come true?

Qiu Zhiheng felt there was still a problem with this matter, so he and his companion went to visit Yao Lao.

Yao Lao, covered in wounds, was drinking in the courtyard, holding Three-Pointed Double-Edged Blade.

Yesterday, I slipped and didn't hold the knife handle properly, and I cut myself twice.

Two days ago, a fire broke out in the wine cellar, Yao Lao was burned.

The day before yesterday was the worst. To guard against Mourning Star, Yao Lao prepared a whole room full of traps and mechanisms in the house.

As a result, the roof beam collapsed early in the morning, triggering all the traps and mechanisms in the house and almost causing serious injuries.

It all sounds like an accident, but Yao Lao knew in his heart that this was a sneak attack by Mourning Star.

Despite suffering a loss, Yao Lao remained defiant, standing in the courtyard as imposing as ever. "I'm not afraid of him. If he dares to show his face even once, I'll take his life!"

Qiu Zhiheng asked, "Is the Mourning Star's the Ancestor of Mourning Cultivation?"

"He's no kind of patriarch! When Patriarch Sangxiu was alive, he hadn't even entered the Daoist sect yet!"

"Does the Mourning Star' possess the cultivation level of Dream Cultivator?"

"No! It's already a miracle that this old dog could cultivate a Daoist sect to the highest level. How could he possibly have the ability to cultivate multiple sects at once?"

It's neither the patriarch nor Dream Cultivator, so where do those nightmares of the deceased disciples come from? These are nightmares that can truly bring bad luck.

Qiu Zhiheng couldn't figure it out, but Yao Lao remembered another connection.

"Could it be related to the Inner State?"

Li Banfeng recalled something: the Insect Chief who caused the Sea Eat Ridge Insect Plague also possessed the power of the Inner State.

Yao Lao couldn't be sure about this. If the forces from the Inner State really got involved, it would be difficult to defend Medicine King Gully.

The Mourning Star that was transformed by the Inner State is probably not on the same level as Yao Lao.

Back at Qiu Family Business's Pharmacy, Qiu Zhiheng continued interrogating Sang Xiu: "Since you've come to Medicine King Gully, why are you hiding and afraid to show yourselves?"

The crowd exchanged bewildered glances. Finally, an elderly man Ge Tugen spoke up, "I've been in the Daoist community for a long time, Yu Heshun's death, I sensed something was amiss."

Later, I saw some bloodstains near Jade Fragrance Village. Even after a heavy rain, the bloodstains couldn't be washed away. I think this is Mourning Gate Formation.

This formation was built with the lives of my fellow disciples; I told them to run for their lives immediately.

"But you didn't escape."

Ge Tugen said, "Grandpa, we want to escape, but the Travel Permit is hard to find. The Travel Permit we came with was given to us by our Grandmaster in a dream. We don't know anyone in Medicine King Gully, so how are we going to find the Travel Permit to go back?"

You can even exchange things in your dreams.

If the Mourning Star truly possesses the cultivation level of Dream Cultivator, just how high has his level reached?

The interrogation was almost over, and Qiu Zhiheng waited for news of the capture of the last mourner.

The next day, news came that the last of the deceased cultivators had not been caught. Someone had found a clue Outer Valley Ma Bamboo Village, Waigou Jiang Xiang Gang's disciples went to arrest him and found the cultivator's body.

Ma Bamboo Village, Li Banfeng has been to this place. It is the home of the You Tao, located on the border of Medicine King Gully and Green Water City.

Qiu Zhiheng asked, "When did this happen?"

Luo ZhengNan replied, "I just saw the body this morning."

"Ma Bamboo Village is not close to Inner Gully." Qiu Zhiheng was somewhat suspicious. Judging from the timing, Luo ZhengNan should not have received the news so quickly.

Luo ZhengNan said, "I have my own methods, you don't need to ask about that."

Did he die because he was illegally immigrated?

Luo ZhengNan shook his head. "He has Travel Permit on him. Although I don't know where the Travel Permit came from, he probably has no reason to smuggle himself across the border."

Li Banfeng heard it all very clearly from the back room.

He reached the border, had Travel Permit, and didn't need to smuggle himself across, yet he still died suddenly.

The first two mourners died at the Train Station.

Besides the Mourning Star personally sent people to kill them, there is another possibility.

The Mourning Gate Formation has mutated; these wandering cultivators can't even get out of the Inner Gully. If they dare to go outside, they'll die instantly.

Do such variant formations really exist?

If such a formation truly exists, it means they have no way of sending the deceased out; they will die in Medicine King Gully no matter what.

Luo ZhengNan and Qiu Zhiheng also fell silent. After thinking for a long time, Luo ZhengNan decided to take a gamble. "There's a truck going to Yellow Earth Bridge tomorrow. I'll try to find a way to get a funeral worker on the truck."

If he dies at the station, it proves they can't get out; then we'll think of another way.

If we can successfully get him to Yellow Earth Bridge, it will prove our plan was correct. I'll try to arrange another truck to send them all back!

The method is correct, but the cost is also high.

Qiu Zhiheng used to deal with Guanfang Envoy frequently and knew their conduct.

"Hall Master Luo, if we take the man there tomorrow and he dies at the station, do Guanfang Envoy will forgive you? At this critical moment, he might completely turn against you."

Luo ZhengNan sighed; he shared this concern.

And that's not the only cost.

The two were drinking tea when suddenly a strong wind blew and the roof tiles rattled loudly.

The two stood at the door and saw countless white beans, each the size of a thumb, falling from the sky.

Hail?

The climate in Medicine King Gully hasn't seen hail for many years.

Qiu Zhiheng chose the best tiles, which were able to withstand the damage, but the ordinary tiles from other households were smashed in less than three to five minutes.

Whew~

A fragrant aroma of wine wafted on the wind, and as the scent filled the air, the temperature suddenly rose.

The hailstones melted rapidly before falling, turning into a torrential downpour amidst the alcoholic mist.

The rain lasted for three whole hours. If it had been hailing for three hours, who knows what Medicine King Gully would have become.

This was just the beginning; by midnight that night, hail had returned.

Yao Lao, carrying a wine jug and Three-Pointed Double-Edged Blade, stood in the courtyard and shouted, "If you have any tricks up your sleeve, come at me! What kind of skill is it to bully ordinary people!"

He exhaled a puff of alcohol mist, and the hailstones turned into rain again.

Yao Lao and the Mourning Gate Formation fought a fierce battle for a whole day and night.

These are the Three Arrays that Hong Ying mentioned.

Li Banfeng didn't even dare to imagine what kind of disaster would result if Luo ZhengNan were allowed to make another mistake.

But what should we do next?

Keep an eye on these mortals and make sure they don't die.

Not to mention that this matter is too unlucky, even if we ignore the bad luck, we can't keep it under control. What if the Mourning Star comes and kills the jinx himself one day?

Even if all these people attacked together, they couldn't stop a cultivator at the Third Layer Above the Clouds.

Yao Lao did have the idea of taking advantage of the situation to launch a surprise attack and kill the Mourning Star, but while the idea was good, it was too difficult to execute.

You can't guard against thieves for a thousand days if you're a thief for a thousand days. Are you expecting the Local Earth God and the whole group from Medicine King Gully to keep an eye on this bunch of wicked cultivators every day?

The only feasible solution seems to be to destroy the Mourning Gate Formation.

Li Banfeng and Qiu Zhiheng, along with the old mourner Ge Tugen, arrived at Jade Fragrance Village and found the bloodstains he had mentioned earlier.

It was a palm-sized, dark red bloodstain. It was rare that the old man had such good eyesight and managed to spot it.

Li Banfeng asked, "If we dig out this bloodstain, will it break the Mourning Gate Formation '?"

The old man shook his head and said, "Digging up one piece is definitely useless, and I can't say how much will be enough."

Qiu Zhiheng frowned.

The old man wasn't lying; Yao Lao said the same thing.

Where are the other bloodstains?

Li Banfeng took out a shovel and scraped away the bloodstain on the ground.

Qiu Zhiheng stepped forward to stop him, saying, "Brother, don't move, you'll bring bad luck. Let me handle this."

Li Banfeng waved his hand; he had already started shoveling.

Having dealt with the stigmata for so many days, I've long since stopped caring about bad luck.

The bloodstains were very deep. It took shoveling more than five feet deep and removing half a sack of soil to clean them up.

Back at the pharmacy, Li Banfeng brought some of the soil back to his Portable Abode. Hong Ying smelled something was wrong and shouted, "Did you bring back the Sangxiu? It smells so bad!"

Li Banfeng exclaimed in delight, "You have such a keen sense of smell, why don't you come with me to Medicine King Gully? I'll hold your hand, and you can smell all the bloodstains and break the Mourning Gate Formation."

Hong Ying retorted angrily, "I won't do such an unlucky thing, and besides, it's pointless for you to do it."

"Why isn't it working?"

"I don't know how big Medicine King Gully is, but it must be at least a hundred miles in circumference, right?"

A small bucket of blood has been scattered across a hundred-mile radius. You need to dig out at least half of it to break the Mourning Gate Formation.

Li Banfeng actually thought this was a good idea, "What shape is the Mourning Gate Formation '? How many bloodstains are there? I'll find them one by one!"

Hong Ying scoffed, "You really are persistent. Back when I was still in the army, I vaguely remember that the Mourning Gate Formation had more than sixty variations, each with a different Shapeshifting and a bloodstain ranging from one hundred to three hundred. Do you really think you can find it?"

The series of numbers left Li Banfeng speechless for a long time.

The record player snapped at Hong Ying, "Stop talking!"

Hong Ying retorted angrily, "Why can't I say I'm telling him not to waste his energy!"

"You wretch, stop bastarding! Go and take twenty Military Rods yourself!"

"I'll say it even if I get beaten up! The Mourning Gate Formation is impossible to break! Someone set up such a huge formation in their own home; that drunkard deserves to die. Why are you even bothering with him?"

Before he finished speaking, the house suddenly emitted a low hum.

Buzz~

Hong Ying put on full armor and stood next to the record player.

The record player and Hong Ying only heard a series of low hums, like the noise of mechanical collisions and friction.

Only Li Banfeng heard Portable Abode's voice. "I can help you, but we'll need at least two more rails."

"How can you help me?"

"We'll traverse Medicine King Gully, leaving no soil untouched!"

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