Where Is This Place?

Jiang Yun returned to his room, but instead of going to sleep, he sat down cross-legged.

He drew a deep breath and began breathing in and out at a unique rhythm.

He silently recited in his heart:

"Let heart and spirit become one; let qi follow in harmony. Leave space between them, and remain unshaken through ten thousand changes."

"No delusion, no anger; no desire, no pursuit; no keeping, no abandoning; no action, no self."

This was the cultivation method he had used in his previous life—the Daoist Heart Calming Art.

Jiang Yun was worried as well. He did not know whether the Daoist Heart Scripture from his previous life would truly work in this world.

At last, Jiang Yun felt a current of "qi" enter his body with each breath, then flow into his meridians.

What surprised him even more was that the Spiritual Energy in this world was more than twice as dense as it had been on Earth in his previous life.

His meridians were continuously cleansed.

As he continued cultivating, a rooster crowed outside. The sky beyond the window had begun to brighten.

Jiang Yun opened his eyes. A whole night had passed.

Yet this was the wondrous aspect of the Calming Heart Incantation. Though he had meditated all night, he felt brimming with energy.

He pushed open his bedroom door and found, to his surprise, that Jiang Qiaoqiao was already awake. She had lit an oil lamp and was sitting beside its glow, mending clothes.

Whenever she accidentally pricked her finger, she seemed long accustomed to it. She would gently suck on it for a moment, then continue working.

Jiang Yun took it all in. In his memories, Jiang Qiaoqiao had always worked so diligently to support the two of them.

Perhaps hearing the door open behind her, Jiang Qiaoqiao turned and said with a smile, "Brother, you're awake? I'll make you something to eat right away."

Just then, a lovely figure appeared outside the courtyard.

Xu Suwen wore a snow-white fur-lined coat, her hair pinned up neatly, giving her an exceptional air.

Even the early-rising vendors passing Jiang Yun's courtyard could not help stealing several glances at her.

"We'll need to make an extra portion," Jiang Yun said as he looked at the figure outside.

"Eh? What a beautiful sister! Is she Miss Huang?" Jiang Qiaoqiao asked curiously, blinking her eyes. "Did she change her mind and decide she wants to marry you after all?"

"What are you thinking? She isn't Miss Huang." Jiang Yun shook his head. "You could say she's a friend of mine."

"Brother's friend?" Jiang Qiaoqiao understood at once. Though she had never attended school, she often mended clothes and washed laundry by the river with many older women.

She had heard plenty of stories from them.

For instance, a handsome scholar encountering a wealthy young lady and falling in love.

The young lady disregarding her family's opposition and insisting on marrying the poor scholar.

In the end, they became a celebrated match.

After all, she was a girl. Jiang Qiaoqiao had already spun an entire happy love story in her mind.

"I'll go buy meat!" Jiang Qiaoqiao immediately sprang into action.

"Why buy meat so early in the morning?"

Jiang Qiaoqiao glared at Jiang Yun. "Such a beautiful sister is visiting our home. At the very least, we have to cook a pot of meat porridge to entertain her."

With that, she dashed outside in a flash.

"Hey, do you have any money on you?"

"I can buy on credit from Butcher Hu." Before the words had even faded, Jiang Qiaoqiao was gone. She ran remarkably fast.

Xu Suwen looked at the little girl who had suddenly run off, somewhat puzzled. Seeing Jiang Yun emerge from the house, she asked, "That was...?"

"My younger sister." Jiang Yun smiled faintly and pointed at the snow on the ground outside. "It's cold out there. Come in and talk."

After entering the house, Jiang Yun could only pour her a cup of hot water.

There was no tea in the house.

Xu Suwen took out the strip of cloth stained with an Evil Haunt's blood from yesterday and asked, "Do you have a way to find the Evil Spirit?"

"Come with me." Jiang Yun nodded, took the strip of cloth, then went to the Kitchen and lit a fire, burning the bloodstained cloth into ashes.

He fetched a bowl of cold water and scattered all the ashes into it.

Then he brought out the Four Treasures of the Study, dipped a brush into the ash-filled water, and drew a talisman on paper.

Xu Suwen stood beside him, watching Jiang Yun's strange actions with a face full of confusion.

What was he doing?

"Can this really help you find the Evil Haunt?" Xu Suwen frowned. "And what kind of Daoist Arts are these?"

Jiang Yun smiled. "You'll find out soon enough."

"But speaking of which, Miss Xu, you seemed quite surprised when you saw me use Daoist Arts earlier?"

"I heard that throughout our Zhou Dynasty, aside from the capital, Daoist Temples are forbidden from being built."

Xu Suwen nodded. "There is indeed such a rule."

"There are still three Daoist Temples in the capital, but unless granted permission by the imperial court, no Daoist priest may leave the capital's boundaries. Leaving the capital without authorization is treated as treason."

"As for the specific reason, I cannot say much."

At that, Xu Suwen gave Jiang Yun a deep look.

Jiang Yun hurriedly explained, "Rest assured, Miss Xu, I did not flee from the capital."

"If you had, I would not have been the only one coming to your door today," Xu Suwen said calmly.

After returning last night, Xu Suwen had immediately sent people to investigate Jiang Yun's background.

Jiang Yun had indeed lived in Nanzhou Prefecture all his life and had never left.

Afterward, Jiang Yun probed indirectly for information about this world.

He only learned that Buddhism, the Daoist School, and Confucianism had once stood like three legs of a tripod.

The Demons and Monsters of the world had also been hunted until they hid east and west, retreating deep into the mountains.

In those days, the imperial court and common people had enjoyed a period of peace and stability.

Demons and Monsters had nearly become nothing more than legend among the people.

But forty years ago, something major happened.

Xu Suwen could not say much about the exact reason. All he knew was that the Daoist Sect had seemingly vanished overnight.

The imperial court even issued an order that, apart from the three Daoist Temples remaining in the capital,

all other Daoist Temples across the nation were to be burned to the ground.

After the Daoist School declined, Evil Spirits rose up once more, stirring wind and waves.

In response, the imperial court added the Eastern Garrison Command to the Imperial Guards' Northern and Southern Garrison Commands.

The Eastern Garrison Command recruited all kinds of extraordinary people and strange talents to deal with Evil Spirits.

While the two were talking, Jiang Qiaoqiao finally returned with a piece of meat.

She had jogged all the way back, her little face flushed red.

"Brother, I'll make meat porridge for you two." Jiang Qiaoqiao said happily. "You and beautiful sister wait a moment."

Xu Suwen was exceedingly clever. One look at Jiang Qiaoqiao's expression, and she understood the general situation.

She smiled faintly. "Your sister seems to like me very much."

"Who wouldn't like a beautiful sister?" Jiang Yun chuckled.

Before long, a large basin of meat porridge was ready. Jiang Qiaoqiao served Xu Suwen an enormous bowl.

"Sister, take a sip. Is it good?"

"How did you and my brother meet? At a poetry gathering? Or..."

Seeing Jiang Qiaoqiao's face full of curiosity, Jiang Yun hurriedly told her to drink her meat porridge. Meat porridge could always keep her mouth shut.

Xu Suwen's status was extraordinary. Even Qian Bochou, Constable Qian, treated her with utmost caution. He had better not anger her.

Yet Xu Suwen showed no displeasure. Instead, she smiled and said, "Yes, we met at a poetry gathering."

The two chatted back and forth, and Jiang Yun found himself unable to get a word in.

At last, after they finished the meat porridge, there was still Important Matter to attend to.

"Your brother and I are going out for a while. Next time, sister will come chat with you again."

The two left the house and came to a relatively secluded alley.

Jiang Yun took out the sheet of paper on which he had already drawn the talisman and folded it into a paper crane.

Then he stepped through the Seven Star Gang Steps, formed hand seals, and recited, "Heaven's mandate returns to my Dao; from the nine heavens, I track human traces. The palm turns through three springs; the paper crane seeks all living souls."

The faint Magic Power he had cultivated over the night flowed into the paper crane.

The paper crane's wings fluttered, fluttered, and it slowly rose into the air.

"Follow it, and we'll find where the Evil Spirit is," Jiang Yun said.

The paper crane was not particularly fast. Jiang Yun and Xu Suwen jogged after it.

Before long, Jiang Yun's heart sank. The paper crane was actually flying toward the Prefecture City.

There was no sign of it leaving the city.

That meant the Evil Haunt was inside the Prefecture City?

The two ran for the time it took to burn two sticks of incense before the paper crane flew over a courtyard wall and vanished inside.

Jiang Yun was about to climb over the wall when Xu Suwen reached out and stopped him.

"What is it? Let's climb in. That Evil Spirit should be inside." Jiang Yun looked at her in confusion.

Xu Suwen's face had turned dark and ugly.

Jiang Yun realized something and turned to look at the tall courtyard wall. "Where is this place?"

Xu Suwen drew a deep breath and ground out through clenched teeth, "The Nanzhou Prefectural Office!"

Third update complete. Everyone, remember to cast the votes in your hands for Xiao Jiu. My deepest thanks.