Lu Real Person

Rather than being a local guardian, this Lu Real Person was quite handsome and youthful, appearing at first glance like a cheerful and generous young man. Indeed, he was good-looking, with a face like brocade and eyes like stars, naturally inspiring goodwill. There were nine purple wisps behind his head and a three-petaled black lotus between his brows, clearly indicating that he was a highly accomplished Daoist master.

Of course, he was not wearing stockings or a miniskirt. He was wearing a black Daoist robe and robe issued by Lou Guan Dao Yuanying, a long black linen magpie tail crown on top to tie his hair, a jade sword on his waist, and a waist badge with the word "Mo" on his waist. Rather than being a Daoist priest, he was dressed more like a public official in the ancient fairy palace.

At this moment, Lu Real Person's hands were clean, without any of the ferocity he had shown 'last time,' and without a trace of blood or flesh. Yet, Zheng Zetian still recognized him.

It's easy to tell; his palms have no lines. Either he has a prosthetic limb, or he's preparing to kill someone and has used magic to erase the lines beforehand.

Indeed, it seems he just emerged from the "Ghost Gate" on the 'First Class' side behind him. If he hadn't stumbled upon this scene, he would have already made his move.

Zheng Zetian's mind raced. He took out the jade pendant of a disciple of Ink Bamboo Mountain, and bowed expressionlessly, saying...

"Greetings, Guardian True Lord. This disciple is Zheng Zetian of Lou Guan. I was ordained by Master Song and am currently practicing and observing the precepts at Qingting Peak."

"Oh? Qingting Peak?"

Lu Zhenshou, his left hand still on Zheng Zetian's shoulder, took the jade pendant, glanced at it, then looked at his train ticket, and couldn't help but ask in surprise,

"You're a Foundation Establishment disciple, why aren't you cultivating properly within the sect? Why did you go to Mo Mountain? And what about the Lou Guan City bombing?"

Zheng Zetian said without changing his expression,

"Yesterday, I was receiving my ordination at Lou Guan Tower when the explosion happened. When my master went to inspect the scene, I overheard someone in Heavenly Clothes saying that someone was trying to use the explosion to distract the Discipline Institute and take the opportunity to leave the city by train. Since hearsay is not enough, I decided to board the train to find out the truth and catch the perpetrator of the bombing myself."

Even the garrison commander of Leopard Ears didn't believe this explanation.

"You, a Foundation Establishment disciple, dare to arrest people? And why didn't you tell your master about this?"

Zheng Zetian's voice remained completely flat.

"Actually, I was too lazy to get involved in other people's affairs, but after seeing the sect's Black Sword in my master's hand, I also wanted to accumulate merits to get one. Moreover, my master also gave me this protective magic weapon, saying that it could even capture Nascent Soul Realm cultivators alive. So I thought, this is feasible."

Isn't cultivation all about facing challenges head-on and seeking fortune amidst danger? Since there's a great opportunity to make a contribution, why not seize it? Merely reporting a crime might not be taken seriously by the sect, let alone personally participating in the capture of the culprit; the rewards would undoubtedly be different, right?

Anyway, Master said that the furnace explosion was just something some rogue cultivators caused. As a disciple of the prestigious Ink Bamboo Mountain sect, on my own territory, and protected by magical treasures, what have I to fear? Does anyone dare to commit violence on Ink Bamboo Mountain? Wouldn't that be a slap in the face to the sect leader?

Besides, even if we encounter a particularly powerful and ruthless demon, aren't there two guardians and the Discipline Institute to deal with it? Although there are some risks, the railway hasn't had any accidents in all these years, so we're sure we won't suffer any losses.

"Of course, I sent a telegram before I got on the bus, reporting clues about the perpetrator. I figured the Discipline Institute should be arriving soon, so I took action."

This made the garrison commander of Leopard Ears somewhat believe it.

"That seems to make sense. But what did your master say? Is he really comfortable letting you come alone?"

Zheng Zetian, "Of course I agreed. He said I have to do my morning lessons, so you can go out and play by yourself."

Leopard Ears' temple throbbed, and he choked for a moment.

"Bullshit! What does this have to do with me! I'm not a bomber! I'm not!"

The maid rolled on the ground.

Lu Zhenshou smiled and looked at Zheng Zetian for a while, then returned the jade pendant to him and put his hands behind his back.

"Interesting. So, junior brother, how did you determine that she is the culprit?"

Zheng Zetian shrugged.

"There were only a few people on the bus with Lou Guan City, and she's the only one who's so powerful and ugly. She doesn't look like a maid at all. She's obviously not a good person. Besides, I need to test whether this magic weapon is effective or not. It would be good to capture her first."

The maid screamed, "You brat! You brat! You brat! If I get away, I'll beat you to a pulp! I'll beat you to a pulp!"

Zheng Zetian, "Sir, look at this! She's threatening me! I'm so scared. There might be other accomplices in the car. These are the thugs who bombed two streets! They might even blow up the car when they finally reveal their true colors!"

Leopard Ears was shocked. "A car bomb?! This is terrible! Tell me! Where did you hide the bomb?!"

The maid was practically going crazy, screaming, "Aaaaaah!"

"Hahaha!"

Commander Lu laughed heartily.

"I don't think this fellow Daoist is the suspect, Junior Brother Zheng. Your composure is so remarkable; it must be intentional."

Are you worried that there are only rumors and no concrete evidence, and that neither the Discipline Institute nor the Railway Warden will believe your information, so you came in person, intending to arrest someone randomly, escalate the situation to force the train to stop, and then lure the Discipline Institute to search the carriages?"

Zheng Zetian said solemnly,

"A wise and discerning person sees through even the smallest details. Unlike those fools, you saw right through this kid's little scheme."

Leopard ears, maidservant, "..."

Commander Lu looked at him and smiled.

"... So you really heard the people from the Heavenly Clothes Pavilion talking about this train?"

Zheng Zetian nodded.

"It's absolutely true. The explosion was deafening; it scared my sheep so much they pooped. I was cleaning in front of the Heavenly Clothes Pavilion at the time when I heard someone say something like, 'Take this opportunity to sneak into Moshan by train and go to Li Family Village or something.' I didn't understand what they meant at the time, and the person who spoke disappeared as soon as they left. I didn't even see their face clearly, so I have no proof."

Lu Zhenshou was silent for a moment, then smiled.

"They even know about Li Family Village. There's no smoke without fire. Alright, just to be on the safe side, let's do as you say."

"Sun Warden, stop the car and send a telegram requesting support from the Discipline Institute."

"Ah, ah! Yes, yes, it is in accordance with the law!"

The leopard-eared Sun Zhenshou was stunned for a moment, and immediately went to open the cabinet. When he saw that the hat was gone, he almost peed in shock. He turned around and found that the hat with the word "Mo" on it was on Zheng Zetian's head. He glared at the kid bitterly, took the hat, put it on, opened the door to the "first class" and headed for the car.

Lu Zhenshou reached out and lifted the maid from the ground, made a hand seal, and dropped the Azure Cloud Silk Robe. He handed it back to Zheng Zetian while apologizing to the ugly maid.

"Fellow Daoist, my junior brother was probably too concerned and made a mistake. As you just heard, our sect has some urgent matters to attend to and is investigating potential hazards. The railway bureau will compensate us for the expenses incurred during this trip. Please wait a moment."

Zheng Zetian also bowed, "Excuse me."

The maid glared fiercely at Zheng Zetian, then glanced warily at the man surnamed Lu, but more so noticing that the carriage was indeed slowing down, she suppressed her anger and said...

"My young master and mistress are in a hurry to get back to the manor, they don't have time to waste with you! How long will the carriage be parked here! And is someone really going to blow up the carriage? Shouldn't we be allowed to get off first?"

Commander Lu nodded. "When the people from the Discipline Institute arrive later, we can arrange for someone to escort you back to the mountain. However, we are now outside the territory of Lou Guan City, and there are no array barriers to shield us from the sun. The sunlight is too strong, so please put on your shadow cloaks and wait in the carriage for now. If you need anything, just contact Sun Warden."

Then he turned to Zheng Zetian and smiled.

"As the Railway Warden for this train, it is my duty to guard the train. Since there are suspects who have infiltrated the train, it is my task to catch them. Now I am going to patrol the Guiche. Junior Brother Zheng has come all this way and has 'talent', would you like to come with me?"

Zheng Zetian remained calm and nodded.

"That's exactly what I was thinking. Thank you, senior brother, for giving me the opportunity to broaden my horizons."

Lu Zhenshou smiled, opened the 'ghost' door, and entered the carriage directly.

Zheng Zetian wrapped himself in a light blue veil and was about to follow them inside.

The maid suddenly spoke.

"Wait a minute! You just said my young lady didn't have a chance to get off the carriage, is that what you meant? But how did you know I cultivated the Purple Haze before you even made a move?"

Zheng Zetian stopped. On the other side of the Ghost Gate, Lu Zhenshou, surrounded by purple energy and supported by black lotuses to prevent blood and gore from splashing on him, turned around and looked at him with a half-smile.

So Zheng Zetian turned his head and glanced at the ugly maid.

"I also cultivate the Purple Haze. I smelled fruit all over you, and the fruit platter in your carriage was empty. I guess you ate all the fruits and vegetables that were delivered with the carriage."

"Normally, you wouldn't see a young master lying in bed while the maids idly eat fruit. So I guessed you probably practice the Purple Radiance Fu, which means you can't eat meat and have no oil in your stomach, so you must be starving this morning."

"Huh--??" The ugly maid sniffed her clothes. "What a dog's nose..."

Seeing that he seemed to have gotten away with it casually, Zheng Zetian took a deep breath, wrapped his feet in Dao Breath, and stepped into the Gate of Hell.

Commander Lu closed the door, carrying a lantern in his hand, and walked out laughing.

"Junior brother is truly meticulous, exceptionally talented, and remarkably courageous; he is destined for greatness."

As Zheng Zetian answered, he lowered his head to look at the Black Lotus, the guardian of Lu Town.

"Lord Lu, you flatter me. Your protective black lotus doesn't seem to be a spiritual technique of the Purple Haze. Could it be a secret technique of the Lou Guan?"

Commander Lu laughed.

"No need to call me 'Old Guardian' anymore. My name is Lu Qi, and I'm only two years ahead of you. Just call me Senior Brother."

This Black Lotus technique of mine is a secret manual passed down by the Grand Master. It is said to be a new method of the Northern Luo Sect. The Grand Master saw that I had good comprehension, being the first to transform into a human and the first to read through the Great Learning, so he specially passed it on to me to try. He said that if I could practice it without dying, I could help him publish another book, the Doctoral Manual.

Junior Brother Zheng, you are exceptionally gifted and extraordinary. I think you will eventually be able to join the Inner Sect of Moshan and receive the true teachings of the Grand Master. Hehehehe..."

"Is this the Luo Sect's Cultivation Method?"

Zheng Zetian looked at the black lotus petals, then at Lu Zhenshou.

"I heard from my master that the Luo Sect was destroyed long ago, suppressed by the Three Great Sects hundreds of years ago. I wonder who these people who now call themselves the Luo Sect and are causing trouble in the north are, and who their lineage is."

Commander Lu chuckled.

"You know quite a lot, but unfortunately I really don't know anything about this. I was just trying to deduce this method. Besides, Ink Bamboo Mountain is still considered part of the Xuanmen lineage. It's too deeply involved with the Luo Sect, so those guys who come to study at Tianyu Mountain aren't happy about it."

However, the sect is growing stronger now, with people coming and going from all directions. With your sharp ears, why don't you go to the Heavenly Clothes Pavilion to inquire more? You might hear about some opportunities to make a name for yourself, hehehe, hehehehe..."

"... Thank you for your guidance, Senior Brother Lu."

As they spoke, the two men, holding lanterns, walked from the front of the carriage to the back, but they didn't see anything strange that had gotten on board.

Before Zheng Zetian could speak, Senior Brother Lu began his analysis with great confidence.

"Since they infiltrated from Lou Guan City, they must be hiding in one of the carriages. Let's open up and search each one individually."

As he spoke, he flicked his sleeve, releasing eighteen flying swords from it. The hilts of the Black Sword pressed together, their blades spinning rapidly, enveloped in sword energy like a blooming black lotus, swirling above the two men's heads, covering them with Sword Light, and enveloping them in a lotus-shaped sword net!

Zheng Zetian's pupils contracted. He actually managed to obtain eighteen... This guy is truly skilled...

But if Commander Lu wanted to kill Zheng Zetian, he could have simply grabbed him with his hand; there was no need to throw out his flying sword, much less show off in front of his junior brother.

"Let's go to the inner area. Stay close to me, and don't stray out of the sword enclosure."

Huh? There's an inner layer?

Then, Senior Brother Lu made a hand seal with his right hand to control his sword, threw the leather lantern with his left hand, and flicked out a small purple flame the size of a soybean. In an instant, the purple flame entered the lantern, changing the flame from white to purple. The light inside the carriage changed accordingly, and between the dimness and brightness, it was as if something had blinked.

Then, Zheng Zetian saw the corridor in front of him, with its fleshy walls, fleshy mountains, and dripping mucus, vanish in an instant.

He was back in the economy class aisle, but he suddenly seemed to have shrunk... no! The train carriage had gotten bigger!

The corridor, which the Kunlun Slave, who were previously only two zhang tall, could barely walk through with their shoulders hunched, is now at least ten times higher, at least twenty zhang tall! The ceiling and walls of the carriage are densely covered with blood-red talismanic patterns, incantations, Fa Yin!

On the right, where the windows once stood, were enormous black vortexes! At the other end of the vortexes, there were howling winds, icy snow, and scorching flames. Behind each window lay a deep abyss of the Primordial Devil Domain! The billowing malevolent energy and flow of energy were drawn into the corridor from those vortexes, and like a torrent, the malevolent energy surged into the side-by-side compartments on the left!

No, those were less like private carriages and more like temples dedicated to sealing and suppressing some enormous, massive, and terrifying ancient god!

The doors, every single one of the carriage doors, were also linked together by chains, ink lines, and talismans, forming towering and massive demon-suppressing gates like ink-black walls!

These demon-suppressing gates are made of Coiled Dragon stone pillars, precious jade, and metal, and are carved with the four gods and four Four Fiends suppressing various Ancient Immortal Palace. They are huge demon-suppressing gate pillars and archways!

There are also the Nine Heavens and Nine Qi formations of Divine Hardness, Purple Radiance, Dark Underworld Crimson Fiend, Return to Dust, Gui Chen, Tai Yin, Tai Yang, Luo Hou, Ketu, which are extremely fierce and mysterious!

Of course, the infamous Blood Talisman Ten Ultimate Formation are also indispensable: Heavenly Annihilation, Earthly Collapse, Wind Tear, Ice Soul, Blazing Flame, Soul of the Dead, Golden Light, Blood Transformation, and Red Sand!

Yes, each carriage corresponds to a special Devil Domain environment for the 'passengers' to live in, and each door is sealed and suppressed by at least one of the Three Great Sects' unique techniques! With these three measures in place, everything is guaranteed to be foolproof!

Inside the carriage, the ceiling and floor were Sword Talismans symbols, so dense that just a glance was enough to make one's heart pound and one's soul tremble. It was hard to imagine what kind of suppression those non-human beings would face even if they managed to break through the seal and escape.

Zheng Zetian stared, jaw agape, speechless with shock. He might have seen his share of the world in his past life, but in this life, he had never witnessed anything like this before...

Lu Real Person wasn't surprised; after all, everyone was pretty much the same when they first saw such a scene.

"This is a special space opened up by the Giant in the Void Abyss. The train is a special transfer medium made by the Devil Embryo. The business in Ink Bamboo Mountain is just to make some extra money. Transferring people and ghosts to Mozhu Mountain is just a side job."

This vehicle was originally intended to transfer those 'demons' who were cultivating in the Ink Mountain but could no longer live there and could no longer be sealed away, to the Void Abyss Devil Domain.

After all, killing one of the Revered Heavenly Demon would feed the entire sect. Now that there are so many Mo Mountain Ghosts, if we immediately execute all the fellow disciples who have turned into demons, there won't be any room left for their meat. For now, we'll lock them up in the outer realm. Maybe when the Tai Su Law is perfected and the Taiji Realm is greatly changed, those guys who have moved to the Void Abyss can regain their humanity.

"By the way, are you going to visit your relatives?"

"Visiting relatives?"

Zheng Zetian stared in disbelief at the gates that sealed the demons, unable to process what he had just witnessed.

Lu Real Person, holding a purple lantern, flew over the two of them on his sword, traversing the many carriages of the demonic cave. While checking the seals on each carriage, he casually remarked...

"Yes, isn't Junior Brother Zheng from Qingting Peak? Isn't your peak master, Qingting Peak Qingting Sou? He recently suffered a cultivation deviation and is temporarily sealed here. Would you like to go and check on him?"