Names That Did Not Belong to This Era

At the Yuan family residence.

Wei Busǐ watched as Yuan Tiandao lit the incense and candles, and watched him bow nine times before finally bringing out the treasure.

It was a scroll, but only a corner was missing, and it was filled with an indescribable Immortal Spiritual Qi.

The Old Blind Man, having lost his sight, moved with mysterious steps like a shaman performing a ritual.

He murmured in an obscure and incomprehensible ancient language.

Like the rolling sound of thunder from the heavens.

A wisp of Plague Qi escaped into a corner of the Heavenly Book.

After a long pause, he spoke in a hoarse voice:

"The Heavenly Book revealed three words: Zhongji, Wenhuang, and Zhang."

Wei Busǐ raised an eyebrow:

"Plague?"

Yuan Tiandao spoke calmly:

"It has little to do with Him. The power of the Plague Qi comes from Him, but it is no longer under His control. The master of the Plague Qi demon is this [Zhongji], whose true form is this [Zhang]."

As they spoke,

The Old Blind Man, leaning on his iron cane, struck the ground twice, creating two wondrous lotus flowers.

"Let's see what happens after nightfall. Will you kill this [Zhang], or this [Zhongji]?"

"At that time, I will meet these two in my dreams. Whether I kill them or not is still unknown, and I am not one to kill indiscriminately."

"Good."

The two old men bowed to each other, and Yuan Tiandao sighed softly:

"On February 9th, the Emperor's Tomb will be opened. At that time, the gods will all be watching over us, the Three Surnames guarding the tomb. Will we really be able to reach the other side?"

Wei Busǐ paused for a moment:

"It's all up to human effort."

As they were talking, a servant stood outside the ancestral hall and reported:

"Master, someone outside wants to see you. It's Zheng the Butcher, the pork seller in town."

"Zheng Guanxi?"

Yuan Tiandao had an excellent memory; he remembered everyone in the town perfectly. He casually remarked:

"Let him in."

He and Wei Busǐ walked out of the Yuan family ancestral hall, where the latter saw a servant leading in Zheng the Butcher, who looked dull and dazed.

"Um?"

Yuan Tiandao spoke through his nose, raised his head, and beneath a few strands of dry, straw-like hair, his empty eyes, devoid of pupils, were concealed.

They had clearly noticed something was wrong with Zheng the Butcher.

He casually did some calculations, but then his expression suddenly turned serious:

"I cannot fathom the ultimate truth; I see an absolute emptiness, like the beginning when time and all things ceased to exist, or like the void of Taiyi within the Five Primes."

As they spoke,

Suddenly, Zheng the Butcher pulled out an ancient and solemn token from his pocket, stepped forward, and handed it to him.

After Yuan Tiandao took it, Zheng the Butcher turned and left without saying a word, without any hesitation.

A servant tried to stop him, but Yuan Tiandao raised his hand to stop him:

"If his soul has been captured, don't worry about it; he'll be fine in a little while."

As he spoke, Yuan Tiandao's aged fingers traced the surface of the token.

Although you can't see anything, you can still feel the words and patterns on the token and sense its timeless Daoist charm.

"High Heaven Token"

Wei Busǐ, standing to the side, spoke in a low voice:

"Is it the Gaotian Society that's been rumored to exist?"

"No, I'm afraid it's on a higher level."

Yuan Tiandao's voice was deep and solemn:

"As expected, the Emperor's Tomb is about to open, the fog of perception Chang'an Town has dissipated, and powerful figures have already begun to take notice of this place."

Wei Busǐ snorted coldly:

"With the help of a glimpse into the secrets of this so-called high Heavenly Book, let's see who's behind all this trouble!"

"If it's suitable."

He was eager to get started.

"I might just summon my ancestor in my dreams and slay him with a single sword strike!"

Yuan Tiandao pondered for a moment, then nodded slightly.

Holding the High Heaven Token, he walked to a corner of the Heavenly Book, stepping with special rhythms, each step accompanied by the echoing sound of thunder.

A corner of the Heavenly Book began to glow, just as it was about to follow the High Heaven Token divination...

Suddenly, Yuan Tiandao's hair stood on end. Without hesitation, he took a large step back, leaving the area covered by the light of the Heavenly Book. His forehead was already covered in sweat!

"Why aren't you watching anymore?" Wei Busǐ asked in surprise.

Yuan Tiandao was slightly out of breath, his hand gripping the High Heaven Token tightly.

"I can't bear to look."

"Why can't I see it?" Wei Busǐ pressed on.

Yuan Tiandao was speechless for a moment, then spoke softly:

Do you remember how I lost my sight?

Before Wei Busǐ recall or speak,

Yuan Tiandao asked and answered himself:

"Forty years ago, I wanted to peer into the Emperor's Tomb, to see where the Emperor was now."

He sighed softly:

"Back then, my hair stood on end, but I still refused to believe it and forced myself to look, losing my sight in the process. Today, however, I feel even more terrified than I did forty years ago!"

Wei Busǐ so shocked he almost jumped up.

He Divine Path:

"Could it be that the owner of this High Heaven Token is superior to the Emperor?"

Yuan Tiandao remained silent, his face heavy with a somber expression.

For a long time.

He stroked the High Heaven Token and sighed softly:

"So be it. What's meant to be will be. Let's wait until nightfall and then you can go and find out the details about Zhongji and the Zhang man!"

Wei Busǐ nodded silently.

Inn, named Shangfang.

"The phone still has power, but it won't even turn on? It's basically a brick."

Zhang Fusheng clicked his tongue in amazement; this Chang'an Town was indeed strange.

Technological creations immediately became ineffective here; he even imagined a pistol and then attempted to make it real—but...

The bullet was loaded, but no matter how many times the trigger was pulled, the bullet could not be fired.

Instead, after removing the bullet, he ignited the primer with a single thought, causing the gunpowder to explode and the bullet to be fired.

That's very strange.

Things that are beyond the reach of ancient times are 'forbidden'.

"Why has no one noticed such a strange town before?"

Zhang Fusheng muttered to himself, his mind racing with thoughts.

With a slight thought, he decided not to disturb his parents, who were fast asleep. Instead, he called over the Old Master and Wei Lingzhu, and they went downstairs for a stroll.

Antique buildings, women setting up stalls, peddlers carrying loads on shoulder poles, and vendors selling candied hawthorns.

"There's a big problem here," the Old Master said softly.

Zhang Fusheng nodded silently. A mountain town that wasn't isolated from the world, yet it had forbidden all technological creations.

He had just entered his disciple's divine realm to confirm this.

The layout of Chang'an Town is almost exactly the same as a corner of the ancient city of Chang'an.

The neighborhoods and markets were operating smoothly; the only difference was that some residences had changed their plaques.

Before they knew it, they had arrived at a school.

"Du Family School."

The Old Master glanced at the signboard standing next to the school, which was quite noisy inside. Chen Shishan happened to be walking out of it.

He was stunned:

"Brother Zhang?"

Zhang Fusheng smiled and nodded:

"My parents are asleep, so the three of us came out for a stroll around Chang'an Town. Are you done with class?"

"Yes, morning classes are over. In the morning, I have Mr. Du's literature class, and in the afternoon, I have Instructor Qin's martial arts class."

He casually agreed, and just then, a refined-looking middle-aged man carrying books walked out of the school.

"Master Du!"

Chen Shishan quickly bowed and hurriedly introduced:

"This is Master Du Ruhui, Master. This is Brother Zhang Fusheng, and next to him is Elder Lu Xiuyuan, and Miss Wei Lingzhu."

Du Ruhui nodded to the three of them:

"The three of you look unfamiliar, so you must have come from afar. Chang'an Town is like a paradise, quite different from the outside world. The three of you should take a good look around."

After pausing for a moment, he smiled warmly and said:

"Shishan, I've granted you half a day off. I'll talk to Qin Qiong later and you're allowed to skip your martial arts class this afternoon."

Chen Shishan quickly bowed:

"Thank you, Master."

Du Ruhui nodded, picked up the book, and drifted away.

The Old Master glanced sideways, somewhat surprised. How could an ordinary person, without any cultivation, possess such a flourishing literary fortune?

He was puzzled, while Zhang Fusheng, standing to the side, looked blank.

Du Ruhui, Qin Qiong.

Ha??

He was stunned and in a daze when he heard angry shouts coming from the end of the street.

"Cheng Yaojin, you son of a bitch, stealing steamed buns again?"

Zhang Fusheng glanced around in a flash and saw a burly man grabbing two large meat buns, running while shouting back:

"Zhangsun Wuji! You can sell dozens of big meat buns a day, what's wrong with me eating two of yours? Huh!"

The steamed bun shop owner, named Zhangsun Wuji, chased after him, panting and jumping, saying:

"Cheng Yaojin, you beast!"

Your grandfather has passed away!

The burly man ran past Zhang Fusheng and the others like a gust of wind.

Zhang Fusheng remained expressionless.

"That's Uncle Cheng," Chen Shishan said with a smile. "He and Uncle Changsun from the steamed bun shop have never gotten along, and he steals a few steamed buns every few days."

After a short while,

Chen Shishan said enthusiastically:

"There aren't many places to have fun in Chang'an Town, but there's a small shooting range at the end of the street, run by Boss Li. If you can hit the bullseye three times in a row, you can get a free roast chicken."

"Who is Mr. Li?" Zhang Fusheng asked quietly.

"Boss Li is such a nice guy, his name is Li Jing, and his roast chicken is absolutely amazing!" Chen Shishan swallowed, clearly craving it.

Zhang Fusheng chuckled.

Du Ruhui, Cheng Yaojin, Zhangsun Wuji, Qin Qiong, and then there's Li Jing. This Li Jing is naturally not the 'Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King Li'.

"They were all famous generals and ministers from the early Tang Dynasty, and they are all among the twenty-four people in the Lingyan Pavilion."

Zhang Fusheng muttered to himself, his Mental Intent sweeping out towards Zhangsun Wuji, the steamed bun shop owner who was jumping up and down cursing.

Even the burly man Cheng Yaojin, who had escaped, was thoroughly surveyed.

An ordinary person.

An ordinary person through and through.

Is this Li Erfeng's backup plan?

Zhang Fusheng's mind raced, and he didn't believe these were ancient virtuous ministers alive today.

It's highly likely that it's a reincarnation, or perhaps...

Can it serve as a beacon for those who arrive and return?

Chang'an Town, oh Chang'an Town.

At this moment, Zhang Fusheng was almost certain that the events his master was planning on February 9th were definitely related to Chang'an Town.

As his thoughts turned,

The three of them followed Chen Shishan and toured the entire, not-so-large Chang'an Town.

Along the way, we encountered quite a few 'celebrities'.

Chai Shao, the monkey Chai Shao; Zhang Gongjin, the horse breeder; Fang Xuanling.

Without exception, these people all shared the same names as the twenty-four people from the Lingyan Pavilion, but that was all they shared.

Passing by the Wei family mansion, I saw a little boy eating spinach with gusto.

"This is Old Master Wei's grandson, Wei Zheng, who will inherit the Wei family business in the future."

Chen Shishan said softly:

"Brother Zhang, there are two families in Chang'an Town that you absolutely must not mess with: the Yuan family and the Wei family. It is rumored that the Wei family's ancestor once slew a star beast called the Dragon King!"

Zhang Fusheng's lips twitched as he stared at the little boy holding a wooden bowl, devouring spinach.

The boy named Wei Zheng glanced at Zhang Fusheng curiously, then clutched the wooden bowl warily, as if afraid the other would snatch his spinach.

Zhang Fusheng suddenly burst into laughter.

It was already noon.

Back at the inn, I took my parents out for a meal of local sesame Sesame Cake.

When Gao Shilian, the Sesame Cake, saw that the group had come from outside, he gave them a few extra Sesame Cake.

The group spent the afternoon in Chang'an Town.

They didn't return to the inn until nightfall.

After explaining the Ten Sages Scripture in detail to Wei Lingzhu,

Zhang Fusheng returned to his room and placed the bowl on his bed.

Chang'an Town

He muttered to himself, a trace of the spiritual imprint left on Chen Shishan trembling slightly. With a thought, he watched the boy go to the edge of the town and quietly enter a dilapidated mansion.

Above the courtyard hangs a plaque bearing the inscription "Wu Family".

The thought was intercepted by an inexplicable force before it could enter the Wu Family mansion.

But even from a high vantage point, one could already see the interior of the mansion: dilapidated, decaying, and the vast estate deserted.

There was only one old woman sitting in the courtyard, who was very old and near death.

The old woman suddenly turned her head and met the gaze of the thought that was hanging outside the Martial Arts Manor, suspended in mid-air.

My thoughts were fragmented.

"Hiss"

Zhang Fusheng rubbed his stinging temples, his expression extremely grave.

"What a frightening old woman! Could she be a Celestial Person?"

The old woman from the Wu Family was Celestial Person, but what about the women from the Wei and Yuan families?

They are probably at least Celestial Person.

Zhang Fusheng tapped his fingers lightly on the wooden table and sighed softly. Just as he was about to escape into the Eight Sceneries Palace and return to the Above High Heaven, he...

A slight shiver ran down my spine; a sudden impulse stirred within me; cause and effect trembled.

A sidelong glance.

Following the cause-and-effect connection, one can see a blurry mansion—the very Wei mansion seen during the day.

You can still vaguely see an old figure in the Wei residence, who has fallen asleep.

Then, Immortal Shadow appeared, following the cause and effect, striding towards its own 'divine realm'.

"The Dream Dragon Slaying Method?"

Zhang Fusheng murmured, somewhat surprised. He knew it was mostly because of the plague demon, but how did it find its way to him?

He raised an eyebrow, then suddenly smiled:

"I'll play with you."

His thoughts drifted into a divine realm, and he entered the Five Villages Temple, quietly awaiting the arrival of the Immortal Shadow.