July fourteenth, the eve of the Ghost Festival.
Early that morning, Bi Lingkong took Pan Long to Qing Province.
They arrived at a small town in a mountain valley.
The town was no more than three miles across, with fewer than two thousand residents. Yet outside it stood a military camp housing five or six hundred soldiers.
The soldiers were strong and fully equipped. Though the land was at peace, they had split into two armies for a mock battle. Every one of them was drenched in sweat, training with fierce dedication.
Pan Long could tell at a glance that these soldiers had seen little blood, but they had trained hard. Send them into one or two battles, and they would immediately become an elite force.
"Strange. This town isn't particularly easy to reach. Why station an army here?" he asked.
"They're here in case Master Lu revives," Bi Lingkong said. "This town is called Kong Township. Master Lu was born here. If he revives, there's a good chance he'll use the body of a distant descendant."
Pan Long was startled—this unremarkable little town was the hometown of Master Lu, the Confucian School's Great Sage?!
"Did you bring me here to pay our respects, Teacher?" he asked.
Bi Lingkong laughed. "Pay our respects? Master Lu is an Immortal, undying and indestructible. He'd still be alive after I died. Who would be paying respects to whom?"
"I mainly brought you here so you'd know the way. If you ever want to stir up trouble and draw the Great Xia Dynasty's attention, a little tampering here will be enough to bring at least three or four Demon Gods rushing over to hold the fort. They won't dare leave for a moment."
Pan Long understood at once.
This was Master Lu's hometown. If