Souls linked, temperaments like their masters

At that moment, the sinister Blood Moon hung high in the sky. Its scarlet light flowed slowly like blood, tracing countless fine veins across its surface before finally forming three lines of small text:

[1. Deceive the world: honored inheritor, intercept and kill Xu Shang in the Beheading Woods east of Yao Town at midnight three days from now. (Note: this must be completed within fifteen minutes, or all previous efforts will be wasted.)]

[2. Steal a name: split the Two-Faced Buddha Head. Grind the fallen face into powder and preserve it. Before noon the following day, assume Xu Ming's identity and deliver the other face into Xuan Feng's hands at the Phoenix Arrival Inn in Yao Town to gain her trust.]

[3. ...]

Arms folded and head tilted back, Zhang Xuan waited a full ten minutes before a look of shock crossed his face. "That's... that's it?"

He had always thought that "..." meant the "Celestial Master's Ordination" had frozen. Who would have thought there really was nothing more?

[Honored inheritor, do not be greedy. This requirement cannot be accomplished in a single leap. If you wish to know what happens next, that will cost extra.]

[Note: the honored inheritor is advised to complete the first two requirements before spending another daily allowance on inquiries. Biting off more than you can chew and remaining in the dark would hardly be ideal.]

Zhang Xuan wore an ugly look of disbelief as he pointed at his own nose. "I'm... greedy?"

"I spent today's question allowance, paid for fair and square, and not only did you give me this disgusting 'update hiatus,' you turned around and accused me of being greedy?"

Damn it, I'd never suffered such an injustice in my entire life!!!

"Celestial Master's Ordination, get out here! If we don't settle this today, I'm planting myself in the [Inner Landscape] and refusing to leave!"

Zhang Xuan simply plopped down on Ink Lake, folded his arms, and stared fixedly at the Blood Moon in the night sky.

The crimson text on the Blood Moon blurred. Then the word "greedy" seemed to be covered by a blob of paste, and another word was forcibly squeezed in beside it...

[Honored inheritor, do not be (pixelated) impatient. This requirement cannot be accomplished in a single leap. If you wish to know what happens next, that will cost extra.]

[Note: honored inheritor, are you satisfied?]

Zhang Xuan's mouth twitched. You... could you possibly put in any less effort?

Without bothering with the "Celestial Master's Ordination" again, Zhang Xuan decisively left the [Inner Landscape].

Although he found its "update hiatus" at a crucial point disgusting, the advice it had given was actually reasonable. After all, things had to be done one at a time.

"Xu Shang."

The name reminded him of Xu Ming, the unlucky fellow whom the Corpse Buddha had beheaded yesterday.

"Deceive the world... steal a name?"

Could the first task be laying the groundwork for the second?

Then Xu Shang's identity was easy enough to guess. He had to be the only person who knew Xu Ming. If Zhang Xuan wanted to impersonate Xu Ming, Xu Shang would have to die!

"Just impersonating a field agent of the Demon Suppression Bureau was enough for the monk to call me audacious enough to blot out the sky. Who knows what expression he'd make if he knew I was going to openly take Xu Ming's place?" Glancing at the burly monk walking ahead, Zhang Xuan felt secretly amused.

Then Zhang Xuan lowered his eyes slightly, a hint of a smile curling his lips.

He was to hand half the Buddha head to "Xuan Feng." It seemed the fallen face was the crucial ingredient for making the "Marrow-Washing Body-Refining Pill," while the other half was needed to gain her trust. As for "Xuan Feng's" identity, the answer was all but leaping off the page.

Going undercover right beside the mastermind? Interesting!

Walking one behind the other, the two followed the main road for an hour before finally spotting a desolate village at the edge of their vision.

Several crooked thatched cottages lay scattered to the southwest. Their earthen walls had peeled away, exposing cracked yellow mud, and some sections had even collapsed. The broken walls cast long shadows in the slanting sunlight. Weeds ran rampant between the field ridges, almost completely swallowing the path into the village. Here and there, a few withered crop stalks trembled in the wind.

At the village entrance, a skeletal yellow dog lay listlessly on the ground. At the sight of approaching people, it merely lifted its eyelids. Lacking even the strength to bark, it gave a low whimper and lay back down.

This was the first village Zhang Xuan had seen since coming down the mountain, but he had never expected it to be so desolate.

"Something's wrong!" The monk walking ahead suddenly stopped, his brows knitted tightly as he gazed solemnly toward the village.

"How so?" Zhang Xuan stopped as well.

"This is when the villagers should be preparing their meals, but look..." The monk pointed toward the village.

Zhang Xuan followed his gaze. Not a wisp of cooking smoke rose from among the scattered yellow-mud, thatched cottages.

The monk added, "There's also the smell of blood in the air."

Zhang Xuan twitched his nostrils. Apart from the smell of Burnt Wheat Stalks, he could detect nothing else.

He was a little surprised. Although they stood downwind, they were still at least a hundred meters from the village. This big bald fellow's eyesight might be poor, but his nose was damned sharp!

Zhang Xuan turned toward the dark blue Falcon perched on his shoulder. "Little Qing, go scout things out."

Little Qing was the name Zhang Xuan had given the Long-Beaked Messenger. It was simple and easy to remember.

The Falcon, whose head was practically buried in the thick feathers around its neck, shifted its body and shuffled two steps across Zhang Xuan's shoulder. But it simply would not fly...

Watching it show up for work without doing any made Zhang Xuan's head ache.

"Wait, this fellow wasn't like this when it worked for Xu Ming, was it?"

Back then, the moment this stupid bird spotted Zhang Xuan and the monk, it had alerted Xu Ming as though presenting a prized treasure, its movements and manner conspicuous to the extreme.

But now...

The monk first glanced at Zhang Xuan, then at the blue Falcon on his shoulder, which was doing its best to shrink its neck. "Souls linked, temperaments like their masters."

Zhang Xuan glared at the monk as though he had just swallowed a mouthful of shit.

Come on, big monk, I didn't provoke you, did I? That's a filthy way to insult someone!

We did go through life and death together, after all...

"I, Zhang Xuan, would cling to life and fear death like this stupid bird?"

What a joke!

Grumbling and cursing, Zhang Xuan turned to leave.

"You've hurt my pride. I'm not going."

But before he had taken two steps, the monk caught him with one large hand.

The monk said nothing. He simply held Zhang Xuan and watched him quietly.

After being stared at for a while, Zhang Xuan grew a little embarrassed. Given his temperament, once he knew something was wrong with the village, all he had to do was avoid rushing inside to throw his life away. His wounded pride was merely an excuse. In truth, he wanted nothing to do with this matter.

Seeing that the monk had seen through him, Zhang Xuan dropped the act. "Seeking good fortune and avoiding calamity is a skill of our Daoist lineage. I think we'd better leave."

"Amitabha. What do Daoism's skills have to do with you, Lord Zhang of the Demon Suppression Bureau?" A trace of slyness slipped into the monk's rugged, hearty smile.

Zhang Xuan said, "..."

After that little quip, the monk did not force Zhang Xuan to investigate with him. He merely said he would enter the village alone to take a look.

Unable to stop him, Zhang Xuan hesitated where he stood for a moment before sighing and following him toward the village entrance.

Seeing Zhang Xuan actually approaching the frighteningly quiet, deserted village, the Falcon on his shoulder pushed off with both claws and flapped its wings to take flight...

But the instant it took off, a hand appeared out of nowhere and grabbed its head.

"If I die, you won't live either. Stay put and keep watch for me." Zhang Xuan shot the Falcon on his shoulder an irritated glare.

Zhang Xuan was not making an empty threat. A field agent of the Demon Suppression Bureau and his Long-Beaked Messenger shared one soul. If Zhang Xuan died, Little Qing's soul would perish an incense stick's time later. Conversely, if Little Qing died first, Zhang Xuan would also suffer considerable damage to his soul.

Their souls were linked; they shared glory and disgrace.

When Xu Ming died, the monk had fortunately used a Secret Art to transfer the Soul Mark to Zhang Xuan in time. Otherwise, this stupid bird would have died long ago.

Seeing the burly monk ahead turn to look at him, Zhang Xuan raised his brows. "Let me make this clear beforehand. If anything's wrong, I'm running. Don't expect me to be any help."

The monk's broad, stubble-covered mouth split into a grin, and he laughed heartily.

He knew what condition Zhang Xuan was in...

His face was pale and bloodless, the skin around his eyes bluish, his breathing labored, and his steps weak and unsteady.

The monk was certain that if he took Zhang Xuan's pulse now, it would be floating and broad beneath his fingers, hollow inside but firm outside, like pressing on a drumskin. Such a pulse, indicating severe depletion of vital essence and blood with yang energy floating outward, mostly appeared in elderly men in their fifties or sixties who had reached the age of knowing heaven's will.

Clearly, unleashing Palm Thunder twice in succession yesterday had placed an enormous burden on Zhang Xuan. That was why the monk had never intended to drag him into these muddy waters.

Still, seeing Zhang Xuan follow him in the end warmed the monk's heart.

As for Zhang Xuan's talk of taking to his heels...

It was only talk. With his body depleted to this extent, running a few extra steps might send him straight to the Western Paradise to report in.