Void Union

After a hearty meal, Hu Mang chatted with Eighth Master Hui at the table, while his mother and Liu Manqing washed dishes in the kitchen, and Old Xie read a book at a stone table not far away.

On the surface, Eighth Master Hui is a serious and upright middle-aged man, but after drinking, he becomes particularly talkative and rambles on and on.

While his mother was washing dishes, it didn't stop her from chatting with Eighth Master Hui and talking incessantly with Xin Liu Manqing, occasionally mentioning Hu Mang, trying to multitask.

"What happened to Eighth Master's hand?" Hu Mang poured wine for the other man and noticed some fresh scars on his right hand. No wonder he had only used his left hand to hold chopsticks before.

"I fought two tough guys before and was seriously injured. Luckily, I sealed the Dragon-Slaying Department's dragon-controlling techniques, otherwise it would have been even more troublesome. Little Python, you are also a top student who participated in the Immortal Ladder Project. You know about Five Fortunes, right?" Eighth Master Hui took a sip of wine and said.

Hu Mang was taken aback and said, "The Five Fortunes haven't evolved yet, have they?"

"It's already capable of small-scale evolution. This small-scale location is the Dragon-Slaying Department. The Slaughter Fortune gained from slaying dragons is extremely fierce."

Is it a sign of Slaughter Fortune?

Hu Mang's heart stirred upon hearing this.

The methods for controlling calamities mastered in "The On Tribulation Dao Qi Meridians" are all related to the Tribulation Fortune within the Five Fortunes.

"This old man almost messed up. Thanks to you for covering for him, otherwise, if the Dragon-Slaying Department before the plan could have been implemented, there would definitely have been trouble. I owe you a huge favor—"

Eighth Master Hui drank another cup of wine, gestured for Hu Mang to fill it, and then started rambling on again, recounting the "Grotto-Heaven Project."

Upon hearing that it was truly possible to resurrect ancient people, and even historical figures at that, Hu Mang was shocked and astonished by the Ghost Lord's feat.

As for Mama Hu, her mouth was agape.

"That old man wasn't lying to me. So you really can resurrect Xie Xianyu?"

"Although the old man has a bad temper and a fiery temper, when has he ever lied?" Eighth Master Hui paused, his tone subtle.

"However, after the old man went through the list of resurrected individuals, he couldn't find your old flame."

"Isn't that just like 30 years ago? That old bastard Ghost Lord is spouting nonsense again, damn it, that old codger..."

Mama Hu launched into a tirade in a fit of rage.

"Let me finish," Eighth Master Hui said helplessly, pressing down on the other person. "There's a difference between not being able to find it and not being able to locate it at all. Before, it was because the technology wasn't mature enough, so we couldn't locate it. Now that the technology is mature, it's not the same thing that we still can't locate it."

"Over the years, we've consulted a bunch of history and archaeology professors to research history, searching for those closest to the Dragon Vein among these historical figures. The result? Whether it's achievements in their time, personal abilities, or even the so-called historical imprint, your family member ranks in the top three. Theoretically, if they were to be resurrected, they would definitely be among the first. But the person with the highest probability of resurrection has disappeared. There are two possibilities."

"Either his consciousness was too close to the Dragon Vein's consciousness and was directly melted, or he was actually brought out by you—the one next to you—but his memories haven't returned yet."

"When will he recover?" Mama Hu asked suspiciously.

"Third Sister, no, I'll just call you Third Sister then. How would I know? You transferred the consciousness of an ancient person into an artificial intelligence. Do you think I understand artificial intelligence? I'm a rat spirit from the Yu Dynasty!" Eighth Master Hui complained.

Hu Mang also felt that his mother's actions were really too outrageous, the kind of outrageousness that normal people couldn't even imagine.

Eighth Master Hui drank another glass of wine and gestured for Hu Mang to refill it.

"Just treat him like someone with amnesia. Spend more time with him, taking walks, fishing, and helping him stay healthy. Maybe one day he'll recover."

"Alright then," Mama Hu said disappointedly.

Having settled things with Mama Hu, Eighth Master Hui shook his head and said, "Little Python, I came here half for you. Your eyes, and your abilities—isn't there anything you want to say to your Eighth Master?"

Hu Mang hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Eighth Master, please wait a moment."

After a while, Eighth Master Hui held "The On Tribulation Dao Qi Meridians" and "Dragon-Shaped Meridian Diagram" and studied them for a long time. While listening to Hu Mang's explanation, he first let out a breath and then laughed.

"Good heavens, Dragon Vein, Tribulation Fortune, the Shen Household —you've unearthed three treasures in one go! Luckily, I arrived early, otherwise the Dragon-Slaying Department would have dragged you down with them even if they went crazy. What you possess is the very skill they crave most: using the Dragon Vein to control Tribulation Fortune."

"Is this craft valuable?" Mama Hu couldn't help but interject.

"Very valuable, extremely valuable! I was wondering before how you managed to suppress Ji Xiaodao's dragon-headed broadsword, but now I can't blame you. You have an Innate Law Treasure. Isn't it natural for Innate Law Treasure to suppress an acquired one?"

Hu Mang was taken aback at first, then became pleasantly surprised.

"Eighth Master, are you saying that this picture of mine is Innate Law Treasure?"

"Your Eighth Master has been handling bamboo slips for so many years, from the Yu Dynasty to the present day. I can't speak for everything else, but I can definitely distinguish between innate and non-innate qualities."

"But besides allowing me to comprehend the Tribulation Eye, it seems to have no other use?" the Hu Mang pressed.

Moreover, this enlightenment was also a great stroke of fortuitous opportunity; without his encounter in the Demon-Subduing City, he might never have realized it in his entire life.

"Not all Innate Law Treasure are used for killing and fighting. Some are used for the inheritance of Cultivation Method, some are purely treasures for enlightenment, and some are even related to the legendary Immortal Realm. In my opinion, this picture of yours is more for comprehending the Tribulation Fortune. Haven't you already comprehended a part of it?"

Hu Mang pondered for a moment, then said, "Since Innate Law Treasure are so precious, would I be killed and robbed of them?"

Eighth Master Hui laughed and patted Hu Mang on the shoulder.

"Times have changed, kid. It's not that no one would do this, but when it comes to Innate Law Treasure, especially rare things like controlling Tribulation Fortune, many people are unwilling to exhaust the resources. Of course, I'm your uncle, so I'm being a bit blunt. If people from other departments knew about this, they would probably resort to coercion and bribery, especially the Dragon-Slaying Department, who are known for their domineering ways."

"With imperial permission, they can act first and report later. Many of the hierarchical structures of the Dragon-Slaying Department are modeled after the former Imperial City Bureau. Do you know what the Imperial City Bureau did? It was the headquarters of the Old Heavenly Gate Special Agent Agency. Do you understand what I mean?"

"Of course, we're the New Heavenly Gate now, so we're not as ruthless or villainous as we used to be, but it's not impossible that some leaders have a bit of a temper."

"Luckily, I arrived first. Since I was among the first to know, things will be much easier," Eighth Master Hui paused for a moment, then said:

"Little python, are you interested in doing some business in the Underworld Bureau?"

"What would I do in the Underworld Bureau? Deliver takeout?" Hu Mang asked with a strange expression.

"How could I let you do that? You're a specialized talent with Innate Law Treasure; you're perfectly capable of pursuing a high-level career path. As for rank, let you follow in your mother's footsteps and become a low-ranking official for now. I'll pull some strings and promote you later."

Hu Mang was still unmoved, but his mother was. Although Mama Hu wasn't interested in becoming an official herself, she was quite interested in her son doing so.

"Which is more powerful, the Yin official or the stationmaster?" Hu Mang asked.

"It's not part of the same system. Our delivery driver system is more about training frontline combat personnel. After all, suppressing the resurgence of evil spirits is our main task in the Underworld Bureau, and you belong to the cadre training sequence."

"It's true what they say, having connections in high places makes it easier to be an official," Hu Mang couldn't help but shed a tear for his Old Third. "You should just stick to delivering your takeout."

"If I neither accept the recruitment offer from the Underworld Bureau nor from the Dragon-Slaying Department Bureau, won't I be locked up in jail?"

Hu Mang hesitated for a moment, but finally told the truth.

Eighth Master Hui was taken aback and said, "You don't want to go? The position of the Underworld Official is not low. Once you're promoted, it's equivalent to the head of a local agency like the Devil Subjugation Bureau or the Demon-Suppressing Bureau."

Hu Mang grinned, revealing a mouthful of white teeth, and said, "My mother was a fox spirit for so many years, and she finally managed to be resurrected as a human and raised me. Now I'm going back to my old ways and dealing with a bunch of ghosts. It just doesn't feel right."

Now it was Mama Hu's turn to nod in deep agreement. Dealing with ghosts every day, how hard must it be to find a partner?

Eighth Master Hui remained silent, lost in thought.

"So, I'll get arrested and have to hand over the Law Treasure?"

"You won't get caught, but you'd better find a way to properly store this Dragon-Shaped Meridian Diagram, otherwise it might really be taken away. It's Innate Law Treasure, and luckily, only I know about it so far. But you're lucky because the Heavenly Gate hasn't found a reliable way to undo the debunking or make Innate Law Treasure actively recognize its master, so there's no possibility of killing you and then replacing you with someone else. Because if you die, it's not impossible for the Innate Law Treasure to completely close the recognition channel."

"Especially since your Law Treasure is related to the Tribulation Fortune, the Dragon-Slaying Department Division will definitely not give up. Those large research associations, the Demonic Dao Committee, the Five Virtues Research Society, the Myriad Laws Association, including those local bigwigs who are just one step away from the Void Refinement stage, as well as Lord Lin and Lord Mao, will definitely try every means to get their hands on this thing."

Hu Mang became increasingly surprised as he listened, never expecting that a "Dragon-Shaped Meridian Diagram" would involve so many forces.

"An Innate Law Treasure is certainly precious, but is it really necessary to go to such an exaggeration?"

"This is no ordinary Law Treasure," Eighth Master Hui paused, then said, "Did your teachers only focus on the Five Virtues, and only briefly mention the Five Fortunes, then keep it a secret?"

"Right."

"Actually, the reason is not complicated, and many people know it. You'll understand in just one sentence: 'One virtue and one movement combine to Void Refinement.'"

The Hu Mang's pupils widened suddenly, then it let out a long breath. So that's how the Heavenly Gate Void Refinement came about!

Therefore, my choices are not many. It seems that joining the official Heavenly Gate organization is the only option: the Underworld Bureau, the Dragon-Slaying Department, the Demon Suppression Bureau, the Devil Subjugation Bureau, or those associations that sound even more complicated...