After being punched by Zheng Kun, Li Huowang suffered two broken ribs and several bruises on his body. Fortunately, it was nothing serious and he could treat these minor injuries with some pills. More important to him than his injuries is his plan.
Today, which happens to be the first day of the lunar new year, Li Huowang left a note on Zheng Kun’s regular route. The note reveals information that Li Huowang obtained from Bai Lingmiao, stating that “Master Wander” is not at the temple on the first and fifteenth days of the lunar month.
After fifteen minutes had passed, Li Huowang walked by and noticed that the note was gone. He felt happy because Zheng Kun must have taken it.
In fact, Li Huowang didn’t know what Zheng Kun would do with the information; he just wanted to try his luck. Now it seems that he succeeded, as Zheng Kun must have his own personal motives for taking the note.
Unable to see the sky in the cave, time passed quickly, and the first day of the month arrived.
This was the best time for Dan Yang Tzu to make his alchemy, and he planned to spend the entire morning in the alchemy room. Coincidentally, this was also the time when “Master Wander” was not at the temple.
Although Qingfeng Temple was not very small, Li Huowang had lived there for a long time and had already figured out Zheng Kun’s movements.
However, Li Huowang didn’t do anything and just quietly sat cross-legged in the Zhengyi Hall. “Did I guess wrong? Is this guy not that greedy?” Li Huowang lay on his bed, thinking about where he had gone wrong.
Fifteen days passed, and Zheng Kun still hadn’t made any moves. Just when Li Huowang thought he had guessed wrong, on the fifteenth day of the second lunar month, the Zhengyi Hall where Zheng Kun often went was empty. Li Huowang smiled because he knew Zheng Kun couldn’t resist anymore.
As soon as Li Huowang saw Dan Yang Tzu start making elixirs, he hurriedly headed towards his place according to the original plan. However, just before reaching the cave entrance, Li Huowang suddenly stopped in his tracks. He saw Zheng Kun lurking in the distance, not going in.
As Li Huowang watched Zheng Kun cautiously observing at the door, he immediately realized that he was on lookout duty. This guy was even more suspicious than Li Huowang had imagined.
After about an hour, Li Huowang saw Xuan Yin sneak out of Dan Yang Tzu’s room.
Zheng Kun glanced at him, pulled out some black talismans and stuck on their knees, then quickly disappeared like a gust of wind.
The door was only half-open, as if it were a trap tempting people to come in.
Seeing that they had acted as his scouts, Li Huowang knew that even if there were traps in the room, they had probably been disarmed by Zheng Kun. He slowly leaned over, knowing this was his chance.
Dan Yang Tzu’s residence was very spacious, but it was also very messy and dirty inside, with a strong smell of dead mice that was extremely unpleasant.
Despite the poor environment, Li Huowang immediately recognized the most valuable item: a stone tablet covered with black thread and copper coins talisman.
As expected, this was the celestial book that Dan Yang Tzu had mentioned. Li Huowang approached it carefully, studying its contents through the barrier of black thread.
Zheng Kun must have attempted to learn the immortal cultivation method, but from the scene, it seemed that he had not succeeded.
Li Huowang carefully identified the content on the celestial book. The content was very obscure and difficult to understand, and it seemed to be pictographic language of an even older dynasty.
Although Chinese characters have changed very little over such a long time, he still found it very difficult to read.
The more Li Huowang looked at it, the more something seemed off. Didn’t Dan Yang Tzu say that the way to become immortal was to simultaneously refine and use both inner and outer elixirs? But it didn’t seem like he had been following that method.
“The Gandharva king with steps of joy,
Found the door of liberation like clouds overjoyed……
Spreading, shading, and refreshing all,
Sentient beings, answering to his call……”
（Note:Original text:“喜步普音乾闼婆……得如云广布普荫泽……妙好身令一切获安乐解脱……”,root in Avatamsaka）
Moreover, this doesn’t look like some kind of immortal cultivation method at all, but rather a sutra.
“Hehe~” A creepy chuckle gave Li Huowang goosebumps. He quickly turned around but found that there was no one behind him.
On the wall, which had been excavated to reveal a hole, there was only a blue and white porcelain bottle about the size of a small arm.
“Something’s not right,” Li Huowang was horrified and wanted to turn back because it seemed that Zheng Kun had not cleared all the dangers.
“Don’t move,” a sharp female voice sounded from behind.
Li Huowang slowly turned around again, and what he saw made his back feel cold. The narrow neck of the bottle he just saw was now supporting the head of a pale little girl.
The thing looked like a little girl, but her skin color didn’t look quite human, especially the rouge on both sides of her cheeks, which was scary red.
Staring at the small red dot in the center of her forehead, Li Huowang felt more and more uneasy.
In this moment, he also realized what Dan Yang Tzu used to read the celestial book. It was this thing.
“Are you with the person from earlier? Hehe, you’re in big trouble. All I have to do is shake these copper bells tied on my braids and my dad will come back,” she said.
As he listened to her, Li Huowang became extremely anxious, but in the next moment, his expression suddenly calmed down. “Go ahead and call him. Let your dad know that you lied to him,” he said.
When Li Huowang saw a hint of panic on the little girl’s face, he sneered inwardly. He guessed right – he was not the only one trying to fool illiterate Dan Yang Tzu; this thing, whatever it was, had already done so!
Everyone in the Qingfeng Temple has ulterior motives!
“This…this is not my fault. Those characters are written too poorly, I can’t understand them at all. My dad forced me to read it to him, what can I do…”
The little girl said in a grievance before tears started to well up in her eyes.
After seeing the expression of the vase girl who had completely lost her composure, Li Huowang thought for a moment and quickly made a decision.
“Okay, let’s make a deal. I’ll leave this place now, and you pretend you never saw me. I’ll do the same, and it will be good for both of us,” Li Huowang said.
The little girl thought for a moment before nodding. “All right, you can go now. I’ll pretend you were never here.”
Li Huowang slowly walked towards the door. “Since the celestial book is fake, did you make up the formulas for using humans to refine elixirs for Dan Yang Tzu?”
The little girl’s face lit up with a silly smile. “Yes, I only remembered those things. I pretended that the formulas were in the celestial book and told my dad about them. Don’t worry, those elixirs won’t kill anyone. I don’t want my dad to die. I’m just afraid he’ll abandon me if he finds out I’m useless, you see, I have no hands or feet…”
As she was speaking, Li Huowang suddenly lifted his right hand high and clenched the jade pendant tightly and smashing it hard against the bottle.
The round jade pendant instantly collided with the bottle, causing cracks to appear. In the little girl’s panic, she fell heavily onto the ground.
The bottle shattered, and the organs, mixed with feces and urine, which had been wrapped in black Buddhist beads, were directly exposed to the air.
“Dad!! It hurts, dad~it hurts so much…” The fearful voice of the vase girl became weaker and weaker.
After being punched by Zheng Kun, Li Huowang suffered two broken ribs and several bruises on his body. Fortunately, it was nothing serious and he could treat these minor injuries with some pills. More important to him than his injuries is his plan.
Today, which happens to be the first day of the lunar new year, Li Huowang left a note on Zheng Kun’s regular route. The note reveals information that Li Huowang obtained from Bai Lingmiao, stating that “Master Wander” is not at the temple on the first and fifteenth days of the lunar month.
After fifteen minutes had passed, Li Huowang walked by and noticed that the note was gone. He felt happy because Zheng Kun must have taken it.
In fact, Li Huowang didn’t know what Zheng Kun would do with the information; he just wanted to try his luck. Now it seems that he succeeded, as Zheng Kun must have his own personal motives for taking the note.
Unable to see the sky in the cave, time passed quickly, and the first day of the month arrived.
This was the best time for Dan Yang Tzu to make his alchemy, and he planned to spend the entire morning in the alchemy room. Coincidentally, this was also the time when “Master Wander” was not at the temple.
Although Qingfeng Temple was not very small, Li Huowang had lived there for a long time and had already figured out Zheng Kun’s movements.
However, Li Huowang didn’t do anything and just quietly sat cross-legged in the Zhengyi Hall. “Did I guess wrong? Is this guy not that greedy?” Li Huowang lay on his bed, thinking about where he had gone wrong.
Fifteen days passed, and Zheng Kun still hadn’t made any moves. Just when Li Huowang thought he had guessed wrong, on the fifteenth day of the second lunar month, the Zhengyi Hall where Zheng Kun often went was empty. Li Huowang smiled because he knew Zheng Kun couldn’t resist anymore.
As soon as Li Huowang saw Dan Yang Tzu start making elixirs, he hurriedly headed towards his place according to the original plan. However, just before reaching the cave entrance, Li Huowang suddenly stopped in his tracks. He saw Zheng Kun lurking in the distance, not going in.
As Li Huowang watched Zheng Kun cautiously observing at the door, he immediately realized that he was on lookout duty. This guy was even more suspicious than Li Huowang had imagined.
After about an hour, Li Huowang saw Xuan Yin sneak out of Dan Yang Tzu’s room.
Zheng Kun glanced at him, pulled out some black talismans and stuck on their knees, then quickly disappeared like a gust of wind.
The door was only half-open, as if it were a trap tempting people to come in.
Seeing that they had acted as his scouts, Li Huowang knew that even if there were traps in the room, they had probably been disarmed by Zheng Kun. He slowly leaned over, knowing this was his chance.
Dan Yang Tzu’s residence was very spacious, but it was also very messy and dirty inside, with a strong smell of dead mice that was extremely unpleasant.
Despite the poor environment, Li Huowang immediately recognized the most valuable item: a stone tablet covered with black thread and copper coins talisman.
As expected, this was the celestial book that Dan Yang Tzu had mentioned. Li Huowang approached it carefully, studying its contents through the barrier of black thread.
Zheng Kun must have attempted to learn the immortal cultivation method, but from the scene, it seemed that he had not succeeded.
Li Huowang carefully identified the content on the celestial book. The content was very obscure and difficult to understand, and it seemed to be pictographic language of an even older dynasty.
Although Chinese characters have changed very little over such a long time, he still found it very difficult to read.
The more Li Huowang looked at it, the more something seemed off. Didn’t Dan Yang Tzu say that the way to become immortal was to simultaneously refine and use both inner and outer elixirs? But it didn’t seem like he had been following that method.
“The Gandharva king with steps of joy,
Found the door of liberation like clouds overjoyed……
Spreading, shading, and refreshing all,
Sentient beings, answering to his call……”
（Note:Original text:“喜步普音乾闼婆……得如云广布普荫泽……妙好身令一切获安乐解脱……”,root in Avatamsaka）
Moreover, this doesn’t look like some kind of immortal cultivation method at all, but rather a sutra.
“Hehe~” A creepy chuckle gave Li Huowang goosebumps. He quickly turned around but found that there was no one behind him.
On the wall, which had been excavated to reveal a hole, there was only a blue and white porcelain bottle about the size of a small arm.
“Something’s not right,” Li Huowang was horrified and wanted to turn back because it seemed that Zheng Kun had not cleared all the dangers.
“Don’t move,” a sharp female voice sounded from behind.
Li Huowang slowly turned around again, and what he saw made his back feel cold. The narrow neck of the bottle he just saw was now supporting the head of a pale little girl.
The thing looked like a little girl, but her skin color didn’t look quite human, especially the rouge on both sides of her cheeks, which was scary red.
Staring at the small red dot in the center of her forehead, Li Huowang felt more and more uneasy.
In this moment, he also realized what Dan Yang Tzu used to read the celestial book. It was this thing.
“Are you with the person from earlier? Hehe, you’re in big trouble. All I have to do is shake these copper bells tied on my braids and my dad will come back,” she said.
As he listened to her, Li Huowang became extremely anxious, but in the next moment, his expression suddenly calmed down. “Go ahead and call him. Let your dad know that you lied to him,” he said.
When Li Huowang saw a hint of panic on the little girl’s face, he sneered inwardly. He guessed right – he was not the only one trying to fool illiterate Dan Yang Tzu; this thing, whatever it was, had already done so!
Everyone in the Qingfeng Temple has ulterior motives!
“This…this is not my fault. Those characters are written too poorly, I can’t understand them at all. My dad forced me to read it to him, what can I do…”
The little girl said in a grievance before tears started to well up in her eyes.
After seeing the expression of the vase girl who had completely lost her composure, Li Huowang thought for a moment and quickly made a decision.
“Okay, let’s make a deal. I’ll leave this place now, and you pretend you never saw me. I’ll do the same, and it will be good for both of us,” Li Huowang said.
The little girl thought for a moment before nodding. “All right, you can go now. I’ll pretend you were never here.”
Li Huowang slowly walked towards the door. “Since the celestial book is fake, did you make up the formulas for using humans to refine elixirs for Dan Yang Tzu?”
The little girl’s face lit up with a silly smile. “Yes, I only remembered those things. I pretended that the formulas were in the celestial book and told my dad about them. Don’t worry, those elixirs won’t kill anyone. I don’t want my dad to die. I’m just afraid he’ll abandon me if he finds out I’m useless, you see, I have no hands or feet…”
As she was speaking, Li Huowang suddenly lifted his right hand high and clenched the jade pendant tightly and smashing it hard against the bottle.
The round jade pendant instantly collided with the bottle, causing cracks to appear. In the little girl’s panic, she fell heavily onto the ground.
The bottle shattered, and the organs, mixed with feces and urine, which had been wrapped in black Buddhist beads, were directly exposed to the air.
“Dad!! It hurts, dad~it hurts so much…” The fearful voice of the vase girl became weaker and weaker.
