Chapter 78: True and Fake Daoist Priests

No one but me dared go near the blood-soaked Bai Qi. Even Blind Liu was unnerved—he clutched his carrying pole in one hand and kept the other on the car door, looking ready to jump out at a moment's notice.

Communication was restored the moment we left the mountains. Tie Ningxiang reported the situation to the Jiangcheng Public Security Department, informing them that two police officers were still trapped in the mountains and requesting reinforcements.

Two missing officers was a serious matter. The Public Security Department leadership harshly reprimanded Tie Ningxiang, then pulled police forces from counties and districts across Jiangcheng to assist in the search.

With heavy fog sealing the mountain, the search and rescue was difficult to carry out.

It wasn't until evening that the situation took a critical turn. A solid black Hongqi sedan drove up the winding mountain road.

Despite its understated exterior, this was the kind of car money couldn't buy—every one of them was a dedicated vehicle issued exclusively to high-ranking officials.

The driver was highly skilled, taking the car right to the foot of the mountain.

After cutting the engine, the driver pushed open his door, hurried out of the cab, and opened the rear door himself. "Daoist Master, we've arrived."

A low-cut Daoist boot stepped out of the car, made of colorful brocade embroidered with cloud patterns, every stitch and thread exquisitely crafted.

"Fetch my artifacts. Prepare the altar."

A Daoist priest stepped out from the back seat wearing a Hibiscus Profound Crown, a Moon-Breaking Star Headscarf, and Rainbow Robes and Cloud Sleeves, his every movement exuding an otherworldly immortal aura.

"Old Liu, look at what he's wearing, and then look at yourself. You're both intangible cultural heritage workers—how come there's such a huge gap between you two?" The priest who had stepped out of the car completely upended my image of Daoist practitioners. Everyone I'd met before, whether Blind Liu or the corpse driving priest from Qingtu Temple, dressed plainly—if not downright shabbily.

"There are three thousand paths to the Great Dao. Everyone has their own way of living; none is above or below another."

"Keep making excuses. Your eyes are practically bulging out..."

As soon as the Brocade-Robed Daoist Priest stepped out, the driver got busy setting up an offering table and incense burner, then faced the mountain pass and slaughtered a big rooster with a bright red comb.

Once everything was ready, the priest took a jade brush carved with dragons and phoenixes, dipped it in the warm blood, and chanted scriptures as he drew a talisman.

"Old Liu, which Daoist lineage is this from?"

"I don't know. Never seen it before."

My curiosity piqued, I pulled Tie Ningxiang aside. "What's the background on that priest in the tall crown?"

Tie Ningxiang wasn't too sure either and answered vaguely, "I reported the situation in the mountains to the higher-ups, and an old superior sent him over, instructing me to host him well and meet all his requests."

"Sent by the higher-ups? This priest must be a big shot!"

In the time it took us to exchange those few words, the Brocade-Robed Daoist Priest shouted an incantation no one could understand toward the mountains, then burned the Talisman Incantation he had drawn to ashes.

"It is done!"

He waved the driver and Wu Meng over, then mobilized everyone to enter the Pine Forest Cemetery. They righted several tombstones that had been deliberately knocked over, slaughtered nine live chickens in a row, mixed the blood with glutinous rice, and scattered it at specific spots throughout the graveyard.

Miraculously, less than fifteen minutes after they followed his instructions, the heavy fog over the mountains slowly began to disperse.

"So the core of the evil formation was outside the mountain all along!" Blind Liu said in sudden realization. "Both the person who set this formation and the one who broke it are far beyond our realm. It'd be best if you didn't blindly get involved in this mess, kid."

Once the heavy fog cleared, the Brocade-Robed Daoist Priest got back into the car and rested with his eyes closed, the very picture of an enlightened master aloof from worldly affairs.

After packing up the offering table and putting away the artifacts, the driver didn't linger. He turned the car around, ready to head back down the mountain.

I thought the matter was over, but who could have guessed a massive headache would come knocking on its own.

As the Hongqi sedan drove past me, it suddenly stopped. Under the astonished gazes of everyone around us, the priest pushed open his door and hurried right up to me.

No, more accurately, he walked right up to Bai Qi.

"This dog is the reincarnation of the White Tiger Star. It shares a destiny with me!"

'Destiny my ass! Are you trying to rob me?' I stepped between him and Bai Qi. "A gentleman does not seize what another loves. This dog is mine."

"A star of slaughter has descended. If you don't distance yourself immediately, I fear it will curse your fate and cause you to die young." The Brocade-Robed Daoist Priest reluctantly tore his gaze away from Bai Qi and looked up.

This was my first time getting a proper look at him from the front. How should I put it? The priest wasn't old at all; going by his looks, he was about my age. But with his refined features, jade-like complexion, and brocade Daoist robe, he carried an effortless elegance—dashing and poised, like an immortal who had stepped right out of an ancient painting.

"Damn, he's practically the Mr. Perfect of the cultivation world," I muttered. "If he went into acting, wouldn't all those pretty-boy idols be out of a job?"

The Brocade-Robed Daoist Priest was clearly pleased with my reaction. He shook his head in self-admiring resignation, putting on a helpless look. "Never mind, there's no explaining this to you. You only need to know that if this dog stays with you, it will bring nothing but disaster—whereas with me, it can comprehend the Dao and help the world."

The moment he opened his mouth, he positioned himself as some kind of savior. That tone really pissed me off.

"Not up for discussion. You're not getting the dog."

"I have cultivated the Dao for over a decade. Naturally, I would never stoop to seizing something by force. Since you do not wish to accrue this merit, Destined Patron, please name your price—I will make sure you are satisfied." The Brocade-Robed Daoist Priest was dead set on getting Bai Qi, and with him standing right in front of me, a crowd of police officers soon gathered to watch.

"Throwing your weight around?" Any good impression I had of this Brocade-Robed Daoist Priest was fading fast. Without batting an eye, he was trying to take Bai Qi right away from me—and putting it in such high-minded terms that he made it sound like he was doing me a favor.

"Would 100,000 be satisfactory to you, Destined Patron?" The moment the priest named his price, the surrounding crowd broke into animated whispers.

"100,000! My god, just for a dog?"

"Just sell it already! It's just a mutt. What the hell are you hesitating for?"

"This is a stroke of fortune from the Daoist Master. You should cherish it."

Everyone around us was chiming in, and an inexplicable irritation rose in me. "This dog is my family. I'm hundreds of thousands in debt because of him. Sorry, but he's not for sale!"

"This guy is full of shit, right? Hundreds of thousands in debt for a dog? He really thinks highly of himself."

"He's just greedy. He figures the Daoist Master is an otherworldly master who doesn't know the petty tricks of ordinary folks, so he's trying to hold out for a higher price."

"He really doesn't know what's good for him."

With my sharp senses, I caught every snide remark from the crowd. Bai Qi seemed to sense something too and bared his teeth.

"Gao Jian, what's going on?" Tie Ningxiang noticed the ring of people around me and looked a bit worried.

"It's nothing. I simply share a destiny with him and wish to help him avert disaster and save his life."

The Brocade-Robed Daoist Priest spoke up before I could. The look he gave Tie Ningxiang was clearly unusual—something else seemed to have entered his eyes, something deeper than mere admiration.

He didn't even care about Bai Qi anymore, extending a hand to Tie Ningxiang. "I am Lu Jin, Daoist name Ziqiu. You may also call me Lu Ziqiu."

"Daoist Master Lu, thank you for stepping in to help this time." Tie Ningxiang politely shook the Brocade-Robed Daoist Priest's hand.

"It is only my duty. I descended the mountain this time to wander the mortal realm and experience the hardships of the world." The more he spoke, the more enthusiastic he got, showing no sign of letting go of her hand. Watching this young priest, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off about him.

He was dressed more formally than any Daoist priest I'd ever seen, yet the way he carried himself wasn't even as steady as Blind Liu's. He lacked the detached composure of a true practitioner.

"Daoist Master Lu, you and I were talking for quite a while earlier—don't you feel like we hit it off like old friends at first sight too?"

I smoothly stepped in and separated the two of them. Looking slightly displeased, Lu Jin peered past me at Tie Ningxiang. "I will be staying in Jiangcheng for a while. If you ever have any questions regarding your fate or fortune, miss, you can come find me anytime. Here is the hotel where I am staying."

He handed Tie Ningxiang a business card and walked away with a smile.

"That guy is dangerous."

I glared after him, but Tie Ningxiang didn't think much of it and patted my shoulder. "You've worked hard today, underclassman. Leave the rest to the police. You and your friend should head back first."

Nearly a hundred people conducted a grid search, but the results were grim. Old Wei had vanished from the mountains as if into thin air. The officer trapped in the dry well in Qianlong Village was successfully rescued, but he seemed to have lost his mind, biting anyone he saw like a wild beast.

The operation to capture Lu Xing ended in total failure. After an entire day, not a single trace of him had been found, while our side had suffered heavy losses.

At seven o'clock that evening, after finishing our statements, Blind Liu and I were escorted back to downtown Jiangcheng.

After treating them to dinner, I took Bai Qi to get a bath. It took three full tubs of hot water to finally wash all the blood and grime off his body.

Finally able to relax after so long, I caught Bai Qi's resentful stare and instantly understood. I brought out the Child Immortal Wine, and the two of us—one man, one dog—each had a cup.

Once Bai Qi sprawled out on his back in a drunken stupor, I sat beside him and circulated the Profound Truth Introductory Mental Method. After three Major Heavenly Cycles, my exhaustion was swept away, and the split wound on my chest even showed signs of healing.

I checked my watch; it wasn't even nine yet. Figuring it was still early, I pulled out Huang Guanxing's file and began reading through it.

Getting to the bottom of this rich kid's death would do me a lot of good. Setting aside my partnership with Ganding Pharmaceuticals, his death held great reference value for me personally.

He was killed by the Underworld Live Show. If my points were ever zeroed out one day, it was highly likely I'd end up facing off against the Underworld Live Show too.

Making more preparations now meant I wouldn't panic when the time came, or end up like Xia Chi—hiding under his own bed, helplessly waiting to die.

Among the women Huang Guanxing had contacted before his death, I had pretty much ruled out the owner of the Blues Bar. That left three: the intern nurse Jiang Shihan, the Miao girl Miao Yuanyuan from Miaojiang, and the A-list star Wang Yuchun.

Miao Yuanyuan was currently nowhere to be found, and Wang Yuchun's schedule was so packed that even the paparazzi couldn't track her down in person, so I made Jiang Shihan my primary target.

She had spent the final night with Huang Guanxing. I was sure to find something through her.

Arriving at Jiangcheng People's Hospital, where Jiang Shihan was staying, I used getting my bandages changed as an excuse to wander past the wards.

A hospital late at night carried an indescribable sense of dread. Once I had the building's basic layout down, I pulled out the file Secretary Zhang had given me and headed for Ward 9114 on the top floor.

I took the elevator to the top floor. The corridor lights were dim, the nurse on duty had her head down on the desk in an eye mask, and everything around me was dead quiet.

"Good." Strictly speaking, what I was doing was an illegal investigation, so I couldn't afford to be seen.

Keeping to the camera blind spots, I made my way to the door of Ward 9114. I peered inside through the glass window—and what I saw left me stunned.