Holy Bone

Chapter 2020 The Immortal Cauldron of Investigation Arrives in the Capital, and Young Master Yiyun's Invitation

Jin An had not expected that the Immortal Cauldron of Inquiry into Things, which Young Master Yiyun had received, would arrive in the capital so quickly.

The day after he spoke with Young Master Yiyun, he received a talisman from Young Master Yiyun saying that the Immortal Cauldron of Investigation had arrived and Jin'an could go and check it at any time.

Jin An was surprised to receive such important news so soon after he left his post and returned to the Wuzang Taoist Temple. He was immediately excited and wanted to go to the meeting point.

"Young man, are you going out tonight?" the old Taoist priest asked with slight surprise at the dinner table.

Jin An was in high spirits and said with a smile, "Yes, I just received a message from Young Master Yiyun, saying that the Immortal Cauldron for Exploring Things that I ordered her to find has arrived in the capital, and I can go there to check it at any time."

The old Taoist priest's eyes lit up upon hearing this, and he exclaimed, "I want to go too!"

"I want to go too, old Taoist!"

"How could such a lively occasion be complete without the seasoned veteran like me!"

"Furthermore, this old Daoist also wants to see what the Immortal Cauldron of Investigation of Things, which killed the late emperor and empress, actually looks like!"

"What's so extraordinary about this Immortal Cauldron of Investigation and Discovery that causes people to develop cannibalism symptoms after eating food stored inside?"

Jin An had no objection. Since the old Taoist priest liked to join in the fun and wanted to see the truth for himself, he agreed to take the old Taoist priest along.

"Master Jin'an, I want to go too!"

"I, Fatty, also want to redress the injustices done to the late emperor and empress! To set things right!"

Fatty Li, who was holding a rice bowl in his hands, also shouted that he wanted to go together.

Since they had already brought the old Taoist priest along, Jin'an figured they might as well bring another one, so they also took Fatty Li with them.

"Xiaojian, what about you? Would you like to come with us to see the Immortal Cauldron of Inquiry?" Jin An turned to Xiaojian, who was picking at his rice bowl, and asked.

Since we've already brought the old Taoist priest and Fatty Li along, what's one more? We might as well bring the sword too.

"Master."

"I'm going to comb my senior brother's hair later."

The answer from Xiaojian was simple: he considered the goats raised in Jin'an as his entire life.

Haha, Jin An looked at Xiao Jian with approval and said with a smile, "Xiao Jian, you are the most thoughtful. You always consider your master's needs. Your master has not spoiled you wrongly."

"When I come back later, I'll bring you a box of pastries and snacks to make Old Daoist and Fatty Li drool."

Upon hearing Jin An's words, the old Taoist priest and Fatty Li immediately objected, saying that without their cleaning duties, the Wuzang Taoist Temple would have long been filthy and unsightly. They also needed to eat and demanded that Jin An treat them all equally.

Because everyone was curious about what the Immortal Cauldron looked like, they ate dinner very quickly. After hurriedly cleaning up the dishes, Jin'an, the old Taoist priest, and Fatty Li prepared to go out.

"Xiaojian, you stay here and take good care of the Taoist temple. Don't open the door tonight if anyone knocks. We'll talk to you when we get back." Jin'an repeatedly instructed Xiaojian before leaving.

Xiao Jian was taciturn and a quiet type, not suitable for receiving the person who would meet him, so he told Xiao Jian not to open the door for anyone, thus saving himself a troublesome task.

Xiao Jian said, "Yes, Master."

The Great Dao responds!

One act of good deeds!

Jin An was overjoyed, for this was his disciple's good deed, and its significance was far greater.

Then, Jin An grabbed the old Taoist priest and Fatty Li from the left and right, respectively, and used the Eighteenth Transformation Earth Travel Technique to arrive at Flying Crane Mountain in the blink of an eye.

Feihe Mountain, as the ancestral home of the Zunyi Prince's Mansion, is where the ancestral tombs are buried. It is the safest and most secluded gathering place for the Zunyi Prince's Mansion.

Even Prince Zunyi usually resided at the ancestral site of Feihe Mountain to guard the mausoleum.

Feihe Mountain is filled with countless restrictions and formations, making it far safer than the capital city.

Therefore, it is quite reasonable for Young Master Yiyun to place the Immortal Cauldron of Investigation and Discovery here.

After all, the Immortal Cauldron of Investigation and Knowledge is inherently restless and a cursed object. It needs a place to seal itself in order to be placed in a relatively safe location.

The heavily fortified Flying Crane Mountain is clearly the perfect place to seal the Immortal Cauldron of Inquiry.

The guards of Feihe Mountain recognized Jin An. When Jin An appeared outside the mountain gate, the guards immediately went into the mountain to inform the manager.

Soon after, soldiers guarding the mountain arrived with a senior official from Feihe Mountain to welcome Jin'an.

"Mr. Blind!"

Jin An exclaimed in surprise at first, then said with delight, "We haven't seen each other for so long, I've missed you terribly!"

"I never expected to meet you today, sir. Today must be a wonderful day, an auspicious occasion, hahaha. How have you been, sir?"

"Are Mr. Bai, the Mountain Guardian, and the Corpse Master also at Feihe Mountain? It's been almost half a year since we last met in the Ghost Moth Mountain Tomb. We must have a proper reunion this time."

Jin An respected the elderly and cared for the young. Despite his high level of cultivation, he did not become arrogant. Instead, he took the lead in bowing to the blind man and showing respect as a junior.

The blind man was a metaphysician, skilled in feng shui and fortune-telling. Apart from Prince Zunyi, no one knew his real name. In his youth, he was immature and prone to fighting, making many enemies. In middle age, his family was destroyed, leaving him alone. He then blinded himself and went into seclusion, no longer concerning himself with the affairs of the martial world. In reality, the blind man lived in seclusion on Feihe Mountain, enjoying peace and quiet while guarding Prince Zunyi's tomb to repay the prince for saving his life and taking him in.

In the north, there was a family surnamed Zhong, whose entire members were corpse tamers. Within their clan lay a cave called the Thousand Corpse Cave, where exorcists from all over the world would throw any evil or strange corpses they couldn't handle. Therefore, the Zhong family, the corpse tamers, were quite famous in the exorcist circle. The corpse tamer beside Prince Zunyi had a somewhat special identity. Because of his youthful recklessness and ignorance, he had committed a grave mistake within the clan. In his eagerness to prove himself, he almost carried the Corpse King out of the Thousand Corpse Cave. To reseal the Corpse King, two clan elders sacrificed themselves, so he was expelled from the Zhong family and his name was removed from the family genealogy.

The Mountain Guardian, whose name reflects his character, was a skilled and extraordinary person from the martial arts world whom King Zunyi had hired to guard his mother's tomb.

These three are all extraordinary individuals recruited by the Prince Zunyi's mansion. They are masters in the cultivation world, and can easily handle ordinary esoteric arts, demon-slaying, and monster-eliminating techniques.

During the previous tomb raiding at Ghost Moth Mountain, when the Celestial Master's Mansion stole the thousand-year-old, stiff corpse pills to refine the elixir of immortality, Jin An gained a great understanding of the three men's abilities, knowing that they were all highly skilled masters in their own right.

Although the blind man was blind in his eyes, he was not blind in his heart. He quickly went over to help Jin An up and hurriedly said, "Daoist Jin An, you are really too kind to me. You are now at least at the third realm..."

"Whoosh!"

The blind man suddenly jolted, his face filled with shock, and he exclaimed, speechless, "You've reached the fourth realm?" The blind man was greatly surprised and somewhat at a loss for words.

Just now, when he went to help Jin An up, he subconsciously tried to test Jin An's cultivation level. As a result, he was immediately shocked to find that Jin An had already broken through to the fourth realm.

Jin An smiled and said, "Respect the elderly as you would your own parents; care for the young as you would your own children. You are an elder, and elders are respected. This basic courtesy is still necessary. Please don't say any more, sir."

After saying that, he changed the subject and said, "Where are Mr. Bai, the Mountain Guardian, and the Corpse Master? Are they at Flying Crane Mountain? We must get together properly this time."

The blind man also said with joy, "We're all here, we're all here. We heard from you, young master, that you might come to Feihe Mountain in the next few days. We're all eagerly waiting for you to come soon. We've all been waiting for you in the mountains."

"The three of them have temporarily gone to inspect other places and will be back in a while. Daoist Jin'an, shall I take you to sit in the main hall and wait for them, or shall we go directly to see the Immortal Cauldron of Inquiry?"

Jin An exclaimed in surprise, "Eh? You know about the Immortal Cauldron of Inquiry into Things, Mr. Blind Man?"

The blind man, with his eyes closed and a smile on his face, said, "The Immortal Cauldron of Inquiry is no small matter. Young Master has ordered us to guard this cauldron well to prevent it from causing harm to people again."

Jin An suddenly realized and nodded seriously: "That's true."

"I've heard that those who have come into contact with this Immortal Cauldron of Investigation of Things have all developed cannibalism. It is indeed necessary to take it very seriously to avoid many unnecessary troubles in life."

Afterwards, the old Taoist priest and Fatty Li greeted the blind man, and the group began to head into Feihe Mountain.

Jin An did not wait long in the main hall before seeing the familiar Mr. Bai, the mountain guardian, and the corpse handler arrive one after another, naturally receiving a warm greeting and concern.

"Eh, Feihe Mountain is the ancestral burial site of Prince Zunyi's family. I heard that Prince Zunyi and Young Master Yiyun usually live in Feihe Mountain to guard the tomb. Why don't I see Prince Zunyi and Young Master Yiyun in Feihe Mountain today?" After greeting them, Jin An asked a question.

There were only a few of them in the hall; neither Prince Zunyi nor Young Master Yiyun were seen.

Mr. Bai said with a gentle smile, "The Prince of Zunyi has been invited to the palace by His Majesty to discuss the security arrangements for the ancestral worship ceremony. He will probably return in a few days."

"Young Master Yiyun has had some urgent business to attend to and will be back in a while. However, he said he will definitely return on the day of the ancestral worship ceremony to participate in it."

"Therefore, for the time being, it will be the few of us who receive Daoist Jin'an today and guide him to see the Immortal Cauldron of Inquiry."

The matter of Prince Zunyi was perfectly reasonable, and Jin'an found it unsurprising. However, the absence of Young Master Yiyun elicited a slight exclamation of surprise from both Jin'an and the old Taoist priest.

The two exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of seriousness and contemplation in each other's eyes.

It seems that what the old Taoist priest feared has ultimately come to pass.

Young Master Yiyun had already guessed the true intention behind Jin'an's conversation yesterday. In order to avoid any unsettling thoughts or emotional changes during their meeting, Young Master Yiyun decided to temporarily avoid seeing each other, thereby diluting the inappropriate contact between the two.

"Alas," the old Taoist sighed inwardly. He had originally hoped to see Young Master Yiyun and have a few words with him to reduce the estrangement and suspicion and repair their relationship.

It seems he's destined to have come all for nothing today.

After listening to Mr. Bai's words, Jin An nodded and said, "Since neither Prince Zunyi nor Young Master Yiyun are here, let's go and visit the Gewu Immortal Cauldron and see what makes it so special."

“Alright, Master Jin’an, please follow me. This way, please.” Mr. Bai said, standing up.

Then Jin An, the old Taoist priest, and Fatty Li followed Mr. Bai and the others deeper into Feihe Mountain.

Deep within Feihe Mountain, the art of Qimen Dunjia can be seen everywhere. The blind man was well-versed in the art of Qimen Dunjia, and he deciphered the secrets of Qimen Dunjia layer by layer along the way, which led everyone safely into Feihe Mountain.

Deep within Feihe Mountain lies a karst cave. Outside this cave, sentries stand every three steps and guards every five steps, with soldiers visible everywhere, making the defense extremely tight.

After the blind man formed a series of hand seals to interact with the Qimen Dunjia formations outside the cave, he led everyone into the cave.

After entering the cave, the blind man reactivated the Qimen Dunjia protective mechanism.

The cave is very large; the path for people to pass through is wide enough for several horse-drawn carriages to travel on. It is a completely different world inside, surprisingly large.

However, this enormous cave was completely empty, with no one on duty.

Mr. Bai explained, "Master Jin'an can think of this cave as one of the treasure caves of Prince Zunyi's mansion, where many valuable items are kept. To avoid damage to these valuable items or unnecessary trouble, no one is ever assigned to guard this cave."

Jin An nodded, clasped his hands in thanks, and said, "Thank you for your explanation, Mr. Bai."

Mr. Bai smiled and nodded, saying, "Master Jin'an, you are one of us. It is only natural for me to explain the situation of Prince Zunyi in various places to you."

Jin An smiled.

This cave truly lives up to its reputation as a treasure trove, with rare and precious artifacts scattered throughout the cave. Jin'an discovered that most of the valuable items here were actually magical treasures, each possessing its own spiritual light.

Upon seeing these magical treasures, Jin An understood why there was no one guarding this place. If these treasures were accidentally triggered, it would be a huge problem, and the cave might even be destroyed.

It was entirely expected that the Prince Zunyi's mansion would not lack skilled individuals and extraordinary people from the common folk, and would possess a large collection of magical treasures.

The group continued to walk through the cave. Along the way, the blind man deciphered several strange and unpredictable formations before finally stopping in front of a stone gate.

"Master Jin'an, the Immortal Cauldron of Inquiry into Things that you seek is located in the restricted stone chamber behind this stone door. We are under orders and are not permitted to access the Immortal Cauldron, so we will wait for you here and will not go in to accompany you to see it. We hope Master Jin'an will understand," Mr. Bai and his companions said apologetically, bowing with their hands clasped.

Upon hearing this, Jin An said with slight surprise, "It seems that Young Master Yiyun values ​​the Immortal Cauldron of Inquiry quite a bit."

Mr. Bai solemnly said, "Young Master said that this Immortal Cauldron of Investigation of Things could kill the former emperor and the last emperor, and also devoured the lives of a fleet of people in the outer realms, so it is extremely dangerous."

"No one is allowed to touch this Immortal Cauldron unless the young master is present in person, lest the curse tragedy be repeated and cause unnecessary casualties."

“Master Jin’an, you are different. The young master said that you discovered the Immortal Cauldron of Inquiry into Things. The fact that you are unharmed shows that you are not afraid of this Immortal Cauldron of Inquiry into Things. You can go in and take a look.”

Jin An cupped his hands and nodded, saying, "Since it is Young Master Yiyun's order, I cannot refuse Young Master Yiyun's request to invite you all to go in and observe. Then I will trouble Mr. Bai and the others to wait for us here for a while."

"it is good."

"Are Master Chen and Commander Li going in too?"

Mr. Bai cares about the two of them.

Jin An glanced at the old Taoist priest and Fatty Li, and seeing the eager anticipation in their eyes, he smiled and said, "It's alright, I'll take care of them."

Then, Jin An, along with the old Taoist priest and Fatty Li, entered the stone chamber to see the Immortal Cauldron of Inquiry…