I am Master Maoshan

Chapter 2386 Missing?

Mo Li's eyes were full of anxiety, and her mouth was slightly open, as if she wanted to loudly remind Liu Jun of something, but she was afraid of disturbing Daoist Qing Muzi, so she could only try to make Liu Jun refuse the Daoist's suggestion by constantly winking and making faces.

Unfortunately, Liu Jun's attention was entirely focused on Daoist Qingmuzi, and he completely failed to notice Mo Li's hint.

Master Qingmuzi pondered for a moment, then looked at Liu Jun and asked softly, "What are your hobbies?"

Without the slightest hesitation, Liu Jun blurted out, "Money." He was even a little stunned as soon as the words left his mouth. The answer seemed to come out of his mouth instinctively, uncontrollably.

A hint of embarrassment and confusion flashed across his face, and he couldn't help but wonder: Did he really like money this much before he lost his memory? But now his memories of the past were completely blank, and he couldn't remember what kind of person he used to be.

Upon hearing this, Master Qingmuzi did not show any unusual expression. Instead, his eyes lit up as if he had thought of a brilliant idea. He then smiled and said, "Money, how about money coins? It has a very good meaning."

Just as Liu Jun was about to express his thoughts, Qing Muzi didn't give him a chance to speak and continued, "The fruit of the money tree looks like a copper coin. Legend has it that it is an incarnation of a Bodhisattva, symbolizing wealth, warding off evil, and ensuring peace, implying abundant wealth. Hmm, not bad, let's settle on that."

Qing Muzi's tone was firm and confident, as if this Taoist name was tailor-made for Liu Jun and left no room for doubt.

Liu Jun opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but seeing the unyielding expression on Qing Muzi's face, he swallowed back the words that were on the tip of his tongue.

The key point is that he not only didn't feel disgusted by such a vulgar Taoist name, but also felt a special familiarity with it, as if it was originally his Taoist name.

After chatting for a while, Qing Muzi stood up, gently patted non-existent dust off her clothes, and with a gentle smile on her face, prepared to say goodbye and leave.

"Uncle-Master, may I ask you a question?" Liu Jun's eyes suddenly lit up, as if he had thought of something interesting, and he hurriedly stood up to ask.

Qing Muzi stopped, turned slightly to the side, and looked at Liu Jun. A kind smile appeared on her lips as she replied, "Alright, go ahead. Nephew and I, can't you just speak frankly?"

Liu Jun scratched his head, a hint of curiosity on his face, and continued to ask, "Can you fly on a sword? I've heard that immortals can ride on flying swords and travel freely through the sky. Just thinking about it makes me feel so proud."

The reason he asked this question was not simply out of curiosity, but because one of his fragmented memories was of Qingfengzi standing in mid-air, exuding an ethereal aura.

Upon hearing this, Qing Muzi was taken aback at first, then grinned, a smile tinged with helplessness.

"How could that be? I'm not an immortal. My abilities are only enough to get by in this mortal world. How can I compare to those high and mighty immortals?"

As he spoke, Qing Muzi came to the door. He held onto the door frame with one hand, looked back at Liu Jun and Mo Li, and his eyes were full of affection.

Just then, a gust of wind suddenly swept in from outside the door, making Qing Muzi's clothes flutter loudly.

Immediately afterwards, there was a "whoosh" sound, as if something had ripped through the night sky, and Qing Muzi had completely disappeared, leaving only the door that was still shaking slightly and Liu Jun, who looked astonished inside the room.

"Good heavens, they don't know how to fly on swords, because swords are superfluous; they just fly directly." Liu Jun looked at the doorway, his lips twitching uncontrollably, his eyes filled with shock and emotion.

He imagined Qing Muzi streaking across the night sky like a shooting star, and couldn't help but gain a new understanding of his martial uncle's strength.

Meanwhile, Mo Li looked at Liu Jun with a helpless expression and asked in an annoyed tone, "Didn't you see me winking at you and telling you to refuse the Daoist title your martial uncle would give you?"

Liu Jun then seemed to wake up from a dream, scratched his head, and put on an innocent expression, saying, "I didn't see it. Besides, it's nothing. My master gave me a Daoist name, which is a sign of respect. I'm more than happy to do so."

Mo Li rolled her eyes and said, "You're really heartless. Once you have a Daoist name, it'll stay with you for life. What if it doesn't sound good?"

Liu Jun smiled nonchalantly and said, "It's alright, who cares if it sounds good or not? Besides, the Daoist name given by my martial uncle can't be too bad."

Looking at Liu Jun's carefree attitude, Mo Li was both amused and annoyed. She then shook her head and said, "Fine, whatever you want. I'm going upstairs to rest. It's almost dawn, so you should close up shop and go home. There aren't many customers left in the shop, so you should get some rest too."

Liu Jun nodded and said, "Okay. Go to sleep early."

Mo Li turned and walked upstairs, her steps light and graceful. Liu Jun watched her retreating figure, a smile unconsciously creeping onto his lips. He reached the door, closed it, and began walking home, recalling everything that had happened that day.

Master Li, Qing Muzi, and Long Aodi, or rather, Liu Ergou of this world, all seem to have some connection to his lost memories, but the nature of this connection is unknown.

Back at Wang Qiang's house, Liu Jun pushed open the familiar door. The house was still as messy as ever, yet full of life.

However, Wang Qiang was still not home, which could be easily determined from the slippers placed at the door—the slippers were placed neatly in their original positions, without any trace of being moved.

Liu Jun frowned, a hint of worry and doubt in his eyes. He had been living at Wang Qiang's house for quite some time and was intimately familiar with every corner and every item there.

Normally, Wang Qiang's daily routine wasn't particularly regular, but he had never disappeared for several days at a time. This was the first time Wang Qiang had vanished without warning, as if he had evaporated into thin air.

"What's going on?" Liu Jun muttered, not caring what time it was or whether he was disturbing others.

He frantically pulled his phone from his pocket, his fingers swiping rapidly across the screen until he found Wang Qiang's number. Without hesitation, he dialed. The phone rang monotonously and drawn-outly, each ring like a hammer blow to Liu Jun's heart, making his heart clench tighter and tighter.

Time seemed to stretch on endlessly at that moment. The phone rang for a very long time, but no one answered. Liu Jun's hand holding the phone trembled slightly, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

"Has something happened to this guy?" Various terrifying thoughts involuntarily surfaced in Liu Jun's mind, and the more he thought about it, the more panicked he became.

Unwilling to give up, he dialed Wang Qiang's number again. This time, he stared intently at the phone screen, as if that would make the person on the other end answer faster. However, the call remained unanswered. Undeterred, he dialed three or four more times, each time with the same result—after a long ringing, there was only endless silence.

An ominous premonition washed over Liu Jun. He tried to calm himself down and silently comforted himself: "Maybe Wang Qiang just had some urgent business and didn't have his phone with him, or maybe his phone was out of battery."

"Wait a little longer. A case can only be filed after 48 hours of disappearance," Liu Jun told himself. Although he was not clear about the specific legal provisions, he knew that without conclusive evidence that Wang Qiang was in danger, the police might not immediately launch a large-scale search operation.

Liu Jun dragged his heavy steps back into the house, lay down on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling, his mind replaying the help Wang Qiang had given him during this time.

Before he knew it, drowsiness crept in, his eyelids grew heavier and heavier, and finally he slowly closed his eyes.

When Liu Jun woke up again, it was already evening outside the window. Liu Jun groggily opened his eyes, glanced at the clock on the wall, and his heart tightened suddenly—there were only three hours left until the 48-hour deadline.

He sat bolt upright in bed, all sleepiness vanishing instantly. Without bothering to tidy his disheveled hair and clothes, he hurriedly put on his shoes and paced back and forth in the room, pondering his next move.

"If Wang Qiang still hasn't returned after these three hours, I'll have to call the police." Liu Jun made up his mind, a hint of anxiety in his eyes.

Three hours passed quickly, and Liu Jun hurried to the entrance of the police station, wanting to go in and report the case.

Just as he was about to step into the police station, he ran into a middle-aged policeman coming out.

This middle-aged policeman was tall and straight, with a resolute face and eyes that revealed a calmness and competence that came with the passage of time.

When the middle-aged policeman saw Liu Jun, he paused slightly, hesitated for a moment, and then a warm smile appeared on his face. He greeted him first, "Hey, aren't you the one who saved people last night?"

Upon hearing the familiar voice, Liu Jun was taken aback at first, then his gaze lingered on the policeman's face as memories flooded back.

"Who are you? Captain Sun?" Liu Jun asked hesitantly.

Last night, Liu Ergou stood by the bridge, agitated and seemingly determined to jump. The scene was chaotic, with a large crowd surrounding him, blocking his way. Amidst the chaos, it was Captain Sun who let him pass, allowing him to persuade Liu Ergou. Thanks to Captain Sun's decision, Liu Jun was able to approach Liu Ergou and successfully rescue him.

"Yes, it's me." Captain Sun nodded with a smile, then asked, "Are you here to see Liu Ergou? He's in the hospital. Yesterday's situation was too dangerous, and he's emotionally unstable. We sent him to the hospital for a full check-up and arranged for someone to take care of him."

Liu Jun shook his head slightly, his face full of solemnity, and said, "No, I'm here to report a case. My friend has gone missing."

"Your friend is missing?" Upon hearing this, Captain Sun's eyes instantly turned serious, and the smile that had been on his face disappeared, replaced by the keenness unique to a police officer.

His intuition, honed over years as a veteran police officer, told him that this disappearance was definitely not simple.

As he spoke, Captain Sun patted Liu Jun on the shoulder warmly and said, "Come on, let me register you. Tell me the details."

With that, Captain Sun led Liu Jun into the police station and into an office. He took out a registration book and a pen, placed them on the table, and said earnestly, "Don't rush, take your time, tell me everything you know, and we will do our best to help you find it."

Liu Jun sat down in the chair, took a deep breath, and began to recount what had happened: "My friend's name is Wang Qiang. We are very close, and I'm staying at his house. I haven't seen him since the day before yesterday, and I haven't been able to call him since today. I've been trying to call him, but no one answers, and he hasn't gone home either."

As Captain Sun listened attentively, he quickly jotted down notes in his notebook. Hearing this, he frowned slightly and asked, "Has he encountered any troubles recently, or had any conflicts with anyone?"

Liu Jun thought for a moment and said, "I've never heard him say that there's any major problem he can't solve. He has a good personality and rarely gets into conflicts with people. I haven't heard of him having any conflicts with anyone."

Captain Sun nodded and continued, "Did you notice anything unusual about him before?"

Liu Jun thought for a moment and replied, "No."

After taking notes, Captain Sun looked up and said, "Don't worry, we will launch an investigation as soon as possible. Please leave your contact information so we can contact you promptly if there are any new developments."

Liu Jun nodded gratefully and left his phone number. Although he was still filled with worry, seeing Captain Sun's serious and responsible attitude reassured him somewhat.

After Liu Jun left, Captain Sun sat down in his chair and began to think.

Last night, while Liu Jun was trying to persuade Liu Ergou, he was closely monitoring the situation nearby. He was quite certain that besides Liu Jun and Liu Ergou, there was a third person present. Because when Liu Ergou was speaking, his eyes would occasionally wander to an empty spot, and he would mutter to himself, as if someone were actually standing there talking to him. At the time, Captain Sun found this strange, but because of the urgency of the situation, his main focus was on preventing Liu Ergou from jumping off the bridge, so he didn't have time to think about it further.

Sitting at his desk, looking at the information Liu Jun had provided in the register about his friend's disappearance, the strange scene from last night couldn't help but replay in his mind. He had a vague feeling that this person was not simple, and this matter was not simple either.

"Perhaps there's a secret hidden behind this," Captain Sun thought to himself, then took out his phone and made a call.