This celestial master cultivates both physical and magical arts; why did you provoke him?

Chapter 9: Hey buddy, are you a body cultivator?

Jiangzhou Municipal Public Security Bureau, Criminal Investigation Brigade Conference Room.

Chen Guodong stared at the map on the table, his brows furrowed so deeply they could crack walnuts.

"Three miles to the east..."

He traced his finger across the map, finally stopping at a point. "You mean here?"

Xia En leaned closer to take a look.

The map is marked "Former Site of Jiangzhou No. 1 Textile Factory".

"A textile factory?"

Fang Zijian chimed in from the side, "Didn't it go bankrupt a long time ago?"

"This textile factory has been closed for twenty years."

Chen Guodong nodded, "The factory area has been deserted for a long time. A few years ago, someone wanted to develop it, but when they were digging the foundation, they dug up something, so the project was stopped."

"What is it?"

Chen Guodong paused for two seconds: "A coffin."

There was a moment of silence in the conference room.

"How much?" Shane asked.

"Seven bodies."

Chen Guodong said, "It wasn't a modern coffin, but an old-fashioned one, at least a hundred years old. We invited people from the cultural relics bureau to come and see it, and they said it was from the Qing Dynasty. We don't know how it was buried there."

Xia En didn't say anything, he just stared at the red circle on the map.

"And then?"

"Later, the project team felt it was bad luck, so they sealed off the construction site, and it's still there now."

Chen Guodong rubbed his temples. "You mean, there's an underground palace down there?"

"That's what those evil things said." Shane stood up. "I'll go take a look."

"Now?" Chen Guodong glanced out the window. It was already dark, and the streetlights had just come on.

"Now."

Chen Guodong opened his mouth as if to say something, but finally nodded: "I'll go with you."

"Need not."

"I'm not here to help you catch evil spirits."

Chen Guodong stood up, took a flashlight from the cabinet, and said, "It's to help you find your way. I know that place well; without someone to guide you, you wouldn't find the entrance even after three days."

Xia En glanced at him and didn't refuse again.

Fang Zijian quickly raised his hand: "I'll go too!"

Xia En and Chen Guodong both looked at him at the same time.

"I promise it won't be a problem!" Fang Zijian patted his chest. "I'm just looking around and making some notes; I definitely won't cause any trouble!"

Xia En was silent for two seconds, then nodded: "Okay."

Fang Zijian's eyes lit up, and he quickly followed.

At 8 p.m., at the former site of the Jiangzhou No. 1 Textile Factory.

It was called a factory area, but it was actually just a pile of ruins.

The once towering factory buildings are now just skeletons, the walls have collapsed, the roof is exposed, and weeds are sprouting from the cracks, growing taller than a person.

Under the moonlight, the ruins resembled crouching giant beasts, silently watching the visitors.

Chen Guodong walked ahead with a flashlight, familiarly navigating a wasteland before finally stopping in front of a pile of construction debris.

"This is it."

He pointed to the pile of rubble and broken bricks, "There used to be a basement underneath, which was unearthed when they were digging the foundation. Those seven coffins were placed inside."

Xia En circled the pile of trash, squatted down, picked up a piece of broken brick, and examined it.

The bricks are bluish-gray with burn marks on the surface.

"Someone has been here," he said.

Chen Guodong was taken aback: "What?"

"These burn marks are fresh," Shane said, handing him the brick. "No more than three days ago."

Chen Guodong took the brick and examined it carefully in the flashlight.

It is indeed new.

"You mean, someone went in before us?"

"Not going in." Shane stood up and looked into the depths of the ruins. "It's coming out."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a muffled thud came from deep within the ruins.

It felt like something had hit the wall.

Chen Guodong and Fang Zijian tensed up at the same time.

Xia En remained calm, dusted off his hands, and walked toward the direction from which the sound came.

"Wait—!!!" Chen Guodong tried to call out to him.

Xia En didn't wait.

He walked through the ruins, around a half-collapsed wall, and finally stopped in front of a dark hole.

It was the entrance to a basement, which should have had a cover, but now the cover had been lifted to the side, revealing a dark hole.

The muffled sound came from inside the cave.

Chen Guodong and Fang Zijian caught up and saw the hole, both of them gasping in shock.

"this……"

Chen Guodong swallowed hard. "Did someone really go in?"

Xia En didn't answer, he just stared at the cave entrance.

The cave is very deep; you can't see the bottom.

But the eerie atmosphere was even stronger than it had been under the old grain depot, so strong it was almost suffocating.

"You wait up there," he said.

Chen Guodong wanted to say something, but seeing Xia En's eyes, he swallowed his words.

Fang Zijian, quite consciously, took two steps back, took out his phone, and turned on the recording function.

Xia En glanced at him, said nothing, and jumped into the cave.

Darkness instantly engulfed him.

Chen Guodong and Fang Zijian lay down at the entrance of the cave and looked down.

All I could see was complete darkness.

I can't see anything.

But I can hear sounds.

"Thump."

It was the sound of footsteps.

further and further.

Then, a muffled thud.

"boom--!"

Immediately afterwards, thunder exploded.

A bright flash of lightning shot up from the ground, illuminating the entire cave entrance.

Chen Guodong clearly saw that the lightning was not one, but three, four, or five.

The waves were continuous, almost blasting through the earth.

"Holy crap..." Chen Guodong muttered to himself.

Fang Zijian, on the other hand, was much calmer, holding his phone steadily and recording towards the cave entrance.

He had already witnessed it once last night.

The thunder lasted for a full half minute before it gradually subsided.

Then came an eerie silence.

Chen Guodong and Fang Zijian exchanged a glance, both seeing tension in each other's eyes.

Just then, a roar suddenly came from underground.

The voice didn't sound like a human; it sounded more like some kind of wild beast.

His voice was low, hoarse, and filled with rage and pain.

Then, "Bang—!"

A loud bang shook the entire ground.

Chen Guodong's legs buckled, and he almost fell into the hole.

Fang Zijian reacted quickly and grabbed him.

"What happened?!" Chen Guodong was still in shock.

Before Fang Zijian could answer, a hand suddenly reached out from the cave entrance.

One hand gripped the edge of the hole.

Then the other hand.

With a forceful pull of both hands, a figure darted out of the cave.

Xia En.

But Shane didn't come up alone.

He was carrying a person in his hand.

Or rather, something that once belonged to a person?

The thing was wearing a tattered Taoist robe, its face was covered with black veins, its eyes were bloodshot, and black gas was billowing from its mouth.

It struggled desperately, but was unable to move as Shane gripped its neck.

Xia En threw the thing on the ground.

"Bang!"

The thing fell to the ground, twitched twice, and tried to get up. Shane stepped on its chest, and it immediately became immobilized.

Chen Guodong and Fang Zijian went over to take a look.

Upon seeing this, both of them gasped in shock.

That thing's face.

Although covered with black blood vessels and with bloodshot eyes, the original outline could still be seen.

He was a middle-aged man.

Square face, thick eyebrows, and full lips.

Most importantly, it was the Taoist robe he was wearing.

Although it was tattered and covered in dirt, the tai chi symbol on its chest was still faintly visible.

"People from the Celestial Master's Mansion?!" Chen Guodong exclaimed in shock.

Xia En looked down at the thing, his expression complicated.

"Do you know him?" he asked.

The thing stared at him with its blood-red eyes, and uttered a hoarse voice: "Xia...Xia En..."

Xia En frowned: "You know me?"

"I...I am...Zhang...Zhang Jing'an..."

Xia En was stunned.

Zhang Jing'an.

He was all too familiar with that name.

A second-generation disciple of the Celestial Master's Mansion, and the cousin of his master Zhang Jingxuan, he went down the mountain to exorcise demons twenty years ago and never returned.

Everyone thought he was dead.

did not expect……

"How did you become like this?"

Xia En crouched down, staring at the almost unrecognizable face.

Zhang Jing'an opened her mouth as if to speak, but only black smoke came out.

He raised his hand, pointing tremblingly at the hole.

"There's...there's something down there..."

Before he could finish speaking, his hand suddenly fell to his sides.

The blood-red eyes slowly closed.

The black veins faded from his face, and the distorted face gradually returned to normal.

Finally, he gave a relieved smile.

"Senior...Senior brother...I'm sorry...I...I tried my best..."