Mysterious World: I Have a Lost Heavenly Court

The next day.

early morning.

Lu Changqing changed into an ordinary dark robe and left the Lu family mansion with Qingyun.

As the year draws to a close, the streets are much busier than usual.

Vendors selling New Year's goods hawked their wares along the street, teahouses were filled with chatting locals, and a few teenagers chased and played at the alley entrance, their laughter audible across half the street.

Qingyun walked beside him, counting on her fingers the list of herbs needed for the medicinal bath.

"Young master, let's go to Zhao's Pharmacy."

"The prescription for your medicinal bath is different after your blood transfusion. Some of the herbs are only available at the Zhao family's shop."

Lu Changqing nodded.

In recent days, he has been engaged in intensive cultivation combined with cultivation in the Primordial Relics.

Today I thought I'd go with Qingyun to buy the ingredients for a medicinal bath, just to relax.

Before he had walked more than a few steps, he glanced at the faces of the pedestrians on the street and frowned slightly.

After studying the Sutra of the Seven Emotions and Six Desires, his consciousness became exceptionally sensitive to the emotional fluctuations of the creatures around him.

Walking down this bustling street, there are dozens of people coming and going, each with a smile on their face, high spirits, and an unusual excitement in their conversation.

But beneath this surface of excitement, he could clearly perceive something deeper.

The vital energy and blood in those people's bodies are declining at an extremely slow and insidious rate.

It's not illness or injury.

Instead, it was gradually drained away by something.

It looks shiny on the outside, but it has already begun to rot inside.

"Young Master?" Qingyun noticed that Lu Changqing had slowed down. Following his gaze, she looked at the several men across the street who were talking and laughing loudly, and frowned slightly.

Her perception wasn't as precise as Lu Changqing's, but after experiencing so much with the young master, she had developed a certain intuition about these anomalies.

Those men were laughing so loudly.

It wasn't the kind of hearty laughter that comes from the heart.

It was a strange kind of excitement, like being drunk.

But there was clearly no smell of alcohol on him.

Just then, two middle-aged men carrying bamboo baskets walked by side by side, chatting loudly as they went.

"Did you put up that talisman at home? The one from Qingfeng Temple! After you put it up, evil spirits really won't come near!" The one on the left patted his basket, his face full of pride. "Last night I went straight out of the city into the mountains and picked up a ton of spiritual plants! Those grass mushrooms that only sprout at night, who would have dared to pick them in the middle of the night before?"

"Now I can go into the mountains alone and nothing happens to me. The whole mountainside is full of untouched goods!"

The man on the right stared wide-eyed: "Huh? You can go into the mountains at night without being haunted by evil spirits? Are talismans really that powerful?"

"Of course! Why would I lie to you! I'm going again tonight, do you want to come along?"

"Yes, yes, I want to try it too!"

The two walked further and further away, their voices gradually being swallowed up by the noise of the street.

Qingyun withdrew her gaze and looked up at Lu Changqing.

Her lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but the street was crowded and noisy, so she only whispered, "Young Master."

She remembered Qin Yuan standing on the stage distributing talismans to the people, his warm smile, and the faint, eerie veins on those talismans.

From that day on, the young master forbade her from using the talisman and forbade any of the Lu family's close relatives from receiving it.

At first she simply followed orders, but now...

Looking at the people laughing too loudly on the street, and at the abnormal excitement in their eyes, her unease grew heavier.

Lu Changqing withdrew his gaze, his expression unchanged, but his voice was very low: "Let's go home first."

He originally thought that Qin Yuan's talisman was only used to mark the people and prepare for some kind of ceremony in the future.

But now it seems that the talisman's effect is far more direct than the marking.

It is drawing upon the essence of life.

If a person has a little bit of their essence and blood extracted, no changes will be visible in a short period of time.

But if every single one of the hundreds of thousands of people had a tiny amount taken from them every day, and that all came into Qin Yuan's hands, it would amount to an astronomical sum.

Instead of feeling weak, these people became increasingly excited after their essence and blood were drained.

This is definitely not a normal phenomenon.

The talisman likely contains something else that injects a false sense of excitement into the host while drawing blood, making them increasingly dependent on the talisman the more blood is drawn.

Like a frog being slowly boiled in water, by the time they realize something is wrong, their bodies have already been hollowed out.

Back at the Lu family mansion, Lu Changqing had just stepped into the courtyard and hadn't even had a chance to sit down when he heard hurried footsteps outside the gate.

Lu Yue pushed open the courtyard gate and strode in.

She wasn't wearing her usual gray-blue Taoist robe today; instead, she wore plain casual clothes and her hair was simply tied up in a bun, making it seem like she had rushed out the door.

Her expression was one that Lu Changqing rarely saw on his second sister's face.

"Little brother." Lu Yue walked up to Lu Changqing and stopped, took a deep breath, and then spoke directly, "Your feeling seems to be right."

"Senior Brother... no, the talisman Qin Yuan gave us really has a problem."

Looking into his second sister's clear eyes, Lu Changqing felt a surge of joy.

Qin Yuan's disguise was so good that it impressed everyone in Qingfeng Temple, the county government, and the entire county.

Even those closest to him might be deceived by his warm smile.

Lu Changqing admitted it.

If he didn't have a cheat code, he would never have been able to discover Qin Yuan's true colors!

After all, the other party had already taken over Qin Yuan's body several years ago, and had remained hidden for so long without being exposed...

The fact that his second sister is willing to say this to him now at least shows that she no longer completely trusts Qin Yuan.

This is more useful than anything else!

"Sister, tell me slowly." Lu Changqing gestured for Qingyun to close the courtyard gate, then led Lu Yue to sit on the stone bench. "What did you see in the temple?"

After Lu Yue sat down, she clasped her hands together on her knees, her knuckles slightly white. She was silent for a moment, then spoke: "I always carry the cinnabar pollen you gave me with me."

"Later, that man surnamed Qin secretly gave us talismans, saying that each person should have one and that we must wear it close to our body."

"I didn't think much of it at first and just carried it with me. But that night, I was meditating in my room, and the more I meditated, the more uneasy I felt..."

"It feels like there are bugs crawling in my dantian. It's not painful, it's itchy. I tried to find the problem by circulating my internal energy several times, but I couldn't find anything wrong. After thinking about it, I took the talisman off my body, mixed the talisman ink with the pollen you gave me, and drew a new exorcism talisman for myself."

"Once the talisman is close to the body, that feeling disappears."

"The next morning, I went to find Junior Sister Zhou."

Lu Yue's gaze fell on the stone tabletop, as if she were looking at something very far away.

"Junior Sister Zhou is two years younger than me. She is an orphan that Master brought back five years ago. She is a bit weak-willed, but she is very close to me."

"That day I went to her room and called her several times before she opened the door. She looked much better than usual."

"Her complexion was rosy, and she spoke fluently. I even joked with her that Senior Brother Qin's talisman was indeed quite something. She laughed rather shyly, and then I asked her if she could take off the talisman for a while so I could try something."

"She picked it without hesitation. Less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea after picking it, she suddenly couldn't stand up... her face turned pale and she was sweating profusely."

Lu Changqing did not speak.

Qingyun stood to the side, quietly clenching her sleeves.

"I put my exorcism talisman on her body, and her complexion slowly returned to normal."

"But all that energy she had before was gone. I had her lie down and took her pulse—she was deficient in qi and blood."

"Not the kind of deficit caused by injury..."

As Lu Yue finished speaking, she raised her eyes to look at Lu Changqing, "Little brother, I remember you mentioned Qin Yuan before."

"Have you discovered something?"

Lu Changqing remained silent for a moment before speaking, "I suspect that Qin Yuan is connected to the Ten Thousand Immortals Army."

"His aura made me very uncomfortable!"

Lu Yue took a deep breath, her eyes narrowing.

This time, however, she did not refute her brother, but instead recalled the events with utmost seriousness.

After a moment, she shook her head slightly, her eyes blank. "I can't think of any trace of the Ten Thousand Immortals Army."

"Master... Qin Yuan, he has always remained the same... without any major changes."

Lu Changqing has no evidence to provide.

After all, all the information he knew was essentially given to him by his cheat system.

To obtain evidence, one must break through to a higher level of strength, directly defeat Qin Yuan, and expose his true colors...

The courtyard was quiet for a moment.

Lu Yue asked, "Little brother, do you know what he's planning to do?"

Lu Changqing told the other party his innermost thoughts:

"He uses the lifeblood of hundreds of thousands of people in the county to support himself."

"A little bit every day won't kill you, but it adds up to an astronomical number."

"That talisman doesn't just draw blood; it also injects something that makes people excited. So the person being drawn from doesn't feel weak; instead, they feel more and more energetic, and the more energetic they are, the more dependent they become on that talisman."

"When Qin Yuan feels the time is right, he only needs to gently withdraw... and all the tens of thousands of people in this city will become his blood bank."

Lu Yue's pupils contracted, and she looked utterly horrified.

After a long silence, he said in a low voice, "I was thinking that everything would be resolved once Master returned."

"But Master hasn't returned yet, and Qin Yuan is now..."

"Sister, keep pretending you know nothing," Lu Changqing interrupted her. "Qin Yuan has been in the shadows for seven years; his foundation is much deeper than yours."

"We must not give him any chance to be alert before he tears off his mask himself."

This matter is no longer a simple internal conflict within the Taoist temple; it is a matter of survival for the entire Heishan County.

After studying the Sutra on the Suffering of the Seven Emotions and Six Desires, he achieved a state of perfect control over his emotions, and his mind was clearer than ever before.

He knew that Qin Yuan's advantage lay in time and experience.

Seven years of hiding, each talisman he used contributed to his cultivation.

His biggest disadvantage, however, lies in this: he needs to accumulate experience and time.

If you can interrupt him before he finishes accumulating points, there is a chance to turn the game around.

"Second Sister, you go back to Qingfeng Temple first." He stood up. "Qingyun, go and call the servants to ask Constable Zhou Wu to come over. Tell him it's important, and he can come alone."

...

...

In less than a quarter of an hour, Zhou Wu appeared on the stone bench in the Lu family's courtyard.

He wasn't wearing official robes, but rather casual clothes, though the sword at his waist was still hanging there as usual.

Qingyun handed over a teacup, and Zhou Wu took it and gulped down half of it in one go. Then he looked up at Lu Changqing and spoke directly.

"Brother Changqing, what brings you here?"

"Brother Zhou Wu, what do you think of the talisman that Qin Yuan gave out?" Lu Changqing asked, sitting opposite him.

Zhou Wu paused for a moment, his hand holding the teacup still.

He wasn't a new constable; he could tell what was hidden behind Lu Changqing's "casual chat."

He put down his teacup, frowned and thought for a moment, then slowly said, "That thing... I can't quite put my finger on it."

"I'm a blood transfusion martial artist, so naturally it's useless. When I heard him say that in the square that day, I instinctively didn't believe it."

"But the city has indeed been much more peaceful these days, and the people all say it's thanks to the talisman."

"When I was handling the case, I asked several victims who had put up talismans. They were all in good spirits and said that they were healthier than before."

Lu Changqing did not speak.

Zhou Wu thought for a moment and added, "Of course, I'm only saying this to you privately."

"Qingfeng Temple is a legitimate Taoist sect, and Qin Yuan is a direct disciple of the temple's abbot. He is backed by the Demon Suppression Division. As the head constable, I can't investigate him without any evidence."

"Otherwise, if my superiors blame me later, I won't be able to handle it."

"I understand." Lu Changqing paused, then told Zhou Wu in a more subtle way, "This morning I went out into the streets and saw that the people were in very good spirits."

"But compared to before, isn't this a bit too much of an overreaction?"

"This definitely feels a bit abnormal... Oh right, Brother Zhou Wu, since Qingfeng Temple has issued this kind of talisman that the whole county uses."

"Is there any imperial order issued from above in that county government office?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Wu's eyes furrowed slightly.

He understood what Lu Changqing meant.

Similarly, as a veteran constable.

This sudden event, which affected the entire county, was indeed not ordered by the imperial court.

It is a bit strange.

After exchanging a few more words about this matter, Zhou Wu stood up.

"I understand what you mean by this, brother."

"I know you mean well, but it's not convenient for me to say too much about the internal affairs of the county government. However, if there is any confirmation that the talisman is harmless, I will inform you as soon as possible."

After saying this, Zhou Wu bowed and left.

...

...

When Zhou Wu returned to the county government office, it was already dusk.

Instead of returning to his own cell, he went straight to the county magistrate's office.

The lights were on in the public housing, and a slender figure was reflected in the window paper as he bent over his desk, writing.

"Come in," the county magistrate's voice came from inside the door.

Zhou Wu pushed open the door and entered, bowing with clasped hands.

The county magistrate looked up at him, then put down his writing brush.

The county magistrate under the lamp had a normal expression. His thin face was half bright and half dark in the candlelight, making it impossible to tell his emotions.

"What's wrong so late?"

"My lord," Zhou Wu carefully considered his words, "it concerns the matter of Qingfeng Temple distributing talismans to the people recently."

"What's wrong?"

"The people in the city have indeed been much more energetic lately after they put up those talismans."

"But some people have become even weaker after putting up the talisman. One of my brothers was quite energetic at first after his family put up the talisman, but these past few days his complexion has been getting worse and worse, and he keeps waking up in the middle of the night saying that someone is calling him in his dreams."

Zhou Wu didn't mention Lu Changqing's name, but instead chose an example that sounded like hearsay.

"This humble general dares to suggest that we temporarily suspend the distribution of the talismans?"

"After all, there's been no news about this talisman from the prefectural city, the imperial court, or the Demon Suppression Division yet..."

The county magistrate remained silent for a moment.

He picked up the teapot, poured half a cup of tea into the teacup in front of him, but did not drink it. Instead, he slowly turned the teacup in his palm.

"Qingfeng Temple is a legitimate Taoist sect, and it is backed by the Demon Suppression Division."

"Distributing talismans is a good thing that benefits the country and its people. Can the government stop it?" He shook his head and finally gave his answer:

"There are no objections. You may leave."

Zhou Wu opened his mouth, as if he wanted to say something more.

But the county magistrate had already lowered his head, picked up his brush again, and started reviewing official documents at his desk.

The meaning of the order to evict the guest is self-evident.

Zhou Wu stood there for a moment, then finally clasped his hands in a salute, turned around, pushed open the door, and strode away.

The door closed behind him.

The public housing fell silent.

The candlelight flickered twice.

The county magistrate stopped what he had just pretended to do as he wrote, looked up, and stared at the closed wooden door.

A cold glint flashed in his eyes in the candlelight.

After a moment's pause, he put down his pen.

With a gentle flick of his right hand under the table, a faint wisp of spiritual energy, carrying a sweet fragrance, emanated from his fingertips, condensing into a thin thread in the air and silently drifting towards the window.

A moment later, a gray carrier pigeon flew in through the window and gently landed on his desk.

The county magistrate tied an extremely thin bamboo tube to the pigeon's leg and sent it flying.

The carrier pigeon took flight, soaring through the night towards Qingfeng Temple.