Chapter 17 – An Unexpected Discovery

Han Laoshan’s hair stood on end — he must have run into something evil on this late night.

He cursed every manner of mountain spirit and wild demon, every ghost and goblin he could name, and prayed to every god and Buddha in heaven, all while keeping his eyes fixed on the shadowy figure — neither of them moving.

The wind blew between them, flattening a swath of knee-high wild grass. A stray bit of dust from nowhere got into Han Laoshan’s eyes; in the instant his eyelids blinked shut and opened again, his mind exploded — the shadowy figure that had been nearly a hundred meters away had suddenly closed half that distance!

A curse erupted in his heart, and he bellowed, “I’ve got guts of steel — what the hell are you gonna do to me!”

“I’m gonna scare the hell out of you,” the shadow replied in a drifting, eerie voice — and this time it was no longer a simple mimicry; there was a breath of its own life in the words!

The cloud covering the moon drifted a few inches to the side, and a few threads of cold moonlight fell upon the shadowy figure, illuminating a stitched-together smile, sinister and strange.

Han Laoshan’s pupils contracted. His lips trembled twice. In that moment of stunned hesitation, the eerie smile suddenly rushed up right before his eyes. The frost-coated grass stubble jabbed against his face, and all the warmth seemed to drain from his body, leaving only an endless void of cold.

“Han Zhao! What are you doing out there! How long does it take to take a piss!”

At the critical moment, a voice like a great bell exploded in his ear — like a thunderclap from clear sky, scattering the demons.

Han Laoshan wiped his face with his hand. This iron-boned man grabbed the Deputy Commander like he’d seen his own kin, finally letting his terror show. “Boss, there’s a ghost, there’s a ghost!”

“What nonsense are you talking!” The Deputy Commander’s face darkened, and he shoved Han Laoshan aside with one palm. “The entire barracks is waiting with the lights on just for you — have you no discipline!”

Han Laoshan turned his right cheek to him. “Hit me again, would you!”

“. . .” The Deputy Commander fumed. “What the hell, you little bastard, are you actually provoking me now?!”

Seeing the Deputy Commander’s anger, Han Laoshan jumped for joy right where he stood. “I’m alive, hahahahaha!”

Then, the moment the Deputy Commander’s foot came swinging at him, Han Laoshan’s face instantly turned solemn. He snapped to attention and said gravely, “I just encountered something abnormal. I fear this estate may not be safe.”

He emphasized, “This matter must be brought to His Highness’ attention immediately.”

Seeing how serious he looked, the Deputy Commander grew alert. These were extraordinary times — every shadow could conceal danger. Without hesitation, he said, “Follow me.”

Not fifty li away, a small campfire’s light flickered against a tattered banner.

Beneath the banner, Master Huang sat cross-legged, both hands forming seals, muttering incantations under his breath.

Li San waited anxiously at his side, and the moment he saw Master Huang finish his gestures, he rushed to ask, “How did it go? How did it go?”

“Passable.” Master Huang took the wine Li San offered, tilted his head back, and poured a mouthful down his throat, burning through his organs. “Refreshing!”

Master Huang took another sip, and his words began to flow more freely. “The first scare has been completed — that’s enough to put them in a panic!”

Li San said, “Brother, we’re not trying to scare them away — we’re trying to do business.”

“I know that perfectly well. Just watch — given how this group carries themselves, one scare alone won’t send them running.”

Master Huang narrowed his eyes, his face growing a little ruddy. “This was just ringing their alarm bell. Once I drive that Daoist away tomorrow night, the deal will be done.”

“Drive away the one stealing our business, and of course the deal’s done,” Li San laughed heartily. After laughing a while, he hesitated and asked, “Brother, what if that Daoist is like you — what if he has some real ability? What do we do then?”

“Bah, you think just anyone can learn these skills? I spent thirty years slaving away for my master in the mountains before I mastered the art of divining fortune and reading hexagrams, and another twenty years before I learned even the rudiments of spiritual arts.”

Despite his boastful words, Master Huang had not let his guard down. Earlier, when he had gone to scout near the estate, he had noticed that an Eight Trigrams mirror hung above the main gate, wielding the power of Reversed Bow in its weakened form. This told him that the Daoist understood at least some geomantic arts — though how deep that knowledge ran remained to be seen.

Just then, a shower of rain began to fall, pattering softly and growing steadily stronger. Master Huang extinguished the campfire and said, “Let me rest up my spirit. Tomorrow we’ll have a definitive outcome.”

The rain grew heavier and heavier, rolling off the eaves and crashing to the ground, spattering mud. Zhan Changfeng gazed out at the curtain of rain beyond the window, her expression unreadable. “Someone petty is stirring up trouble. Everyone stay careful in the coming days.”

“Your Highness suspects there is someone causing trouble behind the scenes?” The Deputy Commander said, “Based on what Han Zhao described, it bore every hallmark of demons and evil spirits. If it is not, then whoever is behind this likely possesses strange arts, and we may have no defense against it. For your safety, this humble servant earnestly requests that Your Highness relocate to another place until the truth is uncovered, and then we may plan our next steps.”

“Where in this world is there a truly safe place?” Zhan Changfeng asked Zero-Four, “How is Zero-Three getting on?”

“Word just arrived — five people have accepted the task,” Zero-Four reported. “These five may not have the ability to subdue demons, vanquish monsters, or open the Heavenly Eye, but each has their own unusual gifts. One of them best fits Your Highness’ requirements.”

“Oh?” Zhan Changfeng turned to look at him. “So we really did come across a qi cultivator? What is this person capable of, and what kind of payment do they want?”

Everyone Zero-Three had contacted would be going with her to seek the Dragon Scale Divine Scripture. Ordinary people could be satisfied with money, but a qi cultivator who possessed strange arts might not necessarily want material wealth.

Zero-Four answered truthfully, “This person has not yet agreed to Zero-Three’s request. Zero-Three is currently attempting to persuade him.”

“In that case, let fate decide.” Zhan Changfeng stood with her hands at her sides and said indifferently, “Have the other four gather at the estate within five days. If timing works out, they can help investigate the abnormalities here at the same time.”

Unlike the Deputy Commander, Jiang Wei had largely given up on persuading Zhan Changfeng to leave the estate. He only said, “Your Highness just mentioned that someone petty is causing trouble — why not let this servant go and investigate?”

“Whether it’s a person or a ghost, the ones most worth targeting here are me, the ghost-buster, and you, the one dripping with wealth. You might as well take some time to stroll around the city — you might run into something interesting.”

“As Your Highness commands.” Jiang Wei privately thought: ever since His Highness put on that Daoist robe, even the way he spoke had become mystical and cryptic.

With all that commotion, the second half of the night had passed. The guards walked over the still-damp ground and conducted a thorough inspection of the estate inside and out — and this time, they actually found something.

“Quickly, bring a cloth!” One guard blew away a layer of accumulated dust and carefully wiped the object in his hands with a half-damp cloth.

“Wait, there’s more here.” Several others rummaged through a pile of rubble, passing out pieces one by one.

The objects shimmered gold. There were nine pieces in total, with intricate veins and ridges across their surfaces. Fitted together, they resembled a map.

Without daring to delay, the guards quickly cleaned the golden leaves until they gleamed like new and presented them before Zhan Changfeng.

Zhan Changfeng arranged the golden leaves on the table.

She had the rivers and mountains of the Yin Dynasty at her fingertips, and with one glance she could tell that this was an extraordinarily precise topographical map — its scope vast, covering the entirety of the Shenzhou landmass.

Yet…

Zhan Changfeng’s finger traced along the mountain ranges and waterways one by one, and she couldn’t help but be startled. On this map were locations she had never known to exist.

These places had never been known to anyone, nor ever been set foot upon — and yet here they were, revealed upon the golden leaves.

“Where did you find this?”

“Your Highness, it seems last night’s heavy rain caused the courtyard wall of the west wing to collapse, which exposed this object and allowed us to discover it.”

Such a comprehensive topographical map — even the Yi Family did not possess one. This old estate had stories to tell.

Zhan Changfeng gave her orders: “Look through the regional chronicles. Ask the elders. I want to know exactly who built this estate and who has lived here.”

My timeline settings have probably gone wrong again — this chapter makes up for yesterday’s missing one.

(End of Chapter)