Author: 梦溪石 / Meng Xi Shi

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 49

Dong Zhi was too excited that he couldn’t fall back asleep. After Zhong Yuyi left, in high spirits, he flipped around on the bed for over half an hour, as if he was like a smoldering pancake.

Oh my god. He actually invited a righteous god in his first attempt. Is there such a genius in the world! But geniuses need to be humble, modest, and have humility.

He narrowed his eyes for three minutes before he suddenly thought of something.

Since it was clairvoyance, then everything he saw just now should have happened in real time, right?

Long Shen’s meeting. Being underwater. The Japanese man.

The more he thought about it, the more Dong Zhi felt something was wrong. He got up and immediately texted Long Shen. [Boss Long, are you free now? I have something to tell you.]

After waiting for a while, the phone rang. Long Shen had taken the initiative to call him.

He hurriedly picked it up. “Boss Long, why are you calling?”

Long Shen: “Didn’t you say you have something to tell me?”

It seems that he had left a reliable impression on the other party, as he reached out shortly after he sent his message, signaling that Long Shen believes in him.

Dong Zhi felt proud momentarily before he hurriedly got down to business. “Were you in a meeting just now? About half an hour ago. It was in a conference room. Boss Wu was sitting on the left and Boss Song was on the right.”

There was a pause before he replied, “Yes.”

Dong Zhi then recounted the three scenes he had just seen through his clairvoyance.

Long Shen paid careful attention to the second scene. “What else did you see in the water besides the corpses?”

Dong Zhi tried to recall. “It seems to be just an ordinary lake… But I seem to recall seeing some buildings faintly in the distance, but I couldn’t see it clearly. I was quickly pulled away, so I didn’t stay long. However, those water corpses were particularly strange. Their demeanor and posture are still as if they were alive. I thought they were stone statues at first.”

Long Shen: “What about clothing? What dynasty are they from?”

Dong Zhi: “I can’t tell, but judging from their hairstyle, it shouldn’t be modern.”

Long Shen said deeply, “In the third scene, did you see the appearance of the cloaked man in the end?”

Dong Zhi: “No. I saw you looking up at me during the first scene. Did you really see me?”

Long Shen: “I could only feel a sense of peeping, but I couldn’t see anything.”

Dong Zhi hurriedly said, “Then I suspect that the cloaked figure may have sensed my peeping too. The last thing I saw before the scene was over was it reaching out with its hand that was a white bone!”

The other end of the phone fell silent.

Dong Zhi: “Boss Long?”

“I see,” Long Shen said. “For these days, don’t invite Gods anymore and under normal circumstances, don’t use this spell so casually in the future.”

“But…”

“Do you understand?”

Long Shen’s tone became stern. Although Dong Zhi didn’t understand why, he agreed.

Long Shen said, “If you encounter anything strange again, feel free to call me.”

After a pause, he said again, “Have a good rest.”

Dong Zhi obediently said, “Okay, goodbye.”

After hanging up the call, Long Shen looked at the files on his desk blankly. His thoughts have already flown away. He didn’t know what he was thinking, but he only felt his eyebrows frowning tighter. With a slight movement, he dialed He Yu’s number.

When the phone line picked up, a careless voice spoke out. “Hello, the number you have dialed is not in service for the time being. Please try your call again at a later time.”

Long Shen: “He Yu.”

Sensing trouble was brewing, He Yu hastily became like a dog who obediently was ordered to sit. “Yes, what are your orders?”

Long Shen: “How is it going over there now?”

He Yu: “Ugh, don’t even talk about it. The place where the accident happened is near Mount Laohei. We’ve searched all over, but we can’t dig the entire area three feet deep. The water’s been flooding the area every day, but don’t bother mentioning demons and ghosts. There’s not even any signs of water sprites! Say Boss, we have been feeding mosquitoes here for almost a month. It isn’t an issue to continue on like this but when can we go back?”

*Kelpie (水鬼) Shaft-shifting spirit usually portrayed as a black horse-like creature that can adopt human form. Usually, it lives in bodies of water like rivers and lakes. See Kinky Thoughts for lore.

Long Shen asked, “Except for Mount Laohei, what about other places?”

He Yu said, “Fuxian Lake is really too big. Even if you search just along the coast, there may not be results for half a year. The water in that area constantly rises and falls. I don’t know how many dark water caves there are or where to go. Kan Chaosheng is now going into the water every day but can’t seem to find anything. At this rate, we may have to ask Zong Lao to come out!”

Long Shen ignored his joke. “Don’t just look along the coastal line and Mount Laohei. Make sure you search the middle of the lake as well.”

He Yu smelled something unusual. “Boss, are you privy to something?”

Long Shen said, “I’ll tell Song Zhicun and group three about it. You make Chaosheng work harder.”

He Yu: “Well, I’ll relay that to him.”

After ending the call with He Yu, Long Shen thought for a while, and then dialed Zhong Yuyi’s number.

—

The next day, when everyone gathered, they received a notice from Zhong Yuyi. His class would come to an early end. It wasn’t only Dong Zhi, but everyone else was inexplicable. However, Zhong Yuyi said that this notice came from the higher ups, so they all had to return to the city in advance.

While they had “finished” their course, Li Ying and the others had just started under Ding Lan’s leadership. This meant they had to wait for the others to come back before they could move to the next course together.

With nothing to do during this time, they all had free reign. While everyone came to apply for the Special Administration Bureau and had passed the written exam and interview, some, like Gu Meiren, certainly didn’t come with the mentality of idleness and fooling around. For some inexplicable reason, now with this extra period of “vacation”, they felt depressed as they had nothing to learn.

“Did Old Zhong disclose what the course of the next stage was?”

After they came back from a meal, someone asked Dong Zhi.

Dong Zhi smiled bitterly. “No, he’s also acting strange.”

Zhong Yuyi didn’t have many reservations. After a few days of getting acquainted with everyone, they had stopped calling him Teacher Zhong and instead switched to Old Zhong.

Gu Meiren comforted. “There should be arrangements from above, so we can just take it easy.”

Chi Banxia propped up her chin and sighed. “If I knew about this, it would’ve been better to go with Li Ying and the others. I heard that they stumbled upon a tough situation in the mausoleum yesterday. It seems that it was a lich*.”

*Fly Stiff (飞僵) A classification of zombies that becomes a demon after turning into a scorpion, allowing it to fly, thus known as a flying stiff (stiff being that the body is hard like a corpse after rigor mortis). See lore for details || I’ll be using lich as the translation.

The so-called lich is a classification of zombies and tomb robbers collectively referred to as “zongzi¹“. It would take at least a hundred years for a zombie to skeletonize and become a lich. Liches were covered with white hair and float, as if they could fly, which was why they were called liches. On top of liches, there was also other classifications² such as jade liches and white liches. The catacombs that produce these zombies must be extremely fierce to produce these things, but it could also be a situation like in Long Shen’s story, where an original place had good fengshui but was actually artificially changed to be auspicious to deceive latecomers.

¹Name after the dish, it’s a code word among tomb robbers referring to a relatively well-preserved corpse in a tomb that has turned into a zombie.
²Clarity: According to Chinese folklore, there are 18 kinds of “zombies”. I won’t list them all since some of the translations don’t really make sense translated. The lich is one of these types.

For ordinary people, encountering this kind of situation is a bad luck. Countless tomb robbers have died while trying to rob a tomb through the ages, either through traps or being infected by corpse poison. However, for practitioners like them, one encounter only equals one more experience. Besides, there’s also a powerful leader mentoring the team, so generally they won’t encounter any great danger.

So when they all heard that Li Ying and the others had encountered a lich, everyone’s first reaction was not fear but envy.

Chi Banxia: “I heard Li Ying say that we will send representatives to participate in the World Exchange Conference next year. There’s also a certain quota for newcomers. Since we have one less training course than them, I wonder if it will affect our recommendation?”

Gu Meiren: “I don’t think so. After all, it was not our initiative to withdraw from the course. It was a decision made from above.”

Zhou Yue said, “I’m not worried about the recommendation qualification. The competition for this kind of important international-level event must be very fierce. Not only newcomers but also many seniors would want to go. If we can pass the training, the bureau should handle everything accordingly.”

Ou-Yang Yin smiled and said, “Our family has helped people with fengshui for generations. Occasionally, we would encounter one or two tricky things. If I run into such a situation, and you want more experience, I’ll let you know. Of course, you’ll also be paid as well.”

To everyone, though, remuneration was second, and above all else, it was better to have something to do than be idle every day.

Even with the class cancelled, Dong Zhi still had many things to do. His comic serialization was reaching a critical plot point and had an increasing number of people chasing it. They were hungry for more, as they left comments urging him to update. Besides that, he also climbs the stairs to the rooftop every day for practice. He never slacked off and felt very fulfilled in his life. However, he didn’t express any of his opinions rashly as he just sat there resting his chin on his hand and listening to everyone else obediently, while still recalling the event of when he had invited God in and thinking about Long Shen during his meeting.

At that time, everyone else looked bored while Long Shen listened very carefully and took notes from time to time. Recalling that look, perhaps he would try once again to draw Long Shen’s eyes and solve his distress of being unable to finish his portrait before.

The latter two scenes, though, were very strange. Listening to Long Shen’s tone, he seemed to know where the second scene was. There was also that Japanese man who looked extremely familiar, but he couldn’t quite place it. Where had he seen this person before?

When a pot of beef in sour soup was served, it finally relieved everyone’s depression and also diverted Dong Zhi’s attention. Everyone had a great meal and enjoyed their time socializing. After the meal, they parted ways and made an appointment to contact each other later, then they dispersed.

Dong Zhi declined the offer of others to give him a ride, saying that he wanted to walk after dinner, so he walked along the streets alone. As he walked, he discovered that the street he was currently on was the road filled with antique stores that Long Shen had brought him once to get the Qingzhu Sword.

Thinking of this, Dong Zhi couldn’t help but dispel the idea of taking a taxi back, and instead walked towards the antique shop Long Shen had taken him to. Since it was still broad daylight, the store was naturally open, and the person working there was still the same uncle he saw last time.

The uncle seemed familiar with him. When he saw him come in, he wanted to greet him, but hesitantly said, “You’re that gentle looking young man?”

Dong Zhi smiled and said, “I came with Boss Long that night when he took back his Qingzhu Sword. Do you remember?”

“So it turned out to be you. I do remember!” The uncle patted his forehead. “Since it was at night and the lighting wasn’t good, I couldn’t see you clearly. No wonder why I felt your face looked so familiar. Sit down, sit down!”

He greeted Dong Zhi and motioned for him to sit down on a chair nearby.

Dong Zhi smiled and said, “What is your name?”

“Just call me Uncle Qian. So, how’s the Qingzhu Sword?”

Dong Zhi asked curiously, “How do you know it was given to me?”

Uncle Qian smiled and said, “I have known Boss Long for so many years, but I have never seen him bring someone with him when he takes back swords, so it means that sword must be for you.”

Hearing this made Dong Zhi’s heart happy. He took advantage of the situation and asked, “How many years have you known him?”

Uncle Qian: “It must be at least 20 years.”

Dong Zhi was surprised. “So many years? Then Boss Long must’ve been very young at that time, right?”

Uncle Qian smiled and said, “No, he hasn’t changed much and looks pretty much as he did 20 years ago.”

Dong Zhi pondered it thoughtfully.

“By the way,” Uncle Qian thought of something and said, “I have a bronze mirror here that someone just brought over. I want your help to assess its value so I can price it. You’re Boss Long’s apprentice, so you must be knowledgeable. Won’t you take a look?”

Dong Zhi said, “Why do you think I am Boss Long’s apprentice?”

Uncle Qian: “You look like you would be his apprentice. Is it possible that you’re his son?”

When he heard those words, Dong Zhi almost spat out the water that he had just sipped on.

“It’s better to be an apprentice!”

Uncle Qian laughed. “Is that so?”

Dong Zhi scratched his nose. While he wanted to called Long Shen master, he was afraid the other party wouldn’t respond.

Uncle Qian took out the box containing the bronze mirror. “According to my speculation, the age of this mirror is probably before the Zhou Dynasty, but I’m not entirely sure. It could be even earlier.”

If it was earlier than the Zhou Dynasty, it would either be the Xia and Shang Dynasties, or the period of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors*.

*The Three Sovereigns span from 4,000-8,000+ years ago, while the Five Emperors period was about 4,000 years ago.

Dong Zhi was surprised. He took a closer look at the bronze mirror in the uncle’s hand. There was a pattern carved on the back of the mirror, but it wasn’t the usual ordinary figures of flowers, birds, or bats, but rather a… phoenix? Behind the phoenix, there seemed to be undulating mountains and a sun rising eastward.

“To be honest, I don’t know anything about antique appraisal. I’m afraid it will have to be done by Boss Long.”

In general, if the antique was old, the bronze on it would oxidize, discoloring and blurring the text and patterns made of bronze to varying degrees. However, this mirror looked as if it was 70-80% new, which made him suspect it could be a fake.

Dong Zhi couldn’t help raising his concern. “Uncle Qian, the pattern on the mirror looks so new…”

Uncle Qian lowered his voice. “I know what you are worried about. The pattern is new, and it may have just been taken out of an anaerobic environment.”

Dong Zhi understood. “So it hasn’t been unearthed until recently?”

Uncle Qian nodded. “The person who brought it here is a junior of an acquaintance of mine. He’s usually a broker who’s responsible for exchanging these items. He doesn’t actually go to the tombs himself. Occasionally, he would get new things in his hand. There’s a character on it that I can’t understand. Show it to Boss Long for me. If the original isn’t clean, I don’t want it.”

Text to the dead*?

*(殄文) Also known as the water book, or ghost book, or anti-book, it is written text for the dead. Legends have it that it was created by a man named Lu Duogong. It’s ancient writings that mainly record cultural information such as astronomy, geography, religion, folklore, ethnics, and philosophy.

Dong Zhi took a closer look at the back of the mirror again and saw that there were indeed a few strange symbols and text. He hadn’t paid much attention to it previously. When Uncle Qian said this, he remembered that once when he was on the train, he saw a fairytale book that lay in the corner of the soft sleeper. When he opened it, it turned out to be a notebook that was full of writing he couldn’t understand. He Yu later said that those were Long Shen’s notes.

Above those notes, he realized they were vague text that looked similar to this.

“What is the text for the dead?”

“This kind of text originated from the ancient ancestors, at least before the Xia Dynasty or much earlier. Some people say that it’s the writing of the gods. During that time, only a great witch in charge of sacrifices could understand it. Later, with the oracle bone script*, the writing gradually died out. Legends have it that there are still a few sorcerers in Guizhou who can do this kind of writing. They are revered as ‘ghost masters’ and their writings become a communication between yin and yang, which is specifically written for the dead. The texts are gathered into documents, forming a collection of works generally called the Book of the Dead, or the Book of Rebirth.”

*Was an ancestor of modern Chinese characters engraved on oracle bones—animal bones or turtle plastrons used in pyromantic divination—in the late 2nd millennium BC and is the earliest known form of Chinese writing.

Dong Zhi: “Boss Long can read such thing?”

Uncle Qian smiled and said, “Which is why I have to ask him about this matter.”

Dong Zhi hesitated. “Uncle Qian, if this is stolen goods…?”

Wouldn’t this cause trouble for Long Shen?

Uncle Qian: “Don’t worry, Boss Long knows how to deal with it. I don’t want to accept anything unclean. I’m not looking for trouble. You need to tell him that after three days, if the owner wants it returned intact*, he must come and take it. Afterwards, what they want to do with it is their business, but I can’t have it affect my small business.”

*Return to Zhao (完璧归赵) Idiom refers to returning something intact to the original owner.

Dong Zhi laughed. “Uncle Qian, do you call this a small business? Last time I went back, Boss Long told me that if you take the mountain made of jade in your shop to an auction house, you can at least get one or two thousand for it!”

He deliberately omitted the 10,000’s to avoid making it sound too eye-catching.

Uncle Qian couldn’t help feeling a bit proud. “What are you saying? It’s just a piece of rough stone that I have a home. When I cut into it, what did I find? Bright imperial jade, and the best quality! After that, I didn’t let anyone cut it anymore, as I wanted to pass it on to my children and grandchildren!”

Dong Zhi gave him a thumbs up. “You are a gentleman who loves money, and you make it in a proper way!”

Uncle Qian was extremely flattered by him, and his attitude became more affectionate.

“Anyway, I heard from the junior who brought over this mirror that there are quite a few foreigners who are attracted to it if it has a high appraisal. I thought that since this is a treasure from our ancestors, no matter what, it shouldn’t fall into the hands of foreigners. Don’t you agree?”

Dong Zhi repeatedly nodded. “Yes, you are right!”

Uncle Qian: “The truth of the matter is, there are many genuine and fake antiques in this industry. Many of them are from unknown origins, so everyone’s walking in a gray area. If I’m found out that I reported it to the Relevant Department, then my reputation would be ruined in this industry. Therefore, this is a big risk I’m taking this time. No matter what, you must bring back the mirror in three days.”

Dong Zhi put the mirror in his backpack and smiled. “Don’t worry, I promise the first thing I do when I return is to give it to Boss Long, but do you really believe in me? You don’t need to take my ID card or anything? Such a valuable thing, yet you’re willing to let me take it away?”

Uncle Qian: “If Boss Long is willing to bring you here, that’s enough proof for me.”

Dong Zhi felt a little guilty. “But I haven’t been about to call him Master yet.”

Uncle Qian squinted. “Are you not diligent or pious enough?”

Dong Zhi looked wronged. “I can barely wait to invite him to eat three meals a day. Isn’t that diligent enough? I’m afraid he’ll be annoyed if he sees me too much!”

Uncle Qian laughed. “That’s just who he is. I believe, as my grandson put it, boring. Boring¹, right?”

Dong Zhi: “You mean mensao¹?”

¹Clarity: The word the Uncle is trying to think of is [mensao] (闷骚) but he instead incorrectly remembers it as [menshen] (闷什) which means boring/stuffy. [Mensao] is a catchphrase that is popular among young people (thus he mentioned why his grandson used this word to describe Long Shen) and it refers to a person who is quiet on the outside but passionate on the inside. Such people do not easily express their emotions but, on specific occasions, often behave unexpectedly. Such actions, to a certain extent, reflect the true personality of that person. || I’m leaving it in pinyin form since I can’t think of an English equivalent that describes what it truly means.

Uncle Qian: “Yes, he’s just mensao! You have to keep at it!”

Dong Zhi deliberately acted cute*. “Then you give me advice?”

*Selling [meng]/acting cute (卖萌) Refers to purposefully showing one’s cuteness to impress others.

Uncle Qian: “To gain his favor doesn’t mean you need to gift him something. Boss Long is a serious person, so you need to be serious in front of him. You have to learn more and ask more. Don’t be afraid that you’ll make a fool of yourself. It’s better to ask than be scared and pretend you understand but really don’t.”

Dong Zhi nodded and asked, “Does he have any hobbies?”

Uncle Qian thought for a while. “Not that I can tell. He occasionally put ancient swords on consignment with me and would also ask me to help keep an eye out for them. I asked if he liked to collect ancient swords, but he said no. Having said that, he usually lives in an ascetic way. He doesn’t smoke or drink, so I really don’t know what he does for enjoyment… Oh, but I did see him feed the stray cat that’s around here a few times.”

Dong Zhi: “In the years you’ve known him, have you seen Boss Long with maybe a girlfriend or wife?”

Uncle Qian laughed. “I haven’t seen one before. You’re the first person he has brought by, but I know that you practitioners are different from ordinary people. It’s said that there are many bachelors in your Special Administration Bureau. Perhaps it’s because you guys are usually too busy. If you can introduce him to a girlfriend, let alone be an apprentice, it should be no problem for you to be his godson!”

Dong Zhi muttered, ‘Can I introduce myself to him?’

Uncle Qian didn’t hear clearly. “What was that?”

“It’s nothing,” Dong Zhi said with a smile. “I can guarantee the task you entrusted me with will be completed.”

Uncle Qian nodded in satisfaction. “By the way, I have a sword here that I recently acquired. It’s said that it was Sun Quan’s* sword during the Three Kingdoms period. I’ve looked at it, but it doesn’t seem to be his usual sword, and its quality is only average, maybe slightly inferior to the Qingzhu Sword. Can you help me go back and ask Boss Long if he wants it-“

*His courtesy name is Zhongmou. Founder of the state of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period. Unlike his rivals Cao and Liu Bei, Sun Quan was much younger than they were and governed his state mostly separate of politics and ideology. He is sometimes portrayed as neutral, considering he adopted a flexible foreign policy between his two rivals with the goal of pursuing the greatest interests for the country.

At this moment, a young man came in from outside. “Uncle Qian!”

Uncle Qian raised his head. “A’Shun*, why are you here so soon? It’s not time yet, is it?”

*Clarity: He adds (阿) in front of Shun’s name. This is a term of endearment.

A’Shun’s t-shirt had a few stains on it, and his hair looked like it hadn’t been cut for a long time, which he simply tied back. He walked in with a happy-go-lucky smile.

“Yo, you have guests?”

“What’s the matter?”

A’Shun glanced at Dong Zhi as he replied to Uncle Qian with nothing much, before sitting down on the sofa crossed-legged.

Dong Zhi was about to leave, when suddenly Uncle Qian held him back. “This is my eldest nephew!”

A’Shun gave a goofy smile. “So it turns out he’s your eldest nephew. Not bad, not bad. Sure enough, he looks quite talented, unlike you!”

“Fuck you!” Uncle Qian scolded with a smile. “If you have something to say, spit it out!”

A’Shun looked back and said, “Is the mirror still with you? I am here to take it back.”

Seeing Uncle Qian winking at him, Dong Zhi immediately understood that this should be the one who had sent him the bronze mirror.

---

The author has something to say:

A small theater that has nothing to do with the text:

Dong Zhi heard that Long Shen had fed a stray cat, so it dawned on him that the male god had pity for the poor and weak, and he’s a caring person. Thus, he deliberately dirtied his clothes and messed up his hair, then squatted outside Long Shen’s bedroom waiting to touch porcelain*.

*(碰瓷) Racketeering. It originated where gangsters would deliberately bump into people while holding fragile porcelain in their hands causing them to drop and break it, then in turn would blackmail the pedestrian to pay for it. || In this context Dong Zhi is pretending to be pitiful to gain Long Shen’s affection.

When Long Shen got back from work and saw him squatting at the door to his room pitifully. Dong Zhi said, “Boss Long, I was robbed and now I have no food to eat. Can I hang out with you for the time being?”

Long Shen: “It just so happens that last time you made a great contribution, and your bonus hasn’t been paid yet. It’s about 20,000. Follow me to fill out the form to get it.”

Dong Zhi: …

---

Kinky Thoughts:

Water Sprite/Kelpie (水鬼)

A shape-shifting spirit in Scottish folklore that is usually described as a black horse-like creature that’s able to adopt human form. Some accounts state the kelpie retains its hooves when appearing as a human, leading to its association with Satan. It is often seen in bodies of water like rivers and lakes.

The legends vary, though the most famous association with it is the Loch Ness Monster.

You can read more about it on Wikipedia.

—

Flying Stiff (飞僵) / Lich

A zombie that becomes a demon after years of gathering resentment. After turning into a scorpion it gains the ability to fly/float thus giving it it’s flying aspect. Stiff refers to the corpse of its original zombie form that’s stiff since rigor mortis has set in. Wherever it goes, it is said to be the king of zombies.

It can cause drought, and therefore, when there’s a drought, people will search for zombies and burn them to ashes. According to legends, it can also suck human blood within a hundred paces.

I have decided to translate this to lich because flying stiff sounds awkward and one of the results from baidu gave me the Dota 2 hero lich.

—

Text to the dead (殄文)

Also known as the water book, or ghost book, or anti-book, it is written text for the dead. Legends have it that it was created by a man named Lu Duogong. It’s ancient writings that mainly record cultural information such as astronomy, geography, religion, folklore, ethnics, and philosophy.

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<<< || Table of Contents || Lore Glossary || >>>

Author: 梦溪石 / Meng Xi Shi

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 48

Zhong Yuyi shook his head and said solemnly, “There are invisible geographical differences between countries. Generally, it is very difficult, but when you go to the United States, you can invite the Yin god of that country.”

In layman’s terms, it’s difficult for the Yin God to cross the restrictions of countries and nations. The farther the distance, the weaker the sensing ability.

Dong Zhi said thoughtfully, “Does this also have something to do with nationality and blood?”

Zhong Yuyi showed a look of admiration. “Yes, it does matter, as bones, blood, and soul are all indeed related.”

Dong Zhi said strangely, “I was in Boss Long’s office that day and saw you invite Huanhou. It stands to reason that he’s so famous and canonized, so shouldn’t it be an invitation? Yet why did it seem like a possession instead?”

Zhong Yuyi: “Yin Gods, to be precise, are not complete with three souls and seven souls¹. They may also be a ray of divine consciousness or a thought. Depending on the merits, virtues, and incense offered in the world, they all vary. For example, the Great Guansheng Emperor² is canonized by emperors throughout the ages, and he’s constantly enshrined. This is naturally a true God, and it’s not easy to invite such a person.”

¹Reminder: Refers to the three souls and seven souls that govern the spiritual part of the body. See lore glossary for more details.
²Title given to Guan Yu, a famous general of the three kingdoms.

Everyone nodded, as they had a new understanding of what the invitation to Gods really meant. Now, with new expectations, everyone was extremely excited when they recited the materials. The benefits of taking a class in a yard were revealed at this time. The area was empty, not at all crowded, and there were many trees around to insulate noises. There was quite a distance between the neighboring farms, so they didn’t have to worry about alerting the neighbors.

Zhong Yuyi dismissed them, and they all dispersed. He only said a few words on the first day of class. They shed some tears of sympathy thinking about Ding Lan, who was still running around with his students on the road at this moment.

Seeing Dong Zhi, Gu Meiren lowered her head and tried to pry some information. “Who do you want to invite?”

Dong Zhi said, “Isn’t this close to the Ming Tombs? Maybe the Yin Gods of the Emperors of the Ming Dynasty will be better. We can stagger and invite one for each person. There are only nine of us and thirteen emperors, so it should be enough.”

When Liu Si heard what he said, he laughed. “Do you think it’s like dividing an apple between everyone? The imperial mausoleum is guarded by the Six Ding and Six Jia Gods*, which are even more difficult to invite than an ordinary Yin God. As teacher Zhong said just now, some Yin Gods have disappeared or reincarnated, so it may not be possible to invite them.”

*They are the gods in charge of the heavenly stems and earthly branches. The six gods of Ding: Ding Mao, Ding Si, Ding Wei, Ding You, Ding Hai, and Ding Chou. The six gods of Jia: Jiazi, Jiaxu, Jiashen, Jiawu, Jiachen, and Jiayin. They are equivalent to Liu Ding, the goddess of Yin and Liujia, the God of Yang.

Chi Banxia was worried. “Then who should I invite?”

Everyone scratched their heads as they researched while talking and laughing with each other, and so they passed the day like this.

Early the next morning, they got up to wash and eat, and sat in the yard waiting for class to start. Zhong Yuyi was still slow and looked indifferent, but what he said yesterday was enough to make everyone take it seriously.

“There are two ways to invite a god. One way is to invite the spirit, and the other is possession. To invite the spirit is to invite the Yin God, but it’s not considered a possession. Many Yin Gods must possess the person because they lack spiritual energy. This possession is generally used for asking questions. If you can invite a righteous god with sufficient spiritual energy, they can even assist you in battle.”

The key to inviting a god was first based your bazi, the second was sincerity, and the third was luck.

Thus, only those with a heavily Yin bazi had the physique to invite gods. In other words, just like a vase, how much water and how many flowers it could hold would depend on its height and size.

Sincerity of your heart determined whether you would be able to communicate with the Yin God. If you were insecure, you could not only annoy the Yin God but also encounter backlash. As the saying goes, it’s easier to pray to gods than to please them.

As for luck, it was all circumstantial. For example, if the Yin God was too far away from where you were trying to invite him, or he couldn’t hear the prayers of the invitee, then it was very likely that the invitation would fail. According to Zhong Yuyi, this situation was very common. His mother is from an oracle family, and he had watched her invite gods since he was a child. Under normal circumstances, it could be a lonely soul or a wild ghost that appears. The chance of being able to invite the right god was very low, and he himself was no exception.

To prove his statement, Zhong Yuyi brought out an incense table and laid an incense burner on top, dressed in a long robe and magua*, preparing to demonstrate how an invitation to god works for everyone.

*Style of jacket worn by males during the Qing Dynasty. It’s waist length with five-disc button on the front and slightly short with wide sleeves.

“I will only make three attempts today at inviting the right gods. After three tries, regardless of success or failure, you’ll be on your own. I have already taught you the prayers and hand gestures needed. Wait for me to demonstrate so you’ll know how to follow.”

Everyone nodded and did not dare speak, for fear of disturbing him.

“First, the Great Guansheng Emperor.”

The mighty Guansheng Emperor, that was, Guan Yu, was a “martial sage” who had been canonized through the ages and was well-known. Not only was he regarded as the god of wealth in some places, but he was even enshrined in police stations in Hong Kong to ward off evil spirits.

Zhong Yuyi inserted a lighted incense into the incense burner, then sealed his hands and closed his eyes to recite a prayer in silence. Time passed minute by minute. Dong Zhi didn’t know whether he was hallucinating or because of his excessive concentration, but he felt as if the surrounding air seemed to solidify a little, blowing a little wind that was slightly chilly despite the summer heat.

Dong Zhi noticed that Gu Meiren couldn’t help shrinking her neck. It seems that he was not alone.

Suddenly, the three incense sticks were cut off in the middle, as if they had been pinched off by an invisible hand. Someone couldn’t hold their breath any longer and let out a light exhale.

Zhong Yuyi opened his eyes. “It failed.”

Everyone was disappointed.

“Will you continue?” Chi Banxia said.

Zhong Yuyi: “Continue. For the second attempt, I’ll try to invite King Wumu.”

Everyone was also familiar with this one. Yue Wumu, also known as Yue Fei*, was posthumously named the King of Hubei after his death, so some places will call him Prince Yue, Lord Yue, and the likes.

*Chinese military general during the Southern Song Dynasty. He was put to death due to his warlike stance. He was granted the posthumous name Wumu and later granted the title King of È. Widely seen as a patriot and national folk hero in China, since his death, Yue Fei has evolved into a paragon of loyalty in Chinese culture.

Unfortunately, similar to the first time, it failed again.

Zhong Yuyi frowned and sighed. “If it’s not possible to invite the spirit, then I can only turn to possession.”

While everyone didn’t say anything, they inevitably began to secretly doubt Zhong Yuyi’s abilities. Only Dong Zhi had seen him when he was possessed by Zhang Fei. His voice and appearance had changed completely, and even Long Shen called him Huanhou.

Dong Zhi kept his eyes on Zhong Yuyi as he burned the incense, closed his eyes, prayed respectfully, and started reciting the mantra. His movements were exactly the same as the previous two times. After a while, his body suddenly shook slightly before he slowly opened his eyes and began to cry without saying a word.

Everyone was dumbfounded. Some people started to realize that Zhong Yuyi might have succeeded this time. After all, it’s a spirit of possession, so it won’t be as noble or mighty as a true God, so they couldn’t help but wonder what kind of character he invited. All it did was cry and snivel without saying a word, so was it some kind of lonely ghost?

“May I please ask who you are?” Gu Meiren asked.

Zhong Yuyi wiped away his tears and could barely answer her. “I wish I could go out as soon as possible when I remember Yingtai*, but I never expected it would be a hundred years before I’m free! How painful! How painful!”

*Built in the Ming Dynasty, it is the summer refuge and residence of emperors and concubines. It’s named Yingtai because it faces water on all sides and is lined with pavilions, like an immortal island in the sea.

His voice had changed, sounding much younger and brighter than the original Zhong Yuyi, but it had a deep melancholy.

Is this a Yin God who loves to drag texts*?!

*(拽文) Dialect that refers to showing off your eloquence, pretending to be gentle.

Everyone looked at each other, unable to laugh or cry.

Xie Qingning: “Who the hell are you? Can you tell us your name?”

Zhong Yuyi, or rather, the Yin God that possessed his body cried even more severely when he heard those words. “Look! What kind of world is this that now I’m not even recognized anymore. My life is so bitter! Bitter! Bitter!”

The howling and crying lingered in everyone’s ears until it sounded like the squawking of hundreds of birds.

Liu Si couldn’t bear it and yelled, “Don’t cry!”

The crying stopped abruptly, and Zhong Yuyi stared at him with wide eyes while putting on a pitiful look. A thought suddenly flashed by Dong Zhi, causing him to blurt out, “Are you Emperor Guangxu*?”

*Ninth emperor of the Qing Dynasty who ruled from 1875-1908 but in practice was only up to 1898 as he was superseded by Empress Dowager Cixi who launched a coup and put him under house arrest until his death.

Zhong Yuyi’s crying, which had just stopped, suddenly resurfaced.

“Wow!!!”

Everyone: …

Before, Dong Zhi had said he wanted to invite a Ming Dynasty emperor from the Ming Mausoleum, thinking he would get good results. However, rather than a Ming Dynasty Emperor, they had invited an Emperor from the Qing Dynasty.

Seeing that Zhong Yuyi was about to burst into tears again, they thought about asking something quickly. Although the sound wasn’t magic, the endless crying noise was piercing and also extremely disturbing.

What could they ask?

Everyone racked their brains, and for a while, no one could think of anything.

Xie Qingning suddenly said, “Is Concubine Zhen beautiful?”

Dong Zhi felt that this girl was a bit mysterious. He still didn’t know what abilities she had, but during their simulation training, even Chi Banxia, who had followed Li Ying, was “killed”, but Xie Qingning managed to “survive” in the end. This meant she had good ability, but she was usually very low-key. She would hang around Ou-Yang Yin and Zhou Yue often, so she wasn’t familiar with others.

The question she asked was something that an ordinary girl would ask, causing Chi Banxia and Gu Meiren to show curiosity as well.

Who knew that Zhong Yuyi, or rather, technically the Yin God that had possessed him, when he heard this, cried even louder. He sobbed and said, through tears, “In my heart, her face is like a full moon. Her voice is like a warbler’s cry. She is the best-looking woman in the world… If it weren’t for me, she wouldn’t have fallen into that situation. I have hurt her!”

Suspecting he would cry again and was going to blind Zhong Yuyi’s eyes. Dong Zhi hurriedly said, “Don’t cry, we won’t ask about her anymore. We’ll ask about something else!”

Zhong Yuyi sniffed and finally stopped crying for a moment as he looked up at him. From his eyes, they could recognize that it’s not the real Zhong Yuyi, because in them contained such sadness and sorrow, as if he never had a good day. It was indeed depressing given the latter half of this person’s life history.

Dong Zhi scratched his head but couldn’t think of anything to ask, so he casually said, “That… Well… what do you think of the Treaty of Maguan*?”

*Also known as the Treaty of Shimonoseki, was a treaty between the Empire of Japan and Qing China that ended the First Sino-Japanese War.

Everyone: …

It’s over. This subject is a landmine!

They wanted to cover up Dong Zhi’s mouth, but it was too late. Zhong Yuyi’s eyes quickly filled with tears, and they began to flood in an instant.

“I have reigned for 34 years. Although I am not as good as the Holy Patriarch, I have recovered Xinjiang and established the province of Taiwan. The world could be said to be prosperous. If it weren’t, if it weren’t… later, I was taken advantage of by traitors… How could this have ended so bleakly…”

When it came to anything sad, he kept crying, and it was useless to try to comfort him. Liu Si couldn’t take it any longer and yelled, “Shut up! Cry again and we’ll send you away!”

The crying stopped for a second, as Zhong Yuyi suddenly raised his head. His eyes were flushed, and his expression was horrified. Everyone was fed up. They just wanted to get this emperor to leave Zhong Yuyi’s body as soon as possible. The other party quickly recovered and started to look around. He touched Zhong Yuyi’s hands and feet, feeling refreshed.

“I didn’t expect that I could return to my body and experience the taste of being a human again after spending years as a wisp of divine thought that’s been floating around for a long time.” He showed a look of nostalgia and novelty as he analyzed Dong Zhi’s clothes. “What year is this now? Are you all shamans invited by the emperor today? Why are you dressed so strangely?”

Zhou Yue sneered, “How can there be an emperor in this day and age? You’ve been a ghost for hundreds of years. Do you even know the changes in the world?”

Zhong Yuyi said angrily, “I am not a ghost! I am just a remnant of his soul!”

“Well, you are not a ghost!” Dong Zhi comforted. “Being possessed by the Yin God for a long time will have an impact on the original body. Can you please leave for the time being so that the person you possess can take a break?”

Zhong Yuyi tilted his head and thought for a while before shaking his head. “I’m not leaving. I can finally feel the earth again. I can look at the sun and smell the flowers. After so long, no one has ever invited me, so I want to experience the taste of being human again!”

Unexpectedly, a Yin God could also be a cheat. Everyone couldn’t help but get a headache.

Liu Si’s face sank. “What if we force you to leave?”

Zhong Yuyi measured him for a moment, then smiled slyly, “Then I will possess you. Your willow tree¹ is a good container for my yin to possess.”

Everyone was taken aback and couldn’t help but look at Liu Si. His surname was Liu^1, and his weapon was a whip made of a willow branch. Though his appearance was feminine looking, no one had thought much about it².

¹Liu (柳) in Liu Si translates to the willow tree.
²Clarity: This is a bit confusing as it’s not explained clearly, but it’ll be in a bit.

Unexpectedly, he didn’t expect to be pitted against a Yin God. Liu Si’s face became gloomy as he sneered, “If you won’t leave, then I’ll just make you leave!”

As soon as he stopped speaking, he directly whipped Zhong Yuyi.

Zhong Yuyi smiled as he quickly avoided the attack. “If I don’t leave on my own volition, no one can drive me away, and this body will only suffer more!”

Suddenly, Dong Zhi shouted, “The Empress Dowager* is coming!”

*Title given to the mother or widow of an emperor.

Zhong Yuyi was shocked and looked around, and Liu Si took the chance to slap him on the back. With a scream, Zhong Yuyi fell forward*.

*Clarity: If you read the Wiki or footnote, the reason why he’s wary when Dong Zhi announces this is because it was Empress Dowager Cixi who committed a coup against him and placed him under house arrest, where he eventually died due to arsenic poisoning.

“Who…hit…me?”

His voice was feeble, and since he cried too much, it was also hoarse, but fortunately everyone could hear Zhong Yuyi’s original voice. They all rushed over to help him up.

Dong Zhi: “Lao Zhong, are you okay?!”

Zhong Yuyi touched his eyes. “Motherfucker. Why did I cry so much! My eyes are completely swollen!”

Dong Zhi laughed. “The Yin God who was attached to you just now refused to leave, but Liu Si whipped him away.”

Zhong Yuyi waved his hand. “Don’t bother so much next time. This kind of Yin God has been floating for hundreds of years and is very weak. He can’t stay inside the body of a living person for long and will eventually be ejected whether he wants to or not.”

Gu Meiren couldn’t laugh or cry. “But this kind of Yin God you just invited is useless. If you are fighting, it’s impossible to have time to set up incense and recite spells. After all the hard work you put in to inviting the Yin God, the cucumber would be long cold!”

Zhong Yuyi: “Wrong. The role of incense is to express your sincerity in inviting the Yin God. It can be done without the use of incense sticks and burners. If you can invite a righteous God like Guan Yu or King Yue, their power is so great that they can even decide victory or defeat.”

Dong Zhi: “Is this equivalent to performing a big move in a game? It takes a long time to trigger and requires a lot of effort, but once it’s made, it’ll be nearly invincible?”

Zhong Yu nodded a little. He had just been tossed back and forth and didn’t have the strength to give another lecture, so he went back to rest. With such a fuss, everyone’s interest in inviting Gods had become stronger, and they were all eager to try.

Liu Si was the first to step up. Since his original form was a willow tree*, it was easier to attract yin, so everyone had no objection. He tried twice and succeeded both times in inviting the spirit, but not possession.

*Clarity: Liu Si’s original form is a willow tree, thus his weapon of choice and name.

The problem, though, was that he invited the same Yin God twice, and this Yin God had a bad temper. The first time he was okay. However, the second time he was invited back, he became furious. Without saying a word, he stretched out his hand and pointed to a stone table in the yard, causing it to explode. Once done, he patted his ass and left.

After returning to normal, Liu Si’s face was paler than Zhong Yuyi’s. He had to be helped to a stone stool and said, with a wry smile, “I’ll have to pay for that stone table.”

Dong Zhi said, humorously, “The leaders should expect something like this to happen. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have set up the class to be here. If we were to encounter someone with a worse temper, they could possibly even blow up this entire yard.”

Xie Qingning asked curiously, “Who was that Yin God just now? Why was he so irritable?”

Liu Si gasped, “It seems to be a woman, but I’m not sure. When I invited the gods, my mind couldn’t stay sober like usual, and I was in a state of semi-consciousness.”

Everyone listened and felt perplexed as they couldn’t imagine what kind of state this was.

The next Gu Meiren, Xie Qingning, and Zhou Yue tried and all failed, one by one. This was to be expected, as even Zhong Yuyi himself failed twice in his three attempts.

Ou-Yang Yin muttered in a low voice. “If I knew this was the case, it would be better to go to the burial site with Ding Lao and the others. It would’ve been much more exciting!”

Some people thought so as well, but it was hard to tell.

When it was Dong Zhi’s turn, he asked for incense and began to relax as he recited the prayers silently. Halfway through the prayer, he felt his body fluttering lightly, as if he no longer felt like he was standing and couldn’t stop himself from floating upwards.

Then he heard a chuckle in his ear. “Would you like to see thousands of miles?”

Dong Zhi was in a daze. Before he could comprehend what was going on, his body seemed to be pulled hard. There was chaos in front of him and he couldn’t see clearly, but his ears were buzzing, as if he could hear countless clouds and the sound of wind as he passed them by. His eyes seemed to be glazed over like a pool of ice water, making him feel cool and comfortable.

“If you want to see anyone, you can achieve it just by thinking about it.” The strange voice said again.

Dong Zhi felt incomprehensible, and the scene in front of him gradually became clear, as if the clouds were plucked away, clearing the sky to give vision to the moon. He couldn’t help but make a soft cry.

In front of him stood a huge conference hall full of people. Dong Zhi couldn’t hear a sound, but he saw someone talking. He recognized the speaker at once. It was Long Shen.

Long Shen’s speech only lasted a few words, which reflected his usual concise and succinct style. Everyone at the meeting had serious expressions, and they seemed to be discussing an important matter.

Dong Zhi glanced over and saw Zong Lao, Director Jiang, Wu Bingtian, Song Zhicun, and others. He didn’t know what kind of existence he was. The angle that he was looking at them was also very strange. It was like watching them through a camera.

Is this reality or a dream?

He wanted to “walk” over and look at the manuscript in front of Long Shen. Suddenly, Long Shen seemed to be aware and glanced up. The cold and sharp eyes startled Dong Zhi. His mind moved, and the scene in front of him changed, twisting suddenly.

Water rippled, and suddenly everything was blue.

This is… the sea?

He dove into the sea and soon found that the creatures in the water were different and there was no sand at the bottom. It seems like he was in a pool or lake.

Originally, he wanted to look at Long Shen a little bit longer, but suddenly came here. The waves from the water were dizzying as he desperately resisted from the bottom of his heart, but the angle of his view kept slowly moving forward.

Eventually, it reached statues that contained different shapes and poses. It was difficult to imagine there could be so many statues underwater, that he wasn’t sure if this was something left behind from a shipwreck or possibly even an island sinking into the ocean.

Dong Zhi was filled with doubts as he slowly approached. The clothes on the statues floated slowly in the water, and there were small fish swimming around. If it weren’t for the gloomy atmosphere, it would’ve made quite an exotic landscape. Even the eyes in those statues were so lifelike…

Wrong!

It wasn’t a statue at all but a living person!

He stepped back abruptly, and his eyes suddenly darkened again.

Had he returned to his body?

Dong Zhi opened his eyes hard and tried to look forward but found that it was pitch black and he couldn’t see anything. After a long time, a candle finally appeared in front of him. The candlestick was slender and reached towards the ground and had a simple yet elegant design.

Who would use this kind of lightning method now?

Then he saw two people. One was facing him and the other had his back towards him. The middle-aged man that was facing him was wearing a kimono and was talking to the person opposite of him. The other person was covered with a black cloak from head to toe, and he couldn’t tell whether it was a man or woman.

Dong Zhi approached involuntarily.

The middle-aged man has a typical Japanese appearance, with a mustache and deep nasolabial folds. It looked inexplicably familiar, but he couldn’t recall it at this moment. He wanted to see the person covered by the cloak first.

The two of them should be talking as the middle-aged man’s mouth kept opening and closing. He looked at them for a while but couldn’t tell what the two were talking about. Judging by the way his lips moved, he should be speaking in Japanese.

He slowly approached the cloaked figure. As the other party was dressed like this, it made him more curious and impulsive, wanting to see what the said figure looked like. When he got closer, he saw that the cloak was hooded, and the hood was so wide that it covered almost the entire head. His gaze came into the line of sight of the other party when suddenly… At that moment, a change occurred.

The cloak swelled up, as if a violent wind was blowing from the inside, and white colors swept out of the cloak and rushed towards him! As fast as lightning, he vaguely recognized the palm seemed to belong to a skeleton.

Dong Zhi’s heart tugged, as if someone was holding him down, pulling him hard! It suddenly became dark everywhere.

“Wake up! Wake up!”

There was a lot of noise in his ears, and the sounds came like a tide, as if he had returned from a world of silence. Even though the volume wasn’t loud, it was enough to bang his eardrums.

Dong Zhi slowly opened his eyes. The faces of Gu Meiren and Liu Si immediately came into view.

“How are you?”

“Are you okay?”

Dong Zhi shook his head vigorously and found that he was sitting on the ground. He wanted to stand up, but he was weak and was sweating profusely. Liu Si and the others helped him up and assisted him to a chair.

Zhong Yuyi was also called over by Xie Qingning. Everyone looked at him with concern. Zhong Yuyi checked his pulse, and his expression became solemn. “What did you invite just now?”

Dong Zhi panted and couldn’t speak. Upon seeing this, Zhong Yu immediately dismissed the class. He asked everyone to bring Dong Zhi in to rest and asked someone to cook ginger sugar water for him to drink.

“It’s okay. You just consumed too much energy and physical strength.”

After drinking a glass of ginger sugar water, from his throat to his stomach suddenly became hot. Zhong Yuyi asked the owner to give him a bowl of noodles and handed it over to Dong Zhi. He was trembling from hunger, so he ate the bowl of noodles clean, not leaving even the slightest bit of sauce left, and slowly regained his strength.

“I don’t know what happened. At that time, I did just like how you did it and offered incense and recited a prayer. Then I heard someone talking to me in my ear.”

Zhong Yuyi: “What did it say?”

“It said… The tone is very weird. It seems to say, ‘would you like to see thousands of miles?’” Dong Zhi thought hard and finally recalled about 70-80% of what he witnessed. “I couldn’t hear anything. It was as if I was watching a movie with no sound. It was very chaotic. I saw Boss Long in a meeting, then for a while I was submerged in water…”

Before he could finish speaking, Zhong Yuyi said, “Gao Ming! You actually invited him!”

Dong Zhi asked blankly, “Who is that?”

Zhong Yuyi: “Legend has it that during the Northern Song Dynasty, there were two monsters that caused the chaos in Taohua Mountain. Later, they were accepted by the imperial concubine as two generals. Their names were Gao Ming¹ and Gao Jue².”

¹Fitictious character in the novel Investiture of the Gods of the Ming Dynasty. He is known for being clairvoyant. He, along with his brother Gao Jue, are peach spirits and willow ghosts on Qipan Mountain. Gao Ming is known for his eyes that can see every action.
²Fictitious character in the novel Investiture of the Gods of the Ming Dynasty. He is known for being omniscient. He, along with his brother Gao Ming, are peach spirits and willow ghosts on Qipan Mountain. Gao Jue is known to have ears that can hear everything.

Dong Zhi blurted out, “Qian Liyan¹ and Shufeng’Er²?!”

¹Eyes that can see things thousands of miles away/Clairvoyance (千里眼) Also what Gao Ming is referred to.
²Ears that can hear the sound that comes with the wind/Omniscience (顺风耳) Also what Gao Jue is referred to.

Zhong Yu nodded.

Dong Zhi almost grinned from ear to ear. He actually invited Qian Liyan?!

Zhong Yuyi: “They are enshrined and worshipped as righteous gods, but they are generally difficult to meet. It should be a coincidence.”

He smiled and said, “But it’s also very powerful. It shows that they like you.”

As soon as he attempted, he managed to invite a righteous god. Dong Zhi was about to fall to the ground from admiring himself too much.

“Then, am I considered qualified?”

Zhong Yuyi patted him on the shoulder. “You’ve passed the test. You should rest and get some sleep.”

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The author has something to say:

Unexpectedly, Guangxu was invited? Are you surprised?

When Empress Dowager came, everyone should know the reason why. Guangxu is notoriously afraid of Cixi, so he was scared away as soon as Dong Zhi called for her~

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Kinky Thoughts:

Gao Ming/Qian Liyan & Gao Jue/Shufeng’Er

They are fictitious character in the novel Investiture of the Gods of the Ming Dynasty.

Gao Ming is known for his clairvoyancy. It is said that he has eyes that can see every action for thousands of miles.

Gao Jue is known for his omniscience. It is said that he has ears that could hear every sound that comes with the wind.

Several legends exist about their origins. One tells that they were originally golden essence that were transformed by water essence. The second, tells that they were brothers, Gao Ming and Gao Jue, who severed as generals for King Zhou and died in battle. They eventually became the peach spirt and willow ghost that haunted Taohua Mountain until they were subdued by Mo Niang. After suppression, they vow to follow Taoism and help the world together.  

There are other iterations of this their origins, but they all fall within the same lines of being brothers that possess their unique traits of clairvoyance and omniscience.

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<<< || Table of Contents || Lore Glossary || >>>

Author: 梦溪石 / Meng Xi Shi

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 47

Dong Zhi was still immersed in the story just now, and it was not until Long Shen patted him on the shoulder that he recovered.

“Then later, did the two tomb owners above also become demons?”

Long Shen said, “No, their souls have been absorbed by the bottom tomb, so we only need to deal with the bottom corpse.”

Dong Zhi was puzzled. “But the King of Chu hated the adultery between his concubine and the tomb’s owner. Why would he design such a tomb so the owner could absorb such demonic energy and have a chance to become a demon? Wouldn’t this only help him?”

Long Shen shook his head. “You are thinking from the perspective of modern people. In ancient times, they paid careful attention to allowing the dead to rest peacefully so that their descendants could be at ease. This method allows the dead to continue to be restless and thus is the ultimate form of torture for a person.”

Dong Zhi involuntarily shivered.

The conversation stopped as it would be too out of place to talk about corpses and demons during a meal. Dong Zhi wanted to talk more about romantic topics, such as what was Boss Long’s type, and whether he would dislike being pursued by others, but Long Shen rarely answers questions relating to himself. On the other hand, he was always open to talking about his work experience.

Dong Zhi took the menu and ordered dishes for the table, then ordered two bottles of baiju, which he personally poured Long Shen a glass.

“Boss Long, although it was He Yu who brought me to the door, without your guidance, I would never have made such great progress. Last time at the hospital, if it weren’t for the Qingzhu Sword, we wouldn’t have been able to solve Hui Yiguang’s matter so smoothly.”

Long Shen said, “You have thanked me many times.”

Dong Zhi was embarrassed. “But I don’t think it’s enough. I’ll drink this full cup, but you can feel free to do as you like.” He raised his head and drank the glass in one go.

As the alcohol entered his throat, redness quickly spread from his neck to his face. His skin was so easily irritable that it produced a physiological response as soon as he took a sip.

Long Shen was also dignified as he picked up his glass and drank it in one go as well. When finished, Dong Zhi poured him another cup.

“For this cup, thank you for your advice and guidance. My foundation is very poor, but you have never turned me away for it.”

He drank it again, making Long Shen happy, seeing his motivation.

“And last time in Yangcheng…”

Seeing that Dong Zhi’s face was getting too red, Long Shen pressed his hand and raised his glass, drinking the alcohol in his cup.

“No need to pour more.”

Dong Zhi stopped obediently and introduced the dishes to him.

“I have been to this restaurant before. Their crispy pork is a must. It’s fat but not greasy, so it’s really good.”

Long Shen didn’t have much desire for food in general. Seeing as how Dong Zhi highly recommended it, he took his chopsticks and said, “Are you getting used to training?”

Dong Zhi smiled and said, “It’s going well. I have made a lot of new friends. Long Shen, what do you usually do when you don’t have work?”

The atmosphere had loosened up after three rounds of drinking. Without anyone else around, he unconsciously didn’t use honorifics, but it seems as if Long Shen wasn’t displeased by it.

“Nothing. I just go home.”

Dong Zhi thought the answer was strange, so he inquired further, “What do you do at home?”

Long Shen: “Play games.”

Dong Zhi: “…What game?”

Long Shen: “<The Great Wasteland>, the one He Yu plays.”

Dong Zhi: …

He couldn’t connect with the man in front of him as someone who plays games. He then thought of the noble and glamorous Deputy Director Long marrying someone or using a female character to call someone else’s ‘husband’ in the game and felt a bit guilty.

Dong Zhi: “I also play this game. Which district are you in?”

After the exams, the resumes of all candidates were placed on the desks of all the leaders of the Special Administration Bureau. Long Shen naturally knew that Dong Zhi had served as the art director for <The Great Wasteland>. “Same as He Yu’s. I just occasionally go online to play.”

“I’m in that area too. Let me show you around!” After his absurd fantasy, he became very excited.

Long Shen took out his phone, opened the game, and logged into his account. Dong Zhi stared wide-eyed involuntarily.

The first-ranked player on their server turns out to be Long Shen?!

Even He Yu was just a rookie and had to hug this “big brother’s” thighs, and forget about Kan Chaosheng, yet Long Shen was hiding such a big thing.

Dong Zhi: “It turns out you are ‘Shen Jian’. How rude of me*!”

*Clarity: He’s saying (失敬失敬) which is an expression of courtesy by apologizing to someone and blaming yourself for being rude.

Long Shen shook his head and said, “My account has been stolen before, so I bought this one. I only play occasionally in my spare time.”

Bluntly put, when it came to Long Shen’s abilities and status, not bothering to mention whether he lacked skills or not, there must be endless things he had to do every day. It was a rare luxury to be able to play games occasionally, but as soon as he did, he managed to buy the most powerful account on the server. It seems that he did have quite a competitive spirit.

Dong Zhi discovered that he had unknowingly discovered many aspects of Long Shen that had already subverted the indifferent and cold stereotypical image he had at the beginning.

Dong Zhi laughed. “I only play on my account leisurely, so I’ll have to ask Boss Long to take care of me. If someone bullies me in game, I’ll ask you to help me out!”

Long Shen nodded.

When the dishes were eaten, Dong Zhi called the waiter over to pay.

“There’s a park nearby. Let’s go for a walk to dispel the alcohol?” Dong Zhi suggested trying to take advantage of the situation.

Long Shen saw that Dong Zhi’s face was flushed and his eyes narrowed, as if he was drunk, so he let out a sigh.

Dong Zhi’s smile widened as his eyes got narrower. He wasn’t really drunk. It was just that his skin was easily irritable, so any small amount of alcohol would make it seem as if he had drunk too much. On the other hand, seeing as how Long Shen drank three full glasses and his face did not change color in the slightest or even his eyes narrowed, he couldn’t help but ask, “Are you alright? Do you want me to help you?”

Say yes!

Long Shen said, “No, I don’t get drunk no matter how much I drink.”

He got up and walked out, with footsteps that were much steadier than Dong Zhi’s.

Dong Zhi: …

It seems that the trick of getting drunk and talking nonsense will not work. Oh, what a waste of two bottles of baiju!

The two left the restaurant and walked in the direction of the park. The night breeze came slowly as the summer heat gradually dissipated, bringing the faint breath of the evening. The sky was blue, as if it was reflecting a lake filled with lotus leaves, making a very refreshing sight.

Dong Zhi: “Have you been to the West Lake in Hangzhou?”

Long Shen thought for a while and nodded. He had been to many places in China, but usually it was for business, so he never seemed to have stopped specifically to enjoy the sights.

“There’s a Hangzhou restaurant on the side that makes fresh osmanthus lotus root noodles every year. As you eat them, you can smell the fragrance of the lotus roots, so it’s very enjoyable!” Dong Zhi smiled, and his eyes curved. It was as if he had returned to the West Lake. “I’ll take you there to eat next time. You can also invite Kan Chaosheng. I’m sure he’ll like it too!”

Long Shen discovered that the young man in front of him has a soft temperament, loves to eat and drink, and loves to play around. Such qualities aren’t suitable for the Special Administration Bureau and dealing with dangerous demons and monsters. He thought what a most unsuitable path Dong Zhi had chosen.

“Have you ever thought about doing something else?”

When he saw Dong Zhi turning his head and giving him a puzzled look, he added, “If you don’t enter the Special Administration Bureau.”

Dong Zhi said cautiously, “Is it possible that I’m not performing well enough, so I’ve been eliminated?”

Long Shen shook his head. “Just asking.”

Dong Zhi breathed a sigh of relief. “I was originally from an art background. Even if I don’t enter the Special Administration Bureau, I won’t starve. If I’m eliminated this year, it’s not a big deal. I’ll take the exam again next year. Don’t worry.”

Long Shen was quiet for a moment before he asked, “Have you ever felt that you’re not suitable for this job?”

Dong Zhi was confused. “Why?”

You should enjoy your life to the fullest. Eat what you want while you bask under the sun by the West Lake and fall in love with a girl, just like an ordinary person.

But Long Shen kept this to himself. The other party has his own thoughts, and they didn’t need to be swayed.

Dong Zhi thought that Long Shen felt that he was a halfway monk* and lacked abilities, so he smiled and said, “You lent me the sword. Don’t you think I have enough potential? You say that it’s dangerous, but you can choke to death from drinking water, or maybe even be killed by a car while walking down the street. If you have the ability to protect others, it’s better than being protected by others when encountering difficulties. Besides, I like He Yu, Kan Chaosheng, Zhong Yuyi, and you, so I’ll try my best, because that’s what I want to do.”

*(半路出家) Metaphor referring to changing careers to engage in work that you’re not trained for.

Long Shen nodded and didn’t stay on this topic. “Last time you asked me to help you find a good donation channel. I have asked someone to find a few, and they’re all reliable. I’ll send them to you later, and you can choose one yourself.”

Even if they just talked about boring subjects, as long as they ate or went on a walk together alone, it could be considered a date. Thinking of it like this made Dong Zhi very satisfied. He smiled brightly and was about to say something when he heard a voice calling, “Boss Long!”

Liu Qingbo ran over, surprised and delighted.

“You are here too!”

Long Shen: “What’s up?”

Liu Qingbo said, “The air here is good, so I come here every evening to practice my tona. What a coincidence meeting you here. Are you going to dinner?”

Since he didn’t live inside the Special Administration Bureau, naturally he wouldn’t have an access card to go to the rooftop to train.

Dong Zhi smiled. “We have just finished eating.”

Liu Qingbo also smiled but directed it at Long Shen. “That’s good then. Can you spare some time for some guidance?”

Long Shen nodded, and Liu Qingbo was overjoyed. “This way, please!”

Dong Zhi looked at Liu Qingbo’s back and wanted to kick his ass.

As if he felt something, Liu Qingbo turned his head and smiled. “Junior Brother Dong, since you’re not a swordsman, there’s no need to delay your time. You can go on ahead and work on your own practice!”

Dong Zhi grinned back as he said, “No, it’s fine. Boss Long has just lent me a new sword, so I have to practice hard. I want to observe and learn from Senior Brother Liu.”

Liu Qingbo didn’t hold back. “Don’t you have the Qingzhu Sword?”

Dong Zhi: “The Qingzhu Sword has been returned to its original owner. Boss Long has lent me another, the Changshou Sword.”

Liu Qingbo thought to himself that he could easily dump his opponent 18 blocks down in swordsmanship, but he had not touched a single sword from Boss Long. He regretted showing the hidden swords in his house too early. Now that Long Shen knew he had a famous sword on hand, naturally he wouldn’t lend him another sword. On the contrary, he gave it to this kid!

But he would never admit that he was jealous, and his heart was so vexed that he wanted to snatch the Changshou Sword from Dong Zhi’s mouth. He could only smile since Long Shen was still present. “Then congratulations, Junior Brother Dong. We should have a good exchange next time!”

Dong Zhi smiled back. “Senior Brother Liu has been training in swordsmanship since he was a child. I’ll surely not be able to beat you. Didn’t I already admit defeat today when you invited me to a duel on the rooftop?”

While Long Shen wasn’t paying attention, Liu Qingbo glared at him fiercely. ‘You villain who talks about others behind their back!’

Dong Zhi glared back at him with a bright smile. ‘This is called a face-to-face complaint!’

Long Shen didn’t notice the small movements between the two of them. He turned his back to look at the lotus leaves. After waiting for a while, he didn’t hear anything from Liu Qingbo, so he turned around and frowned. “Didn’t you say you wanted some guidance?”

Liu Qingbo smiled dryly. “Seeing you enjoying the scenery, I didn’t dare disturb you just now.”

Long Shen said, “I can distinguish between good and bad just by listening to the sound. You can go at any time.”

If others had said this, Liu Qingbo would sneer and laugh at them for not knowing the immensity of heaven and earth*, but he himself comes from a swordsmanship family. His grandfather once told him that there are people in the world who can play chess blindly, so naturally there would be people who can distinguish swords by their sound.”

*(不知天高地厚) Refers to having an exaggerated opinion of one’s abilities.

Seeing him say this, Liu Qingbo had to put the “enemy” aside for the time being and concentrate on winning the favor of his future master. He still had a few tricks up his sleeve.

Since Dong Zhi didn’t know much about swordsmanship, he couldn’t say anything and could only remain as an outsider watching the excitement. So far, he had seen two people use swords. One was Long Shen and the other was Ba Sang. Needless to say, the former was an expert among experts. In his hands, the sword was no longer a weapon but an embodiment of a living thing. As Long Shen said, the mind is interlinked with the sword. This is the highest level of swordsmanship, which is beyond the reach of ordinary people. Ba Sang had used his sword and danced brilliantly, but in the end, it didn’t have the charm of actual swordsmanship.

Compared with these two people, Liu Qingbo has another style.

Jab, lunge, sweep, slash, and feint, his swordsmanship combined all the skills of a swordsman, but there was no craftmanship to them. He looked light and agile, and only the rustling sound made from the wind from his sword sweeping from time to time revealed its murderous aura.

Dong Zhi was keenly aware that a layer of white mist had formed around Liu Qingbo’s body along with the sword.

Is this the sword’s qi?

After his performance, Liu Qingbo was sweating profusely. With a smile on his face, he was about to ask Long Shen for comments, but found that he was surrounded by a group of uncles and aunties, all of whom looked at him with great interest. Seeing him stop his sword movements, they all clapped their hands.

Liu Qingbo blushed.

An auntie stepped forward and said, “Young man, you performed very well. Next month, we’re hosting a Mid-Autumn Festival art show. There’ll be square dancing. How about you come and sword dance in front of us?”

Dong Zhi couldn’t help but laugh.

Liu Qingbo’s face turned dark. “No!”

The auntie didn’t give up. “A TV station will also be there to do interviews. When the time comes, I’ll ask them to give you a close-up shot. You can stand in the front and be in the limelight!”

Liu Qingbo’s face almost distorted. “I-no, I don’t to!”

Seeing that he couldn’t be persuaded, the uncles and aunties slowly dispersed. Dong Zhi couldn’t stand it any longer and squatted down, covering his stomach with his arms, as his shoulders shook uncontrollably from laughter.

Liu Qingbo tried his best to ignore him, looked at Long Shen, and said expectantly, “Boss Long, what do you think?”

Long Shen didn’t smile. He only nodded and said, “You have just formed your sword qi. If you cross this threshold, you can be considered a master of swordsmanship.”

Liu Qingbo was overjoyed. His father had said the same. He was so happy at the time that he even took him to worship their ancestors, saying that the Liu family had finally produced a genius. However, after seeing Long Shen use his sword, Liu Qingbo’s joy was actually more about his dedication to worshiping him as a teacher.

Long Shen said, “The next step depends on personal comprehension. I have nothing more to teach you.”

Liu Qingbo was dumbfounded. He didn’t expect that him doing too well had now become an obstacle.

Dong Zhi wanted to laugh again.

Liu Qingbo ignored him and hurriedly said, “Boss Long, don’t be modest. My father said that your swordsmanship is the best in the world. If I can get your guidance, it’ll be better than three years of hard training on my own!”

Long Shen frowned slightly. “I’m not lying. Your family background is enough for you to become the best in swordsmanship. In fact, it’s all the same whether I’m the best or not. If there’s anything you lack, it would only come down to your own experience and heart.”

Liu Qingbo struck while the iron was hot. “You’re right. I just don’t have enough experience and I still need discipline, which is why I must be taught by a strict teacher. My father often says that I am too rebellious, arrogant, and not humble enough. If I can have a master by my side that can give some guidance from time to time, I will not be led astray.”

These days, you only had to blacken yourself in order to look appealing for an apprenticeship. Witnessing this was an eye-opener for Dong Zhi. He smiled and said, “Senior Brother Liu is too humble. As the saying goes, capable talents have capital and pride. This just shows that you are already too good!

You’re so powerful, why do you need to be taught by a master. Just go and train by yourself.

Liu Qingbo motion his eyes, ‘Shut the fuck up.’

Dong Zhi returned his look with a harmless smile. ‘I won’t.’

Long Shen didn’t care about their exchanges and was silent before saying, “It’s getting late. Let’s head back.”

Liu Qingbo smiled hurriedly and said, “Let me take you back.”

Dong Zhi said, “Boss Long drove here.”

Liu Qingbo: “That’s great, then Boss Long, please give me a ride!”

Dong Zhi: …Don’t you have any shame?

Long Shen made no objection, which made Liu Qingbo return a smug look to Dong Zhi. Their first “date” died in the middle with the intrusion of a “lightbulb” halfway through. Still, Dong Zhi wasn’t depressed. He happily went back with the Changshou Sword, took a shower, and then sat cross-legged on the sofa while looking at the sword carefully.

The hilt of the sword seemed to be made of shark skin but was later wrapped up. It had turned white over the years but was still smooth and felt good to touch. If he compared it with the Qingzhu Sword, the Qingzhu Sword was lighter and its body slenderer. The Changshou Sword was just about three feet long, which made it slightly heavier, but not impossible to lift. If he practiced drawing calligraphy with weighted stones on his wrists every day, it shouldn’t be difficult.

The most contrasting thing about this sword is that the body felt dark and a bit frosty to the touch. He didn’t know what material it was made from. There are two characters engraved on the sword’s body an inch away from the hilt. He looked at it for a while before recognizing that it was the engraving of “Changshou”.

He flicked the sword’s body with his finger and heard a loud humming sound coming from it. It sounded similar to that of music chimes, but the sound made by the sword was much heavier.

His nails bounced on the sword body. With a clank, a long buzzing sound sounded. He had heard the music of chimes before, but now the sound of playing the sword had the weight of a chime.

Keep a righteous heart*, with sincerity and virtue. This should be the meaning of the sword’s name, right?

*[Changshou zhengxin] (长守正心) The sword’s name is part of this line, which translates to keeping a righteous heart (integrity).

Dong Zhi looked at it for a while longer before hanging it on the wall solemnly.

A few days later, Long Shen’s course came to an end and was replaced by two elective courses. Candidates could choose between the course. invitation to Gods or go visit a burial ground.

The invitation to Gods was taught by Zhong Yuyi. He specifically stated that this course required people with yin characteristics to be able to attend, while the other class was led by a man named Ding Lan. It was said that he was the deputy leader of Group Three and was also a person with deep qualifications in the Special Administration Bureau.

The location of the burial ground was in a foreign province. A new tomb had just been excavated and something strange has happened. The archaeological team reported to the higher ups, and the matter was transferred to the Special Administration Bureau. Deputy Director Song Zhicun suggested letting the rookies go there for some hands-on experience. With Ding Lan leading the team, there shouldn’t be any major problems.

Dong Zhi was very curious about this, of course, but his bazi was heavily yin, so he was very suitable for Zhong Yuyi’s class. Besides, he had seen Zhong Yuyi invite the Huanhou, Zhang Fei, with his very own eyes in Long Shen’s office that day, so he was quite interested. After weighing the two options, he finally chose invitation to Gods with Gu Meiren, Chi Banxia, and Liu Si.

Unsurprisingly, Liu Qingbo, Zhang Song, Li Ying, Ba Sang, and the others followed Ding Lan.

The course for invitation to Gods was held on the outskirts of Beijing in a farmhouse near the Ming Tombs. While the rooftop of the Special Administration Bureau is quiet and won’t be disturbed by others, due to the space being expanded by magic and being enclosed in an enchantment, it wasn’t easy to invite spirits, so it wasn’t a suitable place to hold this course. The classroom had to be temporarily moved to here.

The farmhouse was opened by a family member of an employee from the Special Administration Bureau. The owner specially cleared the venue for a week and gave their employees a leave of absence so that they could attend class here, so they wouldn’t scare innocent passersby if they unknowingly invited something.

The yard of the farmhouse was large and was surrounded by pear trees. When the flowering season came, it would become a tourist attraction. It was said that it was quite popular, but now wasn’t the time. Everyone sat on wooden stools in the yard near trees to get their shade, so they didn’t feel too hot.

Zhong Yuyi still had his sleepwalking expression. With a single request, it shocked everyone.

“This course lasts for half a month. For your first day, you need to search online for a historical celebrity you’re interested in, then memorize their information. Even if you can’t memorize them, you must at least remember their birth date and year of death, place of origin, and any major life events.”

Everyone had faintly guessed that this strange request might be related to the course on the next day.

Chi Banxia raised her hand. “Excuse me, teacher, is this related to inviting spirits?”

Zhong Yuyi said slowly, “Yes, tomorrow I will teach you how to invite Yin Gods*. The difficulty of this technique is quite high. Only by reciting the materials well can you express sincerity to the spirit. After inviting them in, it’s also conducive to communication.”

*(阴神) Part of the five different kinds of Gods (Yin Gods, Yang Gods, Soul Gods, Jade Gods, Holy Spirit). In Confucian culture, Yin Gods are evil gods and ghosts that are enshrined and enslaved.

His speed of speech is about twice as slow as an ordinary person, making him sound a bit weird. Everyone showed uncomfortable expressions except for Dong Zhi, who was used to it. If anything, he would find it strange if Zhong Yuyi spoke at a normal speed.

Ou-Yang Yin also asked, “But what if the Yin god we want to invite has already disappeared?”

Zhong Yuyi: “If you can’t invite the Yin God, there are generally two situations. One is that you lack the ability, and the other is that its spiritual energy is too weak, or, as you said, the soul is gone. This can only be known through practice.”

Everyone probably understood what he meant. Originally, they thought the course would be boring. At the very least, it wouldn’t be as interesting as going to a burial site, but now it sounds like tomorrow’s class would be quite exciting and everyone was looking forward to it.

Dong Zhi raised his hand. “Teacher Zhong, I have a question.”

In front of everyone, he gave Zhong Yuyi a lot of face, and didn’t call him Old Zhong, but obediently called him Teacher Zhong.

Zhong Yuyi: “Speak.”

The act was quite good.

Dong Zhi inwardly laughed as he asked seriously, “If you invite God, can you only invite a domestic one? Can you invite one from, say, a foreign country instead? What if we invite a late president of the United States? Do we have to communicate in English?”

Everyone couldn’t help laughing, but they all wanted to know the answer.

---

Kinky Thoughts:

Poor Dong Zhi.

Dong Zhi: I’m trying to get along with you so I can chase you! Here are some interesting topics we can have a conversation about.

Long Shen: All this kid talks about is food and drinks and having fun. Not suitable at all for exorcism!

---

<<< || Table of Contents || Lore Glossary || >>>

Author: 梦溪石 / Meng Xi Shi

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 46

Liu Qingbo was furious.

“How can you act like this? Do you still want to be Boss Long’s apprentice? If you lose before the war, do you dare say that you’re inferior to me in front of Boss Long?!”

His sentence was three points of anger and seven points of provocation.

Dong Zhi said with a smile, “I think Boss Long accepts apprentices not only based on abilities but also on character. As long as you’re realistic and are kind and humble, even if your ability is slightly insufficient, you’ll always make progress in the future. Only such an apprentice is worthy of teaching, am I right?”

Seeing that his opponent refused to make a move, Liu Qingbo gave him a fierce look and did not bring up his duel with Li Ying. Rather, he turned around and left, angrily.

Dong Zhi shrugged.

Ba Sang said, “I have long disliked him. He acts crazy all day long. Don’t mind him!”

Others didn’t speak out as bluntly as Ba Sang since they dared not talk about Liu Qingbo.

Li Ying patted Dong Zhi on the shoulder and continued his big brother persona, “Don’t take his words to heart.”

Gu Meiren said worriedly, “Isn’t his family background deep? Will he wear small shoes* for you?”

*(穿小鞋) Metaphor referring to secretly attacking or making things difficult for others (AKA A tough nut to crack).

Li Ying said, “No matter what his relationship with his family is, they can’t get involved in the recruitment of the Special Administration Bureau. Don’t worry.”

Hearing what he said, Gu Meiren and Ba Sang breathed a sigh of relief and said, “Alright then.”

Dong Zhi wasn’t worried. He had disagreed with Li Ying’s father during the interview at that time, but he still passed, so it could be seen that the Special Administration Bureau was still relatively fair and just. Besides, Liu Qingbo was the first to provoke the matter, and he didn’t bite the bait, so he didn’t do anything that would warrant trouble.

As soon as Liu Qingbo left, there was one less person who could raise their nose and eyes vertically*. The atmosphere became more relaxed. Seeing that there was no longer any excitement, Zhang Song went to find Xiang Yongnian to train with him.

*(横挑鼻子竖挑眼) Metaphor meaning picky in every possible way. A nitpicker who finds faults in a petty manner.

Gu Meiren said, “Boss Long was really powerful just now. I even learned that such a legendary immortal swordsman truly exists in the world!”

Whether they be men or women, who didn’t dream of martial arts. Gu Meiren made a leisurely and fascinating appearance, but there were also traces of regret.

“It’s a pity that I already have a master since elementary school. Otherwise, I would definitely worship Boss Long as my master!”

Ba Sang was in high spirits. “Dong Zhi, don’t you also use swords? Can you use yujian*?”

*(御剑) Ability to control swords through magic such as using them to fly or moving them to fight with just your mind ect. || There’s no English equivalent that I can think of, so I’ll keep it in pinyin.

Dong Zhi smiled bitterly. “Are you kidding me? I don’t even know the basics of how to use a sword. This Qingzhu Sword is used as a talisman aid!”

He touched the body of the sword and thought how truly wasted this Qingzhu Sword was in his hands. He couldn’t even use 10% of its power compared to Boss Long.

Ba Sang said, “Can I borrow your Qingzhu Sword?”

“Of course you can.” Dong Zhi handed the sword over.

Ba Sang drew out his sword, weighed it in his hand, and then danced in front of them. They were stunned by his elegant maneuvers, as his sword dance was like a tiger in the wind. When he finished, they all, including Dong Zhi, applauded.

“So you can use a sword too!”

Ba Sang returned the sword to Dong Zhi and said embarrassedly, “When I was a child, I practiced swordsmanship with my master. This is a sword technique. Don’t you see what I did just now wasn’t like using a sword at all? A sword is mainly used to slash, stab, and chop. Weapons are different and their usage varies. That is to say, while you laymen watch it with excitement, the experts would laugh to death seeing this.”

Dong Zhi said thoughtfully, “How did you do it the same as Boss long and lift the sword like it barely weighs anything? Honestly, this sword is already quite light, but I still get sore after holding it for a long time. The last time we fought those demons during Hui Yiguang’s incident, I almost dropped it several times.”

Ba Sang: “Practice your strength. You don’t have enough strength. Here, reach out.”

Dong Zhi was perplexed but did as he said and stretched out his hand. Suddenly, the other party grabbed and twisted it, causing him to scream in pain.

“You’re so soft like a girl. You need to build some muscles in your arms and wrists.” Ba Sang patted his arms to show off his hard muscles. “I’ve been practicing since I was a child. I carried large buckets of water for three hours and ran with them back and forth for several miles!”

Dong Zhi asked worriedly, “Where can I find buckets of water in the Special Administration Bureau?”

Ba Sang said, “Just take something and hold it flat. Don’t bend your arms and keep practicing like this every day!”

Dong Zhi nodded and wrote it down.

The next day was Long Shen’s class again. Everyone came to the rooftop entrance earlier than yesterday. When Long Shen arrived, everyone looked at him even more intensely than yesterday. Long Shen had shown them the highest level of swordsmanship and left them not only dazzled through his breathtaking demonstrations, but also a yearning for the pursuit of the strong.

Those who could pass five levels and cut six generals* were not ordinary people. Everyone had their own insights and expertise. Ba Sang was inspired by this and planned to apply it to his own sword technique, while Dong Zhi saw a gap so wide like the boundless sky between him and Long Shen.

*(过五关斩六将) Metaphor for being brave and determined to overcome difficulties. From Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

“I won’t demonstrate anymore today. You can practice on your own. If you have any questions, you can ask them.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Liu Qingbo stepped forward to ask for advice. Everyone secretly chastised themselves for being too slow.

Dong Zhi did not stay in place to listen to their conversation. This wasn’t because of any prejudices he had against Liu Qingbo, but because he knew that his current understanding of swordsmanship wasn’t deep enough. It’s taboo to run before you learn how to walk. Instead of rushing to the next level, it was better to begin with the fundamentals.

When Liu Qingbo finished, several other people came forward to ask questions. After waiting for a long time, Dong Zhi finally had his chance to tell Long Shen his questions and difficulties.

Long Shen agreed with him. “If you want to learn swordsmanship, you must first familiarize yourself with its basic movements so that you can make rapid attacks and react quickly in order to take the lead against your enemies.”

He took the Qingzhu Sword and turned his wrist.

“This is the sword flower technique*. If the speed is fast enough, it can keep the enemy from approaching for a while.”

*Sword technique where you spin the sword with your wrist. See this YouTube video for a demonstration.

After speaking, Long Shen started to turn his wrists several times in a row causing the sword to gleam like a light as if it was a flower* blooming. As soon as he stopped, the sea of flowers disappeared, and the myriad of changes closed in his palm. Long Shen pierced the sword flatly at a willow leaf hanging in front of him.

*Named after the White-Fleshed Pitahaya flower (also known as the Sword Flower).

“This is a lunge. Practice your wrist strength and eyesight.”

He raised his wrist slightly, holding the tip of the sword facing up.

“This is a feint.”

The sword’s body swept forward flatly, and the branches broke in response.

“This is a sweep.”

Long Shen put the sword back in its sheath and handed it back to him.

“The movements of using the sword are very simple. As long as you practice these movements to the extreme, no ordinary person will be a match for you. You don’t have to rush to learn swordsmanship now. Just learn these basic moves first.”

Dong Zhi recalled his movements just now and thoughtfully said, “How ingenious. It’s so simple.”

Long Shen nodded approvingly. “Swordsmanship is extracted from basic movements and combined with actual combat experience. It can be regarded as a collection of essence, but you haven’t learned it yet.”

Dong Zhi’s questions weren’t long. After quickly answering them, Long Shen moved on to help others. Dong Zhi stayed behind and recalled Long Shen’s words just now as he tried to imitate his movements. He stabbed the sword over and over again, recovered, then repeated his stabbing motion.

At first, he couldn’t hold on for even ten minutes, and he had to take a break after a while. Eventually, the practice time increased and the rest time became shorter. His wrists and arms seemed to become more accustomed to this kind of force. At first, when he stabbed using the sword, he couldn’t last long at all, but gradually, in addition to improvements in his accuracy, the hand holding the sword was much more stable as well.

Dong Zhi knew that he wasn’t as good as those orthodox practitioners who had studied their techniques since they were children, but he could make up for his shortcomings with diligence. If he continued his practice, he would be rewarded one day. Heaven rewarded the diligent. That was all that needed to be said.

—

There was no meeting today. Since he had no other arrangements except for giving classes to the potential recruits, it was rare for Long Shen to get off work early.

Though he had a house in the city, it was only him who lived there, so he never went back on ordinary days. Long Shen thought that he would have to clean it up when he returned, so he dispelled that thought and instead went back to the dorms.

When he reached the door to his room, he saw that the door to the opposite room was closed. He paused for a bit before turning around to knock on it.

“Who is it?” A voice inquired from inside.

“Long Shen.”

A bang sounded so loudly that even Long Shen could hear it through the door. After a while, the door opened, showing Dong Zhi limping with a bitter face.

Long Shen frowned. “What’s wrong?”

Dong Zhi revealed a painful smile. “Nothing. Ba Sang said I didn’t have enough strength, so I was practicing my arm strength with two stools and accidently dropped one on my foot.”

He let Long Shen in. “What can I do for you?”

Long Shen saw two round stools made of wood and surmised it was one of those that hit Dong Zhi’s feet.

“I was negligent last time. With your current ability, it’s a bit too advanced to use the Qingzhu Sword. If you use an ordinary peach wood sword, the effect should be the same.”

Dong Zhi asked nervously, “Then you want to take back the sword?”

Long Shen looked at his round cat-like eyes. He originally wanted to say no, but somehow, he had an urge to tease him.

“What if I say yes?”

The hair on Dong Zhi’s head seemed to droop along with his eyes. He didn’t want to beg or cheat, so with a pitiful cry, he turned around and took down the Qingzhu Sword hanging on the wall and obediently handed it to Long Shen.

Besides, the sword was originally lent to him for practice, and Long Shen never said he wanted to give it to him. Now that the rightful owner wants it back, it was only reasonable.

Seeing how Dong Zhi took it so seriously, it was hard for Long Shen to say anything. He took the sword and heard Dong Zhi say, “Boss Long, when I have the strength to be worthy of this sword, can I borrow it again? Er, I mean, as long as you’re not using it, of course.”

Long Shen couldn’t help but laugh.

“Go and wait for me in front of my office. I need to get something first.”

Huh? Dong Zhi was confused, but before he had time to think about it, Long Shen had already left. He climbed the stairs all the way to Long Shen’s office and loitered around for almost 20 minutes before he saw Long Shen coming.

He saw that Long Shen wasn’t holding the Qingzhu Sword any longer but instead two stones the size of a baby’s fist. This only made Dong Zhi more inexplicable.

Long Shen took out his key and opened the door, put the stones on the coffee table, turned around and rummaged in the drawer, taking out two red silk threads.

“Reach out,” he said.

Dong Zhi didn’t ask much, and obediently stretched out his hand. Long Shen wound the silk thread around the stone a few times, then tied it into a knot. He then tied the extra length of the other end to Dong Zhi’s wrist.

The red silk thread wrapped around his fair wrist three times before Long Shen tied it into a loose knot.

“In the future, if you want to practice, stick a piece of paper on the wall and then practice calligraphy upright. This is the ancient ways of practicing calligraphy by hanging weights on your wrist. Don’t tie it to your joints, as it’ll hurt your bones, so go up half an inch. To increase your strength, gradually replace the stone to make it heavier. This in turn will eventually give you a more powerful force when practicing your sword. The characters you draw must be correct with no smudges from trembling.”

Dong Zhi’s eyes shone like stars. This was a great method, and he wouldn’t be hit by a stool when using it. He picked up a pen on the coffee table and immediately gestured in thin air. Although his hands were soon sore, it showed that this kind of practice was indeed useful.

Long Shen got up and untied one of the swords hanging on the wall. “Practice with this from now on.”

Although the scabbard was well maintained, it still had traces left by the years. The few gems inlaid on the scabbard were slightly dim, but its former magnificence could still be vaguely seen.

Dong Zhi still remembered that when he came to Long Shen’s office for the first time, he saw two swords hanging on his wall. At that time, he made up a lot of dog-blooded stories in his mind regarding their history, but never would he have imagined that Long Shen would give him one of them without even blinking an eye.

“The Qingzhu Sword is too valuable, and this one is even more beloved to you. How can I take it?”

Long Shen shook his head and said, “A sword’s purpose is for it to be used, not something to be beloved.”

Dong Zhi blurted out, “Isn’t it from your lover?”

Long Shen frowned. “Who told you that?”

Dong Zhi: ‘…I made it up by myself.’ But he couldn’t say this, so he could only dryly laugh and play dumb.

Long Shen said, “This sword is called Changshou.”

Dong Zhi: ‘Eh, what a strange name!’

It was no wonder Dong Zhi had developed such an imagination. After all, the Qingzhu Sword had hundreds of years of history behind it, but Long Shen had lent it to him so casually. These two that had been hanging in his office must be at least the level of Mo Ye*, but he had never heard of their names before.

*Reminder: Swords made by couple Gan Jiang and Mo Ye. See lore glossary for details.

Long Shen said, “The original scabbard of this sword has been lost. The current scabbard was rebuilt by its owner during the Ming Dynasty. The owner was a wealthy businessman, so the scabbard was extremely gorgeous.”

Dong Zhi suddenly realized why the sword, which looked so simple, didn’t fit with the scabbard. The difference in their styles was quite incompatible.

Wait!

He asked tremblingly, “If the scabbard came from the Ming Dynasty, how old is this sword?”

Long Shen: “Fortunately, it’s just from the Sui Dynasty*.”

*Clarity: The Sui Dynasty is from 581-618. The Ming Dynasty is from 1368-1644. This novel takes place in 2017, so it would make this sword at least 1,400 years old.

What do you mean just?!

It’s from the Sui Dynasty?!

Are you a local tyrant? Most definitely a local tyrant!

Dong Zhi suddenly felt that he was holding a hot soldering iron in his hand.

He gulped for a moment. “Has this sword been insured?”

If he lost it, he couldn’t afford to pay it back.

Long Shen said lightly, “It doesn’t matter. A sword is a murder weapon. If someone tries to steal it, the thief will not meet a good end.”

The male god was a local tyrant. Dong Zhi felt he was under great pressure. How could he chase someone that could easily throw out a sword from the Sui Dynasty so casually?!

Is this the real reason why Long Shen never had a lover?

It was very likely that a person who stood on the top of a high mountain and overlooked all sentient beings would not even spare a glance at ordinary humans who were still climbing said mountain.

Dong Zhi guessed that Long Shen would probably only appreciate the value of someone like Bill Gates*. Thinking of this, Dong Zhi imagined a scene of Long Shen and Bill Gates falling in love and suddenly felt guilty.

*Co-founder of Microsoft and one of the richest people in the world.

No matter how powerful Long Shen is, he couldn’t guess what was going on in the head of the person that was sitting opposite him right now.

“This sword is slightly heavier than the Qingzhu Sword, but if you continue to practice your wrist strength, there should be no problem.”

Dong Zhi nodded, then immediately thought of something and said, “Boss Long, can I take this sword out? Will it be damaged if I encounter a powerful monster on the level of an Archfiend?”

Long Shen originally wanted to say that this sword was given to him, so it was his own business if it broke, but when he saw that the other party thought of it as something borrowed instead of given, he estimated that Dong Zhi would categorically refuse to accept it, so he said. “No, this sword has been blessed with incantations, so it’ll be more helpful than the Qingzhu Sword.”

For a sword from the Sui Dynasty, it was estimated to be more than 1,400 years old. During this period, he didn’t know how many hands it had passed through and how many heroes had wielded it. Being able to be passed down all the way until now, its previous owners were most definitely not ordinary people. It was said that the more blood soaked the sword, the more ferocious it was. In this way, this sword must be more precious than the Qingzhu Sword.

Having thought that, first he was given the Qingzhu Sword, and now the Changshou Sword. Liu Qingbo didn’t even get scraps, let alone this, so did this mean that the male god had some bias in his heart?

“Thank you. I will try my best to live up to it.” He held the sword with a pure and sincere expression. “Last time I said that I wanted to invite you to dinner. You just happened to be free today. I found a nice private restaurant. Would you like to try it?”

He Yu and Kang Chaosheng had both gone on a business trip, and Zhong Yuyi wasn’t here, so there was no “lightbulbs” around. This was the perfect opportunity that he needed to seize. Sure enough, Long Shen had no reason to refuse. He hesitated for a bit before nodding.

Dong Zhi struck while the iron was still hot. “Then let’s go. There’s no traffic on the road now.”

Strictly speaking, this should be the first time the two of them have gone out for an engagement alone. With a smile on his face and a happy heart, Dong Zhi decided to take advantage of this meal to improve his favorability. It does seem more feasible to get closer when alcohol can loosen them up.

Despite inviting Long Shen, he felt embarrassed as Long Shen was the one who had to drive. But what could he do? He was still a “drifter*” in the capital. Let alone a house, he didn’t even have a car.

*[Beipiao] (北漂) Refers to non-locals or foreigners who work and live in Beijing.

The car moved forward, and the scenery flew past them outside the windows as Long Shen drove steadily.

“Boss Long, when did you come to the capital?”

Long Shen thought seriously for a while, then shook his head. “I forgot. It’s been so many years ago.”

How many years is many years? Dong Zhi recalled that he asked him where he was from last time, the other party’s response was also vague. There didn’t seem to be any intentional concealment, as if he really couldn’t remember.

Dong Zhi: “When you first arrived at the Special Administration Bureau, what was it like?”

Long Shen: “It wasn’t called the Special Administration Bureau before. It was just an office under the jurisdiction of the Public Security Bureau. At that time, there were only a few people, just two or three. Zong Long, who you met last time, was the head of the department then. Later, it became a sub-branch of the National Security Bureau. It’s only in recent years that it has separated and become its own department.”

Dong Zhi thought this was odd. “How many years ago? Zong Lao looks very young!”

“In the early days after the founding of the People’s Republic of China,” Long Shen said.

“Isn’t it impossible to be refined from essence after the founding of the People’s Republic of China?”

Long Shen turned his head to look at him. “Who told you such rules?”

Dong Zhi smiled. “It’s a joke that’s circulating online, which can’t be regarded as true. Of course it can’t be true!”

He thought that Zong Lao would be in her 60’s at this time, but if her roots traced back to the early days of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, then just how old was Zong Lao?

Could it be that she’s not a human? This would make the most sense. The Special Administration Bureau had Kan Chaosheng, so it wasn’t unusual for there to be others like him.

He couldn’t help but cast his gaze in the rearview mirror to look at Long Shen, who was driving intently. If he didn’t speak, Long Shen would rarely take the initiative to make conversation.

The atmosphere was a bit stuffy, but even so, even if Long Shen didn’t speak at all for an entire day, Dong Zhi would still feel happy that he could share such a moment alone with him. Metaphorically put, it was like facing your favorite rose. Even if the rose couldn’t speak, just by looking at it every day, it could still motivate one’s heart. What was more, this was the most unique rose in the world in his opinion.

“Since you have been in the Special Administration Bureau for so many years, you have probably encountered something particularly weird or dangerous. Can you tell me any stories?” He smiled as he asked.

Long Shen was a person who didn’t like to speak nonsense. He wouldn’t mince words and would just directly state them without any superfluity. Even when he was teaching, he didn’t act like Director Jiang, who would ramble incessantly.

Dong Zhi had never seen him chatting with others. Outside of work, it looked like he was always alone, seemingly having no friends or no forms of entertainment, but it didn’t seem like he resented communication. At least he never showed any impatience when he was speaking.

This was a very good start, and a good start is half the success.

Long Shen remained quiet for a while, as if he was thinking about the past. Then he said, “One year, a batch of artifacts were unearthed in Hubei, which brought out a stacked tomb of three.”

Dong Zhi interrupted embarrassedly, “What do you mean stacked tombs?”

“Some places are regarded as having good fengshui, so they will be repeatedly surveyed as burial sites. Future generations may not know that there were already tombs there in place, so they built another tomb on the same site, thus creating the stacked tombs.”

Dong Zhi became intrigued.

“At that time, the tomb at the top was a feudal king in the Ming Dynasty, and in the middle was an eunuch in the Tang Dynasty. The tomb at the bottom can be traced back to the early Spring and Autumn period*. At that time, the area was in real estate development. If the Ming tomb was found at the construction site and reported to the archaeological department, construction would have to be shut down. The developer didn’t want to delay profits, so they hid the matter, but accidents kept happening on the site.”

*Corresponds to roughly the first half of the Eastern Zhou period 770 to 476 BCE.

Long Shen wasn’t really a suitable storyteller. The ups and downs and eeriness of the story told by him came across as too flat and straightforward. It was too concise, but it still sent chills down Dong Zhi’s spine.

“What happened after?”

“Eventually, something from the crane fell and killed a person on the spot. The developer turned the incident into a small matter and suppressed it. After a few days, a shelf collapsed, killing around six workers. The matter couldn’t be concealed any longer. The person who put up the shelf insisted that he didn’t cut corners, but it was inexplicable how the shelf had collapsed. The worker who drove the crane also said that he had watched the hook slowly straighten with his very own eyes.”

Dong Zhi took a deep breath. “And then?”

“Later, this matter was handed over to us. We went to investigate with the archaeological team and discovered that there was an Eastern Zhou tomb below, and the owner of that tomb was sentenced to death for adultery with the King of Chu’s concubine. The King of Chu hated him so much that he ordered people to bury him there so that he would live there forever and never surpass him. After years of resentment, the tomb became a hostile place, nourishing on blood and bones, creating a perfect environment for evil spirits. If we had been one step too late, the demonic energy of the coffin would’ve leaked out and the spirits would’ve taken shape. Don’t bother mentioning the construction site, but even nearby residential areas may not have been able to escape.”

Dong Zhi thought it was strange. “But didn’t you say that the place was regarded as having good fengshui?”

Long Shen said, “There are no absolutes in the world. Misfortune is dependent on blessing, and blessings are dependent on misfortune.”

Dong Zhi replied, “Everything is relative. An auspicious place can be transformed into an unfortunate place, and likewise, the reverse is true.”

Long Shen nodded. “The <Book of Burial>* states the energy of life disperses as the wind rises, and halts as the water becomes restricted. The ancients gathered the wind so as not to let it disperse, so water could continue to flow. Henceforth, this is known as fengshui. Fengshui flows endlessly and never stagnates. However, the tomb of Chu used eight black nails to crucify the eight compass points of vitality, cursing the tomb. Based on outward appearance, the site remains a good place for fengshui. However, once the deceased are buried, not only will they be unable to bless their descendants, but they will also never rest in everlasting peace and their souls will be bound to the tomb.”

*Book proposing the theory of fengshui.

Dong Zhi asked thoughtfully, “Did the King of Chu also have the purpose of deceiving latecomers by doing this? The two people in the Tang Dynasty and Ming Dynasty thought it was a fengshui treasure but never suspected it was a cursed place.”

A look of approval appeared in Long Shen’s eyes. “Yes, according to our speculation, the King of Chu probably had this purpose at the time. The entire cemetery was designed to have a wide top and a narrow bottom, similar to a funnel, so that vitality could be continuously transmitted. The two tombs above served as nourishment for the bottom tomb to continue endlessly circulating resentment that eventually transforms into demons.”

While talking, they arrived at their destination.

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Kinky Thoughts:

Dong Zhi has such an active imagination.

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