Chapter 118 Burning Sky Shark Oil and the Mirage Beast Mask

"The Jade Cup Fairy said yesterday that she has prepared almost the amount of shark oil that my elder brother wanted."

"Now we just wait for my elder brother's instructions. Before the ribbon-cutting ceremony, we'll find an opportunity to secretly transport it into the Di Gong Gate."

At the second quarter of the hour of Xu (7-9 PM), as the lanterns were just being lit, it was the time when every household in Longcheng County was ablaze with lights.

In the secluded Liu family mansion on Little Lonely Mountain, in the west hall where the dining table was left unattended, a sickly-looking young man in brocade robes was squinting and whispering to his elder brother.

"Brother, this time we need thirty buckets at once, more than ever before. Jade Cup Fairy has been preparing for a long time to gather them all. To be honest, she has worked very hard and put in a lot of effort."

"Hard work? Who isn't working hard?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Ziwen glanced at his second brother, who had spoken up for him, and frowned slightly.

"But at least I didn't hold anyone back. Eating the Liu family's food was still somewhat useful."

Liu Zian slightly tugged at the corners of his mouth, revealing a smile:

"I'll call her over and ask her."

After saying this, the second young master of the Liu family summoned the lame butler Liu Fu, gave him a few instructions, and the latter left.

Liu Zian turned around and said:

“Brother, Ouyang Lianghan spends all day with Lady Xie around Digong Gate, and he also sends his men to patrol the gate day and night when he gets home. It might be difficult to get this batch of shark oil in.”

Liu Ziwen nodded. "I'll think of a way."

"good."

Beside the two, Liu Zilin listened attentively for a while, then added with a serious expression:

"Big brother, second brother, we also need to keep an eye on that young woman surnamed Xie. With her by Ouyang Lianghan's side, she might be able to save him when the dam collapses."

"Therefore, the amount of shark oil arranged this time is more than before, and it will be more 'grand' than ever before. Even Qi cultivators will not be able to escape."

Liu Ziwen glanced at his third brother, who had learned to think, and nodded slightly:

"However, my third brother's concerns are not without merit. We will try our best to lure Ouyang Lianghan and Shen Xisheng to the middle section of the gate. As for Xie Lingjiang... we'll see if we can lure her away then."

"That's excellent!"

Liu Zilin clenched his fist and pounded his palm, staring at the door, a flash of violence in his eyes:

"What a grand and dazzling ribbon-cutting ceremony! I'll definitely be there to see how your arrogant face, Ouyang Lianghan, will be blown to smithereens!"

Just as he finished speaking...

Liu Zilin, whose face was flushed with excitement, suddenly widened his eyes. He saw Ouyang Rong, dressed in official robes, walk straight into the west hall from the darkness outside the door, come to the table where the dishes had gone cold, and calmly sit down facing the three brothers.

"Ouyang Lianghan!"

It was like a thunderclap erupting from nowhere.

The three Liu brothers exclaimed in surprise, and their reactions were all different in an instant.

"Grass!"

Liu Zilin fell to the ground, chair and all, hitting his old injury on his buttocks and letting out a miserable howl.

I guess I'll have to sleep on my stomach again for the next few nights.

"you……"

Just a second ago, Liu Zian was smiling and plotting. In an instant, his expression changed. He stood up abruptly, took a step back, and knocked over a wooden stool with a thud.

Liu Ziwen remained seated, keeping his hand on the edge of the table to steady himself.

The young master of the Liu family tilted his head, furrowed his brows, and stared intently at the familiar young magistrate opposite him, a man he desperately wanted to get rid of.

Good grief, they were just "loudly plotting" when the person in question showed up without any hesitation!

Faced with the three Liu brothers' distinct and intense reactions.

The young magistrate who suddenly appeared at the table had a calm expression and even raised his hand to touch his chin.

His gaze swept indifferently across the faces of Liu Ziwen, Liu Zian, and Liu Zilin.

Liu Zilin, using the overturned stool as support, got up and looked at Ouyang Rong with an incredulous expression, as if he had seen a ghost in broad daylight:

"How the hell did you get in here?!"

This is the heavily guarded Liu family mansion, which could withstand an attack for half a day even when surrounded by three hundred fully armed and armored cavalry from the Zhechong Prefecture.

Liu Zian hurriedly turned his head and looked at the dark night outside the door.

It was unclear whether they were waiting for the private servants and soldiers, or searching for Xie Lingjiang and the county constables who might have already breached the Liu residence.

Liu Ziwen's gaze remained fixed on the uninvited guests across the table. Upon hearing the hurried footsteps of Liu Fu and the others approaching from outside, he suddenly said:

“You… are not Ouyang Lianghan.”

Liu Zian and Liu Zilin were both taken aback.

The young magistrate, who had come uninvited to the table, nodded slightly. The hand that had been supporting his chin moved to pinch the sides of his cheeks, and as if removing a mask, silently took off a bronze animal mask.

There seemed to be a fleeting moment of light and shadow shifting in the air.

The next moment, the three brothers, Liu Ziwen, Liu Zian, and Liu Zilin, looked again and saw that the person sitting at the table was a tall and slender young county magistrate, but it was clearly a middle-aged female priestess dressed in a black robe.

The priestess had some fleshy features on her face, which were covered in colorful paint, obscuring her true appearance; only her gloomy eyes were visible.

Her hair was tied into dreadlocks with colorful ribbons, and her black ceremonial robes were adorned with jingling, intricate ornaments, including small bells, bones, and gemstones.

"The Jade Cup Fairy?"

Liu Zilin asked in surprise, his tense and flustered expression gradually fading as he stood up.

Liu Ziwen and Liu Zian either frowned or glanced sideways.

Liu Ziwen looked at his second brother, who shrugged and shook his head, indicating that he did not know beforehand that the Jade Cup Fairy knew such an evil disguise technique.

The Jade Cup Fairy held the newly cast bronze beast mask in one hand and said calmly:

"The shark oil is ready, thirty barrels, all in the yard."

After speaking, she gestured to the bronze animal mask in her hand towards the three Liu brothers:

"Consider this a small reward for your help in rebuilding the new Mirage Beast Mask."

"The Mirage Beast Mask?" Liu Zilin couldn't help but take a second look.

The Jade Cup Fairy nodded and briefly explained:

"Like the Burning Heaven Shark Oil, it is a magic technique obtained by the senior immortals of this lineage when they were searching for immortals overseas."

"Unexpectedly, it fits our sect's Qi Refining Immortal Technique. As long as it is a 'sacrifice' offered by me in that ritual, it will be forged into a mirage beast mask. When I wear it, I can temporarily transform into the appearance of the 'sacrifice' and have the immortal charm of reincarnation."

Seemingly noticing the different gazes of the three Liu brothers, the Jade Cup Immortal frowned slightly, flipped her hand to put away the Mirage Beast Mask, and said coldly:

"This technique and this item are secrets of our sect, passed down only to this immortal."

Liu Ziwen looked away, no longer paying attention, and turned to Liu Fu, instructing him:

"Put away these Burning Sky Shark Oils in the yard, we'll need them soon."

"Yes, sir."

Liu Fu accepted the order and withdrew, but before leaving, he couldn't help but glance again at the strange and eerie fairy with the jade cup.

"That scared the hell out of me, damn it!"

Liu Zilin breathed a sigh of relief, rubbed his backside, stood up, and kicked the wooden stool away as if deflated.

Actually, I couldn't sit down anymore; it aggravated my old, sore butt.

Liu Zian looked at the Jade Cup Fairy and asked thoughtfully:

"Is this the proof you were talking about showing us the other day?"

Liu Ziwen and Liu Zilin looked over, puzzled.

The Jade Cup Fairy nodded and snorted coldly:

"That person must have died in the water that day, otherwise how could I have advanced to the eighth rank, and how could I have collected spiritual energy to forge this Mirage Beast Mask? Now you believe me, right?"

Liu Zian couldn't help but say:

"So who's still running around in the county government office, causing us nothing but trouble?"

The Jade Cup Fairy, with a cold face, stubbornly said:

"Anyway, I succeeded, and this one is definitely not the original person."

Liu Zilin's face fell into deep thought, and he couldn't help but probe with a question:

"Could it be that you, like the Jade Cup Fairy, possess the art of the Mirage Beast Mask and have taken the place of Ouyang Lianghan as the county magistrate?"

The Jade Cup Fairy frowned, pondered for a moment, and then shook her head:

"For a mirage technique to last this long, without precious Qi-replenishing pills, one's spiritual cultivation level must be at least that of a high-grade Qi cultivator, or even higher, such as a Celestial Being from the Divine Continent."

"If that's the case, your Liu family should just surrender and hand over the sword. See if you can beg for your life before they lose their playfulness."

The hall fell silent instantly.

The three Liu brothers remained silent.

"What divine beings from the Central Plains? Don't be ridiculous."

Liu Ziwen suddenly shouted, his face stern as he addressed the Jade Cup Fairy:

"Whether Ouyang Lianghan is dead or not, whether he's real or fake or what kind of monster he is, what use is it for you to prove these things to me?"

His expression was calm as he scanned the people around the table and said decisively:

"Now the arrow is on the bowstring and must be released. The people who need to be invited have arrived, the things that need to be prepared have been prepared, and the people who need to be killed are in place. The final step is just around the corner. We'll find out just how monstrous Ouyang Lianghan is by trying him out."

The expressions on everyone's faces softened somewhat.

At this moment, Liu Fu limped into the hall, steadily carrying a small bowl in his hand, which contained a strange liquid mixture of ointment and black powder.

A faint smell of sulfur and fat permeated the air.

Liu Ziwen took the bowl of shark oil, and by the candlelight in the hall, he squinted at the liquid, which shimmered with an amber luster in its inky blackness, and murmured a sigh:

"This stuff is more expensive than its weight in gold. This time... we have to do it cleanly and efficiently, so that it won't be a waste of all the money we spent."

The Jade Cup Fairy shook her head and said regretfully:

"Thirty barrels of shark oil are enough to make a thousand Heaven-Burning Thunderbolts, more than enough to destroy a sluice gate... Actually, there's no need for so many. Just like the previous times, fifteen barrels would be enough. Patriarch Liu is really wasting resources."

Liu Ziwen calmly replied, "Even a lion uses its full strength to hunt a rabbit."

The Jade Cup Fairy coldly snorted:

"Then remember to seal it well. Even a high-grade Qi cultivator will be left with at least half a life if they don't immediately take to the air within a hundred feet."

"That's excellent."

Liu Ziwen paused, and just to be on the safe side, asked again:

"Once this item's function is confirmed, will everyone be able to hear the dragon's roar?"

"Has Patriarch Liu forgotten the previous times? Could those rumors spread by the ignorant masses be wrong? Ha."

The Jade Cup Fairy nodded, then shook her head:

"However, when the Burning Sky Shark Oil is lit, it will emit a strange howling sound, but it is not a dragon's howl. Rather, it is neither a dragon nor a beast..."

"That should be enough to fool those ignorant people. Anyway, all the people who would doubt it are dead, and the Di Gong sluice gate has collapsed. The remaining fools will just think that it's the Dragon King from underwater breaking through the sluice gate again, manifesting his power in broad daylight."

She scoffed, "After this incident, we can build a few more Dragon King Temples in the county."

Liu Ziwen didn't respond, but suddenly turned his head and said:

"Didn't you suspect that Ouyang Lianghan was someone else?"

"Then you can go with us tomorrow to escort the shark oil. Our people will meet you. Also, you can get a close look at him then and confirm in advance whether he is a monstrous Qi cultivator."

"snort."

After Liu Ziwen finished speaking, he walked outside the door, poured a small bowl of shark oil into the courtyard, and threw out a candle flame.

In an instant, a strange fire raged in the courtyard.

...

When Ouyang Rong woke up this morning, he found that the sour feeling on his face and lips was almost gone.

"It seems I really ate too much spicy food. I haven't eaten any for the past two days, and it's finally cooling me down."

As the white-haired maidservant helped him get dressed, Ouyang Rong muttered to himself.

However, for some reason, he has been having frequent dreams these past few days.

He dreamt that someone was stroking his face in the middle of the night.

Upon waking up, I felt refreshed and had forgotten all the details of my dream. Could it have been a wet dream...? A certain gentleman sighed.

As usual, after breakfast at Meilu Garden, Ouyang Rong and Xie Lingjiang met up and headed to the Di Gong Sluice Gate, which was nearing completion upstream of Butterfly Creek.

Upon arriving at Yue Nu Gorge, Ouyang Rong immediately received a message.

"Master Chen, are you sure the construction can be completed by this date? Then I will set the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the afternoon of the 15th of this month. I will go and inform the Liu family and invite guests from all sides."

Mr. Chen dusted off his hands and smiled sincerely at Ouyang Rong.

"Your Excellency, my colleagues and I have confirmed this."

"Okay."

Ouyang Rong glanced at the old craftsman, then turned to look at his junior sister behind him, a hint of helplessness in his eyes.

This coincided with the marriage fair at Donglin Temple that he had promised his junior sister.

Xie Lingjiang shook her head slightly, indicating that there was nothing wrong and that they could proceed as discussed that day.

"That's true..." Ouyang Rong nodded and turned around, preparing to take his junior sister away to visit Lord Diao and the clerks.

But just then, Mr. Fang Chen's voice came from behind again:

"Your Excellency, there is actually another small matter I would like to ask you about."

"Oh? A small matter? Please speak, sir." The young magistrate turned around.

Mr. Chen smiled somewhat embarrassedly and rubbed his hands together, saying:

"It's like this, there are some old rules and customs that we craftsmen in Longcheng have to follow... I don't know if I should say this, but the magistrate is a scholar and probably won't believe it."

"Tell me about it first."

The old craftsman seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, and said sincerely with his old face:

"That's right. In the past, when we forged swords at the sword shop, we would invite some temple priests to hold a sword-washing ceremony before each important sword came out of the furnace."

"The Di Gong Sluice Gate is almost completed in the next few days. Everyone and I are discussing whether to invite a temple priest to come and hold a gate-washing ceremony in the next few days... Maybe it will bring good weather and peace to the newly built Di Gong Sluice Gate."

"..." Ouyang Rong was speechless: "You people still have this kind of custom?"

"Yes, Your Excellency, what do you think...?"

Ouyang Rong suddenly asked, "Was the Di Gong Gate like this before?"

"That's right."

Upon hearing this, Ouyang Rong seemed not to think much of it, and waved his hand heartily, saying:

"Alright, go and invite people. Do what you did before, and invite someone to perform a blessing and purification ceremony. Hmm, Mr. Chen and the other seniors are indeed professionals. They've thought of everything."

"Your Excellency is wise!"

The easy-going young magistrate smiled and waved his hand.

(End of this chapter)