Chapter 42 Subaru Seven Stars coldly observed Chen Ying give the order decisively…

Li Liuyun walked among the ruins, sometimes looking up at the sky, sometimes looking down to examine the array beneath the foundation stones, a hint of doubt furrowing his brow. He knew very well that Ting Feng was hiding something, which was why he felt puzzled.

The fellow disciple following behind dared not speak to disturb him. He had always kept his distance from this nobleman and the next Celestial Master. If they hadn't come to Beiqu together this time, they probably would never have spoken to each other in their lives.

Aside from Li Liuyun's special identity, he was really hard to approach. He had no youthful vigor whatsoever, and was even more rigid and solemn than the sect leader and other elders, as if he carried a heavy burden at such a young age. He never smiled at anyone.

It wasn't until Li Liuyun spoke up first: "Any other discoveries?"

"Hmm, we dug up a few statues of the prison god today. Normally, each county government prison should only have one statue of Gao Yao, but we actually dug up three statues of Gao Yao today. I guess there are more in the ruins."

Li Liuyun looked up again, staring at the stars in the night sky, and silently said, "There are seven constellations in the western palace of the heavens. The Pleiades governs lawsuits and administers justice to prisoners. It is located in the center of the seven constellations of the White Tiger and is responsible for punishment and killing. When the Pleiades is bright, there will be peace in the world; when the Pleiades is dim, there will be excessive punishment."

Then his fellow disciple looked up and found the dim Pleiades among the seven constellations of the Western Palace: "What...what time is this...?"

"Three days ago, precisely when this government office collapsed and crumbled, it was also the time when the Taiyin/Dao body shattered, and the Pleiades appeared in the celestial phenomena."

The fellow disciples were quite shocked. Did Li Liuyun not have a moment's rest day or night?

Unless Li Liuyun observed the celestial phenomena every night without the slightest slackening, he wouldn't be able to accurately know when the Pleiades would appear in the sky. Looking at himself, he realized that after finishing his daily practice of talisman and sword techniques, he would be so exhausted that he would crawl into bed and sleep like a dead dog. He only looked up at the celestial phenomena when his elders and uncles were imparting knowledge, never putting in any effort in private. He was a mediocre mortal with no ambition whatsoever.

Li Liuyun lowered his eyes without distraction and stated plainly, "Government offices and prisons are all set up according to the constellations in the sky. The Pleiades, the seven stars, are the eyes and ears of the heavens and govern the western lawsuits. Therefore, prisons are usually built on the west side of government offices." At the same time, Li Liuyun's gaze fell on the west side of the ruins. "The Pleiades is located in the twelve earthly branches 'You'. You is the yin within yin, the image of Taiyin. The Pleiades in the You palace is originally the location of prisons. It is just right to use Taiyin/Dao body to build a Daoist prison, hidden in the moon in the water."

The fellow disciple couldn't help but swallow hard. He vaguely remembered that his master had once said during a lecture: "The Pleiades is the constellation of the Rooster (酉). The Rooster is located in the western White Tiger position, which governs punishment and killing, and is responsible for making decisions. It is the gateway between life and death."

"So that's how it is." The formation that they had been trying to figure out day and night was easily deciphered by Li Liuyun.

It is said that this prince, who became a monk at a young age, is exceptionally intelligent and has the potential to become a monk. Indeed, some people are born extraordinary and are destined to be extraordinary.

Li Liuyun said, "If I'm not mistaken, there should be seven statues of Gaotao in the prison."

My fellow disciple humbly asked for an explanation: "How can you tell?"

“The seven Gao Yao statues represent the Pleiades Seven Stars Formation,” Li Liuyun said in a deep voice. “Gao Yao created prisons and is the originator of law, so he is revered as the god of prisons. This Pleiades Seven Stars Formation uses the divinity of the god of prisons to inflict the punishment of Gao Yao on the prisoners in the Taiyin/Dao body.”

"The punishment of Gao Yao?!" The fellow disciple stared in astonishment. "Could it be for those wandering spirits...?"

“Hmm,” Li Liuyun said, “I need my fellow disciples to help me draw a few talismans here.”

"Of course, but what for?"

"Although the Taiyin/Dao Body hidden in the Water Moon is broken, the formation under the foundation is still there. Perhaps we can try to capture what escaped from the Taiyin/Dao Body through this formation."

"This..." his fellow disciple hesitated, "This place is all ruins, is it even feasible?"

“I’m not sure if those things are still connected to this formation,” Li Liuyun said. He wasn’t really sure, but he couldn’t leave this mess unattended. Who knew what kind of demons and monsters had escaped? “If we leave it unattended, it might cause chaos.”

"I understand, let's give it a try."

“These rune arrays will require considerable effort and time.”

"It's alright."

...

"Qin San..." Lu Bing couldn't understand why the more he chased the girl, the faster she ran, and the more he called out to her, the more frantically she ran, as if a dog was chasing her.

Bah! Who the hell is a dog? I'm your Grandpa Lu.

Grandpa Lu swung his two long legs in a wide arc, about to launch a powerful charge, but the arc of his arm swing was too large, almost tearing the penetrating wound on his shoulder blade.

Lu Bing gritted his teeth, his usual lightning-fast speed immediately sealed away by the pain.

Qin San, like a mouse, always ventured into secluded alleys, treating him like a cat catching mice.

However, the injured Lu Da Mao failed to catch the mouse and was instead led by the nose for several blocks, which made him very angry.

"Stop right there!" Lu Bing shouted angrily, "Qin San!"

Bai Yuan, who was meditating in the inn, was startled by the loud shout and suddenly opened his eyes.

Of course, the little mouse wouldn't obediently stand still and wait for the big cat to pick it up; it disappeared in a flash around the dark corner.

Lu Bing was panting heavily. He rubbed his shoulder and felt his wound, which had just started to heal, begin to bleed again. He immediately lost interest in chasing after her: "I'm really just wasting my time. Why should I care about you? You ungrateful brat, go wherever you want."

No matter what, he's a native of Beiqu; he couldn't possibly have been carried off by a stray dog.

Lu Bing repeatedly admonished himself not to worry about such trivial matters. There are too many pitiful people in the world, and no one can take care of them all. Ordinary people should be doing well enough to take care of themselves.

There are quite a few homeless people, hungry ghosts, and frozen corpses on the street. Are we supposed to take them all back?

With his paltry salary, barely enough to support his family, he was unlikely to engage in extortion of prostitutes or butchers, much less accept bribes during trials—a corrupt and lawless act. He probably inherited his father's uprightness and integrity.

So even if Lu Bing had a sudden change of heart and his compassion overflowed, he wouldn't be able to support these beggar children. Instead, he would end up starving and freezing to death himself.

Of course, as a mere constable, he didn't have such overflowing compassion; his selfish desire was simply to ensure his own family was well-fed and clothed, and to prevent his father and grandmother from going hungry and cold.

If I had a little more money, I'd like to improve my life and make sure my family eats and dresses well, but I probably wouldn't be able to donate to charity.

The greatest contribution Lu Bing could make in his life was probably to assist the county magistrate in handling cases fairly and trying his best to give the people of Beiqu County justice.

"Forget it," Lu Bing thought in the end. "Even if I wanted to get involved, this girl wouldn't run away. I don't have time to meddle in other people's business."

So Lu Bing decided to head back home, but as soon as he turned around, he caught sight of a familiar figure.

Because the alley was too dark, it was impossible to see anything clearly.

A candle was lit in a house around the corner, and the light shone through the half-open window, illuminating half of a woman's face as she passed by.

In the blink of an eye, Lu Bing stopped in his tracks, momentarily unable to recall who this familiar face was.

Where exactly have I seen this before?

Lu Bing pondered for a moment, then a sudden inspiration struck him: Chen Ying! The bride of that short-lived Shen Yuanwen!

The missing person they couldn't find even after searching all over North Quts suddenly appeared here; it was truly a case of "searching high and low without finding it".

He wanted to speak up and intimidate the woman, telling her to stop, but he stopped himself abruptly.

He's currently injured and just chased Qin San halfway around the city, which has greatly depleted his energy. He's not suited for another such ordeal. He doesn't want to scare away the rabbit after escaping the mouse, ending up catching nothing at all.

Lu Bing immediately fell silent and followed quietly, hoping to seize the opportunity to catch Chen Ying off guard and capture her in one fell swoop.

He was completely unaware that a white shadow floated out of the second-floor window of the inn behind him, trailing behind him like a lonely ghost, as light as a wisp of rising smoke, even lighter than the cold wind.

“I have searched everywhere in the dark, and Yin Sui should not be in Bei Qu.”

Chen Ying, who was in front, spoke up on her own, her voice very low.

Lu Bing's heart skipped a beat. Who was she talking to? Then he felt secretly relieved that he hadn't spoken rashly, otherwise he might have alerted her.

But Lu Bing didn't quite catch what she said.

Before anyone else could speak, Chen Ying continued, "That blind man in Chang'an is no ordinary person; he's probably quite troublesome. He's been circling around the Taiyin/Dao Body these past few days, so he's probably after Yin Sui as well."

Lu Bing frowned. The blind master from Chang'an who had quite a background was of course referring to Zhou Yaren, who was known as the one who could get whatever he wanted, whether it was wind or rain.

Zhou Yaren was summoned to Bei Qu to handle the case by his urgent letter, so why would he be here for some nonsense about Yin Sui? What exactly is Yin Sui? And what does it have to do with the Taiyin/Dao Body?

Lu Bing was filled with doubts. Who exactly was this new bride of the Shen family? Why was she spouting nonsense that left him completely baffled?

Also, who is she talking to, and why is the other person not responding?

Lu Bing quickened his pace, wanting to get closer and see clearly. At the same time, the image of the unidentified Gu Master mentioned by Zhou Yaren flashed through his mind, suddenly giving him a terrifying association.

Chen Ying's origins were unclear to begin with, and since she shared a bed with Shen Yuanwen every day, it was incredibly convenient for her to plot against her husband and implant worms in him.

After Shen Yuanwen disappeared for half a month, he finally escaped back home. As the young mistress, she did not attend to him at his bedside, but deliberately avoided him because she was pregnant. This can be explained, after all, the dense pustules on Shen Yuanwen's body were a malignant disease that people would avoid at all costs, and who knows if it would be contagious.

But because of this, Chen Ying escaped the disaster that night.

But what if all of this was her carefully orchestrated plan?

Zhou Yaren once said: "I am not sure if Sun Xiuniang is a Gu master, but she is definitely involved. Even if she is not a Gu master, Gu masters are helping her achieve her goal."

Lu Bingyue thought about it more and more and felt that Chen Ying was no good. Otherwise, how could she have suddenly disappeared after the Shen family members came back to life, but then sneaked out here again, as if she had deliberately hidden herself away?

If Chen Ying is indeed a Gu master, then how many lives have these two women taken together?

Then Chen Ying said casually, "The head constable in that yamen is no idiot. He has already suspected me. Since Yin Sui is not in Bei Qu, I need to leave as soon as possible."

Lu Bing thought to himself: Trying to run away? No way!

His eyes were sharp in the darkness, staring at Chen Ying's back like a wolf, wishing he could pounce on her and capture her immediately.

Just as Lu Bing was sharpening his knife, Chen Ying calmly turned her head and glanced at the dark alley out of the corner of her eye: "Hmm, there's a tail."

Lu Bing didn't even hear what she murmured. He was only alert that he had been exposed. His muscles tensed up suddenly, and he rushed forward to grab Chen Ying without hesitation.

However, he had only taken two steps when a sharp gust of wind suddenly swept past from the side, and something suddenly pounced on him, as fast as a wild beast, pressing him down heavily to the ground.

He had actually been discovered long ago.

"Ah!" Lu Bing felt a sharp pain in his waist as the sharp blade pierced his flesh and got stuck under his ribs. Then the blade twisted violently inside the flesh, causing Lu Bing to almost scream in agony.

He gritted his teeth and kicked the other man hard, rolling away to break free from the man's iron grip. Only then did the sharp knife manage to avoid severing one of his ribs.

Chen Ying, who had been observing the situation with a cold eye, decisively gave the order: "Kill them."

Lu Bing clutched his bleeding wound, but before he could stand up, a shadowy figure, moving with the speed of a wild beast, attacked again. Lu Bing drew his sword to defend himself.

Clang!

From the sparks from the clash of the weapons, Lu Bing saw a face wearing an iron mask. He swung his blade backhand, the blade striking the iron face squarely, creating a gash, and the edge of the iron mask dug into the other's flesh.

In the midst of their fierce battle, each strike was a deadly blow, and the masked man pressed his weapon directly against Lu Bing's carotid artery.

Lu Bing stared in horror, feeling a chill and pain on his neck as his skin was slashed open—at the critical moment, just as the blade was about to cut an inch into the artery, a white shadow whirlwinded down from the sky.

He heard Chen Ying exclaim in surprise, "Who?!"

The next moment, the masked man was kicked several feet away, knife and all, his body smashing through the dilapidated earthen wall and crashing out of the alley.

Lu Bing was utterly dumbfounded, staring at the almost blinding white figure in front of him, unable to believe it. Who could kick someone several miles away with a single kick?!

This is the one who jumped into the river with Yato yesterday to commit suicide together. Ugh, what a load of rubbish! She's that ugly freak with a face full of scars!

"You..." Lu Bing was dumbfounded, never expecting that the ugly monster was actually a hidden master.

Upon seeing this scene, Chen Ying's expression changed drastically, and she turned and ran.

In his haste, Lu Bing blurted out, "Heroine, don't let her get away!"

Bai Yuan was stunned for a moment by his sudden respectful address, then kicked Lu Bing's long sword away and flew towards Chen Ying's back.

Lu Bing reached out but couldn't grab the hilt of the knife in time, and hissed, "Leave them alive!"

As if she had eyes in the back of her head, or as if she had received a warning from the person behind her to leave someone alive, Chen Ying suddenly turned at the moment the long knife was about to pierce her back and leaped over the hole in the wall.

Bai Yuan had only taken two steps when he suddenly stopped, frozen in place as if he had been struck by a spell.

"We can't let her get away..." Lu Bing anxiously turned his head, wanting to ask the chivalrous woman who saw injustice to help capture Chen Ying, but he stopped talking the moment he saw her appearance.

Suddenly, the female warrior seemed to be possessed by some evil spirit. The scars on her face and neck began to glow, as if the scars were about to tear open. The glow floated from the inside out, gradually overflowing with countless tiny and ancient characters, like ants crawling.

Lu Bing stared in astonishment, his eyes wide: "What are those things? Runes?"

Bai Yuan lowered his head, glancing at the inscriptions on his wounds, and thought to himself: Someone tampered with the array base!

Someone with the insight to see through the Ghostly Bureau's formation and the ability to influence it is definitely not a useless good-for-nothing. It seems that a nemesis has arrived.