Chapter 11: Setting off to track down the murderer
A deathly silence fell within the Earth God Temple. Chu Yun and Li Ge's gazes were fixed on the half-cut black jade pendant on the bone altar. Chu Yun's heart raced uncontrollably. He forced himself to stand and walked step by step toward the altar. From his chest, the depleted strength suddenly gave rise to a faint, scorching current, resonating with the jade pendant on the altar, a feeling that resonated deeply with his blood. There was no mistaking it. Chu Yun reached out with a trembling hand and picked up the tattered animal hide talisman paper, along with the half-cut jade pendant embedded in it. The jade pendant felt cold to the touch. He gently brushed away the dust with his fingers, revealing the ancient Chinese character "Chu." Chu Yun's breathing suddenly became extremely rapid. He untied a half-cut black jade pendant, strung with a red string, from his neck—the only relic of his father's. He slowly aligned the two pieces of jade pendant. With a soft click, the two jade pendants merged perfectly into one, forming a complete, palm-sized circular jade pendant. In the center of the pendant was the complete Chinese character "Chu," and surrounding it were complex and profound runes, unlike anything he had ever seen before. The moment the pendant closed, a warm current surged from it, instantly flowing through Chu Yun's body. Nourished by this current, his depleted strength began to recover at an astonishing rate, and the severe pain in his chest eased considerably. Chu Yun clutched the intact jade pendant, his body trembling slightly. He recalled the fire thirteen years ago, his father's fallen figure, and his master's dying words. It turned out that what his father had asked him to carry wasn't just some ordinary token, but half of a vital magical instrument, deeply connected to his bloodline and the power within him. So why was the other half here? On this altar guarded by an evil spirit? Chu Yun's gaze fell on the torn animal-hide talisman paper. He didn't recognize any of the runes on the talisman paper, but the brushwork used and the cold, malevolent aura within were incredibly familiar to him. Thirteen years ago, in the ruins of the destroyed Suppression of Evils Division, he had seen the exact same talisman paper. It was this very talisman that had detonated the Suppression of Evils Division's earth veins, causing the irreversible tragedy. All the clues connected at this moment. The murderer who destroyed the Suppression of Evils Division thirteen years ago and the evil spirit responsible for the massacre in Qingxi Town today were the same group behind this! A surge of hatred surged from the depths of Chu Yun's heart...
A deathly silence fell within the Earth God Temple. Chu Yun and Li Ge's gazes were fixed on the half-black jade pendant on the bone altar. Chu Yun's heart began to beat uncontrollably. He forced himself to stand and walked step by step towards the altar. From his chest, the exhausted strength suddenly gave rise to a faint, scorching current, which resonated with the jade pendant on the altar, a resonance that came from deep within his blood.
It can't be wrong.
Chu Yun reached out a trembling hand and picked up the tattered animal hide talisman, along with the half-piece of jade pendant embedded in it. The jade pendant felt cold to the touch. He gently brushed away the dust, revealing the ancient Chinese character "Chu." Chu Yun's breathing suddenly became extremely rapid. He untied a half-piece of black jade pendant, strung with a red string, from his neck—the only relic of his father he had.
He slowly put the two jade pendants together.
“Click.”
With a soft sound, the two jade pendants merged perfectly into one, forming a complete, palm-sized circular jade pendant. In the center of the pendant was the complete Chinese character "Chu," and surrounding it were complex and profound runes, unlike anything he had ever seen before. The moment the pendant closed, a warm current of air surged from it, instantly flowing through Chu Yun's body. Nourished by this current, his depleted strength began to recover at an astonishing rate, and the severe pain in his chest eased considerably.
Chu Yun clutched the intact jade pendant, his body trembling slightly. He recalled the fire thirteen years ago, his father's fallen figure, and his master's final instructions. It turned out that what his father had asked him to carry wasn't just some ordinary token, but half of a vital magical instrument, deeply connected to his bloodline and the power within him. So why was the other half here? On this altar guarded by an evil spirit?
Chu Yun's gaze fell on the tattered animal hide talisman. He didn't recognize any of the runes on the paper, but the brushwork and the cold, malevolent aura it emanated were incredibly familiar. Thirteen years ago, he had seen an identical talisman in the ruins of the destroyed Suppression of Evils Division. It was this talisman that had detonated the Suppression of Evils Division's earth veins, leading to the irreversible tragedy.
All the clues connected at this moment. The murderer who destroyed the Evil Suppression Bureau thirteen years ago and the evil spirit who caused the massacre in Qingxi Town today were the same group of people!
A surge of hatred surged up from the bottom of Chu Yun's heart, and his eyes, which were a little unfocused due to exhaustion, turned blood red in an instant.
"I will kill them." Chu Yun's voice was squeezed out from between his teeth, and every word was filled with cold and undisguised murderous intent.
Li Ge stood not far away, watching him. She said nothing, but silently took out a small porcelain bottle from her bosom, poured out some dark green powder, and sprinkled it evenly on the wound on her arm. The powder made a slight "sizzling" sound when it came into contact with the wound, and she didn't even frown.
"Where are you going to kill?" Li Ge asked slowly after bandaging the wound.
"I don't know." Chu Yun tightly grasped the jade pendant and evil talisman in his hands, "But even if I have to turn the world upside down, I will find them!"
"And then?" Li Ge's tone was still as calm as a pool of stagnant water. "With the two moves you just made, are you going to rush forward and die?"
"What do you mean?" Chu Yun turned his head suddenly, staring at her with his bloodshot eyes.
"I didn't mean anything." Li Ge met his gaze without backing down. "I was just stating a fact. The evil spirit just now was just a dog raised by someone else. Even a dog almost killed both of us here. Do you think that with your current strength, how confident are you in dealing with its master?"
Chu Yun was choked by her words and couldn't utter a word. He knew Li Ge was right, he had indeed acted impulsively just now, but once the hatred that had been suppressed for thirteen years was ignited, it could no longer be easily extinguished.
"That's still better than you!" Chu Yun's voice was filled with a hint of unwilling anger. "You don't even have the courage to confront it head-on. You only use some shady tricks that are not worthy of being shown on the stage!"
"Dirty tricks?" Li Ge seemed to be amused by his words. For the first time, a mocking smile appeared on her pale face. "If I hadn't used your so-called 'dirty tricks' to forcibly pull out the souls of those children, would you have perished together with that evil spirit?"
Chu Yun's face turned red instantly. He opened his mouth, but found that he could not refute.
"Your so-called righteous technique is bright and powerful. But can it save that girl's soul? Can it break the curse on those townspeople?" Li Ge walked towards Chu Yun step by step, her voice becoming increasingly sharp. "You can't! You can't do anything except destroy! You have great power, but you're like a fool holding a hammer. Everything looks like a nail, and you just want to smash it down with the hammer!"
"you……"
"Let me ask you again, now that you are holding this jade pendant and this evil talisman, what else do you see besides a heart full of rage?" Li Ge stood in front of him, staring at him with burning eyes.
Chu Yun was stunned by her question. He looked down at the thing in his hand, and he only saw hatred.
"Give it to me." Li Ge stretched out his hand.
Chu Yun hesitated for a moment, but ultimately, reluctantly, handed her the animal hide evil talisman. Li Ge took it, not even looking at the runes. Instead, she closed her eyes and gently brushed her pale fingers across the paper. After a long moment, she slowly opened her eyes, her brows furrowed slightly.
"How is it?" Chu Yun couldn't help but ask.
"Besides the cold, gloomy aura of the evil spirit, there's another... very faint, yet very unique aura." Li Ge's voice regained its solemnity. "It's an aura... composed of countless precise, cold, lifeless energies interwoven together."
"What do you mean?" Chu Yun didn't understand.
"I don't know how to describe it." Li Ge shook her head. "I've never come into contact with this kind of energy system. It doesn't belong to Taoism, the devil, or demons. It's more like... something man-made." She handed the evil talisman back to Chu Yun: "Take another look and sense it with your magic power."
Chu Yun took the evil talisman with some skepticism. Following Li Ge's instructions, he channeled the newly recovered strength within him and slowly injected it into the talisman. Instantly, a completely different feeling flooded his mind. Just as Li Ge had said, deep within the material of the talisman paper lay a completely unfamiliar energy structure. It felt like... looking at an incredibly precise mechanical blueprint: countless tiny energy nodes, like gears and levers, meshed together to form a complex and stable energy field.
This... this is... A word suddenly flashed through Chu Yun's mind: mechanical engineering!
He remembered that the secret texts of the Suppression of Evils had once recorded a long-lost system of power, distinct from the art of talismans: the Mohist mechanical arts! Legend has it that the highest realm of Mohist mechanical arts wasn't the creation of murderous tools, but rather the emulation of the Way of Heaven, creating self-operating, powerful "mechanical Dao soldiers." And the core that powered those Dao soldiers was this special rune imbued with "mechanical energy"!
How could it be possible… How could the one who destroyed the Evil Suppression Division thirteen years ago be connected to the long-lost Mohist school? Chu Yun's heart was in a turmoil.
"It seems that you have thought of something." Li Ge looked at his changing expression and said calmly.
Chu Yun glanced at her and said without hiding anything: "Mo family."
"Mohism?" A hint of doubt flashed in Li Ge's eyes. "That legendary artisan sect that was wiped out by the Suppression of Evils because its philosophy was at odds with the current dynasty?"
"It's not annihilation!" Chu Yun retorted subconsciously, "It's a frame-up! My father's surviving notes recorded that the first generation of the Evil Suppression Bureau and the first generation of the Mohist master were allies!"
At this point, Chu Yun himself was stunned. He had always believed that the decline of the Mohist School had nothing to do with the Evil Suppression Division, but now it seemed... the fire thirteen years ago wasn't just for revenge, nor was it just for the power within him. Behind it lay a massive conspiracy that implicated the downfall of two leading sects!
"Things seem to be much more complicated than you imagined." Li Ge said slowly, "This is no longer just your personal vendetta."
Chu Yun fell silent. He looked at the jade pendant and the evil talisman in his hands, then at the woman beside him whose eyes were cold but who seemed to know many secrets. He knew Li Ge was right. On his own, he might not even be able to leave Qingxi Town.
"Let's cooperate." Li Ge suddenly said these two words.
Chu Yun suddenly looked up at her.
"You and I, let's work together temporarily." Li Ge's tone was emotionless, as if he was negotiating a business deal. "I need to find the source of this evil magic and completely solve the problem of the curse. You need to find your enemy and solve the mystery of that year. Our goals are the same for now."
"Why should I trust you?" Chu Yun's voice was still full of vigilance.
"You don't need to believe me." Li Ge's answer was exactly the same as before. "You just need to think clearly. Besides me, who else can you turn to now?" She looked at Chu Yun and continued, "You have the inheritance of the Evil Suppression Division and your domineering power. I have my ghost doctor skills and my intelligence. If we work together, our chances of survival will be at least greater than if you go and die alone."
Chu Yun fell silent again. He had to admit that everything Li Ge said made sense, and he needed her help.
"Okay." After a long while, Chu Yun finally squeezed out this word from between his teeth, "I promise you. Let's cooperate temporarily."
"A wise choice." Li Ge nodded.
"But you have to agree to one condition of mine." Chu Yun added.
"explain."
"During the cooperation period, you can no longer use any living people or innocent souls to perform your evil magic." Chu Yun's tone left no room for doubt.
Li Ge glanced at him with a complicated expression. Finally, she nodded: "Okay. As long as there are other alternatives, I won't touch those innocent people."
A fragile alliance, full of vigilance and temptation, was officially formed at this moment.
"Where are we going next?" Chu Yun asked.
"The Mohist School." Li Ge's answer was clear and concise. "Since the clues point to them, let's go to their ancestral land and take a look."
"Do you know where it is?"
"I've heard a little bit about it." Li Ge said slowly, "In the distant border of Xichuan, there is an ancient city that has long been abandoned. It is said that it was once the glorious place of the Mohist school. Later, the Mohist school declined, and the place became a ruin."
"That city has a name."
"It's called 'Machinery City'."
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