At this moment, the substitute idol in his dantian was already stirring restlessly.
Li Yan widened his eyes and scanned the surroundings carefully, soon spotting his mark.
At some point, a black snake had coiled atop the opposite courtyard wall. As thick as a grown man's arm, it flicked its tongue with a hiss, its eyes glowing with eerie green light.
One glance was enough to tell that this creature was bizarre; an ordinary person would have been frightened out of their wits.
Yet when Li Yan laid eyes on it, an inexplicable craving arose within him, as if he were looking at an exquisite delicacy.
Keeping his composure, he pretended not to have noticed anything, but his left hand had already pressed down on the guard of the Guanshan saber at his waist while his right hand slipped into his lapel toward the Three Powers Demon-Suppressing Coins.
The serpent slithered down the wall as silently as a night breeze.
Its head remained fixed on the room behind him where the First Madam lay. Appearing somewhat hurried, it wriggled forward across the ground.
Wherever it passed, the soul-guiding lamps snuffed out one by one.
A realization dawned upon Li Yan.
This snake most likely possessed spiritual cultivation.
The detachment of Madam Lu's living soul was very probably linked to it.
No matter what, he would slay it first.
"Don't move!"
Yet just as he was about to strike, Wang Daoxuan's trembling voice sounded softly from behind him. "If that thing gets startled, it will be completely ruined!"
The moment the words left his mouth, the black snake seemed to sense the danger. Its form disintegrated and vanished in a flash, as though it had never existed at all.
Even that sweet scent could no longer be smelled.
Li Yan felt a pang of regret, but he was not angry.
He knew Wang Daoxuan would not deliberately spoil his good fortune. Since the Daoist had warned him, there had to be a reason. So he asked, "Daoist priest, what was that?"
Wang Daoxuan was clearly shaken as well. Swallowing hard, he said, "That was... a heavenly spirit earthly treasure!"
A heavenly spirit earthly treasure?!
Li Yan's heart jolted as he recalled the name.
Widow Wang had mentioned that during the previous dynasty, Grandmaster Martial General Yang Yi, seeking victory over the Golden Horde Khanate, had engaged a treasure stalker to search high and low. They found a spirit treasure of heaven and earth and forged a pair of demonic sabers of immense power.
Later, when the demonic sabers went out of control and turned on their master, the Daxing imperial court melted them down and forged one hundred and eight Three Powers Demon-Suppressing Coins—the very tokens tucked into his robes.
How could a heavenly spirit earthly treasure take on such an appearance?
As if reading his thoughts, Wang Daoxuan said in a low voice, "There are countless kinds of heavenly spirits and earthly treasures, each formed through different circumstances, but every single one has developed spiritual intelligence. They are blessings of heaven and earth.
"Yet claiming such heavenly blessings is easier said than done. All heavenly spirits and earthly treasures have their taboos. If you do not understand the crucial secret, it is like grasping at the moon's reflection in water or flowers in a mirror—visible, but impossible to obtain.
"They have two greatest characteristics.
"First, divine things conceal their own brilliance. Having gained awareness, unless they reveal themselves willingly, you would not recognize one even if its true form were set right before your eyes.
"Second, they possess an unyielding nature. If the wrong method is used, whether damaged or captured, it will instantly disperse all its gathered fortune, turning from a pearl into rubble. Some will even drag you down to perish together."
Li Yan frowned. "That difficult?"
"Which is why the Xuanmen trade of treasure stalkers exists in the first place," Wang Daoxuan said, shaking his head. "The Great Dao is boundless, and Daoist arts are endless, but a person's vitality and time are limited. Whether it is an orthodox great dharma or unorthodox methods, one must lay the foundation from childhood.
"Those treasure stalkers who awaken Yin-Yang Eyes are shut away in pitch-black cellars from a young age, trained to see like night owls until their vision becomes exceptionally sharp...
"And those who awaken a nasal spirit root like yours are often cast out into wild barrens, mass graves, or uninhabited deep forests, temporarily blinded with drugs, forced to find their own way home purely by scent...
"Furthermore, because there are so many varieties of heavenly spirits and earthly treasures, treasure stalkers specialize in different areas. Some prospect the mountains, some scour the seas, while others specifically crawl into tomb pits, each possessing their own unique masteries."
Li Yan felt a slight headache coming on. "Does this mean we need to hire a treasure stalker?"
Wang Daoxuan shook his head. "Most of those people are eccentric and elusive. This poor Daoist has no connections to reach them.
"However, I do know a thing or two about their methods.
"Any heavenly spirit earthly treasure, being born from the fortune of heaven and earth, must inevitably be restrained by something. One only needs to locate its true form, follow the transformations of the Five Elements and the directions of the Eight Trigrams, and find the item that counters it to collect it."
Li Yan was speechless. "What was that snake's true form?"
Wang Daoxuan smiled wryly. "If this poor Daoist had the ability to appraise such treasures, I would hardly be in such dire straits. But there is one thing I do know...
"Whatever it is, it must be thoroughly inconspicuous!"
* * *
At daybreak the following morning, the people who had stayed away gradually returned.
Their zodiac signs had conflicted with the First Madam's, preventing them from approaching the courtyard. Having waited through the entire night, every one of them was burning with curiosity and began making discreet inquiries the moment they stepped through the gates.
The First Madam's maids naturally dared not speak out of turn.
However, many people had heard the commotion from the previous night. Whispered discussions quickly snowballed, embellished with wild exaggerations until they grew thoroughly bizarre.
According to their tales, ghosts and gods had come to obstruct the soul retrieval, and Daoist Priest Wang had set up an altar to battle them through the night before finally wresting the First Madam's soul back.
In short, the more mystical they could make it sound, the better.
Consequently, in the eyes of everyone in the estate, Wang Daoxuan seemed all the more enigmatic.
Meanwhile, complete silence reigned inside the inner chambers.
Wang Daoxuan rested his fingers upon the cun, guan, and chi pulse positions, taking the emaciated First Madam's pulse. He stroked his beard from time to time, his brow furrowed in concentration.
The old Daoist had studied medicine in the past. Though he could not compare to genuine Xuanmen Daoist physicians, he was more than qualified to serve as a resident apothecary doctor.
Just as he had anticipated, even though her living soul had returned, the First Madam had still not regained consciousness. Her face was withered, and she exhaled far more than she drew in. As the old saying went, all mortals have their allotted measure of breath and fate.
Exhaling much while inhaling little was a clear sign that one's vitality was running dry.
After finishing the pulse diagnosis, Wang Daoxuan stepped outside with Squire Lu and shook his head. "Just as this poor Daoist foresaw, the First Madam does not have many days left. Her oil is spent, the lamp burning low; this is beyond what medicine can remedy.
"The fortunate part is that her living soul has returned, so when she passes, she will be able to rest peacefully in the earth. It would be best for Squire Lu to prepare early."
Squire Lu let out a sigh. "Thank you, Daoist priest.
"We have returned from the capital without an ancestral burial ground. I must trouble the Daoist priest to help select an auspicious plot. We seek no enduring riches or glory, only peace and safety."
"Of course."
Wang Daoxuan nodded and led Li Yan away from the rear courtyard.
As they departed, Li Yan turned back for a glance, reluctant in his heart.
From the previous night until dawn, he had not stopped for a moment, searching every place he could possibly search without closing his eyes even once.
Yet just as Wang Daoxuan had said, heavenly spirits and earthly treasures were masters of concealment. Sometimes one might sit right before your eyes and go unnoticed unless it chose to reveal itself.
Reluctant though he was, he had no choice but to leave.
After all, this was the Lu family's main residence, and all the guards had returned.
If he wanted another chance to search, he would likely have to wait until the funeral.
Yet who knew when the First Madam would breathe her last?
Back home, his grandfather's health was growing worse by the day. Li Yan had already been away for several days, leaving him in the care of neighbors, so he could not linger here indefinitely.
Fortunately, when it came to a heavenly spirit earthly treasure, unless a treasure stalker intervened, no one else had any hope of finding it if he could not.
He could always find another time to resume the search.
Amid these swirling thoughts, the two of them followed Steward Lu back to the side courtyard.
After the night's events, Steward Lu treated Wang Daoxuan with even greater deference. "The Daoist priest must be exhausted. The master has instructed that after you dine, you may rest properly."
"No need."
Wang Daoxuan shook his head slightly, gazing toward the earthen hill behind Gushui Village. In a solemn voice, he said, "The First Madam's condition is poor. After eating, this poor Daoist will head up the mountain to find a suitable site, lest things descend into chaos when the time comes."
Steward Lu's admiration deepened. "Then we must trouble the Daoist priest."
With that, he ordered the food served, bowed, and withdrew.
Sha Lifei had also spent the night waiting outside due to a conflicting zodiac sign. Seeing Steward Lu leave, he could hold back no longer and sidled over, plying them with questions while eating.
Li Yan pondered for a moment, then announced his intention to depart first.
Wang Daoxuan stroked his beard. "Filial piety comes before all else; this must not be delayed. Rest assured, Brother Yan. Once I finish my duties here, I will head to Fort Li to find you."
After the meal, Li Yan prepared to take his leave.
Perhaps eager to curry favor with Wang Daoxuan, Squire Lu, upon hearing of Li Yan's departure, specifically instructed the steward to provide traveling expenses and let him pick a horse from the stables as a gift.
This was quite a generous gesture, making Sha Lifei green with envy.
The three of them went to the stables, where over a dozen horses were kept. While none could be called prized steeds, they were clearly far better than the deceptive beasts sold at the horse markets.
Li Yan was also in good spirits. Looking left and right, he picked out a large black horse.
It was young, gentle in temperament, and nuzzled up to his hand of its own accord to eat carrots.
"A fine horse!" Sha Lifei praised. Turning toward the tack piled in the corner of the wall, he grinned. "I used to deliver saddles for a leatherworker, so I know a bit about this. Let me pick a good one for you."
With that, he dove into the corner and rummaged around.
"Huh, what's this?"
As he shoved aside a set of tack, he noticed a stick lying on the ground.
Pitch-black and heavily scarred, it bore faint traces of dragon patterns.
Steward Lu, who had accompanied them, frowned at the sight. "How did this thing end up in the stables?"
Noticing their curious gazes, he quickly explained, "Originally, there were over a dozen homesteads here. After the master returned to his hometown, he bought them all up, tore them down, and rebuilt the estate.
"One of them happened to be the former residence of the old Drum King of Xianyang..."
Sha Lifei chuckled. "A Drum King? Did he look like a leather drum?"
Steward Lu sneered with disdain. "What would an uncouth brute like you know?!
"Our Guanzhong region has an immense variety of drums: Ten-Faced Gongs and Drums, Weiqi Gongs and Drums, Coiling Dragon Swivel Drums, Old Temple Heritage Drums... far too many to count, each with its own lineage.
"Every year on the fifteenth of the first lunar month, Chang'an holds a drum gathering. The roar of myriad drums is a magnificent spectacle, and those who can earn the title of Drum King are extraordinarily rare.
"This is a relic left behind by a Drum King. In my youth, I also practiced drum play for a time, so I kept it as a memento. It was supposed to be in my quarters—how did it end up here?"
"Doesn't look like much to me, just a broken stick..." Sha Lifei muttered, casually passing it to Li Yan beside him.
Li Yan had harbored an interest in ancient artifacts even in his past life, so he took it, intending to inspect it.
Yet the moment it rested in his hand, his expression changed drastically!
Chapter 26