Chapter 347
The Incense Bearer
Hearing Bao Ying's question, Zhou Sheng did not show any surprise, as if he had expected it.
"You want me to summon Judge Bao and ask him to reveal the mystery of your demise, right?"
Bao Ying nodded, asking expectantly, "Is it possible?"
After Bao Zheng's death, he became the fifth Yama King among the Ten Kings of Hell. With the other nine Yama Kings gone, he was in charge of the underworld for many years.
However, his sudden death and the change of the King of Hell were all too sudden and bizarre. Even the two Kings of the Underworld in Fengdu City did not know what had happened.
It can be called the biggest unsolved case in the underworld.
As a descendant of Bao Gong, Bao Ying had deeply admired and revered Bao Gong since childhood, so he naturally paid great attention to this case. However, he had never found any clues over the years.
The King of Hell, who would reap the greatest benefits, must know the truth, but the other party is too powerful and holds the reins of the underworld, so no one can do anything to him.
Therefore, when Bao Ying discovered that Zhou Sheng could turn the fake into the real and use the play as a medium to summon the meritorious officials and famous generals who once existed in the world, he could not help but have this idea.
If they could summon their ancestors, the truth would naturally come to light, and with Bao Gong's wisdom, he might even be able to help them come up with a better strategy to defeat the enemy.
Unfortunately, Zhou Sheng shook his head and sighed softly in the face of his expectant gaze.
"Although I have practiced Bao Gong opera since I was a child, and Bao Gong can be said to be one of my best roles, with my current ability, the Bao Gong I can summon is at most the Prefect of Kaifeng, not Yama, the King of Hell."
"If we can gather more dragon veins, perhaps there will be hope."
Upon hearing this, Bao Ying's eyes lit up, bright and alert.
"Okay, I will keep an eye out for information about the Nine Dragon Veins for you from now on, and I will notify you immediately if I find anything."
He felt that his risky journey of traveling thousands of miles was absolutely worthwhile.
He had solved the case of the theft of the national treasury, and everyone advised him to stay in the capital for a while to avoid retaliation. However, when he heard that Zhou Sheng had returned to Xunyang City, he resolutely rushed over.
As it turned out, this somewhat risky decision was the right one.
At that moment, his ears twitched slightly, as if he had heard something, and his expression turned serious.
"Please wait a moment, everyone. My spies in the underworld have found out some information and are calling for me."
After saying that, he took out three incense sticks, but without lighting them, he gently blew on the tips of the incense sticks and they caught fire.
He inserted three incense sticks into the burner and muttered some incantations.
The next moment, the originally scattered smoke suddenly turned into a straight "line", as if it had paved a special channel connecting the yin and yang.
Zhou Sheng had already reached the realm of astral projection, comprehending the great Dao of Heaven and Earth. At this moment, seeing the incense burner's miraculous methods, he could not only marvel but also truly perceive some of the mysteries within.
Ordinary people burn incense and worship Buddha, believing that their prayers can reach the gods directly through the incense smoke.
Later generations burned incense to honor their ancestors, believing that their words could travel directly to their ancestors' ears through the incense smoke.
Incense thus acquired the special function of communicating between Yin and Yang, life and death, and the three realms. The person carrying incense is to develop this special ability to the maximum, and may even be able to establish a special relationship with a certain deity through this ability, representing that deity in the human world.
However, now that the gods have disappeared, the people of Dingxiang have also declined rapidly, and they have almost no ability to fight.
However, Bao Ying was able to find another way. By using the incense-offering tradition, he made many friends in the underworld and even established an intelligence network that spanned the Yin and Yang realms, helping him solve many strange cases.
A moment later, the fragrant mist dispersed again, and the faint ripples in the void disappeared.
Bao Ying opened her eyes, her gaze heavy, and clenched her fists.
"Another tragedy has occurred in Jiangzhou. A family of seven died while burning charcoal for warmth at night. It seemed like an accident, but some organs were missing from the bodies. The oldest was forty years old, and the youngest was only six years old..." Bang!
Bao Ying slammed his fist on the table and shouted, "They're getting more and more arrogant; they're completely unscrupulous!"
Yu Zhensheng sneered, "The death of Lu Zhidao seems to have been utterly useless. They were right; no one can control this matter."
Yu Tianheng didn't know what was going on at first, but after learning about it, he was filled with righteous indignation and snorted, "What a hellish place! It really is a den of filth and evil!"
He paused, then looked at Bao Ying and said bluntly, "Your Xuanqiong Division is always domineering, acting like the emperor himself. Why are you so silent about this?"
Clearly, Yu Tianheng had also dealt with the people of Xuanqiong Division, and it wasn't a pleasant encounter.
"I'm still investigating. Many of my colleagues in the Xuanqiong Division are also secretly helping me. We will definitely solve this case!"
Bao Ying stood up and bowed, his gaze firm and his voice resounding. Even though the case had been under investigation for more than ten years, he showed no sign of frustration or hesitation.
"Brother Zhou, seniors, I must go to Jiangzhou immediately to investigate this case, so I will take my leave now."
After saying that, he turned to leave.
"Brother Bao, what if you encounter assassins from the Dragon Flower Cult again? I think it's best not to panic—"
“Brother Zhou, the reason my whereabouts were leaked before was because there was a traitor among my companions. Now that I am traveling alone, I am confident that I will not be discovered.”
He paused, then smiled and said, "Moreover, thanks to your intervention in killing the two demon generals, the Dragon Flower Sect will feel the pinch for a while. They won't be able to figure out the situation in the short term, so they won't dare to make any rash moves."
After saying this, he nodded to Zhou Sheng, and their eyes met, their mutual trust unspoken.
"I wish Boss Long great success in the 'City of the Wrongfully Dead' performance!"
Watching his weary figure, his leg injury not yet fully healed, he limped off on that long road to investigate the case.
Zhou Sheng's gaze became very complicated.
"Is he angry with me?"
Yu Tianheng didn't understand Bao Ying and thought that his questioning had angered her, which was why she left in a hurry.
Zhou Sheng shook his head and said, "Senior, you misunderstand. Baozi is just that kind of person. Whenever a case occurs, he has to rush there immediately because the scene often holds many of the latest clues."
"He has been working on this case for more than ten years. For him, even his own life is not as important as this case."
Yu Tianheng was taken aback, then stared intently at Bao Ying's departing figure, his eyes filled with emotion.
"It seems that there are indeed people who actually get things done within the Xuanqiong Division."
This young man from the Xuanqiong Division inspired a sense of respect in him. He knew that investigating this case was not only dangerous, but even if he succeeded, there might be no reward, and he might even offend countless powerful figures.
But he still chose to do it, and he did it for more than a decade.
Zhou Sheng nodded and sighed, "These kinds of people are foolish, but the world... cannot do without them."
He saw many familiar figures in Bao Ying.
"Master, senior, let's pack our things and get ready to set off."
After watching Bao Ying leave, Zhou Sheng suddenly spoke up.
Bao Ying is already on his way, so how could Zhou Danshan fall behind?
"Then we'll be visiting this... City of the Unjustly Dead." (End of Chapter)