Chapter 380
The Secret of Stealing the Sky and Changing the Sun
The north wind blows snow at the beginning of the fourth watch, auspicious omens arrive at the end of the year.
I haven't even raised half a cup of Tusu wine yet, and I'm writing peach charms by the lamp.
When I returned to Xunyang City, it was already New Year's Eve. This year's snow was exceptionally heavy, falling thick and fast, covering the entire city like goose feathers.
The children, dressed in their new coats, started building snowmen and having snowball fights early in the morning, having a great time.
But on the street, there were also beggars wearing only thin clothes, shivering from the cold. Some of them had even become corpses, buried by the heavy snow, with only one foot, blackened and swollen from the cold, sticking out.
The vibrant energy of the New Year, along with the beggars and stray dogs frozen to death on the roadside, didn't seem out of place at all.
"Go and stick the red thread on—"
Zhou Sheng finished writing the Spring Festival couplets by the table and subconsciously called out for Hongxian, but then suddenly remembered that the chattering little fellow had already gone to cultivate with Master Zhang.
He shook his head, pasted the Spring Festival couplets himself, looked at the snow-covered world outside, and listened to the crackling of firecrackers. He couldn't help but feel as if he were in another world.
After dividing the treasure, they returned to Xunyang.
Senior Yu and Master fought a great battle. Master did not hold back and used all his strength.
That battle left a deep impression on him.
Senior Yu practically burned his life essence, using every trick in the book, completely in a desperate stance. Even covered in blood, he still moved with powerful, sweeping strokes, charging forward fearlessly.
However, he still lost due to overwhelming strength.
With his final move, Master thrust out the Golden Spear of Dharma Form, a spear capable of shattering thunder, cleanly piercing through Senior Yu's chest.
Elder Yu also exerted all his strength, smashing the Nine Dragon Seal onto his master's head.
They didn't look like two old friends at all, but rather like sworn enemies.
Finally, Master developed a bump on his head, and Elder Yu remained unconscious for three days and three nights. During that time, Master held a golden spear and sat guard at the door, staying up for three nights without sleep, to prevent any ghosts or gods from the underworld from coming to take his soul and claim his life.
Three days later, thanks to Zhou Sheng's miraculous medicine, Elder Yu awoke. Upon seeing the bump on Yu Zhensheng's head, he burst into laughter, laughing for a full quarter of an hour. His hearty laughter shook the rooftops.
When the laughter stopped, Senior Yu had undergone the Jade Lightning Tribulation.
He still hadn't defeated the great demon king from back then, but he had overcome the fear in his heart. From then on, his inner demons vanished, and his tribulation was completed smoothly.
Thanks to years of substantial accumulation, the Jade Tribulation was successfully overcome.
After that, Elder Yu left Xunyang with his disciples, and their whereabouts are unknown. However, he must have been preparing to dedicate himself to cultivating disciples of the Southern School and bringing glory to his family.
"We should be there soon."
Zhou Sheng made a calculation with his fingers and vaguely sensed a glimpse of the secrets of heaven. A faint white light flowed from his fingertips, emanating a mysterious aura.
At the same time, the tortoise shell and Luoshu diagram in his mind trembled, as if it were receiving some kind of blessing.
This is a new change in the Luoshu. After killing the Bodhisattva, the tortoise shell underwent a miraculous transformation due to the massive amount of energy it gained, and it vaguely felt like it was becoming his magic weapon.
After his research, Zhou Sheng discovered two main changes: first, he could manipulate the Luoshu (洛书) to move within his sea of consciousness using his mind.
Previously, the Luoshu was located in the center of the sea of consciousness, as stable as Mount Tai, and never moved.
Now, with a thought from Zhou Sheng, the Luo Shu will slowly move around, but it is limited to the sea of consciousness and spiritual platform, and cannot break through the barrier to enter reality.
The second change was discovered when he was practicing the "Stealing the Sky and Changing the Sun Technique" in the Bodhisattva's treasure trove.
This skill is a method of stealing heavenly secrets and the sun and moon. It can be used to predict the future, know destiny, and confuse heavenly secrets, preventing others from predicting one's own fate.
When Zhou Sheng used this method for divination, he was surprised to find that, despite his limited knowledge, he was able to receive the blessing of the Luoshu (Lo Shu Square) during divination, and he was often right nine times out of ten, making his predictions remarkably accurate.
Of course, what we're calculating isn't a big deal; if it were, it would still be obscure.
Simply put, the Luoshu is now like a magic weapon for him, greatly enhancing the accuracy of his fortune-telling, and this process does not consume energy.
Therefore, Zhou Sheng has been studying the "Stealing the Sky and Changing the Sun Technique" these days.
"Who's almost here?"
Yao Taifeng, who was busy in the kitchen, poked her head out and asked curiously. She was holding a rolling pin in her hand, and her smooth face was covered with a little flour.
Zhou Sheng stepped forward and gently wiped her hands, smiling as he said, "It's a secret, but he's an old friend. Prepare an extra pair of bowls and chopsticks; he'll probably arrive around noon."
"Look how capable you are!"
Yao Taifeng glared at him, then wiped his face with her flour-covered hands before quickly disappearing into the kitchen.
"Don't come in, or I'll poison your dumplings!"
Zhou Sheng laughed heartily and continued to study the "Stealing the Sky and Changing the Sun Technique," which was like a book from heaven.
A quarter past noon.
No more, no less, there was a sudden knock on Zhou Sheng's door. Yao Tai Feng's eyes showed a hint of surprise as she looked at Zhou Sheng, who was fiddling with abacus rods, and couldn't help but mutter to herself.
"You were right."
Upon opening the door, a travel-worn figure came into view, his face as black as charcoal, his figure thin, with heavy eye bags revealing a hint of haggardness, but more than anything, an irrepressible excitement.
"Brother Bao, you've come at just the right time. Hongying just cooked some dumplings, pork filling."
Zhou Sheng said with a smile.
"Haha, that would need two bowls to be enough!"
After the two sat down and finished eating and drinking, Bao Ying casually wiped his mouth with his sleeve and got straight to the point: "As soon as I received your message, I rushed back. My mother scolded me, saying I was unfilial for going out on business during the New Year..."
Bao Ying shook her head and smiled, then looked at Zhou Sheng with a hint of trepidation and expectation in her eyes.
He has always been a man of great composure and wisdom, and rarely loses his composure like this.
"You...really got that thing?"
"got it."
Zhou Sheng took something out of his pocket and placed it on the table. It was a thick book with an antique cover and was enchanted with a spell to keep out water and fire.
"This ledger was found on the Dragon Girl's body. It records the names of all the officials, wealthy merchants, gentry, and even abbots of many temples and Taoist monasteries involved in the case, totaling..."
Zhou Sheng paused for a moment, then uttered a shocking number.
"One thousand two hundred and thirty-four people."
Upon hearing this, Bao Ying's gaze sharpened, and she reached out to grab the ledger, but Zhou Sheng stopped her.
"Brother Bao, among these 1,234 people are members of prominent families, powerful officials of the court, and even... members of the royal family. As for the wealthy merchants, there is no need to say more."
"They use their power and wealth to provide incense and statues for the Bodhisattva in exchange for a younger body, a more handsome face, and a longer lifespan. This practice has been deeply ingrained and has been mired in corruption for a long time."
"If you see this, you'll probably never be able to have a good New Year again."
Bao Ying understood Zhou Sheng's unspoken meaning. He looked at the booklet with a resolute gaze and reached out to take it.
"Brother Zhou, don't worry, my surname is Bao, the Bao of Bao Gong."
“I’ve been following this case for over a decade. I can’t sleep soundly until it’s closed. Every time I close my eyes, those eyes and those names jump into my mind.”
"I often wonder, will the families of those victims ever be able to sleep peacefully again and have a good New Year again?"
After reviewing the account book, Bao Ying finished the remaining dumpling soup in one gulp and immediately prepared to leave.
"So soon? Let's just have a good New Year first."
Zhou Sheng felt a little sorry to see him so tired, yet still having to travel long distances and keep running around during the New Year.
"Have a good New Year?"
Bao Ying shook his head and smiled, his voice sarcastic.
"Some people don't deserve a good New Year!"
……
"He came from a thousand miles away and left in a day, without even changing his clothes. This Bao Ying is truly an extraordinary official."
"But can he really do it?"
Watching his departing figure, Yao Taifeng couldn't help but sigh.
Zhou Sheng followed him with his eyes until he could no longer see him before turning back.
"Not long ago, probably few people believed that I could kill that Bodhisattva in the City of the Wrongfully Dead."
Zhou Sheng's voice rang out leisurely, carrying a sense of soaring spirit.
"All that is past; to find truly remarkable figures, look to the present."
"I believe him, how about we make a bet?"
"Pah, I'm not falling for your tricks! You've already planned this out!"
"Haha, you figured that out?"
The laughter faded into the distance, and the swirling snowflakes fell gently, but they could not conceal the footprints of those who had traveled far away.
...(End of this chapter)