Weird Cultivation, I have a five-organ temple

Chapter 575 Strange Night Fog, Rules of the Secret Realm
Lü Yang probably didn't expect that Wei Wu would actually have acquired property in the Chu capital.

Seeing the back door of the leather shop open, the shop assistant came out to greet him and called him "Rat Patrols the Owner." Rat raised an eyebrow, about to ask a question out of curiosity.

Just as he was about to speak, Shang Lu gave him a wink, signaling him to keep quiet.

Lu Yang immediately swallowed his words, choosing to listen to advice instead.

He was impulsive, but not stupid. Upon Shang Lu's reminder, he immediately realized that this was the capital of Chu, and he needed to be careful in his words and actions.

Even in Chengfeng County, the capital of Baiyi Prefecture, there are sorcerers openly patrolling and witch doctors secretly keeping watch.

There must be even more patrols and informants in the Chu capital.

Here, even the slightest carelessness could lead to death.

Being cautious in speech and action is the key to success.

Having figured it out, Lü Yang immediately reminded himself to always remember the identity he was playing at this moment.

Don't say what you shouldn't say, and don't do what you shouldn't do.

Led by the shop assistant, the group entered the leather shop.

In the backyard, leather was laid out all over the ground, some tanned, some freshly peeled.

It was probably stored in the warehouse for a while, and they took it out to air it in the sun to prevent it from getting infested with insects.

The more leather there is, the stronger the smell becomes, especially some untanned leather that still contains blood and emits a pungent, fishy odor.

Shang Lu and the others did not complain about this.

The pungent smell of fish and leather can mask many odors and also conceal many things.

Soon, Zishu Xunshou and Shanglu and the others were led into a room in the backyard.

"Manager Sun is in the shop ahead. He has already sent someone to inform you. Please have a seat and rest for a while, sir."

The waiter served hot tea to Zishu Xunshou and Shanglu and others, then stood aside to serve them.

A moment later, a man dressed as a steward rushed to the backyard.

Upon seeing the Rat on patrol, he first showed a hint of joy, then some surprise, and bowed, asking, "Greetings, Master! Why didn't you send someone to inform us beforehand? We could have arranged for someone to pick you up."

"What, do I have to greet you before coming to my own shop? Are you afraid I'll do a surprise audit?" Zishu Xunshou said with a laugh, holding his teacup.

Manager Sun quickly patted his chest and assured him, "What are you saying, boss? Our shop's accounts can all withstand scrutiny." Then he turned to his assistant and whispered, "Go outside and keep an eye on things."

The waiter nodded, bowed to the mouse on patrol, and left the room.

After the door closed, Zishu Xunshou flipped his right hand, and a magical artifact appeared in his palm.

It is very similar to the "Unlistenable" that Pokeweed used before, and it is also shaped like a bell, about the size of a small medicine bottle.

As the witch's power was activated, streams of witch energy surged up from the bell, eventually transforming into a strange witch's curse: it looked like an ear, but it was crossed out.

After the incantation was performed, Steward Sun bowed to the Rat Hunter again and asked, "Why did the Hunter come in person?"

Seeing this, Lü Yang broke out in a cold sweat, thankful that he hadn't spoken carelessly, otherwise he might have been targeted.

Of course, with the Rat on patrol around, he might not be able to speak up, but he would lose face in the Rat's eyes because of it.

The Rat Hunter said in a deep voice, "We have come for the Grand Master and the Courtier. Do you know anything about them?"

"Not much."

Steward Sun spoke quickly, “Initially, when the Grand Master of Ceremonies and the Director of the Imperial Household Department arrived in the capital of Chu, they traveled around visiting the nine ministers and officials of Chu. But not long ago, they suddenly closed their doors to visitors and stayed in the Office of the Grand Master of Ceremonies, refusing to come out.”

"When? What's the reason?" the mouse on patrol pressed.

"Twenty days ago."

Manager Sun spoke quickly and clearly, obviously having memorized all the details.

"They said he was unwell and needed to rest. But this wasn't said by the Grand Master of Ceremonies or the Clerk himself; it was an official from the Chu State's Bureau of Ceremonies who gave the reason."

Twenty days ago?

Shang Lu exchanged glances with Lü Yang, Gongshu Ling, and the others.

Judging by the timeline, it should be the day the rotten and desolate land collapsed.

It was also the day that Jing Chunshen, the Red Moon Witch Lord, ran wild in Xingshan Military Town, only to be scared away by the Grand Master who descended a star map!
It seems that neither the pawnbroker nor the clerk were unwell and needed to rest.

He was most likely placed under house arrest by the Chu state in the Xingren Bureau!
It's not even as simple as house arrest!
The Rat Patrolman clearly shared this assessment, his expression darkening slightly as he asked, "Have you tried to find out anything about the Grand Master and the Pawnbroker?"

Manager Sun said, "We tried to find out information immediately, but it seems that some kind of magic spell has been activated in the Traveling Officials' Office, and our eyes and ears cannot get in. We also tried to get information from the officials in the Traveling Officials' Office indirectly, but we still haven't gotten any useful information."

"Okay, I see."

The rat, during its hunt, did not blame the steward, Sun.

Before receiving orders, any action taken by Steward Sun and his group was primarily aimed at concealing their identities and protecting themselves.

Moreover, they were unaware of the dangerous situations that pawnbrokers and swindlers might face.

After a moment's thought, Zishu Xunshou asked again, "Has anything major or unusual happened in the Chu capital recently?"

"Since the King of Chu went to war with our country, he has not attended court. Recently, rumors have circulated in the palace that the King is unwell. The eunuchs and palace maids who spread these rumors disappeared within days and their whereabouts remain unknown. In addition, the Crimson Moon Witch Lord Jing Chunshen returned to the Chu capital the day before yesterday and was immediately summoned to the palace, where he has not yet emerged..."

"Jing Chunshen actually escaped and came back?"

Not only were Shang Lu and the others surprised, but Zi Shu Xun Shou also looked regretful.

Jing Chunshen, the Crimson Moon Witch Lord, already possesses the cultivation level of the third rank. Even if his cultivation level drops due to contamination in the Rotten and Deadly Land, he can still recover it by investing resources.

At that time, the State of Chu will have gained a demigod-level expert.

This is not good news for Pakistan.

Of course, all of this is too far in the future. But in the immediate future, Jing Chunshen's presence in the Chu capital is equally bad for Shang Lu, Zi Shu's hunting party, and others!
They've dealt with each other before!
Fortunately, they were covered in dead skin at the time, and the atmosphere in the rotten and dangerous place was strange and chaotic, which caused their aura to change as well.

Jing Chunshen might not recognize them...

But what was Jing Chunshen doing in the palace?
Could it be that he brought out "rotten divine flesh" from the rotten and dangerous land?
Steward Sun then recounted several recent events in Chu Capital, which seemed to have little to do with Shang Lu and his group.

After Steward Sun finished speaking, the Rat Hunting Officer pondered for a moment and then made arrangements:

"It's getting late, and the capital of Chu will soon be under curfew. The rule here in Chu is that once the night fog rolls in, one must not go out."

Even in brothels, once the night fog rises, one must stay indoors until dawn before leaving...

This rule is related to the Wanli Yunmeng Marsh. It is a rule left behind by the secret realm. Those who violate it will be captured by the night watchmen of Chu Capital, but they will also get lost in the night fog. We have important matters to attend to and there is no need to take such unnecessary risks!
Wait until the fog clears tomorrow before you go out and disperse to gather information around the pedestrian station. Remember one thing: be careful in everything you do, and don't alert the enemy!

"understand!"

"Leader!"

Shang Lu and the others clasped their hands in agreement, but couldn't help feeling curious. How did the Rat on patrol know that brothels also required overnight stays? Could it be that he...?

It seems there are multiple reasons for this baldness!

The Rat, on patrol, turned to Steward Sun and instructed, "Tomorrow you'll come with me and find a way to get a protective amulet from Yunmeng Marsh..."

"The Yunmengze Amulet?" Steward Sun frowned immediately.

"What's wrong?" asked the Rat Patrol.

Steward Sun replied, "Since the war between Ba and Chu, the Chu Imperial Observatory has tightened the distribution of Yunmengze amulets. Not a single new amulet has been issued in nearly a year." Zishu Xunshou stroked his chin, pondering, "In that case, we'll have to find someone with a Yunmengze amulet and 'borrow' one. But losing a Yunmengze amulet is a serious matter; I'm afraid it will alert the enemy..."

At this moment, Gongshu Ling suddenly interjected, asking, "What does the Yunmengze talisman look like? What are its characteristics? What is its aura like?"

The Rat on the Hunt turned to look at her: "You want to make a fake one, to pass it off as the real thing?"

"Yes."

Although he got his head back, Gongshu Ling was clearly not used to it after a long time, and he not only didn't nod, but also had no expression on his face.

Manager Sun was unaware of Gongshu Ling's situation and was secretly curious. He assumed that the man had gone astray during his cultivation, resulting in a qi deviation that caused his face to stiffen—similar cases were not uncommon.

From a certain perspective, he wasn't wrong.

Gongshu Ling's condition should also be considered a form of demonic possession, right?

"How similar is it?" the mouse on patrol asked, clearly intrigued.

"The more information you give me, the more perfectly I can replicate it," Gongshu Ling said with absolute confidence.

“Then…” The Rat Hunting’s eyes lit up.

Gongshu Ling seemed to have guessed what he was thinking, and then said, "But no matter how similar it is, it is only similar in appearance. We haven't seen the internal structure or the witchcraft array. It is still a case of deception. It may fool people, but it cannot fool Yunmengze."

Zishu Xunshou sighed in regret, but then thought that this was normal. Otherwise, if Gongshu Lingguang could replicate a Yunmengze talisman just by listening to their description, she wouldn't be powerful, but a monster!
"If we can keep it a secret, that's fine. We can return it to you once you get the real thing and make a fake."

Zishu Xunshou immediately made a decision, letting Shang Lu and the others go out to rest first, leaving Gongshu Ling behind. He and Steward Sun began to explain to her the various circumstances and details of the Yunmengze amulet.

At the same time, after Shang Lu and his group left the room, the waiter waiting outside immediately came up to them and led them to the guest room—a large dormitory-style room that could accommodate twenty or thirty people.

Shang Lu didn't care. Back when he was a constable, every time he went out on a mission, he stayed in places like this.
Lü Yang, Xu Zhen, and others were equally unpretentious.

Besides, they had traveled from Xingshan to Chudu at breakneck speed. If their warhorses hadn't needed rest, they probably would have had to eat, drink, relieve themselves, and sleep on horseback.

Compared to that, having a place to lie down is already pretty good.

The key point is that only their group was arranged to stay in this large dormitory, and no one else moved in, which made them feel much more at ease.

Upon entering the communal sleeping area, Cheng Ren's large ears twitched. After a moment, he nodded to the others, indicating that the area was safe.

But no one said anything more, lest someone in the shadows overhear them.

Shang Lu gave a vague reminder: "Everyone should get some rest. Don't do any homework today."

Everyone nodded in agreement. During their time in Chu, they had to suspend their cultivation to avoid generating fluctuations in their magical power and attracting unwanted attention.

Especially pokeweed.

He majored in military shamanism and Nuo shamanism.

Both of these cultivation methods involve quite a lot of activity.

The sky quickly darkened.

After dinner, fog began to rise in the night sky.

Having heard about the power of the night fog in Chu Capital from Zi Shu's hunting expedition, and having experienced the rules of the secret realm firsthand, Shang Lu and the others naturally wouldn't take any risks and returned to their shared rooms.

Gongshu Ling has not appeared yet; I wonder if he has already begun the work of preventing the piracy of Yunmengze amulets.

Although they were indoors, no one was in a hurry to go to sleep; they were all curiously observing the night fog outside the door.

The doors and windows were already tightly closed, and even a strange talisman was pasted on them, but Shang Lu and the others were not ordinary people and could clearly sense the situation outside.

Especially the atmosphere outside.

"Tsk...this night fog is indeed a bit strange," Lu Yang said in a low voice.

Shang Lu secretly activated his spiritual insight and peeked outside through the crack in the door.

Hidden within the swirling night fog are eerie figures, drifting and swaying about, their forms unclear—whether ghosts or something else entirely…

suddenly!

One of the figures actually floated over.

"Go to bed!"

Shang Lu felt a chill and immediately withdrew his spiritual insight, then invited everyone to bed.

"Crunch, crunch..."

Soon, a sound came from the door, as if something was pushing it from the outside, but the talisman on the door prevented it from getting in.

A bloodshot eyeball was pressed against the crack in the door, peering inside.

A moment later, the "creaking" sound stopped, and the bloodshot eyeballs seemed to have left.

After a while, a voice sounded outside, like the sound of a rat on patrol, calling them to come out.

"The patrolman... the boss is calling us."

Lu Yang raised an eyebrow, but this time he didn't rush into anything. He lowered his voice and asked, "Is it the real boss... or that strange thing from before, trying to lure us out?"

"Is there even a need to ask? The landlord told us to stay inside after dark, so why would he call us from outside? If there really was something, he should have just come in and told us directly."

Shang Lu pulled the blanket over himself and said, "Go to sleep."

Since nothing outside can get in, there's nothing to be afraid of.

If you can't cultivate, then get some sleep.

In any case, even if he doesn't cultivate, it won't affect Shang Lu's cultivation progress and improvement - the spleen god statue in the Five Internal Organs Temple has been digesting the heavenly meat and other spiritual delicacies he ate before.

The four organ deities—liver, lungs, heart, and kidneys—were also busy, helping him transform and absorb spiritual energy, making it his own.

Shang Lu was deeply moved by the state of Wu Zang Temple.

It's not easy for our stomachs to finally evolve to the point where they can cure themselves!

From now on, can I just sit back and wait to win?

It was the next day in a blink of an eye.

When the fog cleared at dawn, Shang Lu and the others left the large dormitory, ate breakfast, and then split into three groups to leave the leather shop.

During this process, they still did not see Gongshu Ling, and were mostly busy imitating Hunzhu's "fish eyes".

Lü Yang went with Shang Lu to gather intelligence.

He didn't actually have any reconnaissance skills, and he didn't want to waste time in the leather shop, so he followed Shang Lu to see if he could make some arrangements.

"what?"

Not long after leaving the leather shop, Shang Lu saw a witch temple.

A strange feeling suddenly welled up in his heart, and he called to Lü Yang, "Come on, let's go in and take a look. When we're on someone else's turf, we should at least offer incense and ask for blessings."

Lü Yang was surprised: "Can a god worshipped by others really protect you?"

"That depends on whose fragrance is better."

Shang Lu laughed and turned to walk into the witch temple.

(It's been unbearably hot these past few days...)
(End of this chapter)