Pure Yang!

Chapter 481 The Great Demon of Qinling! Lord of Beizhang

Throughout history, the world has been full of extraordinary people.

Li Jiugong is a truly extraordinary man.

“I heard from the elders in the sect that this person belongs to an unknown sect or school, but is proficient in the method of finding dragons and possesses the skill of slaying dragons. He is not well-known, but he is incredibly powerful,” Meng Qiwu said softly.

The rise and fall of the world, good fortune and misfortune, all originate from the dragon vein. Even great medicines, rare treasures, spiritual embryos of heaven and earth, and even secret grottoes and hidden realms are all born from the dragon vein.

Li Jiugong was able to observe the qi to find the dragon, discern life and death, turn good and bad fortune, and seize the destiny of the dragon vein. He was a rare genius in this world. With such abilities, it was no wonder that he could become the master of this Yin Ruins.

"The world is so vast, there are truly always people more capable than you," Zhang Fan couldn't help but sigh.

The world is never short of people with extraordinary talents. Although his encounters were extraordinary and his level of skill gradually increased, he became more respectful and dared not underestimate the masters of the world.

"It's just ahead."

Meng Qiwu suddenly whispered.

Although the Yinxu was vast, Zhang Fan had no interest in wandering around at the moment. The two quickened their pace and soon arrived at a shop.

“This is the shop he mentioned to me,” Meng Qiwu said softly.

During the last two days, although she did not stay with Li Yishan, she heard from him that he came to Yinxu for this shop, and it seemed that he had his eye on something and had been pestering him for a long time.

“Nan Shi Ji? A restaurant?” Zhang Fan looked up at the bright red characters on the old signboard, a questioning look on his face.

"No." Meng Qiwu shook his head and pushed open the door to go inside.

Yinxu is very large, with many shops and all sorts of strange names. Some of these shops are so hidden that they don't even have names, and their locations change every few days.

"Is anyone here?" Meng Qiwu called out.

Zhang Fan looked around. The shop wasn't big; it was probably converted from an old house in the ancient city. The shelves on both sides were made of bones, which looked eerie and unsettling.

Oil lamps were lit in the shop, their oil glowing yellow and not resembling animal fat. In modern society, such oil lamps would seem out of place, but in this underground world, they were quite fitting.

"Hmm? This is Yin Ghost Wood?"

Zhang Fan walked to the shelf and his gaze fell on a piece of rotten wood. The exposed part had a texture somewhat like a skeleton.

This strange wood used to only be found in mass graves, nurtured by decaying corpses and the earth's energy, taking a hundred years to mature.

Xu Jiuzhi's treasure ship was made of Yin Ghost Wood.

Nowadays, cremation is prevalent, so this kind of wood is not easy to find.

It's so small, it's obviously impossible to build a ship with it.

It is said that Taoist priests of the Yinshan lineage like to use this kind of wood to raise ghosts.

In addition, placing a piece of this kind of wood in a haunted house can also have a purifying effect.

“This kind of wood is more expensive than gold per gram,” Meng Qiwu murmured.

She looked behind the shop, but there was still no movement. However, she didn't say anything and waited patiently.

"This is... human soul mud?"

Just then, Zhang Fan turned his gaze and saw a handful of black soil piled up in an earthenware pot on the shelf next to him. The soil was charcoal-like in texture and had a faint fishy smell.

"Indeed," Meng Qiwu confirmed.

"The things here are really a bit like the underworld," Zhang Fan couldn't help but say.

In the past, when someone hanged themselves, their soul would fall to the ground and, combined with the earth's energy, would transform into a medicine—this is the kind of thing that exists.

The spirit of someone who hanged themselves is said to be able to be found by digging below where they were hanged.

The longer it goes on, the deeper it needs to be dug, because this kind of thing will follow the earth's energy. Most importantly, if this thing is not dug out, someone will hang themselves here in the future.

This stuff isn't very useful to ordinary people. Its only function is to mix morning dew with mud and apply it to the center of the forehead, which allows one to see many things that are normally invisible, as if guided by divine insight.

“These kinds of treasures are very rare now. The market price has been rising steadily in the last two years, and they are hard to find outside,” Meng Qiwu said softly.

In modern society, there are not many people who hang themselves, and besides, everywhere is reinforced concrete, so where are you going to find beams or dig soil?
For this reason, human soul mud is even rarer than ghost wood.

“You know… if we gather all those evil spirits and heretics together and make them hang themselves, could this thing be mass-produced?” Zhang Fan suddenly asked.

"..."

Upon hearing this, Meng Qiwu's eyes widened as he stared at Zhang Fan, his expression turning strange.

"You really are a righteous person who is actually evil."

"Sorry for the wait."

Just then, a clear voice came from behind the shop.

Zhang Fan looked up and saw a middle-aged man walk out. He was tall and thin, with big eyes and a straight nose, giving him a somewhat Western Region appearance. He was wearing a pair of shiny black leather shoes.

"My surname is Liang. May I ask what you two would like to order?"

The man in black leather shoes looked Zhang Fan and Meng Qiwu up and down.

"Mr. Liang, we've come here today to ask you about something."

As he spoke, Meng Qiwu took out his phone, opened the photo album, and a photo appeared on the screen.

Zhang Fan glanced at it and was stunned.

It was a group photo, a photo of Li Yishan and Meng Qiwu.

"Have you seen this man before?" Meng Qiwu asked.

"This young man? I've seen him before, he's been coming here often these past few days," Boss Liang said casually.

Upon hearing that he wasn't there to buy anything, his enthusiasm instantly diminished by a third.

"What did he buy here?" Meng Qiwu's eyes lit up as he pressed for an answer.

As soon as he finished speaking, Boss Liang burst into laughter.

"why are you laughing?"

“Miss Meng, you’re not new to this business. How come you’ve forgotten the rules? How could we, who are in business, talk nonsense about our customers?” Boss Liang said with a squinty smile.

"You know me?" Meng Qiwu raised an eyebrow, revealing a strange expression.

"The best place to do business is in the Yinxu."

"This is Chang'an after all, and Miss Meng is a highly accomplished disciple of Zhongnan Mountain. Although I don't know her personally, I certainly do," Boss Liang said with a light laugh.

“He was my friend, but now he’s disappeared…” Meng Qiwu said in a deep voice.

"This has nothing to do with me..."

Before Meng Qiwu could finish speaking, Boss Liang raised his hand to interrupt him.

"If everyone does this, will I still be able to do business?"

"You're not going to tell me?" Meng Qiwu's expression darkened slightly, and a hint of coldness surged in her beautiful eyes.

Such a move was tantamount to a provocation, and Boss Liang's expression instantly turned cold.

"It seems Miss Meng is so concerned that she has forgotten where she is."

No sooner had he finished speaking than a cold snort echoed in Meng Qiwu's ears.

Rumble…

Immediately afterwards, a terrifying aura soared into the sky, like a vast fog, filling the heavens and earth, and crushing towards Meng Qiwu.

"An expert!?"

Meng Qiwu's expression changed drastically, his brow trembled, and three layers of primordial light rose up, but they could not withstand this terrifying pressure.

Clearly, this unassuming and seemingly gentle Boss Liang is actually a master, and a master far superior to her.

hum...

Meng Qiwu's primordial spirit was terrified and almost lost control.

In a place like Yinxu, her actions just now did seem too impulsive and reckless.

"Isn't Boss Liang's temper a bit too much?"

Just then, a faint sigh rang out.

Rumble…

The dilapidated shop seemed to stir up a turbulent upheaval, like the surging waves of a river, a boiling tide.

Boss Liang's eyes widened in disbelief.

Just now, his primordial spirit was like a colossal beast, crushing Meng Qiwu's primordial spirit, looking down at him as if he were an ant.

Suddenly, an unprecedented sense of crisis arose within him. He looked up sharply and saw a pair of cold eyes staring straight at him.

Those eyes, high above, seemed otherworldly, like those of an immortal gazing down upon the mortal realm.

hum...

When Boss Liang came to his senses, he was still in the shop, but his primordial spirit was already in a hand. "You...you are...a powerful expert!?"

Boss Liang looked at Zhang Fan in horror, hardly believing it.

He recognized Meng Qiwu the moment he entered, and therefore his attention remained focused on Meng Qiwu.

Who would have thought that this unassuming young man beside him was actually a master of the Zhai Shou realm!?

A powerful master of such a young age!?

An Wuyang? No... An Wuyang is a descendant of Zhongnan Mountain, and he has seen his appearance and figure before.

Moreover, although An Wuyang possesses extraordinary talent, it seems that he has not yet achieved great success in his life cultivation.

Mr. Liang was so excited that he could hardly control himself, and countless thoughts arose in his mind.

He racked his brains but couldn't think of any outstanding young man among the Taoist sects and the Pure Yang family who had already reached the Zhai Shou realm and refined a Xuan Dan at such a young age.

"It turned out to be a powerful demon."

Just then, Zhang Fan's voice rang out.

He looked at the primordial spirit in his palm, which resembled a gray wolf.

"A wolf demon!?"

Meng Qiwu was moved; her eyesight and understanding were naturally insufficient to discern that this Boss Liang was a powerful demon.

In fact, unless one's cultivation level is significantly higher, most demons and ghosts, as long as they do not reveal their true nature and remain hidden within a human body, will not be able to detect their presence.

Moreover, this Boss Liang is a powerful demon who has achieved great success in cultivation. His realm surpasses that of Meng Qiwu, and he is at least at the fifth or sixth level of the Great Master realm.

Besides, he had occupied this body for over twenty years, and they were perfectly compatible, with no rejection reaction whatsoever, making it a perfect match.

"Are you a great demon from the Qinling Mountains?" Zhang Fan asked calmly.

The closest hidden mountain and sea paradise to Chang'an is the Qinling Mountains, stretching for three thousand miles.

"Yes." Boss Liang gritted his teeth and nodded heavily.

At this moment, he didn't even dare to look Zhang Fan in the eye. He was like a fish on a chopping board, and this young man could crush him with just a flick of his finger.

Zhang Fan smiled and waved his hand, and Boss Liang's primordial spirit returned to his body.

He swayed and subconsciously took two steps back. The composure and calmness he had shown before were gone from his gaze towards Zhang Fan. His expression was now filled with deep solemnity and apprehension.

"Mr. Liang, harmony brings wealth. Business deals need to be negotiated properly. I think you understand this principle better than I do," Zhang Fan said calmly.

“I understand,” Boss Liang said in a low voice, his expression darkening.

At this moment, Zhang Fan stopped making a move, and the pressure on him only increased.

To him, the young man stood there, yet his aura was boundless, as if everything was enveloped by his overwhelming presence.

The general trend is vast and all-encompassing.

This invisible pressure is more terrifying than actually taking action.

"What did my friend buy from you?" Zhang Fan suddenly asked.

"If Mr. Liang wants to make friends, please say so. If Mr. Liang says no, I will turn around and leave."

Upon hearing this, Boss Liang was slightly moved.

Meng Qiwu, standing beside him, changed his expression even more: "Really leaving?"

“If he utters even half a word of no, I’ll beat him up,” Zhang Fan said, turning his head.

"..."

"Did I make a sound?" Zhang Fan turned to look at Boss Liang.

"..."

“He bought a manuscript from me,” Boss Liang said through gritted teeth.

"Manuscript? What manuscript?" Zhang Fan pressed.

Boss Liang's expression changed slightly, and he hesitated, undecided.

"Well then, you should still have some photocopies here, right?" Zhang Fan changed the subject.

Shops usually keep rubbings or photocopies of treasures such as stone carvings, rubbings, and manuscripts.

"there is……"

"I'll take one..."

"That should be fine, right?"

Mr. Liang was taken aback for a moment, then nodded: "Wait a moment."

As he spoke, he turned around and went around to the counter, squatted down, and then took out a wooden box and walked to Zhang Fan.

"This manuscript is priceless, and even though this is a photocopy, it's still not cheap," Mr. Liang said in a low voice.

"How much?" Zhang Fan asked.

"One hundred thousand."

"One hundred thousand? You're asking me for one hundred thousand for a photocopy?" Zhang Fan almost shouted.

"Mr. Liang, this is my first time doing business, can you give me a discount?"

Seeing Zhang Fan rubbing his hands together in anticipation, Boss Liang's face twitched, and he gritted his teeth and said, "Ninety thousand, that's the lowest I can go."

"Ninety thousand is still too much. Take it or leave it, this amount."

As he spoke, Zhang Fan made an "eight" gesture.

"Eighty thousand? No... this business isn't just mine, eighty thousand is really..."

“Eighty!” Zhang Fan corrected.

"Eighty... dollars!?" Boss Liang asked in astonishment.

"As it should be!"

Zhang Fan nodded and took the wooden box from the shocked Boss Liang.

"Boss Liang, you guys are really ruthless, asking for 100,000 yuan in one go. This box must be worth 99,000 yuan."

"Don't worry, I'll leave the box to you."

As he spoke, Zhang Fan opened the wooden box, and inside was indeed a yellowed piece of paper.

The photocopies here are all made on old paper, but they're covered with all sorts of strange writing.

“These are runes!” Zhang Fan recognized them at a glance.

In the past, some Taoist priests liked to use talismans when writing records. This kind of script was generally only used when drawing talismans.

For example, one type of rune represents flames, while another type represents golden light.

In addition, the talismans used to invoke deities also vary. For example, the talisman representing Marshal Tianpeng is a talisman shaped like fangs and wearing a ceremonial crown.

To know the contents of this manuscript, one must understand the meaning of each rune.

"The person who left this manuscript was a master of talismans."

Zhang Fan seemed to be deep in thought, his eyes darting to the signature at the bottom of the manuscript.

"north!?"

Zhang Fan was stunned for a moment. The signature was also a strange rune mark. The character "北" (North) with its flowing strokes transformed into a high mountain standing on the vast ocean.

"What does this mean?" Zhang Fan asked, puzzled.

Meng Qiwu came closer, but didn't recognize him either.

"That's a name..." Boss Liang suddenly said, "There's only one person in the world who has ever used such a name seal..."

"Nowadays... I'm afraid not many people know him."

"Who?" Zhang Fan asked.

“Zhang Beiming!” Boss Liang uttered a name.

"Zhang Beiming!?"

Zhang Fan was stunned for a moment, then exchanged a glance with Meng Qiwu, clearly both of them were extremely unfamiliar with the name.

"Who is he?" Zhang Fan asked.

"The Lord of Beizhang..."

"He is the first patriarch of the Zhang family of Longhu, the Northern Zhang lineage!"

(End of this chapter)