Travel through the heavens

Fu Qingfeng and Fu Yuechi stayed at the General's Mansion for two more days, during which Gu Yueqing accompanied them the whole time.

However, she had official duties to fulfill, and the Fu sisters did not want to bother her any longer, so they offered to resign.

Although Gu Yueqing was reluctant to part, she also knew that gatherings and separations were inevitable.

The next morning, as dawn broke, Gu Yueqing and Fang Muye personally escorted the two of them to the west gate.

Gu Yueqing handed Fu Qingfeng a purse containing travel expenses and a bundle containing dried food and meat, earnestly instructing him: "The journey is long, so you two must take good care of yourselves. Don't rush and miss your lodgings. Be cautious in all situations, especially at night. When you get home, remember to send a message to let us know you're safe."

Fu Qingfeng carefully put away the purse and bundle, and replied gently, "Don't worry, sister, we've remembered everything. Please take good care of yourselves in Anping, sister and brother-in-law."

Fu Yuechi's eyes were already slightly red. She held Gu Yueqing's sleeve tightly, her voice a little nasal: "Sister Yueqing, I haven't learned enough marksmanship from you yet! Next time I come, I must stay longer, and you have to teach me all the powerful moves!"

Then she turned to Fang Muye and forced a smile: "Brother-in-law, next time I come, I'll want to hear you tell me those interesting stories from the books again."

Fang Muye nodded with a smile: "Okay, have a safe journey."

After saying their farewells, Fu Qingfeng and Fu Yuechi mounted their horses.

The two sisters waved goodbye to Gu Yueqing and Fang Muye one last time, gave a soft shout, and rode away.

Fang Muye and Gu Yueqing stood watching until the two riders disappeared into the distance at the end of the official road before returning to their residence.

After seeing off the Fu sisters, the General's Mansion returned to its usual pace.

Gu Yueqing still gets up at dawn every day, washes up, eats breakfast, and then changes into her signature red battle robe before heading to the Zhenfu Division to handle official business. She might review case files in the office or personally lead a team to deal with some difficult cases, often returning home only after dusk.

Fang Muye, on the other hand, found himself with plenty of leisure time. He would either browse through books in his study to further understand the customs, history, geography, and legends of demons and ghosts in this world, or stroll around Anping City to observe the daily life of ordinary people and listen to the gossip in the alleys. Occasionally, he would go to a teahouse to listen to the strange tales told by storytellers, and he found his own enjoyment in it.

On this day, Fang Muye closed a book of miscellaneous notes in his study and suddenly remembered that when he had a chance encounter with the old Taoist priest Yu Lingzi in the market, he had said that if he had free time, he could go to Qingfeng Temple on Erlong Mountain to find him.

With nothing else to do, Fang Muye decided to pay a visit.

He asked the steward of the manor for directions to Qingfeng Temple on Erlong Mountain, and then asked him to prepare a horse. So he rode alone out of the north gate and headed towards Erlong Mountain as the steward had indicated.

Erlong Mountain is located about 20 miles north of Anping City. Although the mountain is not particularly high or steep, it is still covered with lush greenery and is quiet and pleasant.

Fang Muye let his horse roam freely along the mountain path. He saw lush pine and cypress trees, babbling brooks, and birdsong echoing through the secluded mountains. It was indeed a tranquil place far from the hustle and bustle of the world, a place to cultivate one's mind and spirit.

As you walk halfway up the mountain to a slightly gentle slope, a Taoist temple appears nestled among the green pines and cypresses.

The Taoist temple is not large, with gray walls and blue tiles, exuding a simple and ancient atmosphere.

Two slightly mottled vermilion wooden doors were ajar, with a black plaque hanging above them bearing the three large characters "Qingfeng Temple" in vigorous strokes, conveying a sense of otherworldly tranquility.

Fang Muye tied his horse to an old pine tree in front of the temple, walked slowly forward, and gently knocked on the door knocker.

Before long, the door creaked open, revealing Yu Lingzi's lean and smiling face.

The old Taoist priest had changed into a blue robe today, and his hair was still tied up with a wooden hairpin. When he saw that it was Fang Muye, his smile deepened, and he bowed and said, "May the Heavenly Venerable grant you boundless blessings. This morning, I saw magpies perched on branches and chirping incessantly, so I knew that a distinguished guest had come from afar. It turns out that it is Layman Ning who has graced us with his presence. Please come in."

Fang Muye returned the greeting with a cupped hand and said with a smile, "I apologize for the intrusion and for disturbing your peaceful cultivation, Daoist."

Upon entering the temple, one finds that Qingfeng Temple is not large, consisting of only one courtyard, a main hall with three bays, and two side rooms on each side. The courtyard is square, paved with bluestone, and very clean.

In the center of the courtyard stands an old pine tree with gnarled branches, its canopy spreading out gracefully, beneath which sits a stone table and several stone benches.

Yu Lingzi led Fang Muye to sit on a stone bench, said "Please sit for a moment, layman," and then turned and walked to the kitchen on the side. After a short while, he brought back a pot of boiling water, took out tea leaves from the earthenware pot and put them into two tea bowls, and poured in boiling water.

In an instant, a refreshing tea aroma carrying the scent of the mountains and fields filled the air.

"In this remote mountain place, there is nothing of value to offer, only this mountain tea that I picked and prepared myself. Please do not find it too simple, sir." Yu Lingzi pushed a bowl of tea in front of Fang Muye.

Fang Muye took the cup and saw that the tea soup was clear and green. He took a sip and found it slightly astringent at first, but the aftertaste was sweet and lingering. He couldn't help but praise, "Good tea, refreshing and invigorating, truly a wonderful cup of tea."

Yu Lingzi stroked his beard and smiled: "You flatter me, layman."

The two sat facing each other, drinking tea. Fang Muye looked around the quiet and simple Taoist temple and casually asked, "Is the Taoist priest the only one practicing in the temple?"

Yu Lingzi shook his head gently and smiled, "Not really. There is also a young boy, who is my disciple. He usually helps with the miscellaneous affairs of the temple and serves the incense. However, he went to the city early this morning to buy rice and other necessities, so there is only me in the temple at the moment."

After a few words of small talk, Fang Muye put down his teacup and got down to business: "Does the Taoist priest still remember Mr. Wang, whom the Taoist priest saw was possessed by evil spirits?"

Yu Lingzi raised his eyebrows and nodded, saying, "I remember that layman Wang had a dark and gloomy face, and was surrounded by yin energy. I tried to enlighten him several times, but he remained tight-lipped."

A hint of concern appeared on his face: "What happened next? Could it be... that something unexpected happened?"

Fang Muye then recounted how Wang Shunsheng discovered that the woman he had taken in at the academy was a painted-skin ghost. In his horror, he went to the Zhenfu Division to report the case. The garrison general personally led a team to capture her. After being captured, the ghost tearfully recounted her ordeal, mentioning that she had been harmed by the "Yin-Yang Dharma King" and imprisoned as a maid in the Yin-Yang realm. Unable to bear the torture, she escaped to the human world and was temporarily taken in by Gu Yueqing using the Buddhist artifact "Eight Treasures Lotus Box." In the end, she was sent to a Buddhist high monk for salvation. He told the story in detail.

He spoke concisely, yet left out every crucial detail.

Yu Lingzi listened quietly, stroking his long beard in his hand, his expression gradually becoming solemn as the story unfolded.

After Fang Muye finished speaking, he remained silent for a moment, then sighed softly: "I never expected that this matter would involve the Yin-Yang Dharma King. That painted-skin female ghost was able to escape the control of the Yin-Yang Dharma King by taking advantage of the situation; she was quite lucky."

Fang Muye observed the man's expression and noticed that he looked quite solemn when the man mentioned the "Yin-Yang Dharma King." So he asked, "Judging from your tone, it seems you know about this Yin-Yang Dharma King?"

Yu Lingzi nodded, her gaze lingering on the old pine tree in the courtyard, gradually becoming distant.