Chapter 45: Chapter 45: Ghost Valley Heavenly Mechanism Predicts the Prison Ground

The next evening.

Zhou Xianming had changed into a brand-new outfit and appeared at the entrance of the apothecary.

“Mr. Li, would you like to go listen to the music at the brothel?”

“Give me a moment, I’ll be right there.”

After a short while, Li Fuzhou came out, all smiles.

….

The following day, at the same time.

“Mr. Li, are you going today?”

“I’ll go right now.”

Li Fuzhou said briefly and then hurried out the door.

….

The third day.

Zhou Xianming was standing at the door but had not yet spoken.

“Let’s go.”

Li Fuzhou immediately grabbed Zhou Xianming’s arm and walked toward the distance.

An Jing watched the two fading figures and wondered, “Old Zhou clocks in right on time every day, even more punctual and diligent than during his storytelling.”

“Where is he getting the silver from? It’s really strange!”

Visiting the brothel to listen to music was not cheap, especially since Zhou Xianming was visiting the kind where an Oiran hosted, which was very expensive.

I used to go often myself, but I could ‘borrow’ to do so. Could Zhou Xianming possibly borrow as well?

The more An Jing thought about it, the stranger it seemed.

Tan Yun watched the fading figures with a smile and said, “Son-in-law, stop thinking about it. Maybe one of Mr. Zhou’s relatives died and left him a fortune.”

An Jing raised an eyebrow, “With such good fortune, why hasn’t he treated us to a meal?”

Upon hearing this, Tan Yun replied somewhat irritably, “Son-in-law, if someone in his family died, should he really be inviting us to a meal?”

“That’s also true.”

An Jing watched as the two disappeared and picked up the ancient texts on the table to continue his studies.

After the Bodhi Bead had dissolved, An Jing’s bones had fully formed a golden layer, although only a Half-step Golden Bone, it significantly surpassed the refining of an ordinary First Grade expert’s body.

Moreover, the essence left behind by the vermilion fruit and the Bodhi Bead had not allowed him to condense the Earth Flower, but he had reached the peak of the Human Flower stage, only one step away from condensing the Earth Flower.

The Human Flower is related to essence; cultivating essence nurtures the Human Flower, while the Earth Flower relates to qi. When qi is abundant and overflows, the Earth Flower can be condensed.

Thus, condensing the Earth Flower requires years of accumulation or the infusion of Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures. An Jing, having absorbed a vast amount of essence, had already reached the critical point, which was also the most intricate step.

Through the ages, although some superior Martial Arts remained confidential, the methods and techniques of breakthrough were public knowledge.

It was recorded in books on Martial Arts, but also in the same ancient texts, it all depended on research and sudden comprehension.

After a while, An Jing put down the ancient text, stretched his limbs, and then walked with his hands clasped behind his back to the Yu State River.

Little Black, seeing An Jing walking out, also followed with enthusiastic barks.

At that moment, he noticed that there was a pleasure boat in the distant river with a red lantern hanging on it.

This was Mu Xiaoyun’s agreement with him; as long as the red lantern was hung on the pleasure boat, it indicated that they could proceed with their plans.

“Old Jiang is finally willing to get things moving.”

An Jing muttered to himself.

…..

On the Yu State River, a painted boat adorned with red lanterns drifted with the waves.

Jiang Sanjia had changed into a black and white Daoist robe, sitting cross-legged on a cushion, his face devoid of any expression. In front of him were dozens of stacked turtle shells.

Additionally, beside him was a small furnace emitting black and purple flames.

This was the Turtle Shell Divination of the Ghost Valley Sect, the unique skill that had made Jiang Sanjia famous.

An Jing and Mu Xiaoyun were seated on either side.

Mu Xiaoyun’s eyebrows were tightly furrowed, deep in thought, while An Jing appeared curious, observing Jiang Sanjia.

“Why do I feel this has a bit of a Mystical Sect flavor?”

Both Jiang Sanjia’s attire and the patterns on the turtle shells before him bore many similarities to the Daoist practices of Great Yan.

“You’re right,”

Jiang Sanjia nodded, saying, “Actually, thousands of years ago, the Ghost Valley Sect and the Zhenyi Sect were one and the same.”

“Oh?”

This was the first time An Jing had heard this secret.

The Ghost Valley Sect was exceptionally mysterious in the martial world, its numbers extremely few. Though few in number, no one underestimated the Ghost Valley Sect. The Zhenyi Sect, however, was even more formidable.

The national religion of the Great Yan, the number one sect under the heavens.

The Zhenyi Sect had originally been very powerful, and after it had assisted the current Human Emperor in a coup, its influence had grown even mightier, directly established as the state religion of the current dynasty.

The Zhenyi Sect had its own temples throughout Great Yan, truly spreading across the entire empire, with a temple in Lijiang City in Jiangnan Dao.

Its disciples, numerous and diverse, now numbered well over hundreds of thousands in Great Yan, intertwining with many noble families.

Some said that the Zhenyi Sect was the imperial court of the Great Yan Martial World.

Others claimed that there were two rulers under heaven: one was the Human Emperor in the lofty hall, and the other was Xiao Qianqiu, whose might shuddered the world and who presided over Zhenyi Mountain as the Sect Leader.

Although these were just rumors from the marketplace, they reflected the deep influence of the Zhenyi Sect.

An Jing hadn’t expected that the Ghost Valley Sect actually had some connection with the Zhenyi Sect.

Jiang Sanjia looked at An Jing with a smile that was not quite a smile, saying, “However, the Zhenyi Sect and our Ghost Valley Sect have long been as water is to fire, with a history of deep grievances. Zhou, since you’ve learned my Hundred-step Flying Sword, you are counted as a named disciple of our Ghost Valley Sect. You should be cautious in the future.”

“What do you mean by that!?”

An Jing’s eyebrows rose.

By learning the Hundred-step Flying Sword, had he somehow provoked the Zhenyi Sect?

The Zhenyi Sect was a true behemoth, with top masters as common as carp across the river, and it even housed Grandmasters within its ranks. Its Sect Leader was publicly recognized as the top figure in the Great Yan, the State Preceptor to the Human Emperor.

If, because of this Hundred-step Flying Sword, he had attracted the attention of such a behemoth, An Jing felt that it was a losing deal no matter how he thought of it.

Jiang Sanjia fell silent for a long while, not speaking. His gaze turned toward the turtle shells on the table.

“Thud!”

As Inner Strength circulated, the furnace beside him landed on the table. Then, flicking his fingers, the turtle shells on the table also began to levitate.

The turtle shells kept spinning and eventually formed a semicircle around the furnace.

Feeling the proximity of the turtle shells, the black and purple flames on the furnace grew more vigorous, as if they were about to melt the turtle shells altogether.

The temperature inside the painted boat suddenly rose.

About several dozen breaths later, the turtle shells, unable to withstand the fierce flames, developed numerous cracks, which emitted golden glows densely packed together.

With a casual flick of his finger, Jiang Sanjia caused one of the turtle shells to fall onto the table, while the rest lined up in a row, eventually all settling down on the table.

Was this the Ghost Valley Heavenly Mechanism?

An Jing looked at the turtle shells on the table, the patterns very clear yet quite similar, something that ordinary people couldn’t make heads or tails of.

With a flick of his finger, Jiang Sanjia’s complexion gradually turned pale. Between his index and middle finger, red blood seeped out, slowly dripping onto the turtle shell.