Even Master Shenshan of Jing'an Temple, a grandmaster-level figure known for his lofty bearing, showed great respect toward Huizhen. After some courteous exchanges, Huizhen took a seat just below Master Shenshan. Even then, many cultivators continued to come forward to greet and reminisce with him. Huizhen’s gaze soon fell on Li Yanchu, who was quietly sipping wine in a corner. With an apologetic smile to those around him, he rose and walked over toward Li Yanchu. “Daoist Master Yanchu, Young Master Bai, we meet again.” he smiled warmly as he approached them. “Greetings, Master Huizhen.” Li Yanchu and Bai Hongtu returned the greeting with friendly smiles. The three chatted briefly before Huizhen returned to his seat. After all, just three days earlier, Li Yanchu and Bai Hongtu had stepped in and helped him fend off a traitorous member of Buddhism. Huizhen had taken this favor to heart. Now, as the others glanced over at the pair, their gazes had subtly shifted. Originally, they’d just seemed like an obscure young Daoist and a wealthy young lord. But who would’ve expected that a high monk of Huizhen’s standing would approach them personally, and not with the tone of a senior addressing juniors, but as if speaking to peers? That kind of treatment... carried weight. This discovery made the cultivators present all the more curious about Li Yanchu and Bai Hongtu’s identities. Li Yanchu himself didn’t feel much about it, but Bai Hongtu, sensing the subtle change in atmosphere, couldn’t help but sit up a little straighter. Even his smile became a touch more reserved and dignified. “What’s with the smile?” Li Yanchu popped a sweet pastry into his mouth as he glanced over at Bai Hongtu. Bai Hongtu gave a faint, mysterious smile, his whole demeanor now exuding the calm confidence of a young expert with hidden depth. Li Yanchu paused for a beat, then he calmly dragged the plate of pastries in front of Bai Hongtu over to himself. Seeing this, Bai Hongtu fell speechless. Once everyone was seated, Master Shenshan stood and began to speak, “Fellow cultivators, this Exorcism Assembly has been called for the purpose of eradicating the evil corpse within the great tomb. The task ahead is certain to be perilous. Yet all of you, unafraid of hardship, have come nonetheless. I’m deeply moved and offer my thanks on behalf of the common people.” Despite being nearly sixty, the old monk’s voice was as resonant as a great bell. Even though he spoke in a low tone, every word was clearly heard by everyone present. The once lively hall fell completely silent the moment he spoke. Everyone, as if on cue, closed their mouths respectfully. After hearing Master Shenshan’s speech, many people responded humbly, expressing that it was their duty to uphold righteousness and eliminate evil. Afterward, Master Shenshan delivered another rousing address. Listening to it, Li Yanchu couldn’t help but feel his fighting spirit rise, and a surge of determination and focused clarity stirred in his chest. “This master truly has great cultivation skills,” he murmured, exchanging a glance with Bai Hongtu. Indeed, Master Shenshan’s speech contained hidden Buddhist mantras, which unconsciously bolstered the faith and resolve of everyone present. It was a subtle, invisible effect, but one that showcased his profound cultivation. Thᴇ link to the origɪn of this information rᴇsts ɪn novel·fıre·net To Li Yanchu, this was like a commander giving a pre-battle pep talk, except this commander’s speech came with a built-in spiritual buff. Next came the logistics for tomorrow’s descent into the tomb. Tonight’s banquet was essentially a social mixer, allowing everyone to get acquainted in advance, since they’d be acting as allies, not rivals, in the coming battle. During the feast, a few people took it upon themselves to introduce others. That was when Li Yanchu finally learned that the young man dressed like a boatman was a ferryman named Hu Li. A ferryman, also known as an underworld ferryman, was skilled in navigating bodies of water and interacting with wandering spirits. It was said that the tomb in question held underground rivers, and Hu Li had likely been invited for that very purpose. The effeminate-looking scholar was named Wang Yunting. Though he appeared to be a Confucian scholar by dress, in truth, he was a bona fide tomb raider. Of course, they preferred the more elegant title, Mojin Xiaowei[1]. Wang Yunting hailed from a northern tomb-robbing lineage, and was particularly skilled in mechanism traps, terrain surveying, and deciphering ancient structures. It was said that his family elders had ties with Yongxing Temple, and with the backing of such a reputable orthodox sect, Li Yanchu’s gaze softened a bit when looking at him. Otherwise, judging from appearances alone, this guy practically screamed “Bare Body Sect.” Still, at this point, no one could say for certain who might or might not be connected to the Bare Body Sect. Even Guanxin, a monk raised in Lingxi Temple who later joined the capital’s Buddhist holy ground, Great Xiangguo Temple, had ended up murdering his own junior uncle, and only then was it revealed he was with the Bare Body Sect. As for the burly middle-aged man with the fierce dog at his side, his name was Zhang Ping, from the Zhang family of the Southwest. The Zhang family practiced a rather obscure tradition; they were of the beast-taming lineage. They could communicate with animals, controlling birds and beasts to accomplish their goals. To most orthodox cultivators, people from the Zhang family were seen as fringe practitioners, more akin to circus performers than serious cultivators. Yet the Zhang family had a long-standing lineage, having practiced their beast-taming techniques even before the founding of the Qian Kingdom. The banquet lasted late into the night. The Liang family arranged accommodations for the cultivators, who would be heading into the tomb at noon the next day. Meanwhile, Li Yanchu and Bai Hongtu returned to Qingyun Temple. It was Li Yanchu’s first time seeing so many cultivators gathered in one place. He found it all quite novel and felt a growing sense of anticipation for tomorrow’s tomb descent. The great tomb was undeniably dangerous, but seeing so many Buddhist and Daoist experts and eccentric folk masters assembled gave him added confidence. Just like that, the night passed without incident. The next morning, Li Yanchu arrived at Taiping Inn as usual, where the innkeeper had already prepared a hearty breakfast for him. Bai Hongtu, on the other hand, very considerately found himself a street stall elsewhere. After all, the women he was familiar with were all from the entertainment district. From them, he was only ever served wine in the depths of night, and never porridge in the morning. The whole morning, aside from a brief early encounter, Li Yanchu didn’t see Bai Hongtu again. It wasn’t until they were nearly about to set off that Bai Hongtu finally rushed back. “Where did you run off to?” Li Yanchu’s gaze fell on the bundle slung over Bai Hongtu’s back. Bai Hongtu gave a mysterious smile. “Preparing for the tomb descent, of course. I placed an order at the apothecary days ago.” He began unpacking items one by one like showing off treasures. “Look, top-grade glutinous rice, blood from the fiercest fighting cock at the arena, and a black donkey hoof. I made sure Blackie didn’t see it. I’m afraid that donkey would kick me if it knew. These are antidote pellets, these are toxin-repelling pills, all expensive high-quality stuff. “This is realgar powder, good for repelling poisonous insects. These are Chen’s best waterproof fire starters. I also got us three jin of top-tier pastries from Liu’s shop at the South Gate, and this is clean drinking water.” Bai Hongtu rattled off the contents of his bundle like reciting from a prized inventory. “Liu’s pastries?” Li Yanchu raised an eyebrow. Everything else sounded impressively professional, but pastries? Bai Hongtu chuckled and explained, “Think about it. If we run into some danger during the exorcism and end up trapped in the tomb, we’ll need rations to stave off hunger, right?” Li Yanchu gave him a surprised look. “Your family used to run a proper business, didn’t they?” 1. Mojin Xiaowei is an official military title in ancient China, first established by Cao Cao during the Three Kingdoms period. Put simply, it was like being the director of a state-run tomb-raiding bureau. In ancient times, the title referred to those tasked with excavating tombs and retrieving valuables to fund military expenses. In later usage, it became a general term for tomb raiders. ☜