Cloudy invitation from 1418

The candlelight within the paper lanterns flickered faintly, casting an eerie glow amidst the dark mountains and dimly lit village.This is not a normal village; except for this courtyard, the other ho...From Master Huaisui, we learned about the recent happenings of the Xuanhuan Assembly.

This is a non-sectarian and non-profit organization of practitioners.

But after all, performing rituals is a very costly, time-consuming, and energy-consuming thing, and it's also easy to be contaminated by karmic obstacles. It's impossible to make it into a charity organization.

Therefore, the Tongxuan Hui has branches in various locations. These branches do not require a specific office space; they are usually managed by members of the Tongxuan Hui who collect information, connect with clients, and then compile the information. The mages within the organization then look for cases that fall within their areas of expertise to handle matters for the clients.

So many newcomers, joining the Tongxuanhui is like having a supply and demand information system. And Master Huicqing also established a website and APP, of course, all are full of insider jargon. Outsiders might think it's just a joke community.

Once an ordinary person experiences the convenience brought by a Tong Xuan Hui master, they will strongly recommend it to their relatives and friends, with a surprisingly widespread effect.

This way of delegation is very in line with current social habits and emotions.

You're asking someone who's never been exposed to monastic or secular practices, and suddenly finds themselves in trouble, to build a belief system, then navigate the circles and desperately search for a master. That's incredibly difficult and easily leads to being deceived.

But if you give him a way to directly commission a mage to solve the issue for money, things become much simpler.

Each great family and sect now has a designated person to establish a contact point at the Tongxuan Meeting. Your Shen family does too, but it seems that the Mu family is not interested. Master Huisqing looked at my brother.

"Nonsense!" my brother glared at him.

My brother is the son-in-law of the current "elder" and he hasn't even had time to clear his name, how could he dare openly associate with the Tongxuan Society.

“Well.” Abbot Huqing shrugged. “This is a platform for communication within the industry. I think Mr. Lin has really good vision. Perhaps others see him as someone who invests purely and doesn't care about gains or losses, wanting to plant his ears and eyes in this circle. However, he's far-sighted and sees the value and 'business opportunities' of this circle.”

My brother smirked and said, "This kind of resource integration takes both vision and capability. Even if an ordinary person thought of it, they wouldn't have the ability to do it. And even if they did, it would attract attention from relevant government departments, who would shut them down and seize their assets. Anyone with a little common sense wouldn't dare touch this. Only Lin Yanhuan has the skill to pull it off."

Huiqing monk nodded in agreement, then continued, "Actually, the Xuanhui Society doesn't need much funding for its normal operations. Everything is self-sufficient. Resources and information are abundant, so we don't lack money... It's just that recently there seem to have been quite a few... strange places appearing. Several mages who went to handle them disappeared for a while. After they returned, their personalities changed drastically, and they didn't want to take any more commissions anymore. Moreover, they all looked very unwell."

"What do you mean 'it's bad' Don't beat around the bush, just say it!" my brother said.

Hsu Ching nodded, twirling the rosary beads in his hand, and said softly: "I remember you mentioned before that your master had also been afflicted by sinister Qi, a calamity that greatly harms the body. Just getting someone to remove the poison would cost millions…"

We nodded, indeed. Even Cheng Bansxian was quite unhappy about it. This detoxification process is very damaging to him as well.

"I have seen a wizard who went missing for a short time. His mind didn't seem too affected, but his temperament was completely different, as if... he was split in two, like a different person." Master Huisqing said, frowning.

"If it were a problem with his psychic abilities, that would be one thing, but I'm afraid he might have been possessed by some evil entity. But a person's character is the hardest thing to change. How could it possibly change so drastically in such a short time" I asked, puzzled.

Master Huqing nodded. "Right, that's what I thought too, especially since cultivators shouldn't behave this way. But considering what Miss Xiaoqiao and Master Mu just said, I have a feeling there's a huge scheme at play..."

Think about how busy we've been lately, days just fly by. We close our eyes and when we open them again, time has vanished. But during the day, it feels like each hour drags on forever.

The Demon Realm has been unusually active, and it's unclear why the passage needs to be opened. The bronze amulet with a small Buddha figure appeared sometime between seven and eight hundred years ago during a period of chaos. This chaotic era was marked not only by widespread suffering and bloodshed, but also by fierce conflict between orthodox and heterodox sects, making it a time of great confusion and intrigue.

Those bronze talismans with miniature Buddha figures were forged by practitioners who had fallen to demonic ways in the mortal realm. They corresponded to the eighteen demon lords under the rule of the Black Emperor of the North Heaven. Now, these demon lords are starting to enter the human world, and besides Chong Mo, the most deeply entangled with us is also that flamboyant and bold female ghost princess, Su Si Man.

This name sounds like it's from the Xiongnu or Mongol periods. This princess probably had her own followers, and loyal supporters who have been passed down through generations in the human world.

A person's thoughts and beliefs are a strange thing. Once you believe in something, it's hard to change.

If you believe in demons and heretics, even sacrificing everything for them.

All doctrines, as long as they are violent, self-serving, and intolerant of dissent, are heretical.

It's a pity that those within it cannot see, and do not know how to awaken themselves.

The Chinese people are a nation that places great importance on the transmission of bloodlines. As long as elders in a family have adhered to something for their entire lives, it must be inherited and passed down. Otherwise, it is considered "unfilial."

Seven or eight hundred years is not a long time, the followers of this Princess Siman are more numerous than we imagine, and they are hidden and scattered in places we don't know.

I traced the Sixi Ghostly Artifact to the north. At that time, the red-cloaked ghost was staying in an unremarkable, unfenced, and barren underground tomb. He might have been a foreigner, or perhaps a Han Chinese who had been enslaved, or maybe he was someone under the command of Princess Siman.

"...Recently, the yin and yang have been unstable. It seems like someone intentionally set up a ghost den where yin energy gathers, attracting souls. Those who mistakenly enter will also be affected by evil spirits. Some Taoist priests went to take a look, but those with insufficient cultivation would also suffer great harm. These people's 'fundamental spirit' was shaken, I worry that they might do something unpredictable. So I gave them money to quickly treat the yin poison."

Master Huqing frowned and slowly said, "But these people, with money in hand, didn't go to seek out the renowned medical families within the circle, instead they left the country."

"Going abroad" I frowned, puzzled.

People in our line of work are more "traditional" and rarely go abroad. These few people with severe ailments wouldn't hurry to get treatment, let alone have the time to travel overseas Go abroad for medical treatment

“Yes, they went abroad, but this old monk doesn’t have the means to find out where they went or what they did. I just feel something is not right.” Huiqing said: “Logically speaking, if someone is in such a state, they should spend money to appease their misfortune instead of going abroad. Who would know if they died outside”

I nodded, mentally weaving all the clues together.

“I remember… before the Shen family's treasure pavilion was discovered, Mu Wanchen and I went to investigate the front mountain. We found a car that seemed unusual.” I frowned, trying my best to recall the slightest peculiarity.

Mu Wanchen immediately told me that the incident at the Shen family's treasure pavilion must be an inside job.

The mole must be the unsuspecting uncle, his bloodline mark making him a gateway for demons to breach the barrier. The uncle has since passed away, and most of the Old Zhou family are gone, only a shell remains being used by someone else.

And who could the ghost be

I furrowed my brow, deep in thought, when suddenly the back of my neck prickled with goosebumps. The small meeting room grew noticeably colder, and we all froze in surprise.

My older brother raised an eyebrow and said to Master Huicqing, "This is Qiao'er's husband. Maybe we should step aside and chat elsewhere"

Master Hu Qing smiled knowingly and called his little apprentice out. Before leaving, the little apprentice also took away the steamed buns and the remaining small bag of pickled mustard greens.

As soon as they left, Jiang Qiyun slowly appeared.

I kept my eyes on him, taking in every inch of him from head to toe. I was relieved to see that even his hair wasn't out of place.

Jiang Qiyun curled his lips and said, "What expression is that Do you think I should worry about you"hey appear to be objects from the esoteric Buddhist tradition, are merely a facade. In reality, they are tokens of the Northern Celestial Black Emperor Demon Lord from another realm. His demon general...