"It’s not completely empty... Forget it, just go see for yourself!"
After greeting Old Chen, Butcher Zheng led Lu Xuan forward, speaking as they walked:
"This is so seriously weird business!"
Lu Xuan said nothing, simply burying his doubts as he walked and pondered the situation.
He hesitated as they passed Wu Xiaoxu’s house, but ultimately decided not to knock and simply kept following Butcher Zheng.
Before long, they passed the cetery. It was now cordoned off with warning tape, and workers were even building a high wall around it.
"No one can figure out what on earth Sakata Heavy Industries is trying to do," Butcher Zheng muttered. "But so people are guessing there might be sothing ancient under the cetery. Otherwise, why would Sakata Heavy Industries go to all this trouble?"
Lu Xuan smiled but said nothing, his gaze simply growing a little deeper.
Soon, the two arrived at the new cetery. It was still neat and clean, and it was even nearly twice as large as the old one.
"It was right here. When the workers were carrying Old Chu’s coffin, one of them tripped and the lid fell off. That’s when they found it."
Butcher Zheng pointed to Old Chu’s newly placed headstone up ahead and added:
"Because the coffin was empty, they haven’t filled in the grave yet. They were waiting for you to co back and take a look..."
Lu Xuan didn’t reply, simply striding forward.
The headstone was the sa one as before, the one Lu Xuan had personally borrowed tools to carve. Inscribed upon it were three grand words.
TOMB OF CHU TAI
Lu Xuan looked at the coffin in the open grave, then imdiately jumped down and opened it with both hands.
CREAK!
The coffin lid swung open, revealing the scene inside. It was utterly empty. No corpse lay resting within, only a rust-covered Bronze Fragnt.
Stunned, Lu Xuan subconsciously picked up the Bronze Fragnt from the coffin and began to examine it closely.
The fragnt was heavily rusted, allowing him to only vaguely make out the shapes on it—what looked like clouds or mist. He applied a little pressure, but the Bronze Fragnt remained completely unaffected. Its material was clearly not ordinary.
"When the lid slid off, this was the only thing inside..." Butcher Zheng ca forward and said in a grave voice:
"And there are no surveillance caras in our shantytown, so nobody knows what happened or where Old Chu’s body went..."
Lu Xuan’s expression turned extrely grim. Grandpa Chu had only been buried for a few months, and now his body was gone, replaced by this Bronze Fragnt...
’Was soone behind this?’
’Or was it sothing else??’
He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down, and thanked Butcher Zheng:
"Uncle Zheng, I understand. I’ll take this thing back with for now... I’ll go look for so of Grandpa Chu’s old belongings. For now, we’ll have to set up a cenotaph."
Butcher Zheng nodded.
Back ho, Lu Xuan first placed the bag of small beads from Xiaoyan under his pillow. Then, he dragged a large wooden chest out from under his bed and slowly opened it.
Inside were Old Chu’s belongings—mostly tattered clothes and a porcelain vase of unknown origin.
He picked out two relatively intact sets of clothes, hurried back to the new cetery to place them in the coffin, and filled the grave. Only then did he rush back ho to study the Bronze Fragnt.
Gripping the fragnt, he gradually increased his strength, to the point of activating his heart, liver, and spleen, surging his body’s qi and blood, and even activating his Primordial Body!
The fragnt remained unchanged; not even a speck of rust had fallen off.
A fire of frustration flared in Lu Xuan’s heart, but he quickly suppressed it. He silently drew his Three-Five Evil-Slaying Sword, used the Slaying Sword Form, and struck.
CLANG!!
The sword rang out with a clear hum and vibrated violently, yet the fragnt remained completely unmoved.
Lu Xuan’s expression finally turned grave.
After studying it for a long ti to no avail, he temporarily put the fragnt aside and started to tidy up his room. As he was about to push the large wooden chest back under the bed, suddenly—
The Bronze Fragnt shot into the air, darted forward, and flew unerringly toward the porcelain vase in the chest. Lu Xuan was too slow to stop it. With a CRACK, the fragnt smashed the vase!
The porcelain vase shattered, revealing another Bronze Fragnt inside!
The two small fragnts fit together perfectly, forming a slightly larger fragnt. But that was all.
The pattern on the larger fragnt was a bit clearer, showing scenes of clouds, stars, and the like, but it was still incomplete, its full picture unknown.
Lu Xuan was filled with shock and suspicion, his expression dark.
"What in the world is going on..."
"Grandpa Chu..."
He couldn’t make sense of it at all.
After pondering for a long ti, Lu Xuan carefully put away the shattered porcelain, tidied up the room, tucked the large fragnt into his clothes, and quickly cald his mind.
He sat cross-legged and began his ticulous Cultivation, breathing according to the *Supre Foundation Establishnt Chapter* while simultaneously visualizing the *Primordial Body*, the *Slaying Sword Form*, and the *diation of Creation*.
Ti passed. Lu Xuan gradually sank into his practice, his mind drawn to the Great Dao Texts, one by one. ’Strangely, my cultivation speed today is exceptionally fast, as if my comprehension has multiplied! And my comprehension was already extraordinary to begin with...’
In just a few hours, he successfully comprehended his eighty-first Great Dao Text for *diation of Creation*, and his count for the *Slaying Sword Form* reached forty-nine!
While comprehending the Great Dao Texts, he tried to uncover the great secret of the lungs, repeatedly washing them with qi and blood, refining them bit by bit. His body was undergoing a transformation.
As his Physique strengthened and he comprehended a vast number of Great Dao Texts, Lu Xuan gradually grew tired. Amidst the fatigue, his mind found peace, until at last, he drifted off to sleep.
In his dream, he was once again in Ancient Tis.
...
Light gradually brightened before his eyes as the youth opened them. He was in the Guardian Storage Room. A wisp of blue smoke drifted upwards... ’Blue smoke?’
Lu Xuan’s spirits lifted. He looked up and saw the familiar old man sitting there, quietly sipping tea, a long-stemd pipe lit before him.
"Master!!"
He stood up in pleasant surprise, a brilliant smile on his face.
The old man gave a gentle smile.
"You’re here?"
As he spoke, he patted the cattail cushion beside him.
"Co, sit here."
Lu Xuan bowed and sat down as instructed.
The old man swept his palm lightly over the low table, and the Keeper of the Records appeared upon it.
"Hold out your hand," he said sternly.
Lu Xuan flinched, but still obediently extended his right hand.
A ruler materialized in the Old Master’s hand, and he gave a light tap.
THWACK!
The ruler struck his palm with a dull thud. Lu Xuan felt a bone-piercing, heart-drilling pain assault him, accompanied by a violent tremor that started in his palm and spread throughout his entire body!
He grimaced, baring his teeth in pain, but didn’t make a sound.
"The first strike is for your clever trick, taking the Keeper of the Records out with you."
With that, the Old Master struck him again with the ruler.
THWACK!!
An even more intense pain washed over him, shaking his whole body. The pain pierced deep into his marrow. Lu Xuan still didn’t make a sound, but his eyes were brimming with tears.
This pain that stabbed straight into his soul was truly unbearable. The intense, high-frequency vibrations even made him lose control of his tear ducts.
"The second strike is for your senior brother. But since your senior brother isn’t here, you will take it in his stead."
The youth’s eyes widened, and his tears began to stream down his face.
He thought for a mont, then mumbled:
"Senior Brother said he was going to the Qi Kingdom. Master, you can hit him from a distance."
’Senior and junior brothers are supposed to share hardships, after all!’
The Old Master was silent for a long mont. He then swung the ruler into the void, striking at so unknown place.
THWACK!!
"OWWW!!!" A dull thud and a miserable scream echoed from the void.
Hearing the familiar scream, Lu Xuan finally felt at ease.
THWACK!!!
The ruler landed on the youth’s palm once more. A terrifying vibrating force swept through his internal organs, seeping into the deepest parts of his physical form. The ensuing pain twisted the youth’s face into a mask of agony.
"This third strike is for presumptuously wearing the Daoist Robe and Hat."
"Senior Brother said I could wear them." Though tears stread down his face, he didn’t forget to add:
"You can still hit Senior Brother one more ti."
The Old Master’s mouth twitched, and he said irritably:
"What, share the fortune and share the hardship, is that it?"
Lu Xuan nodded with a wronged expression and said seriously:
"Exactly!"
"Then should I hit him two more tis so he also gets three strikes from the ruler, to avoid showing favoritism?"
"If you’re willing, that’s not... out of the question..." the youth’s voice trailed off.
The old man was speechless for a long ti, but still flicked his wrist twice into the void. Zhang Ling’s agonized howls traveled through the void from so unknowable distance, soothing Lu Xuan’s injured body and soul.
"Alright, that’s enough. Three strikes is the limit." The Old Master lowered his gaze. "Now, let’s talk about serious matters."
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