The silvery high-speed train was like a giant dragon, racing along the tracks with a roar reminiscent of a dragon's cry.
At a quarter past ten in the morning, the high-speed train to Qilu City had already entered the boundaries of East Mountain Province.
Zhang Fan gazed out the window. The mountains stretched endlessly, rugged and vast; the local terrain and climate were already different from Jiangnan Province.
Still, at this mont, he wasn't in the mood to appreciate the passing scenery, but was instead absorbed in the docunts Bai Buran had given him.
Yesterday was the Chongyang Festival. After he finished paying respects at his mother's grave, he hurried back to Night is not bright, where he learned all the details of Jiang Lai's disappearance.
"She vanished right after the delivery?!" Zhang Fan frowned deeply.
Not long ago, Jiang Lai had gone on a business trip, escorting a Bone Pill to Qilu City's Lao Mountain Daoist School.
The Bone Pill is a rare and extraordinary treasure. Only in hidden tombs deep within the mountains, where corpses remain uncorrupted for at least a hundred years and absorb the mountain's dragon qi, can a bone-like crystalline bead form within the remains—this is the Bone Pill.
This kind of treasure, saturated with mountain dragon qi and infused with taiyin essence, is incredibly precious. For a dharma lineage like the Xiong Family of the Yin Mountain Sect, it's said that the family relies on cultivating Ghost Generals with Bone Pills as indispensable treasures.
Seven years ago, the Xiong Family also ordered a Bone Pill from Night is not bright. According to the docunts, that pill was of even better quality—the corpse in that ancient tomb was three hundred years old, so it had absorbed much more dragon qi.
Back then, that Bone Pill should have been used to refine a Ghost General. Years of devoted cultivation were all undone recently when Xiong Qianqian shattered it.
The records show that bone pill sold for three million back then—and that was seven years ago.
The Bone Pill Jiang Lai was escorting was of much lower quality, only ford in a hundred-year-old corpse, but still fetched three and a half million.
Within the Daoist Sect, many people rely on External Core Skill to improve their cultivation or practice magic. The Bone Pill is needed for this.
"Lao Mountain Daoist School?!" Zhang Fan murmured thoughtfully.
"Lao Mountain Sect has opened Daoist schools all over the country, kind of like old martial arts halls."
At that mont, Liu Xingtui, who was sitting across from him, spoke up.
This trip to East Mountain Province required contact with Lao Mountain, so Zhang Fan brought the Liu Brothers along. After all, they were Zhenwu Mountain disciples—status-wise, that was more convenient.
After all, both were among the ten great Taoist sects of the famous sacred mountains under heaven.
What's more, the Liu Brothers had once traveled and trained in East Mountain Province years ago, so they were fairly familiar with the region.
"There are more than a hundred Lao Mountain Daoist Schools in East Mountain Province—trendous influence…" Liu Xingtui explained.
These Daoist schools are open to ordinary people, teaching traditional Daoist culture, wellness techniques, and also so fitness-promoting martial arts…
If anyone stands out with exceptional talent and passes selection, they can enter Lao Mountain itself to learn true Daoist skills.
The Dao cannot be shared lightly. Throughout history, anyone who seeks the path of immortality—whether talent, constitution, luck, or disposition—must be one in ten thousand. Even then, one must endure countless trials and strengthen the mind before being taught the Daoist techniques.
Just like Pure Yang Ancestor Lv, who was said to be the reincarnation of Donghua, yet still suffered the pain of failure and rejection in his ti.
"Even just the health and wellness aspect attracts a ton of people to join Lao Mountain Daoist School," Liu Xingtui said in a low voice.
n want to enhance their vitality, won want to improve their looks… Anything with those two features, be it product or service, never fails to sell.
Every year, just the disciple recruitnt and instruction at Lao Mountain Daoist Schools brings in a fortune. Add in related cultural and teaching material royalties, and it easily exceeds Zhenwu Mountain's tourism inco.
"They make that much money? Do they also have ditation classes?" Zhang Fan couldn't help asking.
"Now they have elite 'Profound Cultivator CEO' programs—corporate leaders get invited, and just the annual sponsorship fees are astronomical." Liu Xingyu sighed.
"Lao Mountain really has talent," Zhang Fan couldn't help but comnt.
This approach at Lao Mountain Daoist School is way more advanced than Zhenwu Mountain's occasional ditation classes—raking in… well, accumulating virtue and wealth much faster too.
"I heard that the current Lao Mountain Sect Leader, Li Chengge, is the youngest and least experienced among the leaders of the ten great Taoist sacred mountains. Still, the Daoist Alliance holds him in very high regard," Liu Xingtui said quietly.
It's precisely because of the enterprising nature of the Lao Mountain Sect Leader that their Daoist Schools have almost completely spread throughout East Mountain Province, wielding massive influence.
By contrast, among the ten great sacred mountains, Maoshan in Yujing City is extrely low-key and practices non-action, hardly leaving any presence at all.
The only Maoshan disciples Zhang Fan had t were Qi Ji and Jiang Hu—well, Jiang Hu only counts as half, really.
"Lao Mountain… Gu Jingqiu is a Lao Mountain disciple." Zhang Fan rembered suddenly.
A while ago, at the Observatory of Profound Mystery in Gusu City, he'd encountered a Lao Mountain disciple—Gu Jingqiu.
He was out traveling with his master, Hua Yixun, and happened to visit the Observatory of Profound Mystery.
At that ti, when Gu Jingqiu learned of his Zhenwu Mountain lineage, he wanted to spar with him, but it didn't work out. Still, he and Zhang Fan agreed that after returning to the mountain for a period of seclusion and training, he'd co to visit in Yujing City.
"I never thought I'd get here first," Zhang Fan mused.
Jiang Lai escorted the Bone Pill to Lao Mountain Daoist School in Qilu City. By rights, there should have been no problem. The day she delivered the goods, Jiang Lai reported back to Night is not bright.
But then, for two days, she vanished without a trace.
"Brother Fan, if you're going to Qilu City to look for soone, I might have so intel."
Just then, Liu Xingtui spoke up again.
"Go ahead," Zhang Fan gestured with a lift of his hand.
"I checked the timing. During the period when your friend went missing, sothing major happened in Qilu City."
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