Mei Qing was greatly startled. Could it be that these two troublemakers were truly siblings of the renowned Zhenren Sun Bu’er? It was commonly said that cultivators of the Dao lived extraordinarily long lives—could that actually be true? Seeing the two men clearly showing fear of their eldest sister, Mei Qing hurriedly explained, “I was merely making a wild guess. Who doesn’t know the name of the Pure and Tranquil Zhenren, Sun Bu’er? How would I ever recognize her in person?”
Upon hearing Mei Qing’s words, the expressions of Sun Bushan and Sun Buxi eased somewhat. Sun Bushan, in particular, exaggerated his reaction—suddenly slapping his bald head and bursting into loud laughter.
Mei Qing and the others were puzzled but did not dare to interrupt, and could only wait silently for him to finish laughing. However, Sun Bushan’s laughter dragged on far too long—half the time had passed and he still hadn’t stopped.
After a while, Mei Qing noticed that time was pressing, and could no longer hold back. Just as he was about to speak, Sun Bushan suddenly stopped laughing, turned angrily to Sun Buxi, and scolded, “Old Three, I’ve been laughing for ages—shouldn’t you have stepped in by now and asked what I was laughing about? Then I could have explained everything to you. Usually you never stop talking, rambling on whether there’s a reason or not, but now when I actually need you, you don’t utter a single word! You nearly killed me with impatience!”
Sun Buxi, wearing a bitter expression, replied, “What a shame, what a shame! Second Brother, you misunderstood again… Why are you glaring at me? Wasn’t it you who told me not to speak too much just now?”
Seeing how tangled the conversation had become and unsure when it would end, Mei Qing hastily interjected, “Senior Sun Bushan, may I ask what it was that you found so amusing just now?”
Hearing Mei Qing’s question, Sun Bushan was visibly delighted. Ignoring Sun Buxi, he turned his head and explained, “When you mentioned the Pure and Tranquil Zhenren, I couldn’t help but laugh! Did you really think our eldest sister was that Sun Bu’er among the Seven Masters of Quanzhen? This ‘Bu’er’ is not that ‘Bu’er.’ Our eldest sister is far more powerful than that Sun Bu’er. Since she’s the eldest in our family, she’s the one who bosses us brothers around, scolding and beating us at will—always strict and decisive, never wavering. That’s why she’s called Sun Bu’er! What abilities does that Pure and Tranquil Zhenren have to dare bear the same name? If our eldest sister ever saw her, she’d first twist her ears and ask why she stole someone else’s name, then change her name to Sun Buwu or Sun Bushi, and finally punish her by withholding her meals for a whole day. No, no, I mean, one day’s punishment isn’t enough—she should be starved for three to five days at least. What do you think, Old Three?”
Hearing his elder brother’s explanation, Sun Buxi, for once, nodded in agreement, murmuring “What a shame! What a shame!” all the while.
A small talisman floated gently into the air. Unlike ordinary talismans that are lit on fire, this one slowly rotated as though sensing its surroundings, then drifted steadily in a specific direction.
The sight startled Zhao, Yao, and Zhou, who exchanged astonished glances and looked at Mei Qing with newfound respect. After all, few people knew of his cultivation of Daoist arts. Sun Bushan nodded approvingly and, with a tone of praise, remarked, “This kid has some skill. The energy in this tracking talisman is quite lively—very impressive indeed.”
Mei Qing’s face flushed slightly, too embarrassed to respond. Without another word, he set off in pursuit of the talisman.
The truth was that Mei Qing had never attempted such a talisman before. Even his teacher, Bi Zhen, had only a vague understanding of it, so the first attempts were complete failures. Eventually, Bi Zhen had begged a secret technique from her grandmother and instructed Mei Qing to take seven of his own hairs, burn them into ash, and mix the ash with vermilion pigment. Then, instead of focusing on drawing the talisman well, he had to channel his spiritual energy directly to connect the mark on the inkstone with the tracking talisman. Only then did the talisman succeed.
Since the talisman contained Mei Qing’s hair, it naturally resonated with his spiritual essence, making it highly responsive. However, using such a method for a simple tracking talisman was extremely draining and hardly worth the effort. After completing it, Mei Qing had nearly collapsed from exhaustion. If the talisman hadn’t worked, he might as well have gone and smashed his head against a block of tofu.
The tracking talisman was a mother-child pair, with the child talisman not necessarily drawn on paper but instead inscribed onto an object—in this case, the inkstone Mei Qing had given to Hou Shen. Once Hou Shen handed the inkstone to the courier, the mother talisman could be used to follow its trail, allowing Mei Qing to discover the courier’s hideout and uncover the identity and motives of whoever sought to steal the inkstone.
It was already past the third watch of the night. A full moon had shifted toward the southwest, and the Mid-Autumn Festival was just a few days away, making the moonlight particularly bright.
The silvery moonlight bathed the silent, deserted streets, casting long shadows from the rooftops onto the worn, ancient bricks below, creating stark contrasts of light and dark.
Mei Qing and the others silently followed the drifting talisman, moving swiftly from their hidden courtyard and heading westward.
As for the brothers Sun Bushan and Sun Buxi, they had vanished from sight the moment the journey began. Although Mei Qing’s spiritual awareness was sharp, his focus was entirely on the tracking, leaving him no time to spare attention for the two brothers. Anyway, he knew they were somewhere nearby, trailing behind or ahead of the group.
In the distance, the sound of a night watchman’s clappers echoed, followed by his long cry: “Mind the lanterns and watch for fire!”
The talisman appeared to move slowly, but in reality, it traveled quite quickly. Fortunately, the courier seemed to be walking normally along the main streets, without employing any supernatural means like phasing through walls or flying.
Turning a corner, the path ahead narrowed slightly, lined with shops, all tightly shut with not a single light shining through. By day, this place would be bustling with traffic and lively activity, but now, under the night curfew, the entire street was deserted.
After passing the shops, the road became increasingly uneven, entering a residential area. The narrow alleys crisscrossed among the houses, deep and enclosed by tall walls. The group moved cautiously through the shadows, their expressions growing more serious.
Zhao Dayou was a local expert, familiar with every street and alley in the capital. He seemed to have visited this area before and softly pointed out to Mei Qing the locations of side streets and dead ends. Meanwhile, the talisman’s speed seemed to increase, and Mei Qing had a growing sense that the inkstone they sought was drawing near.
Just then, a swirl of mist gathered beside Mei Qing, and from the shadows emerged Sun Buxi’s gradually solidifying form. He whispered to Mei Qing, “What a shame, what a shame, young master. I used concealment and went ahead to check. There’s only one person moving ahead, but something seems off. He has no sign of life at all. He doesn’t seem to be using any technique either—he moves more like a puppet.”
Hearing this, Mei Qing frowned. He had learned enough to know that puppet techniques were generally frowned upon by the Daoist sects. This night’s mission was shaping up to be more dangerous than expected.
Puppet techniques were divided into methods of controlling ghosts, objects, or even people. While major sects occasionally used them for minor tasks like cleaning, the fact that this puppet could act independently to retrieve objects was highly unusual. It might even be a ghost formed from a soul that had been cultivated and bound.
Mei Qing thought for a moment and said, “Then we should move closer to avoid losing track. If anything happens, we’ll be better positioned to respond.”
Everyone nodded, preparing to quicken their pace, when suddenly the tracking talisman emitted a sharp “whoosh,” darting forward in a straight line at greatly increased speed.
Startled, Mei Qing and the others hesitated slightly. But Sun Buxi reacted quickly, stepping lightly after the talisman. Without any visible effort, he moved as if strolling through a garden, catching up to the talisman in just a few steps.
Mei Qing and the others were a beat behind, their movements slightly delayed. As they began to run, they suddenly heard Sun Buxi exclaim, “Hmm!” Looking up, they saw the tracking talisman suddenly halt midair, wobbling and swaying uncertainly. Then, with a “whoosh,” it flew straight back into Mei Qing’s arms.
Mei Qing was shocked, unable to understand what had happened. Ahead, Sun Buxi let out a low growl, stamped his foot, and formed a Daoist hand seal. “Five Elements Separate—Shrink the Earth to an Inch—Swift!” he chanted. As he spoke, his thin figure seemed to swell in size. With one step, he leaped several zhang forward; with another, he turned the corner ahead and vanished from sight.
Mei Qing was startled. Could these two really be the brothers of Sun Bu’er? It was said that cultivators lived extremely long lives—could this be true? Seeing their expressions, it was clear they were quite afraid of their elder sister. He quickly explained, “I was just making a wild guess. Who hasn’t heard of the renowned Sun Bu’er, the Serene Master? But how could I possibly know her?”
Upon hearing Mei Qing’s words, the expressions of Sun Busan and Sun Busi softened. Sun Busan, in particular, suddenly slapped his bald head and burst into laughter.
Mei Qing and the others were baffled but didn’t dare to interrupt, so they waited patiently for him to finish. However, Sun Busan’s laughter went on for an unusually long time.
After a while, Mei Qing, noticing that time was running out, could no longer hold back. Just as he was about to speak, Sun Busan suddenly stopped laughing and angrily turned to Sun Busi, “Third Brother, I’ve been laughing for so long. You should have stepped forward and asked what I was laughing about, so I could explain it to you. You’re usually so talkative, always rambling on about nothing. Why are you silent now when I need you? You’re exhausting me!”
Sun Busi, with a pained expression, replied, “My fault, my fault. Second Brother, you’re mistaken again… Why are you glaring at me? Didn’t you just tell me not to speak too much?”
Seeing that this could go on indefinitely, Mei Qing quickly interjected, “Senior Sun Busan, may I ask what you were laughing about just now?”
Sun Busan, delighted by Mei Qing’s question, ignored Sun Busi and turned to Mei Qing, “You mentioned the Serene Master just now—it was hilarious! Did you think my elder sister was the Sun Bu’er from the Seven True Ones? This Sun Bu’er is not that Sun Bu’er. My elder sister is far more formidable than that Sun Bu’er. Since she’s the eldest in our family, she can scold or beat us as she pleases—she’s absolutely authoritative, hence the name Sun Bu’er! What skills does that Serene Master have to dare call herself Sun Bu’er? If my elder sister saw her, she’d definitely twist her ears and ask why she’s stealing her name. Then she’d change her name to Sun Buwu or Sun Buliu, and finally, she wouldn’t give her any food to teach her a lesson. No, no, I misspoke. One meal wouldn’t be enough—it’d have to be at least three or five meals. Third Brother, don’t you agree?”
Sun Busi, for once, nodded in agreement with his brother, repeatedly murmuring, “My fault, my fault.”
A small talisman paper gently floated up. Unlike usual talismans that would ignite, it slowly rotated as if sensing its surroundings, then drifted off in a certain direction.
Seeing this, Zhao, Yao, and Zhou were all astonished, looking at Mei Qing with a mix of surprise and curiosity. After all, not many knew that Mei Qing practiced Taoist arts. Sun Busan also nodded, praising, “This kid has some skills. The spiritual energy on this tracking talisman is quite lively—impressive, impressive.”
Mei Qing blushed, too embarrassed to respond, and simply followed the talisman as it moved.
When he had first drawn the talisman, Mei Qing had never done anything like it before, and even his teacher, Bi Zhen, wasn’t very knowledgeable about it. Naturally, he failed miserably. Later, Bi Zhen managed to coax a secret technique from her grandmother. She instructed Mei Qing to take seven strands of his hair, burn them to ash, mix them with cinnabar, and then apply a special incantation. The goal wasn’t to draw the talisman perfectly but to forcibly establish a spiritual connection between the inkstone’s mark and the tracking talisman. This was how he finally succeeded in creating the talisman.
Since the talisman contained Mei Qing’s hair, it naturally resonated with his true essence, making it highly spiritual. However, using such a method to create a simple tracking talisman was quite draining and hardly worth the effort. By the time Mei Qing finished drawing it, he was nearly exhausted. If it hadn’t been lively, he might as well have found a block of tofu to crash into.
The tracking talisman was a parent-child talisman, where the child talisman didn’t necessarily have to be drawn on paper—it could be placed on any object. Mei Qing had drawn the child talisman on the inkstone he gave to Hou Shen. Once Hou Shen handed the inkstone to the client, Mei Qing used the parent talisman to track it, hoping to uncover the client’s lair and determine who wanted to steal the inkstone and why.
It was already past midnight, and the full moon was leaning toward the southwest. In a few days, it would be the Mid-Autumn Festival, so the moonlight was exceptionally bright.
The serene moonlight shone on the quiet, deserted streets, casting long shadows of the houses on the old green bricks, creating stark contrasts of light and dark.
Mei Qing and the others followed the fluttering talisman silently and swiftly, moving westward from the small courtyard where they had been hiding.
As for Sun Busan and Sun Busi, once they set off, they were nowhere to be seen. Although Mei Qing had exceptional spiritual awareness, his focus was entirely on the tracking, so he didn’t have the energy to pay attention to the two brothers. He simply assumed they were somewhere nearby.
In the distance, the sound of the night watchman’s clapper and the long call of “Be careful with the fire” could be heard. The talisman, though seemingly slow, was actually moving quite quickly. Fortunately, the person being tracked seemed to be walking along the main street without using any supernatural abilities to pass through walls or fly.
After turning a corner, the road ahead became slightly narrower, lined with shops, all closed and dark. During the day, this place would be bustling with activity, but now, under the nighttime curfew, the entire street was empty.
Passing through the shops, the road ahead became increasingly rough, entering a residential area. The houses were intersected by narrow alleys, deep and secluded, separated by high walls. The group moved through the shadows, their expressions serious.
Zhao Dayou, being a local, was familiar with almost every street and alley in the capital. He seemed to have been here before and quietly pointed out to Mei Qing where the forks and dead ends were. The talisman seemed to be speeding up, and Mei Qing had a vague sense that the inkstone they were tracking was not far ahead.
Just then, a mist suddenly condensed beside Mei Qing, and Sun Busi’s figure gradually appeared from the shadows. He whispered to Mei Qing, “My fault, my fault, young master. I went ahead invisibly and saw only one person ahead. But that person seems off—there’s no trace of life in them. They don’t move like someone performing a ritual; it’s more like a puppet.”
Mei Qing frowned. As his knowledge grew, he naturally knew that puppet techniques were mostly taboo in the Taoist world. Tonight’s situation might not be easy to handle.
Puppet techniques were divided into controlling ghosts, objects, and people. Although major sects occasionally used objects for minor tasks like cleaning, having a puppet retrieve an item, as was happening tonight, was unusual. It might be a ghost created through soul refinement.
Mei Qing thought for a moment and said, “Let’s get closer so we don’t lose them. If anything happens, we can act accordingly.”
Everyone nodded and was about to quicken their pace when suddenly the tracking talisman shot forward in a straight line, its speed increasing dramatically.
Mei Qing and the others were startled, but Sun Busi reacted quickly. With a light step, he effortlessly caught up to the talisman.
Mei Qing and the others were a step slower. By the time they started running, they had only taken a few steps when they heard Sun Busi exclaim, “Huh?” Looking up, they saw the parent talisman suddenly stop, swaying in the air for a moment before flying back into Mei Qing’s arms.
Mei Qing was shocked, not understanding what had happened. Sun Busi, seeing this, snorted angrily, stopped, and formed a hand seal, chanting, “Divide the five elements, shrink the earth to an inch, haste!” As he spoke, his small figure seemed to grow taller, and with a single step, he covered several meters, disappearing around the corner of the alley.
Although Mei Qing had also learned the five-element escape technique, it wasn’t suitable for traveling long distances. He and the other three had to run after Sun Busi. Sun Busan hadn’t shown himself since they set off, and no one knew what he was up to.
As they turned the corner, they were all shocked by what they saw.
Ahead, Sun Busi was still chasing like a cloud, but not far in front of him was an extremely strange person.
The person was nearly nine feet tall, dressed entirely in black, with a large felt hat on their head and thick hemp ropes tied around their waist, hands, and feet. They moved without taking steps, like a dark cloud silently drifting. Despite their lack of movement, their speed was comparable to the group’s running.
Though the person was fast, Sun Busi’s Taoist skills were quicker. Just as he was about to catch up, the black-clad figure suddenly split in two from the head down!
It was as if something had divided the person in half, starting from the top, while the lower body remained connected with two legs. The legs, which had been motionless, now began to sway left and right, creating an eerie sight. After a moment, the black figure completely split into two identical individuals, each wearing a felt hat and black clothes.
Once divided, the two black-clad figures each entered a different alley, continuing to drift silently as before.
Sun Busi, looking alarmed, muttered, “My fault, my fault. Could this be the ‘Myriad Puppets’ that elder sister mentioned? Oh no, Second Brother, what should we do?”
Mei Qing and the others, though they didn’t know what the “Myriad Puppets” were, felt a growing sense of unease.
They rushed forward, turned the corner, and looked up—only to be startled once again.
Ahead, Sun Buxi was still chasing, his steps as light as clouds. But not far ahead of him was a most peculiar figure.
The man stood nearly nine feet tall, dressed entirely in black, with a wide-brimmed felt hat on his head. Around his waist, hands, and feet were thick ropes. He moved without lifting his feet, gliding silently like a dark cloud. Though he showed no visible effort, his speed rivaled that of the group running at full pace.
Though the figure did not slow, Sun Buxi’s Daoist arts were faster still. As he was about to catch up, suddenly the figure split in two!
It was as if something had sliced the black-clothed man vertically from the top down. Starting from the head, the figure split downward, though the lower half remained connected as two legs. His legs, previously motionless, now began to sway slowly from side to side, creating an eerie sight. Moments later, the black figure fully separated into two identical forms—each wearing the same felt hat and black robe.
The two figures then drifted silently into separate alleys, just as before.
Sun Buxi’s face turned pale, muttering, “What a shame, what a shame! Could this be the ‘Myriad Puppets’ our eldest sister warned about? Oh no, oh no—what will Second Brother do now?”
Though Mei Qing and the others didn’t understand what the “Myriad Puppets” were, a sense of foreboding settled heavily in their hearts.
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