Chapter 29 - Exposing Each Other's Secrets
"Such audacity, demanding three kowtows and nine prostrations? It's like we're still in feudal society," Daoist Chongming scoffed when he saw the inscription on the bronze door.
"After all, there's a deity hidden here, and deities demand reverence from mortals, be it through prostration. Otherwise, it's a sign of great disrespect," the old fortune teller replied.
"Deity? The heavens forbid, who dares to call themselves a deity? They're just surviving oddities," Daoist Chongming retorted.
"Regardless of what it is, the most important thing right now is to open this door. Two esteemed Daoists, what do you think about that message? Does it seem credible?" Shuangmawei asked.
"It's hard to say. Although this is supposed to be an imperial mausoleum, it's merely a facade. Everything here should be the work of the Long Ridge Mountain Lord. To decipher it, we can't rely on ordinary human thinking," the old fortune teller replied.
"Do we really have to perform three kowtows and nine prostrations?" Daoist Chongming frowned, seemingly reluctant.
"Well, how about we try thinking in reverse?" Zhang Kai suddenly spoke up.
Everyone turned to look at him.
"What do you mean by reverse thinking?" the old fortune teller asked curiously.
Zhang Kai explained, "Since these deities don't want to die but rather preserve themselves, waiting for revival, they must have considered this when designing the layout. So, for future generations to enter, they probably have to do it according to the deity's way, such as being fervent believers or offering themselves in service."
The others found this reasoning sensible. After all, if someone entered just to plunder, the deities would certainly disapprove. But if someone entered to serve them, well, deities could never have too many servants.
"But we don't want to do that," Zhang Kai said, a sly smile playing on his lips.
"We'll threaten them instead," Zhang Kai said seriously.
"Threaten them? We can't even open the door yet," Daoist Chongming said with a wry smile.
"Then let's threaten this deity to open the door for us. If it doesn't comply, we'll blast the canyon outside, fill this cave with cement, completely block it off, and disrupt the spiritual cave's terrain. Since we can't enter, no one else can either, and we'll make sure this deity remains trapped here forever," Zhang Kai replied decisively.
The group was dumbfounded.
Your thinking is indeed quite unconventional, to say the least.
"But it might be useless. This forbidden area may not require anyone to enter. It might just wait for the spiritual energy to recover to a certain extent. These deities could then use the hidden measures they left behind to reclaim their divine status. If that happens, we'll gain nothing but offend a mountain lord. The consequences would be unimaginable," Daoist Chongming shook his head, vetoing this crazy idea.
"You're right, Zhang Dao, although our purpose for coming here isn't entirely pure, we should have limits. Offending to the point of death is not advisable," the old fortune teller also objected.
Zhang Kai shrugged and fell silent.
Wanting to be both a prostitute and maintain a good reputation at the same time.
Your vision is too limited to achieve great things.
"Let's first take a look at this mechanism. It should be based on the principles of the Eight Trigrams of the Wudang's peculiar qimen. As long as we find the correct orientation, we should be able to unlock it," the old fortune teller continued.
"This might be more suited to you, Daoist Zhou," Daoist Chongming quickly spoke up with a smile.
The old fortune teller didn't refuse and nodded, saying, "Then, let me contribute what little I can."
With the help of the young man, the old fortune teller approached the small bronze door and began studying it carefully.
"Qian, Kun, Kan, Li, Zhen, Xun, Gen, Dui. These Eight Trigrams are in disarray; it's impossible. What kind of shoddy mechanism is this?" The old fortune teller's eyes widened in disbelief as he mumbled to himself.
After a moment of examination, he looked at Daoist Chongming awkwardly and said, "I think... maybe the three kowtows and nine prostrations might actually work."
Daoist Chongming: "..."
Zhang Kai: "..."
"Since that's the case, who's going to try it?" Daoist Chongming didn't argue further; instead, he asked.
Everyone looked at each other, and their gazes eventually fell on the young man beside the old fortune teller.
The young man quickly shook his head, hesitantly saying, "I can't do it. My master has told me not to kowtow to anyone except the heavens, the earth, and my parents. It's our sect's rule."
"It's not really kowtowing, just going through the motions. As long as you don't truly believe it, you'll still be a man with his head held high," Daoist Chongming persuaded with a smile.
"That's right, it's not kowtowing, just pretending. As long as you don't actually believe in it, you'll still be a resolute man," Shuangmawei chimed in.
The young man looked at the old fortune teller with a pleading expression and said, "Senior Zhou, you promised my master."
The old fortune teller was embarrassed and said, "How about this, I'll take another look at the mechanism."
Shuangmawei interjected, "Daoist Zhou, remember that we can only enter on an auspicious day. Wasting time here and failing to unlock it would mean missing our chance. Are you sure we won't encounter any problems if we wait for another auspicious day to come?"
The old fortune teller fell silent.
Zhang Kai, curious, asked, "I've always wondered, why is today considered an auspicious day? I haven't felt anything different."
The old fortune teller explained, "Today is a day when the sun and moon are both in the sky. The energies of the Taiyin and Taiyang alternate, placing the deities within this forbidden area under maximum suppression. Once today passes, the danger level in the forbidden area will at least double."
Zhang Kai suddenly understood.
The term "sun and moon in the sky" referred to the time when the sun had not yet set, and the moon had already risen. This was not particularly mysterious; he had seen it several times since childhood, never thinking much of it. He hadn't expected there to be such significance attached to it.
"Well, since everyone is unwilling to kowtow, and we can't unlock the mechanism, let's go with my plan. We give up everything, go outside, fill this cave with cement, and destroy the canyon. This way, we can avoid attracting the Long Ridge Mountain Lord's attention and potential trouble in the future," Zhang Kai suggested with a smile.
"Having come this far, leaving now would be the biggest loss. You are all practitioners eager to cultivate, aren't you? Are you really not moved when a treasure is right in front of you?" Shuangmawei spoke with a displeased expression.
Everyone remained silent, not saying a word.
Shuangmawei suddenly smiled, "Daoist Zhou, are you absolutely certain you can't open this mechanism?"
The old fortune teller chuckled and said, "This mechanism is too complex..."
"Complex? Isn't this just a jumbled mix of Yin and Yang, based on the foundations of Wudang's peculiar qimen? You've studied this for decades. Do you think I'd believe you never learned this?" Shuangmawei retorted.
The old fortune teller's awkward chuckle turned into a wry smile, and he chose not to answer.
Shuangmawei then turned to Daoist Chongming, saying, "The Blood Sect may have lost many teachings in this Dharma Ending Age, but I've heard about Blood Spirit Disciples. That good disciple of yours is a Blood Spirit Disciple, right? They don't die so easily. That thing hiding in the shadows is it? Need me to tell you where it is?"
Daoist Chongming raised an eyebrow, looking meaningfully at Shuangmawei. "The Dark Sect's methods are indeed unfathomable. If I'm not mistaken, you should be the current generation's operative of the Dark Sect, right? Just wondering, during this Dharma Ending Age, how much heritage did the Dark Sect leave behind? How many operatives did they cultivate carefully, hoping to seize the position of the Holy Maiden?"
"So, you do know about me," Shuangmawei grinned.
Daoist Chongming replied calmly, "Just a bit."
"And as for you, the Bone Sect's art of bone refinement is indeed extraordinary. You should be the current Bone Sect Leader, right? You're in your seventies or eighties, yet you appear as youthful as ever. Too bad, aging is inevitable. Even with the best medicine, you can't reverse the decline of your vitality. That aura of death emanating from deep within your bones—I sensed it the moment I arrived," Daoist Chongming remarked, looking at the young man beside the old fortune teller with a meaningful gaze.
The young man smiled, seemingly dropping the act. His voice even sounded somewhat aged as he replied, "That Miss Gu Mingyu, she doesn't seem to belong to the Gu family, does she? She's using the Gu family's name as a cover, but the truth is, she's formed a group of remnants from various sects. The Red-Tailed Bees we encountered earlier in the forest were likely her doing. If I'm not mistaken, Miss Gu Mingyu should be a disciple of the Miao Clan's Gu Sect. However, I'm not sure when, but it seems the Gu Sect has taken a liking to clandestine surveillance."
With that, the young man waved his hand, and a burst of medicinal energy flew out, landing a hovering mosquito on the ground.
At this point, Zhang Kai was baffled: "???"