Chapter 236: Moonlight, Book, and Sword

The grey cat soon jumped away, and the body slowly drifted downstream with the river’s current.

Less than fifteen minutes later, the body in the river was discovered. Two blurry black figures, initially moving at a steady pace, suddenly accelerated, flickering like ghosts as they appeared on the riverbank. They were the other two Underworld Night Patrolmen.

The two Night Patrolmen who materialized on the bank were clad in tight black official uniforms. Both carried long swords at their left waists. One had a long whip hanging from his right hip, while the other carried a pitch-black bow on his back, with only three dark arrows in his quiver.

Squinting, the two Night Patrolmen gazed at the body in the river. With their unique sight, they naturally knew it was merely a husk, utterly devoid of soul or vital energy. No ordinary person could die so completely.

Beyond this, the traces and residual aura of evil cultivation on the body were also clearly visible to the Night Patrolmen.

“Who knows what being struck? They must be among those staying at the special inns near the newly built altars.”

“Hmph, it doesn’t matter who did it; they won’t cause much trouble anyway.”

“Heh, you’re right. Let the mortal constables deal with the headache!”

The next moment, the two Night Patrolmen blurred, then reappeared dozens of yards away, moving off with an ethereal quality.

On a distant rooftop, a grey cat sat on the ridge, licking its paws. Its cold, eerie gaze flickered towards the direction the Night Patrolmen had departed, then returned to the body in the water.

The next instant, a lightless black arrow suddenly shot towards the grey cat. The cat shimmered, shifting its form to narrowly dodge the projectile, but the arrow curved in mid-air and inexplicably shot towards it again.

Simultaneously, one of the distant Night Patrolmen drew his bow taut like a full moon. A black arrow vanished from his quiver, automatically appearing on the bowstring.

Another arrow flew, tearing through the yin-yang boundary in a pincer movement, shooting towards the constantly flickering and leaping grey cat.

“Hit.”

“Bang…”

On a certain rooftop, a burst of Yin energy exploded. The grey cat, like a phantom bubble, popped and vanished without a trace.

The two black arrows flew back, returning to the quiver on the back of the Left Envoy of the Capital Prefecture’s Night Patrol.

“What profound mastery of illusionary arts! This demon is extraordinary!”

“Hmm, let it roam freely for a while longer.”

After these words, the two Night Patrolmen transformed into phantoms and disappeared at the end of the dark alley.

Under a thatched shed several hundred yards away, the grey cat reappeared, its pupils flickering with an uncertain hue.

‘I didn’t expect mere Night Patrolmen to possess such cultivation. This Dazhen Capital Prefecture truly is extraordinary.’

Without further thought, the grey cat quickly scurried back to the inn; it knew the way.

Early the next morning, the two bodies were discovered at the sluice gate near the city gate on the small river.

Although this small river connected to the outside of the city, the city wall at its entrance and exit points had sluice gates. Fish could pass, but bodies of this size could not.

The city guards and constables merely arrived to retrieve the bodies, but they lacked the efficiency of the Underworld. They couldn’t identify the deceased or determine if they were from the Capital Prefecture simply by looking. Thus, the yamen would be busy for a while, and if no one reported them missing, the case would likely remain unresolved.

Of course, the constables harbored some suspicions, perhaps linking the incident to the groups of people near the various altars. After autumn began, many masters and sorcerers arrived in the Capital Prefecture, and strange cases became more frequent.

Ji Yuan had been renting a side room in a private residence, located in the same small alley where the storyteller Wang Li had once resided. Many local families in this area had vacant rooms they would rent to outsiders, including scholars preparing for exams in the capital and Jianghu practitioners. The rent was quite reasonable.

On the evening of the Mid-Autumn Festival, every household in the alley hung festive lanterns. Each family radiated joy, celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival in a manner reminiscent of New Year’s, complete with small tables set with offerings for moon worship.

“Mr. Ji, Mr. Ji!”

The male homeowner’s hearty voice sounded from outside.

“Coming! Coming!”

Inside, Ji Yuan put down the jade slip in his hand, stood up, and opened the door, seeing the man outside holding a plate with several mooncakes.

“Mr. Ji, these mooncakes are for you. My third uncle made them himself. While not exquisite pastries, they taste quite good.”

“Oh, alright, thank you very much. I was just about to go out to admire the moon, and having some mooncakes as snacks will be perfect.”

Ji Yuan didn’t take the plate, simply grasping all six small mooncakes in his hand. He then cupped his hands to the homeowner and prepared to leave.

“Uh… Mr. Ji, are you going out?”

The homeowner said with concern when he saw Ji Yuan preparing to leave.

“Sir, perhaps it’s best not to go out at night lately. There have been notices in the neighborhood advising people to stay indoors, citing many recent incidents.”

Ji Yuan, who had already reached the courtyard, turned to look at him and nodded.

“Indeed, it’s better to go out less at night. I’ll just stroll around Yongning Street. There should still be many people out admiring the moon tonight.”

After nodding to the homeowner again, Ji Yuan left the house. Every family in the alley was celebrating Mid-Autumn in their own way, and some sat in their courtyards admiring the moon.

After Ji Yuan left the alley, his steps gradually quickened. Paying no attention to pedestrians or the moonlit sky, he soon reached his destination: the largest ritual altar in the eastern part of the Capital Prefecture.

The altar stood about three zhang high, with a platform at the top measuring two hundred zhang in length and width. Gentle sloping steps led upwards on all four sides. In a few days, this would serve as the main altar for the Grand Water-Land Dharma Assembly—or, as Ji Yuan would have put it in his previous life, the main venue for the opening ceremony.

For now, however, the massive stone altar stood in profound silence. Its vicinity was quite open with few residences, and lately, few people would venture this far at night. The inns for the masters and esteemed monks were mostly situated near the subsidiary altars.

“Hey, this place is quite quiet.”

Ji Yuan flicked his sleeve, ascended the steps two at a time, and quickly reached the top of the vast, empty platform.

He looked up at the sky, where a round, bright moon hung high, enveloped by slightly dim starlight.

“The common saying is that the moon is fullest on the sixteenth, but today is truly when its essence is most potent!”

Ji Yuan smiled, then his gaze dropped, sweeping towards two figures by the distant steps. One was a tattered old beggar, one leg bent and the other propped on the knee, a worn straw sandal bouncing precariously on his twitching foot but never falling off.

The second figure was an immaculately dressed, long-bearded middle-aged Confucian scholar, standing beside the beggar and gazing at the stars and moon.

Ji Yuan fixed his gaze on the unfamiliar man, his Dharma Eye slightly open for a brief observation. Then he slowly walked towards the old beggar, his voice reaching them before he did.

“Old Mr. Lu, did the minor officials at Dazhen’s inn neglect you, or do you simply prefer to wear these rags?”

Ji Yuan’s voice seemed to startle the middle-aged Confucian scholar, who turned with surprise, wondering when this person had arrived.

“Hehe, I knew there might be a show to watch tonight. I didn’t expect it to be you, Mr. Ji. The moon’s essence is greatly increased during Mid-Autumn, and in a few days, a whole host of people will gather here for the assembly, hehe…”

“Old Mr. Lu, you’re quite prescient. You’re not here to stop me, are you?”

“Oh, not at all!”

The old beggar finally sat up.

“I’m just an old beggar, with no such ability. I’m merely very curious about what brilliant methods Mr. Ji will employ!”

Ji Yuan smiled and shook his head, finally reaching them. He first cupped his hands in greeting to the old beggar, then bowed to the middle-aged Confucian scholar.

The old beggar’s return bow was casual, but at least he stood up for it before sitting back down. Seeing the old beggar’s respectful demeanor, the middle-aged Confucian scholar dared not be neglectful and offered Ji Yuan a solemn, deep bow.

“And this is?”

Ji Yuan asked, and before the old beggar could speak, the man quickly introduced himself.

“I am Yan Chang, Supervisor of the Imperial Astronomy Bureau!”

Ji Yuan said “Oh,” and replied, “So it’s Master Yan. My surname is Ji.”

“Before a Realized Person, I dare not be called ‘Master’!”

The Grand Historian and Supervisor of the Imperial Astronomy Bureau, also known in Dazhen as the Grand Minister of Ceremonies or the Imperial Observatory, was responsible for observing celestial phenomena, calculating solar terms, and formulating the calendar.

This man seemed aware of the old beggar’s unusual nature and could sense Ji Yuan’s unique aura. He showed no hint of an imperial official’s prestige, appearing utterly respectful.

The old beggar chuckled from the ground.

“Hehe, Dazhen truly is a land of outstanding people and spirits. Who would have thought that an old beggar like me, freeloading at the inn, could be found by Master Yan? You won’t mind if I brought him to see Mr. Ji, will you?”

“Oh?”

Ji Yuan was genuinely surprised by this statement. He focused his gaze on the Supervisor of the Imperial Astronomy Bureau once more, confirming him to be a mortal, and mused that the old beggar was surprisingly close with an imperial official.

“Oh, right, I have a few mooncakes. There are three of us, so we can each have two in a bit. For now, please allow me to attend to my main business.”

Ji Yuan seemed to have just remembered something, taking six small mooncakes from his sleeve and placing them one by one along the edge of the platform. He then walked towards the center of the vast altar, unconcerned by the presence of the imperial official.

Yan Chang glanced from Ji Yuan to the old beggar, seemingly hesitating whether he should also go closer to watch. But seeing the old beggar remain still, he ultimately stayed put on the side.

Ji Yuan stood still at the center of the altar. He made a sword-finger gesture towards the sky, and behind him, the Azure Vine Sword materialized from thin air, transforming into a streak of blue light that soared skyward.

With the bright moon hanging high, an endless stream of lunar essence vaguely converged towards the Azure Vine Sword. As if sensing this signal, the incredibly robust Land God of the Capital Prefecture also materialized, appearing at one corner of the high platform and pointing his vine staff at its surface.

The stone surface of the entire altar seemed to transform into a glazed mirror. The lunar essence from the sky, guided by the Azure Vine Sword, converged downwards like a funnel.

On the altar, Ji Yuan’s posture resembled a sword dance. With a wave of his hand, his sword-fingers continuously pointed, sketching horizontal and vertical strokes, swirling and transforming. The lunar essence guided by the celestial sword in the sky followed his movements like ink from a brush.

In Yan Chang’s eyes, it was a magnificent and extraordinarily divine spectacle. It seemed as if the moonlight from the entire sky converged, sweeping across the vast altar as Mr. Ji waved his fingers and danced.

“What a grand display! Such exquisite decree magic is truly rare!”

The old beggar could no longer lie down; he sat up straight to watch. Yan Chang’s attention was entirely focused on Ji Yuan, lacking the ability to grasp the larger implications, but the old beggar could discern that Ji Yuan was writing large characters. The seemingly soft and bright lunar essence was, in fact, flowing into the mirror-like altar like powerful, firm strokes of iron and silver.

In about the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, the lunar essence in the sky dissipated. A large passage of text flashed across the mirror-like surface of the altar and then vanished, and the glazed altar gradually returned to its original state, becoming mere stone.

“Hehe, the mooncakes are ready to eat. Master Yan, please help yourself.”

“No, no, no, you should eat them first, esteemed elder. I’m not hungry!”

“Oh? Are you sure, Master Yan? You might not get to eat these mooncakes a second time in your life.”

Yan Chang, who had originally replied casually, was moved by this statement. He looked down at the six mooncakes lined up, seeing the faint glow of lunar essence still lingering on them, which was only now gradually fading.

Seeing the old beggar had already taken two, Yan Chang’s face flushed, but his body honestly squatted down and he took two of them into his hand.

However, the old beggar didn’t eat the mooncakes; he simply put them into his pocket. Then, with a gesture towards a distant rooftop, as if by a powerful magnetic force, a grey cat was directly pulled to his side and held down by its head on the stone steps.

“Miao wail…”

Ji Yuan also ambled over at this moment, casually glancing at the grey cat, and smiled.

“Oh, you’ve come all this way, and now you want to leave?”

Seeing that the old beggar had indeed caught the cat, Ji Yuan was in excellent spirits.