Chapter 112: The Discipline Division

Feng Boyuan did not linger long at Shang Lu's home.

The preliminary exploration of the Yunhua Mountain secret realm had officially begun. As the person in charge, Feng Boyuan had a mountain of tasks to attend to, even while still recovering from his serious injuries.

Before the tea had even cooled, Feng Boyuan rose to take his leave. As he departed, he did not forget to bow toward the old locust tree in the courtyard, thanking it for the tea. The tree’s branches shivered in response, as if to say it was unnecessary. However, Shang Lu knew that Old Locust meant Feng Boyuan was thanking the wrong person; the tree had nothing to do with brewing tea for guests.

"Head Constable Shang... ah, no, I should call you County Lieutenant now. I have a pile of matters to handle, so I won't overstay my welcome. Do take the time to sort through the problems you've encountered in your cultivation; once I’m past this busy period, I’ll help you resolve them one by one."

Shang Lu found the title "County Lieutenant" to be much more pleasing to the ear than "Head Constable." However, as the official appointment documents had not yet arrived, he did not feel comfortable assuming the title. He waved his hand hurriedly, insisting he was still just a head constable, which drew a hearty laugh from Feng Boyuan.

"Rest assured, in five or six days at most, the appointment papers will be in your hands. Spend these few days resting well at home; once you officially take office, you’ll have plenty to keep you busy."

Shang Lu smiled and agreed. As he walked Feng Boyuan to the gate, he suddenly remembered something and asked, "Wizard Official Feng, are you proficient in ancient scripts?"

Feng Boyuan paused and turned slightly, nodding. "I understand a little."

"That is wonderful," Shang Lu said, feeling a surge of joy.

His original intention had been to ask Feng Boyuan to translate the book left behind by Chu Yun. But as the words reached his lips, he changed his mind. "Could you teach me instead?"

Asking someone to translate Chu Yun’s "proudest skills" was far inferior to learning the ancient script himself and doing the translation personally. Firstly, it would prevent the leak of Chu Yun’s secrets, avoiding unnecessary trouble. Secondly, it would avoid the possibility of someone intentionally mistranslating or altering the contents. While Feng Boyuan was trustworthy, what if he encountered other ancient secret manuals in the future? Would he have to bother Feng Boyuan every time? And Shang Lu did not trust anyone else with such a task.

One must always be guarded, especially in a world so full of deception and unpredictable hearts! Techniques were not like other things; if an ill-intentioned person intentionally tampered with the content—even by just a sentence or two—it could drastically change the meaning. It would be fortunate if it simply failed to work, but the real danger was the risk of falling into cultivation deviation, damaging one's foundation, or even losing one's life.

"Why would you want to learn this?" Feng Boyuan asked with some curiosity.

"To be honest, I saw some ancient scripts in the secret realm, but unfortunately, I could not understand their meaning. Since returning, my desire to learn these scripts has grown stronger. If I ever have the chance to enter a secret realm again, I don't want to miss out on any opportunities."

Shang Lu’s explanation was almost entirely true, concealing only a few crucial details. Even Feng Boyuan, who was adept at discerning truth from falsehood, felt no suspicion. In fact, he was pleased by Shang Lu’s thirst for knowledge and nodded. "No problem, I can teach you. Ancient scripts are a required course for anyone entering the Wizard Academy anyway. However, these scripts are dry and obscure; they are quite difficult to learn, so you had best be prepared. I’ll arrange for some reference books to be sent to you when I return. You can look through them to get an idea, and when I’m past this busy time, I’ll teach you in detail."

"Many thanks, Wizard Official Feng."

Shang Lu knew that the "reference books" were essentially dictionaries. With a dictionary, he could attempt to translate the book Chu Yun left behind on his own. If he struggled with parts, he could record them and ask Feng Boyuan for guidance later.

"No need for thanks. I’m off now, don't bother seeing me out any further. Go back and rest." Feng Boyuan waved his hand and turned to leave. But after a few steps, he doubled back.

"I almost forgot one thing. Within these next two days, people from the Discipline Division of the Wizard Academy will come to Luoshui County to conduct an inspection on you. You need not worry, just cooperate with them."

"What are the people from the Discipline Division coming to inspect?" Shang Lu asked, puzzled. Even if they were investigating his promotion from a clerk to an official, it should be the Ministry of Personnel or the Censorate. He was not a member of the Wizard Academy; what business did their Discipline Division have with him?

Feng Boyuan explained, "Didn't you swallow the malicious spirit of Qiu Haishan? Although I reported the details to the Academy—proving that you used the Nuo mask to borrow the divine power of the Mountain-Opening Barbarian General to suppress and kill his spirit—they remain concerned. They fear you may not have fully eradicated it, and that a remnant spirit might remain within you without your knowledge. They are sending people from the Discipline Division to verify this. They are the most experienced in handling such matters. This is for your own good, to prevent you from being possessed by Qiu Haishan’s remnant spirit without even realizing it."

Shang Lu thought to himself, feeling that the matter was likely not so simple. After Feng Boyuan finished explaining, he added, "Stay home these next few days and don't go anywhere; it will avoid any misunderstandings."

Shang Lu’s heart skipped a beat as he caught the subtext: he was likely being watched by the Wizard Academy in secret. "Understood," he said, bowing in acknowledgement.

After seeing Feng Boyuan off and closing his gate, Shang Lu pondered: "The Discipline Division coming to check if the spirit was fully eradicated is likely only one of their goals. The other is surely aimed at the Dragon Pearl."

According to Qiu Haishan and Feng Boyuan, the Dragon Pearl was a key material for breaking through from the Zhou-Heaven realm to the Heaven-Reaching realm; its value was immense. The County Wizard Academy likely did not want to let it slip through their fingers. Even if Feng Boyuan reported that the pearl vanished after Qiu Haishan’s death, they would still keep an eye on them and launch an investigation.

However, over the past few days, the orb—which resembled a Taiji sphere—had been mostly digested by his Spleen Deity statue. It had generated a significant amount of vital energy, as well as portions of spiritual essence and wizard power. Some of the vital energy had been absorbed by Shang Lu, some used to open his acupuncture points and meridians, and the rest, along with the spiritual essence and wizard power, was stored within his Liver Deity statue. Shang Lu had yet to find a use for the spiritual essence and wizard power, intending to ask Feng Boyuan or a Wizard Priest how to employ them through wizardry.

Although a small portion of the orb remained, the Temple of the Five Viscera was inherently mysterious; even with the Academy’s inspection, they shouldn't be able to discover anything.

Two days later, Shang Lu was indeed summoned to the county’s Wizard Temple by the members of the Discipline Division. Unlike ordinary wizard officials, these men wore masks made of animal bone and were stern and unsmiling, exuding a mysterious and solemn aura.

They did not take Shang Lu into the main hall dedicated to the Houtu Goddess, but instead led him into a small side hall. This hall was usually kept locked; having visited the temple several times, Shang Lu had never seen it open.

Today, he finally saw the interior. It was small, with only a single narrow door and no windows, leaving the room pitch-black even with the door open. Inside, only one statue was worshipped. Its appearance was bizarre: it looked human, yet its body was covered in eyes. Each eye’s pupil protruded outward like a strange, thin antenna.

Shang Lu did not recognize this deity, and the Discipline Division officials offered no explanation. One simply handed him a meditation cushion and commanded, "Head Constable Shang, you are to stay in this shrine. You are not to move without our permission. Do you understand?"

"I understand."

Shang Lu nodded, knowing that the key to this inspection lay in this multi-eyed statue. He complied, placing the cushion before the statue and sitting cross-legged. The two officials glanced at him, said nothing, and exited the hall.

As the door closed, the room plunged into total darkness, and even the sounds from the outside world vanished, replaced by an eerie silence. It felt as though, the moment the door shut, the space within the side hall had been peeled away and isolated from the main world.

However, despite the darkness, Shang Lu—thanks to his significantly improved vision and the blessing of his Liver Deity—could still perceive his surroundings. And he began to see some very strange things unfolding...