Chapter 612: Chapter 283: Kindred, Strange Dream_3

Moving forward, Zhou Xuan mobilized the Three Great Halls, obliterating the entire Kidnapper Hall, and slew three God-level entities in succession,

And now?

The Zhou Xuan of today no longer relies solely on the goodwill of others and practiced performance. Instead, by wielding the “Incense Fire Replenishment of the Nuoshen Family,” he has unbelievably consolidated sixteen forms, severing the livelihood of the Three-headed Stone Buddha with a single slash.

“Zhou Xuan, I have a feeling… you and I… we are the same kind.”

“We indeed are the same kind.”

Star Covering tilted her head upward, gazing at the moonlight with a sigh, entirely ignoring the exchanges of the Fire Sect with her,

“It’s a blessing you didn’t go today, the Fire Lord sensed the presence of an incense fire Taoist… Star Covering… are you even listening to me?”

Her mind was filled with the images of the sixteen forms, their shifting lights and shadows…

…

Zhou Xuan, under the covering stars and wearing the dew of the moon, returned to the shop.

The lights inside were still on.

Just as Zhou Xuan reached out to push the door, he heard someone inside reciting poetry,

“The kind mother’s hands sew threads, a wanderer wears them on his body,

Stitched densely before departing, fearing the return might delay.”

The poem was spoken with such poignant bitterness.

As Zhou Xuan pushed open the door, he caught sight of Zhao Wuya by the shop lights, embroidering with needlework.

“You’re finally back.” Zhao Wuya shot a wry glance at Zhou Xuan, “You went on an outing and didn’t even bring me along.”

“It wasn’t anything good, why bring you?”

Zhou Xuan hung Yun Ziliang’s painting on the wall, walked over to the copper basin to wash his hands and neck. While wiping with a towel, he grumbled, “Ya Zi, you’re something else. Late at night without sleep, coming here acting like an old palace concubine. Who has wronged you so much in this world that you’re laying it on me here?”

“You guys left me out of your outing.”

“Bringing you along? Would you even dare to go?”

Yun Ziliang stepped out of the painting, smacked Zhao Wuya’s forehead, and said, “Can’t you do something more proper? Embroidering and stitching—is this something a man does?”

Still bowing his head over his needlework, Zhao Wuya asked Yun Ziliang, “So, what exactly were you lot doing?”

“We… were dealing with the people of the Buddha Country. The Three-headed Stone Buddha, Saint Heirs, and Saintesses are all ruthless figures on the cusp of greatness. You, a young master, out there risking your life too?”

After wringing his towel dry and hanging it on the pinewood rack, Zhou Xuan sat next to Zhao Wuya and said.

“Well then… well… I’ll forgive you both.”

Once he heard it involved risking lives, Zhao Wuya didn’t pursue the matter further. He could use incense fire to mess with people, but utterly avoided any overly dangerous business.

Why risk his life? Overexertion could lead to harm.

He tied a knot in the sewing thread, bit off the excess, and shook out a monk’s robe he had been sewing all day, saying, “I spent the whole day stitching this robe. Take a look, see how good my craftsmanship is?”

“This looks like something worn by a damned bald monk, doesn’t it?” Yun Ziliang squinted at the robe, scrutinizing it.

“Hey! You cow-nose Taoist, what nonsense are you sputtering now?”

Zhao Wuya retorted, provoking Yun Ziliang outright.

“You scoundrel!”

This time, Yun Ziliang skipped taking off his shoe and instead grabbed a stool, ready to give Zhao Wuya a proper beating.

“Master Ancestor, I was only joking… Don’t chase me!”

Zhao Wuya, mouth as foul as ever, quickly began running around the table, putting up a classic “Qin King’s Column” maneuver, drawing hearty laughter from Zhou Xuan.

“Ya Zi, one of these days, your mouth really will get you into trouble.”

“Master Ancestor, I was wrong… I was wrong… Spare me this once.”

“Burn that wretched bald monk’s robe of yours, and I’ll forgive you.”

“No can do. I have my great Buddha destiny.”

“Damn it, you’re a Dragon Seeking Taoist, but you’re hung up on the affairs of the Buddhist sect. What is it, you have your eyes on some pretty nun from a temple?”

One old, one young, circling and chasing. Eventually, Yun Ziliang reversed direction, caught Zhao Wuya, and pinned him to the floor.

Lao Yun swapped the stool in his hand for a feather duster, which he used to whip Zhao Wuya’s backside. Instantly, the shop resonated with a rhythmic beating sound.

Zhou Xuan watched the situation, feeling something… off… Zhao Wuya almost seemed to be enjoying it.

“Lao Yun, after what he said about you, you’re actually rewarding him.”

After delivering a good thrashing, Yun Ziliang stood up, tidied his disheveled Daoist robe, and admonished, “Next time you dare call me a cow-nose Taoist, I’ll make sure your butt blooms with flowers.”

Once they had fought and caused enough ruckus, Zhao Wuya sat down on the bench, panting. Taking a beating had utterly worn him out.

“Brother Xuan, tomorrow, no matter what, you’re coming with me to set up a fortune-telling stall.”

Zhao Wuya shifted the topic.

Taking a drag from a cigarette and flipping through a newspaper, Zhou Xuan replied, “No way, I’ve got a big job tomorrow.”

“What kind of job?”

“Scouting for a good venue to deliver my lectures. I need to create the Will Heavenly Book.”

Zhou Xuan explained, “If I don’t help the God Traveling Department repair the monitoring Gu Ding soon, it’ll fall apart on its own, and the Fire Sect will assemble and come to Mingjiang Prefecture. I won’t be able to handle that.”

“That doesn’t delay fortune-telling,” Zhao Wuya insisted. “I know Mingjiang Prefecture like the back of my hand. I can ride my donkey and take you fortune-telling while scouting for a lecture venue.”

Yun Ziliang chimed in from the side, “Brother Xuan, Ya Zi might be foul-mouthed, but for once, his idea sounds halfway decent.”

“…” Zhao Wuya.

Yun Ziliang continued, “If you’ve comprehended the Dragon Seeking Incense, you’ll need to tell fortunes and divine omens along the way. Sometimes, fortune-telling brings about knowledge. Whether you can swiftly ascend through the ranks of the Dragon Seeking incense fire depends on the experiences you encounter during the journey.”

“What kind of experiences?”

“Curious people, strange events, peculiar tales—Dragon Seeking incense fire ascends amid these encounters,

Specifically, you’ll know when you venture out tomorrow.”

Yun Ziliang added, “Remember, the essence of Dragon Seeking is seeking people.”

“Fine, tomorrow, I’ll tag along with Ya Zi to see the streets.”

Zhou Xuan concluded.

…

That night, Zhou Xuan had a bizarre dream.

In the dream, there seemed to be a massive abacus being manipulated, with dozens of accountants striking the beads, the rhythm filling the air with incessant clatter.

Zhou Xuan, disturbed by the noise, asked, “What are you all calculating?”

“Figuring out when you, this young man, are going to die.”

The accountants raised their heads, and from the seven cavities of their faces, eerie purple blood began to gush…