Cultivating for a hundred lifetimes to ascension

Chapter 1456: Chapter 787: Rebirth in the Small Town (Part 2)

However, the forehead was empty, without the imagined blood mark.

Zhao Sheng suddenly turned around and hurried along the riverbank path, chasing after that willow-pattern boat.

Upon seeing this, Chen San looked puzzled but quickened his pace as well.

At that moment, the willow-pattern boat slowly approached the bank, and a middle-aged scholar stepped off, turned his head, and looked at Zhao Sheng who was walking quickly towards him, suddenly cupping his hands in salute.

"How should I address you?" Zhao Sheng stopped two yards away, returned the salute, and asked.

The middle-aged scholar did not answer, but pointed towards a nearby tea house and said, "Why don’t we sit there? I have many questions too."

"Alright." Zhao Sheng’s eyes gleamed, and he readily agreed.

Soon, the two entered the tea house and selected a private room to sit.

After the small waiter brought the tea, Zhao Sheng ordered Chen San to leave until only the two of them remained in the room.

"Haha, I am Nangong Wuliang, honored to meet this Taoist friend." The middle-aged scholar raised his teacup and laughed heartily.

Zhao Sheng also raised his cup and smiled, "I am Zhao Gongzhu, pleased to meet Nangong Wuliang Dao You."

After speaking, he eagerly asked, "I wonder how much Nangong Dao You knows about this place?"

Coincidentally, the middle-aged scholar wanted to ask the same question and couldn’t help shaking his head, "I have just awoken and do not know much about this place, nor why we have come here?"

After hearing this, Zhao Sheng sighed secretly and solemnly said, "Nangong Dao You, do you know the whereabouts of other Dao You?"

The middle-aged scholar continued to shake his head, "You are the first person I met after waking up, no others at all."

"Now, you and I are both sealed, and the future seems bleak. The best strategy now is to quickly assemble all fellow Daoists, find a strategy together, and solve the mystery of this place."

"Taoist friend’s words are true. But how to quickly find other fellow Daoists?" The middle-aged scholar was troubled for a moment.

Zhao Sheng said with a smile, "It’s easy. Mingxi Town is not large, and if you and I cause a commotion, we will naturally attract other fellow Daoists to come."

"Ah, I am so confused, why didn’t I think of this method?" The middle-aged scholar slapped the table, seemingly annoyed.

To this, Zhao Sheng smiled without speaking, merely raised his cup in gesture.

...

Thirty minutes later, a pitch-black smoke pillar suddenly rose from the southeast of the small town, reaching several dozen yards high.

The residents of the town were immediately alarmed, looking towards the smoke pillar in the distance.

Pedestrians on the street discussed fervently, and some curious ones even headed toward the smoke pillar.

The emergence of the smoke pillar also alerted various entities throughout the small town.

"Youn...Young Master, is it enough?"

Chen San, panting heavily, held a bundle of wet firewood, threw it into the fire pit with all his might, and wiped the sweat from his forehead, turned to look at the young master, and weakly asked.

By now, a lot of people had gathered around, pointing and discussing with various expressions.

Once the wet firewood entered the fire pit, massive black smoke immediately surged forth, making the smoke pillar even thicker and darker.

"Chen San, go fetch two more bundles of firewood."

Casually sending Chen San away, Zhao Sheng then cast a glance at the middle-aged scholar standing beside him.

The middle-aged scholar understood, scanned the crowd, and quickly identified a target.

It was a thin, rough-skinned middle-aged woodcutter with a blood-colored "seal" character prominently displayed on his forehead.

The woodcutter also saw the blood marks on the foreheads of the two, their identities mutually understood.

As time passed, more and more people gathered around the fire pit, eventually attracting government officials.

Suddenly, the crowd stirred, and a large, ruddy-faced man in constable attire pushed his way through the crowd, shouting loudly, "Make way! I want to see who dares commit arson in broad daylight."

Zhao Sheng recognized this man, walked closer, and gave him a slight smile, "Chief Liu, this is a misunderstanding. I am simply acting on impulse, not deliberately committing arson."

As he spoke, he reached out and grabbed Chief Liu’s sleeve, a piece of Silver silently slipped into the other’s sleeve.

The ruddy-faced man felt the weight in his sleeve and his expression immediately softened, "So it’s the Young Master from the Chen family. Since it’s a misunderstanding, then it’s nothing. But arson is no small matter. If the surrounding shops catch fire accidentally, the consequences will be yours to bear, Mr. Chen."

Zhao Sheng replied casually, "Of course. I certainly won’t trouble Chief Liu."

The ruddy-faced man nodded, "Okay, in that case, I am busy with official duties, so I’ll take my leave first."

"Take care, Chief Liu!"

After seeing him off, Zhao Sheng looked around and gradually identified several targets.

The middle-aged scholar had already blended into the crowd and connected with other fellow Daoists.

Zhao Sheng stayed by the fire pit, maintaining its fire while continuing to wait for other fellow Daoists to appear.

When the sun was at its highest, nearly another hour had passed, and the crowd watching the commotion had gradually dispersed.

Zhao Sheng saw that the time was about right, then casually ordered Chen San to stay and extinguish the fire while he walked toward the crowd.

After meeting with the middle-aged scholar, the woodcutter, and others, the group found an idle courtyard and began to communicate.

Including Zhao Sheng, there were six people in total, aside from the scholar and woodcutter, there was a little beggar, a middle-aged shopkeeper, a young lady from a deep chamber, and a robust boatman.

Each of the six had different identities, their powers sealed by the blood mark.

After some discussion, everyone realized they had all woken up recently and knew little about their environment.

They were even unaware of the purpose of the mysterious hand that placed them in this small town.

"If you ask me, we don’t need to rush." The robust woodcutter suddenly spoke, "The Sky-reaching White Tower only opens for seven days. We just stay within the town and go nowhere until the White Tower closes. By then, we will naturally be expelled."

As soon as the words fell, the little beggar suddenly chimed in, "Mr. Hong’s words are reasonable, but too passive. Better to take the initiative. I believe this town is not as simple as it appears."

"Indeed! I refuse to sit and wait for death. There’s a strange event I must share with you all. Shortly after I awoke, I accidentally encountered a big yellow dog. This dog is not only highly perceptive but can also understand human speech. More importantly—" The young lady in the deep chamber was beautiful, her voice crisp and pleasant, and knew how to pique interest.

"What is important?" The middle-aged scholar eagerly asked.

"More importantly, I found this on its body."

Speaking, the young lady pulled out a collar from her sleeve and showed it to everyone.

The collar was only the size of a palm, entirely golden, and covered with dense ancient Dao Pattern on its surface, and inside it were inscribed three Immortal Seal Characters, clearly not a mundane object.

Zhao Sheng had extraordinary Eye Power and, after seeing those three Immortal Seal Characters, exclaimed in shock, "Vajra?!"

The middle-aged scholar was equally astounded, quickly rose to ask the young lady for the collar.

"What? Where did this Vajra come from, hurry and let me see."

Sheng recognized this man, approached, and gave him a slight smile, "Chief Liu, this is a misunderstanding. I am simply acting on impulse, not deliberately committing arson."

As he spoke, he reached out and grabbed Chief Liu’s sleeve, a piece of Silver silently slipped into the other’s sleeve.

The ruddy-faced man felt the weight in his sleeve and his expression immediately softened, "So it’s the Young Master from the Chen family. Since it’s a misunderstanding, then it’s nothing. But arson is no small matter. If the surrounding shops catch fire accidentally, the consequences will be yours to bear, Mr. Chen."

Zhao Sheng replied casually, "Of course. I certainly won’t trouble Chief Liu."

The ruddy-faced man nodded, "Okay, in that case, I am busy with official duties, so I’ll take my leave first."

"Take care, Chief Liu!"

After seeing him off, Zhao Sheng looked around and gradually identified several targets.

The middle-aged scholar had already blended into the crowd and connected with other fellow Daoists.

Zhao Sheng stayed by the fire pit, maintaining its fire while continuing to wait for other fellow Daoists to appear.

When the sun was at its highest, nearly another hour had passed, and the crowd watching