Chapter 1: The Unexpected Change (Part 1)

  It was a winter, and the streets of Yangzhou were also covered with such heavy snow. However, there was still a faint smell of killing in the air. The streets were empty, but suddenly, there were faint footsteps coming from afar. A figure emerged from the vast snowfall.

  His face was anxious, his feet didn't stop, he used up all his true energy, and took a step out of nearly ten feet. The north wind was strong, blowing his clothes rustling. This man was Wang Changming.

  Chang Ming heard the news of the Su family's misfortune, and he was originally sent out on an errand by the master of the Su family. It was precisely because of this that he narrowly escaped disaster. As he gazed at the Su family's large courtyard before his eyes, his anxious expression grew even more intense. Taking a deep breath, his footsteps became even lighter. In the blink of an eye, he had arrived in front of the mansion.

  At this time, the doors should be tightly closed and refuse to see guests. But the Su family's gate was wide open, and Changming felt even more uneasy in his heart when he saw it, and unknowingly believed another part of the rumor that the Su family was going bankrupt.

  "Changming hero, you're back!" Hearing the greeting, Changming was taken aback, turned his head to look, and it was a servant from his household.

  Wang Changming and Sui Tian are eight-bai friends, which is a well-known fact in the Sui family. The entire Sui family also unknowingly regards Changming as the second master of the house.

  "Really, Big Brother and Sister-in-law? ... Have you encountered an accident?" Chang Ming suppressed the sadness and dizziness in his mind and asked hoarsely.

  "Uh..." The house servant choked back a sob, "The master and mistress... they're all..." "What's happened to them?!" Wang Changming asked urgently, his voice stern.

  "You left the day before you came back... The whole family doesn't know what happened, you must investigate and avenge Master for me. Master treated you like his own flesh and blood when he was alive, Changming hero, you are the last hope of our family, you can't disappoint Master's spirit in heaven." Normally, as a house servant, I wouldn't dare speak to Changming like this, but under grief, who cares about that anymore?

  Changming stumbled and almost fell, but fortunately, the housekeeper supported him. Changming took a deep breath and stabilized his body. After a long while, he asked, "Where is my brother's body now? I want to take a look." Although his heart was in agony, this was not the time for grief. Changming had been through many hardships and knew what to do.

  "The old lady's body has been put into the coffin, it was the old master's last wish." The house servant said as he led Changming to the main hall.

  "Is there anything else you want to tell me, big brother?" Changming thought for a moment, this matter was indeed suspicious, he didn't understand the twists and turns in it either, perhaps his big brother had discovered something before his death.

  "There is, Master has left a letter, and he wants me to hand it over to you personally. So I didn't dare to delay for a moment, and have been waiting at the door for your arrival." As he spoke, the servant carefully took out a folded paper from his sleeve. "Master's coffin is inside. The rest is up to you now." After saying that, the servant bowed to Changming and retreated.

  Right in front of me was the main hall of the Rong family, and in the center of the hall stood two coffins made of golden nanmu wood, one large and one small. I thought to myself that the coffins must be those of the Rong couple. Although it was daytime, the surroundings of the hall still felt gloomy and eerie, as if something was watching me from the shadows. With my internal energy partially developed, my senses were much more acute than ordinary people's. From the beginning, I had been feeling extremely uneasy in my heart.

  Forcing down the uneasy feeling in his heart, Changming unfolded the will left by Tianyi.

  "Changming, my younger brother, by the time you see this letter, I will have become a ghost in the underworld. The downfall of our family is inevitable, it's fate, and there's no escape from this calamity. I hope you can control your grief. After my death, our family will be without a master, and coincidentally, Feng'er is not in the mansion at this time. Although our family business is large, a big tree attracts strong winds. Therefore, I hope you can help me disperse the remaining members of our household and distribute our wealth. Wealth is just material, if it's divided by the Liu family, don't bother to fight with them over it. However, I still hope you can find Feng'er, absolutely do not let him act rashly, or he will lose his life for nothing. As long as Feng'er is alive, our family will not be exterminated."

  "Dear brother, I'm sure you're filled with doubts about the cause of my death. The reason is not convenient for me to explain in detail. Seven days after my death, go to Yangzhou City and find a Taoist priest. At that time, there will be someone to assist you, and at that time, give him the Pure Harmony Sword. The mystery will become clear then. Be sure to invite him to our mansion to discuss this matter, as it concerns not only the safety of Yangzhou but also the entire world. Remember, remember!"

  This letter started with elegant and neat handwriting, but as it progressed to the later part, it became increasingly sloppy, until it was written in a flying and dancing manner. It is likely that the situation at that time was becoming more urgent or that the end had already arrived, and it was written at the moment of death.

  Six days later, the seventh day after Su Tian's death arrived. Although the news of Su family's misfortune had spread throughout Yangzhou City, the city was still bustling with people coming and going. Chang Ming stood at the street head, feeling a bit bewildered. He believed in Su Tian's words without any doubt, but Su Tian only told him to find a Taoist priest on the street. However, during the Tang Dynasty, Taoism was flourishing while Buddhism was declining. Today, the emperor revered Laozi as his ancestor and expressed high respect for Taoism. As a result, being a Taoist priest could bring many benefits, including exemption from taxes and other privileges. Therefore, in Yangzhou, a city of prosperity and beauty, fortune tellers and geomancers were everywhere, but which one was the superior being?

  He paced back and forth, his expression growing increasingly anxious. He had been searching for a master in Yangzhou since this morning, but now the sun was setting and the seventh day was about to pass. He had also investigated many Taoist priests, most of whom were only skilled in fortune-telling and physiognomy, and were powerless to help him with his family's affairs.

  "Huh……?" Chang Ming was startled, turned his head, and in front of him stood an old man in ordinary clothes. The old man's hair and beard were all white, but his thin face was very rosy, not at all like a frail old man. Chang Ming had a subtle feeling in his heart, looked the old man up and down, and saw that he wasn't wearing a Taoist robe, nor did he know if he was a secular Daoist. However, the old man had an extraordinary air about him, with a hint of otherworldliness, not like an ordinary person.

  A glimmer of hope rose in his heart. He asked with great respect: "Excuse me, sir, is there something wrong with me?"

  The old man looked at Changming with some surprise, from top to bottom, and examined him carefully. "Please wait a moment, let me calculate it." He said, stretching out his right hand, and began to calculate.

  The old man did not know that his casual action had further solidified Changming's inner feelings. "May I ask if the senior is a Taoist?"

  The old man heard the question and stopped his abacus, looking up at him. He said: "Not bad, I am Qingxuan, a disciple of Taoism. Recently, has there been any major event in your family?" However, he did not know that if Wang Changming knew that the Qingxuan in front of him, who was barely considered a Taoist disciple, was actually the leader of the Kunlun Taoist sect, and would be regarded as a god-like figure in the mortal world, what kind of thoughts he would have.

  Changming heard this and became even more certain in his heart. However, he still left a trace of doubt and asked: "I wonder what Zhang discovered?"

  Qing Xuan's face changed slightly as he smiled and said, "Your Excellency doesn't need to test me. If I'm not mistaken, it seems that a tragedy has befallen your sworn brother's family, am I right?"

  Chang Ming was shocked and had never felt such wonder. His voice also trembled slightly, "How did you know?"

  Qing Xuan's eyebrows suddenly furrowed, and he said in a low voice: "There are still some unclear aspects of this divination. I suppose you have also received guidance from a superior person to find me here. This matter is not trivial, let us change places and discuss it in detail. There are also some questions that need to be asked of you."

  Chang Ming suddenly had a feeling and asked tentatively: "Could it be that Daozhang has come for this matter?"

  Qing Xuan glanced at him and nodded, "It's not all like that, this is also where my fate lies. Some things are indeed heavenly secrets." Qing Xuan looked up at the sky and thought to himself: The heavens have decreed it so, and human lives are but a plaything of fate. Who would have thought that after searching for hundreds of years, I would end up here.

  Changming also knew the rules and saw that it was inconvenient, so he didn't ask again. He just said: "Please, Master Dao, let's move to the mansion for a chat. This matter is indeed complicated, I'll wait for you to explain." After finishing speaking, he made a polite gesture and led Qingxuan towards the random mansion.

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