Chapter 56: Mount Luofu

The next day, the Taipei newspapers featured major headlines once again, both concerning murder cases.

Standing beside a bustling bubble tea shop, Li Xuan watched the queuing customers being scolded while sipping his milk tea and reading a purchased newspaper.

[At 2 AM today, two charred bodies were suddenly discovered in Grandfather Alley; a young girl and a street hoodlum met a tragic death!]

[At 4 AM today, Kevin Wright, an FBI investigator dispatched from the United States to assist Taiwan in investigating the bizarre serial murders, died a tragic death in his hotel room with his tongue pulled out!]

Li Xuan fell silent as he looked at the photographs in the newspaper.

The first news story referred to the gruesome death of Hsieh Ya-li. He had witnessed it when he went over in the dead of night, and the hoodlum lying dead beside her was Chen Liang-wang, the fourth victim in the film.

Li Xuan guessed that while he was cursing Hsieh Ya-li, she happened to be murdering Chen Liang-wang, which explained the presence of two bodies, though it remained unclear who had set the fire.

He had suspected the ascended "elder sister," but it felt illogical, as there was no apparent motive.

The second news story indicated that Kevin Wright, the fifth "skeptic" from the original plot, had still died. However... since Hsieh Ya-li, the source of it all, was already dead, who was continuing to slaughter human ghouls in a delusional bid to attain immortality?

Often, the most absurd things brought one closest to the truth, especially within supernatural films.

After finishing the newspaper, Li Xuan immediately listed three potential suspects in his mind.

The first was the ascended elder sister. In case their bond was deeply profound in past lives and present alike, she might be determined to see the ritual through to the end.

The second was Sheng Tzu-chang. In the original plot, this old man acted as the mastermind assisting Huang Huo-tu in investigating the "Five Purgatories Immortality," specializing in phenomena unexplained by science and ancient folklore. Whenever Huang Huo-tu felt lost, this man would precisely point out the suspicious details at just the right moment, guiding Huang Huo-tu—timed to perfection—to return to True Immortal Temple and confront Hsieh Ya-li, who had already completed the slaughter of the human ghouls.

The third was Huang Huo-tu.

Simply put, this fellow possessed a unique destiny and constituted the most crucial link in the Five Purgatories Immortality.

Hsieh Ya-li could abandon even her "disciples" and numerous "believers" at True Immortal Temple, yet she specifically expressed gratitude for Huang Huo-tu's corporeal dissolution, insisting on taking him along to ascend to heaven.

Since the Five Pecks of Rice Daoism in the late Han dynasty, Daoism had officially entered the public eye, its scale, volume, and scriptures gradually maturing.

Due to various ideological divergences, it branched into distinct characteristic factions: the Shangqing Maoshan, Tianshi Longhushan, Lushang, Shenxiao, Fengyue, and Laoshan factions, among others.

The manifestations of the era and prevailing cognitions inevitably influenced the thinking of the people of that time.

Yet, concerning an endeavor like attaining immortality, all sects and schools unanimously agreed that it was an exceedingly difficult feat, achievable only by those possessed of immense willpower, great karmic opportunity, supreme courage, and boundless benevolence!

Hsieh Ya-li's brutal method of attaining immortality through the Five Purgatories might actually be viable.

However, the notion of bringing someone else along in one's ascension was utterly unfeasible. Even Celestial Master Zhang Daoling, despite receiving scriptures and ritual instruments personally bestowed by Laozi, could not achieve it; in fact, due to his overzealous methods in subduing demons, he nearly incurred the wrath of the Northern Emperor’s text, surviving the ordeal only through the guarantee of the Master of Xuanzhong...

According to the Daoist knowledge and scriptures Li Xuan had accumulated and read over the past half-year.

There was only one legend concerning bringing others along in ascension, originating from Wang Chong's *Lunheng* (Discourses on Weight) from the Han dynasty. The original text read: "Confucian writings state that the Prince of Huainan studied the Dao, summoning and gathering the men of the Dao throughout the realm, lowering the prestige of the state to honor masters of Daoist arts. Consequently, masters of Daoist arts gathered in Huainan together, and bizarre techniques and strange arts vied to appear. The Prince ultimately attained the Dao, his entire household ascended to the heavens, livestock became immortals as well, dogs barked in the skies, and roosters crowed among the clouds."

Translated into plain terms, Liu An successfully practiced Daoism and refined elixirs, achieving the Dao and ascending, after which the chickens and dogs in his household consumed the leftover elixirs and ascended along with him.

This gave rise to the idiom: "When a man achieves the Dao, his chickens and dogs ascend to heaven"...

Yet, in other peripheral legends, aside from Liu An, there was another tale of the Jade Emperor Zhang Bainin, who, upon being invited to serve as the Jade Emperor, could not bear to part with the chickens and ducks filling his courtyard, and thus brought them up to the heavens as well.

Li Xuan took out his phone and dialed the mainland Chinese number belonging exclusively to Huang Huo-tu.

It was answered almost instantly.

Huang Huo-tu's voice came through: "Brother, has the matter been resolved so quickly?"

Cutting straight to the point, Li Xuan said, "Officer Huang, do you happen to know an academician named Sheng Tzu-chang? Where does he live? Send me the information you have on him."

Hesitating for a moment, Huang Huo-tu replied, "Academician Sheng Tzu-chang is a man of high moral standing and a good person. You surely don't suspect him of having anything to do with the Five Purgatories Immortality..."

Li Xuan retorted, "I risked my life to help out, and now you're questioning my deduction?"

Huang Huo-tu was momentarily choked for words and didn't know what to say.

Not wishing to place too much pressure on him, Li Xuan stated, "True Immortal Temple has been destroyed by me. Numerous believers, the two individuals in charge, and Hsieh Ya-li are all dead."

Huang Huo-tu was startled. He knew deaths were inevitable in this affair, but hearing Li Xuan recount it, it sounded as though a great many people had perished...

Li Xuan recounted the events that had transpired inside the believer Lu Ming's home.

Huang Huo-tu fell silent instantly. Folk culture in Taiwan was intensely rich, and every year various inexplicable alien deity activities would attract crowds of ignorant citizens who, in the name of the gods, amassed wealth or even preyed upon attractive female believers...

Having worked as a police officer in Taipei for many years, he had encountered such occurrences before.

With the emergence of this Five Purgatories Immortality incident, Huang Huo-tu had been forced to leave Taiwan, and during this period, he had pondered many things, reflecting on everything from his first day as a policeman to the present, and had seen through a great deal.

If he could successfully survive this ordeal.

He was resolved to consider the feelings of those around him more, treat his daughter well, and win back Tsai Ching-fang to reconcile.

Li Xuan and Huang Huo-tu conversed at length, with Huang Huo-tu mentioning that he was currently in the vicinity of Mount Luofu in Guangdong, mainland China. He could not leave Li Xuan to fight the demonic forces alone in Taiwan; he, too, had to contribute his share and investigate to see if he could render any assistance.

Unconvinced, Li Xuan warned, "You'd better stay out of this affair! Think of your daughter!"

When dealing with someone who cherished familial affection, playing the family card directly was the most effective method of communication.

He couldn't be bothered to offer further explanations or comfort.

Huang Huo-tu had no choice but to promise he would leave Mount Luofu and cause no trouble...

A dozen minutes later.

Li Xuan received a text message from Huang Huo-tu containing Sheng Tzu-chang's detailed residential address and personal information.

Speed is the essence of war!

Hsieh Ya-li was dead, her soul missing, and her corpse mysteriously incinerated!

This had undoubtedly alarmed the "elder sister," and potential "believers" were likely still helping Hsieh Ya-li complete the ritual.

Li Xuan had to race against time!

Finishing his milk tea, he hailed a taxi and headed toward the residential complex where Sheng Tzu-chang lived. Wearing dark glasses and a cap, he scaled the wall from a concealed corner into the compound, located the building number, and found the apartment door.

Pressing the doorbell while cradling a small cardboard box he had picked up along the way, he called out, "Sir, you have a delivery."

The door creaked open to reveal a man in his sixties wearing a plaid shirt—none other than Sheng Tzu-chang. Before the old man could utter a word, Li Xuan spotted the familiar dust lingering in the air and delivered a swift kick straight to his chest!

Sheng Tzu-chang let out a cry of pain as he tumbled backward into the apartment.

Li Xuan stepped inside and locked the door behind him.

Panic plastered across his face, Sheng Tzu-chang kept his right hand hidden behind his back as he stammered, "You—what kind of person are you, trespassing into a private residence! I'm calling the police!"

With a flick of his right hand across his waist, Li Xuan drew a gleaming, razor-sharp machete into his palm: "Hsieh Ya-li is dead. Are you in a rush?"