Chapter 62: Merit Officer Talisman

The two Merit Officers had their own encrypted communication. Seeing Li Xuan’s innocent expression, which did not seem fake, they "conversed" for a while longer. Then, looking back at the token and seal on the altar, as well as the token-shaped gourd at his waist, they felt their very "breathing" start to smooth out. Thinking it over and over, the Iron Enclosure Mountain suddenly didn't seem so unacceptable.

At least there would still be a chance to come out.

If they were to anger the one who bestowed Li Xuan with the seal, token, and gourd, the consequences would be simply unimaginable.

Merit Officer Lu Jian said, "Since it is a misunderstanding, let this matter rest."

His gaze fell upon Xu Qingshan, who was being consumed by raging fire. With a flick of his index finger, the flames intensified, and Xu Qingshan’s soul instantly dissipated, leaving no possibility of rebirth or reincarnation.

It was normal for Li Xuan, who had just stepped out into the world, to be a bit bewildered.

However, he was not a fool. Hearing a trace of "grievance" in the Merit Officer's words, he saluted and said, "My time studying the Dao is still short, and I don't understand many things. Perhaps some step went wrong. Please rest assured, Merit Officer, later I will recount everything I have done before the altar and ask the Emperor to clearly investigate..."

What standing did he think he had to casually ask the Emperor to investigate?

Even the superior of the superior of Merit Officer Lu Jian would not dare utter such words. Li Xuan had quite a bold heart!

Unable to suppress his growing confusion any longer, he asked, "May I ask, whose lineage does the gentleman study under? And where did this Command of the Nine Springs and the Seal for Inspecting the Ghosts and Gods of the Three Realms come from? It is not that I am suspicious, but rather that my heart is filled with curiosity, hence I ask."

The other party had traveled all the way from Fengdu to help.

Since they were all "family," there was nothing left to hide.

Li Xuan smiled and said, "Earlier, when I encountered an attack from an evil spirit, I rushed blindly into the Northern Yin Temple and paid respects before the seat of the Northern Emperor of Fengdu. By a stroke of luck, I obtained the *Supreme Scripture of the Mysterious Abyss Northern Emperor’s Heavenly Peng Protective Life and Disaster-Eliminating Divine Incantation*, and used it to repel the evil spirit. Later, when I encountered evil spirits again, I had no choice but to set up an altar to ask the ghosts and gods of Fengdu for help. Who would have thought that it would actually summon the descent of Heavenly Peng Divine Lord? Although he punished me with a sword thrust through my chest, at the same time he gave me the Command of the Nine Springs, the Seal for Inspecting the Ghosts and Gods of the Three Realms, and several Dao scriptures of the Northern Emperor..."

Lu Jian felt as though he were experiencing auditory hallucinations.

Would Your Excellency please listen to what you are saying?

What does it mean to [pay respects to enter the seat of the Northern Emperor]? What does it mean to have [Heavenly Peng True Lord thrust a sword through your chest]? What does it mean to [simultaneously give you the seal and the token]?

He could understand every single word individually, but why did they become so bizarre when strung together?

Li Xuan continued, "Before this, I also encountered an evil spirit committing atrocities called the 'Great Black Mother of Buddha.' Fearing I could not defeat her, I went to a large temple called the 'Primordial Palace' to ask a spirit-medium for help, painted the facial makeup of the 'White Crane Immortal Venerable,' and defeated her with the speed of thunder!

During this process, I sustained some injuries, and the 'White Crane Immortal Venerable' catalyzed the gourd to heal my injuries, and by the way, gave the gourd to me."

The flow of time in the Fengdu Underworld differed from that of the mortal realm.

Though Lu Jian had practiced for many years, at this moment his legs felt somewhat disobedient. Listening to Li Xuan speak felt just like returning to childhood and listening to "ghost stories" before passing away...

Seeing him remain silent, Li Xuan thought he was dissatisfied with his incomplete answer and said, "I heard that to practice the Fengdu Dao, one must first cultivate the basic methods of Mount Tai!

Therefore, I went to the Dai Temple at the foot of Mount Tai, knelt before the statue of the Great Emperor of the Eastern Peak to beg for the 'Eastern Peak Earth Deity Method,' and then obtained several Dao scriptures and this token..."

Lu Jian: "..."

Wang An: "..."

Just as Lu Jian was about to speak, Wang An suddenly stepped forward and said, "The Fengdu lineage has fewer and fewer practitioners with each passing day. That you resolutely entered this Daoist path shows that your Dao heart is firm and your righteous energy is abundant. The realm of Fengdu precisely needs talents like you! I am Wang An, unworthy as I am, having served as a Merit Officer in Fengdu for many years with some meager enlightenment. If you hold this talisman and encounter any incomprehensible matters, summon us with the talisman. Though I may find it difficult to offer armed reinforcements, answering a few difficult questions is still well within my power. Remember this well, and never use the seal and token to summon us over trivial matters."

As he spoke, he pointed gently toward the yellow paper on the table. Vermilion ink rose into the air and automatically danced across the yellow paper like flying dragons and leaping phoenixes, leaving behind talismanic scripts faintly bearing the characters [Merit Officer Wang An].

Lu Jian turned his head to look at Wang An in astonishment. Having worked together for many years, he had never seen the other party pull off such a maneuver.

Since their forms were gathered from incense ash, they could barely manage a vague human shape, let alone expressions. Not knowing why the two Merit Officers kept turning their heads around, Li Xuan could only guess that they were chatting on an encrypted channel...

Gritting his teeth, Lu Jian reached out and pointed at the yellow paper on the table. The vermilion ink also left behind a talismanic script, atop which were the characters [Merit Officer Lu Jian].

He said, "What Wang An said is indeed reasonable. From past to present, people of righteousness, virtue, and diligent perseverance are all deserving of assistance. It is clear that you are such a cultivable person! On this point, my view aligns somewhat with Wang An's. At present, the days we have left in this realm are few, and we must depart. If you have any difficulties, hold the talisman and summon us, and we shall arrive immediately."

Li Xuan was somewhat surprised. By summoning the Merit Officers, he had actually managed to acquire their "private numbers," which could be considered an unexpected windfall.

It was just that there seemed to be restrictions. The Black Code restricted them, and the rules could not be disrupted! Official business required going through the OA system of "setting up an altar and performing rituals" to obtain military support, whereas merely "dialing private numbers" meant they could only serve as consultants.

A man's heart is never satisfied, just as a snake tries to swallow an elephant.

He was already quite content...

The incense burning in the incense burner was consuming very quickly. Less than two minutes had passed since the Merit Officers arrived, and it was already burning down to its very end.

The final speck of incense ash fell.

Merit Officer Wang An vanished first, while Lu Jian lingered a step behind and said, "That little girl's heart meridians have been injured, yet her allotted lifespan is not yet exhausted. If she can be promptly fed with incense ash, there may still be a chance of recovery; if delayed slightly, I fear it will be too late. Words end here, I must go!"

As his voice faded, he too vanished without a trace...

With the task completed, Li Xuan performed the ritual to close the altar, paying respects and giving thanks to various deities. Then, he carefully collected the incense ash, took out a bottle of mineral water and a disposable cup from his gourd, poured the water, added the ash, stirred it evenly, and walked toward the fallen Huang Meimei.

Little Huang Meimei was covered all over in wounds.

When Xie Yali's older sister possessed her, she showed not a shred of tenderness and battered her mercilessly to bring her to this state—truly not acting like a human being.

Li Xuan gathered her into his arms, pulled out the dagger stabbed into her heart, slowly poured the incense ash water from the disposable cup into her mouth, and firmly patted her back.

With a dagger stabbed straight through the heart, not even Mike Tyson could have survived it.

Since the Merit Officer said the incense ash would be useful, he might as well give it a try.

After a short while, Huang Meimei suddenly began to cough violently. Opening her eyelids, her normal single-pupil eyes were filled with blank confusion as she looked at Li Xuan: "You, who are you..."

She had never seen Li Xuan's face before, so it was completely normal that she didn't recognize him.

Huang Huotu lay motionless on the ground. Seeing that there was still incense ash settled at the bottom of the disposable cup, Li Xuan poured a bit more mineral water into it, set Meimei down, helped Huang Huotu up, and poured the water directly into his mouth!

Drifting and dazed, Huang Huotu awoke to find "Li Gan" right before him, and immediately struggled to get up. Unfortunately, his body was utterly weak, and after struggling for a long time, he still collapsed back into his arms, left to say powerlessly: "You, are you real or fake? Don't come near Meimei, I'm truly terrified..."

Li Xuan smiled and said, "Welcome back to consciousness, Officer Huang! Let's make introductions anew—my name is Li Xuan."