Cultivating for a hundred lifetimes to ascension Chapter 1456 - 787: Rebirth in the Small Town (Part 2)

Yet, the forehead remained bare, lacking the anticipated blood mark.

Zhao Sheng whipped around abruptly and dashed along the riverside trail, pursuing that willow-patterned vessel.

Seeing this, Chen San appeared confused yet hastened his steps too.

In that instant, the willow-pattern boat drifted gently to the shore, where a middle-aged scholar disembarked, glanced back at Zhao Sheng approaching swiftly, and promptly offered a cupped-hand salute.

"How should I address you?" Zhao Sheng halted a couple of yards distant, reciprocated the gesture, and inquired.

The middle-aged scholar stayed silent on that, instead gesturing toward a close-by tea house and suggesting, "Why don’t we sit there? I have many questions too."

"Alright." Zhao Sheng's gaze sparkled, and he agreed without hesitation.

Before long, the pair stepped into the tea house and chose a secluded chamber to settle in.

Once the young server delivered the tea, Zhao Sheng dismissed Chen San, leaving just the two alone in the space.

"Haha, I am Nangong Wuliang, honored to meet this Taoist friend." The middle-aged scholar lifted his teacup and chuckled deeply.

Zhao Sheng lifted his own cup as well and grinned, "I am Zhao Gongzhu, pleased to meet Nangong Wuliang Dao You."

With that said, he pressed on curiously, "I wonder how much Nangong Dao You knows about this place?"

By chance, the middle-aged scholar had the identical query in mind and shook his head lightly, "I have just awoken and do not know much about this place, nor why we have come here?"

Upon hearing those words, Zhao Sheng let out a quiet sigh and stated gravely, "Nangong Dao You, do you know the whereabouts of other Dao You?"

The middle-aged scholar kept shaking 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 pondered briefly, looking concerned.

Zhao Sheng replied smilingly, "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 smacked the table, appearing frustrated.

In response, Zhao Sheng simply smiled quietly and lifted his cup as a toast.

...

Half an hour afterward, a thick column of dark smoke abruptly shot up from the town's southeast side, soaring tens of yards into the air.

Town folk got startled right away, staring off at the distant smoke plume.

Street walkers buzzed with heated talk, while the more inquisitive among them ventured toward the rising smoke.

This smoke pillar's rise also roused different forces across the little town.

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

Chen San, breathing hard, clutched a stack of damp wood, hurled it forcefully into the blaze pit, mopped the perspiration from his brow, glanced at the young master, and asked feebly.

Already, numerous onlookers had clustered nearby, gesturing and chattering with assorted looks.

As the soaked wood hit the fire pit, enormous billows of black fumes erupted instantly, thickening the smoke column further into deeper blackness.

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

With a offhand directive sending Chen San off, Zhao Sheng shot a look at the middle-aged scholar positioned next to him.

The middle-aged scholar caught on, surveyed the gathering, and swiftly spotted a mark.

He was a slender, weathered middle-aged woodcutter bearing a vivid blood-red "seal" mark bold on his brow.

The woodcutter noticed the blood seals on their foreheads too, and mutual recognition dawned between them.

With moments ticking by, crowds swelled around the fire pit, ultimately drawing in local authorities.

All at once, the throng buzzed, as a burly, flushed-faced fellow in lawman's garb shoved through, bellowing, "Make way! I want to see who dares commit arson in broad daylight."

Zhao Sheng knew this fellow, stepped nearer, and offered a faint smile, "Chief Liu, this is a misunderstanding. I am simply acting on impulse, not deliberately committing arson."

While saying so, he extended a hand to clasp Chief Liu’s sleeve, letting a sliver of silver quietly slide into the man's cuff.

The flushed man sensed the heft in his sleeve, and his face eased at once, "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 answered offhandedly, "Of course. I certainly won’t trouble Chief Liu."

The flushed man inclined his head, "Okay, in that case, I am busy with official duties, so I’ll take my leave first."

"Take care, Chief Liu!"

Once the man departed, Zhao Sheng scanned about and slowly pinpointed a few marks.

The middle-aged scholar had merged into the masses and linked up with additional fellow Daoists.

Zhao Sheng lingered at the fire pit, keeping the flames alive as he awaited more fellow Daoists.

With the sun peaking overhead, almost another hour elapsed, and the spectators of the stir began to thin out.

Zhao Sheng judged the moment apt, then lightly told Chen San to remain and douse the blaze as he headed into the group.

Having linked up with the middle-aged scholar, the woodcutter, and the rest, they located a vacant yard and started their exchange.

Counting Zhao Sheng, six individuals made up the group; besides the scholar and woodcutter, a scruffy young beggar, a middle-aged merchant, a sheltered young maiden, and a sturdy boat hand were present.

All six bore varied roles, their abilities bound by the blood seal.

Through their talk, the group grasped that each had roused lately and held scant knowledge of their surroundings.

They remained clueless too about the intent behind the enigmatic force that deposited them in this town.

"If you ask me, we don’t need to rush." The sturdy woodcutter broke in abruptly, "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."

His statement barely landed when the little beggar piped up, "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 sheltered young lady possessed striking beauty, a clear and melodic tone to her words, and a talent for building suspense.

"What is important?" The middle-aged scholar inquired with keen interest.

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

As she spoke, the young lady drew a collar from her sleeve and displayed it for all.

This collar spanned just a hand's breadth, gleamed fully in gold, bore intricate ancient Dao Patterns across its exterior, and etched within were three Immortal Seal Characters, evidently no ordinary item.

Zhao Sheng possessed remarkable Eye Power, and upon glimpsing those three Immortal Seal Characters, he cried out in astonishment, "Vajra?!"

The middle-aged scholar shared the shock, sprang up promptly to request the collar from the young lady.

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