Chapter 105: Abe Haruya

"What brings my Second Junior Sister to visit her senior brother?"

Zhang Zhiheng had brought his second junior sister, Zhou Ling'er, back to Tianshen Town. The two sat on the floor of the Taoist temple, engaged in conversation, with a tea table and some wine set before them.

"I have been searching for traces of the Penglai Immortal Island," Zhou Ling'er said, lifting a teacup. She blew on it gently, then raised her hand to cover her mouth and took a graceful sip.

"Have you discovered anything?" Zhang Zhiheng asked.

"I heard that an immortal lives at the foot of Mount Zhongnan, testing mortals who seek the path. I plan to head there to see if I can find any leads." As she spoke, she smoothed her haggard hair; it was clear that since leaving Mount Mao, she had been traveling incessantly without rest.

"Seeing how weary you are, Second Junior Sister, why not stay and rest at the temple for a while? I may not have much to offer, but there is always simple fare to share," Zhang Zhiheng said with a smile.

"Then I shall trouble you, Senior Brother," Zhou Ling'er said, bowing in gratitude.

"Sect Master, that group is outside asking to see you again!"

The Vice Sect Master, Dachun, walked in from outside in a hurry.

"Who is it?" Zhang Zhiheng asked.

"The Yin-Yang Studio!" Dachun replied decisively.

"Those fellows again? Have they not suffered enough from the last time?" Zhang Zhiheng glanced at the statue of Morgana behind him, then turned back to face Dachun. "You stay here in the sect; I will go and meet them myself."

"As you command, Sect Master!"

Zhang Zhiheng walked alone to the outskirts of Tianshen Town, only to find that the head of the Yin-Yang Studio, Abe Haruya, was there by himself.

"What do you want now? Have you not already seen the true god of Tianshen Town? Do you wish to offend the deity again?" Zhang Zhiheng demanded aggressively.

"Master, please do not be angry," Abe Haruya said with a smile. "My twelve followers of the Yin-Yang Studio have already established ourselves at Mount Taiwu. We are no longer here to seize the Master's land."

"What kind of mischief are you up to now?" Zhang Zhiheng asked, clearly unimpressed.

"I have heard that you are, in fact, a descendant of the Zhuge clan," Abe Haruya said, enunciating every word.

"This...!" Zhang Zhiheng was suddenly shocked. It was true; he was indeed Zhuge Zhiheng, a descendant of the Zhuge clan. In his youth, he had escaped the total annihilation of his family only because he had been out playing at the time. He had not expected this foreign Yin-Yang master to identify his true identity so easily.

"I see you are surprised. The twelve members of the Yin-Yang Studio all possess unique arts; it is no wonder we have the ability to calculate and gather information," Abe Haruya said, wearing a triumphant expression as he saw the emotional turmoil in Zhang Zhiheng.

"What are you trying to say?" Zhang Zhiheng asked, watching the foreign Yin-Yang master warily.

"I know who the murderer of the Zhuge clan was, and the truth of what happened that year," Abe Haruya said, smiling while holding a paper fan.

"Who was it?" Zhang Zhiheng asked, unable to contain his impatience.

"If you want to know, follow me." As he spoke, Abe Haruya pulled out a Shikigami talisman. "Shikigami Command, awaken!"

Suddenly, the talisman in Abe Haruya's hand ignited, releasing a cloud of smoke. Within it, a contracted spirit beast named Yunfu appeared before them.

"Unless you do not wish to know, follow me," Abe Haruya said, stepping onto Yunfu—which looked like a white cloud—and soaring into the air.

"Don't you dare leave!" Zhang Zhiheng quickly performed a talisman incantation. "Spirit Summoning Talisman, emerge, spirit!"

Instantly, a giant bird appeared before Zhang Zhiheng in response to the talisman. He had subdued many spirits in the vicinity of Tianshen Town, and this black bird was one of the spirits with whom he had forged a contract.

A spirit contract is a pact of mutual protection between a Yin-Yang master and a spirit; the methods and significance vary by region. Abe Haruya’s Shikigami command binds the spirit to him, making them his servants who cultivate alongside him. Zhang Zhiheng’s spirit-summoning command, however, was a simple contract of servitude; the spirits agreed to serve the Taoist to save their own lives, seeking protection from being hunted or from heavenly tribulations.

Zhang Zhiheng stepped onto the giant bird and gave chase, following the Yunfu spirit ahead. After flying for over an hour, Abe Haruya descended, and Zhang Zhiheng quickly urged his bird to follow.

"Do not play any tricks, or I will make you pay dearly!" Zhang Zhiheng threatened.

"Master, do not be impatient," Abe Haruya said, recalling his spirit before pulling out another talisman. "Shikigami Command, Moon-Chaser!"

With a burst of smoke, a young girl appeared, floating in mid-air as if seated upon the moon. She had fox ears, and her face had transformed into a beautiful human form. Most spirits cultivate to increase their raw power, but some choose to cultivate a human form to escape human threats. Others, however, use their beauty to beguile humans and drain their vital essence to increase their own cultivation. This spirit, known as Moon-Chaser, seemed to have cultivated her human form purely for the sake of beauty.

That was not the point, however. Moon-Chaser shifted her form and cast an illusion; in the blink of an eye, both Zhang Zhiheng and Abe Haruya were enveloped within it.

"The annihilation of the Zhuge clan happened because your ancestors, in their great power, sought to reshape all the dragon veins of the East, channeling the true dragon fortune of the entire land into the fortune of the Zhuge family itself."

"The Zhuge clan's mastery of Feng Shui and Yin-Yang was indeed breathtaking. For centuries, few masters could surpass them. However, attempting to modify and divert all the true dragon veins of the East into one's own family was no small task."

"The difficulty far exceeded that of merely gathering the fortune of a few nearby mountains."

"If the Zhuge clan had succeeded, they would have inevitably become the new masters of the East—the emperors of old. Yet, by doing so, the fortune of every dragon site would have been severely damaged, and the entire Eastern land would have gradually withered away."

"At the time, the powerful Zhuge clan was no longer satisfied with mere public adoration. The arrogant Zhuge King—your father—believed that once he became the master of the East, he could make the land even more prosperous than before."

"However, such an act against heaven—regardless of whether it was feasible—meant using the lifeblood and fortune of the entire East as a gamble. It was something that no one else would ever allow."