Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, but Thunderbolt Taoist Sect

Chapter 181 Executioner: Track Mismatch

The story of "Ge Jin" is simple: it begins with a weary scholar unexpectedly encountering a beautiful woman, followed by their falling in love, their growing wealth, and the addition of the man's younger brother and the woman's cousin. The difference lies in the ending; instead of a happy ending, it ends with a split caused by suspicion.

According to what they heard, the Chang brothers' experience a few years ago was completely consistent with this. In addition, these peonies, Gejin Purple and Yuban White, are the same varieties as the two peony fairies in the story. They left because of their husbands' choices, and their two children fell to the ground and turned into two peony flowers, which then grew into a large flower bush. What the monster wanted was not some precious flower, but the two children they left behind.

Xing Tianshi has a script and cheat codes, and he has basically figured out the Chang family's affairs. Yan Chixia, on the other hand, is confused. The people who were questioned did not know why the White Lotus Sect was putting pressure on the Chang family, but they all felt that the demand for flowers was just a pretext. The Chang family has suddenly become rich in recent years and has almost monopolized the peony industry in the city. Who would not be envious of such wealth?

In the past, some bandits had their eyes on the Chang family's property and even came to their door to attack, but nothing came of it. Apparently, it was the women of the Chang family who stepped in and settled the matter.

Strangely enough, everyone said that the wives of the two Chang brothers were as beautiful as angels and were orphans of noble families from other places. When they first got married, the news spread everywhere, but in the last two years, they suddenly disappeared. Nobody even knows if the Chang family has any descendants.

“I have been to Caozhou before. Lady Cao is already a great demon in the area, and she is also a 'Gejinzi' peony. The two peonies in the Chang family must also be extraordinary.”

After inquiring, Yan Chixia was basically certain that the Chang family's peonies were not simple. As a peony, Lady Cao was as tall as the eaves of a house, and was a flower spirit that had lived for countless years. The two peonies in the Chang family were also very large, and could also be flower spirits that had developed sentience.

A demon impersonating a cult leader demanded items from wealthy mortals that appeared to be demonic possessions. Yan Chixia had never encountered such a scheme before, despite having seen so many demons.

"If the Chang family doesn't take effective measures when threatened like this, their head will also be in trouble."

Putting aside the past, you often see wealthy and powerful people in Luoyang who, when approached by the White Lotus Sect, do not report it to the authorities, and when threatened by those with magical powers, do not seek help from Taoist priests or monks, but instead just stay at home and do nothing. Isn't that a problem?

Yan Chixia looked at Xing Tianshi. Ever since he unexpectedly met this Taoist priest, he had suddenly gained a lot of "first-time" insights, in all aspects and with all kinds of people.

He looked around at the other side, and was just about to continue with his conjecture when he immediately realized something was wrong. Why were there only Xing Tianshi and Ye Dai in front of him?

"...What about Brother Tianji?"

"I just followed them..."

"?"

"Follow that guy from earlier."

Xing Tianshi reached out to Yan Chixia, holding a light purple petal in his hand.

"This was also found on that guy from earlier; he wasn't an ordinary passerby."

Nowadays, flowers are everywhere in the city, and it's normal for passersby to have a few petals on them. But if they were ordinary petals, no one would bother to bring them over.

Unlike the various bright purple peonies on the street, this petal was lighter in color, with one end white. Yan Chixia took the petal and couldn't help but frown.

“...There is a demonic aura.”

"That old Chen guy, he definitely did it on purpose."

As they were leaving, Chen Jiu told them to come to Luoyang to appreciate the peonies properly. It turned out that they were not only seeing the flowers, but also the corresponding flower fairies.

The petals were found on the person who had just been talking to them about the Chang family's past. Everyone else thought it was also a white-haired monkey raised by Xing Tianshi, and they mostly ignored it. As long as it didn't jump up and climb people like tree stumps, no one would be too wary of a "monkey".

This allowed Ye Dai to slip through the cracks. The few petals had a very weak presence and demonic aura, but Ye Dai was small and unnoticed. He circled around a few times, and the person opposite him didn't know that he was searching for something with demonic aura.

"Tianji, go over and investigate. These flowers look like peonies, but why are they so pale?"

When people talk about purple peonies, the first thing that comes to mind is the Gejinzi variety that can be seen everywhere in the city. However, the Gejinzi variety is very bright in color, with most of the flowers being purplish-red. The few petals I found looked much paler and didn't seem to be from the same variety.

"This city is full of things related to flowers, so that counterfeit product is probably a flower fairy too."

If it really is a flower spirit, then the other party's strange behavior becomes more understandable. Most plant spirits are not offensive. Even if a fox spirit is weak, it can still bite its opponent a few times if it is captured. Ordinary flowers, grasses and trees cannot bite people. When they are in human form, they cannot even move. A shovel can break their roots.

When the White Lotus Sect was capturing monsters, they basically ignored the option of plant spirits. Animals that have developed intelligence can be judged by their behavior. Whether a tree has developed intelligence or not, it just stands there motionless. It is really impossible to tell whether it has developed intelligence or not.

"Flower fairy..."

Yan Chixia looked at the petal in his hand that emitted a faint demonic aura. Peonies were the most common flowers in Luoyang City at the moment, with various colors and fragrances mixed together. People who were not used to it would inevitably feel dizzy if they stayed for too long. He had been focused on the Chang family and hadn't noticed the petal.

"I don't know much about peonies, so I don't know what kind this is."

He traveled far and wide, mostly to desolate wilderness, and encountered mostly evil spirits and fierce creatures. When he suddenly came to something as elegant as the peony, he was completely at a loss, utterly clueless.

According to his own habits, it would be more appropriate to go to the Chang family, who were under pressure. Although there might be something wrong with the peony in their hands, Yan Chixia still preferred the ordinary people to the White Lotus Sect and the monsters with unclear motives.

"This question is way beyond the scope of the curriculum."

Xing Tianshi is a master of exorcising ghosts in Taoism, and Yan Chixia is a swordsman who can slay demons. This should have been a perfect match, but the two grown men ran into something related to peonies.

...This dungeon matchmaking is clearly wrong. Shouldn't this setup be dealing with ghosts? Yan Chixia is here; shouldn't it be Lanruo Temple according to the usual strategy?

On the other side, Tianji quietly followed his target away, watching as the person in front of him made several turns and left the bustling streets, heading towards a remote and deserted place.

The person who was just chatting and laughing with everyone, talking about the past of Luoyang, started looking around furtively after leaving the public eye, and his behavior became furtive, as if he was afraid of being seen by others.

Just by looking at this change, one can be certain that the petals Ye Dai found were not false evidence, and Xing Tianshi and the others did not suspect the wrong person. Today, Tian Ji can be considered a Daoist of the Righteous One Heaven, so he can sense the gradually increasing demonic aura around him.

Far from the hustle and bustle of the city, and with no vibrant flowers in sight, this place is almost out of the city. There, in a dilapidated courtyard, is a group of people dressed in strange white robes. In the deepest part, a splash of red can be seen.

Tianji immediately recognized the identities of the White Lotus Sect and the fake Asura King. He had come to follow them because of the few petals that Yedai had discovered, but he hadn't expected to find such a large one.

"A Taoist priest from out of town?"

"Yes, a Taoist priest who looked very powerful was accompanied by a white monkey. Beside him was a person with light-colored hair, dressed in black, who looked like a swordsman."

Upon seeing these people, the person being followed immediately went up to them and tried to get close to them, even recounting the events involving Xing Tianshi and his group. In his view, Xing Tianshi, this Taoist priest, seemed to be at odds with the White Lotus Sect, so he spoke of Xing Tianshi first, while Yan Chixia was ignored.

He wasn't a follower of the White Lotus Sect; he was merely a half-informant for them in the city. He only came because the White Lotus Sect was now at odds with the Chang family, and providing intelligence within the city would bring him a generous reward.

"...A flower fairy?"

Tianji hid in the shadows, watching the person in red at the very back. This person not only had bright red clothes and exaggerated pointed ears, but also wore a mask that covered the entire face. He suspected that the other party had never seen Shou Wanjie before and could only do this to avoid making a mistake.

Because in the eyes of Tianji, an "insider," the other party's appearance was very deliberate, not in the style of an innate person, but merely a forced imitation based on hearsay, which could only fool those who had never seen him before.

There were no flowers to be seen here, but a faint floral fragrance still lingered in the courtyard. The demonic aura emanating from the man in red was also very obvious, even pure, making it 100% certain that he was a native demon of this world.

However, pure demonic energy... is a characteristic usually found in good demons who don't harm or kill people and are focused on cultivation. Could this imposter actually be a good demon?

He had to rely on the reputation of the White Lotus Sect to pressure the Chang family for two flowers, but he didn't actually persecute anyone. From this perspective, he was indeed a "good" monster.

Now that they've found the White Lotus Sect and the fake Asura King, Tianji didn't delay and immediately informed Xing Tianshi. Since the Zheng family had already confirmed that it was a few years after the ending of the story "Ge Jin," the remaining doubts all lay with this fake Asura King who was suspected to be a flower demon. Why not come and find out the truth directly?

But flower demons and peonies... Could this guy also be a peony spirit? The peony flower demon is pressuring the Chang family, demanding their two children who have transformed into peonies. Could this be a family matter of the peony flower demon?

……

"Another flower has suddenly withered, brother! If we don't do something soon, we won't be able to do business!"

Inside the Chang family mansion, Chang Daqi looked at his silent elder brother, Chang Dayong, who seemed quite calm, while Chang Daqi was frantic with worry inside.

From the moment a strange fellow led the White Lotus Sect to put pressure on the Chang family, every peony sold by the Chang family would suddenly have a few plants wither. The cause could not be found, and there was basically no pattern. The only thing in common was that these flowers all belonged to the Chang family.

Because of the sudden withering, everyone thought there was something wrong with their flowers, suspecting that the Chang family's peonies had gotten sick. But only the Chang brothers knew that their peonies couldn't possibly be sick.

The reason is simple: the Chang brothers married two peony fairies and had children with both of them. However, their relationship eventually broke down. Before disappearing, the two peony cousins ​​threw their children on the ground, and the two children turned into two peony plants, which quickly grew into two flower bushes. All the peonies that the Chang family has sold over the years have been transplanted from these flower bushes.

They had been doing this business for several years because these peonies were easier to grow than others, and the flowers they produced were larger and more beautiful. The Chang family peonies gradually replaced the previous peony varieties.

If there were a problem with the flowers, something should have happened by now. But the flowers in the yard are still blooming. The problem is with the flowers that have already been sold. After thinking about it, it can only be that damned White Lotus Sect that's behind this.

"What can we do? We don't even know what methods they used!"

Chang Dayong wasn't truly as steady as Mount Tai; he simply couldn't think of a solution. Reporting it to the authorities was too far-fetched. The officials in the yamen were only mortals, and they probably couldn't do anything against someone who knew magic. There were countless cases of capturing White Lotus Sect sorcerers only to have them escape.

Seek out an exorcist? Pray to gods and Buddhas? Here's the problem: they can't explain the two peonies in their yard. The matter of Ge Jin and Yu Ban is a thorn in the Chang brothers' side. They married the peony flower fairy, and the two peonies in the yard are their children. How can they explain this?

"Are we going to keep dragging this on? If it really comes down to it... let's go to Caozhou. Maybe Yu Ban and my sister-in-law are there..."

"no!"

Upon hearing the mention of Caozhou, Chang Dayong became anxious. It was he who had become suspicious of his wife's story, went to Caozhou out of curiosity, and met the real Lady of Cao, which led to the current situation.

Ge Jin and Yu Ban disappeared without a trace. Yu Ban is still unknown. Ge Jin is the daughter of Lady Cao. If they go to Caozhou, they might be able to find each other.

Chang Dayong's biggest fear was seeing his ex-wife. He didn't know her intentions when she threw the child away, but she certainly didn't imply that they should make money by turning the child into a flower.

"There must be other ways, there must be..."

In this situation, whether they stick their necks out or not, they'll all be killed. The key lies in those two special peonies in their yard.

"Why did they have to choose them of all the flowers..."

At first, Chang Dayong considered using other peonies to impersonate them, but the other party specifically asked for these two plants, and their words revealed that they knew very well about the Chang brothers' past, leaving no room for deception.

The other side's attitude was very clear: that guy who called himself "Asura King" wanted their child. If they didn't hand the child over, the Chang family wouldn't be able to do business in peace.

"If all else fails, there is a nobleman in the capital who is very fond of peonies. I have heard that there are many talented and extraordinary people in the capital. Perhaps we can ask him to make an introduction."

"...What will you use to make friends?"

Judging from his elder brother's tone, Chang Daqi felt something was amiss. A nobleman who loved peonies would naturally want to please him with the best peonies, but in their family, the so-called best peonies had two meanings.

When his brother said these things at this critical juncture, Chang Daqi couldn't help but feel flustered. The Chang family's peonies were famous for their large flowers and ease of survival, but in terms of size, Lady Cao of Caozhou was the largest at present. In terms of survival rate, the real high-ranking officials and nobles didn't need to worry about such things at all.

Moreover, the capital city certainly has no shortage of rare and exotic flowers; the only truly unique ones their family possesses are probably…

"When that time comes, we will have no other choice."

Chang Dayong's voice trembled as he said this.

"Sending it to the capital is at least better than handing it over to that worthless fellow."

The most special peony in the Chang family is naturally the child left behind by Ge Jin and Yu Ban.