Chapter 31: Dark Yin Banner

Moving along the natural karst cave, they encountered no danger on the way, not even insects or moss.

Clearly, this was caused by the rampant resentment of the Mother of Grievances.

Fortunately, there were traces to follow, and with Dabao's perception, they successfully found the source.

"This is it." Guo Ming reached out and pulled out a crumpled bundle of cloth.

Having been buried deep underground for a long time, it was covered in stains.

When Chu Danqing picked it up, a surge of coldness washed over him, feeling just like the cold breeze of an air conditioner on a scorching summer day.

It was not a bone-chilling cold, but rather a comfortable, icy coolness.

[Mystic Yin Banner]
[Type: Equipment · Banner]
[Quality: Excellent]
[Durability: 100/100]
[Mystic Yin Qi Nourishing (Passive): Energy recovery +1 for all friendly targets within one hundred meters]
[Equipment Requirement: 5 points of Spirit]

"This is a Mystic Yin Banner."

"What a pity that its quality has drastically declined, and now not even one percent of its former power remains."

"And the matching Mystic Yang Banner is missing," Guo Ming said with a hint of regret.

Although he had not entered the path of cultivation, his discernment was sharp enough to see that this Mystic Yin Banner had already been ruined.

"If we hadn't appeased the Mother of Grievances earlier, the quality of this banner could have been much higher." Guo Ming spoke with a trace of shame.

Had he not placed Chu Danqing in such a perilous spot in an attempt to let the Mother of Grievances rest in peace, its quality would not have degraded.

"No need to mind, I think it's quite good." Chu Danqing did not disdain it. Although it had a range restriction, the energy recovery effect was truly wonderful.

For an Excellent-grade item, having this effect was already exceptionally good.

Equipping it immediately, a thought suddenly crossed his mind: "Do you think the other banner, the Mystic Yang Banner, might be with the One-Horned Flood Dragon?"

The whereabouts of the Human Demon were unknown, but he knew the location of the One-Horned Flood Dragon.

"This... I'm afraid not." Guo Ming shook his head. "Although the twin banners of Mystic Yin and Mystic Yang are not top-tier treasures, they are mostly used as a set."

"The Daoist Master of the Human Duke borrowed the Mystic Yin Banner to nourish the Mother of Grievances as food for the Tracing Tiger entirely by coincidence."

"Combined with the fact that the Mystic Yin Banner was deeply buried at the bottom of the well and cave, accumulating yin qi for a long time, this transformation occurred."

"Ordinary Mystic Yin banners are mostly used for gathering yin qi."

"The one in Brother Chu's hand has been tainted by the Daoist Master of the Human Duke and the resentment of the Mother of Grievances, and is no longer the original Mystic Yin Banner."

"In my view, it is now capable of inhaling and exhaling yin qi to nourish spiritual power."

Hearing this, Chu Danqing immediately dismissed the idea of going to West Jiu to see if he could acquire the Mystic Yang Banner.

If they truly formed a set, he wouldn't let it go, but according to Guo Ming, the Mystic Yin Banner in his possession had mutated.

Otherwise, a traditional Mystic Yin Banner might belong to a set, and its effect wouldn't be a passive boost to energy recovery within a certain range.

"That is indeed a pity," Chu Danqing said, leading Dabao and Guo Ming to search the underground cave further.

After much effort, they gained nothing and had to leave the bottom of the well to return to the surface.

Glancing at the sky, it was not yet noon, so he considered heading down the mountain.

"I'm planning to return to Yangxian County, and you?" Chu Danqing asked, then added, "Why don't you come with me and stay temporarily at the Lu Residence?"

"You are all alone now, and the snow shows no sign of stopping. Traveling by yourself is unsafe."

"I can use the Lu family's connections to contact your family for you."

Guo Ming naturally would not refuse Chu Danqing's kindness: "Then I will have to trouble Brother Chu. I currently have nowhere to go."

Having neither entered the path of cultivation nor possessing any magical power, the dangers he faced were not just the snow, but also the disaster victims.

In the desolate wilderness, one had to watch out for wolves and tigers; once inside the city, even the clothes on his back would make him a target of covetousness.

With low productivity, let alone cotton-padded jackets and fur robes, even a single piece of woven fabric was hard to come by.

Not to mention anything else, even Ah Q in Lu Xun's writings could take his cotton-padded coat to the pawnshop for money.

If Guo Ming walked alone wearing such fine clothes, he would likely be ambushed around the corner.

The three of them descended the mountain together. On the way, Chu Danqing asked, "I suddenly thought of something."

"The Three-Corpse Stumble inside the Tracing Tiger is the son of the Daoist Master of the Human Duke, and now I've killed him."

"Can you... handle the fallout?"

Asked this question by Chu Danqing, Guo Ming could only reveal a bitter smile: "How could I possibly have the ability to handle it?"

"Presumably, the Daoist Master of the Human Duke is currently in Yangxian County."

Chu Danqing shook his head: "I don't know."

How could he possibly have any contact with the Daoist Master of the Human Duke?

"Then if even you can't handle it, I'd better not enter the city." Chu Danqing offered a solution: "I'll have Dabao escort you to the Lu family."

"The Lu family won't abandon their connections just because I'm not dead yet. If all else fails, you can ask the eldest miss of the Lu family for help."

"For my sake, she will certainly be willing to help you," Chu Danqing said. "I'll find a place to live under an assumed name."

Hearing Chu Danqing say this, Guo Ming fell silent for a moment.

After about ten seconds, he replied: "My own standing might not be enough to handle it, but my late father still holds some modest influence in the imperial court."

"With me here, the Daoist Master of the Human Duke would never dare to touch the two of us."

As soon as Chu Danqing uttered those last two sentences, Guo Ming decided to confront the Daoist Master of the Human Duke head-on.

His previous silence was not because he was hesitating whether to fight, but rather pondering how to maximize his own advantages.

"Let's make this clear first: I'm from the countryside and don't know your background," Chu Danqing skillfully covered up his lack of knowledge. "So you'd better make sure the Daoist Master of the Human Duke knows who you are."

"Otherwise, if you follow me and get caught in the crossfire... you'd be better off leaving as soon as possible."

"I have met the Daoist Master of the Human Duke several times; he recognizes me." Guo Ming's words finally put Chu Danqing at ease.

"That's good then." Chu Danqing patted Guo Ming's shoulder like a good brother.

He hadn't placed all his hopes entirely on Guo Ming; having the return qualification as a safety net was why he dared to seek fortune amidst danger.

Otherwise, he would have fled long ago.

Courting death against the Daoist Master of the Human Duke was certainly not something one would do while knowing it was impossible.

"Brother Chu, don't you find it strange?" Guo Ming changed the subject. "Why would there be such a Mystic Yin Banner at the bottom of the well in Nanshan Temple?"

Without pausing his steps down the mountain, Chu Danqing offered his own insight: "Most likely a remnant issue of history."

...Unless someone is manipulating this behind the scenes?"

Speaking up to this point, he felt a slight lack of confidence. For no other reason than the fact that too many coincidences ceased to look like coincidences.

"Nine times out of ten." Guo Ming presented a different perspective: "The Master of the Taiping Dao is revered as the state preceptor and is regarded as a thorn in the side by the imperial court."

"This scheme is probably not targeting the son of the Daoist Master of the Human Duke, but the Daoist Master of the Human Duke himself."

"Taking advantage of this incident to instigate a new wave of suppression against the Master of the Taiping Dao."

Hearing this, Chu Danqing no longer cared. As long as it didn't overturn Yangxian County or involve blood-sacrificing to the common people, anything else was fine.

Much like the case of Yang Naiwu and Little Cabbage, which seemed like a redress of a grave injustice, it was actually a prelude to a purge.

It followed the tactic of breaking through the whole situation from a single point.