When Huang Jiu was nowhere to be found all day, Xiao Cui and I decided to return home.
Once at home, I replaced the furniture with the four Sacred Beast statues, and when the last one, Xuanwu, touched the ground, the atmosphere of the house changed instantly.
I was pleased. It seemed the Daoist symbols on these statues still had their power. With these in place, I could sleep soundly at night.
I made dinner myself, while Xiao Cui clumsily helped. She was a bit awkward, but I could tell she genuinely wanted to assist, so I patiently taught her.
Huang Jiu has an acute nose, and as soon as the meal was ready, he came back through the door. Transforming into his true form in the living room, he jumped onto the table and grabbed a piece of meat, stuffing it into his mouth. As he ate, he said, "Xiao Li, we might have to pack up and run."
I've gotten used to his dramatic statements, so I stayed calm and untied my apron. "What happened now? Didn't the cat demon lose?"
"It's not the cat demon. The Avengers have a tough one on their side."
Huang Jiu said mysteriously.
I pretended to be worried and asked, "Who's the big shot?"
"Jiudao Scholar."
I faked being nervous, but it quickly turned into real anxiety.
"Jiudao" is a term from the "Kaiyuan Divination" that refers to astrology. There are nine paths: Qingdao (green), Baidao (white), Chidao (red), Heidao (black), and Huangdao (yellow), which are combined into the Nine Great Paths.
Someone who embodies all nine is said to be fated for an imperial destiny. Later, the term came to refer to extremely talented individuals, those blessed with unique abilities or luck.
A "Jiudao Scholar" is someone outstanding in nine areas, a true leader in their field.
As the saying goes, "In every trade, a true master emerges."
In the Daoist world, it's rare for someone to master more than one or two paths, and to claim expertise in all nine is either a boast or a true powerhouse.
But someone with genuine skill would hardly mix with the mundane world in such matters.
Huang Youwei and his "Avengers" sounded more like children's play to me.
So, I decided that this "Jiudao Scholar" was just a paper tiger.
I pushed my bowl of rice aside and asked, "When are they going to make their move? I'm ready to see who's stronger: this Jiudao Scholar or a simple country boy like me."
Huang Jiu's eyes lit up when I said I was ready to fight. "Big Hei said they're planning to make trouble at the shop tomorrow. If they strike, it'll be serious."
"Strike hard, so they don't strike a hundred times," I said, nodding. "We'll head to the shop early tomorrow and give them a surprise. By the way, any progress with the Ten Thousand Great Mountains matter?"
Huang Jiu replied, "We've just set up some eyes. Big Hei's subordinates are still too slow. They need more time to find someone with influence in the Xuanshi world."
It was surprising that even ordinary rats could pull this off, but I couldn't rush it. Forcing the rats would only backfire.
Two days from now, I expected to have results from the Black Emperor's side as well.
After dinner, Xiao Cui and I took a walk around the neighborhood. By the time the sun set, we returned. She sat down to watch TV, and I read Zuo Daoran's handscroll.
Huang Jiu was munching on an apple, claiming it was training his mouth.
I sneered. "With skills like yours, in time, the Black Emperor will surpass you, and you'll end up as a little brother instead of the leader."
In the world of demons, power reigns. Strength is what commands respect.
Huang Jiu, hearing this, quickly put down the apple, sat down to meditate, and conjured two little hands to practice the Nine-character mantra.
I had researched the Nine-character mantra before. It's easy to shape, but to unleash its true power requires more than just skill; it demands insight into its meaning, which takes time to cultivate. It can't be rushed.
So, I set aside the mantra for now and focused on mastering the contents of Zuo Daoran's handscroll.
Using formations to kill was currently my only strategy to defeat the strong with the weak.
The next morning, I stretched lazily, got up to wash up, and called Xiao Cui to wake up. Huang Xian'er wasn't around, so I took care of her daily needs, picking out a sports outfit for her. She looked like a little schoolgirl in it.
Even so, her stunning beauty couldn't be hidden.
Before 7:00 AM, we brought breakfast to the shop.
Xiao Cui was still sleepy, yawning continuously. I moved the sofa in the VIP room for her to sleep some more.
Huang Jiu, seeing this, perched on my shoulder and commented, "She looks like a fake Mountain Lord."
I shot him a look and ordered him to clean up the broken fish tank from yesterday.
Huang Jiu turned into his human form and cleaned up the mess.
I calculated the positions of the Four Symbols and set up the Four Symbols Confinement Formation with the statues I had brought from home.
I had learned this formation recently, so I wasn't sure what results it would yield, but I was hopeful.
Once everything was in place, I let out a sigh of relief. Just as I sat down to drink tea, a frail-looking middle-aged woman walked into the shop.
She didn't seem like a rich or noble person, and since Lai Youwei and his group might be targeting me, I didn't want to take on any new business.
But just as I was about to say I wasn't working today, the woman suddenly kneeled and cried out, "Master Li, you have to help me."
When she said "Master Li," my brows furrowed.
"You know me?" I asked, surprised.
My uncle had spent many years in this street, but before I arrived, he wasn't well known.
The woman nodded while crying.
She openly admitted it, which left me a bit uncertain. I gestured for her to stop crying. "Stop with the tears, tell me what's going on."
She wiped her tears, her face full of sorrow. "Master Li, they've taken my daughter and locked her in an old house. They said you're the only one who can save her."
"My daughter is only eight years old. Master Li, I beg you."
Huang Jiu came in from outside and, hearing this, shouted angrily, "These so-called righteous sects have no shame!"
I didn't respond, just helped the woman up.
It didn't surprise me that the righteous sects would do such things, especially with Lai Youwei involved.
But this didn't seem like something they would do.
Even if it was Lai Youwei and his group, a common woman like this wouldn't have any connection to them.
I helped her sit down and asked, "Why did they lock your daughter up?"
The woman wiped her face and said bitterly, "They said my daughter has a Nine Yin fate, and she's suitable for a trap."
Nine Yin fate?
This was new to me.
Setting up a trap and telling the woman to pass the message to me—what did this mean?
Huang Jiu, too, sensed something was off and asked, "Auntie, did you see what he looked like?"
"A thin young man, around twenty," the woman replied, her emotions settling down a bit with my reassurance.
I looked at Huang Jiu.
Big Hei's subordinates had gathered information, so they should have a description of this person.
Huang Jiu said, "There's no such person in Lai Youwei's group."
When I heard it wasn't the Nine Dao Scholar's trap, I felt more anxious, something didn't feel right.
At that moment, my phone rang. It was an unfamiliar number from Hong Kong.