Under One Person: The Seeker of the Dao in the Lü Family

Chapter 68 Lady Butterfly, a Remnant of the Qing Dynasty

The sun rose as usual on the second day.

It was now autumn, the height of summer. A gentle breeze swept across the land of Northeast China, and the bustling activity of people's homes drove away the chill, leaving behind only the warmth of human habitation.

Early in the morning, the morning markets in various places are already bustling with people, and all kinds of food stalls line both sides of the street, forming a long line.

Countless figures moved in and out of these vendors' stalls, their faces showing laughter or sorrow, vividly displaying the myriad aspects of human life once again.

The vendors' shouts and the aromas rising with the steam wafted for miles around, attracting even more people to gather there.

Lu Qian was not covered in blood, and his Taoist robe was slightly worn, with some dust and frost on it.

He walked through the morning market carrying a blue cloth bundle, a stark contrast to the bustling scene around him.

The Taoist priest, who had traveled a long way, had a calm and composed expression. His eyes were fixed on the road ahead, and he walked slowly but steadily. Soon he passed through the morning market and arrived at the other side of the crowd.

"Tsk... I don't have fiery eyes either. If those Japanese don't show themselves, I can't lock onto them."

Lu Qian stood on the other side of the market, turned around and paused to look at the crowd behind him, his eyebrows slightly furrowed, looking somewhat troubled.

Those Japanese have left behind countless traces on this land since the Anti-Japanese War.

Now, more than a decade later, the mixing of bloodlines and the assimilation of customs and behaviors have made them look no different from the flower growers.

This is precisely what makes things difficult for Lü Qian.

These Japanese people, buried in various parts of the world, are like nails rooted in this place. They are like tiny, sharp blades, ready to be driven deep into the Northeast and cut open the lifeline of the Northeast at any time.

Lu Qian frowned in thought, realizing he didn't have any good methods to deal with these scattered enemies.

"Forget it, the struggle between superhumans should be resolved by superhumans themselves. It's better to leave the affairs of ordinary people to ordinary people, so as not to get into trouble instead of solving the problem."

Throughout history, the relationship between ordinary people and extraordinary individuals has not been harmonious. The vast majority of ordinary people in the world are more wary than fascinated by extraordinary individuals.

They probably don't even have time to guard against a young expert like themselves.

With this in mind, he turned around and continued on his way, pondering what to do next.

"My most important goal now is to find Higanbana's whereabouts."

"Compared to ordinary people, these extraordinary individuals who possess Qi are more powerful and can cause greater harm."

Having made up his mind, Lü Qian walked with a lighter step.

During his journey through Northeast China, he was initially surprised by his widespread reputation, which was being spread by outsiders as "the reincarnation of Lu Zu" and "the descent of Chunyang to earth."

Later, he recalled the grudges between his family and the Japanese people in Northeast China, and instantly realized that Lü Ci was using him as bait to lure out Bihe Ren.

Having realized this, Lü Qian smiled nonchalantly. There was nothing wrong with having a bigger reputation; at least it would give him more opportunities to visit Daoist lineages and receive guidance.

After all, a person's reputation is like a tree's shadow.

If Lü Qian were an unknown figure, let alone Baiyun Temple, even Biheren probably wouldn't have looked down on him.

"Since these Japanese people value me so highly, I must live up to their expectations!"

Lu Qian chuckled lightly, "Let's go find the local shamanic guilds first and see what information they have. I don't believe that the old master used me as bait without considering the strength of my hook."

He also remembered that in the original story, during the battle at the Heavenly Cave, when Lü Ci fought against Bi He Ren alongside the Tang Clan, those immortals secretly contributed a lot of effort.

Now that the Japanese have reignited their war, Lü Ci will surely contact his old acquaintances.

The Lü family could not, and dared not, fully comprehend matters of national importance, for fear of making any mistakes.

He carried his bundle and walked toward a shrine in the bustling city.

The main gate was wide open, and the inner hall was filled with the smoke of incense and the candlelight illuminated the room, but there were not many people coming and going.

Lu Qian stepped across the threshold and knocked on the door with his backhand. "I am Lu Qian, a Taoist from Wudang Mountain. I have come to the shamanic shrine to seek your help."

"They're here! They're here!"

A young man dressed in a floral cotton jacket and black cotton shoes quickly ran out from the inner room.

The young man had a mature appearance and a mustache resembling a rat's whisker.

The moment Lü Qian saw this man, he recognized him as Deng Youcai, one of the Deng brothers from the original novel.

Although Deng Youcai was not particularly handsome, he and his brother Deng Youfu were truly a pair of genius brothers.

There are five great immortal families in Northeast China, among which the most widely circulated are "Fox, Weasel, Willow, White, and Ash".

The original forms of these five immortal beings are fox, weasel, snake, hedgehog, and rat, respectively.

The two Deng brothers are able to communicate with the most senior spirits in these five families, Willow Spirit and Gray Spirit, respectively.

The immortals are a large and numerous group, but they follow the human example and use lineage and seniority to determine their status.

For shamanic practitioners, gaining the recognition of high-ranking deities and being able to communicate with them is a testament to their own talent.

Deng Youfu can communicate with Liu Kunsheng, and Liu Xianzhu is in charge of subduing demons and monsters.

Deng Youcai is a psychic of the Gray Family Ancestor, and the Gray Immortal is in charge of feng shui and wealth.

These two brothers can be said to be the new generation of leading figures in the Northeast martial arts lineage after Guan Shihua.

"Oh, is it the Lü brothers in person?"

Deng Youcai strode out from the inner hall, a lit cigarette still clutched in his hand. His eyes swept towards the doorway, and when he saw Lü Qian in his Taoist robe, his eyes lit up.

"Exactly!"

Lü Qian smiled and gave him a Tai Chi-style hand salute.

"Hey, don't be so polite. My name is Deng Youcai, a third-generation disciple of the Deng family. Grandma Guan sent word that I must treat you well."

Deng Youcai waved his hand and said to Lü Qian in a hearty manner.

"Hey bro, can I ask you something?"

Looking at the handsome and upright Lü Qian, his curiosity grew even stronger.

He reached out and scratched his head, saying somewhat embarrassedly, "Don't worry, I'm not asking you anything important. It's just that I'm a little curious."

"Excuse me!"

Upon hearing this, Deng Youcai quickly jogged over, put his arm around Lü Qian's shoulder, and whispered, "Brother Lü, these past few days we've been hearing a lot about you, saying things like you're the reincarnation of Lu Zu or an immortal descended to earth."

"I'm so curious about this, can you tell me if it's true?"

He looked at Lü Qian's eyes with curiosity, and Lü Qian didn't mince words, "Hey, these are just baseless rumors."

"I've only been slightly more gifted than my peers since childhood."

As he spoke, he pinched his thumb and forefinger together and gestured towards Deng Youcai, indicating that it was just a little bit.

"It means that you can enter a meditative state by sitting still, and you can feel the Qi in half a day. I just killed three centenarian ghosts of Quanxing a few days ago. These are nothing."

Deng Youcai looked at Lü Qian with a strange expression, and unconsciously lowered his hand from the other's shoulder. "Brother, are you kidding me? If your talent is considered passable, then mine is no different from something a dog chewed."

"Alright, let's not talk about that. Grandma Guan told me to bring my brothers to help you find Bihe Ren, and to take good care of you along the way."

He patted his chest, the resounding thud proclaiming Deng Youcai's sincerity.

"Okay! Thanks, talented brother!"

"It's alright, come on, I'll arrange a place for you to stay first, and wash off the dust from your journey."

With a cigarette dangling from his lips, Deng Youcai led Lü Qian toward the backyard, the two chatting and laughing as they disappeared into the incense hall.

……

Lu Qian was greeted with a harmonious atmosphere, and successfully obtained the assistance arranged for him by Lu Ci.

In Fengtian, inside a grand old-style villa, the atmosphere was tense, like fire and water clashing.

"Baka!"

An elegantly dressed and poised noblewoman looked at the letter before her with trembling hands, quite angered by its contents.

After reading it, she angrily cursed in Japanese, then tore the letter in her hand to shreds and threw it into the brazier at her feet.

The flames burning in the brazier quickly turned the letter to ashes, which were mixed with the charcoal and made it impossible to identify.

"Hmph! What Qing Dynasty descendant, what royal offspring, it's all bullshit."

The old lady's chest heaved with anger.

"Madam Butterfly, please calm down."

The waiter standing to the side stepped forward to offer advice and bowed deeply to the old lady on the sofa.

"You want me to give up? No way!"

The old woman named Lady Butterfly roared angrily.