Chapter 633: The Zhongyin Temple

1,265 words

“Lamas from Qingqiu?”

Li Huowang’s mind recalled that black-pelted lama with three heads and six arms, and his three heads representing different ways of death.

“Are you saying… that the Fa Sect and the Qingqiu lamas have been in cahoots all along?” The very possibility made Li Huowang’s expression turn grave.

Yuer Shen’s Heavenly Law was Darkness, while those black-pelted lamas worshipped Death. If these lamas intended to borrow Yuer Shen’s Heavenly Calamity and use the Fa Sect to plunge the entire world into death, it would make a twisted sort of sense.

Even if the Fa Sect was, in the eyes of every nation’s court and every nation’s Supervisory Heavenly Office, an utterly unforgivable evil cult, in this thoroughly maddened world there would always be people who gravitated toward those lost to all conscience.

“Hmm, not necessarily. After all, quite a few masters from the Zhongyin Temple have joined the Qingqiu Supervisory Heavenly Office.” It was the first time Li Huowang had learned the sect’s name from Zheng Boqiao.

“Zhongyin Temple…” Li Huowang recalled the rows of evenly spaced half-human, half-goat mummies he had seen beneath the Qingqiu grasslands.

For a sect that worshipped death itself, Li Huowang felt no guess was too dark.

“Is it possible that this so-called Zhongyin Temple has already completely taken over the Qingqiu Supervisory Heavenly Office? For all we know, Qingqiu itself might be under Fa Sect control?”

At this, Fo Yulu, standing nearby, shuddered.

If this man was right, it would be terrifying: with troubles both within and without, the entire Da Liang dynasty might be on the verge of collapse.

Zheng Boqiao gave his whisk a flick. “It hasn’t come to that. Senior Xuanpin specifically traveled the realm not long ago and had all the Sitian Jian gather to discuss certain matters. If the Qingqiu Heavenly Office were truly compromised, Senior Xuanpin would certainly have noticed by now.”

“Xuanpin…” Li Huowang recalled that when he had sought Xuanpin out to deal with the Zuowangdao, the man had seemed to have urgent business outside the city and had only returned after the Dice had hijacked the Dragon Vein.

He had wondered what Xuanpin had been doing out at such a critical moment; now, combined with Zheng Boqiao’s words, it seemed Xuanpin had been consulting with other Sitian Jian on important affairs.

“Hmm.” Zheng Boqiao, who had been lost in thought, stopped and looked back at Li Huowang.

“Daoist Li, there’s no need for you to worry about this. The Office will have specialists investigate thoroughly. Still, you’re not wrong — letting the Da Qi Fa Sect and the Da Liang Fa Sect collude freely is indeed asking for trouble.”

“I just used my alchemical arts to extract from He Xinlai’s mind the locations of several larger Fa Sect strongholds. We might find more remnants of the Da Qi Fa Sect there. If it’s convenient for you, or if you’re willing to do a service for the Sitian Jian, you could go take a look.”

Hearing this, Li Huowang’s expression froze as he took another measure of the man before him.

His mission was precisely to help the Supervisory Heavenly Office oppose the Fa Sect, so intelligence was certainly welcome — but why did this man seem to be deliberately sending him away? Was there something fishy about the Zhongyin Temple?

“Commissioner Zheng, you know I’m the Emperor’s man. His Majesty sent me to travel Da Liang and investigate all irregularities. If there’s something being hidden from the throne, that would be a crime of deceiving the sovereign.”

“Hehe, Daoist Li, what talk is this? Matters of the Supervisory Heavenly Office are hardly the Emperor’s jurisdiction, are they?”

“Even if he doesn’t manage it, that doesn’t mean he shouldn’t be informed!” The evasive reply only deepened Li Huowang’s suspicion.

Zheng Boqiao sighed helplessly, almost as if conceding defeat. “Fine. Once the agents return from Qingqiu, I’ll have them report clearly to Your Excellency on the situation at Zhongyin Temple. Now, regarding the Fa Sect — will you still lend your aid, Commissioner?”

Glancing at the others around him, Li Huowang decided not to press too hard. The Fa Sect matter was more pressing — after all, the people he cared about were all in Da Liang, not Qingqiu.

“What kind of talk is that, Reverend? I live in Da Liang, I’m a member of the Supervisory Heavenly Office — it’s my bounden duty to deal with the Fa Sect. Why would you think I’d refuse?”

“Hehehe, my mistake. No time to waste — before the Fa Sect followers move, I’ll write down the locations for you now.”

With that, Zheng Boqiao walked back to the incense burner, scooped up a handful of incense ash, and began writing on the ground swiftly.

Soon, several addresses written in incense ash appeared on the ground, most of them remote villages beyond the Jiangnan Circuit. It seemed the Fa Sect, like the White Lotus Society before them, had disguised themselves as ordinary folk and hidden themselves across Da Liang.

When he was done, Zheng Boqiao swept his whisk across the ground, and the incense ash lines that formed the addresses quickly coalesced into a lump, floating up into his hand.

Zheng Boqiao held out this small lump of incense ash and hurried over to Li Huowang, extending it to him. “I’m skilled in alchemy. Daoist Li, don’t go just yet — let me give you some of my treasured healing pills for regulating your breath and mending wounds.”

Li Huowang extended his hand, snatched the lump of incense ash from Zheng Boqiao’s grasp, and stuffed it into his own robe. He turned and left. “I’ll pass. I don’t have a taste for pills.”

He planned to go alone this time. Taking along Heavenly Office agents who weren’t of one mind with him would only be a burden.

“The Office will also send people to search. If you run into them, just give your name, and they’ll step aside,” Zheng Boqiao called after Li Huowang.

Li Huowang pretended not to hear, leaving like the wind with Li Sui.

After Li Huowang was gone, Zheng Boqiao turned slightly and said to Fo Yulu behind him, “This man is not of one mind with us. It’s fine to win him over, but it’s always wise to be cautious when dealing with him.”

Fo Yulu nodded immediately. “I understand, sir. He clings to imperial power — the Office despises such behavior.”

Hearing this, Zheng Boqiao stood still for a moment, then gently shook his head. “No, no. I suspect he’s not even of one mind with the Emperor.”

Even though they were discussing matters of great importance, Zheng Boqiao made no attempt to have Chan Du, the abbot of Zhengde Temple standing by, absent himself.

At these words, Fo Yulu was taken aback. “He’s not of one mind with His Majesty either? Then who is he loyal to? Surely he can’t be a Fa Sect spy?”

“Never mind, don’t let him delay important matters. In this world, caution is always safest. If you make contact with him again, come find me immediately.”

“Understood, sir.”

Having finished his instructions, Zheng Boqiao’s face once again broke into a smile. He performed a Daoist salute toward the old monk Chan Du. “Chan Du, the trivial matters are settled — shall we head to the Rain Retreat?”

“Amitabha. Thank you for your generosity, Patron Fang.”

Chan Du pressed his palms together, his prayer beads wrapped around his hand, and gave the Daoist a Buddhist salute.

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Reading Guide Decoding

The Death Cult and the Commissioner’s Evasions

Cultural / Xianxia Notes

Zhongyin Temple (中阴庙): Zhongyin (中阴) is the Buddhist term for the intermediate state between death and rebirth (the bardo). This temple elevates death itself to an object of worship — half-human, half-goat mummies found earlier suggest a ritual practice that literally hybrids life and death. It’s a terrifying inversion of Buddhist metaphysics.

Incense Ash Manipulation: Using incense ash as a medium for writing and then magically condensing it into a physical object demonstrates control over spiritual sediment. Incense ash is the residue of offerings to deities; when Zheng Boqiao manipulates it, he’s not just showing off — he’s revealing that he commands the material memory of ritual. This connects to alchemical motifs where information is stored in physical substances.

Rain Retreat (雨斋): Not a standard Daoist or Buddhist term. In context, it likely refers to a vegetarian ritual meal or seasonal retreat held during the rainy season (mirroring Buddhist varsha). Its mention here underscores the casual collaboration between Daoist officials and Buddhist clergy in Da Liang — a comfortable alliance that makes the political situation even murkier.

Zheng Boqiao’s Internal Alchemy: As established, Zheng practices a visceral, literal form of Internal Alchemy — his body is not a metaphor for a furnace but an actual biological one. Extracting thoughts from a brain through alchemy confirms he treats the body as a material system to be refined. His “healing pills” may carry side effects consistent with this disturbing methodology.

Chapter Overview

The chapter opens with Li Huowang piecing together a terrifying possibility: the Fa Sect and the black-pelted lamas of the Zhongyin Temple — who worship death itself — might be in league. Zheng Boqiao confirms the existence of this temple but downplays its corruption, insisting Senior Xuanpin’s recent survey would have caught any rot. He then provides Li Huowang with several Fa Sect stronghold locations extracted from a captured leader’s mind, written in incense ash that he magically coalesces into a portable token. But when Li Huowang presses him about the Zhongyin Temple’s true status, Zheng’s evasiveness sparks deep distrust. Li Huowang takes the lead and leaves alone, refusing the offered healing pills. The chapter’s devastating final scene reveals Zheng Boqiao’s private assessment — Li Huowang is nobody’s loyalist, not even the Emperor’s.

Key Plot Points

Li Huowang deduces a likely alliance between the Fa Sect and the Zhongyin Temple (Qingqiu’s death-worshipping lamas), connecting Yuer Shen’s Dark Heavenly Law with the lamas’ death doctrine.
Zheng Boqiao reveals he extracted location data from He Xinlai’s brain using his alchemical arts, writing the addresses in incense ash.
Li Huowang questions why the Zhongyin Temple’s affairs are being kept from the Emperor, openly accusing Zheng of hiding information.
Zheng promises a full report after agents return from Qingqiu, but Li Huowang remains suspicious.
Li Huowang refuses Zheng’s offer of healing pills, opting to act alone.
After Li Huowang leaves, Zheng tells Fo Yulu that Li is not of one mind with them — or even with the Emperor — and should be handled cautiously.
Zheng then casually invites Chan Du to the Rain Retreat, revealing the abbot’s privileged access.

Reading Guide

This chapter is a masterclass in political paranoia. Every gesture from Zheng Boqiao is layered: the incense ash trick isn’t just convenient — it’s a flex, reminding Li Huowang that he commands esoteric power. Li Huowang’s refusal of the pills is a smart survival call; in a world where gifts can carry tracking agents or contamination, distrust is self-defense. The chapter’s real gut-punch is the post-departure exchange: Zheng Boqiao doesn’t think Li Huowang is a spy, but he knows he’s a loose cannon, not a team player. This perfectly encapsulates the novel’s theme that institutions are fractured and alliances provisional. Watch for the name-drops of Senior Xuanpin and the Dice — these will pay off later. Also note the Fa Sect’s infiltration strategy (disguising as ordinary villagers) mirrors the historical White Lotus Society, grounding the horror in real subversive traditions. For first-time readers: pay close attention to how Zheng speaks — his tone is always performatively genial, exactly as described in the voice guide.