The Little Fish Jerky boat had been sailing in the shallow waters for a while. As the sun set in the west, the lake surface was like a mirror, with no shore in sight in the distance, only lines of flying water birds.

The water depth here was actually already several meters, and it was quite far. Usually, at this point, Qian Ping'an would suggest switching to a speedboat, but today there was obviously no preparation. "We have to turn back. Don't be fooled by the current calm, Yunmeng Marsh has its fierce side, with eternal wild winds."

"Please go a little further," Tan Xiao said, seeing that the speed of the shells was getting faster and faster, possibly about to reach their home waters.

"No need to go further." At this time, Kong Xuan said with a solemn face.

Tan Xiao looked at him in surprise. Is it here?

Kong Xuan stared into the distance with a frown. "I cannot go to the waters ahead. There must have been a Great Virtue altar here."

Tan Xiao was shocked. Even a great god can't go?

Seeing Tan Xiao's eyes, Kong Xuan didn't have any negative emotions this time, only saying, "Virtue so heavy that it startles ghosts and gods!"

Liu Qingquan weakly raised his hand. "Actually, I also feel I can't pass through..."

Only the most sacred and virtuous people in the mortal world can produce such power and influence. Just like in many places, reciting Wen Tianxiang's Song of Righteousness to exorcise ghosts, or using emperor's coins to ward off evil.

To make an imperfect analogy, at Tan Xiao's home, even if he's not there, as long as the mask is there, other non-human beings will be "exorcised", or scared to death as soon as they emerge, like the Xiong Hui.

This place must have been the territory of a great virtuous master in the mortal world, once reserved, and Kong Xuan said "there was", meaning that great virtuous one is no longer here, but after many years is still influencing the surroundings in some way, preventing unnatural species from entering.

If Kong Xuan wanted to force his way into someone's altar, it's not that there's no way, but he would need to descend in physical form.

-- Kong Xuan has always descended in spirit form, even if it's like a physical body, it's not a physical body, only because when the three realms separated, the mortal world could hardly sustain gods and immortals. If their physical bodies existed in the mortal world, the intersection of different worlds could also likely cause one side to collapse.

Therefore, deities need to find agents in the mortal world.

Liu Qingquan looked at this area, estimating the distance. "Since we can't go, that evil spirit that captured Mu Fei probably can't go either. The great god and I can take a detour, but for the shaman... I'm afraid there's not enough time today."

Qian Ping'an had said they needed to return in the first place, and now going forward was meaningless. They'd have to get a speedboat tomorrow.

"Hmm... then let's head back." As Tan Xiao spoke, he asked Qian Ping'an, "Master, may I ask if there are any legends about this place before...?" He considered his wording for a moment. "Are there any legends about people here?"

"There are many legends about Yunmeng Marsh. Do you want to hear the story of the dragon maiden?" Qian Ping'an hurriedly turned the boat around, not surprised that the tourist wanted to hear a story.

It's just that on the way here, Tan Xiao didn't seem to want to chat at all and didn't like to look at the scenery. Now he wanted to say a story about dragons, but Tan Xiao shook his head and asked if there were any about people.

If there was such a great virtuous and capable one, there should be a reputation left behind.

"Ah... there is one, sort of. The Seal of Feng Shan over there." Qian Ping'an pointed in the distance. "It can't be seen from here, but decades ago, it was discovered that there were cliff carvings on the island in the lake over there.

"It's said that when Emperor Qin Shi Huang toured the south, he encountered a storm and lost the imperial jade seal. He believed it was the fault of the water god. In great anger, he dried the earth and cut down trees, and also carved spells on the island to suppress it. So we call that stone carving the Qin Emperor's Seal of Feng Shan. It's said that with this seal, gods and ghosts dare not approach."

This great virtuous one could ward off ghosts and gods. Some powerful emperors responding to the Mandate of Heaven could also do it. The Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors of ancient times naturally went without saying. It seemed plausible that the carvings of the First Emperor Qin could ward off ghosts and gods.

Tan Xiao recalled that the Xiong Hui had also mentioned this story before, just without the details of the carvings. Hearing Qian Ping'an's last sentence about gods and ghosts not daring to approach, it was actually quite close to the current situation. Could the legend be true?

"This time, Teacher Xiong was really right." Liu Qingquan couldn't help but say leisurely upon hearing this. "If classmate Tan Xiao ascended the throne and became the Chu emperor, a Son of Heaven in the mortal world, then maybe he could also lead us in."

Tan Xiao: "..."

Kong Xuan said disdainfully, "You believe tourist stories? They're not even as well-crafted as the ones from your home." And if it was the aura of an emperor, how could he not distinguish it? It was just a so-called emperor's carved seal.

Tan Xiao raised his head, wanting to retort, but seeing Qian Ping'an beside him, he forcibly held back.

He had read the sect's manuals. There were many taboos when working on the water to begin with. It wasn't good to scare people at this time.

After half a day of scouting, it was already nearly 9 pm when Tan Xiao returned to the hotel. He hurriedly ate some food. Liu Qingquan contacted headquarters and asked them to help solve the boat issue, including finding a reliable, experienced boat operator.

Today, they discovered that to explore Yunmeng Marsh, they might even need to know how to operate more than one type of boat.

The Bureau 404 quickly found someone suitable via the responsible unit locally. In the end, they couldn't find anyone in the responsible unit itself, but it was said that there was a local part-time folk Taoist priest with the Taoist name "Yu Gan", called a freelance exorcist here.

He could operate boats, was familiar with the geography of Yunmeng Marsh, and was also willing to take money to help. He could even come to the hotel to pick them up tomorrow. Liu Qingquan naturally agreed.

Tan Xiao took the opportunity before the supermarket closed to hurry and buy some things - white kidney beans, millet, rue, a small stove and containers, etc. There were also some things he couldn't buy, so he asked Taoist Priest Yu Gan to help prepare them.

The next morning, Tan Xiao got up at the same time as when he usually went to school, and first went down to eat the hotel breakfast. He originally thought he was early, but found out that the uncles and aunties photographing birds had already finished eating and set out. The hotel had already replenished the meal once.

Tan Xiao sat in the hotel lobby waiting for Taoist Priest Yu Gan. Before long, a middle-aged man with a dark complexion wearing a black coat entered the lobby, looked around, and his gaze fell on Tan Xiao's face. He nodded at him in pleasant surprise.

Liu Qingquan said from the side, "Isn't that Qian Ping'an from yesterday?"

Only then did Tan Xiao realize why he had nodded at him, so he also smiled back. What a coincidence.

Then he saw Qian Ping'an dialing a number.

Tan Xiao's cell phone rang. He slowly picked it up and answered, "Hello?"

Qian Ping'an turned to look at him. "...Hello?"

Tan Xiao: "..."

Qian Ping'an: "..."

Taoist Priest Yu Gan? Yu Gan, Yu Gan... Tan Xiao tried to imagine saying it in the Chu dialect. Wasn't that "fish jerky", the Little Fish Jerky boat?

The two looked at each other, speechless. Qian Ping'an felt this was the most dumbfounding thing in his life. He slowly walked over.

"Tan Xiao?"

"Taoist Priest Yu Gan..." Tan Xiao said with certainty and confusion.

"But," Qian Ping'an said in confusion, "they said you were doing magic on the water but couldn't find your target, so you needed a guide. I didn't see you doing any magic yesterday, just looking around aimlessly."

"I did, I did." Tan Xiao took out a snail, "I was using the Pai sect's corpse-driving technique to drive the snail."

Qian Ping'an looked completely dumbfounded, "What??"

No, what just happened wasn't the most absurd thing in his life, this was!

Tan Xiao also asked him: "You didn't see the ghost cultivator by my side either. Aren't you an exorcist?" The main job of an exorcist was to drive away ghosts, but now Liu Qingquan and Kong Xuan were right beside him, and Qian Ping'an didn't seem to see them either.

Qian Ping'an muttered: "...I run a fish pond during the high water season every year, operate a boat during the bird-watching season, and only act as an exorcist before and after the New Year. Usually, the word 'ghost' can't be said on the boat, so I deliberately don't open my eyes to avoid accidentally seeing and shouting it out." Even now, he hadn't opened his eyes, so he couldn't see.

Tan Xiao: "..." No wonder, this was a case of having too many part-time jobs.

The two looked at each other, speechless again.

If only they had made things clear yesterday...

Qian Ping'an silently took out what Tan Xiao wanted, "This is the swiftlet grass you wanted."

"Thank you." Tan Xiao got in the car with him.

Surprisingly, the driver was still the same one as yesterday. This time Qian Ping'an had called his car. Tan Xiao didn't recognize him, but as soon as the driver saw Tan Xiao, he exclaimed in delight, "Oh, it's you again, young man! Old Qian, you said you were picking up a friend, but how did you two become good friends in just one day!"

The two: "............"

Tan Xiao was too exhausted to even retort.

Qian Ping'an sat in the passenger seat today, while Kong Xuan and Tan Xiao sat together in the back. Liu Qingquan didn't dare squeeze in with them and clung to the car roof.

The car drove to a different place than yesterday, on the other side of the river bank. This spot was closer to where they had ended up the day before. Qian Ping'an had already prepared a boat here.

Kong Xuan and Liu Qingquan sensed this location. They decided to circle around the Great Virtue altar from another direction. With Tan Xiao and Kong Xuan's perception, they could get there in an instant.

Qian Ping'an, on the other hand, took Tan Xiao down to the water. As soon as he took off his coat, revealing the red clothes underneath, which was the attire of an exorcist, different from a shaman's robe, more form-fitting, he tied his forehead and also opened his eyes, only to see the departing figures of Liu Qingquan and Kong Xuan.

"Since we're in the same line of work, I don't need to hide it either." Tan Xiao also took out his own robe from his backpack and put it on, then ostentatiously threw the snail into the water.

"To send a dragon, the dragon must enter the water; to send a tiger, the tiger must return to the mountains... Today I send you back to your hometown, the rivers and lakes are vast and the road is long, a lonely soul travels a thousand miles to Xiaohuang!"

Qian Ping'an watched as Tan Xiao chanted the mysterious incantation for returning home, making hand seals and pointing at the water, shouting, "Rise!"

The snail stood up with a whoosh, and if you didn't look closely, you really couldn't see it...

Qian Ping'an: "..."

Even with his eyes open, it was still so... hard to notice. If you didn't say it, who would dare to believe it was corpse-driving? More like seashell-driving!

......

Qian Ping'an steered the boat through the waves. Today was a good day, with the temperature and sunshine just right at this time. There were already many birdwatchers on the shore, some using binoculars, others setting up tripods with cameras with very long lenses, while Tan Xiao and his companion drove deep into the Yunmeng Marsh.

"Ritual Master Qian, so what you said yesterday about the Qin Emperor's seal on the mountain, that wasn't true either..." Tan Xiao had already heard from Kong Xuan and just wanted to confirm with Qian Ping'an. The title for exorcists was usually Ritual Master.

"Yeah, it's just a story for the tourists. But I really don't know which great virtue's altar it was before. I only know that the carvings on the walls are Sanskrit mantras, one side in Siddham script and the other in Devanagari script." Qian Ping'an said. Since it was Sanskrit, it definitely couldn't be Qin Shi Huang and that so-called imperial jade seal. Who knows if Xiong Hui would be disappointed to find out.

Tan Xiao nodded.