The unknown white flowers had their angles carefully adjusted and were carefully placed in the corner of the table.

They were pushed slightly, allowing the sunlight to fall precisely on the blossoms.

Wei Yuan was satisfied.

After tidying up the house a bit, he sat on the sofa. Wei Yuan took out paper and pen, slowly organizing his current thoughts through writing. The jade dragon pendant, museum number 002, was on his desk, the jade translucent and ancient. It was a dragon shape popular during the Warring States period, an ornament once worn by Emperor Qin Shi Huang.

Wei Yuan reached out and touched the ancient jade, closing his eyes in meditation.

But whether before or now, he had not been able to sense his own true spirit.

He could only sigh and give up trying.

He didn't know whether it was when the jade dragon accompanied Gengchen, the second-generation water god of the Huai River, Ying Long, that it was washed away by the aura of this divine general, or whether it was later when it fell into the hands of the Buddhist Sangha, that the latter transformed it with Buddhist teachings. Wei Yuan's thoughts paused slightly, and he suddenly noticed something different, pondering deeply.

The Kunlun divine generals upheld the ancient principle of not interfering in the mortal world, and would not actively transform the true spirit on the jade dragon.

But the Buddhist Sangha...

The Buddhist Sangha was most fond of the idea of conversion, turning all kinds of myths and legends into Dharma protector deities in their own system. Various eminent monks often had vajra protectors and the like. Therefore, it was indeed possible that his own true spirit remaining on the jade dragon pendant was converted and brainwashed by the Buddhist Sangha, refined into an existence like a clone.

Wei Yuan tapped the table lightly with his finger, his brow furrowed, feeling an instinctive dislike for this speculation.

This was just a speculation.

It was based on the process that he himself had experienced: prolonged wearing of magical artifacts would absorb remnants of true spirit, restoring memories.

And based on that life, risking everything to avenge Emperor Qin Shi Huang, and after the revenge, breaking the Overlord Spear and throwing the jade dragon pendant into the Huai River as if in a ritual, it could be seen that the self of that life greatly respected Emperor Qin Shi Huang. The jade dragon, once an ornament of the First Emperor, would never leave his body, and would inevitably leave a sufficiently strong aura of true spirit on the jade dragon pendant.

But when he touched the jade dragon pendant, he only saw the memory of the jade spirit itself.

This allowed for a simple deduction—

Something had happened to the remnants of Wei Yuan's true spirit on the jade dragon pendant.

And if this was linked to the story of how the jade dragon pendant was obtained by the Sangha, leading to the replacement of the legends of Wu Zhiqi and Gengchen with the legend of 'Sangha subduing the Water Goddess', the matter became even clearer. The disappearance of the true spirit remnants of that life was definitely related to Buddhism.

It also meant that the remnants of Wei Yuan's own true spirit after death in a certain life had been directly used by Buddhism.

Perhaps transformed into a vajra protector, or transformed into a garan attendant, becoming one of the Sangha's legends.

Wei Yuan's finger stopped tapping the table, and a trace of annoyance surfaced in his heart. It was like something of his own had been stolen, but on closer thought, it seemed that it was himself who had been stolen. What exactly was going on...

Wei Yuan suppressed the annoyance in his heart, and couldn't help but mock himself.

He really couldn't have peace even after death.

He successfully unlocked the 'brothers in misfortune' achievement with Wu Zhiqi.

Wei Yuan put away the jade dragon pendant, not acting rashly or taking his speculation as the truth, but listing it as one possibility. Whether it was really so, or whether he had simply guessed wrong, he would have to wait for further evidence.

Wei Yuan pondered, thinking that although there was no trace of his own true spirit on the jade dragon pendant, he could see from the image remaining in the Overlord Spear that he himself should have participated in Emperor Qin Shi Huang's campaign to destroy temples in the mountains. In addition, the final act of breaking the spear and throwing the jade was also in a place of sacrifice to the Huai River. If he went there with the jade dragon pendant, he should be able to obtain some information.

At the very least, he could confirm whether the dissipation of his own true spirit in that life had anything to do with Buddhism.

But that place was extremely close to where Xiang Jun was located.

If the speculation was correct, his previous, previous, previous, previous life was one of the three thousand people who participated in the destruction of temples in the mountains.

Going there rashly carried the possibility of being avenged by the two Xiang River goddesses.

Although the possibility was not very high, he had to be prepared. Wei Yuan pondered, thinking that the Huai River and the Xiang River were actually quite close. In ancient times, the Xiang River itself was controlled by the Water Lord of Huaiwo. Perhaps he could find a way to ask Wu Zhiqi for another trace of power. It didn't need to reach the level of the Water Lord's eastern tour last time, just enough to protect himself.

At that time, even if something went wrong, it would be enough to protect himself and avoid most dangers.

As for how to convince Wu Zhiqi, Wei Yuan was already confident.

Wu Zhiqi was a deity from the ancient era. For this kind of deity with ancient thinking, offering sacrifices in exchange for庇佑 (biyou, blessing and protection) and a certain degree of power infusion was a completely reasonable idea, a recognized rule.

It was just that the process and subject of the sacrifice needed to change with the times.

No need for performing rituals and dances, no need for shamanistic prayers, no need for long periods of time at altars with talismans.

Nor did it need three sacrifices or five livestock, burning incense and praying, and even less did it need flesh, blood, and wine.

What should be sacrificed to him was a computer with the highest configuration of modern technology, a game console, a Steam icon full of game collections, a Civilization series collection, paired with a brand-new flavor of Happy Water (soda), and an underwater WeChat generator, to enjoy the pleasure of never running out of power.

Wei Yuan rubbed his eyebrows and couldn't help but mutter to himself silently.

This was the legendary Wu Zhiqi Happy Altar.

In fact, without him mentioning it, based on Wu Zhiqi's previous state, he should have already realized that some things could not be completed on a mobile phone. Then he would take the initiative to come to him, and then he could naturally put forward his own requirements and occupy a certain degree of initiative.

After Wei Yuan thought about it, he tore off the things he had written on the notebook to organize his thoughts.

With a flick of his palm,符火 (fu huo, talisman fire) rose, burning the paper to ashes.

With his current cultivation level, he was unable to use the profound spells of the Taiping Dao, but he was already able to use low-level spells and mystical powers at will. This was one of the reasons why he hoped to obtain the memories of his past true spirits. According to Nu Jiao, every time he reincarnated into the human world, it was during an era when Shenzhou (China) was undergoing changes.

And now, the resurgence of spiritual energy and the spread of demons and ghosts also corroborated Nu Jiao's statement.

He needed strength.

So that he would not allow the regrets of the past to reappear.

In addition to his own daily hard work, obtaining the true spirit was also a way to improve his strength.

Being able to obtain the memories of the past, gain knowledge and some unknown secrets, and even the reason why spiritual energy was cut off, and the fact that he would definitely reincarnate into the human world during times of chaos, Wei Yuan did not believe that the cutting off of spiritual energy would not trigger changes in Shenzhou's fortune.

In other words, during the era when spiritual energy was cut off, his figure must have existed.

Perhaps, he should actively collect or come into contact with some ancient artifacts.

For example, the late Qin and early Han dynasties, or the Three Kingdoms period of turmoil.

Wei Yuan pondered, and a car stopped outside the museum. Soon, the old Daoist who had come to the museum last time to授五雷箓 (shou wu lei lu, impart the Five Thunder Talisman) and Shen Jifeng, who wore large-framed glasses and had delicate features but was somewhat unkempt, came down together and knocked on the door of the museum.

……………………

The old Daoist looked at the museum, feeling somewhat lingering fear.

But with his junior here, he had to maintain the demeanor of a senior and stepped inside.

Shen Jifeng greeted familiarly: "Museum Curator Wei, I'm disturbing you again."

Wei Yuan had previously obtained his two mobile phones from her, and they had become familiar after going back and forth.

The old Daoist smiled and nodded, saying, "It's been a while since we last met, Fellow Daoist Wei."

He saw that the museum curator on the opposite side was wearing simple modern clothes, only with a yellow long scarf tied around his right arm. He looked nothing like the murderous aura he had seen before, but instead added to the Taoist's magnanimity and gentleness. For a time, the old man almost suspected whether the Overlord Spear in the dream he had seen last time was just a coincidence and illusion.

Moreover, he had previously checked the information, and it seemed that there was no such thing as Quanzhou in the Qin and Han dynasties.

He always felt that perhaps the person in front of him, like himself, had seen the Overlord Spear.

Therefore, he was lost in thought, dreaming at night what he had thought during the day.

Wei Yuan poured two cups of tea for the two of them.

The old Daoist picked up the teacup and took a sip, getting to the point, "Museum Curator Wei, there is a hermit cultivator senior who needs to stay here temporarily? I wonder if it is convenient to tell us the name and identity of that hermit?"

Wei Yuan thought of what Yu Ji had sighed about and replied:

"This matter still needs to be asked of that Daoist friend herself."

"It's just that she once lamented that so much time has passed, old friends are no longer here, and many old friends have also changed their appearance, only adding to the sadness. She simply asked me to help with this kind of thing."

The old Daoist was silent. He had cultivated to this point and was almost a hundred years old.

He had experienced it himself, and had also helped some Daoists who had been in seclusion in the mountains for a long time return to society.

He had seen the loneliness of them discovering that people they knew had already died decades after they came out of seclusion.

The closer to home, the more timid; he dared not ask who had come.

This kind of small but stinging emotion was more likely to appear in cultivators.

He was slightly lost in thought, also sighing, "...Indeed."

The old man followed the usual procedure for settling hermit cultivators, asking Wei Yuan whether the cultivator who was going to live here would pose a danger to the ordinary world. Then he had Wei Yuan fill out a few guarantee forms. After modern technology became increasingly developed and things like cultivators integrating into the human world continued to occur, this was also necessary work.

Wei Yuan was unable to refuse and had to sign all of them.

The old man's expression was gentle, and he said, "Next, we just need to see that fellow Daoist."

His voice paused, and he smiled again:

"But I think, she should still be able to integrate into this era, right?"

Wei Yuan nodded, thought for a while, and then said, "Speaking of which, I also have a request. Although I have many things here, most of them are fakes, and there are no creations from the late Qin and early Han dynasties. I wonder if Senior Daoist knows where there are authentic ancient artifacts from the late Qin and early Han dynasties?"

Having a fondness for antiques was not an uncommon interest.

The old man pondered for a while, but couldn't think of any, so he said, "Allow this poor Daoist to go back and check."

"Afterwards, I will have Jifeng send the detailed list to Fellow Daoist."

Wei Yuan breathed a sigh of relief, saying, "Thank you."

He poured another cup of tea for the old man. Shen Jifeng next to him curiously asked:

"Museum Curator Wei, why are you suddenly interested in things from the late Qin and early Han dynasties?"

Wei Yuan replied, "I just suddenly became interested and wanted to learn about them."

Shen Jifeng was enlightened, saying, "Do you want to add some to the museum's collection?"

Before she could ask again, she heard footsteps. Shen Jifeng turned her head and saw two people returning outside the door. Her eyes lit up slightly as she recognized one of them as the senior who had been settled by her previously, a girl with an elegant and gentle temperament.

And next to the girl was another woman wearing red clothes, possessing both heroic spirit and gentle temperament.

The woman carried a box on her back.

Wei Yuan smiled, "The Daoist friend who needs help settling down has returned."

He got up and opened the door. The bell on the door rang lightly. The old Daoist also turned his head to look, and then saw the woman walking in from under the afternoon sun. He saw her red dress swaying like a blooming poppy, saw her heroic features, black hair like a waterfall, tied up with a hairpin, yet adding gentleness. Walking in from the dim twilight, it was as if she was traversing memories.

In an instant, the old man's thoughts froze, his palm trembled slightly, and the teacup unconsciously fell to the ground, the cracking sound like the vague jade chime in his memory.

He seemed to return to the age of five.

Sweeping the steps, the sunset was like blood, and a woman wearing red clothes stained with sunset walked up the mountain.

"Little Daoist, is your master here?"

……………………

Crash!

The old Daoist suddenly stood up, looking at the woman who had not changed at all compared to the memory with disbelief.

His behavior, different from his usual composure and shock, caused Shen Jifeng to look back in astonishment. She actually saw that her uncle-master had a sense of restraint. The white-haired Daoist took the initiative to say, "...Senior, is that you...?"

Yu Ji was stunned for a moment, looked at the white-haired Daoist who had been授箓五雷法 (shou lu wu lei fa, imparted the Five Thunder Talisman), recalled for a while, and her expression softened, saying:

"So it's you."

"Time has passed so long, I remember, you were only five or six years old at that time..."

Still wearing red, Yu Ji gestured with her hand, saying:

"At that time, you secretly looked at the spearhead and were stimulated by the murderous aura, so you remembered it for a longer time."

"I didn't expect that the little rascal back then has become a high-level Daoist."

The old Daoist sighed with mixed feelings, saying, "Today, it turned out that you were the one who was going to live here. This little Daoist thought it was some fellow Daoist who was cultivating in seclusion..." His thoughts froze, and he suddenly realized that he would subconsciously treat the person who needed to go through the procedures as an ordinary cultivator, as an ordinary person who had been away from the world for decades. He subconsciously turned his head to look at the museum curator next to him.

He saw him with a gentle expression, taking the shopping bag from the girl next to him.

His pupils contracted slightly...

It was because the other party's tone just now placed this red-clothed woman in an equal position.

That was why he had a delusion.

Equality...

He subconsciously thought of that dream again. Suddenly, an exciting鸣啸 (ming xiao, loud whistling) sound rang out. The box that left a great shadow in the old Daoist's memory suddenly rose up. The Overlord Spear could not break free from the seal, but at this moment it regained a trace of spirituality, and still rushed towards Wei Yuan with the wooden box, just like the Overlord waving the spear in the dream. However, it was pressed down by the short-haired modern youth, held in his hand.

The Overlord Spear unwillingly鸣 (ming, whined), and the strong hostility in it could be felt even through the box.

The old Daoist opened his mouth, but in the end, said nothing.

When bidding farewell and leaving, Wei Yuan sent the two Daoists out, and finally said:

"...Regarding what you said, I'll have to trouble the two of you."

The old Daoist looked at him deeply.

Things from the late Qin and early Han dynasties...

So that was it.

Then he nodded and agreed, saying:

"...This poor Daoist, understands."

ps: Today's first update... The writer's block is killing me, lying down to rest...

Thank you to 照鏡見白發 (Zhao Jing Jian Bai Fa) for the ten thousand reward, I hope to finish the second update soon...