Chapter 245

The long journey by car wasn't arduous. Since it was their own small pickup, everyone could take turns lying flat and sleeping in the back. They were all seasoned individuals, so the truck's minor bumps barely affected their sleep quality.

Furthermore, with Tan Wenbin in the vehicle, the cold aura radiating from him mitigated the daytime heat and the dust from the provincial road. Since the truck was constantly in motion, there was no prolonged accumulation of yin energy as there would be in a sealed room, making the "air conditioning" temperature perfectly comfortable.

At one point during the journey, they took a detour, primarily to avoid getting too close to Fengdu, deliberately maintaining a safe distance from Emperor Fengdu.

Li Zhuiyuan had promised the Emperor he would "return to the sect and become a disciple" as soon as possible.

However, they had left in such a hurry that they hadn't prepared a proper gift for the apprenticeship ceremony. Arriving empty-handed would be impolite and disrespectful to the Emperor.

Therefore, they would have to wait for another opportunity.

Upon reaching Rongcheng, they didn't stop to experience the local allure implied by the saying "Youth should not enter Sichuan." Instead, they pressed on, driving directly to Dujiangyan.

Compared to Rongcheng's scale and population, Dujiangyan felt more like a county town.

Once past the Rongcheng plain and in Dujiangyan, they looked around to see ink-like mountain clouds, displaying both the majestic grandeur of Sichuan and Chongqing, and the gentle grace of Jiangnan.

One could even say the city itself was a scroll painting unfolding in all directions; moving through it felt like strolling within a masterpiece.

Lin Shuyou remarked, "I've noticed something. It seems like the scenery everywhere is better than Nantong's."

Yin Meng echoed, "Congratulations, you've finally noticed."

The car stopped at the guesthouse entrance.

"First, check into your rooms, shower, and change clothes," Li Zhuiyuan instructed. He then pointed to an old-fashioned hot pot restaurant next door to the guesthouse, adding, "Then come down for dinner."

Tan Wenbin offered, "I'll go order first."

The others were covered in the dust of travel, but Tan Wenbin hadn't broken a sweat the entire journey.

Yin Meng reminded, "No yin-yang pot!"

Tan Wenbin replied, "Okay."

After pushing Tan Wenbin to the hot pot restaurant, Lin Shuyou hurried back to the guesthouse for a shower.

It was still early for dinner that afternoon, and the restaurant was empty save for the owner and a few waitress "aunties" playing mahjong.

Upon seeing a disabled person in a wheelchair enter his restaurant for hot pot, the owner was deeply touched. He immediately left the mahjong table, grabbed a menu, and personally attended to the customer.

Tan Wenbin leaned back in his wheelchair, took the menu and pen, and began marking his selections.

"Handsome guy, pick your soup base first."

"Yin-yang pot."

"We don't have yin-yang pot here. How about a nine-grid pot?"

"Okay."

"What level of spice do you want?"

"Heavily spicy."

"Medium spicy or heavily spicy?"

"Extra spicy."

"Alright, coming right up!"

As the others emerged from the guesthouse one by one, the hot pot was already boiling, and the owner thoughtfully helped Tan Wenbin, the disabled customer, add ingredients.

The spice level was quite high, but the others managed to eat it. Yin Meng, in particular, happily chewed while wiggling his waist on the bench.

"Sss... Ha..."

Lin Shuyou sweated profusely, guzzling down bottle after bottle of soy milk.

Even though his eyes were red and tearing up, he kept repeating, "It's not spicy, I can handle it, no problem."

After eating, Li Zhuiyuan outlined their tasks.

Run Sheng and Yin Meng would take Tan Wenbin to explore the outskirts of Qingcheng Mountain, using the sensation of the curse to roughly pinpoint the Taoist temple's location. Meanwhile, Li Zhuiyuan and Lin Shuyou would report to their internship unit.

Yin Meng and the others drove off in the pickup truck, while Li Zhuiyuan and A-You hailed a pedicab.

It was already getting dark by the time they arrived at the unit's entrance. However, they had called ahead and were told they could come anytime, as someone would be on duty.

Li Zhuiyuan led Lin Shuyou to the office to submit their identification documents. They were greeted by a young man named Xiao Liu. While he was reviewing their materials, a middle-aged man walked into the office.

The man had somewhat long, greasy, naturally wavy hair.

This look seemed more befitting an artist than an engineer.

After sizing them up, the man asked suspiciously, "They sent just you two?"

Xiao Liu stood up to introduce them, explaining that the man was Wu Xin, a mid-level cadre with significant authority.

Wu Xin scratched his head, grumbling. He had expected headquarters to send someone capable and experienced to take charge, but instead, they'd sent two individuals who barely looked old enough to shave.

Li Zhuiyuan directly asked, "Where are the people who had the accident?"

Wu Xin replied, "In the hospital."

"Take me to see them now," Li Zhuiyuan requested.

Wu Xin said, "Okay."

After agreeing, Wu Xin froze, wondering why he had assented so readily.

Xiao Liu interjected, "Director Wu, the paperwork is complete. You can now take them to get acquainted with our work environment."

Wu Xin nodded, gestured to Li Zhuiyuan and Lin Shuyou, and led them outside to a three-wheeled motorcycle.

The motorcycle engine roared, and Wu Xin drove at a high speed. During several turns, Li Zhuiyuan felt as if the wheels were lifting off the ground and they were about to tip over, due to his exposed position.

After entering the hospital gates, the vehicle didn't stop. Instead, it bypassed the outpatient and inpatient buildings, heading to the back where a Western-style building stood enclosed by a courtyard.

Wu Xin explained, "It used to be a military sanatorium, then it was decommissioned. Now it's also part of the hospital."

It was likely the hospital's area for housing special patients.

The gate guard recognized Wu Xin; the barrier was raised even before they arrived. Wu Xin greeted the guard, continued riding inward, and stopped only at the entrance of the Western-style building.

Pushing the door open, they entered to find a small desk with a visitor registration form, but no one was attending it. Wu Xin didn't bother filling it out and led the two up to the third floor.

"Zhao Jie, Zhou Hao, and Xu Qingsong are in these three rooms nearest the staircase, respectively," Wu Xin informed them.

These were the three individuals involved in the accident during the last construction project.

Wu Xin led Li Zhuiyuan and Lin Shuyou into the first ward, where a young man was sitting on the hospital bed.

"Director Wu, you're here."

"Zhao Jie, how have you been feeling lately?"

"Pretty good."

The brief conversation and questioning didn't reveal anything unusual, apart from a sense of bewilderment and worry in Zhao Jie's eyes.

Next, they moved to the second ward, following the same procedure, only this time Wu Xin addressed the patient as "Zhou Hao." Their final stop was the third ward, to speak with Xu Qingsong.

After leaving Xu Qingsong's ward, Wu Xin gestured for them to join him on the balcony. He lit a cigarette, exhaled smoke towards Lin Shuyou, and asked:

"So, did you notice anything wrong?"

Lin Shuyou hadn't noticed any issues, nor had he sensed any evil aura. But he didn't rush to shake his head; it didn't matter if he couldn't identify the problem, as Little Yuan had it covered.

Li Zhuiyuan stated, "There's a big problem."

Wu Xin straightened up from the railing and asked, "Tell me about it."

"Zhao Jie thinks he's Xu Qingsong, Zhou Hao thinks he's Zhao Jie, and Xu Qingsong thinks he's Zhou Hao."

A hint of expectation appeared on Wu Xin's face. "How did you figure that out?" he asked.

Li Zhuiyuan replied, "There were medical records at the bedside with their names, which didn't match how you addressed them."

It was possible the nurses made a mistake, or the three had swapped rooms based on their preference. But aside from that, Li Zhuiyuan couldn't discern any other specific problems with them. Therefore, the seemingly explainable issue of the mismatched names gained increasing significance, no matter how bizarre it seemed.

Hearing that it was deduced from details, Wu Xin flicked his cigarette ash with a hint of disappointment. "Is there a solution?" he asked.

"Yes."

Wu Xin was stunned, asking in disbelief, "Really?"

"Yes, but it will take some time and also require your assistance."

"As long as you have a solution, I'll do anything you ask," Wu Xin said. "Their parents don't even know about this yet, and I'm struggling with how to explain it to their families."

"First, I need the detailed files for these three individuals. Then, I need the firsthand report from the site of this accident."

"I've already submitted the report upstairs," Wu Xin said.

"I've also written similar reports, but anything put down in writing can easily become distorted. I hope you can write another one yourself. I promise not to let it spread."

"No problem. Anything else?" Wu Xin asked.

"That's all for now."

"Alright, I'll get it ready right away... Have you arranged your dormitory yet?"

"We're currently staying at the guesthouse."

"The unit's dormitories are better, and there's a cafeteria."

"We won't trouble you to move again."

"Then remember to give me the invoices for reimbursement."

"Okay."

"Shall I give you a ride back?" Wu Xin offered.

"No need, the hospital is very close to the guesthouse. We can walk back; it'll give us a chance to refine the plan."

"Alright, here's my business card," Wu Xin said. "It has my office number and pager number. Contact me anytime if you need anything."

Wu Xin rode away on his motorcycle. After leaving the hospital, Li Zhuiyuan and Lin Shuyou walked along the street.

"Little Yuan, what do you think is going on? Is it a soul swap?" Lin Shuyou asked.

"Soul swapping is much more difficult than reanimating a corpse, and its side effects are far more severe. If those three underwent a soul swap, we should have seen clear signs of a soul-body mismatch on them just now."

"Then... hypnosis? Mind control or perhaps puppets?"

Li Zhuiyuan replied, "There's no sign of that."

"Then how can one person become another 'person'?"

Li Zhuiyuan stopped, extended a finger, and lightly tapped his temple.

"A-You, is there a possibility... that their memories have been swapped?"

"Memories?"

"If you died, but all your memories, from the moment you could recall until your death, were perfectly implanted into another person's mind, would that mean you were reborn?"

"I... I... I don't know. It seems logical, but at the same time, something feels off."

Lin Shuyou slowed his pace, beginning to ponder this somewhat philosophical question.

Li Zhuiyuan, meanwhile, stopped at a small snack stall ahead and said to the vendor:

"Auntie, I'd like five egg puff pastries."

"Alright, please wait a moment, I'll make them right away."

Soon, the five egg puff pastries were ready.

Li Zhuiyuan picked one up, broke off a piece, and put it in his mouth. "Mmm, cloyingly sweet," he thought.

Li Zhuiyuan had bought them to try because Yin Meng often spoke of how delicious egg puff pastries were. Only after tasting them did he realize that Yin Meng was probably reminiscing about his own childhood, bouncing happily to buy them with money from his grandpa.

"A-You, eat more."

"Oh, okay," Lin Shuyou replied. He first ate the one Li Zhuiyuan offered him; it was very sweet but had a nice texture. Then, quickly, he devoured all the remaining pastries from the bag.

Only after finishing them did he realize he had also eaten the ones meant for his companions. He quickly turned back and bought three more from the vendor.

"Little Yuan, if their memories have been swapped, how do we treat it?" Lin Shuyou asked.

For soul swapping or puppetry, there were clear solutions. But when it came to memory swapping, Lin Shuyou had no idea what to do; even Tzi didn't know.

"If we can't swap them back... then we'll erase the memories that don't belong to the host body and implant the memories that should."

"So, that's why you need their files, Little Yuan?"

"Can you take the few notes from a file and overwrite a person's entire memory with them? Do you think this is like writing an essay based on keywords?"

"Then what should we do...?"

"Aren't each person's original memories in another person's mind? The answers are already there; we just need to copy them. It's not difficult, just requires some effort and time. So, to ensure we're in top form, I plan to resolve the issue with that Taoist temple first. I hope Brother Binbin and the others can successfully pinpoint its location."

The construction site situation was another "wave" clue. To push it forward, they needed to help treat the three individuals. The former young Li Zhuiyuan wouldn't have been able to handle such an overwhelming task, but the current Li Zhuiyuan could, thanks to the Bodhisattva's gift.

Back at the guesthouse, Li Zhuiyuan sat on his bed, pondering the potential developments of this new "wave."

If it was indeed memory swapping, it indicated that the entity deep within this wave possessed special abilities in that area.

Therefore, he needed to plan precautions in advance.

For instance, its true form might be difficult to find, as it would likely remain hidden. Only after he painstakingly eliminated the one that most resembled its true form would the real entity emerge.

Alternatively, it might not have a true physical form at all, existing solely through memories, constantly implanting its own into others' minds to achieve "longevity."

In that scenario, destroying it would be extremely difficult; heaven knew how many bodies it had prepared for its memories to inhabit.

In the standard room, Lin Shuyou, on the other bed, was unaware that Little Yuan was already contemplating the possible deeper evolutions of the "wave." His own attention was on the egg puff pastries. He reached out and lightly poked one; it was cold now, and wouldn't taste as good.

Li Zhuiyuan said without looking up, "If you're hungry, go out and buy some late-night snacks."

Lin Shuyou licked his lips. "If Brother Bin knew I left your side just because I was hungry," he said, "he'd definitely give me a good smack."

"It's fine. He's in a wheelchair now, can't jump up. He'd only be able to hit your knee."

"Hehe."

Lin Shuyou enjoyed this feeling. Little Yuan had proactively stopped to buy snacks today and even joked about Brother Bin. Little Yuan's transformation was truly becoming more significant.

Li Zhuiyuan then said, "They're back."

Lin Shuyou got out of bed, went to the window, pushed it open, and saw distant headlights appearing on the road ahead.

Tan Wenbin and the others were back.

Run Sheng carried Tan Wenbin's wheelchair up the stairs. Yin Meng entered the room first, handing a bag of egg puff pastries to Lin Shuyou. "Here, these are for you," he said. "Little Yuan, would you like to try one?"

Li Zhuiyuan shook his head.

Tan Wenbin entered, and as soon as the door closed, he spoke:

"Little Yuan, it went very smoothly. I've pretty much pinpointed the location of that Taoist temple. If it weren't for the sensation of the curse, there would have been no way to find it. There are so many Taoist temples there, and many are already hidden from the world. The three of us almost mistakenly entered another sect's gates while we were trying to locate it."

Li Zhuiyuan responded, "Worship water at Dujiangyan, seek enlightenment at Qingcheng Mountain. Zhang Daoling once established his Taoist lineage here."

Yin Meng asked, "From what era was Zhang Daoling?"

Li Zhuiyuan said, "The same era as your ancestor."

"Oh, no wonder it sounds familiar," Yin Meng commented.

Tan Wenbin then asked, "Little Yuan, should I call home and subtly ask if anything has happened?"

Logically, they were originally supposed to "depart three days later" and had spent additional time on the road. If that Taoist temple intended revenge, their people should have already reached Nantong.

Li Zhuiyuan replied, "No need to ask. We are currently 'walking the river'; the karma is too heavy."

Tan Wenbin nodded. "Okay."

Actually, Tan Wenbin not only wanted to ask if anyone had gone from Qingcheng Mountain to Nantong for revenge, but also how many masters had gone, which would help him estimate how much power that Taoist temple still retained.

Li Zhuiyuan instructed, "Rest now. We'll work tomorrow."

"Understood!"

"Understood."

The next morning, after breakfast, they got into the car and headed not directly to their destination, but first to the Dujiangyan Irrigation System.

Knowing its principles and then visiting it in person, one could perceive an invisible grandeur flowing from the long river of time.

This hydraulic engineering, which created blessings for a thousand years, was truly a grand and magnificent act of Feng Shui.

Moreover, Li Zhuiyuan, Tan Wenbin, and Lin Shuyou were all students from Haihe University. As hydrology students visiting this area, they certainly had to make a special trip to see it.

After their visit, they headed to Qingcheng Mountain.

After driving for some time in the mountains, they had to park the car by the roadside and proceed on foot.

Lin Shuyou carried Tan Wenbin on his back, for which he had specially made a back-basket. New sealing talismans were affixed to the basket, as prolonged close contact with Brother Bin would otherwise cause him frostbite.

Tan Wenbin mentioned he had almost mistakenly entered another Taoist temple last night. However, after Li Zhuiyuan's on-site inspection, he realized it wasn't a mistake; along the way, he had detected that several reclusive Taoist temples' protective gate formations had recently undergone significant internal changes.

Essentially, they had retracted their gate archways, narrowed their territory, and hidden themselves more deeply, like a group of startled rabbits frantically digging burrows after being frightened.

Finally, they reached the "entrance" of the temple. Although it wasn't visible yet, Tan Wenbin was certain that Wen Chenzi, the one he had cursed, was within the area ahead.

Li Zhuiyuan signaled his companions to set up the formation flags according to the incantations he recited. Breaking the entire formation would be too time-consuming, and Li Zhuiyuan didn't intend to do that. He merely needed to weaken it enough to secretly open a narrow passage, allowing their group of five to enter, which would also provide a greater element of surprise.

After the formation was set up, the young man opened his right palm, and a blood-red formation flag appeared.

Run Sheng picked up the Yellow River Shovel, its new wooden handle already attached and emitting a faint peach blossom fragrance.

Lin Shuyou raised his twin maces, lowering his center of gravity. He was to be the second one in, right after Run Sheng charged.

Yin Meng held a string of poison jars in his left hand, and the gu worms in his right palm were eager to move, just waiting for the freshest corpse to appear for sacrifice to his ancestors.

Gray halos constantly swirled in Tan Wenbin's eyes, and lines of curse power were already poised for action.

Everyone was in optimal condition, just waiting for Little Yuan's command to open the formation and charge in with swift, overwhelming force!

Tan Wenbin, acting as the team's motivator, didn't forget to add another reminder at this moment, saving Little Yuan the trouble of speaking:

"Don't get overconfident; treat this as a tough battle!"