Yang Jun had seen the Hidden Atlas of Heaven! I was shocked at first, but on second thought, it made sense. After all, Yang Jun had lived for centuries and had once held the rank of Qianhu in the Jinyiwei—essentially a senior officer in a covert operations agency. That kind of man having read The Hidden Atlas of Heaven before boarding the Ghost Ship? Not too surprising. But the name he mentioned—Dong Qichao—was something else entirely.
I'd come across that name more than once in Ouyang Pianzou's files, and almost every time, it was tied to events soaked in blood. Dong Qichao lived during the late Northern Song dynasty and was considered one of the top alchemists of his era. Under Emperor Huizong, he served as Grand Preceptor of the Dao for thirteen years—essentially the imperial court's personal alchemist.
His role was originally quite straightforward: make elixirs, write down how the eunuchs reacted after taking them, and call it a day. But Dong Qichao was not one to follow rules. He began modifying the official prescriptions in secret, adding minerals and ingredients he believed could help achieve immortality. One of these alterations led to a tragic outcome—the eunuch testing the elixir suffered a cranial explosion on the spot.
That should've been enough to get Dong Qichao and his extended family wiped from existence. But as luck would have it, he had recently presented a rare ancient elixir formula and earned an imperial iron pardon, a once-in-a-lifetime exemption from death. He had no idea he'd need it so soon.
Though spared from execution, Dong Qichao was stripped of all titles and sent back to his monastic roots at Luoyun Temple. His master had long since passed, and senior members of his sect were now tasked with overseeing him under strict confinement—he was never to leave the temple grounds again.
Then, a year after his return, a deadly plague swept through the region. As per local tradition, Luoyun Temple was expected to perform rites to send away the Plague Spirits and then distribute medicinal soup to the afflicted for three days. On days one and two, everything seemed fine. Most people even showed signs of improvement. But on the third day, no one knows what Dong Qichao added to the decoction—but the result was catastrophic. Everyone who drank the soup—two hundred and seventeen people in total, including Taoist priests from the temple—died vomiting blood.
Dong Qichao escaped in the chaos that followed. Since then, for centuries, he's been listed as a cursed and dangerous figure. But never had I heard of him having any connection to the Nyeh—until now.
"You've got a sharp memory," Hao Zhengyi said calmly. "That line really does appear in the Hidden Atlas of Heaven." He smiled slightly and added, "I always thought Dong Qichao had converted this Yin Convergence Point into a natural alchemical furnace. I never expected he'd hidden himself here to conduct research on the Nyeh."
I hadn't intended to speak, but hearing him mention Dong Qichao making elixirs, I couldn't help myself. "Would you really dare to ingest anything made by Dong Qichao?"
Hao Zhengyi turned to glance at me with a slow, measured expression. "You think the Bureau's archives are all true?"
With that, he ignored me and turned back to Yang Jun. "I assumed you knew slightly more about this Yin Convergence Point than I did, but clearly I was underestimating you. Your knowledge of this place goes beyond what's written in the Hidden Atlas, doesn't it? What else is really hidden here?"
Yang Jun met Hao Zhengyi's gaze without hesitation. "Keep walking forward and you'll find out soon enough. Want me to lead the way?"
Hao Zhengyi fell silent for a moment. Yang Jun took the opportunity to continue, "If we keep going, we'll need to reorganize our team."
This seemed to catch Hao Zhengyi off guard, but only for a moment. He quickly composed himself and said, "Reorganize... meaning someone should go back the way we came?" As he spoke, his gaze—deliberately or not—settled on me.
Before I could argue, Yang Jun spoke up. "What lies ahead is dangerous. Even with the three of us—me, you, and Crow—it'll take a bit of luck to get through unscathed. If we add him"—he nodded in my direction—"he'll only slow us down."
I knew it was just a pretext, but there was no way I was leaving Yang Jun behind. I didn't care that Hao Zhengyi and Crow were standing right there. I looked straight at Yang Jun and said, "No matter how dangerous it gets, you go your way—I'm not leaving. If something happens to me, don't bother trying to save me. Chalk it up to bad luck. But don't expect me to just turn around because you say so. In the Bureau, you and I are equals. The only guy above both of us is outside chatting with Sun Fatty. None of us is the director—so why should I take orders from you?"
I was blushing and my neck thickening as I argued fiercely with Yang Jun, but Hao Zhengyi didn't take sides. His gaze slowly flicked back and forth between me and Yang Jun. After watching us for a while, he didn't see any sign that we were acting. After a moment of silence, a faint smile appeared on Chairman Hao's face. He turned to me and said, "No matter what, you're still under Hao Wenming's command. I don't want to see you get into trouble. You'd better go back the way you came. As for Mr. Yang Jun, don't worry. I still need to rely on him for the road ahead. I definitely won't let him get hurt."
Unfortunately, no matter who it was now, even if they begged me, I wouldn't abandon Yang Jun and go back alone. The stubborn spirit of our Old Shen family had already flared up inside me. I didn't care if Hao Zhengyi was Hao Wenming's elder brother or not. I glared at Hao Zhengyi and said, "Why should I go back just because you say so? You entered this Yin Convergence Point, but I can't? Is the Sin Factory owned by your family? The big road is open for everyone; we'll go our own ways. You go your way, I'll go mine. If something happens to me, I don't expect you to save me. If you're unlucky, I won't even notice!"
Seeing me flip out, Hao Zhengyi still smiled cheerfully. He made a gesture toward me and then said, "Want to keep going forward? I'm afraid that's not up to you anymore..." When he said this, I suddenly understood that the gesture was not meant for me. Just as I was about to turn my head to look back, a sudden sharp pain exploded in the back of my head. Everything went black and I collapsed to the ground. My last thought before fainting: Crow, damn you!
I don't know how long I was unconscious. In a hazy state, I suddenly felt a burning pain on my face and heard someone calling me, "Lazi, wake up... Lazi, stop sleeping! Wu Rendi's here, get up or I'll pour corpse oil on you!" By the time I heard Wu Rendi's arrival, I had already opened my eyes. I saw Sun Fatty supporting my shoulders and shaking me back and forth. His shaking made my head even more dizzy and nauseous. I groaned, "Great Sage, stop! If you shake me any more, I really won't wake up!"
After seeing I was awake, Sun Fatty said to the figure behind him, "What did I tell you? As soon as Wu Rendi and corpse oil are mentioned, Lazi definitely wakes up. So, do you admit it now? Remember you owe me a dozen bottles of that Swiss monastery's homemade red wine. I don't believe it's as good as you say." I originally thought the figure behind Sun Fatty would be Wu Rendi, but when he stepped forward, I saw his head full of golden hair and recognized him as Director Nicolas Hugo. Hugo leaned close with a concerned look and asked, "Shen, are you alright?" He then held up three fingers in front of my eyes and said, "Look, how many is this?" His fingers made me dizzy as they waved, so I replied with no patience, "Six! You turned three into six!" Hugo smiled awkwardly, "God bless, good that you're okay."
I glanced around. We were still in the Yin Convergence Point where I had fainted. The mask and glasses I had worn were removed. Although awake, my head was still dizzy and swollen. The dizziness was from Crow's blow to my head, but why was my face swollen and puffy? I didn't have time to think more. I took a breath and looked at Sun Fatty. This Fatty was now covered in blinking bulbs, which made me dizzy as well. Why was he decked out in all these lights? I said to him, "Great Sage, can you take off those bulbs? They're blinding me." Sun Fatty didn't seem to want to remove them. Instead, he grinned, "Lazi, I'm not blaming you, but your signal is way too flashy. This whole path is lit up like an airport runway. With so many bulbs, might as well keep some for lighting."
I looked at his round face and said, "Great Sage, who else came down from the Bureau? If Wu Rendi and Yang Xiao haven't come, then no one else should come down." Sun Fatty sighed bitterly, "Yang Xiao? Wu Rendi? Lazi, don't dream on. It's just me and Brother Hugo here. Old Master Xiao hasn't brought anyone else."
"Just you two?" I looked behind Sun Fatty and Hugo. Indeed, no one else was there. When did this fatty get so bold? I grit my teeth and slowly stood up. After a moment, my dizziness eased. I said to Sun Fatty, "You two still dare to come down alone?" As soon as I finished speaking, Hugo said to me, "Shen, watch your words. I've always wanted to come down but was stopped by Sun's trickery."
My head wasn't clear enough to understand Hugo's words. Seeing me frowning, Sun Fatty sighed, patted my shoulder, and nodded toward Hugo, "This foreigner finally got it."
After Yang Jun and I went down the well, Hugo and Sun Fatty waited above for Xiao Heshang to return. As they guessed the situation below, Hugo suddenly realized something. He tilted his head and said to Sun Fatty, "Sun, I don't understand one thing. After Master Xiao left, am I the highest authority here?"
"Probably... yes." Sun Fatty blinked and dragged the word out, "Actually, Director Hugo, you will always be the top in my heart."
Hearing this, Hugo's expression immediately turned serious, displaying some dignity befitting an investigation room director. He looked at Sun Fatty and said, "It seemed you were in charge all along just now. Sun, when did our roles reverse?"
Sun Fatty looked confused, "Reversed? I don't feel that way. Seriously, Director Hugo, you foreigners are too sensitive, always mixing everything up with conspiracy theories. Relax, just wait for Old Master Xiao to come back."
Mentioning Xiao Heshang, Hugo gave a strange smile and said, "Sun, you're not being honest. When Consultant Xiao returns, will I still be in charge?"
Speaking of Nicolas Hugo, he was arguably the most tragic director in the Bureau of Paranormal Investigation. Hugo was a genuine top student from the Roman University's Theology Faculty, graduating with the best academic record in its history. From the day he graduated, the Vatican saw him as a future cardinal (a red hat) in training. The title 'Cardinal' might sound modest, but it means the right to elect and even become the Pope.
Hugo's career path was smooth, seemingly destined to rise to the papal throne and perhaps one day deliver his inaugural papal speech at St. Peter's Square in the Vatican. But a few years before Sun Fatty and I joined the Bureau, a national religious reform improved relations with the Vatican. Both sides exchanged personnel to show goodwill. Thus, Hugo and another cleric named Moyes came to the Bureau with a sacred mission to preach in this ancient Eastern country. The Bureau sent a director named Han Song as their own exchange to the Vatican.
Originally, Hugo and Moyes came to the Bureau with the mission to preach, welcomed by an old fox named Gao Liang. Hugo was appointed director of Investigation Room Three. Since only Hugo was the official exchange personnel, Moyes had no formal position and ended up as Hugo's personal advisor, awkwardly remaining at the Bureau. Hugo's dream of preaching was shattered, but here he discovered a mysterious realm of Eastern mysticism and a mysterious white-haired man.
Gradually, Director Hugo became interested in Eastern mysterious religions. He even published a paper titled "On the Origins of Eastern and Western Religions" at his alma mater—the Roman University Theology Faculty. Hugo thought his special position as Director of Room Three would easily help him integrate and deeply research the mysterious Eastern religions. However, reality differed from expectations. Since he joined, almost all major cases sidelined him. At first, there were excuses like unfamiliarity with the environment. Later, no excuses were given, just blunt orders: "This case is handled by Room Two, assisted by Room Four. Room Three stands guard."