There were sixty-eight memorial tablets in total, and the stands on which they were placed were tiered, suggesting to Zhang Tian that they were arranged in order of seniority from high to low.
While everyone else was piecing together the damaged memorial tablets and returning them to their positions, Zhang Tian’s gaze was fixed on the topmost one.
All the other memorial tablets were damaged to varying degrees, but only the topmost one remained completely intact.
The strangest thing was that this tablet didn't seem to have fallen over like the others; it was still standing upright.
"This Taoist temple should be uninhabited, so no one should have propped up this tablet. And it's the only one that's undamaged," Zhang Tian mused, his footsteps already carrying him forward.
All the other tablets had fallen, and Zhang Tian didn't believe the last one could have escaped unscathed.
Approaching the tablet, Zhang Tian looked at the inscription.
"Lin Changsheng."
"Lin Changsheng? Isn't that practically the name of a protagonist in a martial arts novel?" he thought, looking at the name and recalling the protagonists of novels from his past.
He gently picked up the wooden tablet and brushed off the dust with his hand.
Glancing around to confirm there were no mechanisms, Zhang Tian carefully placed the tomb tablet back.
Soon, with everyone's combined efforts, all the wooden tablets were returned to their places.
The entire Taoist temple seemed to have regained its vitality.
Meanwhile, Fatty, looking at the memorial tablets on the stand, nodded with satisfaction.
"This looks much more comfortable now," he muttered, his gaze sweeping around the surroundings.
His eyes landed on a meditation cushion.
"Such a large Taoist temple, and not a single chair, just these things for sitting cross-legged. It's like a chicken coop," he grumbled, sitting down on a cushion.
The next moment, as if his weight was too much, the cushion seemed to indent beneath him.
"Damn it, a trap, there's a trap!" Fatty yelped, startled. Almost instantly, he sprang up as if propelled, leaping away from the cushion.
Hearing Fatty's shout, everyone else looked over.
Zhang Qilin slowly opened the cushion with his hand.
Beneath it, there was a skeleton.
"You scared the life out of me! Fatty's little heart almost jumped out. Second Brother, comfort Fatty!" Fatty patted his chest, his heart pounding.
Under everyone's gaze, the white skeleton began to tremble slightly.
"Boss, it's alive?" Hu Bayi instinctively took a step back, while Zhang Tian had already pulled out a talisman. These talismans had been hastily drawn by Zhang Tian before they arrived. They weren't powerful, but they were certainly insulting.
Zhang Qilin gripped his Black Gold Ancient Blade, the edge already resting in his palm. If anything unusual happened, he would use his Qilin blood to slay it without hesitation.
"Kaka-kaka..."
The bones made clicking sounds.
Crisp and clear.
And under everyone's watchful eyes, the skeleton from within the cushion gradually climbed out.
A white skeletal frame, much like a specimen studied in a medical school.
"Boss, should we… make a run for it?" Fatty asked timidly. "This thing is reanimated."
Zhang Tian's forehead creased. "Reanimated?"
"Don't rush," Zhang Tian said, waving his hand and looking at the skeleton. It could still move, which meant it had some substance. And since it was alone, Zhang Tian felt somewhat confident.
Under everyone's gaze, the skeleton assembled itself and stood before them.
The skull turned one hundred and eighty degrees, glanced at the memorial tablets behind it, and then its gaze fell upon Zhang Tian and the others.
"Thank you all for helping me restore the memorial tablets."
With that, the skeleton, to everyone's astonishment, reached under the cushion and produced a yellow talisman, sticking it onto its head. Then, it walked towards the memorial tablets.
"He's probably not human," Zhang Qilin stated. Zhang Tian rolled his eyes; wasn't that obvious? Had his second brother been with Fatty for too long, turning his brain into Fatty's?
"This is likely some secret art. He's in a soul state, merely using a skeletal frame as a vessel," Zhang Qilin continued. His words struck a chord with Zhang Tian.
"The smoke we saw earlier, could that have been him? And the eerie energy we felt upon arriving at the temple, that must have been him too."
"He probably deliberately lured us here," Zhang Tian said. Xie Yuchen looked at the memorial tablets.
"He's likely one of the people commemorated by these tablets. He seems very familiar with this place," Xie Yuchen remarked. The skeleton then stopped at the topmost memorial tablet.
The skeleton's finger pressed onto the tablet, and with a crack, the tablet shattered, revealing a bronze-colored key. As the key appeared, faint traces of flesh began to grow on the skeleton.
Zhang Tian was also startled by this scene. It was all too unbelievable. However, on second thought, it was a tomb from the Ghost Lantern, so it wasn't surprising. Ghost Lantern, wasn't that a ghost story?
"Holy cow, Boss, I want to learn this!" Fatty exclaimed. "This flesh regeneration technique is amazing! Not to mention, if Fatty grew another three centimeters, I'd surpass Boss's height!" Fatty was excited, a look of longing on his face.
"This probably can't be used for height. This flesh seems to be just an illusion. If you try to touch it, it'll likely still be bone," Zhang Tian observed, noticing something amiss. The flesh looked like real skin to the naked eye, but upon closer inspection, it flickered in and out of existence.
The skeleton seemed unconcerned by Zhang Tian and the others' scrutiny. Holding the key, it walked directly to another memorial tablet. Under everyone's gaze, it opened a hidden door and produced a black pill.
"Ghost Pill!"
"Ghost Pill!" Zhang Tian and Hu Bayi exclaimed almost simultaneously. Fatty also felt a jolt, nearly jumping to snatch it.
After the Ghost Pill appeared, the skeleton unhesitatingly swallowed it. The already developing flesh on its body became more solid, looking almost indistinguishable from real flesh. Soon, a man resembling a Taoist priest in his fifties or sixties appeared before them.
"Damn it, Boss, was that a Ghost Pill?" Fatty clutched his chest, a pang of regret. This was crucial for the recovery of the Princess Consort!
"Since he had one, there must be a second one. Don't worry," Zhang Tian said, pulling Fatty back. He stepped forward.
Upon seeing the Taoist's face clearly, everyone was taken aback. A unibrow, a square face, the flesh on his face gradually becoming distinct, giving him an air of immortal grace.
"Isn't this the Taoist we saw at the auction that time?" Hu Bayi blurted out, recognizing him.
"No, the one last time was disguised. This is the real person," Zhang Tian said, his gaze fixed on the middle-aged man before them. "Esteemed fellow Taoist, may I ask if you are the Taoist priest of this Qingfeng Temple?" Zhang Tian cupped his fists, his expression serious.
The middle-aged man's eyes slowly opened. He looked at Zhang Tian, sensing the unique aura emanating from him, and appeared slightly surprised.
"You are also a Taoist? Where do you reside?" His voice was hoarse and aged, likely unaccustomed to speaking.
"I reside in Bei Li."
"Do you have a Taoist sect?" the other asked again.
"No."
"What? No Taoist sect? Self-taught?!" Upon hearing that Zhang Tian had no sect, the unibrowed Taoist's heart pounded. He moved almost in a flash, appearing beside Zhang Tian. He placed a hand on Lin Tian's forehead, his expression shifting from agitation to astonishment, and then to sheer dread.