Chapter 6: The Hidden Adjustment Bureau and the Ancient Five Nations

Qin Huai shook her head, "No, it's even more powerful than the yin-yang eye. She can see through the disguises that are more extravagant than corpses, something I cannot achieve. This is likely the reason why Ming Yu has gone to great lengths to design this conspiracy. However, it shouldn't be that simple. I have heard Old Wu mention the mystery of your origins; if we can unravel this, we will find the answer."

Qin Huai lightly coughed and said, "Five years ago, I predicted that there would be a master-disciple connection here, so I requested a transfer to this location. Later, the divination changed, and the fate was interrupted. I originally thought that the destined disciple had already died, but it was only recently that I divined again, and according to my latest readings, my disciple will face a significant calamity related to their eyes. As for the nature of this calamity, I am not certain. " I stared at Qin Huai in astonishment, completely unable to believe that such words came from the mouth of a young man in his twenties. In my impression, this should be something only an elderly man with a full beard could articulate.

It seems that the recent cases of human skin should have a direct connection to this old man. Your father's human skin lantern was actually exchanged with this old man, which is why you have been safe for five years. The spirit medium is both righteous and wicked; such methods should not be mistaken by them.

I shot him a glance and said with dissatisfaction, "You are just a little girl, as if you are so grown up."

Officer Ma suggested, "Isn't there a powerful medium in town? Why not give her a try"

Officer Ma suddenly remembered something and said: "Zhou Xi has opened the heavenly eye." What Officer Ma referred to as opening the heavenly eye is, in fact, the yin-yang eye that we often mention in the Pinghe *Tushu*.

I felt a sudden jolt in my heart. "Officer Ma, can someone explain to me what exactly happened today? What is the purpose of the Hidden Investigation Bureau? What is this nonsense about a blind apprentice? I am completely in the dark right now." I asked loudly, interrupting their conversation.

"Are you a fortune teller?" I asked tentatively. "If you take me as your apprentice, what can you teach me? Can you help me find out the whereabouts of my father and younger brother?" I pressed on.

I clearly remember that Old Wu mentioned in a dream that he would take me to meet seven people, saying they had long predicted a master-disciple relationship with me. Now there is only Qin Huai left; I do not know where the other six are. It seems that apart from the two of us, there is no one else here. "Qin Huai," I tentatively asked, "Old Wu told me that I would have seven masters. What about the other six?"

Qin Huai tilted his head and squinted his eyes, saying, "Not all secrets of heaven can be discerned. I can only try my best. First, tell me, where have you been these past few years?"

I suddenly felt a bit depressed, as this was far from the grand and impressive Bureau of Hidden Investigations I had imagined. Qin Huai seemed to see through my thoughts, glanced at me, and said: "We are only temporarily staying here. Once we clarify the case of the human skin, I will take you back to the headquarters. You should rest for now; I will call you tomorrow when there is something to discuss"

Qin Huai shot me a glance and said, "Is this how you speak to your master?" I was instantly at a loss for words, unsure of how to respond. Who agreed to take him as a master? I really cannot stand this Qin Huai, speaking like an old scholar at such a young age.

I made a face at him, and then, damn it, I have never done such work at home. After tidying up the table, I casually opened that notebook and was immediately captivated by its contents. This notebook was already old and yellowed, clearly not written by a single person. It recorded many bizarre events and some strange flowers and beasts along with their solutions. Truly worthy of the Hidden Investigation Bureau, I couldn't help but exclaim. Much of what was in this notebook was unheard of, and there were also some techniques of Qi Men Dun Jia and the processes for making talismans.

"Where did the seven people come from? Do you think this is the Golden Gourd Babies?" Qin Huai did not even lift his head as he shot back at me. I stuck out my tongue and made a face at him. Suddenly, Qin Huai looked up and happened to catch me rolling my eyes at him. I was instantly speechless, but he seemed to have thought of something and asked, "Did Old Wu mention it to you in a dream? What dream? Tell me about it."

Officer Ma glanced at Qin Huai, noticing his reluctance to speak. He sighed and said: "The Bureau of Hidden Investigations, as its name suggests, is an agency dedicated to the investigation of secret matters. There are many mysterious forces in this world that we cannot resolve on our own. The Bureau is composed of individuals with exceptional skills, well-versed in various forms of spiritual practices. We often collaborate on cases, but they operate discreetly, which is why few people are aware of them"

Qin Huai sighed and said, "It is getting late; you should come back to the bureau with me. It is not an easy task to involve Ming Yu in searching for your relatives. Once you join the Hidden Investigation Bureau, we can look for them together." Qin Huai's tone seemed calm, yet it carried an undeniable authority, and Tu Shu had no other place to go; for now, this was the best course of action.

I recounted the incident of mistakenly sewing the wrong head and living with the old man who sold human skin lanterns. Officer Ma listened with cold sweat, while Qin Huai kept frowning and staring intently at a certain spot

They completely disregard my presence. Officer Ma has been discussing today's case with Qin Huai, and it seems he holds Qin Huai in high regard. "What is the situation with the corpse at Old Wu's home? Now he is also dead, and his manner of death is the same as those others. The murderer should not be him," Officer Ma murmured.

The Mingyu Sect is an organization that specializes in practicing dark arts, and it has existed for a long time, even traceable back to ancient times. A few years ago, there was a great battle, and the Mingyu Sect was thought to have been eradicated, yet it has inexplicably resurfaced recently. Qin Huai explained淡淡地, "However, regarding your eyes..." Qin Huai paused and continued, "From your description, I suspect that the reason the ghostly woman sewed her eyes shut is that the place you are in should be an entrance to the Yellow Springs, a convergence of yin and yang. This is also the reason for the unusual changes in my divination earlier. If a living person stays there for too long, they will be gnawed by the yin energy, causing their eyes to completely rot, and this decay will spread throughout the body. However, you not only seem unaffected, but also..."

Who exactly are the ones you refer to as 'they'?

The second page of this notebook discusses the ancient Five Kingdoms. It is said that there are five immortal mountains above the East Sea, namely Mount Daiyu, Mount Yuqiao, Mount Fanghu, Mount Yingzhou, and Mount Penglai. Legend has it that ten thousand years ago, there existed five prosperous countries there, with a flourishing civilization and a large population. Later, for reasons unknown, they suddenly disappeared, and the language they spoke came to be known as Ancient Five Kingdoms Language. It is rumored that many of the intricate mantras and scriptures from Taoism and Buddhism originated from the Ancient Five Kingdoms Language.

Officer Ma sighed, "Mingyu Sect." He squeezed these three words out between his teeth as he spoke

After finishing watching Qinhuai, he took a deep breath and said, "What kind of person is your father to be able to speak five ancient languages?"

Upon seeing this, I was momentarily taken aback. The ancient Five Languages have been lost for ten thousand years. If that dream was indeed real, when did my father learn this language?

Officer Ma and Qin Huai exchanged words, leaving me utterly bewildered. The strange events that transpired within this single day were far too numerous, significantly exceeding my capacity to cope. I now feel as if my eyelids are in a constant battle, and since leaving the old woman, I have not had a moment's peace. I find myself yawning repeatedly.

I let out a sound of surprise, not expecting that our great nation has such a prestigious department, almost akin to the existence of the American Shield Agency

Qin Huai sighed and said, "Old Wu is considered half a member of our covert investigation bureau; he cannot be the murderer. It is evident that this was done by them. I cannot understand what they need so many human skins for."

Qin Huai frowned slightly and casually tossed me a worn-out notebook, saying, "Look for yourself, clean up the table, and I will take you to the town to take care of some matters." His tone was extremely domineering, and after finishing, he walked away without looking back

I let out a sound and walked straight to the side room. That night, I did not sleep soundly; I woke up several times in between. Every time I closed my eyes, I could see my father, his mouth agape as if he had something to say to me. Whenever I tried to listen closely, my father would suddenly transform into my uncle from the picture book, staring at me with a half-smile. I tossed and turned all night, and when I woke up again, the sky was already bright. Qin Huai had been waiting for me to eat; he said not a word and kept his head down, seemingly lost in thought. Every time I tried to listen closely, my father would suddenly transform into my uncle from the picture book, staring at me with a half-smile. I tossed and turned all night, and when I woke up again, the sky was already bright. Qin Huai had been waiting for me to eat; he said not a word and kept his head down, seemingly lost in thought.

"The Ancient Five Nations? What is that? My father is just a jack-of-all-trades, or to put it more nicely, a funeral beautician." I was puzzled, wondering what the Ancient Five Nations were; I had never heard of them in my life.

I recounted the matter of meeting my father and Old Wu in the underground, when unexpectedly, Qin Huai showed interest, adjusting his eyebrows and saying: "I fear this may not be entirely a dream. Your father's case is real; I have already investigated it. He was suspected of killing two Shabi corpses at that time. I originally intended to intervene in this matter under the guise of the Hidden Bureau, but your father inexplicably went missing. From that phone call onward, everything has been a meticulously planned conspiracy. I just don't understand why Ming Yu would go to such lengths to manipulate a little girl; what exactly does he aim to achieve?"

Qin Huai led me to the edge of the neighboring village. Outside the village lay a vast expanse of fields, flourishing in the summer season. The crops were growing abundantly, and between two plots of land stood several thatched cottages, which were indeed difficult to spot in this secluded area. The cottages were adorned with talisman papers, and strange symbols were carved into the walls. "We have arrived," Qin Huai said softly.

After I finished eating, he took out a piece of paper and a pen and said, "Write down the words you saw on the banner your father showed you in your dream. Record as much as you can remember." I closed my eyes and recalled; the image was very vivid in my mind, and I quickly finished drawing it.