On the Path to the Great Dao

Huangpo Village's Godmother, that girl whose hands had turned into tree branches, overheard the conversation between the one person and two monsters. She wore a hesitant look, as if she wanted to speak but held back.

She knew just how dangerous Chen Yindu was. Back when he was still in the mortal world, he had needed the Green Umbrella and the great snake Xuanshan by his side at all times to suppress his demonic nature.

If he were summoned without Xuanshan's suppression, his demonic nature would erupt immediately, utterly destroying everything here!

However, while Little Godmother was no weakling, she was far too feeble compared to the three powerhouses before her. Despite hearing their plan to summon Chen Yindu, she didn't dare intervene.

Fortunately, these three big shots weren't going too far—they weren't summoning Chen Yindu in the village.

Summoning Old Master Chen outside would still cause problems. She blinked her eyes and watched them leave Huangpo Village.

Granny Sha, Azure Sheep, and the curly-bearded giant arrived outside the village. Azure Sheep urged her on.

"Don't go any farther—just here will do, old lady. Hurry and summon Old Chen Head!"

Granny Sha shot him a glare.

"You think it's like summoning a ghost soul? Old Chen Head descended to the underworld in the flesh. He's a corpse-disintegration immortal who cultivated the Water-Fire Tempering Art. Summoning him out is impossible, but we can borrow the traction force from the summoning to send us down to the underworld to meet him!" Her mind stirred slightly. Under the moonlight, her shadow suddenly sprouted in all directions, growing fierce and clawing wildly.

Her five shadows rose to their feet, transforming into five great ghost kings who stood with arms crossed, awaiting orders.

Granny Sha gave her instructions. The five ghost kings howled off into the distance to fetch the altar.

Before long, the five ghost kings returned with the altar. It was divided into three tiers. At the bottom tier, banners inscribed with talismans of the Five Sacred Mountains, Four Seas, and Four Rivers stood at the four corners.

Lamplight shining over these talisman banners caused illusions of the Five Sacred Mountains, Four Seas, and Four Rivers to manifest in the air around the altar.

The middle tier held twenty-eight star lamps of the constellations. Each lamp stood seven inches tall, forged in the likeness of the twenty-eight stellar deities. Star disks adorned their backs, painted with varying star talismans. When the lamps ignited, the structures of the star talismans projected into the air.

The top tier bore spirit banners of the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise. The banners were embroidered with images of the four guardians, along with rings formed from talismans. Bathed in lamplight, luminous images of the four guardians sprang vividly to life in the air.

Granny Sha stood atop the third tier of the altar and arranged her various ritual implements.

"Come up. We're off to see Old Chen Head."

Seeing her elaborate setup, the curly-bearded giant hesitated.

"I still have the fox clan to look after. The lives of the entire clan rest on me, Granny. Is your method reliable?"

Granny Sha sneered.

"Old Hu, if you're chicken, just admit it—don't drag the fox clan into it. My Prayer Truth Altar and reverse summoning technique might be a tad unorthodox, but can you seriously not trust me?"

The curly-bearded giant and Azure Sheep climbed onto the altar.

Granny Sha had each of them hold three sticks of incense.

"Three sticks—for offering to the Three Pure Ones. We're mortals heading to the underworld, after all. We'll inevitably draw the attention of ghosts and gods. One misstep, and we're dead down there."

The curly-bearded giant shuddered, nearly dropping his incense.

Granny Sha continued.

"So first, we transform into divinities—into ghost gods."

She pinched a hand seal and chanted an incantation. Qi coursed through her body as she swiftly tapped the foreheads of Azure Sheep and the curly-bearded giant.

"Open the wisdom eye! Behold the ghosts and gods!"

One fox and one sheep felt stabbing pain in their foreheads. An eye actually sprouted at the center of each brow, rolling about as the netherworld came into full view.

"Grow fangs!"

Granny Sha formed the fighting seal with both hands and stamped their chins. Their teeth grew wildly, sprouting the fangs of ghost gods!

Granny Sha released the fighting seal, shifting to the Heavenly Emperor Seal and Mountain Seal. She tapped their shoulders twice in rapid succession.

"Bear three heads!"

Flesh sprouted on the shoulders of the curly-bearded giant and Azure Sheep, growing two additional heads!

Granny Sha then formed the Noonday Fire Jue and flicked twice at their left and right shoulders and ribs.

"Connect six arms!"

Flesh surged madly on their shoulders and sides, bones regenerating. In mere moments, four more arms burst forth!

They now looked utterly ferocious and malign—like ghost gods from the underworld!

Granny Sha fetched treasures such as bow, arrows, sword, halberd, cord, and seal, handing them out.

"Once we're in the underworld, stay at my left and right. Don't stray, or go too far and my spells will shatter. If the underworld's ghosts and gods see through your disguises, not even heaven-spanning arts will save us. After all, I've offended far too many down there!"

She produced a dainty incense burner shaped like a dragonkin beast: short and stout, with a rotund belly, dragon head, elongated neck, and a dragon tail cocked behind its round paunch.

Its maw gaped wide, eyes bulging round in a vigilant gaze.

This was the Mocking Wind Incense Burner.

Granny Sha inserted a stick of incense into its forehead and handed a bundle to the five ghost kings.

"We're three heading to the underworld. Guard this incense altar. Day or night, rain or thunder—don't let the incense in the burner go out. If it burns down, replace it at once. Got it?"

The five ghost kings assented promptly.

Granny Sha still fretted.

"There's a kid named Chen Shi in the next village over who can see you lot. If he asks what you're up to, ignore him—that boy's full of crooked schemes!"

The five ghost kings committed it to memory.

With preparations complete, Granny Sha activated her spell without delay.

Her features swiftly sharpened into stunning beauty. Her age regressed rapidly, her figure elongating taller and taller. In moments, she transformed from a hunched, dwarfish crone into a ravishing maiden nearly one zhang and a half in height.

Her attire turned sumptuously ornate: layered silks and brocades, fluttering ribbons. Her every gesture was alluring, her every glance brimming with charm.

Her lustrous locks lifted and lengthened endlessly. At the tip of every strand grew the head of a beauty—gazing fondly, some tender, some seductive, some laughing, some pensive, some murmuring softly, some shyly sighing.

Each head was exquisite on its own. But with heads numbering like strands of hair, all floating together in the air... it wasn't quite so lovely.

"After the old hag dies, she'll surely turn into some evil spirit. Her death visage must be horrific!" The curly-bearded giant and Azure Sheep exchanged a glance, thinking the same.

Granny Sha's transformation complete, she stomped her foot. The altar's power surged.

The three drifted downward in a haze, plunging into the underworld and following the traction force toward Chen Yindu.

Azure Sheep and the curly-bearded giant glanced back. The dainty incense burner had become titanic, propping heaven and earth like a mountain-sized beast. The incense atop its head blazed like a guiding lantern, lighting their path.

"Three days—my spell will hold for three days at most!"

Granny Sha said.

"If we don't find Old Chen Head in three days, we head straight back!"

Their feet never touched ground as they rode the yin winds, moving at impressive speed.

Chen Shi woke in the morning and, as usual, cooked a meal. He offered incense to his Godmother—then spotted the altar not far outside the village, ringed by five ghost kings. Their faces looked familiar: Granny Sha's pets.

These five ghost kings had started as stray souls and wild ghosts. To refine her Five Ghosts Transport Art, Granny Sha had taken them in. They'd followed her in cultivation, growing ever stronger until they became true ghost kings.

Chen Shi drew near and peered up at the altar, grinning.

"What're you guys up to?"

"We ain't sayin' nothin'!" The five ghost kings stood firm.

Chen Shi rose on tiptoe for a better look, chuckling.

"We're all brothers here—what's wrong with letting me peek?"

The five ghost kings hurriedly blocked his view.

Chen Shi pulled out a bundle of incense and offered it over with a smile.

"Brothers, have some of this. Got it from the county—packs a real punch."

The ghost kings wavered, tempted to take it. But the lead ghost king barked,

"One full belly today, or full every day—you gotta know the difference! Take his incense, and Granny won't keep us around anymore!"

The ghost kings rejected it outright.

Chen Shi slunk away in disappointment, muttering to himself.

"Granny Sha's cooking up something fun again, and she didn't even call me."

He paid respects to his Godmother and offered incense to Scholar Zhu before hurrying off—no time to dawdle. He grabbed two village masons and headed straight for the Mountain Lord Temple on Qianyang Mountain.

At the temple, Chen Shi instructed them to repair the front hall, paying them handsomely in materials and wages.

"I've drawn a soul-bewitching talisman in the main hall. Don't go in."

He entered the main hall. The extraordinary power within was gathering toward the Divine Shrine. Something seemed to be taking shape inside.

This was the process of extraordinary power sculpting a god's image—a surprise to Chen Shi.

The Mountain Lord Temple had always brimmed with extraordinary power yet lacked any god image. Why was a new one forming now?

Besides his own frequent visits, no one else came here often.

"Does it have to do with that stone box?"

Chen Shi paused, then fished the little pebble from his bookbox. The stone box had shrunk to this tiny size—something inside must have been released.

Whatever was forming in the Divine Shrine... would it be the Mountain Lord? He'd know once the image took form!

He shut the hall doors and hung the soul-bewitching talisman. The talisman guarded the temple: anyone approaching would have their soul ensnared and faint dead away.

He feared the masons might blunder into the Mountain Lord's image, hence the talisman.

"Can't keep Shao Jing waiting!"

Chen Shi whistled for Blackie Pot. Man and dog activated a Galloping Horse Talisman and raced toward the county seat.

It was late morning by the time they arrived in the county town and entered Juxian Tower.

Shao Jing and a private tutor were already waiting. Chen Shi apologized profusely. Shao Jing laughed it off.

"You're coming from the countryside—a hundred-li rush. Being late is normal. Come, let me introduce you. This is Fu Leisheng of Wencai Academy, Mr. Fu. Mr. Fu, this is that talented country lad I mentioned—Chen Shi."

Chen Shi bowed to the tutor, Fu Leisheng. Fu nodded faintly and, still seated, accepted the bow with a smile.

"I'll take that as your apprenticeship礼. Rise."

Chen Shi straightened up, grinning.

"Sir, for this county exam, I beg your guidance."

With that, he offered a silver ingot worth about ten taels.

Fu Leisheng looked awkward and glanced at Shao Jing before smiling.

"I'm not one for this sort of thing—put it away! Shao Young Master invited me; how could I take your gift too?"

Chen Shi pocketed the silver.

The three chatted briefly. Fu Leisheng set down his teacup and rose to leave.

"Chen Shi, if you're free, drop by Wencai Academy sometime."

Chen Shi agreed.

"I'll pay a visit to my teacher this afternoon."

Once he was gone, Chen Shi thanked Shao Jing again. Shao waved it off.

"A trifling favor—what's there to thank?"

Chen Shi produced a rat tail tip.

"Brother Shao, I've come across another treasure these past few days. Take a look."

Shao Jing picked it up. It resembled meat or jade—crystalline, semi-translucent, soft to the pinch, odorless. He frowned in puzzlement.

"What is this thing?"

Chen Shi recounted how he'd obtained it and its effects.

"That big rat's dead, but massaging the head with the tail tip induces deep sleep in moments. Might treat insomnia. Wonder if it'll fetch a good price?"

His heart raced—he truly had no idea if it held value.

Shao Jing's face shifted. He shot to his feet, staring at the tail tip like some abomination, his expression flickering.

Chen Shi blinked in surprise. Why such a reaction?

"Brother Chen Shi, you really have no idea what this is for?"

Shao Jing composed himself and sat back down, shaking his head.

"It's far more than an insomnia cure—far more dangerous. Little Peach! Little Peach, come in!"

A pretty girl with a mischievous air entered, smiling.

"Young Master, what do you need?"

Shao Jing took the rat tail tip and rubbed her scalp a few times. Little Peach went limp and collapsed, sleeping soundly with a smile on her face.

Shao Jing turned to Chen Shi.

"See what I mean?"

Chen Shi shook his head.

"That's the insomnia treatment I mentioned. Hold on—you mean it can be used for robbery!"

Shao Jing gave an ambiguous smile.

"You're still young; you don't grasp its true potential. It can be used for ravishing women! If word got out, countless girls' reputations would be ruined!"

Chen Shi nodded dimly.

"So it has value?"

Shao Jing paused before replying.

"Value? Plenty. If my shop sold them openly at a hundred taels apiece, they'd be snatched up in no time. Robbery, ravishment, murder—all perfect for it. In days, the county would be in chaos, crawling with hat-and-plume officers everywhere."

Chen Shi jumped.

"Then I won't sell!"

Shao Jing shook his head.

"The shop will take them. We'll hold them for now; other uses might come up later. How many tail tips do you have? Ten taels apiece—I'll buy them all."

Chen Shi asked,

"Brother Shao won't use them for evil, right?"

Shao Jing replied solemnly.

"I won't do evil."

Only then did Chen Shi produce the rat tail tips from his bookbox. Shao Jing started—three or four hundred of them!

Chen Shi selected the finest five.

"These are tail tips from five rats that refined golden cores—their effects should be superior. The rest are much inferior. Some tails are from low-cultivation rats—poor quality."

Shao Jing steadied himself.

"Good, bad—ten taels each. Deal?"

Chen Shi nodded lightly.

Little Peach clambered up, baffled.

"Young Master, how'd I end up sleeping on the floor? What happened?"

Shao Jing rubbed her head again. The girl dozed off standing up.

Shao Jing sighed.

"This thing's pure demon bait—stirs the darkest urges in people's hearts. Even I felt evil impulses rising the moment I held it."

He called for someone to count the tail tips, fetched silver notes, and paid Chen Shi.

"If you find more treasures, bring 'em to the shop. But if it's too sinister, Brother—just destroy it. Don't bring it here."

Chen Shi had planned to show the little pebble too, but with no clue what Shao Jing might do with the tail tips, he held it back.

Better to watch his moves first.

End of chapter.