Purification Mantra (Entering the Inner Chamber): Cleanse the body with the sun and refine the form with the moon, so that the physical body reaches the acquired state;
Maoshan Corpse Refining Techniques (Comprehensive Understanding);
Maoshan Talismans (Comprehensive): Great General Corpse-Suppressing Talisman, Zhang Tianshi's General Talisman for Suppressing All Evil Spirits, Qilin Talisman, Thunder and Lightning Talisman
[Martial Arts: Lacking mastery of the methods for circulating qi and blood, and generating power]
[Equipment: Peach wood sword, two Profound Essence Pills, three Blood Qi Pills, one Soul Nourishing Pill, one mid-grade spirit stone, and two low-grade spirit stones]
"Congratulations! Fellow Daoist, your thunder technique has reached its peak! Congratulations!" Looking at Jiang Liu as he walked out, Uncle Nine was filled with emotion. Thinking of Wen Cai, who was still fast asleep, he thought to himself that if he had a disciple like this, he would be laughing in his dreams!
Jiang Liu pointed to the roof with a hole blasted out by lightning and said, "Uncle Jiu, I'm so sorry!"
"It's alright, it's alright! Looking at the sky, it's going to be a sunny day soon. We can just find someone to come and fix it!" Uncle Nine thought for a moment and said, "Fellow Daoist, someone invited me to discuss something today. If you're interested, I'll take you to try some foreign tea. Since your master wants you to enter the mortal world to cultivate, it's a good opportunity to see the vast and bustling world of mortals."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Liu was taken aback at first, thinking to himself: What kind of bustling world could this remote town in the early years of the Republic of China have? In the whole country, only Shanghai's Bund could be considered somewhat prosperous! Then, thinking of the movie plot, he couldn't help but smile to himself, recalling the scene in the movie where Uncle Nine and his apprentice Wen Cai embarrassed themselves in the coffee shop. But he said aloud, "Uncle Nine, this is a bit inappropriate, after all, they invited you."
Uncle Nine said, “What’s wrong with that? It’s just a cup of tea. Ren Fa has some connections in Guangzhou. I can introduce you to him. You can’t just stay in my mortuary to cultivate yourself in the mortal world.”
"Thank you very much, Uncle Jiu! I'll go make some preparations. I just exhausted all my energy, so I'll meditate to recover first!"
Just then, Qiu Sheng knocked and entered, seemingly having truly decided to study Taoism. Uncle Jiu walked with his hands behind his back towards Wen Cai's sleeping place; it seemed Wen Cai was in for another beating!
Sunlight streamed down through the large hole overhead, and Jiang Liu opened his eyes. The low-grade spirit stone in his hand had turned somewhat white. In this era of declining spiritual energy, it would take three to five days to accumulate vital energy normally. To recover quickly, Jiang Liu had no choice but to directly extract spiritual energy from the spirit stone.
At this moment, Wencai hurriedly came over and called out, "Junior Uncle, Master asked me to call you for breakfast. We're going to have some foreign tea later!"
A bowl of plain porridge, three large steamed buns, and some pickled vegetables—the three of them ate and drank their fill, then locked the mortuary and headed towards the town. As for Qiu Sheng, he had already gone home; his aunt had asked him to watch the shop, and he couldn't leave.
A mortuary, a place for storing the dead, would naturally not be located within the town itself, but rather several miles away in a remote area.
As Jiang Liu walked along, he was filled with curiosity, looking around curiously. To Uncle Jiu, he looked like a country bumpkin visiting the Grand View Garden, but little did he know that Jiang Liu was simply interested in the atmosphere of the Republic of China era. It was the early Republic of China, and the long-sealed feudal doors had been broken down by Western powers with their warships and cannons. Ancient Eastern society was being impacted by Western culture, and this town was located in Guangdong, one of the most open regions in the country. Therefore, in addition to traditional shops, many Western-style shops had sprung up on the town's streets, and Uncle Jiu, Wen Cai, and Jiang Liu were heading to one of these Western-style coffee shops.
The coffee shop was already in sight when Wencai suddenly tugged at Uncle Jiu's sleeve and asked with a troubled expression, "Master, can I not go with you to see Master Ren?"
Uncle Jiu was introducing the town's novelties to Jiang Liu when he heard Wen Cai say he wasn't going. Instead of answering, he asked with some confusion, "What? Do you have a grudge against Master Ren?"
Jiang Liu turned his gaze away from the craftsmen on the street. Seeing Wen Cai waving his hands repeatedly, he hesitated for a moment, but finally replied truthfully, "No, no! Master, I've never even seen what Master Ren looks like. It's just that I've never drunk foreign tea before, and I'm worried that I'll embarrass you by making a fool of myself!"
Uncle Nine frowned and said, "It's rare that you're thinking of your master. Good, very good. In that case, you shouldn't go!"
Wen Cai's expression froze instantly, then turned dejected. His hesitant look almost made Jiang Liu burst out laughing. He knew perfectly well that this guy wasn't worried about Uncle Jiu's face at all. He was clearly using a feigned retreat to avoid being punished by Uncle Jiu when he made a fool of himself later!
Jiang Liu smiled and said, "It's alright, Wencai, I'm here! I've drunk foreign tea before, I'll teach you!"
"Hmm, have you ever tasted foreign tea, fellow Daoist?" Uncle Nine asked curiously. Was there foreign tea on Kunlun Mountain?
Jiang Liu realized he had let something slip, so he made up an excuse and said, "My master took me to drink it once when we passed by CD!"
"Junior Uncle, you must teach me! I won't embarrass Master if I learn it." Wen Cai quickly thanked Jiang Liu, while looking at Uncle Jiu with anticipation.
Uncle Jiu knew exactly what Wen Cai was thinking, and thought to himself, "I've never drunk foreign tea before, so it's not shameful if I make a fool of myself." He immediately glared at Wen Cai and said irritably, "Since you want to go, why don't you hurry up and leave?!" Then he changed his expression and said to Jiang Liu in a friendly tone, "Fellow Daoist, can you tell me in detail how to drink foreign tea?"
Jiang Liu recalled the details from the movie and laughed, "The so-called foreign tea is actually coffee, also called coffee. There will be a cup of pure coffee and a cup of milk. Pure coffee is very bitter, so you need to pour the milk in and stir it. Of course, you can also add sugar. Just watch what I do!"
The three then entered a coffee shop, similar to a scene from a movie. However, with Jiang Liu present, Uncle Jiu didn't make a fool of himself. But Wen Cai, blinded by beauty, completely humiliated Uncle Jiu. Ren Tingting was indeed quite attractive, but Jiang Liu, being from the 21st century and having seen countless beauties, found Ren Tingting's attire outdated. They chatted idly.
Finally, Uncle Nine and Master Ren Fa agreed on an auspicious day for relocating the grave, and the coffin would be opened three days later.
After wandering around the town for half a day, Jiang Liu lost interest, so Uncle Nine accompanied him slowly towards the mortuary. Wen Cai had already been sent back by him; his two apprentices had thoroughly humiliated him today. Glancing at the town behind them, Uncle Nine whispered, "Jiang Liu, I noticed that Master Ren's daughter, Ren Tingting, kept glancing at you secretly today. Looks like you're about to have some luck with women!"
Jiang Liu looked at the teasing smile on Uncle Jiu's face, shook his head and laughed, "I'm focused on the Dao, I haven't thought about romance at all!"
"That's a real pity, I have feelings for you but you don't reciprocate... However, as the saying goes, it's easier for a woman to pursue a man than for a man to pursue a woman. Fellow Daoist, your love tribulation is about to begin!"
Jiang Liu watched the sun gradually set in the west, and a sense of anxiety welled up in his heart. The world of Journey to the West was not this world of Dharma decline, so he had no choice but to seize the time to become stronger. He thought to himself, "Peach Blossom Tribulation?! Heh, a life-or-death tribulation is still waiting for me."
Chapter Ten: The Female Ghost
"Fellow Daoist, are you really not coming with me to lift the coffin?"
At this moment, Uncle Nine was dressed in a bright yellow Taoist robe, and all his magical artifacts were ready.
Jiang Liu shook his head, made a lightning hand seal, and a bolt of electricity danced between his fingers like a nimble little snake. He said, "Uncle Jiu, my lightning technique training is at a critical stage right now and requires careful practice, so I won't be going!"
"Very well, it's time to avoid this romantic entanglement!"
Watching Uncle Nine and his disciples leave the mortuary, Jiang Liu continued to cultivate talismans and thunder magic to enhance his strength. In this Dharma-ending Age, spiritual energy was depleted, making it difficult to make any progress in the cultivation of the Cleansing Body Mantra, but the cultivation of thunder magic was unaffected.
"Alas! I don't know when I will leave this world. I hope I can have enough time to improve my strength. After the zombie that Old Master Ren has turned into has absorbed Ren Fa's blood, I will subdue it and then refine it for my use. Ren Fa, don't blame me for being ruthless, this is your fate... If a zombie wants to transcend the five elements, it must settle its karma. As his only son, you and Ren Tingting are that only karma!"
Jiang Liu closed the "Maoshan Corpse Refining Technique" and hesitated, "According to the plot, Ren Fa is bound to die, but Ren Tingting... If the zombie drinks Ren Tingting's blood and completely settles the karma, its strength will become even more abnormal... Should I change the plot and let the zombie kill Ren Tingting?"
After sitting there for half a day, until his stomach rumbled, Jiang Liu's furrowed brows finally relaxed, and he let out a long breath: "I almost had my Dao heart shattered... Ren Fa can die, but Ren Tingting cannot! If I killed Ren Tingting for my own selfish reasons, how would I be any different from those evil cultivators? If my master were alive, he would surely have struck me with five thunderbolts, destroying all my cultivation! My Dao seeks to follow my heart's desires, to find peace of mind. Let those who deserve to die die, and let those who deserve to live live! Even if it means defying fate and getting involved in karma, I will still have a clear conscience!"
Having understood the true meaning of his Dao, Jiang Liu felt completely refreshed. He laughed loudly three times and declared firmly, "Yes, this is my Dao, Jiang Liu's Dao! It's not about blindly pursuing immortality, nor is it about recklessly pursuing supernatural powers and techniques. It's not about 'I came, I conquered,' nor is it about 'I'll leave and then ignore the deluge'... I only seek a clear conscience and to act according to my heart's desire!"
Just then, a delightful mechanical voice rang in my ears: "Notification: Enlightenment of the Dao Heart, Enlightenment of the Mind and Realization of Nature, Soul Strength has been enhanced."
"Hint: The strength of the soul is closely related to the worlds one traverses. The stronger the soul, the larger the range of worlds one can traverse."
"I see! Are you a system or a god? Are you the Jade Disc of Creation or a primordial god or demon?" Taking advantage of this opportunity, Jiang Liu immediately asked.
At that moment, the mechanical voice in my ears suddenly disappeared, and a rumbling thunder came, followed by a voice that seemed neither near nor far, reaching straight to my soul: "The Great Dao is fifty, the Heavenly Evolution is forty-nine, leave a sliver of hope!"
"You're the one who escaped?!" Jiang Liu was about to ask again when the voice disappeared.
"It was actually that one who escaped!"
After understanding the Dao Heart, Jiang Liu seemed to find his cultivation to be exceptionally smooth, and before he knew it, it was getting dark.
The way of both literature and martial arts requires a balance of tension and relaxation. Jiang Liu stopped his practice and saw that the main hall of the mortuary was brightly lit. As he slowly approached, he heard Uncle Jiu's worried voice say, "People are most afraid of dying young; incense is most averse to burning two short and one long! And yet it burned like this! If this kind of incense is found in a house, someone will surely die! Alas..."
"Master, were you referring to Master Ren's family when you just said that?" It was Wencai's voice.
Uncle Nine exclaimed angrily, "Could it be this?!"
Just then, Jiang Liu walked in and said, "Uncle Jiu, I've come to say goodbye!"
"Oh, you're leaving too?" Uncle Nine asked.
Jiang Liu looked at the huge coffin placed in the center of the main hall, filled with the aura of a zombie, and said, "I'm not leaving, just temporarily. My thunder magic has reached a certain level, and I need to find a secluded place to cultivate in seclusion. If I stay in your mortuary, I'm afraid I might accidentally hurt Wencai and Qiusheng... I'll be back in three to five days, or at most half a month."
Uncle Jiu nodded and said, "Alright! By the way, Ren Tingting asked about you today, saying that you should visit the Ren residence for tea if you have time."
"Please tell Miss Ren that if fate allows, we will meet again!" After saying this, Jiang Liu turned and took his leave.
The plot was about to begin, and Jiang Liu didn't want to disrupt its development. He was determined to get his hands on that zombie, so it was best to leave temporarily. Besides, the female ghost named Dong Xiaoyu would definitely appear tonight, and Jiang Liu wanted to test his skills against her, verifying what he had learned over the past few days. Furthermore, if she were to break Qiu Sheng's virginity, Qiu Sheng's future cultivation would be greatly affected. Now that he had received Uncle Jiu's true teachings, Jiang Liu felt he should repay his kindness.
To act according to one's heart's desires, without being tainted by cause and effect, and without fearing to be tainted by cause and effect—this is the way of Jiang Liu.
In the middle of the night, Qiu Sheng rode his bicycle out of the mortuary, a stick of incense burning on the handlebars, humming a song as he headed towards the town.
Jiang Liu was already waiting on the way when he saw a large red sedan chair drifting by. As he got closer, he saw four blurry figures carrying the sedan chair.
"Creak...creak..." Qiu Sheng slowly approached on his bicycle, but with his mortal eyes, he couldn't see the ghost.
The bicycle gradually rode away, but the sedan chair remained unopened; the four little devils who carried it had long since fled. Then Jiang Liu slowly approached, lifted the red cloth, and a woman stepped out. Bathed in moonlight, she wore a pink and white dress, beautiful and dignified, and let out a clear, melodious laugh, like the tinkling of silver bells: "My name is Dong Xiaoyu, and I greet you, sir."
"The Moonlit Beauty is indeed stunningly beautiful! However... a red-powdered skull, white bones and flesh, all phenomena are empty appearances, all are illusions!" Jiang Liu slowly said, his eyes filled with vital energy, and the beauty in front of him suddenly changed into the ugly and rotting female corpse.
"Hehe... What illusion or not!" The female ghost Dong Xiaoyu chuckled softly, gracefully bowing. Her delicate eyebrows and captivating eyes exuded a seductive charm: "I know you are a Taoist, and I also know you are a good person. What's so good about cultivating the Tao? You spend your whole life diligently cultivating, only to end up as a handful of dust. How many Taoists in the world can truly cultivate to become immortals? Why not enjoy life while you can, lest you waste this precious time? Wouldn't that be a pity?"
"Really? Then come here... The night is long, let's talk about life and ideals!" Jiang Liu laughed, then took a few steps forward and shouted, "Nine Heavens Thunder, heed my command!"
At the same time, a lightning talisman drawn with blood appeared in his palm. A flash of light appeared in the air, and a bolt of lightning struck down!
"Boom!" A thunderous sound exploded right next to me.
"Unfortunately, the power is there, but the accuracy is difficult to control! The revolution is not yet successful, comrades must continue to work hard!"
Jiang Liu muttered something to himself, and saw the female ghost Dong Xiaoyu crouching on the ground, trembling with fear, clutching her head. Although she had forged a ghost body and possessed considerable skill, she was still no match for the extremely powerful and yang thunder magic that could kill ghosts and subdue demons.
Even if she weren't even a vengeful ghost, the Nine Heavens Thunder could directly restrain her even if she reached the realm of refining essence into qi.
Looking at the charred ground after the lightning strike, and then at the trembling female ghost, Jiang Liu snorted coldly and said, "Humans and ghosts are different. Qiu Sheng is my nephew. If you continue to pester him, the next time this heavenly lightning will strike your head and scatter your soul!"
"I won't dare, I won't dare!" Dong Xiaoyu shook her head repeatedly.
"Since that's the case, why not enter the cycle of reincarnation?"
Dong Xiaoyu wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes and said, "Daoist Master, I also want to be reincarnated, but I can't! I can only be a lonely ghost for the rest of my life!"
"Why?" Jiang Liu asked curiously.
Dong Xiaoyu sighed and said, "My body was harmed by a demon. He tampered with my grave, preventing me from being reincarnated!"
Chapter Eleven: The Zombies Unleashed
It turned out that Dong Xiaoyu was born on the fifteenth of July, possessing an extremely yin constitution. She was naturally weak and sickly, and tragically died before the age of twenty. At the time of her death, a demon happened to pass by. Seeing her extremely yin destiny, he wanted to seize her soul to cultivate demonic powers, so he tampered with her grave and corpse. However, the demon was also destined to die; he fell seriously ill and died first.
Under the machinations of the evil Taoist, Dong Xiaoyu's soul was sealed in a tomb, unable to reincarnate, exactly ten years ago. Ten years of absorbing the essence of the sun and moon finally allowed her to cultivate a ghostly body and acquire some supernatural powers, thus freeing her from the limitations of her skeletal form. In life, she was just an ordinary girl; in death, she remains just an ordinary female ghost. It was only because Qiu Sheng offered incense for her that she felt a stirring of romantic feelings, wanting to experience the pleasures of love she had never known in life, and to finally settle her last remaining obsession.
But unexpectedly, they encountered Jiang Liu as soon as they left the tomb.
"The cycle of Heaven is inescapable, and retribution is inevitable. Those who harm others will inevitably harm themselves. The evil spirits have cast spells on your tomb, and I will break them tonight. I will also do a good deed and send you to reincarnation."
The female ghost Dong Xiaoyu bowed to Jiang Liu and said, "Thank you, Daoist Master!"
Dong Xiaoyu's grave was right next to Old Master Ren's. In the dim light of night, Jiang Liu dug open the grave and found the coffin rotten, the body inside reduced to piles of bones. Beneath the remains, Jiang Liu discovered a peachwood charm and a red rope tied to Dong Xiaoyu's limbs. After ten years, the red rope and the peachwood charm hadn't decayed; it seemed these things had prevented her from reincarnating.
As I untied the red string and took out the peach charm, just as I was about to examine the incantations on it closely, both of them began to decay into ash at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Jiang Liu had no choice but to give up and said, "Alright, now you should be able to reincarnate!"
Dong Xiaoyu kowtowed three times to Jiang Liu and said, "Thank you, Daoist Master. I have no way to repay you. I am about to enter the cycle of reincarnation, so I no longer need this cultivation. I will leave the condensed soul jade to you, Daoist Master!"
After saying this, the ghostly form became ethereal and drifted towards the ground, leaving behind a piece of mutton-fat white jade, as cold as ice.
Jiang Liu picked it up and looked at it; the information immediately appeared in his mind:
【Soul Jade】
[An object left behind in the mortal world after the salvation of ghosts and spirits, imbued with the power of the soul]
"Good deeds are rewarded and evil deeds are punished! No wonder monks and Taoist priests like to perform rituals to help the dead find peace; it turns out they can get this stuff—Soul Jade, the power of the soul!"
Jiang Liu reburied Dong Xiaoyu's remains in the grave, and then searched around the town for the cave where the zombie from the movie was hidden. If he remembered correctly, the zombie's hiding place in the story was in a cave next to a chimpanzee's nest, so he focused on finding that chimpanzee.
As the saying goes, perseverance pays off. After a long search, they finally found the cave where the chimpanzee was. And sure enough, they found another dark cave entrance hidden in the thorns nearby.