Chapter 33

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Lu Liangsheng sat astride the donkey, his entire body trembling slightly. Drop by drop, blood dripped from the tip of his brush onto his swinging robe sleeve, staining it with crimson blossoms.

Can’t stop yet…

…can’t let them notice…

These bandits… nearly took Grandpa’s life…

… stole our things…

The tip of the brush moved delicately across the unfinished painting on the scroll, gradually outlining a thin layer of mist. That touch of green color became even more real, slowly drifting along the cliff above the valley in the thin mist.

Below, under the eaves of the wooden bandit fortress, the Daoist priest’s expression was uneasy. Holding the bronze mirror, his hands trembled nervously as he constantly glanced around. Even though Liu Erlong and his group were undeniably fierce bandits, whatever was circling the valley outside was far from ordinary.

Listening to the sounds of rocks tumbling down the surrounding mountain walls, Liu Erlong, trembling with fear, asked the Daoist priest in front of him: “Little Daoist Master… what was that thing just now?”

“A…a…snake…”

“A snake?! That big… a single one…” Liu Erlong cried out in terror.

The Daoist priest wasn’t sure either and stammered: “Maybe… it’s not…”

His gaze still fell on the figure in the mist near the gate, a person and a donkey, sending shivers down his spine. If only he had mastered the Qi Observation Technique passed down by his master, he wouldn’t be in such a passive position now.

As for the figure, it was impossible to discern how advanced his cultivation was. If that enormous creature on the mountain was his spirit beast… that’s right, it could be possible. After all, even a Rakshasa ghost was under this man’s control…

The Daoist swallowed hard, watching the figure on the donkey.

“…I am Sun Yingxian. I was a bit presumptuous earlier… I didn’t realize a great master was so close at hand.”

“Great Master…”

Liu Erlong cautiously glanced at the Daoist priest and then at the figure on the donkey in the mist. Swallowing nervously, he whispered: “Little Daoist Master, is that really a great master?”

Seeing the Daoist nod, Liu Erlong quickly shifted his gaze to the three other leaders beside him and shouted: “Damn it… how did you offend him?”

The three men shook their heads in unison. Meanwhile, the mist swirled, and a voice emerged from it, carried by the wind.

“Great master is too much of an honor, just release that vengeful ghost and leave.”

“Sir, as a great master, controlling a vengeful ghost for personal use is one thing, but shouldn’t a cultivator be tasked with slaying demons and eliminating evil? How can one associate with ghosts…” Sun Yingxian, heart pounding, asked in a low voice: “…Of course, if you prefer not to answer, that’s fine too, sir.”

Testing my strength?

As his Teacher once said in the <Strategies and Responses>: When it comes to power, the fierce appearance is like a blade, and the killing intent is foremost…

Lu Liangsheng thought to himself. His robe sleeve lightly brushed over the painting, and his brush suddenly swept across it with force. The mist in the valley churned as his voice abruptly rose: “Just tell me, will you release it or not!”

The authoritative tone echoed through the mountains. At the same time, the massive green shadow burst through the mist, and a head as large as the wooden building emerged, hanging a few yards away, with its serpent-like mouth wide open.

——Hiss!!

The stench of blood and the sight of green scales and fangs filled the air.

The extinguished lanterns on either side of the hall door creaked and swayed. Liu Erlong and the bandits barely managed to cling to the door frame to avoid falling over, their hair blown wildly.

Terrified by the open snake mouth and the fangs as large as a person, they closed their eyes and clung to the door frame, screaming in panic.

“Daoist Master Sun, think of a way quickly!” “It’s coming, it’s coming…” “Help!”

Sun Yingxian in front was also feeling uncomfortable. He waved his sleeve to shield his face, braced himself with his feet spread wide, and let his sleeve drop as he watched the figure ahead. Sweat beads as large as beans ran down his face.

Before he could speak, Lu Liangsheng stopped painting, reached out to pat the old donkey’s neck, and spoke in a calm tone.

“Earlier, you said that cultivators should not associate with ghosts and should instead slay demons and eliminate evil. So, I ask you, what is the purpose of a lifetime of cultivation?”

Lu Liangsheng’s counter-question about the purpose of cultivation was not merely a threat but also a genuine inquiry into the philosophy of cultivation. As the second cultivator he had ever encountered, it was worth discussing.

The Daoist looked at him and said: “Naturally, it is to cultivate and achieve enlightenment… Does Master not agree?”

Lu Liangsheng coughed twice and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. “It seems that the path you follow is to eradicate all demons, spirits, and monsters.”

The Daoist was momentarily stunned. He had been raised and taught by his master since a young age, and his studies mainly involved Daoist arts. Being still young and having just left the mountain before being captured, the questions he was being asked at this moment were somewhat difficult for him.

He could only follow along with the conversation.

“Evil demons and monsters must be eliminated.”

Hearing this answer, Lu Liangsheng laughed: “Eliminating evil is natural, but what about when people do evil? Who will remove them?”

“Of course, it’s the government.”

“And if the government shelters them or fails to investigate properly?”

“Well…”

Lu Liangsheng shook his head. With a sweep of his brush, the serpent’s head that loomed in front of the wooden fortress slowly receded into the mist, having made its point.

He continued: “You and I are human beings, coming from the mortal realm. When we speak of cultivation, are we not referring to the cultivation of humanity and moral character? The character for ‘human’ (人) with its strokes represents uprightness and integrity. If we, as cultivators, cannot act with righteousness and merely treat the human world as a game, looking at the tragedies of the world coldly, then what we have cultivated amounts to nothing more than a heart and body of stone.

“Demons and monsters that do evil must be eradicated, and so must evil people. This is the true cultivation we should pursue. Only then will our path as cultivators not be severed, this is what is known as safeguarding the Dao.”

At this point, Sun Yingxian was utterly stumped. Such grandiose statements, if made by an ordinary person, could be dismissed with a simple “pedantic scholar” comment. However, given the unknown depth of the man’s cultivation and the giant serpent coiled above him, the words seemed impressive, even if Sun Yingxian didn’t fully understand.

He glanced at the female ghost wrapped in yellow silk in his hand and asked: “Master’s words are profound, this Yingxian is enlightened, but this female ghost has caused the deaths of over thirty people…”

Lu Liangsheng slowed down his infusion of spiritual energy into the painting, the scroll was starting to show signs of wear and tear. He quickened his speech to interrupt the Daoist’s response.

“May I ask this Daoist priest, how many lives have these mountain bandits taken? Just as I said before, if the government cannot handle it, we should act according to our conscience and address the matters of this world. What is wrong with that?!”

He then briefly explained the background of the female ghost and why she had been targeted. Upon hearing that Chen Yaoke had been killed by Lu Liangsheng using a minor spell, Sun Yingxian exclaimed: “Good!”

But soon after, he fell silent, sighed, and said slowly: “Sometimes, the human heart can be even more evil than the evil ghosts…”

His gaze toward the yellow silk wrapped around the female ghost changed significantly. He then looked at Lu Liangsheng with renewed respect, put away his bronze mirror, and made a deep bow.

“Yingxian thanks the master for the guidance and will take his leave now.”

The bandits, led by Liu Erlong, were outraged and charged forward. “Little Daoist Master, you can’t just leave us to die!”

“Get lost!”

The Daoist kicked Liu Erlong away, sending him sprawling. With a pointed gesture towards the yellow silk, he pulled it back. His body then swiftly shrank into the ground, vanishing.

“Hey, Daoist!” “Come back—”

As the bandits shouted, a cold wind suddenly swept over them, knocking them to the ground. Liu Erlong, sitting on the floor, kicked back in horror, shouting: “Don’t come closer, don’t come closer…”

In their vision, a shadowy and eerie figure floated in midair, its eyes glowing red.

“Now let’s see who will save you!”

The dense, suffocating Yin Qi engulfed them, pulling them into the fortress. The hall door slammed shut with a resounding bang, followed by the sounds of bones twisting and breaking.

“Ah!”

“Ah——”

The anguished screams echoed out. Lu Liangsheng withdrew his illusion, blood gushing from his mouth and nose, splattering on the donkey’s back. He staggered and fell off the donkey.

In a moment, as the wind howled, his slightly closed eyes caught a figure appearing which caught him in midair.

“Gentleman Lu, I will take you back.”

Amidst the haze of consciousness, he recognized the voice as that of Honglian.
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