Chapter 66

After making all the necessary preparations, the group of about forty people set off down the stairs in a grand procession. Due to the foggy conditions below, the henchmen initially walked cautiously, but after a full hour, they still hadn't reached the bottom of the stairs. As time went on, the henchmen at the front became increasingly uneasy. The little leader, while carefully descending, said to Gui Bu Gui, "Why hasn't this staircase ended yet? Master, is there something you forgot to tell us?"

Gui Bu Gui glanced at him and replied, "Do you think immortality is that easy? Compared to the hardships endured by the immortals, walking down a few steps to gain immortality is a much better deal. Where else can you find such a good thing?"

As the old man spoke, the fog around them suddenly thinned, and the surroundings became clearer. One of the henchmen beside the little leader said, "I can see the bottom. What kind of floor is this?" This henchman opened his mouth wide and pointed to the bottom of the stairs, saying, "Is it made of white jade?"

At this moment, everyone saw the scene at the bottom of the stairs. After descending another hundred or so steps, they finally reached the ground. The ground was smooth and white, made of a different kind of stone than the stairs.

Having longed to see the ground, now that it appeared, the group was unsure how to proceed. Everyone's gaze turned to Gui Bu Gui. The chatty little leader said, "Master, how should we proceed? Please give us some guidance..."

"Do I need to ask?" Gui Bu Gui was amused by the question. After a pause, he said, "The Ginseng Child is down there. You don't think you'll become immortal just by smelling the air, do you? Don't be shy, keep going. Catch him, and I'll stew him for you tonight."

With these words, the henchmen were reassured. The little leader was the first to descend the stairs and reach the ground. Seeing that nothing unusual happened, the rest of the henchmen rushed down and joined him on the ground.

The henchman who first noticed the ground squatted down and said, "I told you, the ground is made of white jade. This is a fortune. If we take this white jade, it will last us for several lifetimes."

"About to become immortal, and you're still so petty," Gui Bu Gui said, but he too was intrigued by the ground. However, the old man's perspective was higher than that of the henchman. He noticed that the ground had no seams and was made of a single piece of white jade, covering several dozen yards. How large must the piece of jade be...

The group continued forward. After about half an incense stick's time, they reached the end of the jade path and found a large gate made of jade. The two gates were tightly closed, and above them were inscriptions that only Gui Bu Gui could understand.

Seeing these words, the old man's expression turned grim. Gui's two disciples, standing behind him, asked, "What does it say?"

Gui Bu Gui replied, "Those who enter this gate will descend into the Yellow Springs..."

The henchmen, who had been excited by the white jade ground, were now stunned into silence. Everyone, including Gui's disciples, stared at Gui Bu Gui. After a moment of silence, before Gui Lai or Gui Qu could speak, the little leader glanced at the two and then approached the old man, saying, "If we enter, we'll descend into the Yellow Springs. Let's not go in. Master, if I may, why don't we just take the jade and live a comfortable life for the next lifetime?"

Gui Bu Gui's gaze shifted from the gate to the little leader's face. He said, "If you truly become immortal, you won't have a next lifetime. Besides, if we find the right method, even if you descend into the Yellow Springs, I can still bring you back." He paused, his eyes scanning the faces of the henchmen, and continued, "I'll say it again: whether to proceed is up to you. But if you miss this opportunity, it won't come again for several lifetimes."

These words reassured everyone, including his two disciples. Even the chatty little leader, who had been eager to leave, found a spear and prepared to use it as a lever to open the gate. Fortunately, Gui Bu Gui noticed in time and quickly stopped him, preventing any mishap.

Gui Bu Gui instructed the henchmen to stand two yards away from the gate and had Gui Lao Er bring the basket containing the prepared items to the front of the gate. The old man took out a rooster from the basket and had the two disciples decapitate it in front of everyone, splashing the chicken's blood on the gate. As he did so, he muttered incantations that no one else could understand.

As the henchmen watched in amazement, Gui Bu Gui threw the bloodless rooster aside and found seven small oil lamps in the basket. He filled the lamps with oil, which emitted a pungent odor when lit. The old man arranged the seven lamps in a peculiar pattern in front of the gate. As soon as he placed the last lamp, a gust of evil wind blew from the gate, extinguishing all seven lamps. However, Gui Bu Gui seemed to have anticipated this. He calmly relit the lamps and rearranged them into a new pattern.

This time, as soon as the new pattern was set, another gust of evil wind blew from the gate, extinguishing the lamps again. Gui Bu Gui showed no signs of distress, repeatedly relighting the lamps, rearranging them, and having them blown out again.

Remarkably, each time Gui Bu Gui rearranged the lamps, he created a different pattern, never repeating the same one. Initially, the henchmen, including Gui's disciples, watched in fear, but after several dozen attempts, they became somewhat accustomed to it, even expecting the lamps to be extinguished.

At this point, Gui Bu Gui's movements slowed, and he began to hesitate, even breaking into a sweat. However, a turning point came. On one of his many attempts, after rearranging the lamps, the evil wind again extinguished them. Just as Gui Bu Gui was about to relight them, something unexpected happened. Two of the lamps suddenly reignited, glowing brightly. The old man, relieved, leaned back and lay on the ground, panting heavily.

Lying on the ground, Gui Bu Gui looked up at the group and said irritably, "If any of you have had enough, come and help me up. Can't you see that I can't get up myself?" The henchmen, led by Gui's disciples, rushed over to him.

Gui Lai helped his master sit up and asked, "What kind of formation did you set up? Just moving the lamps around like that lets us in?"

Gui Bu Gui looked at his disciple and huffed, "It's easy for you to say. Why don't you try it?" Despite the situation, he couldn't resist showing off his knowledge. He cleared his throat and continued, "Let me teach you something. Remember, what I set up is called the Seven Stars and Ten Thousand Methods of the Netherworld. Strictly speaking, it's not a formation. It's a way to communicate with the beings inside the gate. Each time I rearrange the lamps, I'm making a proposal. If they agree, the lamps stay lit. If they disagree, they are blown out."