Chapter 5

Gengzi

The night was as dark as ink, with the earth serving as the Sichuan paper, and all living beings as the cursive script;

The frost stretched for thousands of miles, with yin and yang as the elixir, and all things wrapped in white.

The rain had stopped, but the wind continued to blow, and the ink-like fog made the night even thicker. A line of fire dragons wound up the mountain ridge, tearing through the cold air, but it could not dispel the desolate and sorrowful atmosphere.

Dozens of torches braved the rain and frost, ascending halfway up the mountain to surround a new grave. They shouted in unison, each taking out their picks and shovels, digging frantically into the grave. The loose soil was quickly cleared away, revealing a black coffin. The coffin was filthy and covered in mud. The villagers from the countryside used poles to pry it out of the ground. The dew washed away the dirt on the coffin lid, revealing that it had been buried not long ago. It was unknown how this disaster from the heavens had come, causing the person in the coffin to have no peace even in death!

A man in a straw raincoat walked out of the crowd, waving his hand to signal everyone to be quiet—apparently, this man held a high position among the people. With a wave of his hand, the villagers fell silent, not daring to move, leaving only the rustling of the wind through the leaves and the branches, without a single sound of frogs or insects!

"It has been over a month since the burial, yes, this is the place!"

The man in the straw raincoat approached the coffin and listened for a moment, seeming hesitant. But in the end, he leaned against the coffin, slowly bending down to press his ear to it. Inside the coffin, there was a faint, fine sound, becoming clearer and clearer, like the hungry ghosts from the netherworld or the shadows in the chaos...

Suddenly!

The man's whole body trembled, his legs shaking, and he waved his hands in panic, retreating. Someone tried to help him, but he ignored them. After two steps, he slipped and fell backward onto the muddy ground...

The crowd cried out in alarm and rushed to help him up, but he had already gone mad, babbling incoherently and rolling on the ground. When he staggered to his feet, he ignored everyone and rushed down the mountain in a frenzy—the villagers were initially stunned but quickly reacted, screaming and fleeing in all directions, abandoning their belongings and running like rats.

The lonely coffin was left alone in the desolate mountain.

A moment later, a low rumble of thunder could be heard in the sky, and lightning flashed through the dark clouds, striking the ground as if the heavens were trying to destroy the thousands of vengeful souls from the netherworld. In the brief flash of light, a figure appeared beside the coffin, crying and forcefully prying open the coffin lid!

This person was in his thirties, with bright eyes, a straight and prominent nose, and a face that was clear and weathered. His eyebrows were slightly thick and dark, giving his face an indescribable gentleness and attractiveness. His face was full of sorrow and resentment, but this only added to his inexplicable allure.

Boom!

A bolt of lightning struck a nearby tree branch, causing it to fall to the ground and ignite a large pile of wild fire.

By the light of the fire, the man clearly saw the woman who had been buried a few weeks ago, her eyebrows like ink and her face pale, as if she were merely asleep, not like a corpse that had been dead for a long time. He felt a deep ache in his heart, and a tear rolled down his stubbled cheek, dripping onto the ground.

Since ancient times, parting has always been painful, especially during the cold and lonely autumn.

His eyes blurred with tears, and he reached out tremblingly to touch the woman's face. But as soon as his hand extended, the woman's clothes bulged, and a white, plump baby crawled out!

The baby had a rosy, chubby face, and a umbilical cord still connected to the woman's clothes. The baby did not cry upon seeing the man but instead reached out, as if asking to be held!

The man stared in shock for a long time, tears streaming down his face, muttering, "You, you, you are my son... You did it, you did it... You finally gave birth to our child..."

Suddenly, a long, mournful sigh came from behind the man, "Poor soul!" The voice was so fast that in just a few dozen words, it had approached from over ten yards away, "Let it go!"

The man's face changed, and he flipped his wrist to reveal a foot-long dagger, slashing it to sever the umbilical cord. He quickly wrapped the baby in his clothes and ran up the mountain without a word!

"Master, Master... Pretend I was never your disciple, let me live or die as I will!"

His shadow had not yet faded when another person followed him like a leech!

Even as he ran, the person followed effortlessly, a few meters behind him, saying calmly, "Why do you insist on this? Knowing that yin and yang are separate and all things have their order, you still protect this demon..."

The man, panting heavily, said, "Master, even if he is not a human, he is still my child. What does it matter if he is a ghostly fetus or a demonic being? I have a destiny to protect him, to ensure his safety..."

Hearing this, the person behind him was stunned and stopped. In the moonlight, he could be seen with long eyebrows, a beard, and white hair, wearing a long robe that fluttered in the wind, with a kind and benevolent face like a deity. But now, this deity-like figure looked troubled and distressed, his usual grace and detachment gone, clearly struggling with deep internal conflict.

After a moment, the old man resumed his steps, this time without holding back. He leaped a few steps on the grass and caught up to the man, pointing a finger at him!

His face was resolute and desolate, showing the great determination behind this single finger!

As the finger struck, the man was thrown forward as if hit by a hammer, and the baby flew out of his hands!

Before the baby hit the ground, the old man leaped high and caught the baby in his arms. The man was terrified, crawling on the ground and crying out in anguish, "Master, please! Please..."

His hands, unable to move, scratched the ground desperately, leaving countless mud marks.

The old man held the baby in one hand and placed the other on the man's face, reciting slowly:

"Vast and noble is the moral respect, virtue has been perfected; descending to guide, the master's treasure carries; forever crossing the three pure shores, always leaving the five turbid mud..."

As he chanted, the baby's body suddenly started to thrash and convulse, its face turning a deathly pale.

Then, a grayish-white smoke began to rise from the baby's crown, forming and changing in the air, gradually taking the shape of a head, arms, and torso... faintly resembling a human form!

"Stop!" A piercing cry echoed through the night, coming from the man on the ground—kneeling on one knee, his nails deeply embedded in his palms, his body covered in small wounds spewing blood, his eyes bloodshot, and a layer of blood spreading over his pale face...

Flames appeared above his head and shoulders, the light flickering as if about to ignite!

The old man was shocked and quickly placed the baby on the ground, rushing over and using his fingers to strike the man's Tian Tu, Zi Gong, Jiu Wei, and Qi Hai acupoints on the Conception Vessel, and then the Shen Ting, Da Zhu, Zhi Yang, and Ming Men acupoints on the Governor Vessel, before pressing an ancient coin onto his chest!

"Four seas return to the origin, the central spirit is positioned, the three yang spirits, never part—command!"

With that, he struck the man's chest where the coin was imprinted!

Strangely, after the strike, the blood on the man's face faded, and his wounds began to close naturally. The man collapsed on the ground, coughing violently, with a thin stream of blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

But the man seemed oblivious, suddenly bursting into a bitter laugh:

"Master, you can protect me once, twice, three times, but you cannot protect me a hundred or a thousand times! Even if your powers are boundless, you cannot stop me from seeking death..."

"Ridiculous!" The old man was furious, raising his hand to strike— the man lifted his head, stiffening his neck and shouting, "Hit me! Hit me! Master, hit me to death! Pretend I was never your disciple!"

"You..." The old man's hand trembled in the air but never fell... He slowly lowered his head, looking into the man's eyes, which were wide and lifeless, devoid of any vitality—like a dead person's eyes!

The greatest sorrow is a dead heart, and death itself is secondary. Death is not to be feared; only a dead heart is truly terrifying!

His heart was already dead!

What is the point of living or dying? The man's heart was empty!

He would follow them!

Follow his wife and child!

Life had lost all meaning!

His beloved was dead, and his closest family was about to leave. What was there to live for?

The determination in his eyes to seek death made the old man's heart tremble, and his hand began to shake... He stood there for a long time, then sighed deeply.

"You were sent to the mountain at the age of three, and have been by my side for many years. Though we are not father and son, our bond is stronger than that of father and son," the old man's hand landed on the man's head, gently rubbing it as if he were a child, "Your son was in the world for eight months and in the coffin for one month, born in less than nine months. This is truly a ghostly fetus, one of the seven yin demons of heaven and earth. Because of you, it was born and grew in the world. If it remains, it will affect your karma, and you understand this... I truly do not want you to suffer because of it, making it difficult for you to cultivate in the next life..."

He sighed deeply, tears welling up in his eyes, shimmering in the moonlight.

Hearing this, the man was moved, "Master, everything in this life is the result of past karma. Whether it is a ghostly fetus or a demonic being, it is the result of my past actions, and I cannot escape it..." He choked, pleading, "But this child, this child, is the only bond between us in this world, the only hope she left me... I must have this child live, live... no matter what happens in this life, he must live well in the next!"

The old man thought for a moment and asked slowly:

"Are you willing to burn the three yuan flames?"

The man's eyes blazed with determination, and he said firmly:

"I am willing!"

The old man nodded, placing the man back on the ground, standing on the open ground with his sleeves fluttering, and said resolutely:

"Since you have this heart demon, there is no point in me saying more. Today, I will make an exception and send this child to the ends of the earth to live or die as he will, fulfilling your wish..." He paused and continued, "The karmic retribution for protecting this demon, I will share with you!"

The man was moved, "Master, why do you do this for me..." Protecting the child's life was already a great favor from his master, but to also share the karmic retribution was beyond what he could have hoped for.

The old man's fingers moved swiftly, drawing a pattern on the baby's forehead, leaving a shadow of a Bagua and a feather—tears streamed down the man's face, and he was too choked up to speak.

"But!" The old man added, "This heart demon must be removed, and it cannot be delayed! After you return, you must enter seclusion to protect your essence. Even if the four phases sprout fangs and the two instruments open their eyes, you must not break the seal until the demon is eliminated and the obstacles removed—can you do this?"

Hearing this, the man became anxious, "What about him, what about him..." He seemed unconcerned about his own seclusion, only worried about the child, "What will happen to him?"

The old man bent down, picked up the child, and took a paper crane from his robe, biting his finger to draw a dot on the crane's eyes before throwing it. The paper crane grew in the wind, becoming a large, lively creature!

The child was placed on the back of the paper crane!

"Go, find a place far away and let him drift with the waves for the rest of his life!"

With that, the paper crane cawed and flew toward the bright moon, disappearing into the vast sky!

The man stared at the direction the paper crane flew, his eyes vacant, suddenly feeling all his strength drained, his vision blurred, and he fainted!

The old man did not say more, taking another paper crane from his robe and throwing it. The crane circled in the air and flew down the mountain. He did not speak further, sitting cross-legged in the grass, letting the dew and mist soak his clothes, and closed his eyes to meditate.

An hour later, a group of people came up the mountain path, led by the man in the straw raincoat—now looking disheveled and walking cautiously, with a nervous and fawning expression, apologizing to an old man with a scarred face, "Yes, yes, you're right! It's my fault, I'm a coward, I ruined your plans..."

The five-fingered handprint on his face was still clearly visible, indicating he had just been scolded by the scarred old man.

The scarred old man ignored him, snorting, "Shut up! No more nonsense!" He pointed ahead, "This is..."

To his surprise, he saw the man lying on the grass, and exclaimed, "This is the place—Master, Master... are you there?"

The old man in the grass opened his eyes slightly, "Tiankui, I'm here—the matter is settled, take him down the mountain!"

The scarred old man, Tiankui, exclaimed in surprise, "I sent so many people to find the demon, but you got there first, truly worthy of being the Master, " turning to the others, "Hurry, take him down the mountain, or do I have to do it myself?"

The man in the straw raincoat quickly rallied the others, breaking off some thick branches to make a stretcher, placing the man on it and carrying him down the mountain.

The two old men followed, and the scarred one kept asking for details, ostensibly out of concern but actually trying to find out where the child had been taken. The other old man answered evasively, always ending with "The matter is settled!"

One harbored ulterior motives, the other was cautious in his words, and they reached the bottom of the mountain...

The rain started to drizzle again!

On the forgotten mountain slope, outside the opened coffin, a snow-white fox, startled by the rain, leaped over the coffin and hid in the nearby forest!

It had just groomed its fur when it heard a grating sound outside!

The fox peeked out and saw a white figure slowly sit up from the open coffin...

A ghostly fetus appears, the ghost mother transforms, the karmic cycle is now to be settled;

The Ming King emerges, a thousand demons rage, at the San Tu River, the Heavenly Joy!

PS: Sichuan paper, a type of paper from Sichuan; Dan He, also known as the "divine chamber" or "cabinet," refers to the alchemical furnace.

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