Chapter 6 - The Venerable Zhonghua (1/2)

I never knew there could be fifty years so torturous.

After I waited out my sentence, I bid Yanwang goodbye and entered reincarnation.

If I didn’t go to look for Moxi in this life, what if he gave me another fifty-year seal the next time he returned to the underworld? For this reason, I did just as he asked.

I only went to seduce him when he was already feeble and old. I heard that men were most easily corrupted at this age. They had their careers, they had their families, they had already enjoyed everything that needed to be enjoyed, but life at this point was lacking a little excitement for them.

If I were to go give him some excitement now, this whole seduction thing would be as easy as pie.

It had seemed so simple in my mind, but life is always full of surprises.

The time I spent waiting in the underworld totaled about a hundred years. The darkness in me wasn’t any lighter compared to the first time I went to the human world. I’d also just left, which meant the mustiness of darkness was still fresh on me. It didn’t take long before I attracted a group of little priests like a piece of rotting meat attracting flies.

This era was a little too enthusiastic about slaying demons and sorcery had advanced so much. The group of little priests would still be a few years younger than I was even if their ages were combined and multiplied by ten. And yet they were so composed that they seemed to carry in them profound cultivation…

I wasn’t good at dealing with such serious children, so I used Yanwang’s tone to threaten them: “Scram, or I’ll throw you in a stew and eat you!”

“Arrogant, blustering fool!” The leading child raised his sword at me. “I shall exterminate you today!” he howled.

I raised my brow watching this kid, so savage for a young’un. It was apparent from his behavior that he had not been taught properly. I shook my head and blamed his teacher. As I was trying to figure out a way to escape, a woman’s shout suddenly came from the distance: “Changwu, get back this instant.” She was dressed in white, her ribbons fluttering as she flew to us like a fairy descending from the sky.

I watched her in wonderment. I would’ve never expected there to be such an ethereal person in this earthly world. But I had yet to finish admiring her when her hand all of a sudden released a white ribbon that shot out with the wind and tightly bound me.

After struggling awhile, I discovered that this thing was made from a very strange material.

The children prostrated to the woman, calling her ‘grandmaster’.

Grandmaster…

She gently nodded, told them to rise, and then stepped forward and studied me for some time. “So it’s a beautiful demon.”

I laughed. “You are also a beautiful nun.”

She coldly smirked. “Though I cannot see your origins, once you are bound by my silk tie, you won’t be able to escape no matter how skilled you are.”

I secretly wrestled with her freaky silk tie and began to feel that I actually wasn’t skilled at all. This thing was indeed a very effective rope. But if I were to be reckless,it wouldn’t be enough to keep me bound. The young lady had been too ignorant for her own good.

“Bring her back to Mount Liubo so that His Most Reverend Eminence can deal with her.” Like this, she bid the children. “Although I’ve tied the demon up, I cannot fathom her powers. You’ll need to stay vigilant. Don’t let her find a way to escape.

I have an urgent matter to attend to, so I won’t be coming back with you.”

The children respectfully accepted her bidding in unison.

I’d only recently come to this world. Even if I wanted to find Moxi, I’d have no idea where to begin. It was therefore better to go with them. Not only would there be less harassment from other religious folks, I could also take this opportunity to catch Moxi’s news.

The pint-sized adults solemnly ‘escorted’ me away. Watching them made me miss the old Moxi so much. Among these children, there was only one who still had some semblance of humanity left. His Daoist name was Chang’an – a mild-mannered child who was shy and reticent.

He reminded me of little Moxi in the last lifetime.

I loved watching him, but every time I peered at him, he always blanched in fright.

Confused, I listened around and learned that this kid was afraid I would one day break the shackles and abduct him to pluck his yang in order to nourish my yin[5].

I suddenly felt mortified. Not only was I a spiritual being who did not need to do such embarrassing things, what yang could such a child have for me to even pluck?

If I were to pluck someone’s… I must first pluck Moxi’s.

Thereafter, I had to restrain myself from using those hungry eyes to look at him.

On the way, I overheard from the little priests that the reigning emperor was quite religious. Folk Daoism was flourishing among the commoners and many dignitaries were sending their children to monasteries. Additionally, Mount Liubo where they was much more prestigious than other ordinary temples.

What they strove for was divinity.

When the children said this, their faces were filled with pride, as if being a Liubo disciple was a blessing they had had to garner for hundreds of years. On the other hand, I coolly thought that although there had been mortals ascending to the sky, only one or two had succeeded every few thousand years. The rate of success was pitifully low.

These little munchkins walked very fast. We reached Mount Liubo in only a few days.

I didn’t hear any news on Moxi along the way and got quite disappointed. As I was trying find a way to tear the silk tie before they entered the mountain, I saw the golden seal on my wrist reacting again.

I made a cry at the burning sensation only to feel a powerful energy sweeping above our heads and ruffling my hair messily.

After I brushed aside the flying hair from my face, I saw the group of little priests kneeling down toward one direction and shouting in unison: “Your Eminence!”

Ooh, so this was Liubo’s boss.

I took a closer look and instantly jumped for joy. This was what they called ‘wearing out your shoes’ something or other but ‘it came without any effort’ something or other[6].

Why, wasn’t this Moxi?!

At this time, however, he was looking at most to be in his twenties or thirties. He wasn’t old or decrepit in the slightest, and didn’t appear at all like someone who had lived in the human world for fifty years. But then it occurred to me that he was seeking divinity in this life, and he was therefore practicing magic of the immortals.

Even if he couldn’t yet become a fairy, he could easily retain his youth.

I died laughing inside. Moxi, Moxi, you tried to hide from me but the heavens were cleverer than you. Let’s see how you’d be hiding from me this time.

While I was busy grinning, three swords made a “whoosh” in my direction, their murderous intent giving me chills. I stopped grinning and looked to Moxi in bewilderment.

The three blades weren’t his, but of the three white-browed, long-bearded priests behind him. They scowled, staring at me quite seriously.

Moxi coldly spoke: “What is this thing that it reeks of darkness?”

I stared at him dumbly. The look in his eyes… the look in his eyes… these were the same eyes he had used to look at Shi Qianqian in the last lifetime.

I didn’t know why but I suddenly felt fearful. I had never liked to explain myself, but I was explaining myself now: “Though darkness is thick in me, I’m really not a demon. I am the spirit of a stone. My name is Sansheng.”

The three white-bearded priests looked at each other in apparent perplexity, then turned to look at Moxi.

“If you are not our kind, then you are different. You must be rid of.” Moxi coldly announced.

His words were so decisive that I was made both sad and angry. I didn’t understand why Moxi had reincarnated into such a blockhead this time. Before I had time to say anything, flashes of swords had started to surge ahead, the white ribbon binding me also tightening.

My heart swelled with anger. Throughout the one thousand years I’d lived, except for those few times I abused myself to vent, no one had yet dared do this to me. I instantly transported my spiritual forces so I could contest with him.

If he were still the God of War, then my only option would be to await my death.

But he was at present just a human seeking divinity. He hadn’t more than forty years of magic in him. Even if his practice was more profound, he couldn’t win going heads-on with me no matter how gifted he was.

We hadn’t confronted for half an hour but Moxi’s face was already growing pale. I wondered if I should take advantage of my one thousand years in age to bully a deity who was undergoing his trial. I was going to stop when Moxi suddenly coughed out a mouthful of black blood.

Shocked, I quickly withdrew my spiritual forces.