Free Web NovelShould we sympathize with them because of what the ancestral masters of the Thirteen Great Clans did? Where would that leave the students whose lives had been wasted for six thousand years?
Should we sympathize with them because of a kind act from someone within the Thirteen Great Clans? Where would that leave the common people who had been crushed under their oppression and killed for six thousand years?
Should we sympathize with them because of the suffering the Thirteen Great Clans were about to endure? Where would that leave the countless beings who had died unjustly at the mouths of evil spirits for six thousand years because of their incompetence?
Therefore, no sympathy could be given to them.
The ancestral masters of the Thirteen Great Clans had lofty ideals, but that was only them.
The Thirteen Great Clans had to pay a sufficient price for the evil they had done!
The wooden cart rumbled along. Before anyone noticed, a single snowflake drifted down from the sky. Little Duan spread her hands, watching the snowflake land in her palm with joy and excitement.
She was carefree and without worries, but when Chen Shi saw that snowflake, a faint worry stirred in his heart.
"Wang Tianguan once said that the great snowfall back then lasted for two or three years." His voice had somehow become much deeper, as if the sound was rumbling in his chest before being released.
He lifted his head, watching more snowflakes flutter down in a swirling flurry. Dark clouds had gathered in the sky without warning, blocking the moon, and the light had dimmed considerably.
This winter was destined to be bitterly cold.
Black Pot ran ahead, white mist-like steam puffing from his mouth and nose, melting the snow around him.
After a moment, a chill wind picked up, carrying yin energy with it, biting and bone-chilling.
Little Duan ran off excitedly, frolicking in the open fields, then packed a snowball and threw it at Chen Shi. She was carefree, but Chen Shi was weighed down by a bit of melancholy and did not respond.
Little Duan threw another snowball that hit Chen Shi squarely on the head. Chen Shi jumped off the cart, scooped up a handful of snow, and threw it back.
Little Duan quickly fled, and the two of them played and scuffled, trading snowballs back and forth, laughing endlessly.
Suddenly, Little Duan Immortal returned with a grim expression, hopped onto the wooden cart, and sat down. "Childish," she muttered under her breath.
Her collar was full of snow clumps, and she had to pick them out one by one.
"Don't run!" Chen Shi charged over, grabbed a fistful of snow, and stuffed it down her collar, laughing heartily.
Little Duan Immortal glared at him with cold eyes. Chen Shi had been about to stuff more snow down her collar, but when he saw her expression, he awkwardly put the snowball down and climbed back onto the cart.
Little Duan Immortal noticed him sneakily glancing at her collar. She became wary and quickly pulled her collar tight, staring at him with an unfriendly look.
Chen Shi's heart pounded wildly. He laughed and said, "I've already seen everything on our wedding night, just let me see again—"
"Say that one more time!" Little Duan Immortal's killing intent blazed.
Chen Shi's mind wandered, involuntarily recalling the romantic scene from their wedding night. He felt a stir of desire but quickly pulled himself together, afraid of being controlled by Peng Qiao.
"Little Ten, starting today, I will teach you the Laozi."
Scholar Zhu hung from the huagai, brushing the snow off his head, and lectured earnestly, guiding toward goodness. "...This chapter says: 'Therefore, in constant non-desire, one observes the subtle; in constant desire, one observes the minute.' In a state of non-desire, one can observe the profound mysteries of the Dao. In a state of desire, one can observe the finer details of the Dao. Therefore, when cultivators enter meditation, they are in a state of non-desire. In daily life, they are in a state of desire. Cultivating in this way is the true method of attaining the Dao."
Chen Shi had originally been thinking about how to sever the Three Corpses due to the matter of desire and lust. Upon hearing this, his mind was greatly shaken, and the words tumbled out: "Then, is severing the Three Corpses and cutting off desire and lust good or bad?"
Scholar Zhu said, "Once the Three Corpses are severed, can desire and lust truly be cut off? It cannot be severed; it can only be controlled."
Chen Shi said, "If the Three Corpses are not severed, how can one break through?"
Scholar Zhu said, "How would I know? I'm just a xiucai who couldn't even pass the provincial exam. I'm useless. You are the top scholar. You are far more formidable than me."
He was in a pitiful state, and for some reason, something seemed to have struck a nerve. As he spoke, he began to cry, sobbing, "I lost my ancestors' legacy!"
Little Duan Immortal's expression returned to normal. She said, "Don't listen to his nonsense. He's twisting Laozi's words. If you cultivate according to his teachings, you will only end up walking the wrong path and going mad."
Chen Shi laughed. "If I don't sever the Three Corpses and manage to reach the Three Corpses realm, you'll let me look, won't you?"
Little Duan Immortal's face flushed with anger and shame. If it weren't for the fact that she had to rely on him and depend on his small temple to avoid turning evil, she would definitely teach this lecher a good lesson!
"You won't succeed!"
"If I do, let me look!"
Little Duan Immortal gritted her teeth in anger, the sound grinding. Suddenly, she had a change of heart, and a smile spread across her face. "Fine. If you succeed, I'll let you look. If you fail, our engagement is null and void, and from then on, I will no longer be your wife!"
The moment she smiled, she was full of charm and incredibly captivating.
Chen Shi agreed and said with a smile, "You should smile more often. You look beautiful when you smile."
Little Duan Immortal snorted. "Don't try to shake my resolve. You can't stir up my desires... I won't talk anymore! I'm going into seclusion!"
For some reason, she got angry and flew up in a huff, diving into the small temple behind Chen Shi's head.
Scholar Zhu's voice came through: "The young lady has lost her temper because she found herself developing feelings."
"Say one more word, and I'll pull your tongue out, tie it around your neck, and strangle you!" Little Duan Immortal's voice came from within the small temple.
Scholar Zhu dared not tease her anymore. Although Little Duan Immortal did not dare to kill Chen Shi, she very much dared to kill him, and her strength was greater. Killing him would be a sure thing.
Chen Shi clenched his fists, full of confidence. "I will definitely see it! 'Therefore, in constant non-desire, one observes the subtle; in constant desire, one observes the minute.' This phrase means the subtle function..."
He suddenly felt that if he could comprehend this one point, he would surely understand the secret of breaking through without severing the Three Corpses.
The snowstorm soon passed, and the moon showed its face again. Chen Shi felt slightly relieved. He jumped off the cart and said, "Black Pot, you check the Topographic Map. I'll walk for a bit!"
Black Pot barked in response, jumped onto the cart, pulled out the horn-shaped Underworld Lamp, hung it on the huagai, and turned up the wick.
He spread out the Topographic Map, activated the Mountains and Rivers Map, and compared it to the surrounding geography, searching along the way for any newly appeared mountain ranges.
Chen Shi, meanwhile, walked beside the wooden cart, quietly contemplating the subtlety of being and non-being.
Little Duan Immortal sat in the small temple behind his head, trying to enter meditation to cultivate, but she was restless and could not settle down. Her heart was filled with anxiety. "If... if he truly comprehends the secret of breaking through without severing the Three Corpses, would I have to take off my clothes and show him?"
Her face flushed with shame. She clenched her fists, and they cracked. "How did I so easily agree to that? Could it be that I am also being influenced by the Three Corpses Gods? No, no, I severed my Three Corpses long ago... But, if I have already severed the Three Corpses, why do I still feel desire?"
A sudden alertness stirred within her heart.
Chen Shi's influence on her was too deep. Or rather, his influence on Little Duan was too deep.
When she had awakened, Little Duan had not actually fallen into a deep sleep. Rather, Little Duan had become a part of her memory and consciousness. In other words, she could clearly remember every intimacy between Little Duan and Chen Shi!
Little Duan's love for Chen Shi had influenced her, causing her to develop desires!
"Once my injuries are healed, I will sever Little Duan as a corpse god, and I won't have to suffer a realm regression."
She made up her mind, but then suddenly thought: In today's world of evil mutations, the righteous energy was mixed with demonic energy, and the demonic energy was growing stronger. She could not achieve Dao Unification and become an immortal. If that were the case, with a limited lifespan, finding a good man and becoming husband and wife would not be such a bad thing...
"Wait! That thought is not mine; it is Little Duan influencing me!"
She took a long, deep breath and muttered to herself, "Since ancient times, everyone has had to sever the Three Corpses to achieve a pure Yang Primordial Spirit and a pure Yang physical body, in order to cultivate the next realm. You are no exception! Want to see my... dream on!"
Unbeknownst to him, Chen Shi had entered a state of meditation. He was in a state of neither thinking nor not thinking, entering the samadhi of non-thinking. His thoughts were faint yet present, driving the Sixth New Talisman. Lightning tempered his body within, yin and yang energies intermingled, and he comprehended the subtlety of yin and yang.
As his steps fell, his Dao field manifested in layers, the sixty-four trigram zones constantly shifting, and the various mysteries of the eight trigrams were as clear as if observed in a blazing fire.
This state was what the Laozi described as "in constant non-desire, observing the subtle."
Then, a single thought arose within him. Using this thread of thought, he observed the mysteries of yin and yang transformation, seeing the minute details even more clearly. This was "in constant desire, observing the minute."
At this moment, desire and non-desire were in a strangely harmonious state.
He was in a state of non-desire, revealing the profound mysteries of the immortal technique. A single thought became desire, allowing him to investigate things to acquire knowledge and perceive the finest details.
After a long time, Chen Shi emerged from this state. He slowly exhaled a mouthful of turbid qi, and his eyes became bright.
His steps were light, and suddenly, he felt completely at ease. Humming a little tune, his soul descended into the Immortal Capital and appeared in his own Primordial Palace.
His physical body continued to walk beside the wooden cart, as if nothing had happened.
In the Primordial Palace, Chen Shi's Peng Qiao, looking like a giant demon god, slammed open the doors to the central hall with a loud bang and shouted, "He didn't come yesterday, and he didn't come today! What's the use of our master keeping us around like pet birds? Brothers, let's go to the underworld together and file a complaint against... the master!"
Peng Qiao suddenly grinned from ear to ear. His enormous body loomed over, his face nearly pressing up against Chen Shi's, and his expression was full of sycophantic fawning. "Master, what wind has blown you here? Which young lady has caught your fancy today, master? Master, I have scouted a few sisters for you. Let's enter their dreams this instant and have some fun with them!"
Peng Ju quickly added, "Master, I know of a new tailor shop that just opened. Their craftsmanship is excellent..."
"Bang!"
Peng Qiao punched him flat with one blow, grinning broadly. "Don't listen to him, master! Come with us for a night of debauchery! Let's go have some fun!"
"Alright," Chen Shi said with a smile.
Peng Qiao was both startled and delighted. He threw his arm around Chen Shi and began to lead him out, afraid he might change his mind. He shouted, "You two brothers, hurry up and follow! Let's go have a good time with the master! Tonight, we drink our fill and bed our fill of women! We'll live it up like lords!"
Peng Ju and Peng Zhi shouted and whooped, crowding around Chen Shi as they charged into the Celestial Streets of the Immortal Capital.
Although it was already an apocalyptic scene, the Immortal Capital was still filled with revelry, wine, women, and endless entertainment, bustling with excitement.
The Three Corpses Gods took Chen Shi on a wild spree, determined to experience all the pleasures the Immortal Capital had to offer. Chen Shi followed them, indulging in the same wine, women, and song. But he seemed to have entered a state of meditation, observing everything in the Immortal Capital with the mindset of constant non-desire. Instantly, the truth of the Immortal Capital was laid bare before him, crystal clear and sharply defined.
The Immortal Capital was a wondrous realm constructed from the thoughts and consciousness of countless people, demons, and monsters. Every person's Primordial Palace was their innate Fate Palace. The buildings on the streets were nothing more than paper offerings used in sacrifices, and the beauties in the brothels were just paper figurines.
Wine, women, and pleasure all revealed their true forms under his state of constant non-desire.
The countless Peng Qiaos, Peng Zhis, and Peng Jus on the streets were forms of demon gods composed of desires, selves formed by human consciousness, shapes condensed from the desires emitted by people's souls.
The stronger the desire, the stronger the Three Corpses God, and the more they craved.
Suddenly, Peng Qiao stopped walking and said, "Strange. Now that I see through these seductive beauties, I find them to be nothing but vulgar commoners. Suddenly, I've lost all interest in them."
Peng Zhi said, "I feel the same. These Ox-Head and Horse-Face ghost gods conjured up these delicacies, but they're nothing special. They can't fool my eyes."
Peng Ju said, "These paper-burned clothes, who would even want them?"
The Three Corpses Gods looked at each other, and they all saw the fear in each other's eyes. The three corpse gods suddenly let out a loud cry, as if they had seen a ghost. Peng Ju shouted, "Let's go to the underworld and file a complaint! The master is going out of control!"
The Three Corpses Gods abandoned Chen Shi, flew into the air, and quickly disappeared.
Chen Shi let out a soft laugh. His soul returned to his physical body, and he said with a smile, "Little Duan Immortal, I'm definitely going to see!"
Little Duan Immortal still hadn't managed to enter meditation. She snorted. "All talk and no action! You speak to me like this, do you know that according to the laws of the Great Shang, you would be sentenced to death by branding?"
"Then I still want to see!" Chen Shi clenched his fists.
Little Duan Immortal's heart was in turmoil. She ignored him.
Chen Shi said, "Immortal, you need to first comprehend 'constant desire and constant non-desire,' and then your heart will not be disturbed."
Little Duan Immortal's expression flickered. She thought to herself, "The Great Shang's Black Bird Celestial Court should still have some oracle bones recording torture methods... I wonder where they are hidden. Otherwise, I could find them and give them a try!"
Chen Shi knew it would be difficult to break through to the Three Corpses realm in just a short while, so he was not in a hurry.
Ahead, they passed by a village. Chen Shi stopped the cart and entered the village to make a circuit.
"No one?" Scholar Zhu asked.
Chen Shi shook his head.
This was already the thirty-second village they had encountered on their journey. Most of the villages were empty. Some had their villagers devoured by ghosts and evil spirits, and others had already moved to more distant cities.
There were also villages where the villagers did not seem to have died at the hands of ghosts or monsters, but were killed by people. The wounds on the bodies were clearly the result of spells.
Along the way, they had only found living people in four villages. Each of these four villages had cultivators guarding them, ensuring temporary safety. However, these villagers did not know if there were any newly sprouted mountains nearby.
Black Pot compared the Topographic Map with the surrounding scenery and found nothing either.
The underworld was far too vast. Searching for newly grown mountain ranges was like looking for a needle in a haystack.
Just then, Chen Shi noticed a single-log boat moored by a small river in front of the village. A Horse-faced Underworld Officer was guiding the souls of the deceased villagers onto the boat.
Chen Shi paid it no mind and continued on his way.
The Horse-faced Underworld Officer saw him, was slightly startled, took out a portrait, and compared it.
"Scholar, wooden cart, black dog, and a hanged ghost! Found him!"
