The tip of the sword pressed against Chen Luo's throat, and he could feel the chill radiating from it.
At that moment, Chen Ping, who had been flung to the ground by the earlier surge of energy, came rolling and scrambling toward Cai Tongchen, shouting, "My lord, that really is my young master..." Two house servants rushed out of the Rear Office and pinned Chen Ping firmly down.
Chen Luo did not dare move a muscle. He merely stared at Cai Tongchen before him. A clear light flashed through Cai Tongchen's eyes, and a puzzled look appeared on his face. "Hm? There's nothing wrong with his soul?"
As he spoke, the clear light in Cai Tongchen's eyes flickered again, several times brighter than before, yet the doubt on his face only deepened. "How is that possible? Are you really Chen Luo?"
Feeling the sword tip at his throat retreat slightly, Chen Luo nodded. "Uncle Cai, it really is me."
Cai Tongchen slowly withdrew his sword, but the faint green light in his eyes did not fade. He continued staring at Chen Luo. Cai Tongchen was a student of Confucianism who used Righteous Qi to temper his eyes, reaching the state of "distinguishing right from wrong." Yet when he looked at Chen Luo, he found no discord between his soul and body.
After a long minute, Cai Tongchen finally dispersed the green light in his eyes and revealed a faint smile. With an apologetic tone, he said, "This old man acted rashly. Nephew, don't take offense."
"Uncle, you're being too serious. I'll remember your heartfelt concern." Chen Luo hurriedly returned the salute. In this Xianxia World, Seize Body and possession were not particularly rare, so it was normal for others to remain vigilant around him.
Only—
Soul transmigration was still beyond this world's understanding.
"My nephew has risen from the dead. I imagine you must have encountered some extraordinary opportunity?" After all the commotion, Chen Luo sat in the central hall of the Rear Office while Cai Tongchen continued his discreet questioning.
"Before this, my soul really did leave my body..." Chen Luo, who had prepared well on the way there, hurriedly began to "recount" the freshly fabricated story—
"I seemed to have entered a Peach Blossom Forest. There was an old man in the forest, with crane-white hair and a youthful face. He said to me, 'You hadn't arrived here yet, so how have you come now?' Then he asked me to drink with him. For some reason, every mouthful of wine made my mind a little clearer. When the entire jug had been emptied, he said, 'It's time for you to leave.' He merely waved his sleeve, and when I opened my eyes again, I had woken up..."
Originally, Chen Luo had wanted to invent a story featuring immortal poetry like "Above the clouds lies the White Jade Capital, with twelve cities and five towers," and "Holding a white iris, I sweep the southern mountain clouds at night," to raise the prestige of his "resurrection from the dead." But when he had carefully recalled things in the carriage earlier, he discovered a horrifying fact—
In this world, Buddhism and Daoism were similar to, yet different from, the Buddhist and Daoist religions of his previous life. Many legends, stories, and legendary figures related to Buddhism and Daoism had never appeared here. For example, there was no figure called Zhong Kui in this world's Daoism. Confucianism, however, was different!
There was Confucius, Mencius, Xunzi, Dong Zhongshu, Yang Xiong... Every Great Scholar whose name Chen Luo could remember had a place in this world. Even the renowned Four Sentences of Hengqu existed here in an identical form, and they were required reading for every Confucian scholar beginning their studies.
Hm, prestige tool: -1, -1, -1, -1...
That was not yet devastating. What truly drove Chen Luo to despair was that the Tang poems and Song lyrics he knew by heart had already appeared in this world. Although some wording and authors carried the imprint of this world, the underlying artistic conception, diction, and refinement were basically the same.
Prestige tool: -10, -10, -10, -10...
After repeatedly confirming his memories, however, he found that poetry and lyrics after the Tang and Song dynasties seemed not to have appeared. It seemed the Heavenly Dao had left Chen Luo a path to survive—though it was not an easy one to walk...
Thus, after racking his brains, he finally fabricated this "Peach Blossom Immortal" pretext.
"Little nephew also doesn't know who that old man was. I only vaguely remember that when he was drunk, he softly recited a few lines of poetry—"
"Within Peach Blossom Dock stood a Peach Blossom Hut; within the Peach Blossom Hut lived a Peach Blossom Immortal. The Peach Blossom Immortal planted peach trees, then picked their blossoms to exchange for wine money!"
"When sober, he sat only before the flowers; when drunk, he slept beneath the blossoms. Half-drunk, half-sober, day after day; flowers fell and bloomed, year after year."
"After that, I fell into a boundless white space. When I opened my eyes, I had returned to The Human World."
Cai Tongchen nodded slightly. If he had still harbored doubts about Chen Luo before, after hearing those four lines, not the slightest trace of suspicion remained. The poem's meaning lingered, and there had surely been more to follow. Yet even these four lines revealed an otherworldly quality and a carefree, unrestrained spirit. Not to mention Chen Luo, who had little talent for scholarship—even if Chen Luo's father were still alive, it would be difficult for him to write such verses. If they had not been taught by a superior master, where else could they have come from?
"What a Peach Blossom Immortal!" Cai Tongchen said with a beaming smile. "With these four lines of peach-blossom verse alone, I ought to raise a full cup in celebration!"
Seeing Cai Tongchen's rising spirits, Chen Luo breathed a sigh of relief. Cai Tongchen ought to have been the final hurdle in his "resurrection from the dead," and he had now cleared it. He silently thanked Tang Bohu of the Ming dynasty, then turned the subject to serious business.
"Uncle, this visit concerns the murder at Chen Manor. The thing that harmed my household was indeed an evil spirit, but not an ordinary Malevolent Ghost. It was a Tamed ghost. I suspect the Tiger Demon behind it is connected to the tiger beast my Chen family hunted two years ago. It may currently be hiding in West Xiu Mountain."
"Your humble subject begs my lord to activate the Official Seal, envelop West Xiu Mountain, and pinpoint the Tiger Demon's location. Please also dispatch a group of constables to accompany me to West Xiu Mountain and eliminate the demon..."
When he turned to serious business, Chen Luo's form of address changed as well. Cai Tongchen's expression instantly became solemn, and he frowned slightly. "Do you have conclusive evidence that the Tiger Demon is in West Xiu Mountain? Without it, this official cannot casually expend providence to investigate..."
Chen Luo hurriedly pulled a stack of Silver Notes from his robe and presented them with both hands. "Here are two thousand taels in Silver Notes. My Chen Manor is grateful to the people of Wan'an and is willing to contribute its share. Please accept them, my lord..."
Cai Tongchen glanced at the Silver Notes in Chen Luo's hands and pondered for a moment. "It isn't enough to envelop an entire mountain."
Chen Luo's heart sank slightly. Gritting his teeth, he said, "There's another thousand taels. I'll have it delivered shortly!"
Only then did Cai Tongchen nod. His lips moved faintly, as though he were sending a message. A moment later, the amiable Advisor Li emerged from the inner room carrying a tray. Ink, brush, and paper rested atop it, and he greeted Chen Luo with a grin.
Cai Tongchen said nothing more. He took the tray and swiftly wrote an official document across it, then drew out his personal seal and stamped it before handing it to Advisor Li. "That Tamed ghost has already reached the Malevolent Ghost level. The Tiger Demon should have reached at least the Pure Blood Realm, so there's no need to assign constables. Old Li, you'll have to make the trip with Chen Luo to West Xiu Mountain. If the Tiger Demon really is hiding there, kill it on the spot!"
Advisor Li still wore his smiling expression as he nodded. "It's merely a small matter. I wouldn't dare call it troublesome." He then looked toward Chen Luo. "Patriarch Chen, shall I accompany you on this journey?"
Chen Luo hurriedly rose and bowed. "Thank you for your effort, Advisor Li!"
The moon was bright and the stars were sparse.
Chen Ping drove Cai Tongchen's carriage at a gallop toward West Xiu Mountain. On the silent streets, the creaking of the turning wheels sounded unusually distinct.
Inside the carriage, Advisor Li held Cai Tongchen's county magistrate Official Seal in both hands and still wore that smiling expression. Chen Luo felt somewhat awkward. Remembering Chen Xuan's instructions, he said, "Advisor Li, our family recently acquired some antiques from the previous dynasty. My elder sister said that you have an unrivaled eye. Perhaps we could ask you to examine them another day..."
At Chen Luo's words, the smile on Advisor Li's face grew broader. "Miss Chen is too kind. I'd be honored, I'd be honored indeed..."
Seeing the atmosphere grow warmer, Chen Luo hurriedly continued asking, "Forgive my shallow knowledge, but Uncle Cai mentioned earlier that the Tiger Demon had reached the Pure Blood level. What sort of realm is that? I'd be grateful if you could enlighten me, Advisor Li."
At this, Advisor Li nodded slightly. "Patriarch Chen has long lived in the heartland of the human race, so it's normal that you don't know about the Demon Race's realms. There's still some time before we reach West Xiu Mountain. I'll presume to explain a thing or two to you."
"The Demon Race cultivates differently from the human race. They cultivate their bloodlines, seeking a Bloodline Return to Ancestor."
"After the Demon Race gains intelligence, its first three realms are all related to bloodlines."
"The first realm is the Pure Blood Realm. In this realm, demons constantly shed the impure blood within their bodies. The more thoroughly they purge it, the higher their future limit. Upon reaching the later stages, they can transform into human form, though some demons cannot conceal parts of their bodies, such as tails, ears, or limbs. Ordinary people can tell at a glance that they are undergoing Demon Form Transformation."
"The second realm is the Pure Blood Realm. Their bloodlines become nearly pure and flawless. Only then can demons truly be called demons, because at this stage, they can awaken their 'Innate Demonic Arts.'"
"For example, the Tiger Demon that harmed your Chen Manor. Even if an ordinary tiger raised a Tamed ghost, it would only reach the Wandering Spirit level among ghosts—the lowest level. But for the Tamed ghost to advance to the Malevolent Ghost level, where it could kill people, proves that the Tiger Demon had awakened the 'Soul Manipulation' demonic art."
"The third realm is the Blood Refining Realm. As the demon's bloodline grows purer, it can further elevate its demonic arts and transform them into Divine Abilities. Whenever a demonic art becomes a Divine Ability, a strange blood pattern appears on the demon's body. That is why such abilities are also called Blood Pattern Supernatural Powers."
At this point, a trace of disdain appeared in Advisor Li's smiling eyes. "When all is said and done, the Demon Race is just a bunch of fellows living off their ancestors' legacy. How could they compare with the human race, which carries the past forward and strives ahead? Even the Commoner Class can produce noble sons..."
Chen Luo was just about to echo him when he suddenly heard Chen Ping knock on the carriage. "Patriarch, Advisor Li, we've arrived at West Xiu Mountain..."
"Fine wine in a glowing cup"—a strong kidney never lets you down!
Please collect, recommend, and vote for monthly tickets~~
(Although I don't know what good it does to ask at this stage, everyone else is asking, so I'm following the crowd.)
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