Clinging to Power

Shrine and spirit chest, offerings to the gods and reverence for the ancestors.

Beneath curling green smoke, Huang Buyu respectfully sought the Dao.

Ever since failing the petition for a title and then encountering the Netherworld Immortal, Huang Buyu had repeatedly pondered the matter while repairing his cultivation afterward.

At first, it had been deeply uneasy, and several times had entertained the thought of relocating.

However, reason ultimately suppressed that panicked unease.

—Mortals clung to their native soil and dreaded moving elsewhere; spirits and monsters did so even more.

Yet the series of incidents in Qingshui County thoroughly frightened it.

First, the Headless Ghost of Qingshui City had been taken away by an expert.

Second, Fox Immortal Bai Niang, whom it had encountered several times on Huayin Mountain, had been slain by the old Daoist priest of the desolate mountain with a single sword strike.

Third, Ghost Immortal Spirit Mediumship had unexpectedly appeared at the Qingshui County Commandant's residence, inviting a sword to slay fools.

The three events seemed to have conspired beforehand, all bursting forth at once and sending chills down one's spine.

Before, it had thought this world rather dangerous, yet the sources of danger had been no more than black dogs at village entrances and mysterious cats in town.

As its cultivation gradually grew and it saw farther, it had found only the spirits and monsters nearby.

Now, it abruptly realized that the world was far more terrifying than it had imagined.

It had merely ridden a stroke of fortune, being born in this remote corner where human presence was dwindling, and thus won a sliver of immortal affinity.

Yet it had even dared use Illusionary Arts to intimidate the Chen family.

Had that matter grown serious, it would likely have long since become a fortuitous opportunity in the eyes of those cultivators.

Driven by its panicked awareness of danger, it thought left and right, gritted its teeth, hardened its heart, and simply entered the Chen family ancestral hall in the dead of night.

This was the only great opportunity it could reach!

Immortal Mo came from the Netherworld Underworld and surely possessed vast knowledge and experience. Perhaps he could point out the path through the maze for it.

As its thoughts turned, Huang Buyu lowered its body and respectfully awaited the immortal's reply.

"I'm human, and you're a demon. I can't afford to accept your incense offerings!"

A teasing voice came from atop the shrine.

Huang Buyu's thoughts raced. It raised its head, about to answer.

Unexpectedly, what it saw frightened it into abruptly rising to its feet. Its voice trembled. "Y-you... who are you?"

There, within the vermilion shrine, a handsome young Daoist with red lips and white teeth crouched carelessly atop it, looking at it with a half-smile.

Mo Chuan chuckled. "You really do forget your benefactors easily. It's only been a few days, and you no longer recognize me?"

As he spoke, he extended an index finger. Winding incense smoke coiled around it, wondrous beyond measure!

Huang Buyu's whiskers trembled and its dark eyes darted about. After a long while, it stammered, "I-Immortal, are you Mister Mo?"

Mo Chuan nodded. "At least you haven't lost your eye for people."

Huang Buyu froze and blurted out, "Wasn't Immortal Mo in the form of a Jie Immortal?"

Mo Chuan said, "What, yellow weasel spirits may petition for titles, but Jie Immortals may not take human form?"

"No, no, no, that's not it! Please don't blame me, Immortal, please don't blame me! It's only that Huang has always heard of demons taking human form, but never heard that a ghost immortal could return from death—especially in the form of a Jie Immortal."

Huang Buyu hastily explained, so anxious that even its voice changed shape.

After all, if Mister Mo had manifested in the form of a ghost immortal last time, there might still have been a chance that some expert had arrived through Emerging Yin Spirit.

Yet he had appeared in the form of a Jie Immortal.

That was enough to rule out the possibility of "Emerging Yin Spirit."

Looking more closely at Mister Mo's brow bone and spirit hall,

one could say: spiritual light lay hidden within his bones, divine vitality concealed within.

This was absolutely neither the appearance of channeling techniques nor that of body possession!

It could only indicate one thing: this was a fleshly body reshaped from the spiritual essence of his soul!

For that very reason, Huang Buyu was even more terrified to the depths of its soul, its heart and spirit tossed into turmoil!

Crossing from the Netherworld Underworld to the human realm on a wisp of incense offerings, Mister Mo was absolutely a first-rate immortal.

How long had he been in the human realm? Yet he had already reshaped a physical body. Such methods were simply unheard of!

Perhaps he had been a terrestrial immortal even in life.

Now that his body had been formed, with Mister Mo's methods, it likely would not take long for him to recover all his cultivation.

If I, Huang Buyu, can seize this chance to enter his sect, wouldn't I enjoy the blessings of one man attaining the Dao and even his chickens and dogs ascending to heaven?

"The world is vast, and strange things abound. Read a few more books, and you'll know."

Mo Chuan reached out, picked up a wild fruit, casually wiped it against his clothes, and with a crunch, bit into it.

That bite made him narrow his eyes, his molars tingling.

Sour!

What a sour wild fruit.

Yet after that initial sour bitterness came a thread of pure, tranquil spiritual energy, leaving a lingering aftertaste.

"By the True Immortals of the Nine Nethers, Huang Buyu of Qu Kou is willing to sweep the grounds and guard the gate for the immortal. I ask only that you do not disdain my ignorance and bestow a few words of instruction."

Seeing Mo Chuan eat the offering fruit, Huang Buyu gave a start and immediately bowed its head in worship.

Mo Chuan, who had been about to take a second bite, was dumbfounded.

"I'm merely a mortal, unable to lift with my hands or carry on my shoulders. You may have pledged yourself to the wrong person."

Mo Chuan's self-deprecating words landed in Huang Buyu's ears as the humility and test of a great power.

In truth, Mo Chuan's ability to say such words so calmly had much to do with his having slain the Great Five-Armored Demon with one sword strike.

Though the Mo Chuan who had slain the Great Five-Armored Demon was now physically weaker than this yellow weasel spirit, a subtle change had already occurred in his state of mind.

"Even among humans, there are common men and sages." Huang Buyu answered cleverly.

"What a load of rainbow flattery. You really know how to cling to power!" Mo Chuan laughed.

"Today I fold my wings and cling to the dark roc; tomorrow, I shall not be ashamed if a snake becomes a dragon." Huang Buyu hurriedly replied again.

Mo Chuan fell silent.

He stared carefully at the yellow weasel before him. After a long while, he said, "Five Immortals Sect? Four Gates Sect?"

Relief surged through Huang Buyu's heart, and it quickly answered, "In reply to the immortal, this disciple belongs to the Four Gates Sect. In Qingshui County, I have a lay disciple known as Half-Immortal Huang."

Mo Chuan considered it, then said, "Call me Mister Mo from now on. Investigate Chong Shizi's background in Qingshui."

With that, his figure abruptly vanished.

Plop!

A fruit pit fell from the air onto the offering table, rolled around in a circle, then dropped off the table's edge.

Huang Buyu reacted with lightning speed, catching it in its two paws and prostrating itself on the ground.

"Thank you, Mister, for bestowing this pit. This disciple will see to it at once."

Only after respectfully performing three kowtows and three bows did it carefully take a handkerchief from its robe, wrap up the pit, and turn to leave.

After leaving the Chen family ancestral hall and exiting the village, it did not slow down. It fled all the way to its secret lair before stopping, its breath slightly disordered.

This was a cave in a sheer cliff.

Above, it did not touch the sky; below, it did not touch the earth. Moonlight reached it unhindered, and beasts did not disturb it.

Other than the peregrine falcons eyeing it like tigers eyeing prey, it was an excellent place in the mountains to worship the moon.

With Illusionary Arts protecting it, those peregrine falcons—its sole threat—instead became watch dogs guarding its courtyard.

At this moment, it landed upon the moon-worship platform. Bathed in shimmering moonlight, it paced back and forth in excitement.

"The immortal neither agreed nor refused, yet sent me to investigate Chong Shizi. Clearly, this is a test for entering his sect!"

"An immortal's test is surely no ordinary matter. What seems like idle chatter may contain profound meaning!"

As it pondered, Huang Buyu took the fruit pit from its robe, unfolded the handkerchief, and examined it closely while its thoughts roamed freely.

"When the immortal departed, he gave me this fruit pit and told me to thoroughly investigate Chong Shizi's background. Could there be some connection between the two?"

"Let me think. The immortal asked whether I belonged to the Five Immortals Sect or Four Gates Sect. Fruit pit? Pit? Could he be telling me that harmony is precious? No, that can't be right. How could an immortal's words be so simple?"

"Harmony? Blending one's light with the dust? That's possible..."

"Wait, among an entire plate of offering fruits, the immortal chose this wild fruit alone. Could this wild fruit contain some other opportunity?"

"If I remember correctly, this wild fruit should have been gathered from Yellow Maple Slope on Huayin Mountain. Could there be some mystery there?"

"Mm, whether there is or not, I can't go wrong by taking a look."

"Still, who exactly is this Chong Shizi of Qingshui? He sounds like a Daoist. If the immortal told me to investigate Chong Shizi, he surely does not mean to investigate him alone..."

"If so, which Daoist temple has a generation name containing the character 'Stone'?"

Huang Buyu's leaping thoughts boiled and wandered. This night was destined to be a sleepless one for it.

The Five Immortals Sect and Four Gates Sect are adaptations of the terms "Five Great Immortals" and "Four Great Gates."

The Five Great Immortals are: Fox, Weasel, White Snake, Willow Deity, Hedgehog.

The Four Great Gates are: Fox, Weasel, White Snake, Willow Deity. (One view includes the rat, Hedgehog, making them the Five Great Gates.)

They may appear quite similar, but when examined through folk legends, the differences are considerable.

The Five Great Immortals are both demons and immortals. The motive behind folk worship is mostly awe and fear that they might cause mischief.

The Four Great Gates are Chuma Immortals, belonging to the spirit-medium tradition. They emphasize borrowing humans to cross tribulations, accumulating merit, opening a spirit hall, and accepting incense offerings.

From this perspective, classifying "the yellow weasel spirit petitioning for a title and borrowing a human to take shape" under the Four Great Gates is more or less defensible.

This book adopts both as two of the Three Thousand Great Daos. They merely walk different paths, with neither superior nor inferior.