Child of the Barren Mountain

As the red sun began to peek over the horizon, the Qian family mansion in Jiang City was already bustling.

Weddings and funerals both placed great importance on auspicious dates and times.

Ghost marriages were no different.

To catch a good time, preparations had to be meticulous. Missing the appointed hour could lead to a minor delay in the joint burial, or a major disruption to the family's fortune.

Indeed, as the sun broke dawn, the sounds of gongs and drums from the Qian mansion rose in a clamor.

The vermilion coffin was carried through the gates and along the city's main road towards Tuoyun Mountain.

Compared to the throngs of onlookers yesterday, there were far fewer curious onlookers today. Once they were out of the city, only the funeral procession remained.

The funeral officiant chosen by the Qian family was quite skilled, timing everything down to the minute.

Just as the hour of the Snake (9-11 AM) arrived, the procession reached its destination.

It was a desolate, weed-choked hollow on Tuoyun Mountain.

The Qian family's second son, who had died young, was buried here.

This wasn't due to the Qian family's stinginess with land, but purely local custom.

—Children who died in infancy were forbidden from being buried in the ancestral graves and could only be interred in watery ground.

After the procession stopped and the coffin was placed, it was time to break the earth and begin the exhumation.

Even though the Qian family was wealthy and had buried their second son in a fine coffin, after eleven years of decay, the exhumation yielded little more than a few dried bones.

Fortunately, Madam Liu was not present for the exhumation; otherwise, seeing this sight would have likely sent her into uncontrollable wails.

Following the exhumation was the joint burial.

Once the two coffins were lowered into the grave, the funeral officiant, as per custom, placed a wooden plank between the two coffins, symbolizing a "bridge," to signify the joining of bones and the formal union of the deceased.

As the earth was filled in, red paper money was burned, and the wedding ceremony was performed.

The blazing flames consumed the mountain of paper effigies for the underworld, turning them to ash that scattered into the sky, flying with the wind, disappearing without a trace.

With this, the absurd ghost marriage finally concluded.

But for Mo Chuan, this matter had only just begun.

Coincidentally, the joint burial site was in a hollow in the wilderness, which made his surveillance convenient.

He carefully observed the terrain, chose a high vantage point, and like a cunning rabbit in the mountains, hid himself among the fallen leaves and bushes, concealing his presence.

Now, all that remained was to wait patiently.

The morning passed quickly, after all, there was the spectacle of the ghost marriage to watch.

As afternoon arrived, time began to drag.

While Mo Chuan was idly passing the time, he considered practicing the Three Scenery Daoist Magic but worried about becoming too engrossed and neglecting his surroundings.

So, he decided to study the teachings of Yunji Temple instead.

In the past few days, the lectures at Yunji Temple had gradually moved into the practical application section.

This primarily involved how to utilize Primordial Qi, and the power of the sun, moon, and stars!

This part of the curriculum was quite extensive.

After listening for a long time, Mo Chuan managed to grasp some of the key points.

The core of the practical application of Yunji Temple's Daoist lineage lay in three great divine curses!

They were:

The Sun Curse, the Moon Curse, and the Dipper Curse. [Note 1]

If the Three Scenery Daoist Magic was the root system of Yunji Temple, then the three great divine curses were the branches supporting it!

The remaining miscellaneous talismans and incantations were merely the small branches and leaves growing on these larger branches.

Yunji Temple had extremely strict requirements for the inheritance of the three great divine curses, so they were only mentioned in the late-night lectures without being taught.

What Juezhen Zi taught in his grand lectures were all insignificant leaves.

Even so, Mo Chuan benefited greatly.

For example, how to imbue weapons with the sun's radiance, granting them the power to slay evil and break illusions!

And how to use the moon's radiance to awaken the mind and sharpen the intellect.

...and so on, the list was endless.

These methods of application were quite complex, and as Mo Chuan meticulously pondered them, time flew by unnoticed, the sun setting like the mythical Ruomu tree.

The wilderness gradually became lively.

Mice, rabbits, wild boars, Yellow Weasel Spirits… darted past the graves from time to time, drawn by the sacrificial offerings.

"Brother, what are you looking at?"

A childish voice suddenly came from behind him, incredibly close, as if whispered in his ear.

Mo Chuan, who had been engrossed in watching the wild animals, was startled and quickly turned his head to look.

He saw a young child with a child's hairstyle, his big, dark eyes wide open, looking at him with pure curiosity.

Upon closer inspection, the child wore a white, narrow-sleeved top with a gui ornament at the waist, and loose-fitting trousers. Two small knots were tied at the back of his head.

It looked just like the Nezha hairstyle!

"Of course, I'm looking at birds and beasts."

Mo Chuan took a shallow breath and replied with a smile.

"What's so great about birds and beasts? I see them every day, I'm tired of them."

The child said proudly, then eagerly added, "Brother, can you play a game with me?"

"What game do you want to play?" Mo Chuan asked.

"Hmm... How about blind man's buff? I'll hit the wooden fish, and you cover your eyes." As the child spoke, he produced a grayish-white skull, resembling a wooden fish, from somewhere.

Mo Chuan's heart nearly skipped a beat as he looked at the small skull: "My hearing isn't good. Why don't you cover your eyes, and I'll hit the wooden fish."

The child shook his head like a rattle drum. "No, no! You'll run away, and then no one will play with me."

Mo Chuan narrowed his eyes, deep in thought.

The child had a new idea: "Let's play hobbyhorse! You run, I'll chase."

Mo Chuan pondered for a moment. "Alright!"

"Great!"

The child clapped his hands in excitement, then jumped and snapped off two branches from a tree ten feet high.

"Which one do you want?"

Mo Chuan's eyes were filled with complex emotions. He remembered that when he was a ghost, he couldn't even touch solid objects, let alone snap branches.

To kill Chong Shizi, he had even disguised himself with Painted Skin and stolen a Nangzi dagger.

"This one is fine!"

Mo Chuan bent down, picked up a withered branch from the ground, and like the child, placed it between his legs, holding the front end with one hand and letting the back end drag on the ground, pretending it was a horse.

"I'll count, we'll start after I reach three!"

The child counted seriously: "One, two... three!"

When the second count was uttered, Mo Chuan shot off like an arrow.

"Brother, you're cheating..."

The child shouted, but his voice was filled with excitement. He chased after Mo Chuan with his little legs, his mouth not forgetting to imitate the sound of a horse:

"Giddy up! Giddy up! Giddy up!"

"Brother, slow down! Little horse, run faster, run faster, run, run!"

The child yelled and shouted, while with his other hand, he pretended to hold a whip, striking the branch between his legs.

"Hehe, you fell for it, I caught up to you!"

In the blink of an eye, the child had reached Mo Chuan's side, tilting his head with a smug look.

"Very well! What is your intention, sir?"

Mo Chuan stopped, his expression turning serious.

"Playing a game? Brother, you're so slow! My little horse is much better!"

The child seemed oblivious to Mo Chuan's seriousness, appearing delighted and immersed in the game.

"Then how about... we switch to another game?"

Mo Chuan frowned and asked tentatively.

"Okay, okay!"

The child dropped the branch, his face full of anticipation.

"Oh, right, what's your name?"

"I, I... I don't remember."

"Do you want a wife?"

"Wife? Is that like a wife you can play fighting games with at night?"

"...Sort of!"

"I want one! I want one! Brother, do you have one?"

"I don't."

"Ah?"

The child immediately became dejected.

However, a child's sadness comes and goes quickly. He soon cast it aside: "Brother, what game are we playing?"

"Let's play the horse-jumping pit game! Whoever jumps into this incense burner first wins, how about that?"

Mo Chuan summoned the Sacrificial Dao Furnace and placed it between the two of them.

"Okay, okay, okay!"

The child's face lit up with joy, and he clapped his hands.

"I'll count, no jumping ahead. Whoever cheats is a little dog."

"Yeah, whoever cheats is a little dog!"

The child nodded in agreement, his gaze fixed intently on the opening of the Sacrificial Dao Furnace.

"One... two... three... jump!"

With a whoosh, the child leaped high, his tail arcing as he dove into the Sacrificial Dao Furnace.

Mo Chuan then waved his hand, and the Sacrificial Dao Furnace vanished abruptly, re-emerging within his soul.

Thanks to "Book Friend 20210912090544255" for the reward!

Note 1, quoted from "Taishang Sandong Shenzhou"]