Prison Guardian Bi'an

Mo Chuan glanced at the remaining incense sticks and the burnt-out ashes in the clay bowl of the Earth God Temple. He cupped his hands and said:

"I greet you, Earth Lord. Your wisdom is truly piercing. I am indeed not from this area. I happened to pass by today and disturbed you."

"Not at all, not at all. I observed, Mr. Mo, that you are surrounded by incense smoke and are traveling by starlight. You must have pressing matters, so I won't keep you."

The old Earth Lord returned the gesture, secretly breathing a sigh of relief.

He received incense offerings from the mountain village and naturally had a responsibility to protect it.

Tonight, the village dogs had been barking incessantly, and he wouldn't feel at ease without investigating.

"You are too kind, Earth Lord! By the way, when I passed your village just now, I overheard a woman praying for incense. She mentioned her husband would be executed soon. What happened?"

Mo Chuan's heart stirred as he inquired.

"Alas, it's a pitiable affair. If you're interested, I don't mind telling you."

The old Earth Lord, seeing the aura of incense around Mo Chuan, surmised he was a Ghost Immortal with some standing, not a vicious evildoer, and decided to tell him everything.

It turned out the woman's name was Madam Liu, and her husband, Li Guanqi, was the only scholar to have ever left the village in a hundred years.

Although he hadn't achieved fame through the imperial examinations, his literacy allowed him to secure a position in Qingshui County as the County Treasury Official.

They thought it was a stroke of incredible luck!

However, he was merely a scapegoat for the County Magistrate.

Less than two months after taking office, the county treasury was found to be in deficit. Under brutal interrogation, he confessed and was sentenced to death!

The County Magistrate had handled this matter with utmost secrecy, leaving no trace.

Unfortunately, the more clandestine such dealings were, the less they could escape the notice of the gods above, or more accurately, the various Ghost Immortals and celestial beings.

"So that's how it is!"

Mo Chuan sighed. Truly, there was nothing new under the sun. He then tentatively asked:

"Earth Lord, as the virtuous and benevolent deity of this mountain village, whose subjects have been framed, do you have any plan to rescue them?"

The old Earth Lord was startled by his words and repeatedly waved his hands:

"You jest, sir. It's true I receive incense offerings from the village, but I am ultimately just a minor local deity. It's already difficult enough to protect this land from malevolent spirits! Where would I find the ability to enter a human city, filled with yang energy as abundant as flowing fire?"

"Furthermore, the Underworld has its rules, and the human world has its laws. How could I, an old man who has merely been fortunate enough to receive incense, dare to overstep my bounds?"

Mo Chuan hadn't expected such a strong reaction from the old Earth Lord.

However, this precisely confirmed many points from the old Daoist's lectures.

This world was ultimately dominated by the human way.

"Underworld rules? Earth Lord, have you seen the legendary Ghost Emperor Yan Jun?" Mo Chuan inquired.

"Sir, you flatter me. How could I possibly see such a legendary figure? I've heard they reside in the deepest parts of the Nine Netherworlds. How could beings like us, who merely linger in the shadows of the living world, dare to even imagine them?"

Mo Chuan nodded and asked a few more questions. Seeing the Earth Lord grow increasingly wary and try to change the subject, he finally asked his last question.

"May I ask, Earth Lord, how does one get to Qingshui County?"

"About twenty li west from here, you'll reach it."

The old Earth Lord breathed a sigh of relief and pointed in a direction.

"Thank you for your guidance, Earth Lord. We shall meet again."

Mo Chuan cupped his hands in a gesture of respect and then fled westward.

'This Ghost Immortal, he's not thinking of getting involved in the Li family's affair, is he? Judging by his cultivation, he hasn't reached sixty years, so he must be a newly ascended Ghost Immortal. This is likely like a moth flying into a flame!'

The old Earth Lord muttered to himself, watching the direction Mo Chuan disappeared, secretly breaking into a cold sweat he didn't actually have. He then retreated into the Earth God Temple.

The twenty li the old Earth Lord mentioned were indeed a straight twenty li.

As soon as Mo Chuan emerged from the mountain hollow, he saw a gray, hazy city nestled at the foot of the mountains. Looking down from a height, it appeared like a pile of tombs.

A faint yang energy radiated from the city, instilling fear in ghosts.

Mo Chuan glanced at the sky and, seeing that it was still early before dawn, decided to enter the city for a look.

As he got closer, he realized it wasn't a city at all.

It looked more like a town surrounded by earthen ramparts.

Shaped like an ancient turtle coiled up, it had hardly any lights.

It was worth noting that the city, which appeared to be brimming with yang energy from afar, looked as faint as mist and haze up close, giving a sense of "grass color seen from a distance, but absent up close."

Mo Chuan dispersed into a wisp of energy and entered the city through a gap in the city gate.

The streets were quiet; all the households had already gone to sleep.

"Bang! Bang!"

"It's the second watch of the hour of the Pig. Close your doors and windows, guard against thieves."

The dull sound of the night watch drum echoed, adding a touch of human presence to the darkness.

Mo Chuan took a breath, recalling the Earth Lord's instructions, and headed south of the city.

That was where the county prison was located.

—Li Guanqi was being held there.

After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, a courtyard with green bricks and dark tiles, unlike the residential houses, came into view.

Looking up, the words "Prison" were clearly inscribed on the lintel of the courtyard gate, from right to left.

In the center of the two characters, a large stone owl was carved.

Mo Chuan glanced at it and continued walking.

Just as he was about to squeeze through the door crack, unexpectedly, as soon as he got close, the owl statue suddenly let out a soul-stirring roar.

"Roar—"

To Mo Chuan's astonishment, a giant tiger's head emerged from the owl statue, piercing through the wall. Its body, as vast as a mountain, was covered in crimson flames, radiating extreme yang and pure strength.

The moment it appeared, it made Mo Chuan's whole body ache, as if he were bathing in the scorching sun.

"Not good!"

Mo Chuan was greatly alarmed and instinctively prepared to return to his original body.

"Fellow Daoist, this way!"

Suddenly, a call from behind made Mo Chuan's heart stir, stopping him from leaving.

Glancing sideways, he saw a middle-aged Daoist, wearing a black crown and hemp clothing, waving at him from the entrance of the dark alley.

Seeing this, Mo Chuan hurried over.

At the same time, he looked back and saw that the fiery red tiger had not pursued him.

It stood at the prison entrance, shaking its head and swaying its body, baring its teeth and waving its claws, looking incredibly imposing!

"Why did you startle the prison guardian Bi'an, fellow Daoist?"

The middle-aged Daoist asked, cupping his hands.

Bi'an?

Mo Chuan was stunned. That owl statue was actually Bi'an?

Legend had it that Bi'an was the seventh son of the Dragon, the chief of scaled creatures. It resembled a fierce tiger and was known for its love of litigation and its immense power.

Therefore, it was carved at prisons in the human world to suppress malevolent spirits and protect all living beings.

"I was just passing by and didn't intend to disturb the auspicious beast," Mo Chuan replied, cupping his hands.

"So that's how it is!"

The old Daoist cupped his hands again. "This humble Daoist is a disciple of Chisong Palace, Chong Shizi. I observed, fellow Daoist, that incense smoke is lingering around you. May I ask which Daoist temple you hail from?"

"I dare not accept such praise. I am You Xuzi from Fu Luan Temple," Mo Chuan replied, intending to probe further.

"So you are a fellow Daoist from Fu Luan Temple. I have heard much about you!"

Chong Shizi cupped his hands again. Before Mo Chuan could respond, he added:

"Hearing you say that, it seems the opportunity I sought through spirit medium divination yesterday should befall you."

Mo Chuan looked bewildered.

Chong Shizi said, "Do you know that the great bandit Qian San was beheaded here?"

"I do not."

"..." Chong Shizi chuckled. "It has been ten years since this scoundrel was beheaded. It's normal that you wouldn't know."

"It sounds like this matter is unusual?"

"Indeed! Ten years ago, Qian San appeared here from who knows where, slaughtering people indiscriminately and accumulating immense sin. After being apprehended by the authorities, he was beheaded and displayed in this Qingshui County Execution Ground!"

Chong Shizi paused, his expression turning serious. "Now, he is causing trouble again."

"Oh? What do you mean by that?"

Mo Chuan asked.

The man had already been beheaded, so how could he be causing trouble?

Could he have turned into a ghost?

"Fellow Daoist, you must have guessed already! As the saying goes: 'Born a hero, died a valiant ghost; though head severed and body dead, the malevolent soul remains.' "

"After Qian San died, he transformed into a ghost. Because he died from beheading, he naturally became a Headless Ghost."

"Unexpectedly, due to his extreme wickedness in life, after his beheading, his head was sent to the nine borders and his body was abandoned in the wilderness. His head could no longer be found. After ten years of accumulated resentment, he has become a fierce ghost."

Mo Chuan shuddered upon hearing this.

He had heard from the old Daoist of Fu Luan Temple that in Daoist teachings, there were four great malevolent ghosts in the human world, and the Headless Ghost was one of them.

A Headless Ghost was not simply a ghost who died from decapitation.

These kinds of malevolent spirits often originate from conflicts between soldiers and bandits.

Only those with immense obsession, great fortune, and overwhelming killing intent can give birth to them!

"This humble Taoist wishes to guide it to salvation, but my cultivation is insufficient. Therefore, I used the art of Spirit Medium Divination to seek a solution, and it seems the opportunity lies with you, fellow Taoist."

At this point, Chong Shizi became even more serious and bowed deeply, clasping his hands in a respectful greeting.

"This humble Taoist earnestly requests your assistance, fellow Taoist. Upon success, I am willing to erect a monument and offer sacrifices to you, ensuring you receive the incense offerings of Chisong Palace forever."

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