Deng Mao, standing beside the well, gave a cold snort at the sight. He tugged the bright yellow silk in his hand, and a bizarre figure was yanked out amid violent struggles, wrapped up like a zongzi. No matter how it twisted its shape or fought, it couldn't break free of the bright yellow silk's restraints.
Watching this, Huang Huai couldn't help swallowing. This was the first time he had witnessed the evil spirits of this world with his own eyes. The bound spirit was truly terrifying; even one glance made his heart go cold.
"Slay it!"
At Deng Mao's shout, flames raced along the bright yellow silk and engulfed the evil spirit. It thrashed violently, but the fire swallowed everything, and in an instant, the spirit vanished without a trace.
Having finished, Deng Mao acted as if he had done no more than some trivial task. He flicked his hand, and the bright yellow silk wound around his waist, two strips dangling from it.
Far away, Zhang Yan and his disciple wore expressions of amazement. Stroking his beard, Zhang Yan sighed, "What an awe-inspiring Guardian Divine General! Such skill—truly, what a remarkable display!"
Han Song was just as envious. "And what a magnificent appearance! He's burly, dressed in an embroidered jacket, with eye-catching bright yellow sashes around his waist and flying-cloud boots on his feet. His whole bearing radiates righteousness. Compared to him, the tiger-headed, human-bodied Guardian Divine Generals of our Great River Sect truly pale in comparison."
At this, Zhang Yan couldn't help glaring at Han Song. Though he shared Han Song's thoughts, no matter how inadequate their own Guardian Divine Generals were, he couldn't very well look down on them.
Han Song shrank his neck and gazed enviously at the Yellow Turban Warrior. In a low voice, he asked Zhang Yan, "Master, what should we do now? That fiend..."
Zhang Yan swept his sleeve. "Use your head. The master of this house can command a Guardian Divine General of the Second Realm. What do you think will happen when that fiend runs headlong into someone like that?"
Han Song immediately understood. "So that fiend's luck must have run out. It's dead and gone by now."
As he spoke, Han Song saw his master leap into the air and head toward the Great River Sect. He froze, then cast one last lingering glance at the Yellow Turban Warrior before hurrying after Zhang Yan. "Master, are we just going back? Shouldn't we greet the master of that house?"
Zhang Yan snorted. "Do you know who they are? You don't know whether they're friend or foe, or where they came from. If you show up unannounced in the middle of the night, how do you think they'll react? Don't forget, this is Shun'an Ward, where a being with the status of an emperor resides. Have you already forgotten the Sect Leader Senior Brother's instructions?"
Chiding Han Song, master and disciple vanished into the night.
Meanwhile, Deng Mao appeared in the side room holding something in both hands. He bowed to Huang Huai. "The evil spirit has been vanquished. This humble deity has come to report and receive your command!"
Then he raised the object in both hands and presented it to Huang Huai. "This was obtained upon destroying the evil spirit. I offer it to you, High God!"
Huang Huai looked at Deng Mao's raised hands. His eyes lit up when he saw what was in them: a somewhat dim, pale green bead.
"This..."
"This object is the essence left behind when the evil spirit was destroyed. It contains a faint, mysterious aura and pure prayer power," Deng Mao said.
Huang Huai had obtained one of these beads after He Yuan died. Now, after destroying an evil spirit, he had obtained another.
He took the pale green bead and gave Deng Mao a slight nod.
Deng Mao stepped back. The light around him dimmed, and he once again became a statue of a Yellow Turban Warrior, standing beside the altar. Silence settled over the side room.
After standing there in thought for a long while, Huang Huai bowed to the statue of Guanyin Bodhisattva, then disappeared with the statue of Holy Lord Emperor Guan in his arms.
In a side hall of Xunzhen Temple, Huang Huai carefully returned the statue of Holy Lord Emperor Guan to the altar. Soon after, he carried the statue of the Yellow Turban Warrior back to the storeroom.
He softly called Deng Mao, but this time the Yellow Turban Warrior statue didn't respond. Given what had happened with the statue of Holy Lord Emperor Guan, Huang Huai wasn't disappointed.
He patted the statue and said softly, "I'll take you into the hall now so you can continue receiving Incense Offering. Hopefully, you'll absorb more Incense and Fire Prayer Power and grow more sentient, until you become a true deity."
Huang Huai now valued the Yellow Turban Warrior statue, which had already gained a degree of intelligence, immensely. With enough Incense and Fire Prayer Power, he might gain a real Yellow Turban Warrior, Deng Mao.
Even if Yellow Turban Warriors were considered minor, low-ranking deities among the many gods of Chinese Daoism, the way this one had cleanly wiped out an evil spirit showed it would be more than enough to guard his home, ward off evil, and protect the household.
Thinking of commanding a real Yellow Turban Warrior, Huang Huai couldn't contain his excitement. He stepped forward, hoisted the statue onto his shoulder, and headed for Sanqing Hall.
The principal deity worshipped at Xunzhen Temple was True Warrior Great Emperor, but every Daoist temple worshipped the Three Pure Ones, and Xunzhen Temple was no exception.
It was just that the Three Pure Ones, enshrined in the side hall, received far less Incense Offering than the other deities. After all, they weren't the principal deities worshipped at Xunzhen Temple.
He pushed open the doors and strained to carry the Yellow Turban Warrior statue into Sanqing Hall.
A glance around showed the three statues of the Three Pure Ones enshrined high on the altar. To their left and right stood statues of a Golden Boy and a Jade Girl, attendants who basked in the Three Pure Ones' reflected glory and received Incense Offering.
Huang Huai set down the Yellow Turban Warrior statue, then respectfully bowed to the Three Pure Ones. He went forward and carried down the statue of the Golden Boy.
He silently prayed to the Golden Boy, then set the Yellow Turban Warrior statue in his place. When he finished and looked at the arrangement, it did seem a little discordant to have a Yellow Turban Warrior on one side of the Three Pure Ones and a Jade Girl on the other. But harmony wasn't important. What mattered was that the Yellow Turban Warrior could now share in the Incense Offering.
Of course, he still had to notify the senior brother in charge of the hall before switching the statues around. Otherwise, if he found a Yellow Turban Warrior in the Golden Boy's place, Great Daoist Master would surely be alerted right away and put things back as they were.
Huang Huai had originally planned to bring the Yellow Turban Warrior statue to the main hall of True Warrior Great Emperor. After all, the Incense Offering there was truly thriving. But the deities who shared in the offerings in the main hall were the tortoise and snake generals under True Warrior Great Emperor. More importantly, if he replaced one of the main hall's statues without Great Daoist Master's permission, everyone would see it first thing in the morning. No matter how much Great Daoist Master doted on him, he'd probably beat him black and blue.
Before you continue