Common Knowledge About Cultivation

After that, Zheng Que listened attentively.

According to Daoist Qu's explanation, when a living person died, if their resentment was too great, there was an extremely high chance that, in the world as it was now, they would be corrupted by the Yin energy and become a "Resentful Soul."

His Ghost Servant, Qing Li, was a "Resentful Soul."

But if someone had committed too many evil deeds in life and accumulated sins that towered to the heavens, they would become a "Fierce Soul" after death.

"Resentful Souls" and "Fierce Souls" were formed from the resentment or sins of a single person, so they could be controlled with the [Ghost Controlling Technique].

But "Tricky Specters" held the resentment of anywhere from dozens to tens of thousands of people. An ordinary cultivator's soul couldn't suppress that much resentment; anyone who tried to control one with the [Ghost Controlling Technique] would inevitably suffer a backlash.

As for "Evil Omens," "Wicked Sins," and "Anomalies"... only those with formidable cultivation and powerful souls were qualified to tamper with them.

According to his master's description, Old Lady Zhao, whom he had encountered yesterday—or, more precisely, the entire Zhao Household—was an "Anomaly" that had yet to fully take shape...

Furthermore, whether they were "Resentful Souls," "Fierce Souls," or other ghostly beings, they all had realms, just like cultivators...

From lowest to highest, the realms of ghostly beings were: [Tongue-Pulling Hell], [Scissor Hell], [Iron Tree Hell], [Sin Mirror Hell], and [Steaming Hell]...

Each major realm was divided into nine levels.

It was said that the realms of ghostly beings had been based on the levels of Hell before the great upheaval.

They were more ancient than the cultivation system used by cultivators today.

This small town was inhabited by mortals, so the ghostly beings here couldn't exceed the first Hell, [Tongue-Pulling Hell].

According to his master's explanation, the "Call-Sound Ghost" Zheng Que had encountered was at the second level of [Tongue-Pulling Hell].

Every attack from that "Call-Sound Ghost" had threatened his life!

But that was precisely why his extraordinary instinct for sensing death had allowed him to dodge the creature's attacks in advance, time and time again...

Qing Li, who had hung from the dead old tree outside the ruined temple, had initially been at the first level of [Tongue-Pulling Hell]. But after she gained an opportunity from the Underworld, her realm had risen to the third level of [Tongue-Pulling Hell], making her equivalent to a cultivator at the third layer of the Qi Refining Stage.

In theory, given the gap in their cultivation, Qing Li could already have broken free of his control if his soul wasn't strong enough...

Old Lady Zhao had probably also been at the third level of [Tongue-Pulling Hell] at first. But after she reclaimed the Yin energy from Sun Cui'er, she had likely reached the fourth level!

Still, she hadn't fully become an "Anomaly" and had an obvious weakness. After Qing Li caught her off guard, she had ultimately lost to him and Qing Li.

Daoist Qu's explanation had been extremely thorough. He went on to describe the traits of "Resentful Souls," "Fierce Souls," and "Tricky Specters," how to distinguish them by the strength of their Yin energy, and what to keep in mind if they were encountered head-on and escape was impossible.

The shadows outside the temple stretched little by little. Time passed without notice, and before long, afternoon had arrived. At last, Daoist Qu finished the day's lesson.

"That covers the common knowledge about ghostly beings in [Tongue-Pulling Hell]."

"That's all for today."

Having said that, Daoist Qu lowered his eyelids and fell silent.

Zheng Que immediately stood and bowed respectfully. "Yes, Master."

He stepped out of the ruined temple. The setting sun had bathed the courtyard in pale gold, and the blades of grass all shimmered with an apricot-yellow glow.

After his customary glance at Qing Li hanging among the tree's shadows, Zheng Que started back home. As he walked, he looked at Changfu Town, growing ever more desolate and ruined, and couldn't help shaking his head.

This town, where ghostly beings were becoming more rampant and numerous by the day, was actually one of the better places to live in the surrounding area.

Below Changfu Town were many villages, large and small. There were even more ghostly beings there, and they were even more terrifying...

Burdened by his worries, Zheng Que happened to pass Zhao the Second's house. He glanced at the courtyard gate. The faded spring couplets remained just as worn as before, and the gate stood open. The courtyard was silent; he didn't know whether Zhao the Second was home.

After thinking it over briefly, Zheng Que still went into Zhao the Second's courtyard.

His master had just explained how "Anomalies" formed. If Zhao the Second hadn't noticed that his new bride, Sun Cui'er, was strange, and the two of them had consummated their marriage, then Zhao the Second would also have gradually become like Old Lady Zhao and Sun Cui'er without realizing it.

Given enough time, the entire Zhao Household would have transformed into an "Anomaly."

Yet to outsiders, the Zhao Household would still have seemed just as it always had, with the whole family looking perfectly normal.

Likewise, when Sun Cui'er had come to him for help yesterday, if he had actually helped her with her "favor," he would have become another link in that "Anomaly"...

"Anomalies" spread out into their surroundings in all sorts of ways. If they weren't discovered and stopped in time, the entire town would eventually become part of the "Anomaly"...

So even though the source of this "Anomaly" had now been dealt with, he had come to check on Zhao the Second's household anyway, just in case.

After entering the courtyard, Zheng Que saw signs that it had been tidied up. But some traces of yesterday's battle remained, including deep pits left by the destruction, which had yet to be filled in.

Old Lady Zhao's body and Sun Cui'er's corpse, already rotten, were both gone from the courtyard. Zhao the Second had probably buried them somewhere.

Perhaps hearing someone enter, the door to the main room opened. Zhao the Second came out, dressed in a fresh coarse hemp mourning garment.

His expression was haggard, and his steps were a little unsteady, but his eyes had grown much calmer. When he saw Zheng Que, he immediately nodded and said weakly, "Zheng Que, thank you for yesterday."

"There are still some eggs at home. Would you like to stay for a meal?"

Zheng Que shook his head. "No, I just came to see how you were doing."

"How are you holding up?"

Zhao the Second gave a bitter smile. "How do you think? I'll live one day at a time... Half a year ago, when my father passed away, I could still lay out a table and invite the relatives to come see him off."

"Now my mother's gone too, and she died in such a terrible way. I don't even dare call my maternal uncles over. I'm afraid they'll insist on burning her and leave not even a whole corpse... It all comes down to my own uselessness. I couldn't find myself a wife, and I dragged my mother down with me..."

"Forget it, enough of that. Zheng Que, you're following an Immortal Master now. You've got some ability. If the Immortal Master leaves, you should go with him. Our town... it's finished!"

Zheng Que listened patiently and offered a few casual replies. They talked for a while longer, and he asked a few questions along the way. After their conversation confirmed that aside from being deeply shaken and disheartened, Zhao the Second was otherwise normal in every respect, Zheng Que found an excuse to take his leave and returned home.