Spirit Contract

The situation changed with the turn of a palm.

The yellow-robed youth who called himself Tu Shan Ge did not even dare raise his head. The red-and-white bead suspended above him spat countless thunderbolts and flashes of lightning, roaring as though it might fall at any moment and blast him into a skyful of minced flesh.

For most beasts, nothing inspired greater terror than heavenly thunder and lightning.

They were struck by lightning when refining away the transverse bone, struck by lightning when shedding their beastly forms, and struck by lightning even when their cultivation advanced.

After being struck by lightning all along the way like this, even ancient beasts would feel their hearts lurch and lose focus for a moment at the sound of thunder.

Seeing their elder subdued in a single exchange-

A dozen or so foxes immediately rushed out of the pavilion and surrounded Chen Heng, yipping wildly. They wanted to rescue Tu Shan Ge, but feared the dreadful radiance of the Thunderfire Thunderclap Bead, so they could only stay where they were, their fur bristling in frantic waves.

"Where is this?"

Chen Heng glanced around.

This space was not particularly large, covering only ten mu, but its buildings were neatly arranged and exquisitely decorated. Clearly, considerable care had gone into it.

What interested Chen Heng most, however-

Was the ring of faintly surging golden light at the far end of the space, seemingly marking its boundary... The golden light sometimes slowed to a standstill and sometimes darted and leaped. As the ring pushed outward, the ten-mu space also seemed to expand ever so slightly.

The change was barely perceptible, only tiny fractions at a time. Without deliberately watching for it, one would hardly notice.

"This... this..."

At Chen Heng's question-

Tu Shan Ge's eyes rolled, and another scheme suddenly sprang to mind.

"This is a great grotto-heaven of the Vermilion Luminescence Sect! Have you heard of the Nine Sovereigns Everbright Golden Palace Grotto-Heaven? This is one of its landmasses, and I am its spirit pet! You trespassed into the grotto-heaven and injured a spirit pet. You have already committed a crime that towers to the heavens! Release me at once, or beware-when my master returns and reports this to the Dao Lord, the Dao Lord will cast you into the Niraya Path, where life after life you'll-"

"Your mouth is harder than a blade."

Chen Heng could not be bothered with him. He lowered the Thunderfire Thunderclap Bead another inch, frightening Tu Shan Ge into a string of screams.

"Where exactly is this?" he asked again.

"The Nine... Nine Sovereigns Everbright Golden Palace Grotto-Heaven!"

Chen Heng said nothing.

He merely watched him calmly, until the fox's heart faltered and his hands and feet trembled.

"F-fellow Daoist..."

Suppressing his fear, Tu Shan Ge spoke gently.

"Fellow Daoist? You follow the divine path, while I seek the immortal path. How do we follow the same Dao?"

Chen Heng interrupted him with a sweep of his sleeve.

"Though I am only a rustic from the mountains, I still know grotto-heavens are used to escape the three calamities of wind, fire, and thunder. Once those calamities pass, one unites with the Dao in truth, and ascension to immortality is not far off. Are you telling me that a backwater like Blazing Mountain actually conceals a grotto-heaven-and one belonging to the Vermilion Luminescence Sect, one of the Eight Orthodox Sects?"

"The immortal path and the divine path are both great Daos. Since we both contemplate the Great Dao, how could we not be fellow Daoists...?"

Tu Shan Ge gave an awkward laugh, hoping to brush the matter aside. But Chen Heng's next words soon left him dumbstruck, his hands and feet icy cold.

"If you keep pestering me with nonsense, I will kill you first, then slaughter half this den of foxes and make the surviving half tell me the truth. If one refuses, I will kill that one. If they all refuse, I will slaughter the whole den. I refuse to believe every one of them has a mouth as stubborn as yours!"

"...Aren't you an immortal cultivator? Why the fuck do you sound like someone from a demonic cult?!"

Tu Shan Ge cried out in grief and outrage.

"True Person Yan Xi said that the orthodox and the demonic are precisely one yang and one yin. One yin and one yang are called the Dao."

"Those good looks are wasted on you! Dao Lord above! What kind of heart of snakes and scorpions do you have?!"

The Thunderfire Thunderclap Bead abruptly sank lower. As its blazing, seething aura washed over him, his divine golden body, which had yet to heal, immediately threatened to melt.

No longer caring whether Chen Heng was bluffing, Tu Shan Ge was scared out of his wits and hurriedly spilled everything like beans poured from a sack.

"A divine domain! This is a divine domain I opened up with divine power! It was where I used to receive incense and fire prayer power. My clansfolk and I have only been able to shelter on Blazing Mountain because of it!"

A divine domain?

So this was a divine domain...

Understanding dawned on Chen Heng, and he asked another question.

"It seems you are the white fox who cultivated the divine path and fought the Mount Yang Daoist. After losing that battle, you apparently brought this den of foxes here and stayed ever since? But this divine domain is still within Blazing Mountain. Has the Mount Yang Daoist never noticed it?"

"Never mind him. Didn't you fail to notice it too...?"

Tu Shan Ge instinctively began to retort.

But when he saw the red-and-white bead suspended above his head, he forcibly changed his tune and explained obediently.

"The divine path is different from the immortal path. Though it is a minor path, an outer dao, in Xudu Heaven, it is a mainstream cultivation tradition in other heavens, and naturally has its own marvelous uses. This divine domain, for instance, is exceedingly well concealed... Though I am only a minor earth deity, and any Qi Refining cultivator with a talisman artifact could kill me, a mere Qi Refining cultivator does not possess my ability of inner landscape creation. Even a Qi Refining cultivator from the Eight Great Mystic Sects could never do this."

"That Mount Yang Daoist is a rogue cultivator with no proper teachings, and he knows only one Dao art. Someone like him thinks he can find my divine domain? A fool talking in his dreams! Once he goes to sleep, Blazing Mountain is still mine. I can eat whenever I want and go out whenever I want. A merry life! Free and easy!"

"Oh?"

With the hint of a smile, Chen Heng asked, "If this divine domain is as impressive as you say, how did I get in? Does it have no wards at its entrance?"

"What rotten luck!"

At Chen Heng's words, Tu Shan Ge's nose twisted, and he burst into furious curses, disregarding even the Thunderfire Thunderclap Bead still hanging above him.

"I sent these spineless fools to deal with you, and you nearly scared them to death! After running into the divine domain, they were so terrified they forgot to close the wards, letting you barge in. Otherwise, how could I have ended up like this? How could I?!"

Among the foxes-

A large-tailed white fox with an arrow lodged in his rump silently turned his head away. Seemingly ashamed, he covered his ears with both paws and curled into a ball.

"Why did you disturb my secluded cultivation? Were you trying to take Blazing Mountain back from me?"

Tu Shan Ge hemmed and hawed, plainly admitting it.

"With that little divine ability of yours? Where did you find the nerve?" Chen Heng asked, puzzled.

"If my golden body were still intact..."

Tu Shan Ge argued indignantly, then finally hung his head in defeat.

"Our fox clan has an innate divine ability that lets us absorb yang energy through physical contact. Tu Shan Zhuang is the best among us at transformation arts, especially at turning into beautiful women... I thought that, being young, you would naturally lust after beauty, unlike that old dog the Mount Yang Daoist, whose schemes ran deep. That was why I sent him to seduce you. Who knew he wouldn't even be able to get close to you...?"

A fox skilled in beguiling illusions and transformations had actually been utterly outshone in looks by a human.

Where was the justice in that?

Who could he appeal to?

Tu Shan Ge could only feel like weeping without tears.

"The Mount Yang Daoist's schemes ran deep? It seems he truly frightened the courage out of you."

Chen Heng shook his head.

He pointed, and a layer of flame slowly rose from the Thunderfire Thunderclap Bead, scorching downward.

Tu Shan Ge howled incessantly under the flames, his body flickering as though it might explode on the spot at any moment.

"Do you want to live?"

Only after several more breaths did Chen Heng speak calmly.

"I want to live, I want to live... Please spare my life, fellow Daoist."

Tu Shan Ge rolled around on the ground, but dared not roll too far, terrified that the bead would come crashing straight down.

"Sign a Spirit Contract and become my spirit pet, and I will spare you."

"What?!"

Tu Shan Ge snorted. "I already have a master! My master is a disciple of the Vermilion Luminescence Sect! A loyal servant does not serve two masters. If you want this old fox to sub-"

Before he could finish-

The flames suddenly intensified.

Tu Shan Ge screamed in pain. Finally unable to bear it, he clasped his hands and begged for mercy, producing a Spirit Contract.

Once Chen Heng had drawn up the terms on the Spirit Contract, signed both their names, and added their blood essence, he leisurely withdrew the bead into his sleeve.

Doesn't this mean I'll be someone's slave for the rest of my life?

Holding the Spirit Contract, Tu Shan Ge's heart wept blood. How can these terms be so harsh? After this man dies, I might even have to keep serving his children and grandchildren. Fuck! Have I really become a clan-guardian spirit beast?

"You are mistaken. First, my ambition lies in the Great Dao, and my heart has no room for romantic attachments. Second, you may not outlive me."

Before Tu Shan Ge could indulge in any further wild thoughts, a calm voice sounded within his heart, frightening him into hastily reining in his thoughts.

Seeing this, Chen Heng nodded.

After signing that Spirit Contract, he and Tu Shan Ge shared a wondrous connection. This fellow's life, death, words, and deeds were all in his hands. With a single thought, he could knead him round or pinch him flat as he pleased.

"Well? This is my first visit to your fine abode. Aren't you going to offer tea as the host?"

Chen Heng smiled faintly and glanced around. None of the other white foxes dared meet his gaze, and they hastily lowered their heads.

He makes it sound so nice! He's about to start plundering the wealth I've amassed over all these years!

Tu Shan Ge's heart ached even more.

He, too, lowered his head and sullenly led Chen Heng toward the main building.