The Drought Demon's Heart, the Dream-Traversing Immortal Pillow

Thump-thump-thump-thump-

The heart beat slowly.

He could vaguely see chain after chain of water dragons coiled around the scarlet heart, extinguishing the demonic flames spilling from it bit by bit.

After a long while, Ao Ding closed his left eye. The three children within the Primordial Truth Mirror had also simulated the circulation of true qi within the heart.

Inside the sedan chair, the Green-Eyed Ghost asked with a smile, "Well? What did you see?"

"I saw the water dragon wall suppressing that heart's demonic fire. That wall exists for the sake of this demonic heart. You have sharp eyes-you actually spotted it before I did?"

"Though this body of mine is a 'ghost,' the former incarnation of the spirit that comprises it was an immortal who possessed a True Person's Eye. A pair of them!"

Ao Ding smiled.

So what if you had a pair?

Was the strength of a True Person's Eye determined by whether you had one or two?

-It depended on how much of your true nature had awakened.

The eyes were windows to the soul.

One window or two-what difference did it make when the room was only so big?

What if you opened eight or ten windows, or even had a hundred eyes, a thousand eyes? You still had only one true nature.

His own True Person's Eye, by contrast, had been formed from an unfinished spirit treasure. Spirit treasures existed alongside the Dao; one could call them manifestations of some of this world's heavenly laws.

Thus, his eye was stronger than the innate true nature of any living being.

Once Ao Ding cultivated to the True Person Realm, he could even begin reforging this spirit treasure.

"Could you try taking that heart out and carrying it away?"

"To the underworld?"

Ao Ding said, "Put it in the Nether River. I can sense that this heart belongs to the fire aspect. It brings calamity in the mortal world, but in the underworld..."

Wait until this heart caused trouble in the future, then regret it when it was too late?

He would move this root of disaster straight out of his cave abode.

Inside the sedan chair, the Green-Eyed Ghost nodded. "I can. But that water dragon wall conceals immortal prohibitions. I can't touch it."

"I'll do it."

Ao Ding led the ghosts to the water dragon wall.

To avoid damaging Wen Dan's future opportunity, Ao Ding carefully stepped forward and gently covered the water dragon wall with true heaven golden gang.

Recalling the Heaven-One Dragon Water True Scripture he had copied, he used his true heaven golden gang together with the profound water dao seed within him to catalyze a wisp of true qi, carefully mimicking the movements of a water dragon as it roamed across the wall.

The true qi wandered, gradually merging into the collection of dragon-shaped seal script on the water dragon wall, becoming a drop in the ocean.

Drip... drip...

Water flowed, water evolved; the heavens came from clouds and rain, the earth formed from flowing rivers...

A world founded on water slowly rose before Ao Ding.

Suddenly, the little true qi dragon darted out of the group and pounced straight at the "heart."

Effortlessly, without the slightest resistance, the heart was wrapped in water dragon true qi and extracted.

Roar-

A dragon's cry abruptly rang out. The ghosts recoiled in fright as the water dragon wall erupted with ten thousand rays of spiritual light.

An azure light flashed inside the sedan chair, and the heart in Ao Ding's hand vanished in an instant.

"Wait-take that plague Daoist's corpse to the underworld and bury it too."

The plague Daoist's body was filled with malign poisons and pestilential qi. Wherever it was buried in the mortal world, it would cause a great plague. Only the underworld had nothing to fear from it.

The azure light paused briefly, then turned and rushed into the central hall's secret chamber, sweeping up the corpse and delivering it to the underworld as well.

Ao Ding looked back at the water dragon wall. Without the heart holding it back, the spiritual power within the wall grew increasingly abundant. The water dragons moved faster, their cries echoing through the water cavern as they continually evolved the seal script.

The three children in the Primordial Truth Mirror rapidly copied the seal script, recording the mysteries of this innate water scripture. Before long, however, all three stopped work from mental exhaustion.

"I'll have Wen Dan come study it properly later."

After watching a while, Ao Ding also felt his eyes blur and dazzle until he could no longer make anything out.

Turning back to the ghosts, Ao Ding beckoned. "All right, go rest for now. Come dusk, we'll go scare some foxes for fun."

The ghosts all laughed and went off to find places to rest.

Some found stone jars and clay bowls; others found tables, chairs, and stools. The three hundred ghosts turned and searched the cave abode for objects to inhabit.

Within moments, silence returned to the cave abode.

Ao Ding also found a cave chamber in which to sit in meditation, silently circulating the Five Qi Returning to the Origin Glazed Immortal Art as he began condensing a dao seed within his heart.

Perhaps the sight of that demonic heart had stirred something in him. His golden gang carefully enveloped his heart as he slowly refined the dao seed.

Suddenly-

Ao Ding's face flushed red, and he could not help coughing up a mouthful of blood.

"Original self!" the three children cried out inside the Primordial Truth Mirror.

Within the cave abode, the three hundred ghosts all rushed out to investigate.

"It's nothing-just a slight surge of qi and blood-" Ao Ding took medicinal pills in succession to restore his qi.

Well, three years...

It had been so long since his cultivation last went awry.

The benefit of the Golden Light Method was that it reduced the likelihood of cultivation deviation.

For three years, Ao Ding had recited the incantation and cultivated every day without any sign of deviation. Only just now, when he tried adopting that heart's true qi circulation, had he directly triggered a clash within his body.

"Though that heart's circulation pattern contains mysteries of the Great Dao, it doesn't follow the principles of the immortal path. Naturally, you couldn't succeed in developing a dao seed by drawing on this demonic heart, original self." Yellow Child was full of disapproval.

After reassuring the ghosts, Ao Ding told the three children, "Though my cultivation went awry this time, I did discover the nature of that demonic heart. Look-"

Amid the sea of clouds, a projection of a heart slowly rose.

True qi traveled inside and outside its eight apertures, flames billowing in and out to form a strange demonic script.

"This is the Drought Demon Art. That heart belonged to a drought demon!"

As Ao Ding spoke, he thought of the piece of raw ore in the cave abode.

Could there have been more to the plague Daoist's collection of ore guarded by drought demons?

"You three, search through the documents and records for information about drought demons. Also, extrapolate all the cultivation methods of the Plague-Dispelling Dao. Help me work out the drought demon's heart-aperture circulation pattern too."

After assigning their work, Ao Ding withdrew his divine sense from the Primordial Truth Mirror.

The three children exchanged glances, then split up and got to work.

When the Green-Eyed Ghost returned from the underworld, he heard the other ghosts recount what had happened to Ao Ding and went to check the stone room where he was staying.

Seeing that Ao Ding was nurturing his body and qi, the Green-Eyed Ghost did not wish to disturb him. He went outside the cave abode and surveyed the blazing sunlight.

Ghosts feared sunlight.

More precisely, the great sun's purple qi surrounding the Solar Star possessed attributes of the Great Dao such as vitality, pure yang, and creation, making it the natural bane of the netherworld lineage.

But for a ghost like the Green-Eyed Ghost, though it was unpleasant and uncomfortable, it was also a different kind of novelty.

"So this is the mortal world? It's truly... truly exactly like the memories of my spirit's former incarnation."

Touching his chest, the Green-Eyed Ghost silently savored the fragments of remembered scenery left by his spirit's former incarnation.

That night, chilling winds blew as a hundred ghosts went abroad.

Wails and howls rang out through the mountain forests.

The Tu Household's fox immortal residence was suddenly enveloped in layers of black clouds.

"Who's there-" Sensing something amiss, the fox immortals all came out to investigate.

They saw a mass of thick clouds appear in the sky.

When Elder Tu walked out, those clouds became an enormous, hideous ghost face.

Boom-

The mere release of a ghost commander's aura sent every fox immortal below flying.

"So you were the ones-bullying my brother's great-grandson?"

That thunderous voice frightened many fox immortals back into their original forms. Foxes of every color hid in the residence's corners, trembling.

"Here are our betrothal gifts. Would you dare refuse?"

The gates of the fox immortals' residence burst open, and balls of ghost fire slowly drifted inside.

Following them came chest after chest of betrothal gifts covered in red cloth.

"My brother's great-grandson He Xiao is a man of outstanding talent, and he and your daughter Tu Qing'er share a mutual affection. I have come to present betrothal gifts on his behalf. Are you satisfied?"

"S-satisfied..." A great white fox with five tails lay trembling on the ground.

No one even looked to see what those betrothal gifts were.

The fox immortals simply kept begging for mercy, inwardly blaming that old fool Elder Tu. If he had agreed to the match sooner, how could this trouble have arisen? He looked down on the young man's family background? The young man had a backer in the underworld!

Before long, the chilling winds and dark clouds dispersed, and the ghosts returned to the cave abode.

"Well? After that-those stinking foxes won't dare refuse."

Ao Ding nodded with a smile, though he was also rather curious. "Where did those betrothal gifts come from? You're really presenting gifts on He Xiao's behalf?"

"Those weren't betrothal gifts for Tu Qing'er. They were hiring gifts for He Xiao. Here, take this pillow."

An azure light flew out of the sedan chair and landed in Ao Ding's hand.

It was a pillow carved from white jade, with images of roaming dragons sporting with phoenixes on either side.

"The Dream-Traversing Immortal Pillow? What is this for?"

"Later, tell that scholar to sleep with his head on it at night. His soul will be able to enter the netherworld, and he can come keep my accounts in the underworld."

"Huh?"

"What else? Did you really think I came here to play because I had nothing to do? Our business is too big; we need someone to keep the books. Would you feel at ease if I supplied someone myself? Wouldn't you worry about me skimming your money? Finding an accountant in the mortal world makes it easier for you to inspect the accounts.

"Besides, now that the demon spirits all know a ghost is backing him, I doubt he'll dare betray us."

You've certainly worked out this account neatly.

So this was an advance on his own accountant's wages?

Ao Ding marveled inwardly.

"All right, I won't see you off-go get on with your business."

Having concluded another deal, the Green-Eyed Ghost was thoroughly satisfied.

Accompanied by the ghosts, the sedan chair leisurely returned to the underworld.

The next day, Ao Ding came to Peach Blossom Creek.

Tu Qing'er and He Xiao were thanking the flood dragon woman.

The Green-Eyed Ghost had caused such a commotion that Elder Tu had invited He Xiao over that very night to apologize, then hastily completed all the formalities of the three matchmakers and six witnesses in one go before seeing him off as though expelling a plague god.

After hearing this, Wen Dan privately marveled at Ao Ding's efficiency.

Seeing Ao Ding approach from a distance, she smiled at the two of them. "No need to thank me. Look-the person responsible is here."

At the sight of Ao Ding, He Xiao hurried over to thank him.

Tu Qing'er looked somewhat fearful, but quickly collected herself and stepped forward to bow her thanks.

After they exchanged pleasantries for a while, Tu Qing'er took out a scroll of incantations.

"This is the Evil-Cleansing Spell. I copied it from an ancient book. Please accept it as a token of my thanks, exalted immortal."

Ao Ding accepted it with a smile. Through his left eye, he could see a strand of fortune slowly drifting toward him from above Tu Qing'er's head.

"Exalted immortal-may I ask about that 'Ghost King' last night..."

"Haha-he truly came for He Xiao. He wasn't some netherworld ghost I contrived to impersonate one. He Xiao has a few connections in the underworld."

Ao Ding looked at Tu Qing'er with smiling eyes.

"All right, another obstacle overcome-as for the last matter, the great barrier between human and demon-" Wen Dan took out a pill and handed it to Tu Qing'er. "This is a Glazed Immortal Pill, produced by the Jade Cauldron Sect. Once you take it, it will suppress the demonic poison in your body, so you and He Xiao can be together without harm. But you know the rules: the two of you must never have children."

Tu Qing'er repeatedly agreed and immediately swallowed the Glazed Immortal Pill.

An orchid fragrance wafted from within her, sweeping away every trace of her fox's seductive aura.

"All right, that settles this matter!"

Wen Dan clapped her hands and shooed Tu Qing'er and He Xiao away.

Watching Tu Qing'er leave, Wen Dan sighed softly. "I hope they can stay together for years to come. The Demon Spirit Realm hasn't seen lovers with such genuine feelings in many years."

Ao Ding gazed at Tu Qing'er's retreating figure and said mildly, "As long as He Xiao can enjoy a hundred years of peace and safety, that's enough. Whatever Tu Qing'er chooses afterward is up to her."

He was, after all, a cultivator in human form. Between He Xiao and Tu Qing'er, Ao Ding cared more about He Xiao's thoughts and feelings.

"Fellow Daoist, do you have so little faith in her?"

Ao Ding did not answer, merely giving a polite smile.

What a joke. Expect a long-lived spirit to keep herself pure as jade for a mortal for thousands upon thousands of years?

Every spring, the mountains were full of creatures crying for mates. Where was their chastity?

Those spirits who remained chaste for a thousand years were either spirit beasts raised by immortal sects, isolated creatures cut off from the world, or "spirit seeds" carefully cultivated by the Demon Race to seduce cultivators. Expect foxes, snakes, monkeys... those animals in heat found all over the mountains to remain chaste?

Don't make the entire Demon Spirit Realm laugh.

Thus, Ao Ding took an open-minded view. "I don't ask that they stay together life after life. I don't even ask that Tu Qing'er pursue their love in another life after He Xiao reincarnates-as long as she doesn't fail He Xiao in this life, that's enough."

And he had prepared fallback measures too.

The one in the underworld already regarded He Xiao as his "accountant," and would naturally back him up.

In fact, if He Xiao lacked vigor in the future, he could seek White Great King's help and use the tiger demon's power to strengthen his body.

Recalling how Senior Sun Chen had once paved the way for him, Ao Ding felt that he, too, had now laid out several escape routes for He Xiao.

As long as the demon woman Tu Qing'er did not change her mind, everything would naturally be fine. If she did-there were plenty of ways to deal with her.

"All right, my friend. Cultivate well here; it's time I left too. Oh, and I may entrust that cave abode to someone else to look after in the future. When the time comes, please lend them a hand."

Ao Ding now had a new idea for his cave abode in White Mountain Commandery.

Since he was away all year round, why not invite a tenant to look after his home?