Esoteric Nature

"Oh my, oh my----"

Zhuoma, inside the sheepskin bag, echoed Zhou Yang's words.

From the blood-stained opening of the bag, a pair of slender, lotus-root-like arms, white as snow, slowly emerged, unfolding like lotus petals.

Snow-white arms embraced smiling faces.

Even amidst the pool of blood, the smiling face remained radiant, "Oh, oh----"

"Uncle, uncle, you said Mom went to herd the horses for the chieftain, and she'll be home at dawn on the eleventh day."

"I counted ten sunrises."

"I can't count to the eleventh day of dawn."

"Mommy, Mommy, I won't come home----"

Oh my, oh my----

"Father, Father, if I go to the temple and follow the lamas, will our family's life get better?"

Oh my, oh my----

Uncle: Uncle: I went to the temple: I don't miss home at all.

Please don't worry about me.

"Please, you and your father, wait for the good life at home."

"Your smile is like a Gesang flower on the mountain; you really aren't worried about me at all."

Oh my, oh my----

"Dad, this bowl of wine smells terrible!"

I don't want to drink.

I really want to drink again.

"You're right, I've had too much to drink and I don't miss home."

"You said that drinking it would prevent me from crying my eyes out."

"I'm leaving, Dad, Uncle. Wait for the good life at home."

Oh my, oh my----

"Lama with the goatee, if you peel off my skin, will you see the red lotus?"

"Look, look, look----"

The pure and clear singing voices emanated from the smiling faces with their snow-white skin.

She reached out from her leather bag, and with a pair of small hands that opened like flower petals, she gently cupped Zhou Yang's face.

Zhou Yang's expression was serene, his eyelids drooping, and his brow Mindfulness on a bloody and ferocious soul interacting with it. He murmured to himself, "Zhuoma, I have no connection with you, no origin with you."

"Go kill those you deserve to kill, go kill those for whom you have committed sins."

Don't provoke me, don't anger me.

"You are the Tsen Demon, the wolf of the earth, but I am the tiger, the tiger with wings."

"Go, go, go----"

"Thank you, I bow in reverence!"

That innocent singing voice echoed Zhou Yang's vibrating Mindfulness.

The hands that had been gently cradling Zhou Yang's face suddenly moved away from his chin—arms devoid of bone and flesh, only skin and flesh, swayed like snakes, darting through the air, and in an instant passed over the heads of Naren and Quzeng, rushing straight towards...

Deqin in the distance!

"Tsen Demon!"

"He really is Tsen Demon!"

"The Tsen Demon has appeared!"

When Gonpo saw that a pair of slender, jade-like arms had sprouted from the sheepskin bag, and especially that a pair of delicate, childlike faces had emerged from a piece of snow-white skin attached to those arms, he was so frightened that he covered his head.

He watched as Tsen Demon cupped Aji's face in his hands, and in his mind he could almost see Aji's face being peeled off by Tsen Demon.

Unexpectedly, Tsen Demon's hands only paused on Aji's face for a moment before flying away like a bird's wings, carrying the skin with them, towards Deqin in the distance!

In the dim light, Gonpo also heard the Tsen Demon say thank you.

Who should it thank? And what is it thanking for?

Gonpo couldn't understand it, but since Tsen Demon didn't come to harm them, he took this opportunity to quickly grab Zhou Yang and make him run away with him!

"Hurry, hurry!"

"Aji, we have to run!"

Zhou Yang put down the sheepskin bag, and no matter how hard Gonpo pulled, he didn't budge.

He turned to look at Gonpo, a smile on his face, "We still need to send Zhuoma off."

"Let the Dakini take away her soul and let her be reborn in heaven."

"How can we leave when the work isn't finished?"

"You actually sent her away?!" Gonpo exclaimed, his hair practically standing on end. "You must be insane!"

"Once she turns back, we'll have her sent away!"

"No, Zhuoma wouldn't harm us."

Zhou Yang shook his head.

Gonpo's eyes Da Le, tears welling in them. "You must be crazy, you're insane!"

"Oh dear, I forgot! You're a lunatic!"

"There's no such thing as Tsen Demon that doesn't harm people!"

They harm you, regardless of whether you are their enemy or not!

"This demon, Zhuoma Tsen Demon, still doesn't resemble a leather bag inside; besides the bag, there's only a piece of leather left."

She, she, she is a fierce Shapeshifting Tsen, even among the Tsen Demon!

"Hurry up, Aji, please, let's run away!"

But didn't she also not harm me?

Zhou Yang shook his head again, a thought flickering in his mind.

Just now, Zhuoma did try to expose his true colors, but he was able to communicate with her Mindfulness.

If one's own Mindfulness can communicate with Tsen Demon like Zhuoma, then surely the Esoteric Nature of these mysterious figures in the Esoteric Treasury Domain lack the ability to communicate with Tsen Demon?

Thinking this, Zhou Yang casually took out the "Knife Credit Ledger" and turned to the third page: "Karmic Retribution Body: Aji".

Mindfulness: Esoteric Nature Complete (Mindfulness of the Blade-Credit Merchant 9).

Identity: Son of the silversmith Queji.

Abilities: Luodu Terma Mind Consciousness, Crafting Gold, Silver and Bronze (Unavailable), Horse Riding and Herding (Unavailable).

Zhou Yang's gaze focused on the four characters "Esoteric Nature Complete), and he obtained a few lines of annotations from "Knife Credit Ledger" (The She Dao Zhang): " Esoteric Nature and Mindfulness, although born from the same root, are ultimately two separate flowers, and are quite different from each other."

Mindfulness is the most righteous and unwavering thought.

"Esoteric Nature refers to the nature of secret practices and shortcut methods."

"By maintaining upright conduct, one may be able to subdue Esoteric Nature."

"Secrets are deeply rooted and can potentially seduce Mindfulness."

The annotations on Esoteric Nature in "The Knife Credit Ledger" are also not very clear.

But Zhou Yang always understood that Esoteric Nature and Mindfulness are born from the same root—both originate from one's own mind, yet they are two similar but different flowers.

The connection between the two may seem intricate and intertwined, but fundamentally they are irreconcilable.

After all, those with strong Mindfulness can subdue "Esoteric Nature".

The phrase "driving and taming" easily reminds Zhou Yang of the description of binding evil spirits like binding livestock after Mindfulness have formed Upright Heart. The "Knife Credit Ledger" calls this application of Mindfulness influencing Esoteric Nature "driving and taming," clearly comparing it to binding evil spirits.

However, those with deep-rooted Esoteric Nature can subdue Mindfulness.

To intimidate, to intimidate, to oppress.

To seize; to invade; to plunder.

The word "deterrence" in this context also reveals the chilling evil spirit inherent in the Esoteric Nature.

The "secrecy" in "Esoteric Nature" is a metaphor for "secret".

Initiation, mantras, rituals, practices, bindus, ritual implements—all are related to secrets.

Secrets are passed down orally and by heart, and are not heard by anyone else.

So, what is the secret?

Is the secret related to ghosts?

Zhou Yang suddenly recalled the incantation in the "Livestock Raising Scripture" that Qian Heng in Daliang Village!

Although Zhou Yang did not understand the meaning of that incantation, its tone, syllables, and implied meaning were extremely similar to the secret incantations that the people in this region recited and prayed daily. Some syllables even had similarities!

If Zhou Yang could understand incantations, based on his knowledge of the syllables, he might even be able to interpret the meaning of that incantation in the "Livestock Raising Scripture"!

For this very reason, Zhou Yang viewed this so-called Esoteric Nature through tinted glasses.

"The Knife Credit Ledger ultimately categorizes Esoteric Nature under the category of Mindfulness."

"Perhaps Mindfulness and Esoteric Nature are two keys, but Mindfulness can unlock different locks, or even the secrets of this region."

Even the tightest locks can be opened with Mindfulness, but Esoteric Nature can only open the locks of secrets.

Zhou Yang pondered for a moment, his gaze sweeping over the Luodu Terma Mind Consciousness " in Aji's ability section, before closing the " Knife Credit Ledger ".

The Luodu Terma Mind Consciousness is the greatest secret that Aji's soul has been tainted by.

The reason why Aji's consciousness has become the way it is now is because of the Luodu Terma Mind Consciousness.

However, Zhou Yang is far from being able to unlock this secret.

Seeing Gonpo Aji completely ignored his advice and refused to come down the mountain with him, Gonbu slumped down in despair. "If you won't run, I won't run either!"

"I took you up the mountain, but in the end I was the only one who went back. Your Ajia saw it, and she cried her eyes out—"

"Nothing will happen, Master," Zhou Yang said to Gonpo.

Seeing his crazy behavior, Gonpo's fear faded considerably.

His lips trembled, and he simply closed his eyes, tears streaming down his face.

In the distance, Zhuoma, who had transformed into a skin, had her arms slithering like sea serpents, wrapping around Deqin's neck.

"Oh my, oh my----"

The singing still emanated from that leather garment.

Deqin trembled all over, his eyes Da Le, his face filled with a mixture of fear and anger.

Finally, anger overcame his fear, and he glared at the skin floating in mid-air, shouting, "Zhuoma, it was I, the ' Jiawang Riba' Lama, who saw you!"

I introduced you to him!

"While you are alive, we will control your life and death!"

Even if you die and become Tsen Demon, does that mean you can turn the world upside down?!

Absolutely not! Absolutely not!

"Even if you are Tsen Demon, you will still be crushed by the ' Songha Dharma Protector '!"

Deqin's lips moved, and he suddenly revealed the Songha Dharma Protector Seal Prophecy " in his palm, chanting the secret mantra: "Sheya Na!"

Om! Arachana!

"Songha! Hum Phat! Soha!"

The seal, which emits purple light and a bloody odor after the mantra has been recited once, now shows no reaction whatsoever!

Deqin was startled!

The skin that Zhuoma had transformed into sang while both crying and laughing, wrapping its arms around Deqin's neck. "Oh ya, oh ya--"

Uncle Deqin took me to see the lama.

Uncle Deqin promised my family a good life.

"I bestow blessings upon Uncle Deqin, blessings indeed----"

The skin on those seemingly soft and slender arms was now tightening like a noose!

Deqin's eyes widened in fury, his face quickly turning red and then purple. He stuck out his tongue and uttered a few breathy sounds: "Buzz--"

--Chanamurodosa----Showdown----"

Amidst the chanting of mantras, a burst of red light suddenly erupted from Deqin's chest!

The red light stuck to the leather arm that was strangling his neck, and instantly a blood-red fire ignited on that arm!

"Waaaaah"

Zhuoma wailed in anguish, and the leather straps wrapped around Deqin's neck suddenly loosened.

The red flames then went out!

"This is the Ghost Lion Evil Fire Mantra."

"One must raise a mastiff and feed it human flesh daily. When the mastiff reaches three years old, kill it, consume the powder formed from its dried brain, and then pour its blood over one's head. Only then can one cultivate this mantra—"

"Take me there quickly, let me get closer—"

Aji barked again in Zhou Yang's ear.

Without needing his urging, Zhou Yang had already stepped down from the sky burial platform, passed through the flock of wooden-faced vultures, and headed towards Deqin.

Deqin grinned and pulled out a Divine Lion Bronze Plaque from his chest. He then shouted at Zhuoma, who was circling in mid-air and crying, "I have a magical artifact protecting me!"

"I still have the Meteoric Iron Garuda and the Elephant King Nine Palaces available!"

"Zhuoma, even if you are Tsen Demon, I will crush you!"

I will crush you.

As he spoke, he took out the corresponding magical artifact.

From the "Divine Lion Bronze Plaque," a Mantra Point flew out and was absorbed by Zhou Yang's Ghost Ten Hands.

Deqin then took out the Meteoric Iron Garuda, which contained another Mantra Point, which was then taken by Zhou Yang.

He then revealed the "Elephant King Nine Palaces" (a set of nine palaces in Chinese astrology).

The Mantra Point placed within the Nine Palaces card will then be used by Zhou Yang.

He held up the various magical artifacts, his face fierce and ghostly, and approached Zhuoma was hovering in mid-air, step by step.

His eyes and face were filled with a fierce and ruthless aura.

Terrified and on the verge of fleeing, the Naren Brothers, seeing that Deqin possessed such power to subdue the Tsen Demon, felt reassured and steadied themselves, staring at Zhuoma hovering in mid-air.

I just hope she dies soon.

"Zhuoma."

At this moment, Zhou Yang, standing among the vultures, seemed to have become one with the mountain ridge and the vultures beneath him. His face was serene, and he said with a smile, "Kill them."