Get Up and Take a Look

"Your paintings have neither spiritual power nor Law Power. Swindling the common folk out of their money is bad enough, but if you really make them carry these pig-head paintings to face ghosts and evil spirits, aren't you robbing them of their money and their lives?"

At the stall where Rong Tianding had set up shop, the Daoist's words threw him into a panic.

Behind the Daoist, some small vendors who had been planning to buy pig-headed immortal paintings for protection tightened their grip on their money. Clearly, they wanted to see how things played out before deciding.

"Daoist Mu, you didn't come to make trouble at my stall because you saw me stealing business from your temple, did you?"

After hesitating for several seconds, Rong Tianding finally reacted and chose to smear him in response.

The pork stall was his home turf. If he didn't have the confidence to stand his ground even with Rong Li backing him, Rong Tianding felt he might as well give up making a living in the East Market.

"Those yellow cloth talismans you sell aren't worth a single coin. Not only do they have no Law Power, they also lack the soul of a painting," Rong Tianding shot back.

"You're nothing but a mortal, yet you dare speak of Law Power?" Daoist Mu asked. "Have you ever seen a Technique?"

Daoist Mu wasn't particularly old, only a little over forty.

Perhaps from the wear and tear of constant travel, Daoist Mu already had a few strands of white at his temples.

But that hadn't robbed Daoist Mu of his vigor. Instead, it gave him more of the look of an enlightened master.

As Rong Tianding and Daoist Mu traded barbs, Zhang Xuezhou also studied the Daoist, who was bound to come calling.

Hibiscus City and its surrounding area were only so big, and opportunities to make money from business weren't that plentiful over the course of a year. Whoever had their business stolen wouldn't take kindly to it.

Just as Rong Li monopolized the pig-slaughtering stalls in the East Market, Daoist Mu's temple had a near monopoly on the business of those superstitious people who believed in ghosts and gods.

Whenever anyone's business was affected, a visit was bound to follow.

"Can you use a Technique with Law Power?" Rong Tianding asked.

"You ignorant little fool, this Daoist will open your eyes today!"

Daoist Mu held an iron sword in his right hand, with a length of white silk wrapped around his left. He muttered an incantation.

As he pointed his iron sword, the white silk in his left hand shot into the air, turning into a rope more than ten meters long that climbed upward.

"My Technique is called the Heaven-Piercing Rope. One need only reach out and pull to pierce the heavens. Have you seen this Daoist's Technique, boy? And what Technique can you show to prove you possess Law Power and the ability to ward off evil and suppress ghosts?"

Daoist Mu held the white silk proudly and pointed his iron sword at Rong Tianding as he questioned him.

He wore an old gray robe and sported a beard in three long strands. Now that he had performed a Technique, a gentle breeze made him look like an immortal, and the crowd in front of the painting stall broke into discussion.

"Things like pig's blood, chicken blood, and dog blood..."

Rong Tianding naturally knew no Technique Methods. He had just been about to trot out the usual claims passed around among the common folk, but stopped himself after those few words.

If a splash of pig's blood, chicken blood, or dog blood could suppress ghosts, why would everyone come to buy his immortal paintings? They could just buy some pig's blood and take it home.

He was somewhat quick-witted, but he had no way to deal with Daoist Mu on the spur of the moment.

Rong Tianding searched for a response without success, and couldn't help turning to Rong Li for help.

Rong Li had just given a cold laugh when she heard Daoist Mu speak gravely.

"Household head Rong, I came here today on a courteous visit and have already shown you a measure of respect," Daoist Mu said. "If some other scoundrel were using such a thing to swindle people, this old Daoist would have cast a spell and given them a taste of hardship long ago."

"What spell do you intend to cast?" Rong Li asked coldly.

"Since he's selling immortal paintings to drive away ghosts, this old Daoist will naturally go and capture a ghost to test what the paintings can do," Daoist Mu said. "If his immortal paintings work, that's the end of it. But if they don't, and the ghost frightens him into a serious illness or even scares him to death, that's no concern of this old Daoist's!"

"You can capture ghosts?" Rong Li asked doubtfully.

"This old Daoist has always been skilled at warding off evil and driving away ghosts. Catching one wouldn't be difficult," Daoist Mu said. "But ghosts carry a great deal of Yin Qi, and ordinary people may fall ill if they come into contact with it. It wouldn't be proper to bring one here in full view of the public!"

"If you have such ability, Daoist priest, go ahead and send a ghost to my Rong Household!"

Rong Li's face was full of murderous intent. She reached out and touched her pig-slaughtering knife, making Daoist Mu's face twitch for quite a while.

Someone had come to wreck her son's stall, and he couldn't handle Daoist Mu. No matter how much Rong Li disliked Rong Tianding's prospects as a painter, she could only step in to support him.

She had heard of Daoist Mu's reputation for possessing some genuine abilities, but Rong Li didn't believe in ghosts.

She had lived for decades and heard tales of ghosts and gods for just as long, but Rong Li had never seen a ghost, nor had she ever heard of anyone who truly had.

Many things grew in the telling, until they became absurd tales of ghosts and gods.

"Don't you dismiss ghosts and gods," Daoist Mu said firmly. "You should know that releasing a ghost is easy, but capturing it again is hard. Once a ghost enters the Rong Household, disaster is certain to befall you!"

"Since you have genuine ability, Daoist priest, we'll naturally come begging you once a ghost leaves us at our wits' end. You can simply charge us then to perform a rite and drive it away," Rong Li said gravely.

"Very well, very well. Since you've invited me to release a ghost so you can see for yourselves, this old Daoist won't be overstepping. Just wait tonight!"

Daoist Mu didn't linger to argue. He casually gathered up the white silk, slid the iron sword into the scabbard at his waist, and strode away.

"Everyone, if the immortal paintings couldn't drive away ghosts, we couldn't possibly let the Daoist priest release one to cause trouble. Please, buy with confidence!"

Once Daoist Mu had left, Rong Tianding's mind immediately sprang into action.

Timid people believed there were ghosts in the world, while bold people didn't. He had come to the point of selling immortal paintings, and if he didn't even revere immortals, why would he revere ghosts?

In all his life, Rong Tianding had never seen a household truly encounter a ghost. At most, people used ghosts to frighten children into behaving.

"Cousin, do you think there are ghosts in the world?"

Sales had boomed on the first day, but more people held back to watch on the second. By the time the pork stall closed, Rong Tianding had only just managed to sell more than half the immortal paintings.

If he wanted to sell his paintings smoothly, he would clearly have to get past Daoist Mu.

As evening drew closer to the time Daoist Mu had mentioned, Rong Tianding couldn't help asking Zhang Xuezhou in a low voice.

"If there's a ghost in your heart, naturally there are ghosts. If there's no ghost in your heart, where would one come from? A lot of people are just frightening themselves," Zhang Xuezhou said with a wave of his hand.

"Zhou'er is right. As long as you stand straight, your shadow won't be crooked. How could ghosts or evil spirits come invading?" Rong Li said solemnly. "Our Rong Household fears goblins and ghouls least of all. If that Daoist Mu really comes tonight pretending to be a ghost or playing at being a god, I'll chop him down with one stroke!"

Rong Li picked up the pig-slaughtering knife from the chopping block, and the gleam of its blade put Rong Tianding at ease.

Anyone with a mother who could fight and kill wouldn't panic too much. When Rong Li said she would chop someone, she meant it.

If she caught Daoist Mu pretending to be a ghost or playing at being a god to frighten people, Rong Li would draw her knife and chase him down without another word. She might even send Daoist Mu straight to the county yamen this time.

The group returned to the Rong Household's grand residence.

The sky gradually darkened. After dinner, Zhang Xuezhou returned directly to his room, following his usual routine.

He had just finished washing up and was about to lie down when he saw a woman dressed in white sitting beside the bed.

She was beautiful, but her face was pale, with a hint of pained resentment and a touch of bewitching charm.

Zhang Xuezhou rubbed his eyes hard, but the woman was still sitting beside the bed, staring straight at him.

"Which household are you from, young lady? This is my room. Did you come through the wrong door?"

Zhang Xuezhou asked, but immediately afterward he felt that the time for him to leave the dream world was almost upon him.

That left him in no mood to ask more questions.

He called out to Rong Li, then lay straight down on the bed.

Within a few seconds, he was unconscious.

"What's wrong with people these days? Are none of them afraid of ghosts anymore?"

Daoist Mu's astonished voice came from the mouth of the woman in white.

"Hey, get up and take a look! This is a ghost, a really fierce female ghost!"

Daoist Mu's voice was full of annoyance, but also held a trace of helplessness.

The Rong family had slaughtered pigs for generations, and who knew how many pigs had died under their knives? A fierce presence filled the entire residence, and ordinary ghosts and evil spirits couldn't even enter it.

After finally coming across an outsider alone, Daoist Mu hadn't expected him to pay no attention whatsoever to the ghost he had released, simply lying down and falling asleep.

Chapter 37 is under review... I never imagined the review process for the xianxia version would be this strict.