Chapter 382: Ghost-expelling Monk
The battle sounds were created by Monk Dazhi’s illusion spell so that those who were outside would think that he was fighting against the hungry ghost!
For the next few days, Monk Dazhi stayed in the backyard only to eat and drink. Meanwhile, inside the chaotic space, Li Qiye was about to finish deriving the Resplendent Break. Eventually, he managed to obtain the full version of the attack. He then couldn’t help but take another look at this chaotic space as he murmured: “The suppression of an Immortal Emperor True Treasure is indeed amazing!”
He didn’t continue to stay in this space and used the Fragmented Spatial Disk to open an entrance to instantly go outside to the backyard.
At this time, many luminous stars were hanging amidst the skylight above the quiet, small village. The gentle breeze from the mountains caused the villagers to take deep breaths on their strolls.
In the meantime, Monk Dazhi seemed unable to ever be satiated. Even after all the meals, it was as if he was the reincarnation of a hungry ghost.
“Are you here to chase away a ghost, or are you here to eat and drink?” Li Qiye slowly said while standing right behind Monk Dazhi.
Right now, they were in the middle of the night. If someone suddenly appeared behind your back, they would have been scared to death. However, that would only be the case if it was someone else; Monk Dazhi was not startled at all. His two hands held onto a fat pig’s leg as he crazily devoured it with his greasy mouth. He saw Li Qiye and cheerfully smiled: “Fellow Daoist, sit down and have a taste. Old Lin is really skillful.”
“So you are just a thief.” Li Qiye smiled and sat down as he gazed at the monk before continuing: “You came here to chase away a ghost, but are you not afraid that a hungry ghost will possess you while you are acting like this?”
These words only induced a smile on the monk’s face as he cheerfully replied: “These words might scare people somewhere else, but this is the Sacred Nether World. There are more ghosts running around on the surface than there are in hell. Even if there were ghosts here, it wouldn’t scare anyone.”
Li Qiye smiled as the monk told him to sit down and eat. However, despite his courteous proposal, he didn’t wait for Li Qiye as he instantly consumed a roasted chicken and a big fish just like a hungry ghost.
Compared to Monk Dazhi’s table manners, Li Qiye was countless times more refined since he was only trying out a few things.
“Hehe, which treasures did Fellow Daoist manage to grab in there?” The monk asked with a grin while eating.
Li Qiye gave him a look and asked: “Oh? Are you also here because of the Soaring Remembrance Village?”
Monk Dazhi put his palms together and laughed: “Amitabha, this village contains treasures — this is not a big secret at all. Many people in the past came here, but no one could pinpoint the treasures. There is a great spell here so all the people who arrive do not dare to act presumptuously. Even Virtuous Paragons would die a pitiful death here!”
Li Qiye only chuckled and didn’t say anything else. It was just as the monk said, the protection of the village was crafted by Immortal Emperor Fei Yang’s supreme grand dao, so even a Virtuous Paragon would suffer a miserable end if they messed around here.
“This monk travels around the four oceans. My current trip took me to the Soaring Remembrance Village. I noticed that there was a great creation here, but unfortunately, I could not see through this place.” Monk Dazhi cheerfully explained.
Li Qiye smiled and shook his head with an answer: “It is all meaningless even if you could see through it. This place is reserved for the fateful ones; those who weren’t meant for it will never be able to obtain the great creations in this place. If one wished to seize them by force, then that would be the beginning of their demise!”
“Amitabha, amitabha.” Although he was reciting buddhist chants, the food never stopped going into his mouth.
On the second day’s sunrise, the village head quickly came to the backyard and was surprised to see another person.
“Amitabha, merciful Buddha!” Monk Dazhi chanted, then he explained to the village head: “Don’t be alarmed, Benefactor. This person is a friend I’ve invited. Luckily, with his great skills and our combined efforts, we were finally able to slay the hungry ghost last night. Benefactor can finally be at ease, there will be no more ghastly things intruding your residence now that the hungry ghost is gone.”
After hearing the explanation, the village head took a sigh of relief and quickly praised: “Sir Immortals have amazing magics. To be able to vanquish the hungry ghost… Amazing, simply amazing!”
Seeing the monk acting again, Li Qiye was at a loss, but he didn’t expose the monk’s trickery. Despite him running here for free meals, he was without malicious intentions. With his abilities, he didn’t need to swindle in order to eat in front of mortals like this.
Even though the hungry ghost had been eradicated, the village head and his wife still tried to keep the monk and Li Qiye around. The monk agreed to stay at the village for several days, and Li Qiye also stayed behind since he wished to check out the village a bit longer.
Many villagers visited them after hearing about how Monk Dazhi eradicated the hungry ghost. In a short period of time, Li Qiye and the monk were like monkeys at the circus; they were constantly being pointed at by all the enthusiastic and curious villagers.
A powerful cultivator disguised as a swindler — this left Li Qiye with an unexplainable feeling while Monk Dazhi very much enjoyed this situation. His interactions with the villagers were very natural and free, just like a real revered monk, to the unsuspecting crowd.
Li Qiye and Monk Dazhi stayed behind at the village head’s house while the couple treated them with unparalleled hospitality.
They were especially enthusiastic about Li Qiye. Sometimes, they would even ask him: “Where is your immortal grotto located? Do you have your marriage planned out yet?”
Li Qiye felt a bit strange in the face of these questions while Monk Dazhi, who was standing to the side, cheerfully replied: “Since Benefactors are asking so many questions, could it be that you want to betroth your daughter to my fellow daoist friend?”
The village head smiled and then shook his head: “We aren’t in charge of that little girl’s matters. However, if Immortal is interested, you two can get to know each other first.”
Monk Dazhi laughed and said: “Amitabha, Benefactor’s idea is actually not bad. Your daughter is as pretty as a fairy, my friend will definitely like her after they meet.”
Li Qiye didn’t know whether to laugh or cry after hearing the monk speak. He only shook his head and politely smiled without saying anything. He then left the house and took a stroll outside.
Right after Monk Dazhi courteously said goodbye to the village head with a smile, he then chased after Li Qiye and spoke: “You don’t know how many people want to marry the village head’s daughter.”
“If you keep sticking your tongue out, do you think I won’t pull it out?” Li Qiye looked at him with one eye and lightly said.
Monk Dazhi immediately shut up and chanted: “Amitabha, how sinful. I just won’t speak then!”
The Soaring Remembrance Village was neither overly large nor small. It had many great characters coming and going, including cultivators, but none of them managed to leave their personal marks in this village.
The unwitting would find this quite strange, but those who were keener and knew the secrets would not find it strange at all. Who could actually withstand the protecting will of an Immortal Emperor? The paradisiacal village had small bridges and flowing water, natural mountains and verdant forests; the entire village was immersed in tranquility.
Li Qiye and Monk Dazhi did a circle around the village. In fact, it was not Li Qiye’s first time here since he had visited a long time ago as the Dark Crow.
After so many long years and countless generations, despite people coming and going, the beautiful scenery remained due to the protection of the emperor!
“Truly a wonderful spell!” Walking inside the village, Monk Dazhi was also looking at the situation of this place and couldn’t help but praise with admiration: “What kind of heaven-defying being would be able to break the tranquility of this place?”
Li Qiye simply smiled without adding to the conversation. Of course an Immortal Emperor’s means were marvelous. He had once gone against the heavens and calculated a taboo matter. Perhaps, Immortal Emperor Fei Yang was buried in this ordinary village.
Of course, this was only a possibility and its authenticity was hard to prove. Throughout the ages, many Immortal Emperors left behind lineages and continued their bloodlines, but no one heard of an Immortal Emperor burying themselves in this world! 1
So whether Immortal Emperor Fei Yang was buried at the village or not was a mystery. Unless someone was able to release the emperor’s powerful seal, none would be able to find the answer.
In fact, the path of all the previous Immortal Emperors had been a riddle. Many believed that even Immortal Emperors were not true immortals and that they could not stay in this world forever. One day, they would have to meet their impending doom.
Despite this belief, the burials of Immortal Emperors were mysteries as well.
There had been Immortal Emperor lineages who swore to the world that their progenitors were buried in their ancestral lands, but even now, not everyone believed this.
1. This world here might be talking about the mortal world and not the cultivation world.