Chapter 102: Opening the Door to See the Mountain

He then said, "Since you all want to help, then come back tonight."

Yang Feiyun was somewhat surprised; he had thought Zhang Cheng would be evasive, and did not expect him to agree so quickly.

Since Zhang Cheng had already agreed, he would have to see for himself whether this was truly the entrance to the Ghost Gate Pass.

That night, Mao Xiaofang and the other two followed Zhang Cheng to wait on the mountain, and soon they saw the phantom image of a Ghost Gate Pass appear.

Mao Xiaofang asked in surprise, "True Person Zhang, why would the Ghost Gate Pass appear here?"

Zhang Cheng explained, "Since you want to know, then I will speak plainly."

"In a few years, the heavens and earth will be severed, and this world will enter the Age of Dharma Decline; in the future, Qi will become increasingly scarce, or even disappear entirely."

Mao Xiaofang frowned deeply, his expression grim as he said, "Then in the future, those of us who cultivate the Dao..."

Zhang Cheng nodded and said, "Indeed, cultivating the Dao will become even more difficult in the future; perhaps it will truly, truly be reduced to a deceptive trick."

Yang Feiyun was also shocked, but he immediately asked, "True Person Zhang, you still haven't explained about the Ghost Gate Pass."

Zhang Cheng replied, "The Ghost Gate Pass has been relocated here. In the future, only the Ghost Gate Pass, the Naihe Bridge, and the Six Paths of Reincarnation will remain within this Underworld; everything else will depart."

"A City God will manage everything here, while I will only keep watch over this Ghost Gate Pass entrance in the world of the living."

Mao Xiaofang realized suddenly, "Then Yu Dahai was not a wandering ghost, but was taken to the Underworld by Yin Messengers?"

Zhang Cheng nodded slightly and said, "Someone must have filed a grievance, so the Yin Messengers took him down to the Underworld to ask some questions."

Mao Xiaofang said with some concern, "True Person Zhang, Feiyun was likely injured by the Yin Messengers; will they continue to trouble Feiyun?"

Zhang Cheng shook his head and smiled, "Heaven and earth are unkind and treat all things as straw dogs; your friend is nothing more than an ant in their eyes."

"People do not get angry because of the provocation of an ant, and the Yin Messengers will not care about such matters."

These words made Yang Feiyun's temper flare; he considered himself extraordinary and the last thing he wanted was for others to treat him as someone insignificant.

Yang Feiyun said with great dissatisfaction, "True Person Zhang, are these Yin Messengers as arrogant as the gods?"

Zhang Cheng smiled slightly and said, "Their lifespans are infinite, while a human life is but a hundred years."

"Your lifespan is like a white horse passing a crack in their time; what is there to be concerned about?"

"You all exhaust your entire lives, cultivating the Dao for decades, but in the eyes of the Yin Messengers, you are merely mortals."

Yang Feiyun said, unwilling to accept this, "True Person Zhang should also be careful; a mayfly can also shake a tree."

Zhang Cheng chuckled and said, "Your courage is commendable."

"Alright, you have already understood the situation; you need not worry about matters here, hurry back now."

Mao Xiaofang hurriedly bowed and said, "Sorry to trouble you, True Person Zhang."

After Mao Xiaofang and Yang Feiyun and the others left, Mitaro appeared by Zhang Cheng's side.

Mitaro asked, somewhat puzzled, "My Lord, why keep a villain like Yang Feiyun? It would be better to just kill him."

Zhang Cheng shook his head and said, "His fate is already written in the Book of Life and Death; how could I alter it without authorization?"

"Mitaro, you must understand that in the future, I will be the only god in this world, nearly the Heavenly Dao itself."

"If I were to act according to my own whims, it would be a disaster for this world."

"Therefore, I must strictly follow the rules so as not to lose my original intent."

Mitaro bowed and said, "My Lord is benevolent."

Zhang Cheng nodded and said, "Once A-Jiang's training is finished, you shall undergo the shedding of your mortal coil and serve as a Martial Judge."

Mitaro said joyfully, "Thank you, my Lord."

On the way back, Chen Jiang said with some disappointment, "I won't be able to cultivate in the future; I don't even know what I can do."

Mao Xiaofang smiled and said, "It's not that you can't cultivate, it's just that it will be much harder."

"I, for one, am thinking of finding a village to settle in; helping people look at Feng Shui will be enough to make a living."

Yang Feiyun praised, "Master Mao is truly broad-minded. It's just that I think it's a pity to waste such skills."

Chen Jiang nodded and said, "Indeed, it is a great pity."

Yang Feiyun smiled, "In this world, people like Yu Dahai and Li Siwei can act recklessly, while upright people like us can only live like this; it is still quite a pity to think about."

Chen Jiang immediately said, "Then I must earn more money, so that life will be easier in the future."

Mao Xiaofang shook his head and said, "If Qi is nearly non-existent, I imagine the ghosts and monsters in the world will also decrease, and everyone will live a peaceful life; I think that's not bad."

Chen Jiang laughed, "Hahaha, I can't be like you, Master Mao."

The few of them exchanged a few pleasantries, soon returned to the Daoist hall, and then dispersed.

Yang Feiyun returned to his home, looked at the somewhat messy room, and could not suppress the anger in his heart; he raged in his helplessness.

Previously, because of the Heavenly Longevity Pearl, he had falsely claimed that Ren Wanzhen had been unfaithful, and she had committed suicide out of shame; in reality, he had killed her to take her heart.

He had used the Flying Dragon Seven Star Array to reverse his destiny, but because Mao Xiaofang's birth date conflicted with his own, the reversal of his destiny failed.

And the celestial phenomenon required for the Flying Dragon Seven Star Array to reverse destiny occurs in a sixty-year cycle; if missed, one must wait another sixty years.

He could no longer afford to wait.

Yang Feiyun stepped forward and picked up the straw doll inscribed with Mao Xiaofang's birth date, murderous intent emerging in his eyes.

He thought to himself about how he could kill Mao Xiaofang.

"Since I cannot do it myself, then I will borrow a knife to kill. Xuan Kui!"

Early the next morning, someone discovered Chen Guixiang's corpse in the river.

Zhong Bang learned the news and immediately brought Fang Tu to see Chen Guixiang's corpse.

Seeing the corpse, he said angrily, "It must have been Yu Dahai who sent someone to do this!"

Fang Tu said with a worried face, "But we have no evidence; besides, Detective Ke and Yu Dahai have a pretty good relationship."

Zhong Bang clenched his fists and said, "Hmph, I'm not afraid; I must get justice for Chen Guixiang!"

Having said that, Zhong Bang called a few of his men and rushed to Yu Dahai's villa, intending to enter the house and search.

Yu Dahai said with unbridled arrogance, "What are you doing? Breaking into a private residence?"

Zhong Bang said angrily, "Yu Dahai, I now suspect you are involved in a murder case, move aside quickly."

Yu Dahai said with a rogue's expression, "Don't you go wrongly accusing me; you bring out the evidence. Besides, if you want to search, you must have a search warrant."

Seeing Yu Dahai's indifferent attitude, Zhong Bang became even angrier; he directly reached out to push Yu Dahai aside and waved his hand, saying, "Go in and search!"

"Zhong Bang, what are you doing!"

Inspector Ke appeared immediately and ordered all the detectives to leave.

He reprimanded Zhong Bang, "As a detective, how can you abuse your power? Hand over your service weapon and credentials, and go home to reflect."

Zhong Bang glared at Inspector Ke and shouted, "You are always speaking up for these rich people; I'm not doing this detective job anymore!"

Having said that, Zhong Bang resigned and left.

Upon learning that Zhong Bang was no longer a detective, Mao Xiaofang immediately found him and said, "A-Bang, why don't you follow me to learn Daoist arts? You can still uphold justice just the same."

Zhong Bang ignored Mao Xiaofang, and Zhong Jun, who was standing to the side, immediately said, "Mao Xiaofang, A-Bang is my younger brother; if he is to learn anything, he will learn from me. Don't you go having any crooked ideas."

Mao Xiaofang ignored Zhong Jun and continued to persuade Zhong Bang, "Are you wanting to help Chen Guixiang?"

Zhong Bang looked at Mao Xiaofang and asked, "Master Mao, do you have a way?"

Mao Xiaofang smiled and said, "Is that not easy? As long as you learn Daoist methods from me, you can communicate with the Heavenly Dao above and connect with the Nine Netherworlds below."

"By then, you can use the Bridge Inquiry to summon Chen Guixiang's yin spirit to ask her, wouldn't that solve it?"

Zhong Bang already believed that ghosts and Daoist arts existed in this world; upon hearing Mao Xiaofang's idea, he immediately said, "Master Mao, you are right, I need to learn this."

Mao Xiaofang deliberately put on an air and said, "The Dharma cannot be taught lightly; only if you are my disciple can I teach it to you."

Zhong Jun hurriedly tried to stop him, "Ha, Mao Xiaofang, are you trying to swindle my brother? A-Bang, you just learn from me."

Zhong Bang had always felt that his older sister Zhong Jun was just a con artist, so he did not respond to her words.

He looked at Mao Xiaofang and said, "Master Mao, I am willing to take you as my master."

Mao Xiaofang was overjoyed in his heart and hurriedly said, "Tomorrow, you shall take me as your master."

Zhong Jun was so angry she stomped her feet, but Zhong Bang ignored her entirely.

The next day, Zhong Bang took Mao Xiaofang as his master and followed him to learn magic arts.

For the past few days, Yang Feiyun had been searching for the whereabouts of Xuan Kui, but had gained nothing.

So he found Mao Xiaofang, only to see Mao Xiaofang teaching Zhong Bang magic arts; as a Five-Generation Extraordinary Person, Zhong Bang's progress in learning magic was even faster than Yang Feiyun's.

In a very happy mood, Mao Xiaofang immediately said to Yang Feiyun, "Feiyun, you've come. This is my new disciple, Zhong Bang; you know him."

Yang Feiyun smiled, "I know him, but why has Detective Zhong started learning Daoist arts?"

Zhong Bang explained, "I am no longer any detective; I am now following my master to learn magic arts."

"However, I will definitely find the clues to how Yu Dahai killed Chen Guixiang."

Upon hearing this, Yang Feiyun's heart tightened; it was fortunate he had come here, otherwise he would not have known about this matter.

Mao Xiaofang, who was to the side, asked, "Feiyun, why haven't I seen you these past few days?"

Yang Feiyun immediately explained, "Was it not because I saw the Zombie King Xuan Kui last time? I always feel he is very dangerous, so I wanted to find his tracks and eliminate him."

Mao Xiaofang nodded slightly and said, "So that is how it is. However, Xuan Kui is extremely formidable; you must be careful, Feiyun."

Zhong Bang chimed in, "Master Mao, I don't see that Xuan Kui has caused any killing, and he even saved Xiao Zun, I think..."

Yang Feiyun immediately said, "A-Bang, there is something you don't know. Xuan Kui may not have done evil deeds in Hong Kong, but he came from the North. Master Mao has been chasing him for so long, he surely knows of Xuan Kui's cruelty."

Mao Xiaofang nodded, "Indeed, the sins caused by Xuan Kui are too numerous to count."

Zhong Bang said with some difficulty, "Then what about Xiao Zun?"

Mao Xiaofang's expression turned somewhat grim as he said, "If we cannot remove the corpse poison, we must prepare early."

Zhong Bang said with some anger, "Then Master, you cannot save Xiao Zun either?"

Mao Xiaofang nodded slightly, "I do not have great certainty. However, you might be able to; you learn magic arts very quickly, and presumably, once you have cultivated and attained the Dao, you should be able to restrain Xiao Zun."

Yang Feiyun immediately said, "Actually, if that Daoist Zhang were to take action, he should be able to save Xiao Zun."

Zhong Bang immediately looked at Yang Feiyun and asked, "Who is Daoist Zhang?"

Mao Xiaofang explained, "He is Master Chen's martial uncle, a high-level expert of the Maoshan Sect."

Yang Feiyun added, "I heard Master Chen say that Daoist Zhang can fly on a sword and summon wind and rain; he is almost like an immortal."

Zhong Bang said in surprise, "He is actually that powerful? Master, let us go find him."

Mao Xiaofang said with some difficulty, "I am just afraid Daoist Zhang will not take action."

Zhong Bang asked anxiously, "Why is that? Isn't he of the orthodox Profound Gate?"

Mao Xiaofang hesitated for a moment and said, "It is precisely because Daoist Zhang is of the orthodox Profound Gate, and recently... how should I put it? Perhaps this is Xiao Zun's fate."

Zhong Bang was speechless and said, "What fate or not, I don't believe in that."

Yang Feiyun added, "Zhong Bang, high-level experts who have attained the Dao like Daoist Zhang generally follow the Heavenly Dao."

Zhong Bang immediately said, "I will go find him and ask; Master, where is this Daoist Zhang?"

Mao Xiaofang looked at Zhong Bang and had no choice but to say, "Daoist Zhang is currently at Lingjiao Mountain on Lamma Island."

Zhong Bang immediately put down his magic talismans, packed up, and then took Xiao Zun to head toward Lamma Island.

Mao Xiaofang was uneasy, so he hurriedly followed.

Yang Feiyun had no choice but to leave the Hong Kong Daoist Temple. Although he had not asked about Xuan Kui's whereabouts, he now knew that Zhong Bang would go looking into Chen Guixiang's death.

"I must never let Zhong Bang know how Chen Guixiang died."

Yang Feiyun wanted to take this opportunity to kill Zhong Bang.

He actually liked Yu Bixin very much, and Yu Bixin liked Zhong Bang very much; this time was just the right opportunity.

Meanwhile, Zhong Bang had brought Xiao Zun to Lingjiao Mountain and met Zhang Cheng.

Mao Xiaofang hurriedly stepped forward and said apologetically, "Daoist Zhang, my disciple is reckless, please forgive him."

Zhang Cheng said casually, "It is no matter, he is anxious to save a life, I understand very well. But in this matter, I cannot take action."

Zhong Bang could not believe it and hurriedly said, "Why? This is a human life!"

Zhang Cheng said indifferently, "By rights, he is already dead; it is only because Xuan Kui saved him that he lives, but this child is no longer human."

"He is no longer within the Three Realms or the Five Elements; one could say his fate has already ended, and he no longer even has a cycle of reincarnation."

Zhong Bang said angrily, "I don't believe it, Xiao Zun is clearly still alive!"

Zhang Cheng flicked the horsetail whisk in his hand and said, "Young man, parting by life and death is an inevitable part of life; why be so persistent?"

Zhong Bang said loudly, "How could I possibly watch such a thing happen with my own eyes!"

Zhang Cheng replied, "If you cannot accept it, that is your own affair. If you have the ability, you can save him yourself."

Zhong Bang sneered, "Then what about you? Is this the heartless and unrighteous way you cultivate the Dao?"

Mao Xiaofang was shocked and hurriedly apologized.

Zhang Cheng, however, said, "My master and senior brothers died in the great battle before; I could go to the Underworld now to bring their souls back and resurrect them, but what would that change?"

"You were a police detective before and know the laws. Then you should know the Heavenly Laws; I would like to ask you, when you were a detective, did you not violate the law? Why then do you violate the Heavenly Laws now?"

(End of chapter)