Chapter 7: A Mere Fox Spirit, How Could She Disturb My Daoist Heart?

Corpse driving is a very arduous task, for one must avoid the living during the day and naturally can only choose to travel at night, taking remote mountain paths or small trails; if one must pass through villages or towns, one must notify the villagers in advance to lock up their dogs.

At the same time, there is a saying regarding the three types that can be driven and the three that cannot. The three that can be driven are: those who were beheaded, those who were hanged, and those who died in a standing cage. Those who were beheaded must have their corpses sewn back together.

Legend has it that because they all died against their will, they died with resentment, missing their hometowns and thinking of their loved ones. One can use magic to summon their souls, seal them within their respective corpses using talismans, and then use magic to drive them over mountains and across waters to return to their ancestral homes.

The three that cannot be driven are: those who died of illness, those who died voluntarily by drowning or hanging, and those whose bodies are incomplete due to being struck by lightning or burned by fire.

Among them, the souls of those who died of illness have already been summoned by King Yama, and one cannot call their souls back from the gates of the underworld.

As for those who drowned or hanged themselves, their souls have been "replaced" and taken away; furthermore, they may be in the process of transitioning, and if one were to summon a new soul when the old one has no replacement, it would affect the reincarnation of the old soul.

Additionally, those who died by lightning strikes are all people with deep sins, and those burned to death by large fires often have incomplete flesh and skin, and likewise cannot be driven.

The corpses being driven are all dressed in burial clothes, and because the style looks like that of a hopping vampire, they are easily mistaken for one. In reality, the fact that these corpses can hop is entirely caused by the corpse driver casting spells.

This technique is called the Thirty-Six Arts of Corpse Driving. The first art is the "Standing Art" for corpses, which is to first make the corpse able to stand up. The second art is the "Walking Art," which is to make the corpse walk freely, and the third art is the "Turning Art," which is to make the corpse able to turn while walking. Additionally, there are the "Downhill Art," "Bridge-Crossing Art," "Mute Dog Art," "Soul-Returning Art," and so on.

Only after mastering the thirty-six arts can one drive corpses.

However, Taoist Priest Simu has high cultivation, so he simply took out some talisman paper for Zhang Cheng, and Zhang Cheng was able to follow along and drive the corpses; when Zhang Cheng drove the corpses, Taoist Priest Simu would hitch a ride on the "gold master" to rest.

The two took turns, and after a few days, they arrived near the deep mountains where he lived.

It was already the Hour of the Rat, and Taoist Priest Simu smiled and said, "With your help this time, Asheng, I've had it much easier. It's a pity my apprentice Jiale is so stupid that I can't take him out to drive corpses together. Sigh."

Zhang Cheng smiled and said, "It is a matter of personal affinity, Priest; you flatter me."

No sooner had he finished speaking than the corpse at the very back was pulled away by two white ribbons. Taoist Priest Simu heard the strange noise and hurriedly looked back to see a beautiful woman on a tree behind them.

Taoist Priest Simu was furious and shouted, "Hey! Don't think that just because you're pretty, you can snatch my gold master!"

Having said that, he drew his Seven-Star Copper Sword, rushed over in two or three steps, then stepped on a nearby tree trunk to leap up, slashing at the woman with his sword.

The woman immediately released the corpse, leaned backward, and flew away directly, with Taoist Priest Simu running in pursuit.

Zhang Cheng held his peachwood sword and stood guard by the corpses. Before long, the woman flew back, her clothes having faded away quite a bit, revealing her long legs.

She lay not far away, her posture alluring, exhaling demonic energy from her mouth. To Zhang Cheng, it smelled like the charming fragrance of a woman. Seeing Zhang Cheng's dazed eyes, the woman hurriedly cast flirtatious glances and posed seductively.

Zhang Cheng dropped his peachwood sword, his eyes unfocused, and muttered, "Wow, amazing, this hits my weak spot..."

He walked to the woman's side, crouched down, and threw himself into her embrace. The woman looked at the bowing Zhang Cheng in her arms and revealed a triumphant smile, her delicate hands turning into sharp claws.

The woman thought to herself: Stinky man, I'll dig out your heart and eat it in a moment!

She was just about to strike when she heard a man's low shout in her ear: "Command!"

"Ah!"

The woman let out a shriek; she felt her whole body paralyzed and unable to move, while Zhang Cheng immediately rolled backward, picked up his peachwood sword, and stabbed at the woman's abdomen.

"Ah!"

The woman let out another shrill, miserable scream.

Her demonic core was shattered, and the woman turned into a fox; after struggling a few times, she stopped moving.

"Killed one two-hundred-year cultivation fox spirit, gained two hundred merit points."

Zhang Cheng revealed a satisfied smile; he now had three hundred merit points. He could use these three hundred points to upgrade the Five-Thunder Command Token, but it wouldn't be of much use against that royal vampire struck by lightning this time, so he would just have to wait until he arrived at his destination to think about what magic treasure to buy.

Taoist Priest Simu ran over, took a look at the fox spirit on the ground, and said with some surprise, "Wow, so it was a fox spirit. Asheng, you weren't bewitched by her?"

Zhang Cheng thought to himself: Is this it? Compared to the 'goddesses' on Douyin, Xiaohongshu, and Twitter, this is child's play.

He smiled and said, "It's fine, my Daoist heart is firm; I have no such worldly desires."

Taoist Priest Simu was dumbfounded, then gave a thumbs up and said, "Great! I admire you! Let's go first."

Zhang Cheng followed Taoist Priest Simu back to his home. Next to his home was the home of Master Yixiu. The two lived close by but had become enemies; whenever they got together, they would hurt each other.

Taoist Priest Simu entered the courtyard and called for his apprentice Jiale, but Jiale did not respond, which made him lose face in front of Zhang Cheng, so he decided to teach Jiale a lesson. He did not let the corpses take action, but walked in himself to discipline him.

Before long, Jiale's wails came from inside the house. Once it was quiet inside, Zhang Cheng walked in. Taoist Priest Simu pointed at the grimacing Jiale and said, "This is my good-for-nothing apprentice, Jiale. Jiale, call him Priest Zhang."

Zhang Cheng hurriedly said, "Jiale, just call me Asheng."

Jiale hurriedly greeted Zhang Cheng, then looked at Taoist Priest Simu and said, "Master, I'll go make breakfast for you now. Also, Master Yixiu is back."

As soon as Taoist Priest Simu heard the name Master Yixiu, his expression changed drastically, and he said with an angry face, "Why is that damn bald donkey back? Bad luck."

Outside the door, Master Yixiu brought Jingjing to pay a visit. Zhang Cheng consciously stood up to bow to Master Yixiu, and Taoist Priest Simu introduced them: "This is Zhang Cheng, a lay practitioner. This is Master Yixiu."

Master Yixiu said in surprise, "Such a young lay practitioner?"

Taoist Priest Simu said unpleasantly, "That's right, Asheng can deal with some ordinary ghosts and monsters all by himself."

Master Yixiu smiled and said, "Truly a young hero."

Zhang Cheng hurriedly said modestly, "Master, you flatter me. Please sit down; I'll go help Jiale."

Master Yixiu nodded and said, "Jingjing, you go help too."

Zhang Cheng and Jingjing headed to the kitchen together. On the way, Jingjing asked curiously, "Have you caught ghosts and monsters before?"

Zhang Cheng said kindly, "That's right. Previously, I subdued a female ghost and a green vampire with Taoist Priest Simu's senior fellow apprentice, and on the way here, I killed a fox spirit that was harming people."

Jingjing said very curiously, "Can you tell me about it?"

Zhang Cheng saw the somewhat dejected Jiale and said, "You will encounter them in the future too." Having said that, he left.

It wasn't that he was averse to women; it was just that he was currently in the rising phase of his career, so how could he have time for romance? If he were to travel everywhere, bringing the person he liked along, he would regret it too late if they encountered danger.

If he were to find a woman, that would be something to consider only after he had cultivated the Dao and settled down.