Chapter 142: The Dog Meat Daoist

"Zhang Zhang Lingguan, Fengdu is no place to linger. How does the Zhenyuan Zushi plan to arrange for me?"

For Xiao Yu's sudden divine fortune, Daoist Qingsong merely sneered; he cared more about his own future.

The Divine Mace Taibao had come only rarely, so he naturally seized the chance to inquire thoroughly and subtly urge matters along.

The Divine Mace Taibao mused: "Your offenses are grave. Had it not been for Yu Little Fengxian's aid, you would have been utterly obliterated that day, with no chance to reunite your three souls and seven poisons."

And had it not been for the Dao Palace smoothing relations, even if you had Jiaoxing preserved your soul, you would surely have been cast into the Eternal Hell, doomed to eternal sinking."

Daoist Qingsong exclaimed: "If judged strictly by heavenly law, I am indeed guilty of heinous crimes. But was I acting for myself?"

The Divine Mace Taibao frowned. "Don't shout at me—I'm merely a Zhang Lingguan."

Daoist Qingsong took a deep breath, bowed to the Zhang Lingguan, and said: "Forgive me, Zhang Zhang Lingguan. This concerns my future—I grew too agitated."

The Divine Mace Taibao sighed: "You must understand the Zhenyuan Zushi's predicament. Over the past century, how many dirty deeds have you done for Great Qin? How much karmic debt and calamity qi have you accumulated? You know better than anyone."

This time, you weren't assassinated by Western Immortals—they couldn't kill you."

They stole the Emperor's Edict, triggered the calamity qi within you, activated the resentment of the thirty-six dead dragon veins, and directly ignited the Heavenly Killing Calamity."

You were meant to be instantly reduced to ash, utterly destroyed beyond redemption."

To be sent here to Fengdu to serve hard labor, you should be grateful Yu Little Fengxian reclaimed the Emperor's Edict in time—and did so without a trace of selfishness."

The Daoist Qingsong Daoist couldn't help growing agitated again: "I've cultivated for centuries—I know my condition perfectly well."

Yes, I carry too much karmic debt and calamity qi; even the 'Heavenly Elder' wants me dead."

That's why my perception was clouded—I didn't even notice Zong Zong Erbu stealing the Emperor's Edict right before my eyes."

But since I didn't instantly lose my soul and poisons, why is it so hard to restore me to the Yang realm now?"

The Divine Mace Taibao said: "You think too simply. First, you triggered the Heavenly Killing Calamity—the Heavenly Court has taken notice of you."

You should have sensed it—the thunder that struck you was from the Thunder Department's gods."

Your sins are too great; the Heavenly Court must punish you on Heaven's behalf. Even the Zhenyuan Zushi's plea to the Jade Emperor was useless."

If you don't die, you will be placed on the Heavenly Court's wanted list."

Either heavenly soldiers will descend to capture you, or the Three Calamities and Five Tribulations will take your life—no matter what, you must die."

If your soul doesn't scatter after death, you'll be imprisoned in Fengdu's hell, enduring countless tortures for years."

Second, you are loyal to the Emperor, but the Emperor's will is often not Heaven's will—it even defies Heaven's intent."

To say the Jade Emperor hates you is to underestimate his magnanimity—but he certainly dislikes you."

Now that you are despised by the 'Heavenly Elder,' the Jade Emperor won't let you off easily."

Lastly, the Great Qin court is in chaos, the Central Plains are in turmoil. Master Yumen has repeatedly sought an audience with Empress Zhao, hoping she would personally preside over a Heaven-offering ritual to absolve your sins and dispel calamity."

But Empress Zhao would rather cavort with her male favorites in the inner palace than see him."

Seeing Daoist Qingsong Daoist's grim expression, the Divine Mace Taibao softened his tone: "Still, you needn't worry too much."

The Zhenyuan Zushi has already spoken to the Great Emperor of Fengdu."

As long as the Heavenly Court doesn't send inspectors, you may remain within the Ghost City to cultivate quietly—you won't be sent down to the Eighteen Layers of Hell."

Master Yumen will surely help you erase your karmic debts."

Three days after the Lord Master Gongsun gave his evaluation of "ancient sage."

In the morning, after breakfast, in the back courtyard of Hongxiu Manor.

"You are the Righteous-as-Heavens Yu Little Fengxian?"

The Dog Meat Daoist held a braised dog leg in his left hand and a wine jar in his right.

He bit into the dog meat, chewing until grease dripped from his mouth, then tilted his head and gulped down a large swallow of wine, his thin face flushing red, eyes glazed.

"I am Yu Little Fengxian, but the praise 'Righteous-as-Heavens' is too heavy—I cannot bear it," Xiao Yu said with a bitter smile.

When Lord Master Gongsun had praised her that day as righteous-as-heavens, morally pure, bearing the legacy of ancient sages of the superior realm, she had been pleased—and afterward, she spoke to Lord Master Gongsun with far greater warmth and sincerity.

But she never imagined Lord Master Gongsun's remark would spread rapidly through Yingxiang Prefecture.

Xiao Big Nose and Miao Baldy were instrumental.

Those who attended the noon banquet—Xiao Yu, Jin Jin Lian, and Lord Master Gongsun Gongsun Wujiu—had stayed within Hongxiu Manor without leaving.

Wen Wen Ruyu, abandoned by Jin Jin Lian, was utterly dispirited and had no interest in promoting Xiao Yu's name.

Only Xiao Big Nose and Miao Baldy went around telling everyone. At first, they boasted about the legendary story of the Investiture of the Gods themselves; later, because the tale was so gripping, more people came to them seeking details.

From Hongxiu Manor's business these past two days, it's clear many patrons asked the girls there about the story of "Righteous-as-Heavens Yu Little Fengxian, who gifted a divine position with great loyalty."

In the end, it was simply the tale's legendary nature.

"If you truly gave the divine position to the wild ghosts of Sancha Ridge, then there's nothing too heavy to bear—hey!"

The Dog Meat Daoist shoved the braised dog leg back into his mouth; just as he was about to bite, his expression suddenly stiffened. He fixed his eyes on Xiao Yu's face—his gaze instantly shifted from glazed to sharp, bright, and gleaming with strange radiance.

Xiao Yu touched her own face. "What are you staring at? Do I have demonic qi on me?"

The Dog Meat Daoist came from Xianyun Temple.

Because on the night of the Investiture, Sui Lei Yuanzi's ghostly wailing disturbed the neighborhood, terrifying even Wang Wang Chushi's old courtyard guardian. Elders like Aunt Wang and Li Daye were badly frightened. Yesterday, the neighbors pooled money to invite the Dog Meat Daoist to exorcise the demons.

Aunt Wang and Li Daye should have invited him sooner.

But Wang's eldest daughter-in-law, Nie Shi, thought the Dog Meat Daoist drank and ate meat—he didn't seem like a true cultivated master—and insisted on going outside the city to invite Feng Feng Nipo from the "Shuixue Nunnery."

What happened after that, everyone knows.

Nie Shi probably had ulterior motives: nominally inviting Feng Feng Nipo to exorcise the demon from her mother-in-law, but secretly using the "Divine Mirror to Observe Heaven and Earth" to spy on her mother-in-law and aunt-in-law's private affairs, likely also performing divination, blessing rituals, and summoning spirits.

Midway through the ritual, Wang's second daughter-in-law, Zhang Shi's maid, overheard everything.

Then came the great battle between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law; Feng Feng Nipo was chased away by Wang Wang Chushi with a stick.

Feng Feng Nipo returned to the Shuixue Nunnery and remained dazed for days, mumbling incoherently.

So the neighbors revived their old proposal and pooled money again to invite the Dog Meat Daoist to exorcise the demons.

The term "collecting funds" means everyone contributed a few copper coins to help the Dog Meat Daoist buy a dog, then cook it for him.

Yesterday, the Dog Meat Daoist exorcised demons in the back alley; Aunt Liu heard of it and today summoned him again to exorcise demons in Hongxiu Manor's back courtyard.

The price: the guard dog, Big Yellow, at Hongxiu Manor's back gate.

The braised dog leg he now carried came from Big Yellow.

Even though Xiao Yu wasn't close to Big Yellow, seeing a familiar dog turned into a cooked one still stirred her resentment.

She came to watch the Dog Meat Daoist exorcise demons to verify whether he was a true master like Jigong—or just a big fraud.

The Dog Meat Daoist stared again at her face, placed the wine jar in the corner, wiped his greasy hands on his tattered Daoist robe, then assumed a solemn expression and began calculating with his fingers.

"You're a seasoned veteran—don't let yourself be fooled," Xiao Yu stepped back two paces and whispered to Aunt Liu.

"Don't speak nonsense—Master Master Yunqing is a true cultivated master," Aunt Liu whispered sharply.

"You ate our Big Yellow—he guarded our home for over a decade. How can you be so heartless?" Xiao Yu said.

"Eating your Big Yellow is his—and your—good fortune."

The Dog Meat Daoist finished his finger-calculation and resumed eating and drinking.

Aunt Liu smiled: "Master, have you discerned anything?"

The Dog Meat Daoist nodded, pointing at Xiao Yu with the gnawed dog bone: "She has divine fortune."

Aunt Liu blinked, startled: "What divine fortune?"

The Dog Meat Daoist shook his head, saying: "Her forehead glows with seven-colored radiance—this is the sign of divine fortune shining upon her. If she accumulates more merit, she may ascend to heaven in broad daylight and become a celestial maiden."

Xiao Yu laughed: "I do have some silver, but to make me kill a dog for you? That's a dream."

The Dog Meat Daoist didn't care; he kept pointing at her with the dog bone: "Remember—this period is the most critical of your life. Not only must you do good deeds, but more importantly, avoid evil ones."

Suppress the fierce tiger's malevolent energy within you.

Especially the martial calamity qi drawn from the Investiture of the Gods—it is too fierce, too inauspicious."

You'd best pull it out of your soul—otherwise, it will eventually kill you."

"It can save my life," Xiao Yu dismissed him.

"Sigh, it's your choice. I only warn you once—never kill again, no matter what."

Best go outside the city to the "White Dragon Temple" and seek the Vajra Sutra, or find Chi Jiu Luo at Fa Neng Temple and have him imprint large 'good' characters upon your heart."

Daily, listen to and recite Buddhist sutras—cultivate a bit of 'Buddha qi' within yourself."

Xiao Yu asked curiously: "You're a Daoist—why urge me to read Buddhist sutras? Aren't you afraid the Three Pure Ones will punish you?"

The Dog Meat Daoist laughed: "The Pure Ones speak only of the Great Dao—the Great Dao is impartial, the Great Dao is without feeling."

All dogmas and rules are merely invented by ordinary fools.

And I'm not asking you to join Buddhism—I'm asking you to read the sutras."

Chi Jiu Luo, that old bald monk, can help you take a shortcut—if you cooperate, he can immediately eliminate the calamity qi born from your cultivation of the Tiger Soul Seven Kill."

If you seek Daoist methods to purge this danger—hah— you'd need to refine the chaotic, violent calamity qi to the utmost yin state. Without seven or eight hundred years of painstaking effort, you might as well not even dream of it."

Xiao Yu had thought the monk was spouting nonsense—but when he mentioned refining calamity qi, she immediately felt a revelation.

"How do you refine calamity qi? Master, I admit—after absorbing the martial qi from the Investiture of the Gods, my soul has indeed been slightly affected," Xiao Yu asked.

The Investiture of the Gods' calamity qi didn't control her mind or make her cruel and violent—it shattered her carefully constructed absolute rationality, making her prone to impulsiveness.

If the old Daoist could help her refine the calamity qi and fully control the martial calamity qi of the Investiture of the Gods, it would benefit her only.

The Dog Meat Daoist shrugged: "If I knew exactly how to do it, I'd already be a Pure Yang True Immortal!"

Xiao Yu thought a moment, then asked: "Where does my divine fortune come from?"

The Dog Meat Daoist tapped her face with the dog bone: "All your fortune and misfortune come from yourself. Be tolerant and kind—you gain fortune. Kill—you invite disaster."

"I'm a good person—I never kill. Well, unless the other person is evil and tries to kill me—like that assassination at Hongxiu Manor," Xiao Yu said.

The Dog Meat Daoist bit into the dog meat, mumbling: "Even evil people—try not to kill. When you can kill someone, it means you have the right to choose between killing and sparing."

If you choose to kill, Heaven will be displeased.

After all, the Great Dao is indifferent, but Heaven has a virtue of nurturing life.

Moreover, between the wicked and the virtuous, it is often truly hard to define; avoiding definition as much as possible can reduce much karmic entanglement.

Xiao Yu sensed the meat-eating Daoist had deeper meaning in his words.

"I believe Heaven does not wish the virtuous to be harmed," she said.

The meat-eating Daoist said: "What does your belief matter? What counts is what Heaven thinks."

Seeing her confusion deepen, he sighed helplessly: "Your celestial fortune is hard-won; one misstep could cost you everything."

If you trust me, behave properly, recite the Buddhist sutras, and eliminate the three poisons: greed, anger, and delusion.

If you cannot, then it is your fate—do not blame anyone later."

After saying this, he ignored Xiao Yu entirely.

The meat-eating Daoist ate Da Huang, the guard dog behind Hongxiu Courtyard, yet worked with surprising diligence.

In the back courtyard, he set up an altar, performed rituals, drew talismans, burned paper, and spent the entire morning purging the accumulated resentment and malevolent qi of Hongxiu Courtyard—according to himself, and Xiao Yu somewhat agreed.

Because after his rituals, the Hongxiu Courtyard felt far "cleaner" in her spiritual perception.

After Heart Sea Scripture upgraded to version 1.1, she could perceive the Ghost Path, the Spirit Transport Path, and the Divine Path.

If any ghost or spirit entered Hongxiu Courtyard, she would sense it.

There were no resentful ghosts within Hongxiu Courtyard.

But in certain remote places, the Ghost Path vision revealed clumps of black qi and dark winds.

Xiao Yu did not know what they were; when she used the Ferocious Tiger Divine Will on them, it had no effect.

The meat-eating Daoist held a peach-wood sword, stepped the Nine Stars, burned talismans, sprinkled water, muttered incantations, and the dark winds and black qi vanished.

It was miraculous.

"Old Immortal, do you need an apprentice? I have considerable wealth—I can offer you fragrant dog meat as a gift for becoming your disciple."

As the meat-eating Daoist packed his things to leave, Xiao Yu approached with a smiling face.

The old Daoist glanced at her and said: "I didn't expect you to have some innate talent, but alas, I do not accept female disciples."

He paused, then added: "Rather than fixating on my minor tricks of summoning immortals and guiding oracles, consider my earlier advice."

If you become a nun outright, a vegetarian who abstains from killing, your immortal path will shine brighter."

Who knows? You might even attain immortality in this lifetime."

"Hey, Daoist, don't talk nonsense! Xiao Little Fengxian is already famous in the West; she might even surpass the Five Supreme Sword Maidens one day! What do you mean by making her a nun?!" Aunt Liu cried out indignantly.

"Worthless wood, unfit for carving!"

The meat-eating Daoist picked up his yellow cloth bundle and walked away with long strides.