Chapter 14

After I cultivated and obtained the spiritual eye, I could vaguely see the appearance of the general soul. However, my general is not some three-headed, six-armed yin spirit; it is a chubby infant spirit. Yes, a chubby infant spirit that can't do anything and has no supernatural abilities.

At first, I thought this little fatty was hiding his depth, a true person not showing his appearance. So I had my master open the ghost gate road and let this little fatty pass into the yin realm. Who would have known that upon seeing other ghosts, this little fatty was frightened into loud wailing, hiding in the coffin and refusing to come out no matter what.

I asked my master, why does my general can't do anything?

My master pondered for a moment: "This might be related to a person's intelligence and talent."

I: "……"

Thus, I stopped asking and had to admit that my general soul, aside from looking cute and being able to act adorable, otherwise can't do anything.

But after spending so much time together, I have developed feelings for this little fatty; if I don't see him for a day, my chest feels as if a stone is weighing on it, and I can't feel happy.

One day three years later, as usual, I dripped blood and communicated with Little Fat through spirit mediumship. My master said that although I had cultivated the spiritual eye, seeing is one thing, being able to communicate is another; therefore, I must continue dripping blood to deepen the bond between me and Little Fat.

As soon as I lit the yellow incense, Little Fat popped out of the little coffin, grinning and happily munching on the incense smoke. After the three sticks of incense burned out, this guy was still not satisfied; he rubbed his little belly and pointed at the yellow incense, still wanting more, saying: "Eat, eat."

That meaning is clearly that he wants another three sticks.

"You glutton, besides eating, what else do you know?" I felt playful and teased him like that, not giving him incense. Who would have known that this little fatty would lie on the coffin, looking at me pitifully, his face full of resentment, as if abused by a father. If ghosts had tears, I estimate he would forcefully squeeze out two tears for me to see.

"Alright, alright, I'm done teasing you, I'll give you incense even if it's not enough." Seeing this little fatty almost crying, making a fuss, and threatening to hang himself, my heart softened and I quickly gave him three more sticks of incense.

Little Fat saw me soften, grinned, made a victorious expression, and continued lowering his head, greedily eating the incense smoke.

With a "creak", the door opened, and Little Fat, frightened, hurriedly hid inside the coffin.

I turned my head and saw my master leading a stranger inside. This stranger also looked a bit plump, his body emanating a harmonious aura; from his gait, he seemed to be someone skilled in martial arts.

"Come, come, Hai Sheng, let me introduce you: this is Daoist Sect Huaguang School's Uncle Wang QingSongShu, also my master's sworn brother." My master waved at me and called me over.

My master's words made my heart skip a beat; it was just that hearing those three words "Huaguang School" made me feel strange from the bottom of my heart.

Having followed my master for three years, I am no longer the clueless novice I once was; I naturally know about the Huaguang School, which is a folk-transmitted sect whose main focus is the worship of the Five Manifest Great Emperor Huaguang.

The Five Manifest Great Emperor Huaguang, also known as the famous Three-Eyed Horse King, is called Huaguang Tathagata Buddha by the Buddhist Sect, and the Daoist Sect calls him the Five Manifest Great Emperor Huaguang, Marshal Ma of the Five Manifest Numinous Palace, because Great Emperor Huaguang is half Buddha, half Dao; thus both Buddhist and Daoist Sects enshrine this deity.

In the transmission of many folk sects, there are literary and martial lineages; literary refers to drawing talismans, commanding troops, the Five Ghosts bringing wealth, consecration rituals, etc.; martial includes the Five Thunder Palm, point striking, mysterious striking, flipping secret striking, etc.

The Huaguang School is a sect that heavily emphasizes martial arts, because the Five Manifest Great Emperor Huaguang they worship is a fire spirit; the Huaguang law passed down is extremely overbearing, surpassing even the martial arts of the Maoshan and Lushan schools.

My master once told me such a story, which is what he witnessed when he was young and wandering the martial world.

He said he once saw, in Guangdong's Zhanjiang City, a seventy-year-old cultivator of Huaguang martial arts, in the countryside, using the Five Thunder Palm to push-strike a cow's body. The cow, less than two minutes later, immediately collapsed and died with blood flowing from its seven orifices. From this we can see how overbearing and unparalleled the Huaguang School's martial arts are.

Although Huaguang and Yinshan are both sects, anyone familiar with the mystical gates knows that Huaguang School is extremely yang-oriented, while Yinshan School is extremely yin-oriented; the two oppose each other in yin and yang, naturally being arch-enemies. Now Li Feng says that this stranger from the Huaguang School is his brother, which really almost made my jaw drop.

However, no matter how surprised I am, I cannot deny that this is a fact. Looking at the feelings between these two, they are not just brothers, but life-and-death brothers. Seeing my master call him "third younger brother" and Wang Shifu call him "second elder brother" shows how close their relationship is.

"Second elder brother, this is your disciple, right?" QingSongShu looked at me and asked Li Feng.

My master nodded, said yes, then called me to his front and said this:

"Hai Sheng, from today onward, you will follow QingSongShu. Study the art of feng shui and geomancy beside him."

"Um… Master, what do you mean by that?" I scratched my head, asking doubtfully.

My master sighed and spoke solemnly: "From today onward, I will be away for a period to settle some matters. You will temporarily stay with QingSongShu and learn skills from him."

"How long will you be away?" I continued to ask.

"Just do as you're told; no need to ask so many questions." Suddenly, my master became angry, and even his tone turned extremely irritable.

"I…" This was the first time in history that my master had spoken to me loudly like that. My eye sockets turned red, and I still wanted to keep asking, but Li Feng waved his hand to stop me and told me to leave.

I walked out with red eyes. However, I felt that my master was acting unusually today, so I secretly hid outside the door, listening to Li Feng and Wang QingSongShu speaking inside.

"Second elder brother, are you really planning to do this?" This was QingSongShu asking.

"Ah, by now it's unavoidable; better to face it openly, after all this is a mistake I made twenty years ago, and I should bear the consequences." This was my master's answer.

From their conversation, I roughly understood the whole story. It seems to be an enmity between my master's forefathers; twenty years ago, my master, to avenge his father, used a technique to kill that family, ending up with a disabled left hand. Now the family's sole surviving son has grown up and come to seek my master to avenge his relatives. My master seems to feel guilty about the past, regretting that he was too harsh back then, so he has repeatedly avoided that person, refusing to confront him directly. Now Li Feng seems tired of avoiding, wanting to settle this grudge face-to-face. Hence, the intention to entrust me to QingSongShu.

"But, second elder brother, fighting with a guilty heart is unfair..." QingSongShu earnestly advised, but was immediately cut off by Li Feng.

My master sighed inwardly and said: "No need to say more; I have already made my preparations; at worst it's death to repay the debt. Only, this child Hai Sheng has decent aptitude and nature. Just because he is a born ghost child, inherently afflicted with a defect, his personality is somewhat solitary; I hope QingSongShu, my younger brother, will teach him well and not let him go astray."

Upon hearing this, I prepared to burst through the door and tell my master my resolve: even if I die, I will share life and death with him, absolutely not leaving him.

Just then, a sudden "Ani Tuo Fo" Buddhist chant drifted from outside the gate, the voice seeming to come from beyond the nine heavens, illusory and unreachable, yet as if right before my eyes, so clear.

I turned my head toward the gate and saw that, at some unknown time, a monk had come into the courtyard. His robes were tattered, his face gaunt, standing with palms together in the courtyard.

At first sight of this monk, my heart immediately leapt up, and I cautiously guarded against him. Though his robes are tattered like a beggar's, this patched monk's attire is actually quite renowned.

His clothing is made from multicolored cloth patched together, making one easily think of the living Buddha Ji Gong from myth. This is not deliberately crafted to shape an image, but is made by piecing together the merit of a hundred families.

It is said that in ancient times, there were ascetic monks or Daoists who walked barefoot across the world, experiencing human suffering, and in the mundane world cultivated a true and steadfast heart. These people helped others dispel calamities and resolve misfortunes without charging money; for each good deed, they would ask the benefactor for a scrap of cloth, using that scrap to sew their garments. This garment is called the patchwork robe, also known as the merit robe. Though the clothing is tattered, it contains the merit of a hundred families. Legend holds that the merit on a patchwork robe can resolve the five flaws and three deficiencies of a cultivator; even someone whose life is near its end, after putting it on, can extend their life by several years, making it a priceless treasure.

Therefore, even though this monk wears tattered robes, I dare not slight him in the least, for those who can wear this merit robe are usually great beings who have traveled the world and performed countless good deeds. Moreover, the Yinshan Sect has traditionally not welcomed Buddhist affiliates. Now a monk wearing a merit robe has come to my doorstep, truly making me need to be cautious.

With a "thud", my master and QingSongShu also came out of the house. Upon seeing the monk, my master furrowed his brows, then immediately seemed to set down a heavy stone from his heart, and gave a hearty laugh to the tattered-robed monk.

"Xuan Ku, you have finally come."