Chapter 153

When I rushed to that cluttered side room, Murong Jia Jia was curled up in a dark corner, and before her three small flags stood in a triangular formation surrounding her; upon closer look, the three flags emitted several strands of chaotic, invisible red threads that encircled Murong Jia Jia at the center.

Although I have lost my magical power, I recognize the use of these flags; they are like the technique in the vampire hunter movies starring Lin Zhengying, where red threads are used to bind zombies.

Yes, don't think I'm joking. Hong Kong has long been a stronghold for the transmission of the Southern Transmission Maoshan Mighty Numinous Method; even though Lin Zhengying is not a practitioner of the Dharma teaching, the spells and jargon in his films are indeed drawn from Hong Kong folk Southern Transmission Maoshan Mighty Numinous Method.

This method invokes the power of the Giant Spirit God; any demon or monster bound by it will sink deep and be unable to break free. In this spell formation, whether using flags or ropes or similar objects to set up the array, the main focal point is not on the rope or the flag; the truly effective element is a tiny, almost unnoticeable doll.

I found this little doll hidden by QingSongShu half a meter away from the corner of the flag; although the doll is only thumb-sized, it has both hands raised to the heavens, giving it a mighty and awe-inspiring bearing.

After I chanted the spell and dispelled the spiritual power attached to it, Murong Jia Jia was finally able to escape from the formation.

Seeing Murong Jia Jia finally free, I couldn't help but let out a big sigh of relief. To be honest, I had only been trying my luck, but fortunately, even without magical power, the incantation still had some effect.

At this moment, Murong Jia Jia looked very weak; her fair cheeks appeared even paler, and her soul form flickered and gradually dimmed, as if a gust of wind could make her vanish completely.

Seeing her like this, I was startled; I had thought QingSongShu had merely injured and driven her away, but I never expected him to have harmed her so severely.

I couldn't help but silently curse QingSongShu twice in my heart, then hastily formed the hand seal and drew the floral characters, preparing to use the Yin‑assisting method to help Murong Jia Jia regain her vitality—but when I finished drawing the characters, I suddenly remembered that my magical power was gone, and I could only let my hand drop in dejection.

"I'm fine, you don't need to worry about me!" As if she had read my mind, Murong Jia Jia stepped lightly to my side and comforted me.

"Actually, you shouldn't blame QingSongShu either; he doesn't know you, so he struck harder than necessary." I gave Murong Jia Jia a wry smile while explaining, hoping she wouldn't hold a grudge against QingSongShu in her heart,

Murong Jia Jia shook her head and smiled gently, saying: "I don't blame him; your uncle may look stern, but he has a good heart. Even after the Divine Eye Shift Gate ability wounded me, he didn't immediately annihilate me—he merely trapped me."

Hearing Murong Jia Jia's tone, it seemed she didn't blame QingSongShu, so I finally relaxed. But the next moment, I involuntarily sucked in a breath of cold air.

"What did you say? You were injured by the Divine Eye ability—is that really true?" I widened my eyes, staring at Murong Jia Jia in utter shock.

If I recall correctly, on the forehead of Great Emperor Huaguang there is indeed a third Divine Eye; this supernatural ability was granted to him by the Great Sun Tathagata, the lord of the Esoteric School.

In his first incarnation, Great Emperor Huaguang was the wick of a lotus‑oil lamp placed before the hall of Shakyamuni Buddha; he accompanied the Buddha, daily listening to sutras and asking about the Dharma. Over time, the lamp‑flowers accumulated and transformed into the essence of fire, the spirit of fire, the yin of fire, and the soul of fire.

After the Buddha performed a rite on him, he was reborn as a human named Miao Jixiang. His temperament was fiery and unrestrained; when the Solitary Dragon Ghost King came to cause trouble at the Great Thunder Sound Temple, Miao Jixiang unleashed the Three Flavors True Fire, burning the ghost king to death. This violated Buddhist precepts and heavenly laws, making the Dharma unable to accommodate him, so Shakyamuni Buddha condemned him to reincarnate.

Before his rebirth, the Buddha bestowed upon Great Emperor Huaguang the "Five Penetrations": penetrating heaven—heaven moves of its own accord; penetrating earth—earth splits from within; penetrating wind—wind leaves no trace; penetrating water—water presents no obstruction; penetrating fire—fire dwells at ease. Then, by pointing a finger at the crown of his head, the Buddha granted him a Heavenly Eye Shift Gate, enabling him to perceive the affairs of the three realms.

Therefore, the Heavenly Eye Shift Gate can be considered Great Emperor Huaguang's sixth supernatural ability. In later generations, the Huaguang lineage indeed transmitted a cultivation method for the Heavenly Eye Shift Gate, and this method is also a progressive practice that cultivates from the Spiritual Eye to the Heavenly Eye.

In the Daoist Sect, there is the Spiritual Eye, then the Mysterious Eye, and finally the Divine Eye! The Spiritual Eye merely allows one to see the yin and yang realms, to have spirits possess the body, and to inspect hysteria. The Mysterious Eye can use a water basin as a mirror, the palm emitting a circular light, to inquire into past and future. The Divine Eye, however, reaches the level of perceiving the illusory, and can even see the dharma bodies of deities descending when they are worshipped on the first and fifteenth of each lunar month.

Moreover, Great Emperor Huaguang's Heavenly Eye Shift Gate method is also a technique of tremendous destructive power. This may be related to the fact that the Five Manifestations Huaguang Emperor is a fire spirit. Within the Huaguang school, even the gentlest techniques possess a domineering destructive power greater than ordinary methods.

However, those who have cultivated the Heavenly Eye have never been heard of, and those who have attained the Divine Eye are even rarer; generally, only cultivators who have opened the Spiritual Eye are common, while those with the Mysterious Eye exist, but only practitioners whose daily practice and internal cultivation have reached a certain level can open it.

Upon first hearing that Murong Jia Jia had actually been wounded by the Divine Eye ability, I was startled all over again. Could it be that QingSongShu has concealed his abilities so deeply? He has actually cultivated the Huaguang school's Heavenly Eye Shift Gate to the level of the Divine Eye.

Murong Jia Jia nodded slightly and said firmly: "Indeed, it is the Divine Eye ability of Marshal Ma of the Spiritual Palace (another title for the Five Manifestations Huaguang Emperor)."

…………

Finally, after confirming this fact once more from Murong Jia Jia's mouth, although I was shocked, my heart involuntarily grew even more delighted—QingSongShu had mastered the Divine Eye ability, which is a great boon for both me and Pangzi; if Pangzi could inherit QingSongShu's mantle, then his standing within the Wang family of the trade would surely rise even further.

But… thinking of Pangzi's temperament, I still tossed this unreliable notion out of my mind.

"Right, let's not talk about that for now—I have an urgent matter to discuss with you, something extremely urgent." After the shock, I got back to the point and told Murong Jia Jia the whole story about Chen Zheng and Dong Yumin.

After saying that, I anxiously asked her: "Can you refine a low‑grade Eight Treasures Purple Gold Blossom in a short time? I really, really need this Obscure Spirit Pill."

Murong Jia Jia suddenly broke into a smile and told me: "Actually, during these days you were away, I have been searching outside for the whereabouts of a certain spiritual herb. Now I have some leads."

In my puzzlement, Murong Jia Jia slowly told me:

During the days I was away, she went out more than once to seek the whereabouts of that spiritual herb. This herb is extremely important for refining the Eight Treasures Purple Gold Blossom; it is the medicinal eye of the Eight Treasures Purple Gold Blossom.

By this point, anyone who knows a little about the Wudang Sect's Purple Gold Blossom knows what this spiritual herb is!

This crucial medicine is… Huangjing (Solomon's seal). In ancient times, if Daoists on Mount Wudang wanted to refine Eight Treasures Purple Gold Blossom, they had to go up the mountain to gather Huangjing; the older the Huangjing's components, the higher the success rate for refining the Eight Treasures Purple Gold Blossom. If the Huangjing has already developed spiritual intelligence, the resulting Eight Treasures Purple Gold Blossom becomes extraordinary.

However, with societal development, deforestation and air pollution have caused wild medicinal materials to greatly diminish or even disappear. Only Mount Wudang, this Dharma‑ending era's spiritual land, still retains many wild medicinal herbs. In the Wudang Yellow Dragon Cave, among the seventy‑two peaks, one can still pick older‑aged Huangjing, but this spirit‑endowed Huangjing… what does Murong Jia Jia mean by this? Could it be that in this day and age such spiritual objects still remain?

"Yes, I have found a stalk of Huangjing, and it is extremely likely to be a stalk that has already developed spirituality; it has sprouted Spiritual Apertures. If it were not for the approaching full moon, when the yin essence fills the earth, I truly would not be able to sense this spiritual object." Murong Jia Jia said: "If you can dig out its root core, the success rate for refining the Eight Treasures Purple Gold Blossom will certainly increase greatly."

"Well then, tell me—where is it? I'll go dig it up right away." I grew anxious; Murong Jia Jia had said so much, why isn't she getting to the point?

Murong Jia Jia also understood the gravity of the matter; she immediately, without the slightest hesitation, said: "That stalk of Huangjing is right nearby… on Xiao Tan Shan; on the day of the full moon it will surely appear!"

And just then, Murong Jia Jia's soul form grew ever dimmer; she raised her hand to her forehead, swaying uncertainly: "I can't hold on—I must return to the jade realm. Remember, when you go up the mountain, bring more things that children like. Although Huangjing has developed spiritual intelligence, its nature remains child‑like and playful; once you lure it out, bind it with a red rope soaked in donkey‑hoof blood, and it will lose its ability to move. Then you can take its root core…"

Suddenly, Murong Jia Jia's figure twisted in mid‑air and completely vanished without a trace.

I knew she had fled back to the Spirit‑Gathering Jade to recuperate; the battle with QingSongShu had drained too much of her vital energy. At this moment Murong Jia Jia is also extremely weak—so weak that even a lone wandering ghost would surpass her.

Fortunately, she finished explaining the whole process; otherwise I would not have known what to do.

On the night of the full moon, the children's favored items, the donkey‑hoof blood—I silently noted these things down. Then I gathered up QingSongShu's flags, turned, and ran out of the clutter room.

When I ran back to the hallway outside Dong Yumin's door, I found Pangzi and Yuan Qiu standing outside with solemn faces, their complexions dark, neither speaking a word.

As soon as they saw me, Pangzi hurried forward anxiously: "Hai Sheng, Zheng Ge and his wife may already be beyond help."

In an instant I felt as if struck by lightning, frozen in the hallway, unable to regain my senses for a long while.