Chapter 53

The newcomer wore a set of yellow clothes, the hem loose, sleeves like a robe, holding a Three-Five brand cigarette in hand, puffing away with a crack-crack.

As soon as this person appeared, I and Pangzi felt as if a fishbone that even Nine Dragon Water couldn't dissolve was stuck in our throats; we stared at him for a long while without snapping out of it.

You say, a twenty-something young man holding a cigarette, eyes turned upward in disdain at you, also pursing his lips, altogether bearing the manner of an old woman on the street; even his way of speaking is exactly the same tone as a market auntie haggling over vegetable prices. To be precise, that voice is completely a woman's.

I and Pangzi stared at each other, both unable to utter a word for a long while.

Pangzi swallowed, then whispered to me: "Could this person have just come back from Thailand?"

I nodded; this was the first time I agreed with Pangzi's words.

"Cough cough, I say, little Xinzi, could you change the flavor of the grass roll next time? This one really chokes the throat; Grandma I'm not used to smoking it." The youngster muttered to himself, completely unaware of others, his voice a hundred percent that of an old woman.

Immediately afterward, within the same body, a second voice actually appeared.

"Grandma, just bear with it for now; this grass roll was given to me by someone else, I only have this stock left. We'd better hurry and take this wild cat away, otherwise we won't be able to explain to Grandfather Chang."

This voice was robust and powerful, truly a man's voice.

I and Pangzi exchanged a glance, both reading the same message from each other's eyes: Northeast, the Horse-Riding Immortal Sect.

Nowadays the world can be said to be divided among four powers: the Buddhist Sect, the Daoist Sect, the Plowshare Witch Sect, and the Horse-Riding Immortal Sect.

Among the four, the Buddhist Sect is the most flourishing, spreading Buddhist scriptures everywhere under the banner of universal salvation. Although its supernatural powers are not obvious, it is the most adept at deceiving people among the five, and has the most followers.

Next is the Daoist Sect, whose foundation is the deepest among the four, the oldest cultural heritage of the Chinese nation over five thousand years. But having developed to today, the Buddhist Sect's development vaguely yet has a momentum to surpass the Daoist Sect. The reason for this lies in the Daoist Sect's thinking, which emphasizes going with nature and non-action. Believe it or not, just don't come disturb my cultivation; if I were to take on disciples, I would accept those with affinity, and turn away those without, even if they show up at my door.

After the Buddhist and Daoist Sects come the Plowshare Witch Sect and the Horse-Riding Immortal Sect. Do not think the witch sect is merely a heretical side path; I recall a saying: existence justifies itself. Although the Plowshare Witch Sect remains hidden in Yunnan, just like poison masters hidden among certain ethnic minorities, outsiders regard it as a minor witchcraft path.

But insiders all know that in ancient times, "wu" was an esteemed title referring to a group of people who could communicate with spirits; only those who could comprehend heaven and earth and invite down spirits were worthy of the title. Although the witch sect mostly transmits only talismanic witchcraft, do not forget that the witch sect, Lu Ban Sect, and Yin Mountain Law Sect are together known as the world's three great supreme teachings; any sect bearing the character "jue" has produced figures that make the mystical gates tremble at their name, and none should be underestimated.

Next comes the Horse-Riding Immortal Sect, a religion born of Northeastern regional culture. Although the immortals are cultivated by animal spirits, just like the Daoist Sect, they have no fixed temples or fixed lineages of transmission, yet insiders are well aware that the Horse-Riding Immortal Sect's transmission lacks nothing compared to the Buddhist and Daoist Sects. If one traces back its roots, the Horse-Riding Immortal Sect, like the Plowshare Witch Sect, is also a product derived from ancient wu culture.

Although I have never come into contact with the Horse-Riding Immortal Sect, I have also heard some things about it from Master Li Feng and QingSongShu.

Among the Horse-Riding Immortals, the fox, yellow weasel, snake, and python four immortals are the most common, highest in cultivation, collectively called the Four Great Masters of the Horse-Riding Immortals, and also the most common animal immortals. Besides these four, there are also wild immortals cultivated from rats, hedgehogs, toads, and tigers. Some are incorporated into the four great teachings, becoming one of the eight beams under the Four Great Masters; others eat cloud dew, wander the four directions, and live as free and unfettered scattered immortals (wild immortals).

Seeking auspicious signs, stealing vital energy, and cultivating by drilling into corpses are also common among these unbound wild immortals.

Listening to the tone of the yellow-robed youngster's speech and analyzing his actions a bit, I and Pangzi can easily see that he is a northern Horse-Riding Immortal disciple, and at present a Fox Immortal is possessing his body.

That's easy to say: when an immortal possesses a body, there are often certain traits. The Fox Immortal likes to smoke, calling cigarettes "grass rolls"; the Yellow Immortal most likes to drink alcohol, calling liquor "kalala".

This yellow-robed youngster goes through a cigarette every three to five minutes; if he were human, he'd have smoked himself to death by now. Who else besides a Fox Immortal could have such a smoking habit?

However, this yellow-robed youngster is truly strange. Although I have never crossed hands with the Northeastern Horse-Riding Immortals, I have also heard that when an immortal possesses a body, the person usually loses reason. Yet someone like this yellow-robed youngster, whose body is possessed by an immortal yet still retains reason, is something I have never heard of.

Without changing expression, I slipped the command flag behind my back, sent the wounded old ghost back to the Yin Realm. Then I and Pangzi stood together, looking at the yellow-robed youngster and asked: "May I ask who you are? What instructions does Grandma Fox have for suddenly appearing?"

The yellow-robed youngster clasped his hands and said: "Dahetang, Fang Xin." Then his tone shifted, and he reverted to that sharp-tongued old woman's voice.

"You kid, your eyesight is not bad; you actually recognize me, Grandma Fox." She gave a cackling laugh that made people's skin crawl.

Among the immortals, the fox, yellow weasel, snake, and python immortals are countless, many having a title used in place of their name. Grandma Fox is such a title for the fox.

I pointed at the old cat on the ground and said to the person and immortal before me: "Let's speak plainly, Fox Immortal, what exactly do you mean by doing this?" The implication is naturally to question why she suddenly appeared, wounded my soldiers, and saved this old cat.

Fang Xin, possessed by the Fox Immortal, took a puff of his cigarette and then said: "I intend to take this cat immortal away." His tone was firm and left no room for doubt.

Upon hearing that, I immediately flared up; I had spent half a day's effort to catch this wild cat, and now you waltz in, snatch a hot pancake with cold hands, and try to take what's already mine. Even if I didn't have a mortal enmity with this old cat, I could never let you have it so easily.

I gave a cold chuckle, showing no weakness: "This cat immortal killed my friend; I must kill her to offer sacrifice for my friend's soul. If you want, wait until after I kill her, then come to collect her corpse." His tone was equally firm, leaving no room for doubt.

The Fox Immortal's pupils contracted, and he said coldly: "Speaking like that leaves no room for negotiation."

I gave a cold snort, responding with a firm posture: "Anyone who dares to seize someone from my Yin Mountain Law Sect is the first. I just don't know if you have the ability."

The Fox Immortal laughed heartily: "If it were before that fight in the Yunnan gorge, upon seeing anyone from your Yin Mountain Sect I would have fled immediately. But now… tsk tsk, I don't know which surnames among your Yin Mountain Sect's Yu, Chen, Tong, Li, or other high persons are still around."

Yu, Chen, Tong, and Li refer to the four fierce individuals of the Yin Mountain Sect after the late Qing. However, in the battle over a hundred years ago against the Thai head-hunting masters and the Xuanmen, four of them had already died two. Only the remaining Chen and Li, two high persons, have also passed away; though it's unknown whether they left any inheritance. Undeniably, with the passing of these four predecessors and the consumption of that battle, the Yin Mountain Sect is no longer as prosperous as before.

"Even if an elephant dies, you ants cannot shake it. Even though the four high persons Yu, Chen, Tong, Li of my Yin Mountain Sect have passed away, my sect is not something a beast like you can insult." I said coldly: "Since this fox shows no regard for my Yin Mountain Sect, let me now learn a thing or two about the abilities of your Northeastern Horse-Riding Immortal Sect."

I turned my hand, drew the command flag from behind my back, pinched my thumb against the first joint of my middle finger, and clamped the flag. The meaning goes without saying: since talks have broken down, let's settle this with force—first we fight, then we talk.

"Ah, Hai Sheng, can't we first sit down and have a proper talk?"

"Grandma Fox, I think there's still room for negotiation on this matter; please don't rush to act, old one—anyway, we're the ones who started wrong."

"Shut up."

"Shut up."

Pangzi and that Fang Xin tried to mediate between me and the Fox Immortal, but we immediately shouted them down. The Fox Immortal thought I had insulted the dignity of her immortal sect, while I felt she had insulted the orthodoxy of my Yin Mountain Sect.

"I see you've been living too comfortably, forgetting what you are, actually thinking you're some great god or immortal—bottom line, you're just a cultivated beast." I spat fiercely, moved my fingers to summon the Yin Summoning, preparing to call forth the soldiers again for a big fight with this fox spirit.

After I finished speaking, the Fox Immortal jumped up as if her tail had been stepped on, pointing at me and shouting: "Yellow-haired brat, how dare you insult my Shaman Immortal Hall? Believe it or not, Grandma will smash you so your soul flies and your spirit scatters!"

Although her mouth showed no mercy, her other hand quietly moved behind her back, apparently preparing to inform the other immortal sects and call for reinforcements.

Among the four, although the Fox Immortal holds the top position and oversees all halls, bluntly put, the fox is cunning and values wisdom; after possession it can only treat illnesses and dispel disasters for people, not skilled in combat. Of the Four Great Horse-Riding Immortals, the strongest in battle are the Snake and Python Immortals, akin to the enforcers of a gang; if someone provokes the dignity of the immortal sect, it is usually these two who step in to punish.

"The Soul-Summoning Boy, the Soul-Summoning Lad, hidden in Yinjian Difu, cannot be born……"

This method, from the Yin Mountain Ghost King's art, is a soul-dispersing technique; plainly put, it invites the five ghosts to toy with a person, causing essence and spirit to scatter, ultimately driving one mad to death.

Since this Fox Immortal is possessing the body of the horse Fang Xin, I choose to deal with spirit against spirit, summoning the soldiers to contend for Fang Xin's body.

However, before I had finished chanting the spell, something occurred that nobody expected.

I actually staggered, stepping back several steps in a row; amid everyone's astonished gazes, I fell to the ground and kept twitching.

The Fox Immortal froze, Pangzi froze, and even I myself froze.