Chapter 209: Holy Infant

Xu Jia had already ferried the Green Bull Essence, and Xu Mu had ferried that Fire Essence, yet they had both already reincarnated once. However, this corpse of the previous life could not look forward; it could only dwell in hatred, resentment, and obsession. Under the catalysis of Cause and Effect, it became even more resentful of Heaven and blamed others.

Xu Jia said, "Taishang Laojun possesses a 'Great Profound Clear Life Talisman' that once allowed Xu Jia Zhenren to return from the white bones. Your son has become a fire zombie, but his consciousness is insufficient; he lacks a Soul. The Soul is a malevolent nature, acquired post-natally and extremely weak. Even if he becomes a small Drought Demon, he cannot wake up."

"Because his Soul has already reincarnated and become a Fire Essence, I can preside over a ritual to unite the Soul and the corpse. What do you think?"

This female zombie possessed quite a bit of spiritual intelligence; she did not resemble an ordinary zombie, but rather a Rakshasa.

Rakshasas enjoy eating human flesh and blood; they are different from Yakshas or other such beings. Although they belong to the category of evil ghosts and zombies, they are Protectors subdued by the Buddhist path.

Rakshasas are demons from Indian mythology. Male Rakshasas have black bodies, red hair, and green eyes, while female Rakshasas appear as beautiful women with seductive powers, specializing in eating human flesh and blood.

In Esoteric Buddhism, Rakshasas are deities of Hell, generally having ox heads and human hands with immense strength. In Esoteric Buddhist scriptures, Rakshasas vow to protect the Dharma and practitioners of the True Path, transforming into Buddhist guardian deities. They appear in the form of Spirit Kings, clad in armor, holding swords, and riding white lions.

A more comparable image is the Rakshasa Ghost King from the Stephen Chow version of Ji Gong.

Although this female zombie had not yet become a true Rakshasa, ordinary zombies possess absolutely no intelligence, let alone the maternal instinct to protect a child while pregnant with a zombie.

That female zombie was fixed in place by a Corpse Fixing Talisman, her eyes staring fixedly at the infant Drought Demon corpse that Xu Jia had wrapped in his monastic robe.

Borrowing the Dharma Power of his previous life, he bit his finger and, utilizing the Earth Immortal's power of enlightenment, used his own Yin/Yang Qi and the True Qi of the Heavenly Dipper to dot her brow.

One could see a cinnabar mole appear, just like the orange-red, golden-red mark on Hu Jinhua's brow.

Instantly, the fire Qi was fully retracted, and the appearance of the Drought Demon was no longer revealed.

It was just that Xu Jia, after all, did not possess the power to "bring the dead back to life"; he only had a few Evil Arts that could be used to raise a Spirit Child.

In Civil Law, there is the "Willow Spirit Child," which requires carving a child's image from a willow root. Xu Jia also knew a little about the Thai "Kuman Thong," which requires using the remains of aborted or prematurely deceased children for nourishment. The Lushan Sect also has the Lushan Ling Tong; these are the souls of children from wealthy families who died young, unable to ascend to Heaven or reincarnate, who work at the altar to accumulate Merit, and it is said they can be selected to go to Heaven to serve as attendants.

If one had the cultivation of a Heavenly Immortal, perhaps one could truly bring the dead back to life.

Xu Jia's current cultivation was more "standard" than in his previous life; he took fewer detours, suffered less, and even had a cheat code he carried with him.

Having subdued the fire Qi, he had effectively sealed the Drought Demon's Divine Ability. Xu Jia looked at the female zombie again and decided to "use the child to hold the mother hostage."

Although it was not kind, it could be considered an Achievement.

He loosened the Corpse Fixing Talisman, and this Rakshasa woman truly did not run away; wherever Xu Jia went, she followed.

Thus, Xu Jia walked all the way to the shop of Thunder-Struck Coffin. Thunder-Struck Coffin was an ugly man with some physical disabilities. When he saw Xu Jia, he hurriedly bowed and saluted.

Xu Jia told him there was no need for such formalities and pointed to the Rakshasa woman following behind, saying, "Make a coffin for her!"

This Rakshasa's clothes were tattered and her body was withered; only her eyes were terrifyingly black, yet she had some intelligence and knew to avoid people.

Xu Jia then pointed to the infant Drought Demon corpse wrapped in the monastic robe and said, "This one too."

Although Thunder-Struck Coffin was startled by the zombie, he said concisely, "Done!"

A Wood Sha from the Dharma Realm came to pay a visit. He was the father of Niu Er Zhu, the ghost follower beside Xiaopangdun. Due to a feng shui hazard, he had been killed by Wood Sha, and his soul had entered an old tree, coexisting with it. That house was originally a Huxian Tangkou, but now that the Huxian Tangkou had moved to Xu Jia Cun, it was returned to Niu Er Zhu for his own use. This Wood Sha had also become an Immortal of the hall, and having been tied with red thread and hung with a bamboo plaque, he was currently developing into an "Yinyuan Shu."

Therefore, his current appearance was that of an old man in green robes, with some red silk threads wrapped around his body.

"Dharma Lord, this is a zombie, right? It's so fierce! Aren't we a prestigious sect of the True Path? Why are we dealing with these things!"

Xu Jia looked him up and down: "Are we a prestigious sect of the True Path? How come I didn't know that? Would a prestigious sect of the True Path take in a Wood Sha like you as an Immortal of the hall? I think you have misunderstood."

Wood Sha:... How sarcastic! What is wrong with the Dharma Lord? Xu Jia said indifferently, "Maintain a respectful heart. Although these two zombies appear evil, they actually possess quite a bit of Merit. Conversely, some who look kind have sinister intentions. I do not obsess over outward appearances, yet you come to question me?"

After Xu Jia finished speaking, the Wood Sha stammered, unable to say anything.

Thunder-Struck Coffin, in a few swift, bold strokes, selected a piece of material and began crafting the coffin.

On the other side, Kui Qing also felt this bond between soul and corpse. He had searched his way here from Xianzhi Valley. Seeing these two withered corpses, tears welled in his eyes, and bitterness rose from the bottom of his heart. A thousand emotions surged at once—all the grievances and discomfort he had felt before, the claims that he had "let go" and "didn't care," now turned into "a hundred flavors mixed in a parting sorrow, a thousand knots in the heart, the blue sky and the yellow springs both vast and boundless, with nowhere to speak of this desolation."

Of course, he was a wild monster and didn't have so much culture; blocked in his heart, it was just two words: "unbearable."

One could only hear a mournful cow's cry, which was even more sorrowful than when Xu Jia had drugged him with croton and morning glory seeds last time.

Only then did the female zombie stop looking at the infant Drought Demon held by Xu Jia. Sensing the soul and body of Kui Qing, she felt as if she had been dead for many years but was about to come back to life. She walked toward Kui Qing with a stumbling gait.

Kui Qing knelt with his front hooves, shielding the female zombie by his side, and pleaded with Xu Jia, "Master Xu, I only beg you not to kill her. Leave her to me as a memento."

This was the first time Xu Jia had seen such a thing. He thought to himself that reincarnation is terrifying, causing all living beings to sink into it. Fate and Cause and Effect are tangled, impossible to cut, and chaotic. The corpse of a previous life and the soul of the present life actually had such a connection.

"I never intended to refine or kill her. Since I have taken you in, I must naturally resolve this Cause and Effect. Before you died in your previous life, you made a great vow that this land would suffer a great drought for three years to avenge this grudge. This is not something you can just put down because you want to. Matters of Cause and Effect are not something humans can control."

"Therefore, I need you to watch over her at all times. Do not let her be tainted by blood; she can only be offered Incense Fire."

"By drinking the wind and eating the dew, and cultivating with caution, I have a 'Great Yin Refining Form Art.' Once refined, it is not impossible for her to transform from a corpse demon into a female Immortal, though there are many dangers. As for the Drought Demon in the womb, it can combine with the Fire Essence to serve as a Protector for my household. With gold and fire combined, let the Golden Toad take it along to serve as a God of Wealth, suppressing the fire Sha and flourishing the Li fortune. Are you willing?"

"This lowly beast is willing! A thousand times willing, ten thousand times willing! Many thanks for the grace of the Master!"

Kui Qing had previously entered a state of 'sage-like' realization, but realizing was just realizing; it could not bring about any substantive change to reality. One must have one's own powerful skills to do real things, to make changes, and thereby escape fate. Otherwise, it is actually just a form of "resignation to fate." Waiting for Thunder-Struck Coffin to finish the coffin, Xu Jia used a "Corpse Control Talisman" to seal the Rakshasa into the coffin, then painted talismans on it with red lacquer, and told Kui Qing to carry it to Wugong Ling. There, at the Centipede-Holding-Pearl land where Cai Yu was buried, she could be buried at the centipede's mouth, which was a windy spot.

As for Xu Jia, he placed the infant Drought Demon into a small coffin, drew talismans on it as well, and took it directly home, heading straight to the Buddha Hall.

The Buddha Hall was brightly lit. Xu Mu had already gone to rest, and one of the lamp wicks was crackling.

Xu Jia opened the small coffin and immediately performed a ritual to ferry the Fire Essence into the corpse.

Although the small Drought Demon was of the fire Sha attribute, it was a Yin object, while this Fire Essence was a Yang object. Even if it was the physical body from a previous life, they could not combine; it was a Yang Fire God corresponding to a Yin Fire Sha.

However, the corpse had been enlightened by Xu Jia's Dharma Power, so it was ferried in quite smoothly.

One could see the Red Banner Boy fly out from the sea lamp, transform into flying fire, and burrow into the small zombie through its eyes, nose, and mouth.

Immediately, the physical body began to fill out, turning completely red, as if it were a boiled crab. At the same time, its eyes became lively, but being trapped in the body was very uncomfortable, so it hammered its own nose, wanting to escape from within.

Xu Jia took one of the two golden hoops from his 'As-You-Wish' staff and placed it around its neck. It instantly became obedient, though its eyes remained defiant. With a slight wave of its hand, a Hibiscus Flame Flag appeared. This flag was formed from the fire Qi of the fetal membrane, and with a slight wave, it was about to ignite a fire.

At this moment, the image of Guanyin Bodhisattva emitted light, and the Curse Power left by Xu Mu took effect. "Om!" The meaning of this secret mantra is to subdue all Outer Paths.

This little thing had been accumulating Buddha Nature while trapped in the Womb Realm, and upon hearing this sound, it truly quieted down.

At this time, Xiao Hong heard the commotion and came in to check. Seeing an ugly, completely red child, she was also startled: "Young Master, where did you bring another child back from?"

Xu Jian from last time was enough to give her a headache. Although he was quite obedient, children just have many needs, and even if a wet nurse was hired, she couldn't be raised entirely by the wet nurse.

Xu Jia said, "He is a Fire Essence Drought Demon, a great help to me. Heaven knew I was going to deal with the Flood Dragon, so it sent him into the world to help me. Drought Demons are the best at countering those who cause floods and travel as Flood Dragons."

"Although this is a small Drought Demon, not a Fierce God like the Lady of Drought, Drought Demons possess the ability to 'fly to the heavens and capture dragons'."

"There are books that say: 'Its aura of flames fills the universe, causing isolation and blockage, killing dragons and swallowing clouds, moving like the wind; wherever it goes, there is constant drought, and the earth is scorched for a thousand miles.'"

Xiao Hong was startled: "Such a Fierce God? Why bring him home?"

Xu Jia laughed and said, "If he had that kind of ability, could I have brought him back? I'm teasing you. But he can learn skills from me and will have his own Achievements; that goes without saying."

Xu Jia said to the small drought demon that had already calmed down: "Since you were born dead, you have no name and no deep connection to this world. Today, I shall give you a name. How about Sheng Ying?"

Xu Jia knew this little thing was mischievous, so he set its true name, took out the "Secret Record of Governing Demons," squeezed out its blood, and pressed a handprint to serve as a means of restraint.

"Sheng Ying: formerly a corpse of a fetus removed by cesarean section to pray for rain, its soul fell into the fire essence. It is skilled at controlling disasters; when seen, water flees. The corpse stiffened into a demon, causing drought throughout a region. Heavenly Master Xu governed it, and it returned to the right path, often showing efficacy."

Once its true name was governed, the little fellow became very affectionate toward Xu Jia. Because it had a zombie body filled with Fire Essence, it was different from a normal infant that needed milk, nor did it need to drink blood like a zombie; what it lacked was "fuel."

That is to say, it needed to eat all kinds of flammable things. It could be primitive, easily gathered kindling like withered leaves or dry wood, though the taste was likely poor; it could also be high-proof alcohol or "fire oil."

Then he saw it run to the large vat of the Ever-Bright Lamp and gulp it down. After drinking half the vat, its belly was as big as a toad's, but its body didn't turn red; its face became endearing, as if it were drunk.

"Ah? Drinking so much oil!" Xiao Hong exclaimed: "Is that okay?"

Then he saw Sheng Ying burp, and it immediately spat out fire.

Afterward, it swayed unsteadily and, like a koala, hugged Xu Jia's leg and fell asleep.

Good heavens, this little thing can spit fire; if it were also taught Fire Thunder, wouldn't it be a human ammunition depot?

The more Xu Jia looked at it, the more he liked it.

Three more days passed this way. Xu Jia had been diligently practicing the Heavenly Gang True Qi for a few days, which went extremely smoothly. The Golden Toad had also found enough materials to make Heavenly Gang Divine Fire Thunder, and Sheng Ying had been accepted by Xu Mu. However, this little thing loved to play with fire and was fond of sneaking into the kitchen, nearly burning down the woodshed. Because of this, Xiao Hong splashed a ladle of cold water on it, cooling it down on the spot, which was how they learned this little thing feared water.

However, this was because its Divine Ability of fire bane was sealed; if the seal were broken, this ladle of water would only result in a puff of white smoke.

This little thing had another trait: it learned things very quickly, was good at imitation, and changed day by day. In just three days, it was the size of a three-year-old and could already babble and speak.

It called Xu Jia "Master."

Because, like Xu Mu, it was learning "Dharma," and what Xu Jia taught was precisely "Clumsy Fire Meditation" and the "Dainichi Nyorai Heart Mantra."

He had not yet taught it any "Samadhi True Fire" because Xu Jia himself had not achieved Samadhi. Achieving Samadhi requires external medicine Samadhi, internal medicine Samadhi, and also the right time, place, and people; none can be missing. Once Samadhi is achieved, one can begin "refining the elixir," but Xu Jia does not follow the Inner Alchemy Dao, but rather the Inner Scenery Dao. Thus, achieving Samadhi True Fire requires the coordination of the three Body Gods. Moreover, Samadhi True Fire actually has different types; what the Inner Scenery can refine are the Sovereign Samadhi, Minister Samadhi, and Subject Samadhi.

The Primordial Spirit is the sovereign; practicing Samadhi with it produces divine fire, intent fire, and consciousness fire. Synthesizing them into Samadhi is the supreme fire of wisdom.

This fire tempers the Primordial Spirit, helping one attain the Yang Spirit, refining away all yin impurities until one is pure yang and stainless, which is the level of a superior God Immortal.

If one can refine the Minister Fire, taking the three treasures of essence, Qi, and spirit to practice Samadhi, one can wash the marrow and refine a dust-free body; this is actually the achievement of an "Earth Immortal."

As for the Subject Fire, it is the gathering of anger, lust, and nameless fire to practice Samadhi. This intent relies on one's own emotions and amplifies them; it is of no benefit to cultivation, but its power is immense. A Human Immortal can refine it by gathering the three fires of the heart, kidneys, and bladder into the middle burner.

(End of chapter)