Chapter 233: Yellow Court Demon Method

Being able to communicate with the location of the Golden Body made Xu Jia feel quite good, and having successfully cultivated such a treasure for protecting the Dao—one no less than the Golden Flood Dragon Sword or the Silver Flood Dragon Sword, those instruments for severing karma—he felt even more delighted.

However, the disciples and grand-disciples over in America were very disappointing; not a single one was worth looking at. This reminded Xu Jia of his own True Transmission Disciple, the head disciple of the sect, Xiaopangdun Hui Zhuo.

"This little fat man, ever since I taught him the Daoism last time, I haven't seen him for a long time. Could it be that he went into seclusion to study?"

Just as he was thinking of him, he arrived: "Master! Master! I've come to find you!"

Yet, he saw that this Xiaopangdun had a fair face and handsome features; the baby fat on his face had disappeared, and he stood seven feet tall, head held high and chest puffed out.

"Eh? How did you become like this?"

"Disciple has followed the Inner Landscape Yellow Court Scripture method taught by Master and has already cultivated the first Body God, as well as a Protector."

Xu Jia revealed his Dharma eyes and saw that he had indeed cultivated the Heart God. Besides the Heart God Yuanjun boy, there was another Protector—a red fox with a flaming tail, which was exactly the image of Hu Jinhua.

When Xu Jia first taught him the Shamanic Medium method, telling him to support one another with Hu Jinhua, he had pointed out that this was a "Dual Cultivation Method." If Hu Jinhua's cultivation rose, she could drive Xiaopangdun's, and if Xiaopangdun's cultivation rose, he could also drive Hu Jinhua's.

But usually, if the demon is strong and the human is weak, it often forms a "harvesting and supplementing" relationship.

Yet, Hu Jinhua was full of righteous Qi and disdained such things. Therefore, during these days, Hu Jinhua's cultivation improved rapidly, which in turn brought about the improvement of Xiaopangdun's cultivation. He had initially completed the first round of "Hundred Days Foundation Establishment," cultivated the Heart God Yuanjun, and even within his Xinjiao, a "Demon God Protector" had appeared.

This Great Yellow Court internal refining technique, when it came down to it, was only taught by Xu Jia to Xiaopangdun alone.

"Your Yellow Court is very different from mine," Xu Jia remarked with emotion. "I cultivate Body Gods, communicating with the True Gods and Demon Gods of heaven and earth; these gods are, in the end, Qi, the trajectory of change and operation. You, however, are able to combine it with the Shamanic Medium method to incorporate living demon spirits into your body. It seems you are taking the path of a 'Demon Immortal Sect Leader'."

Xiaopangdun said happily: "Being a Demon Immortal Sect Leader isn't bad either. Besides, isn't Master going to set up an office to handle demon affairs? Where would you need to step in for ordinary little demons?"

Xu Jia showed a gratified expression: "I originally thought you were timid and afraid of trouble; I didn't expect you to have such a sense of responsibility. It is truly rare and commendable."

Xiaopangdun thought to himself: Ginger is still spicier when it's old. I *am* timid and afraid of trouble; I don't like fighting and killing. As for fighting and killing, just leave that to that brute Chen Gongming, or I can have a few more underlings.

"Demon Immortals are also divided into Five Elements," Xu Jia said. "Since your Heart Lord is assisted by a Fox Immortal, you can use a Yellow Immortal to assist the spleen, a Kan Immortal to assist the kidneys, a White Immortal to assist the lungs, and a Willow Immortal to assist the liver."

"What does that mean?" Xiaopangdun didn't quite understand. "Didn't disciple form a karmic connection with the Luejue Shen of Jijuezi Mountain during the mountain-calling ritual? Why can't I make him my second Protector?"

"Then you would be making the same mistake I made in my previous life: lacking structure. Luejue is a Ghost God, a Demon God, an Underground Lord; he governs 'graves and houses,' governs corpses, and at most counts as a Grain Dao Spirit General, or perhaps an assistant to the large and small intestines. He cannot enter the ranks of the Five Viscera."

"So that's how it is. Then the Yellow Immortal is Huang Pipo? Or perhaps Huang Silang, or Huang Jiuniang?"

"The Kan Immortal is Kan Yinwu."

"What about the White Immortal and the Willow Immortal? We only have the Chang Immortal!"

Xu Jia said: "That depends on you finding them. In the county town, inside a medical clinic and pharmacy, there is a Liu Ruyan who is a snake demon. Her husband, Chen Liuxian, has some karmic connection with us and might become your junior brother. However, he carries a Love Tribulation of three lifetimes; he might not be able to truly enter the sect. If he is a disaster, I will not accept him."

"As for the White Immortal, they are hedgehogs, porcupines, and the like. They have needles on their bodies, but there is a big needle and a small needle. The small needle is for acupuncture, which can cure illnesses; the big needle is like an awl or a spear, which can kill people."

"Hedgehogs? Porcupines?" Xiaopangdun pondered for a while. He didn't seem to have seen them much, and he didn't know how to find them or form a karmic connection.

Xu Jia simply pointed out a series of Body Gods for him, as well as the assisting demon spirits.

"The left eye is the Sun Lord, which should be assisted by a Golden Crow or a Heavenly Chicken." "The right eye is the Yuejun, which should be assisted by a Jade Rabbit or a White Toad."

Upon hearing this, Xiaopangdun thought: Where am I supposed to find a Golden Crow or a Jade Rabbit?

Xu Jia laughed: "You can raise them."

Xiaopangdun had originally wanted to come and show off his achievements, but he discovered that this Daoism was unexpectedly more difficult than he had imagined, and for a moment, he felt quite discouraged.

Xu Jia saw that he was a character like "Bajie," but he was still considered kind-hearted; he just needed some whipping and urging, and couldn't be too comfortable.

He immediately had Xiaopangdun sit under the Three Sovereigns Ten Thousand People Umbrella and spun it, using the power of the Yin demons to manifest a "Demon Examination" from the wishes and Desire Thoughts of the ten thousand people, in order to provide him with guidance.

Hui Zhuo saw that although this umbrella was made of cloth scraps and strips, it had a precious glow, and he asked curiously: "Is this the Ten Thousand People Umbrella that the people of Dexing gave to Master? How magnificent!"

He even thought that Xu Jia letting him sit underneath was because he wanted to experience the feeling of "being titled as a Dao Ancestor" in advance.

Before he knew it, the next moment, he felt a wave of dizziness, not knowing north from south. In reality, his breathing had already become steady, and he was nearly asleep.

Those old demons each revealed a fierce look, thinking: This master is really not bad; on the very first day, he provided such a delicious Blood Food.

Yet they heard Xu Jia scold: "Provide an appropriate illusion of tempering. If you break him, I will have a good lesson for you." The old demons immediately dared not act presumptuously and only asked: "What kind of illusion should it be, and how should we temper him? Please, Demon Lord, speak clearly."

Xu Jia stroked his chin and said: "The main thing is to cultivate his courage and wisdom. You should manifest all kinds of terrifying demons, play some 'you run, I chase' games, and force him into a desperate situation. But you must not force him to death or scare him to death. At the truly critical moment, you must ease up."

"Should we use the illusions of Greed, Anger, and Ignorance to let him experience a hundred lifetimes of reincarnation? That is our specialty!"

"That is not necessary. A hundred lifetimes of reincarnation, I fear he would become mad or insane."

A thousand lifetimes of reincarnation, just for the sake of suffering and undergoing Tribulation—his realm was insufficient. To force it like this, how could an ordinary person withstand such tearing? Even if it were a dream of the Yellow Millet, Xu Jia felt it was not worth using.

He only let these ghosts and demons bolster Xiaopangdun's courage, and pointing at the Yin demons in the umbrella, he inputted the memories of Hannibal the Old Demon's Demon God Ritual into it.

Those demons of Greed, Anger, and Ignorance, upon seeing this bit of demonic memory, recited: "Although the Dharma King was a mass murderer before, he was not this cruel, turning people into meat pies. Only before the Shang and Zhou dynasties were there such customs of eating people. I didn't expect this old demon to have such ancient remnants; he is more like a Taotie."

Shang and Zhou bronzeware often had Taotie patterns. Having this pattern usually meant it was a ritual vessel used for sacrificing to the gods. What was held in the tripod was basically boiled prisoners of war.

America wasn't an expert at eating people, but during the Civil War, using the scalps of Native Americans to make leather shoes and their fat to make soap was quite popular; it belonged to "industrialization."

Otherwise, killing so many Native Americans, burying them, or burning them would be a bit of a waste.

The old demons soon immersed themselves in accompanying Xiaopangdun in a "secret room escape."

Xu Jia saw that Xiaopangdun's face was gradually becoming terrified, and only then did he go out the door and walk outside.

Xu Mu handed a letter to Xu Jia: "Your father wrote a letter saying that it hasn't been peaceful lately and he misses us, but he has to wait until the Autumn Examination is over before he can come back."

Xu Jia's County Examination, Prefecture Examination, and Academy Examination were held in the spring, in February and April respectively.

If one directly obtained the County Anshou, one could directly obtain the status of a scholar; if one only passed, one would need to continue to participate in subsequent examinations.

Of course, one could also keep taking them; the first place in the three examinations of County, Prefecture, and Academy is called "Little Sanyuan."

If one cannot be first in the County Examination, one must go to Xinzhou to participate in the Prefecture Examination.

The first place in the Prefecture Examination can also directly obtain the status of a scholar; otherwise, one must participate in the Academy Examination.

The Academy Examination also requires going to the provincial capital to take the exam. Every year, thousands of people go to take it, especially in the Jiangnan West Circuit, where the literary atmosphere is prosperous; therefore, one often sees old students of fifty or sixty years old coming to take the exam.

Before Fan Jin passed the imperial examination, there was an exam where "the Academician took pity on you"—that refers to this Academy Examination.

Xu Jia did not want to participate in the latter two examinations; he thought that getting a County Anshou in Yushan would be enough to directly obtain the status of a scholar.

As for his father, this status of a Recommended Scholar—it would be even better if he could get first place. However, from what Xu Jia understands, joining this Great Ning Dynasty now to become a high official is about the same as joining the Nationalist Army in '49. After all, it has been over two hundred years, and they can no longer cover up the peace. The Longevity Sect causing trouble is one thing, and the floods have come without any disaster relief—that is the second.

Writing good essays is not as good as giving good gifts. However, his father is determined to be a Sage and a Great Worthy; perhaps he could turn the tide.

It is mainly this Emperor of the overseas Changsheng Dao Kingdom that makes Xu Jia very suspicious.

"Did the two little ghosts, Duowen and Guangmu, report anything?"

"Not really. Your father is strangely honest, so upright it's eerie. He gets up at the fifth watch to study, reads for an hour before going to school, and returns to the rented courtyard right on time in the evening. Even when his classmates invite him to visit brothels, he refuses."

Xu Jia spoke up in his defense: "Why call it 'so upright it's eerie'? Would you only be at ease, Mother, if Father went to a brothel?"

Xu Jia said softly: "In that case, I will be making a trip to Nanchang Prefecture in a while. Would you like to come with me, Mother? Xiao Hong and the others can just watch over the house."

"What are you going to Nanchang Prefecture for?" Xu Mu asked curiously. "Do you have some official business?"

Xu Jia was going to Nanchang Prefecture for the sake of Poyang; Poyang was the "Demon Capital" of the Jiangnan West Circuit, and there was a broken-tailed old dragon in Poyang Lake that Xu Jia wanted to have a talk with.

He could neither defeat nor easily kill this old dragon, so he could only try to negotiate.

If the dragon could ensure favorable weather for the crops, Xu Jia would not mind granting him official status to become a True God and local deity, or even allowing him to receive Incense Fire from the Lingbao Dao Altar to assist in managing all demon affairs in Jiangxi.

"I'm not going; the household still needs to be managed," Xu Mu said. "None of you ever stay home."

(End of chapter)