Chapter 260: Demon Dao!

"To learn to be a God Immortal, ride a crane to fly to the heavens~ Point at stone and turn it into gold, the wonder is beyond words~~"

That paper crane transformed into an immortal crane, gaining the dual wonders of the Lunar Dharma Spell and the Taiping Daoist Arts; it obtained spirituality from the lunar source and was endowed with the meaning of a dream coming true through the wish money.

It is just that one point of transformation is not enough; once the spirituality is exhausted, it will spontaneously ignite and destroy itself.

Unless one refines "Dharma Paper," which is talisman paper possessing more Spirit Machine than ordinary Yellow Talisman Paper.

This kind of paper must be made using good wood, and into it must be added silk, cotton, spices, gold powder, and medicinal herbs.

The refined paper is soft, tough, and thick, with sprinkled gold cloud patterns; it is basically the same as making paper currency, only with more Rites Official ceremonies and sacrifices.

This method is also within the Taiping Daoist Arts; when they cut paper into humans, they need to use various Dharma Papers. After all, as far as Ghost Gods are concerned, burning paper is a major affair; the equipment of the Heavenly Soldiers and Heavenly Generals is all sent over by burning paper.

Xu Jia plans to open a paper-making workshop after a while to manufacture some Lunar Dharma Paper.

Xiaopangdun sat on the immortal crane, steering it with his mind; he wanted to go left and it went left, he wanted to go right and it went right. He originally wanted to fly high, but it was not to be; he could go at most three feet above the ground.

Flying at night, he became excited and encountered this Yeyou; the Yeyou saw the paper crane and praised, "Truly a wonderful art of a True Immortal!"

The next moment, the immortal crane changed back to its original form, and both the lunar spirituality and the power of the wish were completely exhausted.

Xiaopangdun fell directly on his bottom from three feet above the ground.

"Thump!"

"Ouch! It hurts me to death!"

Although he did not break his leg, his bottom took a solid hit.

"I knew it! I knew it!" Xiaopangdun muttered: "Nothing good ever happens!"

The Yeyou was also dumbfounded, seeing the paper crane spontaneously ignite and burn to ash, but he immediately changed his tune: "I think True Person Xu must have his profound meaning in this."

"Could it be that I didn't inject Dharma Power?" Oxen and horses and the like also need to eat, but this paper crane didn't even fly a few miles while carrying him, so how could it be gone? This paper crane is actually mainly used for delivering written messages and sending letters.

Using it to carry a person exceeded its load; it was like an adult sitting on a child's toy electric car—being able to fly a few miles was already the limit.

If there were no external load, and it maintained its normal size, it would not destroy itself for a month or two; if it were often nourished by thoughts, it could even be recharged and used in a cycle until it wore out from age.

Xiaopangdun followed the Yeyou into the city and asked: "Officer Yeyou, what kind of affair is this? Master sent me here, is it dangerous?"

"It's not dangerous. Two True Cultivators of the Daoist Priest rank, who came from afar from Lishan, have arrived at Yushan. Several months ago, True Person Xu wrote a letter to the Lishan Sect regarding a snake demon with ties to the Lishan Sect. They are currently in the City God Temple."

"Master said... my Five Viscera God Body, among the fox, yellow, white, willow, and gray, has a snake demon, and it just so happens I should go to Yushan County to look for it... but that snake demon is the wife of a future junior brother... I fear this is not good."

However, getting to know the female Immortals of the Lishan Sect is also a good thing.

He does not know about the Lishan Sect, but the history of this world changed after the Qin Dynasty, which is to say the Ancestral Dragon is still the Ancestral Dragon, and his construction of the Lishan Epang Gong is also known to the world.

Even the Form Realm to which this world ascends seems to be the "Immortal Qin Desire Realm" ruled by Qin Shi Huang.

That Wufeng Shizhe was demoted because he stole a glance at an immortal maiden bathing in the lower realm and was accused of stirring up Desire Thought; he is now in Dexing Small Maoshan.

It is said that the Lishan Sect was founded by the palace maids who ate the Undying Medicine in the tomb of Qin Shi Huang.

If this were in the TV series "The Myth," it would mean the founding ancestor was Princess Yushu.

When Xiaopangdun arrived at the City God Temple, he burned incense regardless of whether there was an affair or not; the Gods do not blame one for excessive Rites Official courtesy. He then took silver from his pocket and tossed it into the Merit Box.

His family was never short of money to begin with; they did a medicinal herb business, and now that they are involved in brewing white liquor, they are even wealthier.

The Jiangnan West Circuit has been a land of fragrant wine since ancient times; since the Shang and Zhou dynasties, there has been a tradition of brewing wine. As for this world, although there is no distilled liquor technology, there are wine varieties that have flourished for eight hundred years from the previous dynasty to the present.

Now there is this kind of Jade Liquid Wine, with four major characteristics: fragrant, crisp, clear, and mellow. Xu Jia originally wanted to name it "Four Specialties," but since he didn't pay for advertising, he let it go. Otherwise, he could have called it "Heap of Flowers," or "Zhang Gong" something, or simply "Ascension Liquor," which makes one feel as happy as a God Immortal after drinking.

Anyway, although it was just released, it has already established a reputation. These merchants transport it by water along the Gan River, then from the Gan River into the Yangtze River, and then from the Yangtze River to Hangzhou, Zhejiang, or down to the Pearl River... through various transfers, the wine is sold to other places, and its value has already risen a hundredfold. Originally it was two taels of silver for a ten-jin jar; when transported to other places and purchased by government offices or the mansions of dukes and marquises, it already reached two hundred taels of silver per jar.

One can only say that the rich are never short of money and do not care about the cost.

Although the Niu family themselves did not earn these two hundred taels, and there were many fierce and unruly people who wanted to steal the wine recipe and even made threats, they were only of the martial arts style and could not compare to Xiaopangdun's side, which was already of the Strange Tales of Liaozhai Ghost God style.

Yushan and Dexing are both Xu Jia's foundation; even the Longevity Sect cannot be presumptuous... let alone these people.

Moreover, there is no need for Xu Jia to take action; the Golden Toad has its own Wealth God methods.

Xiaopangdun looked at the City God Temple and sighed: "How many years has this temple been here?"

"It was built when the Great Ning Dynasty was newly established; it has been nearly two hundred years now, and it has been renovated several times in between."

Xiaopangdun heard this and said arrogantly: "I see the wall plaster here is peeling off, and the colors of the statues have lost their original luster. When I go back, I will tell my father to donate some silver to renovate the City God Temple again, or if any household items are missing, I can write a list. My father doesn't need to step in; I can buy them all directly."

The temple keeper smiled upon hearing this: "Five hundred taels is enough to fix the tiles, paint the walls again, and apply a new layer of color. If the Daoist friend is willing to perform this Merit, that would be for the best."

"Is it that cheap?" Xiaopangdun thought of the Golden Toad saying that twenty thousand taels of silver to build a Daochang on the mountain was just a start, so he felt that renovating the City God Temple was so cheap it was simply unimaginable.

For an ordinary family, building three one-story tile-roofed rooms—one for themselves, one for their parents, and one as a firewood room—and enclosing a small courtyard only costs twenty or thirty taels. Building a palace or temple is different from an ordinary family's tile-roofed house; they are not too low, and some don't even have foundations. A palace or temple is at the very least equivalent to two or three stories of an ordinary residential house. According to the specifications, although not as good as an "Imperial Palace," it is about the same as a "King's Palace."

"It is not cheap," the temple keeper said: "It is just not like the Sanqing Palace built by True Person Xu. It is built on the highest peak of the mountain, requiring the construction of roads, bridges, and plank paths, and even more so the transport by mules and horses. The large timbers used for beams, ridges, and pillars all have to be found from merchants in Yunnan and Sichuan, and transported here by water through the Cao Gang and the Raft Sect, and then sent up the mountain. This alone costs tens of thousands of taels of silver."

"Even if one doesn't use beams, pillars, or ridges, there are many other woods that cannot be found locally. These large timbers are all reported to the government, and a single tree costs several hundred taels of silver. I only sigh at when I will be able to see it built so I can go up and take a look."

Seeing him so envious, Xiaopangdun felt some pride and self-satisfaction in his heart, only thinking: No wonder the Golden Toad is so good at making money; it turns out he is also so good at spending it.

"Our City God Temple, though only this small, is already considered a majestic Daochang within the Dharma Realm. When the Sanqing Palace is built, it is possible that the Three Pure Ones could really have a God Descent in the Dharma Realm, a Cave Heaven Blessed Land, directly connecting to the Three Pure Ones Realm. Even if it is only an illusion and not a true realm, as long as one can occasionally hear the lingering sounds of the lecture, that would be extraordinary."

Xiaopangdun did not know that a Daochang had such a use for deities.

And the City God Temple itself is for cultivating Gods; since the Great Heng Dynasty decreed the ennoblement of City Gods throughout the world, it was later incorporated into the system of the Five Hundred Small Underworld...

"The Xuanzhen Temple on Xuanzhen Mountain is the most magnificent Daochang in the world for worshipping Zhenwu Da Di, so they often receive blessings from Zhenwu Da Di and hear the Dao in the Dharma Realm to receive the Xuanzhen Wonderful Arts."

"Our City God Temple worships the City God, and it can only be the City God Lord, or the Yeyou and Riyou transmitting the Dharma; how can it compare to them..."

"Those wild gods and lewd gods, why do they manifest? Isn't it because they want people to build them a small temple? The principle is all the same."

Xiaopangdun thought it was true; when Xu Jia originally coaxed those fox spirits and Ghost Gods, he used building a temple as bait.

Evil Gods strive to become True Gods; what is it for if not a stable temple that won't be torn down by others?

As far as the Divine Path is concerned, a temple Daochang is the place to settle down and establish one's life.

It is just that he did not know that the Three Pure Ones actually also needed this kind of Daochang temple?

The Three Pure Ones do not need it, but the people who worship the Three Pure Ones do.

In fact, for those who cultivate the Dao, if their worldly heart is not extinguished, they also take every penny and spend it like mud and sand.

Before long, Zhang Zhenji led two Daoist Priests from the Lishan Sect into the guest hall, where they stayed with Xiaopangdun for a while.

"This is Dharma Master Hui Zhuo, a disciple of the Earth Immortal True Person, True Person Xu. True Person Xu has established a sect and altar at Yushan, built temples, and intends to open the mountain gates wide to recruit disciples."

"Hui Zhuo, these two are high-ranking disciples of Lishan; this is Lingfeng, and this is Yilei."

Upon seeing Hui Zhuo, Daoist Lingfeng felt a whiff of musk; her gaze sharpened, for there was Demon Qi gathered and not dissipating, and no righteous energy about his person.

Daoist Yilei was even more blunt: "How is it that he seems like a demonic Daoist?" The two exchanged glances, feeling that perhaps the upper beam was crooked, causing the lower ones to be askew; even the closing disciple had a demonic aura about him, so could that so-called Earth Immortal True Person not be some Didao expert, but rather a type of Demon Immortal who had performed Possession on a human body and learned Daoism? The two of them grew wary and only feigned, "Greetings, fellow Daoist."

Although Hui Zhuo's cultivation was average, his spiritual perception was not poor, and he felt that these two Daoist Priests from the Lishan Sect seemed arrogant and haughty.

At this moment, the voice of Hu Jinhua came from within his mind: "The two of them have faint traces of wind and thunder spiritual resonance on them. The wind is one thing, but that Yilei's Thunder Law is Yang in Yin; it is more agile than Master Xu's Tiangang Thunder Law. Even if I were to step in, I fear I could not defeat them."

"Don't you have two hundred years of Daoist Practice, and haven't you been enlightened by Master?"

"The two of them come from a famous sect and must have cultivated since childhood. I was originally just Wild Fox Zen; how could I compare to the two of them?"

"Fellow Daoist, I just saw that in the county town, in broad daylight and under the clear sky, there is actually an Evil God of Wealth openly setting up schemes to harm the common people. Why do you let this go unchecked?"

"What Evil God? Haven't the evil gods here all been swept clean by my master?" Hui Zhuo still could not understand the matter.

"Inside a Jinchan Pawnshop, there is a Hundred Sons Spitting Treasure Toad Formation. Those evil toads are far more than a hundred; I fear there are thousands or tens of thousands. In a few days, when these evil toads turn into dependents, this evil god will gain power, and I fear it will be even harder to eradicate!"

"Are you talking about the toad?" Hui Zhuo laughed: "He was personally enlightened by my master. Those evil toads are transforming evil into righteousness, turning malice into kindness, and converting calamity into wealth. Previously, there was an evil god here who possessed a Treasure Basin containing 7,200 debt ghosts, owing countless Yin Debt. My master, with a compassionate heart, took all the Yin Debt upon himself, causing the toad to sit upon the treasure, turning debt into capital, and arranged this formation so that wealth flows like a great river, gathering water from all directions. How is this harming people?"

"What? This monster was directed by your master?" The two revealed looks of disgust: "If the practice is not upright, then the intent is not upright. An evil god's wealth that is efficacious will surely bring disaster; you must never covet this kind of power."

"If it were truly useful, why don't the nine paths of Wealth Gods in the world all use this method to benefit the world?"

"You also have a whiff of fox demon musk on you, fellow Daoist; how could you associate with such things? The likes of the Fox Immortal do not walk the righteous path. If you unite with him, you will eventually be drained dry, ending in madness and the destruction of your body. It would be better to go to the City God Temple now; the two of us will help you solve this problem, annihilate this demon, and then go visit your master!"

"That won't do!" Hui Zhuo grew vigilant: "How can you be so hot-tempered while cultivating the Dao? There is no peace or harmony at all. This Fox Immortal with me follows the orthodox path of the God Immortal, which was also taught by my master. I have formed a pact with him to cultivate together; how is that 'draining'?"

"Fellow Daoist, I see that your mind has been deluded."

Seeing that the situation was not right, Zhang Zhenji came forward to mediate: "Two fellow Daoists of the Lishan Sect, True Person Xu teaches without discrimination and transforms all living beings. This Fox Immortal spiritual cultivator has indeed performed several deeds of Merit locally. The common people helped build a small temple for him, and although he is not a True God, he has received the edict of a Heavenly Master. This True Person Xu is a Heavenly Master of the Numinous Treasure Sect."

"The Numinous Treasure Sect has been lost for hundreds of years," Daoist Lingfeng said. "If the lineage could be continued, that would naturally be best, but to place such heterodox ways on the head of the Numinous Treasure Sect, I fear the Daoist sects of the world will laugh."

She then said: "Forget it, this is not a matter for us to manage; we only need to take care of our little junior sister."

"Your little junior sister? Is that the snake demon at the medicine shop?" Hui Zhuo did not like to suffer losses either, and said sarcastically: "It seems the disciples of the Lishan Sect are no more brilliant than us of the Numinous Treasure Sect? That snake demon drained the primordial Qi of my junior brother who has not yet entered the sect and used magic to delude him; this cannot be denied."

"It is normal for a sect to produce such a degenerate once every few hundred years. Our sect has its own rules for punishment and disposal," Daoist Lingfeng said. "As for how other sects behave, we have already offered our advice."

"But there are always those who refuse good advice and are destined to die. I only advise you, do not act in the name of an orthodox sect while doing heterodox things and practicing the methods of an Evil Sect and evil gods; I fear that in the future, you will become like the Longevity Sect."

(End of this chapter)