Chapter 208: Transcendence and Persuasion

With a creak! The door behind them pushed open!

An old man wearing a cotton coat walked out leaning on a cane.

The two retainers immediately stepped aside.

The old man also saw Lin Jue and Luo Seng walking back at a glance, as well as the ghosts and residual souls behind them.

But although his body was weak and not as good as the retainers, his courage was much greater than the retainers. Seeing this scene, he had no fear at all, but instead first performed a kneeling ceremony to the ghosts and residual souls behind the two:

"The old man originally used money to invite you heroes to help, but didn't expect to harm your lives, I am truly ashamed of you..."

The residual souls naturally had no reaction.

It was the ghost surnamed Xu who accepted it calmly, just saying:

"Get up, we are already dead. We eat this bowl of rice, what are you saying those for? Just offer us a few more sticks of incense later and repair our cenotaphs better."

"Definitely!"

The old man stood up tremblingly leaning on his cane, and only then looked at the two in front.

Only seeing the Daoist's expression was calm, the martial artist held a spear in one hand and a blade in the other, his clothes were somewhat tattered, and his body was stained with black blood, couldn't help but ask:

"Did Lord Luo and the True Man get hurt?"

"Not considered any injury, Lord Yang can rest assured. That black-haired zombie should be the source of the village's constant unrest before. Now it has been eliminated. If there is no other source of zombies in the village, or if trouble arises again, I think there will be no more zombies in the future," Luo Seng said, reaching out and pointing to Lin Jue, "Lord Yang must thank this Daoist Lin for his spell assistance."

"The old man first thanks Daoist Lin on behalf of the people of Yang Family Village and Runze County, please accept my bow."

"It should be so, no need for courtesy."

"Also thanks to Lord Luo."

"Take money and do things, no need to say thanks."

While everyone was talking, they saw that the ghost surnamed Xu had been standing beside them, as if he had no intention of leaving at all.

"Lord Xu..."

The old man couldn't help but look at him again, feeling that he might still have some unspeakable wishes, so he first let the two retainers, who felt both scared and wonderful, return to the house, and closed the door, only then asking:

"Does Lord Xu still have any unfulfilled wishes?"

Only hearing the ghost surnamed Xu answer: "Xu has lost his parents since childhood, and his wife and children were also eaten by monsters when he was young. Now he is alone, only this life-and-death blood feud, where are there any wishes?"

"Since this is the case, now that the zombie has been eliminated by True Man Lin and Lord Luo, Lord Xu's blood feud has been avenged, so leave early and rest in peace."

"The blood feud is avenged, but there is something else behind the blood feud."

"What?"

"Didn't Old Yang say it? There is still something strange about this matter," the ghost surnamed Xu said, couldn't help but snort coldly, seeming to have a bit of Jianghu rogue spirit, "Besides, even if I leave, where can I go? My killing karma was too heavy when I was alive, and even if I go to the underworld, I'm afraid I won't have a good life, so it's better to be a ghost here and be at ease."

"But I heard that new ghosts are big, old ghosts are small, and even if Lord Xu becomes a ghost, he will be fried by the sun and moon, and gradually worn away."

"Who did you hear that from?"

"Heard it from others. Lord Xu, think about it, if one could be a ghost for a long time, then why have I never seen a ghost from a thousand years ago?" The old man said with a trembling voice, thinking for him, "Lord Xu thinks so, perhaps it is just because he has just become a ghost and hasn't experienced the sour bitterness of a lonely ghost. If you don't rest in peace, the bitter days will be long."

"So what?"

The ghost surnamed Xu heard him refute himself, somewhat impatient, and gradually revealed a fierce look.

The old man was shocked.

Luo Seng also frowned, feeling something was wrong.

"Not good, although Lord Xu's wishes have been fulfilled, looking at him like this, I'm afraid he is unwilling because of his unjust death and has become stubborn." The old man had lived a long time and was knowledgeable, so he said immediately.

Luo Seng also persuaded the ghost surnamed Xu:

"Brother Xu, you and I both walk the Jianghu, relying on monsters and ghosts that cause trouble to eat. How can we not know how difficult the life of a wandering ghost in the world is? Loneliness makes people go crazy, and also makes ghosts become demons."

"This..."

The ghost surnamed Xu had full admiration and respect for Luo Seng. Hearing him say this, he couldn't help but withdraw his fierce look and hesitated.

"Ghosts should belong to the underworld. If Brother Xu insists on lingering in the world, I dare not stop you, but in the end, there are only two paths for Brother Xu: either gradually wear away in the wind and frost of the sun and moon, become a small ghost like residual candles and rotten cotton in the wild, wearing yourself away in loneliness, or become an evil ghost, causing trouble everywhere, and become like those ghosts that Brother Xu once killed."

"..."

The ghost surnamed Xu's expression was blank, as if he had figured it out, and then said: "If you want me to rest in peace, it is also very simple, you need to ask you to do a favor."

"Just say it!"

"Lord Xu, just say it! The old man will definitely do it!"

The ghost surnamed Xu hesitated for a moment, only then opening his mouth: "My killing karma was too heavy when I was alive, and I died unjustly. It is rumored that both will be punished in the underworld, so I am a bit afraid to go to the underworld. You need to find a high-ranking person who has both great virtue and great cultivation to perform transcendence for me, so that I can return in peace."

This request was also reasonable.

It's just that a high-ranking person who has both great virtue and great cultivation...

It's not easy to find if you say it's easy, and it's simple if you say it's difficult.

Luo Seng and the old man pondered in their hearts, and at the same time turned their heads to look at the young Daoist wearing a gray Daoist robe beside them.

Even the ghost surnamed Xu looked over.

Even Xiao Xiao Shimei and the fox turned their heads to look at him.

"Hmm?"

Lin Jue was startled: "Why are the three of you looking at me?"

"Can the Daoist..."

"You three don't know, although I am a Daoist, I practice spiritual methods. I am far from having great virtue and great cultivation, and I don't know how to perform rituals and chant scriptures for transcendence. I only have some skills in eliminating demons and clever changes."

Lin Jue explained to them.

"This..."

Both people and the ghost were stunned.

The ghost surnamed Xu also showed disappointment.

Seeing this, Lin Jue ultimately couldn't bear it, looked at the ghost surnamed Xu, and said another sentence:

"However, when I was on the mountain, I also heard about the rules of the underworld: although it is said that heavy killing karma will be judged, it must be killing the innocent; although it is said that unjust death will also be punished, it must be because of a small matter and committing suicide for no reason. The purpose is also to make people respect their own lives and act cautiously."

"Really?"

"Lord Xu, think about it, ghosts were once people too, don't you think that after becoming a ghost, you don't follow the principles of when you were alive? By the same token, if you determine that killing karma is too heavy because someone eliminates demons, and judge it as unjust death because a person was killed by monsters and ghosts while protecting one side, what kind of principle is that?"

Lin Jue said, pausing:

"Lord Xu was also a free and easy person in the Jianghu, why fall into this kind of stubbornness? Even if there was some killing karma when you were alive, as long as you don't feel ashamed of your original heart, what is there to fear?"

The ghost surnamed Xu had seen him perform spells to eliminate monsters, and had long regarded him as a god-like high-ranking person, and respected him quite a bit, so naturally, he believed his words very much.

And these words also spoke to his heart.

Seeing this, Lin Jue added another sentence:

"Besides, Lord Xu even dared to face that black-haired zombie, and for the sake of keeping his promise and eliminating monsters, he didn't retreat even to death. What is there to be afraid of going to the underworld?"

The ghost surnamed Xu was thoughtful, gradually revealing a look of sudden realization.

Then he actually bowed solemnly to him.

Turning around, his figure slowly faded away.

The two beside him only then looked at Lin Jue.

"The Daoist said he wouldn't perform transcendence?" Luo Seng said.

"I really don't know how." Lin Jue said truthfully.

"Not knowing how to perform transcendence is better than knowing how to perform transcendence," Luo Seng laughed.

"The scriptures of transcendence are also this principle," the old man couldn't help but sigh, "but the Daoist himself must have outstanding virtue and be convincing for these words to reach Lord Xu's heart."

"It was just a coincidence."

"Then what about these few?"

The old man looked at the residual souls and obsessions that followed them back.

Among them were four Jianghu martial artists and five constables.

"These are residual souls created by obsessions. Perhaps they are unwilling to die unjustly, or perhaps for other reasons, they didn't become ghosts, but they are unwilling to leave," Lin Jue explained to them, "They are harder to communicate with than ghosts, and cannot live in the underworld like ghosts. Only by knowing what obsessions they have unfulfilled can they perhaps rest in peace."

"I don't know either. I haven't known these four Jianghu heroes for long," Luo Seng said to him, "However, there have been many monsters and ghosts causing trouble in Qin Zhou in these few years, harming many people. In these years, Jianghu heroes who dare to rely on these monsters and ghosts to make a living with a blade and a sword, apart from martial arts, mostly have some hatred and spirit supporting them."

Saying this, pausing:

"These few constables are disciples of Yang Family Village, so they dared to come here to serve. Now five or six out of ten people in the village are gone, perhaps they want to see if their family members are still there."

As soon as the old man heard this, he went to the house.

Not long after, someone came out.

And someone went to other wealthy courtyards to call people.

A few wails rose in the courtyard.

"Heroes, now that the evil things in the village have been eliminated, when the Poison-Absorbing Stone is sun-dried, the patients in the village will also recover, so leave," Lin Jue tried to persuade them.

Two constables slowly disappeared.

The remaining four Jianghu heroes and three constables were unwilling to leave, their figures swaying in the cold night.

Luo Seng and the old man could only look at Lin Jue again.

"If you are willing to rest in peace, then rest in peace. If you are really unwilling to rest in peace, you can also leave. The world is big, and there is a place to return to," Lin Jue said sincerely, "If you are unwilling to rest in peace, and unwilling to dissipate in this world, and have a heart to eliminate monsters, you can follow me, and in the future help me eliminate demons and monsters, drive away evil and support righteousness."

Luo Seng was somewhat surprised and turned to look at him.

But he saw that the seven residual souls and obsessions really had movement, as if this was their original wish.

Then Lin Jue took out a small porcelain bottle.

"If you are willing, you can enter the bottle!"

"Shu..."

Several residual souls and obsessions came one after another and entered the bottle.

"I will definitely not let you down!"

Lin Jue said so and put on the bottle stopper.

Only then did the courtyard become quiet again.

Luo Seng and the old man looked quite surprised. Only Xiao Xiao Shimei and the fox were used to it; one leaned against the wall staring at them, and the other sat on the ground scratching its head with its hind legs.

"The night is deep, go back to rest," Lin Jue said, looking at the old man, "Is there any house in the village... that is vacant? Can you lend it to my Xiao Xiao Shimei and me for a few nights?"

How could the old man not know what he meant.

"The courtyard opposite is my cousin's courtyard. His family is all dead, and the door is not locked. If the Daoist doesn't mind, just live there."

"The old gentleman has some courage, but don't worry anymore."

"Many thanks, Daoist."

"By the way, the water buffalo in the village helped me last night, so it was injured and contributed to the village, so please take care of it more, old gentleman."

"This is natural."

The old man bowed to him sincerely.

Lin Jue and Xiao Xiao Shimei returned the bow and went out.

The moonlight was faint and cold, and the village was extremely silent.

There was a courtyard opposite, and the door was indeed not locked.

The two Senior and Junior siblings went in, each found a room. Lin Jue gave the night-watch lamp to Xiao Xiao Shimei, and he relied on Fuyao for vigilance.

Finding a long couch to lie down, he pondered in his heart.

Although this black-haired zombie was powerful last night, it was not as good as that black bear monster back then. Lin Jue hadn't eaten the Spirit-Walking Pill, nor had he circled with it. Added to the fact that he was no longer what he used to be, his mood didn't fluctuate much.

It was just that seven more heroes were willing to follow, which was a thing worth being happy and honored about.

Apart from the inner emotions, the substantial harvest was also extraordinary.

Seven heroes had already exceeded the total number of bean soldiers he currently possessed.

Among them, the four Jianghu experts, I expect their martial arts would not be bad.

And there were three constables, I don't know how their martial arts were, but for the spell of bean soldiers, it was naturally a good thing that the residual souls were good at fighting when they were alive, but the influence was not that big.

First, the bean soldiers themselves were not as flexible as real people, and many body techniques could not be displayed. After becoming residual souls, most of the skills and experience from when they were alive would be lost, so the bonus of martial arts was also weakened.

Second, the reason why Jianghu martial artists were powerful, apart from martial arts, was also the strength polished with painstaking effort. But after becoming bean soldiers, they had already changed bodies. How much strength this body had only depended on Lin Jue's refining, not on the strength when they were alive.

Therefore, the most important thing was character.

Martial arts must be possessed, and the higher the better, but there was no need to be too persistent.

Instead, what gave Lin Jue a headache was—

Where should these spirit woods be found?

Half of the Pear Ancestor Wood Heart obtained at that time was left, which could still make two bean soldiers. Even Lin Jue had already carved the outline, and the weapons and armor were also made, so it was very simple to make them again, but five more were still missing.

Should he use this Yingmu just obtained from Kuze County?

But although this Yingmu had spiritual aura, it hadn't become a spirit after all. It was barely okay to use it to make bean soldiers, but it was much worse than the previous Pear Ancestor Wood Heart and Dan Fruit Wood.

And Yingmu had other uses.

Lin Jue also planned to use it to refine the Giant Spirit Pill. Using it to make bean soldiers was not suitable and a bit wasteful.

"Sigh..."

Lin Jue couldn't help but sigh.

The fox beside him learned to sigh like him.

Then he pondered and fell asleep. ===== CHAPTER 209 =====

Then he pondered as he fell asleep.