[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-there-is-a-malevolent-spirit":3,"chapter-there-is-a-malevolent-spirit-there-is-a-malevolent-spirit-chapter-43":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","There Is a Malevolent Spirit",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2263149,4416,"Chapter 43: 42, The Guardian Spirit, the Aobao Zhanben","there-is-a-malevolent-spirit-chapter-43",43,"\u003Cp>42. Guardian Spirit, Azo Ben\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the pitch-black courtyard, Bai Xiu’e rose from behind the haystack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She stared at the curly-haired black dog crouching at Zhou Chang’s side, clearly frightened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the face of Bai Ma that surfaced on half her own face gazed at the black dog, her eyes gleaming: “A guardian spirit?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Where did you get this ‘Azo Ben’?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Spirit?” Zhou Chang patted Aduoji’s head, signaling it to scout ahead, then turned to the paper face. “What’s a ‘spirit’?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Ma frowned at the sound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She saw no deception in Zhou Chang’s bewildered expression, yet she knew well that judging a man’s intentions by his facial expression alone was often unreliable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In the secret language, ‘Zan’ refers to spirits of violent death or ill omens.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A ‘guardian spirit’ can be understood as a protective ghost or demon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ‘Zan Realm’ is the world, according to legend, where Zan demons and Zan spirits dwell—a world that closely resembles a collective mental construct of the people in the Tibetan borderlands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though seemingly a phantom born of thought, the Zan Realm permeates nearly every aspect of daily life for those in the Tibetan borderlands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All manner of terrors, plagues, misfortunes, and treasures are born from the Zan Realm and spread among mortals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, understanding the Zan, worshipping the Zan, and subduing the Zan have become vital elements of life in Tibet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those afflicted by illness who suddenly recover, or wanderers who have been mad for years, who one day awaken from a dream and recite long poems praising gods and kings—these people are born ‘Zan Ben Masters.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zan Ben Masters can communicate with the demons and spirits of the Zan Realm, coaxing them back into embryonic forms, embedding them within objects, nourishing them with ritual offerings, and transforming them into ordinary people’s ‘guardian spirits.’” Bai Ma’s eyes shone brightly as she watched the silent, swift-running curly-haired black dog.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This deceptive hide of the curly-haired dog could not obscure her vision of Aduoji’s true form: “Your guardian spirit is excellent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since its birth, it has shown affection toward humans and possesses no aggression toward the living.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This must be a ‘True Zan Ben,’ carefully selected over generations—starting from the first Zan Ben Master, who eliminated the wicked and preserved only the purest bloodlines through successive breeding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Very few guardian spirits are derived from the thoughts of dogs…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The finest Tibetan mastiffs are physically robust, yet their spiritual awareness is questionable—they recognize only one master in life, and upon death, their thoughts barely enter the Zan Realm, where most become untamable Zan spirits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The inferior mastiffs have never fought the spirits, demons, or ferocious beasts of the Tibetan borderlands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They have never been touched by the ritual offerings of spirits, never consumed the flesh of beasts far stronger than themselves, so their thoughts could never be accepted by the Zan Realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Therefore… your guardian spirit was most likely summoned back from the Zan Realm by an elderly herder or hunter who once used this very dog for herding or hunting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He then nurtured the dog’s lingering thought as his foundational Zan Ben, cultivating over time the ‘True Zan Ben’ you now possess…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Chang’s fingertip rubbed against the bone ring; after the first hole’s guardian spirit, Aduoji, was fully born, the thoughts of the other six dogs within the remaining holes stirred restlessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And within the hole left vacant by Aduoji’s departure, a faint, drifting thought still lingered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Chang had no time yet to examine what this thought contained—he turned to Bai Ma, smiling broadly: “You’re so knowledgeable—you must be a woman of high status and noble birth in the Tibetan borderlands!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After complimenting Bai Ma, Zhou Chang added: “But why are you so certain my True Zan Ben was bred by an elderly herder or hunter?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, after hearing her words, he largely agreed with her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the bone ring he possessed was riddled with cracks and carvings—all marks left over years by arrows and blades pressed against it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only those who frequently use bows—soldiers or hunters—would bear such wear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, the ring originally served as a tool for archery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Qing nobility were mostly descended from hunters and fishermen; their ancestors commonly wore rings and drew bows, but their degenerate descendants turned jade rings into mere trinkets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This bone ring was taken by Zhou Chang from a coffin before the grave of the Yinsheng Old Mother—it belonged to a man named Zhou Chang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could this Zhou Chang have been an elderly herder in the Tibetan borderlands?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Judging by his Han name, this Zhou Chang was probably not a native of the Tibetan borderlands, but rather someone like himself, living in border towns like Qingyi Village, straddling Sichuan and the Tibetan frontier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And from within the ring’s holes, a boy’s voice often called out—who was this child?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Ma did not know what Zhou Chang was thinking; upon hearing his question, she replied: “Only herders and hunters who venture outdoors possess the ability to tame Tibetan mastiffs. Most others in the Tibetan borderlands live no better than pigs or dogs—some even less than animals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could they possibly tame a mastiff?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Ma’s conversation with Zhou Chang yielded no information about the origin of the ‘Azo Ben’; instead, she had revealed far too much to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She didn’t mind much, but after hesitating briefly behind him, she spoke again: “Have you named this Azo Ben?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Duoji,” Zhou Chang murmured, watching the black dog vanish into the darkness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you know how to raise a Zan Ben?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If not, I can help you feed Aduoji,” Bai Ma said coolly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet her true intentions were impossible to conceal—they spilled out with every word.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I really don’t know.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Chang glanced at Bai Ma and grinned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His smile irritated her slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But if you’re willing to help, I’m sure it won’t be a problem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I ever acquire more Azo Ben in the future, I’d appreciate your guidance on how to feed them,” Zhou Chang said, lowering his tone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Ma’s lips curved into a faint smile: “Zan Ben are already hard to obtain—how much harder is it to find an Azo Ben?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Where could you possibly find so many?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Chang shook his head and fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Ma also grew quiet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Xiu’e watched Zhou Chang’s back, her expression reverting to its earlier timidity and wariness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, Zhou Chang halted, pressing himself against the wall and pulling Bai Xiu’e behind him. His eyes fixed on the narrow alley between the two walls leading to the front courtyard, and he whispered: “The second Azo Ben has arrived!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm?” Bai Ma raised an eyebrow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Chang lunged forward!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the pitch-black alley, the fierce snarling of dogs erupted:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Aow-aow-aow—ssss—ha!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Woo-woo—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Woof-woof-woof!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aduoji, wearing the two women’s deceptive masks, opened its jaws wide and seized the throat of the short-haired yellow dog charging toward it, pinning it beneath its body and violently shaking its head!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its sharp fangs sank deep into the yellow dog’s neck, and each violent shake tore the wound wider!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thin streams of dim yellow ritual energy seeped from the lacerations on the yellow dog’s flesh and flowed into the second hole of Zhou Chang’s ring.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the hole housing the Zan Ben named ‘Azo Bai Ma.’\u003C\u002Fp>",1218,"2026-06-19T18:47:42.084Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","d99cf2200599e544f063c334f5d9b19d025ff410c1800b44009df33552c20ce0","there-is-a-malevolent-spirit-chapter-44","there-is-a-malevolent-spirit-chapter-42",209,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthere-is-a-malevolent-spirit-cover.jpg"]