Chapter 147: Chapter 121: Earth Ghost

According to Sang Que’s nature, he wouldn’t take strangers on a journey together.

But Sang Que trusts Xia Chan; she is very sensitive to the malice of others. When she saw this female Taoist yesterday, Xia Chan did not shy away.

Most importantly, Sang Que also had a good first impression of the female Taoist.

Sang Que nodded slightly as a gesture, “I am Mulan, and this is my sister Little Chan. May I ask the Kun Dao’s name?”

The female Taoist stood straight-backed, with her chin slightly raised. A gentle breeze brushed her face, fully revealing the red birthmark on one side of her face.

She said generously, “My Taoist name is ’Yao Zhen’, as in carefree ’Yao’, and preserving truth ’Zhen’, from Qingfeng Temple on Bright Moon Mountain.”

“Bright Moon Mountain… where is it?”

Yao Zhen laughed heartily, “In the future, wherever I establish my temple, that place will be Bright Moon Mountain.”

It was getting late, and Sang Que didn’t indulge in further idle chit-chat. He scanned the surroundings and called out, “Xuan Yu——”

Soon after, Xuan Yu came running out from the post station’s backyard, meowing. One could tell from its arrogant gait that the other cats at the station had been beaten again.

“Wow~ not only do you raise a good donkey, but your cat is also very spirited.”

Xuan Yu glanced at Yao Zhen, lifted a paw and brushed Xia Chan’s skirt hem. Xia Chan immediately bent down and picked it up.

Now Xia Chan had become Xuan Yu’s exclusive ’mount.’ Having spent so much time together, Xia Chan could understand Xuan Yu’s intentions through its eyes and posture.

The group got on the donkey cart and continued on their way.

In the early morning, a thin veil of mist lay like a veil, sunlight penetrating the big trees by the roadside, casting dappled light on the road. Birds sang in the forest searching for food, and occasionally the shadows of small animals could be seen darting by.

The Deceit Dynasty was dead at night, yet vibrant during the day, two complete extremes.

Xia Chan sat in the carriage with Xuan Yu. After having breakfast, she took out a piece of pastry Kou Yushan had prepared for her from the food box in the carriage, dropping crumbs all over Xuan Yu.

Being very accustomed to it by now, Xuan Yu was too lazy to shake off the crumbs, instead, it sat licking its paws in Xia Chan’s arms.

Sang Que held the donkey cart’s reins and sat upfront alongside Yao Zhen.

Yao Zhen discreetly sized up Sang Que, born with fair skin, clearly not from an ordinary family, carrying a knife and a bow, possessing martial skills. Moreover, Yao Zhen could sense the Evil Qi on Sang Que’s knife, as well as a faint Evil Spirit aura on Xia Chan.

This indicated that the two of them frequently dealt with Evil Spirits and were certainly not ordinary people.

“Are you two sisters going to Bailong County for official business?” Yao Zhen asked, leaning against the cart’s door frame.

The journey was long, and small talk alleviated boredom.

Sang Que was not particularly lively; facing acquaintances, she could open up, but in the presence of strangers, she always wore an expressionless and indifferent look.

Hearing Yao Zhen’s question, Sang Que thought she was from the Taoist Sect and might be able to offer some guidance on the matters in Pinghu Village, so she nodded.

“Mm, we took on a case from the Evil Suppression Bureau to investigate the ghostly mist in Pinghu Village.”

Yao Zhen immediately understood, “Are you two intending to join the Evil Suppression Bureau? Why go to that place? How about coming with me to cultivate in Qingfeng Temple instead?”

Sang Que glanced at Yao Zhen, noting her Daoist robe, washed to the point of fading, with frayed edges, and her only accessory being a sleek wooden hairpin on her head. The most valuable thing on her was probably the iron sword in her hand.

“The monthly salary for ordinary constables in the Evil Suppression Bureau is three thousand coins. Kun Dao, how much can you offer me?”

Yao Zhen’s smile instantly became awkward, “Ha, haha, cultivating the Tao cannot be disturbed by worldly possessions.”

Having said that, she cursed inwardly, those damn rich Evil Suppression Bureau guys, they must have seized all the money from the bandit nest on Purple Clouds Mountain, damn it!

“Why doesn’t Kun Dao join the Evil Suppression Bureau?” Sang Que asked.

Yao Zhen pursed her lips and shook her head, “Do you really think the Evil Suppression Bureau is a good place? There are endless sinister cases to investigate every day, where’s the freedom in that? I prefer the leisurely life of cultivation on the mountains. If I run out of money, I’ll go down the mountain for a bit of adventuring, free to do as I please.”

Sang Que nodded, simply put, Yao Zhen was out of money and had come down the mountain to earn some.

“I’ve heard that the city entry tax in Wangshan City is ten cents, is that true?”

“Mm, it’s ten cents, paid once a month.”

“Damn it, ten cents is enough for ten bowls of vegetarian noodles, it’s really outrageous!”

“Kun Dao, do you know Pinghu Village?” Sang Que brought the topic back.

Yao Zhen frowned, “That place, you’d better not go. Be careful, you might not come out.”

“Has Kun Dao been there?” Sang Que was startled.

Yao Zhen didn’t continue to speak. Sensing something, she suddenly jumped off the cart shaft and ran into the woods in a few steps.

Sang Que quickly stopped the donkey cart, told Little Chan to stay inside, and followed Yao Zhen into the woods.

After a few steps, Sang Que heard Yao Zhen’s voice.

“Hey, hey, hey, I’m telling you, no matter how difficult it is, just grit your teeth and get through it. Asking the Earth Ghost here is courting death, isn’t it?”

Sang Que tilted her head and saw a middle-aged man, tears streaming down his face, trembling all over, kneeling under a big tree, using a sharp stone to cut his palm, ready to smear the blood on the three buns in front of him.

The eaves of a tiny shen kan could vaguely be seen under the roots of the tree, surrounded by a cluster of mushrooms resembling human faces, looking very eerie.

The man cried, “But I have no choice; my child is so sick, barely hanging on, and I can’t afford a doctor. If praying to the Earth Ghost lets me trade my life for my child’s, it’s worth it!”

Yao Zhen sighed, “Why do this? The easiest problems in this world are the ones that money can solve. You think asking the Earth Ghost will bring peace, but even if your family fulfills the promise afterward, you’ll be continuously unlucky because of the Ghost Qi.”

“Then what should I do? What should I do!!” The man roared hysterically.

Yao Zhen reached into her bosom, took out a small cloth bag, opened it layer by layer, revealing one-tenth of a silver and a dozen copper coins. She reluctantly glanced at them, wrapped them back, walked over, crouched down, and placed them in the man’s hands.

“Take this money to buy medicine. Your face shows a look of one who survives great disaster, and there should be good fortune afterward. Maybe tomorrow everything at home will improve.”

The stone fell from the man’s hand. Holding the money, he cried and kowtowed, “Thank you, Kun Dao, thank you, Kun Dao.”

Yao Zhen waved her hand casually, “Go back now. These buns look good; I’ll take them.”

Yao Zhen picked up the three buns in front of the Earth Ghost’s shen kan and stuffed them into her arms. At that moment, a black ghost hand suddenly reached out from the shen kan, darting toward Yao Zhen.

The man couldn’t see it. Sang Que could make out a shadow of black.

Yao Zhen’s eyes turned fierce. She held a hand seal with one hand, whispered a spell, and struck it. The ghost hand immediately dissipated like smoke, and the shen kan quickly withdrew into the tree, disappearing.

Yao Zhen clapped her hands, stood up, turned back to Sang Que and said, “Let’s go, keep moving.”

They returned to the donkey cart. Yao Zhen took out a bun, took a big bite, “What you get from the Earth Ghost’s hands is really delicious.”

“What are you eating?”

Xia Chan’s head suddenly popped out from the cart, staring at the bun in Yao Zhen’s hand. Yao Zhen generously took out one from her bosom and handed it to Xia Chan, who joyfully took a bite.

“Thank you, pretty sister.”

Yao Zhen was amused by Xia Chan’s ’pretty sister,’ laughing heartily, “I do love an honest little girl like you.”

As the two laughed, Sang Que couldn’t join in, frowning and asking Yao Zhen, “How do Earth Ghosts come into being? Can’t they be completely eradicated?”

The Li Family Widow from Black Mountain Village lost a child because of the Earth Ghosts, and He Buning once killed one, yet there was another one here.

Yao Zhen chewed on the bun and said, “Who knows how Earth Ghosts are born? I heard from my master that Earth Ghosts are little ghosts under the Mountain God, hearing the people’s grievances for them. To seek help from the Earth Ghost, just like what that person did, you offer food as offerings, make a wish with blood, and if the Earth Ghost agrees, it’ll take your offerings.”

“But Earth Ghosts never help for free. Once your wish is granted, you must repay it within seven days with more and better offerings. Earth Ghosts, like Water Ghosts, can’t be eradicated without finding their true form. Anyone who wishes to seek out the Earth Ghost needs only to walk the land and call upon it in their heart to see the shen kan.”

Sang Que pondered, “Is there a difference between a Mountain God and a Mountain Ghost?”

Yao Zhen unscrewed the cap of her flask, took a sip, “Mountain Ghosts are Mountain Gods not appointed by heaven and earth. Actually, there’s no difference between calling them Mountain Ghosts or Mountain Gods. The world is dead; no ghosts or gods receive the decrees of heaven. It relies on believers for strength, hence why Mountain Ghosts are called Mountain Gods.”

“So, Kun Dao also believes in the Mountain God?”

Yao Zhen paused in drinking, glanced at Sang Que, then laughed, “I’m a Taoist priest, and I worship the Daoist Lord! How could I follow other ghosts or gods?”

Sang Que suddenly remembered that Yan Daozi’s Dao Bell and Copper Coin Armor were still in her hand. These items had long lost their mana, only empowered by a legitimate Taoist.

“Kun Dao, I have two magic artifacts that need empowerment. I’m not sure if Kun Dao can help. I can pay.”

Yao Zhen plugged the flask, “Sure, take out the items for me to see.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep