Chapter 49: Refining the Soul (Part 2)

  Just as I was indulging in flights of fancy, I inadvertently discovered that the green smoke in the soul-locking bottle was slowly rising and drifting out. After it emerged from the mouth of the bottle, the green smoke transformed into a thin thread-like shape, slowly floating into the northwest corner of the courtyard, the hole that Hui Zhi and the monk had dug earlier.

  After all the blue smoke had floated into that hole, Hui Zhong and the monk were chanting scriptures while picking up the bottle stopper to seal the Soul Locking Bottle.

  At this time, there was still some green smoke in the soul-locking bottle. It was obvious that the green smoke in the soul-locking bottle was the little ghost just now. And the green smoke that entered the ground must be his wife.

  After the soul-locking bottle was sealed, Master Hui Zhi stopped reciting sutras. After stopping the recitation, Master Hui Zhi picked up the wooden fish and left the Dharma hall with a "dang dang dang" sound, walking to the side of my master, Zhangshan Lao Dao.

  "I've already sent that little demon's wife to the Yellow Springs Road, as for interrogating that little demon, you can do it yourself! I won't participate in this anymore." After saying that, Master Hui Zhi sat down cross-legged on the ground and continued to beat his wooden fish with a "dang dang dang" sound.

  My master, the old Taoist of Bamboo Mountain, smiled and nodded after hearing the words of Master Hui Zhi. He then walked into the ritual arena. After entering the ritual arena, my master drew out his peach wood sword used for performing the Great Spirit Dance.

  In my memory, whenever it was time to perform a big ritual, my master would always use that peach wood sword. Sometimes I even felt that if he didn't have that peach wood sword, my master Zhu Shan Lao Dao might just be an ordinary Daoist priest who couldn't get any more ordinary.

  Actually, at that time in my heart, Master Zhangshan's various abilities all came from the magical tools in his hands. Without those magical tools, he could only do one thing, which was to chant scriptures.

  Chanting scriptures, in my opinion, doesn't require much skill. At the time, I thought that no matter who it was, as long as they could get their hands on the magical tools held by my master, Zhu Shan Lao Dao, and memorize a few more volumes of scriptures, they would all become formidable Taoist priests like him.

  I had misunderstood my Shifu Zhu Shan Lao Dao for many years, from the time he gave me my first magical tool. When I used it, I found that chanting scriptures was not as simple as it sounded.

  All that is for later, let's save it for when the time comes. For now, let's continue to watch my master, Zhang Shan Lao Dao, perform his divine dance!

  This time, my master Zhu Shan Lao Dao jumped into a trance and it was completely different from the previous times. The previous times my master jumped into a trance, sometimes it looked like a ballroom dance, sometimes it looked like a folk dance, and sometimes it looked like an old lady dancing to a folk song. In short, no matter how I looked at it, it all seemed like he was dancing.

  This time, my master Zhu Shan Lao Dao was no longer dancing. He really was like practicing martial arts, chopping and slashing and stabbing in turns. Accompanying these movements, he also let out loud "Ha Ha Ha" battle cries. Of course, the tone of my master Zhu Shan Lao Dao's battle cry was very strong, but I couldn't hear even a hint of murderous intent.

  "My master, Bamboo Mountain Old Dao, after showing off his fancy footwork, began to ask questions in his eerie and mysterious tone. 'You little devil, are you going to confess or not?' My master, Bamboo Mountain Old Dao, asked this question with the emphasis of Peking Opera and the pronunciation of Sichuan Opera."

  As for what kind of flavor it is, I can't say clearly. If you want to taste the flavor, you can sing two sentences of Peking Opera in Sichuan dialect, anyway my master Zhu Shan Lao Dao was probably that kind of flavor at that time.

  My master, the old Taoist of Bamboo Mountain, jumped around and hopped about for half a day, also shouting at the top of his lungs for half a day. But judging from the look of things, that little demon seemed to have no intention of surrendering yet.

  My master, the old Taoist of Bamboo Mountain, probably felt that he had been fooled by that little devil, so in a fit of rage, he went to fetch some firewood. I know my master's temper, he must be thinking of roasting that little devil.

  When dealing with the little demon, my master Zhu Shan Lao Dao never mentioned anything about moving with emotions or enlightening with reason. This time, he could hold back his temper and rescue the little demon's wife, and even let Hui Zhi Monk send his wife to the Yellow Spring Road, it can be said that he has already broken the sky.

  But just when my master, Zhu Shan Lao Dao, thought he had been kind and righteous enough, this little devil actually still played tricks on him and didn't say what he knew. My master was naturally furious.

  Getting angry about this matter, it's really not my Master's fault. My Master, the old Daoist of Bamboo Mountain, has subdued countless ghosts in his lifetime. You should know that even the most ferocious evil spirits are nothing but a trivial matter in front of my Master, so throughout his life, my Master has never been played with by any ghost.

  This time, if it weren't for my sake, my master would never have been fooled by that little devil. It can be said that if it weren't for me, my master, the old Daoist Zhushan, wouldn't even bother with that little devil, let alone help him rescue his wife.

  Originally, my master thought that after saving the little ghost's wife, the little ghost should have surrendered both emotionally and rationally, but unexpectedly, the little ghost was still stubbornly resisting.

  Helpless, my master Zhu Shan Lao Dao had no choice but to use his last resort, which was also his specialty, and tortured him into confessing.

  Seeing that my master, Bamboo Mountain Taoist, was about to punish the little demon, Master Hui Zhi immediately stood up and stopped him.

  "Let me try!" Hui Zhizhang said to my master, Zhu Shan Lao Dao.

  Hui Zhi and the monk had always been kind-hearted, so he would never allow my master Zhu Shan Lao Dao to use torture on that little ghost under his nose.

  "Alright!" replied my master, Zhangshan Laodao.

  Master Hui Zhi's face, my Shifu Zhangshan Lao Dao will definitely give it. Besides, my Shifu is very clear in his mind that Master Hui Zhi has a lot of experience in persuading lonely souls and wild ghosts to change their evil ways and become good.

  Facing those fierce ghosts, my master Zhu Shan Lao Dao's most commonly used method was to expel them, and also to subdue them. In short, the methods my master Zhu Shan Lao Dao used were relatively violent. That is to say, even if those fierce ghosts ultimately submitted to my master, it was because they were beaten into submission by my master.

  In terms of attitude towards fierce ghosts, Hui Zhi and my master were vastly different. Hui Zhi always treated lonely souls and wild ghosts as members of the masses, even if they were fierce ghosts. When encountering them, Hui Zhi would often try to persuade them with kind words, never resorting to violence.

  You'd be surprised, when facing those fierce ghosts, the eloquence of Master Hui Zhi was quite good. Even the most ferocious ghosts would put down their butcher knives and become Buddhas on the spot after a tongue-lashing from Master Hui Zhi. Of course, "becoming a Buddha on the spot" is just a figure of speech, but it's true that none of the ghosts who had been enlightened by Master Hui Zhi ever came out to harm people again.

  It was precisely because he had never failed that Hui Zhong and Shang were quite confident in his ability to persuade the fierce ghost. Not only did Hui Zhong and Shang have confidence in himself, but even my master, Zhu Shan Lao Dao, also had confidence in him. Otherwise, my master would not have given up his own torture and interrogation, and instead let Hui Zhong and Shang use his eloquence to persuade the ghost.

  Huishan monk walked into the Dharma field, picked up the soul-locking bottle, and recited a Buddhist scripture. Then, he whispered to the little ghost in a soft voice. Although I couldn't hear what Huishan monk said, I could feel that his tone was much more gentle than my master Zhushan's.

  After muttering for a while, the wise and venerable monk nodded in satisfaction.

  "He said, can he be sent to the Yellow Springs Road now?" Monk Hui Zhi pointed to the Soul Locking Bottle and then turned his head to ask my master, Zhang Shan Lao Dao.

  "You deal with it!" said my master, Zhangshan Laodao.

  My master, Bamboo Mountain Taoist, had a somewhat dejected tone. He probably didn't expect that today he would lose face in front of his own disciple, and couldn't even get an answer out of a little ghost. However, my master Bamboo Mountain Taoist is not a petty person, and he wouldn't think that Wisdom Monk stole the show from him. Therefore, my master's expression quickly returned to calmness.

  After hearing his master's answer, Hui Zhi and the monk immediately performed a ritual, sending the little ghost into the small hole in the northwest corner of the courtyard, letting him go on his way.

  After the little ghost left, Master Hui Zhi whispered a few words in my master's ear, seemingly telling him about the content of the little ghost's summons. After listening to Master Hui Zhi's whisper, my master Zhu Shan Lao Dao's face immediately fell.