Chapter 9: The Secret of the Spirit Knife

  Hatred is poison, isn't love also a poison?

  Li Yan's mournful cry still echoes in my ears, the red mark on my forehead is still faintly visible. The sound of sharpening knives has been silent for a while now. It seems that as Daozhang said, the world of the living should take care of its own affairs, and the world of the dead should fulfill its own obligations. Without breaking the cycle, it's hard to get rid of this red mark.

  Old Qian was amazed and said, "It's strange, recently there have been all sorts of strange things happening everywhere, but now it's calm." I smiled wryly and said, "Good thing, are you hoping for a chaotic world? Afraid that when the time comes, there will be no girls on the street and no staple food in the bowl."

  Lao Qian was tidying up the things around him while saying, "Damn it, sister! Yesterday, another manager's meeting was held, and Nan Cun has been formally discussed. We will start work soon, and our miserable days are coming."

  "Isn't compensation always being discussed but never settled?"

  Lao Qian said: "I was also wondering, the official statement is that the country has increased investment, benefiting the people and increasing the intensity, of course, it's reasonable to satisfy the other party's requirements, what else can't be discussed? Oh, I heard that during the discussion, a strange old man appeared several times, even volunteered to do some work for a few households, and in the end, everyone was happy."

  I said: "Qiaoqiao's mother gave birth to Qiaoqiao, it shouldn't be that old man we met the other day, right?"

  Lao Qian said: "I think so too, mother. Once I thought of it, I really felt a chill run down my spine and my heart skipped a beat."

  At this time I was secretly worried, one ring after another, strange things, oh my, just as Qing Shan Dao Zhang instructed, it's really necessary to be careful.

  I said: "Bullshit, two big men, still afraid of a little widow."

  Old Qian squinted and smacked his lips, saying: "You can't say that, the way she sways her waist is quite something."

  I gave Lao Qian a white eye and said: "I'll go prepare the audit plan, don't rush me like a leader when the time comes."

  Lao Qian nodded slightly, but didn't respond to me, probably still thinking about those two protruding peaks.

  As we were talking, the old boss walked into the finance department, which is actually just this big office where I and Old Qian grind our teeth.

  Old Qian is here, damn it, I'd rather kneel down and pay respects. I know what's good for me, at this moment, let the leader take the stage and show off.

  Pulling the chair and pretending to go pour tea.

  The boss waved his hand and said, "No need to say anything, this time the project is different from before. The family entrance is all spirited, and the system is also different from the previous one. The road bridge is fully entrusted to our company, so it's not a half-audit, but a full audit. You two start work and go in, hard work! At that time, count as overtime, okay?"

  This isn't a discussion, it's an arrangement. Old Qian nodded hastily, the smile on his face almost falling to the ground, saying that Boss can rest assured, after all, this wasn't their first time.

  The boss turned and left.

  Lao Qian's smile was gone as soon as the old boss turned around, and once he left, he spat and said: "You see, I told you it's a son of a bitch. Damn, if we calculate by overtime pay, it should be calculated by business trip allowance. You're so stingy, one day when my luck changes, I'll make you be my deputy director, and every day I'll calculate your overtime pay, until you die."

  I just smiled and said it's a small matter, but for people like me who are struggling to make ends meet, it's a big deal. Overtime is better than business trips, at least I get 60 yuan less in meal allowances per day.

  I said: "Forget it, having a home nearby also has its advantages, I'll help you hook up with girls to make up for it later."

  Lao Qian smiled with his eyes closed, stroking the tea cup and humming a little tune, "As people say, in March, the small sun shines brightly, but the lonely orphan and widowed mother go to sweep the tomb."

  Lao Qian was still humming, I slammed the manuscript on the table and said, "Isn't it unlucky?"

  Lao Qian burst out laughing, this guy, he's so infatuated with women that he doesn't even care about his own life.

  "When will you arrive?" I asked.

  "A week later, the situation started to calm down, and that's when we went," said Old Qian.

  But I always feel that something is off in my heart, and can't quite put my finger on what it is.

  Things in the secular world are normal, Old Qian gets off work and rushes to the sauna, pulling me along, I say I have something to do, and he runs away alone with a flourish.

  I drove past the intersection towards home, everything was normal, still crowded with people, and motorcycles filled up all the lanes.

  Returned home, went upstairs, and suddenly felt extremely chilly.

  As soon as he opened the door and entered the house, he was startled to find that Qing Shan Dao Zhang had already arrived and was standing inside.

  The boss made a gesture and I hastily closed the door.

  Qingshan Daochang didn't look like his usual self, wearing a brand new Daoist robe, with a solemn expression, just like we're waiting for someone to put on a suit and tie to attend a formal banquet.

  I was astonished in my heart. I blinked my eyes and looked at Daozhang, but Daozhang remained silent.

  Suddenly sitting cross-legged in the house, with both palms clasped together embracing the universe, muttering to himself, hot air steaming from his head.

  A thick fog suddenly filled the entire room. The window glass was covered with a layer of mist, blocking out all external light. However, inside the house, it was bright and shining like daylight.

  I felt a surge of heat rising from within my body, all the way to the top of my head, and I was so hot that my face turned red and my heart was racing. Without warning, I suddenly sat down on my bed. My legs curled up involuntarily, facing Qing Shan Dao Zhang, and my hands instinctively stretched out in front of me, as if wanting to support Qing Shan Dao Zhang.

  Qingshan Daochang suddenly raised both hands and bowed to me, I was so flustered that my whole body didn't listen to orders, and I received this bow in a daze.

  "Qingcheng Mountain, Qingcheng Palm Teaching Gate, under the old Daoist Qing Shan and the righteous messenger Zheng Ling met, beware of the evil spirits approaching, destroying them is not a waste of life, but it concerns the underworld, listen carefully!" The voice of Qing Shan Daochang was stern, really unlike his usual self.

  At this time, the window of hidden awareness was suddenly filled with a series of loud noises, and then instantly became quiet.

  I really didn't want to receive such a grand gift from Qing Shan Dao Chang, but I couldn't help it. Suddenly, I thought of Qing Cheng Mountain, my goodness, that's in Dujiangyan, the ancestral home of Taoism. It seems that Dao Chang is indeed a high-ranking person, able to travel such a long distance with ease.

  "The Righteous Envoy listened, at this moment I covered the house with a red silk canopy, you and I have already entered the underworld, from now on, everything we say is related to life and death, let's put aside the worldly noise." I was stunned.

  "With the guidance of Master Cheng En, I finally found the true messenger after a long and arduous search. The dark realm is about to be plagued by a bloody storm, I hope the messenger will cherish all living beings and not waste their precious blood."

  "Wu Ying Men has gone through several realms, our sect is unfortunate, Nan Manzi is rising with strange powers, our sect cannot sit back and watch, the Master's strict order, to cross the calamity and become harmonious."

  "The Wuyin Gate mistakenly uses worldly desires and thoughts as an excuse to deceive some small ghosts, entangle the thirsty and longing spirits, occupy the thoughts of the Yang world, force the manifestation of spiritual knives. In fact, they want to unify the Yin realm, create chaos, disturb the Yang world, our gate cannot just sit back and watch."

  "The messenger was born with good roots, later succeeded by the orthodox spirit, the spirit and blood are connected, everyone is competing to grab."

  "Lucky to have endured hardship, the messenger is safe and sound, my heart is greatly at ease."

  It wasn't until now that I somewhat understand. It turns out, the reason my blood has such power is because I am a heavenly appointed Zhēn Líng messenger after all. This also made me suddenly realize why I can always turn danger into safety, it's because there are many Daoist priests protecting me. Li Yan was moved to tears and forced to leave, thinking about it, it must have been for my safety as well.

  "The messenger's foundation is the spiritual blood, which serves as a guide for medicine. One must cherish their own body and combine my power to achieve great harmony. When the messenger's emotions are most intense, using the spiritual blood as a guide can create the Ghost Yang Blade; when my emotions are at their peak, using the spiritual blood as a guide can create the Ghost Yin Blade; when emotions are most fervent, using the spiritual blood as a guide can create the Ghost Spirit Blade. Remember this clearly."

  "The messenger took the old way to save, and spilled his spiritual blood. At first, he promised 49 days of spiritual replenishment, but fortunately, he received the master's heavy favor and was taught the great method of spiritual replenishment. I will not betray my mission and will accompany the messenger on this journey."

  "On this first day, Lao Dao exhausted all his magical powers to help the messenger enter the Great Yang."

  Time flies, and before I knew it, the old Taoist's words had taken effect. My whole body felt light and I was lifted off the ground, suspended above my head. Instinctively, I tried to dodge out of the way, but then I thought, if this thing were to fall, even though the old Taoist is all skin and bones, it would still hurt me badly. But I couldn't move, and suddenly felt a wave of drowsiness wash over me, my eyelids growing heavy, and before I knew it, I had entered a meditative state.

  In a daze, I suddenly felt a wave of warmth flowing from the top of my head down to my toes, but it was warm and gentle like a pulse, seeping into my heart, making me feel refreshed and invigorated. It was incredibly comfortable, and I felt a sweet sleepiness wash over me, my face involuntarily breaking out into a smile, my mood utterly delightful.

  But before I could fully enjoy it, a sudden chill crept in, piercing through my bones and heart. My teeth started chattering involuntarily, and strangely, this cold air mixed with the previous heat wave, suddenly turning into a warm and cozy atmosphere, making me feel extremely comfortable again. And honestly, I felt like I had taken Viagra, as people often joke about, my energy was boosted, I felt full of vitality, and my whole body was filled with endless strength.

  Suddenly, Qing Shan let out a loud cry and spun down to the ground, landing with a thud. He sat there panting heavily, like a traveler who had rushed along a long road.

  I turned over and got out of bed, strangely, at this time I was as light as a swallow and could move freely.

  I helped up Qing Shan Dao Chang, and Dao Chang was still panting non-stop. He said: "In the next 78 days, I will take care of everything."

  I said: "Alright, I think I've run out of energy."

  The Taoist said: "Compared with ordinary people, you have surpassed many, but entering the Yin realm is still not enough."

  "What I just said cannot be revealed. In daily life, everything should proceed as usual. If we defy the heavenly will, neither of us can escape."

  I understand what you're saying, that although I'm a formal spirit messenger, my blood is still precious and everyone is fighting for it. But in reality, I don't know how big of an official I am, I only know that Old Qian is my superior, and in my eyes, he's a high-ranking official because he can attend the manager's meeting, while I can only listen to him convey the spirit. Of course, being a formal spirit messenger isn't just for show, as time goes on, everything will be revealed, but that's a story for later.

  As the Taoist priest stood up, the white mist in the house dispersed, and it was pitch black. It turned out that night had already fallen. I hurriedly turned on the light, and the room lit up again. The Taoist priest became an ordinary old man once more. I knew that at this moment, we had both returned to the normal world of the living.

  The Taoist priest looked pale and weak, I couldn't bear it, knowing that he had just used all his magical powers to help me unblock the Yang meridian.

  "I said: 'Master Dao, can we not go to the midnight appointment?'"

  Qingshan Daochang said, "This won't do. Just now I made a vow, the sound outside the window was loud and clear, the Wuyin Gate has never been far away. Li Yan thought she had already returned to the sect to report back, I have promised, fearing unexpected changes. This ghostly ferryman is still tied to worldly affairs, bringing her into the underworld, so she can only cultivate a half-ling body for now. Alas, it's all because of emotional entanglements. If we can ferry her across, there will be great use for her in the future."

  The Daoist priest finished speaking and suddenly smiled at me. His smile was like that of a gentle old man, saying: "You've always wanted me to save her, this is also your heart's desire, you can't wait to go now."

  The Daoist spoke in a familiar tone, which made me blush. I stuttered and repeated the words I had said many times before: "She's a good ghost, we should rescue her."

  "It's the good ghost in your heart, but the guiding ghost doesn't save, offending my great taboo. Don't worry, act according to plan." Qing Shan Dao Chang was sometimes like an ordinary person and sometimes like a Taoist, perhaps this enlightened person could move freely anywhere.

  It turned out that Daozhang's words really hit the spot, and Li Yan's safety had never been on my mind before. For a woman who was separated from me by life and death, I felt an unprecedented concern for the first time, and I didn't know what was wrong with me either.

  At 11:30, Daozhang said, "You and I will go together."

  I nodded and asked: "Where?"

  The Daoist said: "Outside the city is Liu Lang River."