ragginovel Chapter 91 Peach Immortal Sect
Chapter 91 Peach Immortal Sect
With a few thuds, the three women knelt down on the ground in unison.
The older woman at the head of the group wept and cried, "Immortal, please understand! I was originally a fox spirit from this mountain. Thanks to the abbot's protection, I only stole some offerings and absorbed some spiritual energy. I have never harmed anyone. If I see a grave that is overgrown, I will even help to clean it..."
Another woman chimed in, crying, "It's all because of that damned ugly Taoist priest! He killed the abbot and forced us to rob people here. This is not what we wanted to do."
Upon hearing this, the ugly Taoist priest angrily cursed, "Nonsense! I was just passing by when I saw you fox demons harming people, so I took action to suppress you. I was trying to guide you towards goodness, not to force you to rob us!"
Zhou Li ignored the argument between the two sides, fiddling with the yin-yang bell in his palm, his mind racing with calculations.
Just before falling into the rift, Yangyang had mentioned the Yin-Yang Bell to him. This magic bell was originally a pair, one in Yangyang's hand and the other in his possession. It could seal away evil spirits and transmit sound across distances.
Zhou Li guessed that Yang Yang must have asked him to use the two Yin-Yang bells to create a bridge and find the way back to his clan.
But once the gap is closed, the connection between the two bells is severed, and now it is just a magical artifact used to seal away evil spirits. How can it be used as a bridge?
Zhou Li sighed softly, deciding to take it one step at a time.
He then looked up at the hall and gestured with his chin toward the ugly Taoist priest.
"I ask, you answer."
The ugly Taoist priest was immobilized by the immobilization talisman, and several fleshy tumors on his neck were squeezed together. He could only fawn over him, saying, "Yes, yes, Immortal Master, please ask as you wish. This humble Taoist priest guarantees to tell you everything he knows."
"This world is filled with yin energy; how did you cultivate?"
"The Yin energy you spoke of, Immortal Master... could it be this turbid energy?" Seeing that Zhou Li remained noncommittal, he continued, "This turbid energy is indeed more abundant, but it still contains a few strands of pure energy, so it's barely usable. However, since the physical body is constantly soaked in turbid energy, it inevitably develops some bumps and lumps, making it look... patchy and scaly, naturally not comparable to the Immortal Master's elegance."
Zhou Li glanced down at the tumors on the ugly Taoist's face, understanding dawning on him. This world didn't distinguish between Yin and Yang; instead, it judged spiritual energy by its purity and turbidity. In their eyes, both pure and turbid energy could lead to enlightenment, but prolonged inhalation of turbid energy would corrode the body, causing ugly growths. This Taoist, seeing his refined appearance, likely assumed his cultivation was shallow, hence his malicious intent.
After a moment's thought, he turned his gaze to the three fox-women kneeling on the other side.
"And what about you? Why aren't you like him?"
Upon hearing this, the older fox spirit straightened up and said, "In response to your question, Immortal Master, we are wild fox spirits who have become spirits. We have been rolling around in this turbid air since we were young, and we are already used to it. Unlike humans, we do not reject it."
Zhou Li nodded slightly. In this way, it made sense that the Yin-Yang Bell could intimidate these fox women.
The Yin-Yang Bell was originally a tool for suppressing evil spirits, not for suppressing demons. However, since the spirits and monsters of this world are born from turbid energy and have deep-seated evil energy within them, they are naturally subject to the restraint of the Yin-Yang Bell, a purely righteous object.
After a moment's thought, Zhou Li asked again, "You just said that the abbot is dead. Do you know which lineage this temple originally came from?"
The fox-woman bowed slightly, her manners impeccable: "Reporting to the Immortal Master, this temple originally belonged to the Peach Immortal Sect, one of the three thousand subordinate temples under the Peach Immortal, specializing in guiding mortals and educating spirits. The previous abbot was murdered by this scoundrel last year, and since then, he has forced us to stay here, occupying the temple as a stronghold, robbing and plundering..."
Before the words were even finished, the ugly Taoist hurriedly interrupted, "Immortal Master, please be wise! Although I am not a disciple of the Peach Immortal Sect, I am still a legitimate cultivator with a lineage of Taoist teachings. I have always taken it upon myself to help and save people, and I would never dare to oppress the good. This evil Taoist is spouting nonsense; you must not believe him!"
Just as the commotion was starting, a beautiful figure suddenly flashed into the palace.
The one who arrived was a lively and spirited young fox spirit. Upon entering, she saw a handsome Taoist priest sitting at the head of the table. She paused, looking bewildered, but still turned and bowed to the ugly Taoist, saying in a clear voice:
"Master, business is here. A wealthy family in the city has lost a daughter, and the funeral procession is heading this way. The procession looks quite lavish."
These words were like a slap in the face to the ugly Taoist priest, shattering his previous rebuttal.
The older fox spirit glanced at Zhou Li's expression and said cautiously, "Fourth sister, from now on we will follow the immortal and reform ourselves, and stop doing robbery."
Zhou Li then turned his gaze toward the mountain path and said calmly, "Let's go take a look."
Upon exiting the Taoist temple, one could see a coffin carried by eight people winding its way along the mountain path leading to the Guanchao Pavilion. At the head of the procession, a soul-guiding banner was held high, and there were no fewer than a hundred people dressed in mourning clothes.
Before long, the procession stopped a few feet in front of the temple, and an elderly man nearing fifty years old stepped down from the carriage at the front.
The old man's temples were already white, but he had a dignified air about him. He looked up and saw four women standing in front of the temple gate. Each of them had a slender figure and a charming face. The charm in their eyes and brows was something that ordinary women could not possess.
What's even stranger is that behind these women stood a young Taoist priest in a green robe and plain shoes. Although he was young, he dared not underestimate him. He could tell that although the group of women were strange, they were led by this Taoist priest.
So the old man quickly stepped forward and bowed deeply.
"This venerable immortal...may I ask if you are the abbot of the Guanchao Pavilion?"
Zhou Li stepped aside to give way with a half-bow, his gaze sweeping over the spirit coffin behind the old man: "I suppose so. Is there something unusual about the person in this coffin?"
The old man's eyes reddened, and he said, "Immortal, you have great insight. My name is Hu Jingbai, and we come from a prominent family in the city. Because we have been supporting the immortal sect for many years, we have received a lot of care. However, at the end of last year, my daughter suddenly developed hysteria. At first, she was just quiet and reserved, but later she would sit alone all day without anger or resentment. She could eat and drink normally, but her eyes became more and more vacant each day, as if her soul had been taken away."
Hu Jingbai sighed: "I consulted many famous doctors and gave him countless doses of medicine, but there was still no improvement. Three days ago, he finally passed away. Rumors are circulating that he was possessed by an evil spirit and that we must find a place to bury him to ward off evil, otherwise something bad might happen. That's why I came to Guanchao Pavilion today."
Zhou Li remained silent for a moment, then walked down the stone steps to the coffin. He placed his hand on the coffin lid, concentrated on sensing it for a moment, and made up his mind.
"Master Hu, may I open the coffin so I can have a proper look?"
These words immediately sparked a flurry of discussion among the audience.
"The young lady has been in her coffin for three days; it is against propriety to open the coffin now."
"Master, although we respect the Taoist sect, we cannot allow our deceased daughter to be insulted..."
Zhou Li remained silent, simply watching the old man.
Seeing Hu Jingbai hesitate, the older fox spirit not far away stepped forward, curtsied to him, and said in a soft voice, "Greetings, Master Hu."
"The coffin is filled with extremely strong malevolent energy. In my opinion, it is no ordinary evil spirit. Since my master is willing to help, it is a rare opportunity. Master, please do not make a mistake."
Hu Jingbai gritted his teeth, then finally sighed, "Fine, pass on my command: open the coffin!"
Those around him were about to offer further advice when they heard him say in a deep voice, "This evil creature has been causing trouble in the Hu household for months. Today, I want to see what exactly is responsible!"