Beginning with the Ubume Bird-Chapter 386 - 23 Orthodox and Heretics
Chapter 386: Chapter 23 Orthodox and Heretics
Chapter 386: Chapter 23 Orthodox and Heretics
The courtyard was strewn with muddy prints, and everywhere was abnormally messy.
“Could this just be the work of wild animals sneaking through?”
General Zheng could not help but comment, though the Dragon Tiger Office had its agents throughout the entire Great Ming territory, to most people, bizarre spirits and exotic creatures were still considered figments of imagination.
Zhang Shouhan shook his head. He walked into the courtyard, first narrowing his eyes and staring at Cha Xiaodao, who was carrying a basket of potatoes, for a long time. But seeing that Governor Li was greeting the man with familiarity, Zhang eventually shifted his gaze away.
He pounded his back and bent over, dipping his index finger in the wound of a hairless Yellow Ape and then putting the bloody finger over a torch, revealing a look of shock.
“This is the Knife Labor Ghost from Linchuan County. They come in pairs, male and female, shooting their venomous fangs at people. The afflicted usually die from the wounds, and its traces have appeared outside the Pass for three to four years, never captured.”
He picked up a soldier’s torch and started examining the bodies one by one.
“This is the Counter-Nose Demon from Que Mountain, with a spiked tongue, swift as lightning. Master Hu from Zao County killed one when he was younger, but it was much smaller than this one.”
“The humans that transform into paper, able to take on the appearance of beautiful women, and harm people with mesmerizing smoke.”
“Mengshan Spirit,” “Yellow Skin,” “Petalled Plum Deer”…
The more Zhang Shouhan saw, the more frightened he became. Outside the Pass was not like the heartland of the Central Plains, where tales of demons and strange occurrences were endless. Now these corpses, some known to the Dragon Tiger Office and many more that were unrecorded, the old Taoist barely recognized them from descriptions in ancient texts.
So many rarely seen exotic creatures all appearing together to assault a small post station, and what was even more shocking, was that they all lay dead here.
Trusting in the Dragon Tiger Qi, Zhang Shouhan had pursued the expulsion of demons and monsters for thirty-one years outside the Pass. Both the previous and current Dragon Tiger Supervisors had treated him with respect, regarding him as a genuine combatant within the ranks of the Dragon Tiger Servants. With his experience, he had a good idea about the “National Instrument” inside Governor Li’s Sword Box; upon seeing so many rare monsters dead here, the old Taoist became even more convinced that the identity and abilities of Governor Li and his companions were far from ordinary.
“Elder Taoist Zhang.”
Li Yan approached with a smile that wasn’t quite a smile, “Tonight, I was supposed to sleep here, but it has turned into such a mess. I have always known that places outside of the Pass are dangerous, not like within. Yet even a grand official post station has been reduced to this state. I’m afraid Heavenly Master Tao cannot shirk its responsibility?”
“The old farmer is ashamed. Within ten days, I will give the Governor an explanation.”
Li Yan thought to himself that if he could delay those heretics for ten days, he would have passed through the Pass by then, and it would be best if he could settle the matter of the hundred monsters at Five Blessings Tower with just words. He nodded, “I await the good news from the Taoist master.”
“Speaking of that…” Cha Xiaodao also came over, “Since the Taoist is a local, you must understand something about these monsters. What exactly is the ‘Five Immortals Outside the Pass’? I hope the Taoist can enlighten us.”
Li Yan introduced Cha Xiaodao to the local military and political officials present, “This is my officer, surnamed Cha.”
Zhang Shouhan was aware that it was this very man who had killed so many fierce monsters. He gave a bow and then spoke up.
“For two hundred years, the ways of Heaven have been obscured, and the Dragon Tiger Qi has gradually weakened. With that, oddities have followed one after another. Among these, aside from a very few unknowable exotic people…” He glanced at both Li and Cha, as in his eyes, they were among them.
“Aside from the exotic people, it’s generally either the orthodox or the heretics.”
Li Yan laughed upon hearing this, “Orthodox would be your Dragon Tiger Mountain, right?”
“Correct, but not exclusively. The nation itself has a stabilizing and reigning Qi, which we in the Celestial Empire call Dragon Tiger Qi. In the nation of Japan, it is referred to as Demonic Strength. The sects that are officially recognized by the government as the national religion, sharing the fate of the dynasty, are indeed orthodox when they use the overwhelming Dragon Tiger Qi to cast spells”
“And the heretics?”
“With the decline of the Dragon Tiger Qi, natural disasters, human calamities, chaotic cults, monsters, and all sorts of anomalies are rampant. These include demon people with innate odd organs, spirits born of mountains and rivers, evil cultivators with corrupt hearts, enchanted objects with mysterious powers, Wild Gods worshipped with incense, and so on, too numerous to count. Among them, monsters are the most common, and the ‘Five Immortals Outside the Pass’ fall into this category.”
After pausing, Zhang Shouhan added, “Outside of the Pass, there are numerous monsters, among which there are five types that are particularly rampant. They call themselves the Five Immortals, and the Dragon Tiger Servants refer to them as the Five Big Families, which are Hu, Yellow, White, Chang, and Gray, corresponding to the fox, yellow weasel, hedgehog, snake, and mouse, respectively. Among them, there are those with immense divine powers.”
“Does Taoist Priest know the names Hu San and Chang Tianzai?”
Zhang Shouhan shook his head. “The roots of the Five Immortals Outside of the Pass are intricate and complex, and I know not much about them. However, the shamans among the Jurchen and Tartar tribes often interact with people from the Five Big Families.”
Li Yan pondered for a while, his thoughts stirring. Wasn’t Lady Dan also among the ranks of the Heretics?
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“You may as well tell us more,” he suggested.
Without reservation, Zhang Shouhan continued, “The orthodox cultivators establish their status with conferred teaching positions, alchemy, scriptures, and the possession of magical weapons and talismans to banish monsters and demons. The Heretics, on the other hand, measure their strength by the duration of their spiritual cultivation.”
After a pause, Zhang Shouchen said again, “Every five hundred years of cultivation, the Heretics face a major catastrophe. If they overcome the heavenly tribulation, they will make rapid progress; however, the cultivation mentioned here refers to the number of years required by ordinary animals for cultivation, not the actual age of the Heretics. Outside of the Pass, the Black Mountain and White Waters nurture countless Exotic Beasts. Many Heretics, who are but seventy or eighty, or around a hundred years old, harm others for their cultivation and can accumulate five hundred or a thousand years of cultivation. Conversely, if their talents are dull but they live a long life, they might have lived for five hundred years but only possess five hundred years of cultivation. If vanquished by the orthodox cultivators, it could even be less.”
Cha Xiaodao whispered to Li Yan, “Five hundred years of cultivation is roughly equivalent to the peak of the Ten Cities. The leader, Chang Tianzai, has one thousand seven hundred years of cultivation, which is stronger than an average practitioner at the peak of the Nine Luminaries.”
“Four thousand years…” Li Yan murmured to himself.
“What?” Cha Xiaodao was startled.
“Nothing,” Li Yan replied, steadying his mind. “I dare to ask Taoist Priest, do these Wild Gods who receive incense offerings, or spirits nurtured by the mountains and rivers, also have to face heavenly tribulations?”
“I have not witnessed it, but they should need to,” he replied.
“What if a spirit of the mountains and rivers devoured a deity that receives incense offerings?”
Zhang Shouhan blinked, “This, I have never heard of.”
Li Yan didn’t respond, but his eyebrows unconsciously furrowed a bit tighter, and he seemed somewhat displeased.
As Zhang Shouhan glanced at the sky, he spoke to Li Yan, “Outside of the Pass is where the wildest spirits and strangest monsters are most rampant. If they enter inside the Pass, such an occurrence certainly won’t happen. Thieves cannot persist for a thousand days, but one cannot defend against them for a thousand days either. It might be prudent for Governor Li to depart early. As for the old farmer’s promise, even if it costs me my life, I will not break my word. In my opinion, these Heretic Demon Immortals who attempted to plunder the Governor and met with defiance couldn’t have gone far. Deploying troops to search for them now will surely yield results.”
“Thank you, Taois—”
Before Li Yan could finish his thanks, he saw layers of soldiers outside, with people squeezing in and shouting from within, “Governor Li! Governor Li!”
Li Yan’s gaze pierced through the crowd, but it was Yu Jie’er.
“Let her in.”
The soldiers allowed Yu Jie to enter, but to their surprise, Yu Jie was panting heavily, her expression frantic, and she blurted out without thinking, “Governor Li, something terrible has happened, my, my husband has returned.”
County Magistrate Li, General Zheng, and even Zhang Shouhan showed varying expressions—playing the fool, joyfully animated, empathetically grieving—as if representing the whole spectrum of humanity.
Li Yan’s expression was indescribable, and it took him a while to respond, “Your husband’s return, isn’t that a good thing?”
Yu Jie, lost for words and flustered, stomped her foot in frustration, “He returned… two husbands.”
