Chapter 27: Entanglement

Xie Sui held the hideous severed head in both hands, his expression unchanging. His voice remained as gentle as before. “Hmm, that’s really wrong of him. How can an adult lie to a child?”

Seeing that Xie Sui had no reaction, the little girl’s distorted, smiling face visibly stiffened.

This wasn’t right. Why wasn’t this person afraid? The normal process should be for him to scream first, then cry and throw her head aside, and finally be chased all over the place by her. This reaction made it very hard for a ghost to keep up the act.

Xie Sui stood up, still cradling the head. “Can your body walk on its own? Do you need me to carry you? Let’s resolve your business as quickly as possible. I have things to do.”

He had originally thought this was just a lost little girl and genuinely wanted to help her, but she turned out to be a ghost.

Xie Sui really hadn’t expected to encounter a ghost right at the foot of the mountain of Shikong Temple, in the middle of the day, right under the gaze of the Buddha statues.

Had he been having a run of bad luck lately? Why did all sorts of underworld things keep popping up in front of him one after another?

The little girl fell silent for a moment before answering obediently, “No need to carry me… M-my body can walk on its own.”

Xie Sui nodded. “Good. Then point me in the right direction and take me to the person who sent you. Did he have a reason for sending you to find me?”

A normal wild Little Ghost¹ would absolutely never come out during the time of day when Yang energy² was at its peak, let alone be so reckless as to wander near a Buddhist temple. Therefore, she must be under someone’s control.

Those senior monks at Shikong Temple were truly too gentle. Although monks were supposed to be compassionate, allowing someone to control a Little Ghost and run wild at the foot of their temple was a serious blow to Shikong Temple’s public image.

Hearing Xie Sui say this, the expression on the little girl’s head in his hands began to turn frantic. The wounds on her face pulled open as her features shifted. “No, I didn’t manage to scare you. If I take you back like this, I’ll definitely be beaten.”

“He dares to hit you?” Xie Sui couldn’t help but let out a cold laugh. “Don’t worry. With me here, no one will dare touch you.”

The little girl wanted to say more, but then she saw more than a dozen children’s faces suddenly appear on Xie Sui’s chest. Those three-dimensional faces were crowded together, looking like layers of parasitic facial sores growing on his torso.

Upon seeing the head Xie Sui was holding, the Little Ghosts emerging from his body began to chatter and discuss among themselves.

“Is Big Brother picking up another child?”

“There’s no more room in the body, and the shadow seems full too. Let her live in an Ash Urn.”

“She looks like a Ghost Infant. It’s better to just seal her and slowly transcend her with a spirit tablet and incense. Big Brother shouldn’t waste too much energy on this kind of wild Little Ghost.”

“You were wild once too. I remember Big Brother picked you up from under an abandoned baby tower.”

“But I’m cleaner than her. I don’t have much resentment. Look at her, she’s still stuck in her death image³. She can’t even maintain a normal appearance.”

“Yeah, yeah, her face is all bloody. She’s really not fond of cleanliness.”

Being pointed at and judged by a group of Little Ghosts, the girl felt somewhat aggrieved and turned her head around, burying her face in Xie Sui’s palm.

She didn’t want to maintain this terrifying image either, but it wasn’t something she could control.

Xie Sui felt a bit helpless. After his trip through the Yin-Yang Gap, the Little Ghosts in his body had become increasingly active.

He looked down at the Little Ghosts on his chest who were watching the spectacle and said with a stern face, “Disobedient again. All of you, go back, go back. Why are you coming out to join the fun? Are you stupid? You dare to run out under the bright sun? Aren’t you afraid of being scorched by the Yang energy?”

The little girl felt even more aggrieved. She was the one who had run out at noon to scare people. Although Xie Sui wasn’t talking about her, every word felt like a personal attack.

Looking at the dejected head in his hands, Xie Sui softened his voice. “Is the person controlling you the one who killed you? Do you know where your corpse is?”

“No, I’ve been dead for over ten years. Master caught me after I became a ghost,” the little girl said in a muffled voice. “My corpse and corpse oil are both in Master’s hands.”

“Was your Master’s purpose in sending you here just to scare me?” Xie Sui asked again.

“Mhm,” the little girl responded gloomily.

Hearing this, Xie Sui walked into the shadow of the mountain.

Then, he held the little girl’s head up high and said with the dramatic flair of a radio announcer, “Ah! How terrifying! It’s actually a ghost! I’m so scared, someone save me!”

The little girl: “…”

The forty-nine Little Ghosts in Xie Sui’s body: “…”

The little girl’s head looked up, her tone somewhat complicated. “Uh, well, I think…” Wasn’t this performance a bit too exaggerated? It felt like he was being incredibly sarcastic.

Xie Sui interrupted her. “I don’t care what you think, I care what I think. I’m really scared. Alright, hurry up and take me to your Master.”

Just then, Liu Wuyong’s voice came through the Bluetooth earpiece. “Boss, you encountered a ghost? Are you okay?” They had maintained the call, and he had heard the entire conversation between Xie Sui and the little girl.

Xie Sui pressed the earpiece. “I’m fine. You take a break, there’s no rush to climb the stairs. I’ve run into an idiot who’s using a Little Ghost to scare me. I’m not sure yet if it’s an Evil Cultivator looking for trouble.”

“Okay, Boss, stay safe.”

Ending the call with Liu Wuyong, Xie Sui looked at the Little Ghost in his hands again. “Alright, tell me where your Master is. I have urgent business to attend to.”

Faced with Xie Sui’s inquiry, the little girl’s body reluctantly reached out and pointed up the mountain.

Hmm?

Xie Sui’s expression changed instantly. “Don’t tell me your Master is currently inside Shikong Temple.”

The little girl nodded vigorously.

Xie Sui suddenly didn’t know what to say.

What are you monks at Shikong Temple doing? Are you really this laid back? An Evil Cultivator has literally come to your doorstep, and you’re just ignoring it?

…Wait, it might not be an Evil Cultivator.

Xie Sui frowned, turning the head in his hands over to examine it thoroughly.

He had initially assumed this little girl was human because he hadn’t sensed any resentment or Yin energy from her.

If it were an Evil Cultivator raising ghosts, they would generally want the Little Ghosts under their command to have as much resentment as possible, as higher resentment meant stronger offensive power.

However, while this little girl looked like a fierce ghost, her resentment and Yin energy were perfectly concealed. Even he hadn’t realized she wasn’t human at first glance.

Looking at the state of this little ghost, it seemed more like she was raised using the ghost-rearing methods of the Shangqing Sect of Zhengyi Dao⁴.

The three major sects of Zhengyi Dao – the Tianshi Sect, the Shangqing Sect, and the Lingbao Sect – were the most skilled in talismans, and were thus known as the Three Talisman Sects. Among them, the Shangqing Sect specialized not only in talismans but also in techniques for raising Little Ghosts.

The ghost-rearing methods used by those Evil Cultivators were essentially adaptations based on the Shangqing Sect’s techniques.

Xie Sui roughly understood the purpose of the person who sent the Little Ghost.

The goal of the person controlling the ghost was likely to see him make a fool of himself, rather than to kill or harm him.

It was a show of force, a warning shot.

Xie Sui pressed his Bluetooth headset and said to Liu Wuyong, “Old Liu, stop climbing for a moment. Wait for me. I’ll enter Shikong Temple with you.”

“Huh? But, Boss…”

“The other party knows I’m coming and is already waiting up there. There’s no need for me to hide or sneak around anymore.”

Xie Sui pressed the little girl’s head back onto her neck. “Go back the way you came. Tell your master I’ll be there shortly.”

The little girl steadied her wobbling head. Her mangled, bloody face looked at Xie Sui with a complex expression before she slowly faded away.

Xie Sui sighed, brushed the grass clippings off his clothes, and walked toward the stone steps.

After walking up the steps for about ten minutes, he encountered Liu Wuyong sitting on the stairs.

Looking at the beads of sweat still pouring down Liu Wuyong’s forehead, Xie Sui fell silent.

He had thought Liu Wuyong had chosen to run up to reach Shikong Temple as quickly as possible, which was why he sounded so exhausted and weak earlier. He hadn’t expected the man to have barely made any progress at all.

Old Liu’s physical condition was a bit lacking. When they got back, he would have to push him to go to the gym. Otherwise, if they encountered fierce ghosts or vengeful spirits in the future, the man probably wouldn’t even be able to run away.

Xie Sui took a bottle of water out of his backpack, handed it to Liu Wuyong, and sat down on the steps with him.

He would just walk slowly at Liu Wuyong’s pace. Since the person in Shikong Temple wanted to give him a show of force, there was no need to rush. Let them wait.

A mountain climb that should have taken an hour was dragged out into two hours by Liu Wuyong’s efforts.

Xie Sui supported Old Liu, who looked as if he had been fished out of a river, and felt a secret sense of relief.

It was a good thing he hadn’t let him come up alone. He was truly afraid Old Liu would have collapsed at the entrance before even finding a monk from Shikong Temple.

Just as Xie Sui and Liu Wuyong arrived at the gate of Shikong Temple, a young novice monk in a gray robe came forward to greet them. The novice looked about eight years old, with a round, adorable face.

The novice monk came before Xie Sui and Liu Wuyong, placing his palms together in a respectful greeting. “Benefactor must be the one destined to meet Uncle Li Duanyuan. Please follow me. Master has been waiting for you in the guest rooms for a long time.” Although the novice monk was very young, his tone was precocious, clearly imitating the speech of an adult.

Looking at the chubby little novice, Xie Sui was somewhat confused.

He had assumed the person controlling the Little Ghost to give him a warning was a Xuanmen Taoist master from the Shangqing Sect, but he hadn’t expected someone from Shijiao to come out and greet him.

It was a mess. And how was Li Duanyuan involved again? From the novice’s words, the people at Shikong Temple also knew he was coming… So the one who controlled that Little Ghost to scare him wasn’t from Xuanmen, but from Shijiao? That seemed impossible. Just looking at the mangled appearance of that ghost, it didn’t seem like the work of Shijiao.

Xie Sui had originally intended to come to Shikong Temple to lodge a complaint, but as it turned out, whether it was the people of Shikong Temple or that intervening person from Xuanmen, every single one of them knew he was coming… This feeling of his actions being predicted in advance was quite uncomfortable.

The novice monk walked a few steps forward. Seeing that Xie Sui hadn’t followed, he turned back to remind them again, “Benefactors, please follow me.”

Seeing this, Xie Sui stopped overthinking. He would likely figure out what was going on once they met. In broad daylight, with so many tourists coming to offer incense, Xie Sui didn’t believe they would dare to make a move right here.

The novice monk led them through several turns, bypassing the main hall and arriving at a guest room in the backyard.

Without hesitation, Xie Sui prepared to push the door open and enter.

However, the novice monk stopped Liu Wuyong. “The benefactor may enter alone. This benefactor can come with me to rest on the other side.”

Liu Wuyong looked down at the novice monk, who didn’t even reach his waist, and said to Xie Sui, “Boss, you go in first. I’ll wait for you out here.”

Xie Sui nodded and said nothing more, stepping into the guest room alone.

Since he was already here, there was no point in arguing over such details.

There were three people in the room. Two were sitting on the monk’s daybed facing the door, and one was standing beside it.

When Xie Sui clearly saw the three people in the room, he was stunned.

He hadn’t expected to see a familiar face here.

The person sitting on the right side of the daybed was actually Taoist Master Ganchen.

Taoist Master Ganchen was the one Xie Sui had met in Rongcheng while dealing with the Water Fiend at the Lin Family ancestral hall. He had been specifically invited by Second Uncle Lin but had left before even assessing the Feng Shui.

This old Taoist had left a deep impression on Xie Sui. Back at the Lin Family Old Mansion, Taoist Master Ganchen had seen through Xie Sui’s ghost-rearing at a glance and even commented on his peculiar Fate Pattern, scaring him into thinking his cover was blown.

Taoist Master Ganchen still looked like an ordinary old man, without a trace of a master’s aura. The guest room was warm, yet he remained wrapped in a thick cotton coat, sitting cross-legged on one side of the daybed.

Sitting opposite Taoist Master Ganchen was an aging monk with long eyebrows, dressed in tattered, patched robes.

On the low table between them sat a Go board with a game half-finished. Taoist Master Ganchen looked as if he were asleep, holding a game piece between his fingers without moving for a long time. Even so, the old monk sitting across from him did not rush him.

Standing beside Taoist Master Ganchen was a young man wearing Taoist robes.

The young Taoist appeared to be in his early twenties. From the moment Xie Sui entered, he hadn’t given him a single friendly look, glaring at him with a face full of indignant disdain.

The angle at which his eyeballs were rolled back made Xie Sui a bit worried. If he stayed in this room much longer, he wondered if the young Taoist would eventually need corrective surgery for a permanent squint.

Seeing that no one paid him any attention after he entered, Xie Sui wasn’t in a hurry. He pulled up a chair directly beside the monk’s platform and sat down to watch the two old men play Go.

His behavior, acting as if he weren’t a stranger at all, clearly infuriated the young Taoist.

The young Taoist looked like he desperately wanted to scold Xie Sui, but held back because of Taoist Master Ganchen’s presence. His face turned red from the effort of restraining himself.

After another long silence, Taoist Master Ganchen finally placed his piece on the board.

The old monk sitting opposite him looked at the board and gave a soft sigh. “This old monk has lost.”

Taoist Master Ganchen tucked his sleeves and looked toward Xie Sui, who was sitting not far away. “Little friend, we meet again. It seems there truly is a karmic bond between us.”

As he spoke, the old monk also looked toward Xie Sui. His white eyebrows were very long, completely covering his eyes, but they couldn’t hide the gaze with which he scrutinized Xie Sui.

The old monk seemed to see the questions in Xie Sui’s heart and spoke slowly. “There is no need for surprise. The aura of the Mantra Wheel blessed by that child Li Duanyuan is still upon you. I sensed your presence the moment you appeared at the foot of the mountain.”

“This old monk is Liaokong. Li Duanyuan is my disciple. I understand why the benefactor has come. From what I see today, the weight of the ghosts upon you is truly heavy…”

Xie Sui sat upright in his chair, his back straight and his expression exceptionally solemn.

Perhaps Li Duanyuan couldn’t see the origins of the Little Ghosts on him, but this old monk, who clearly possessed exceptionally deep cultivation, might be able to.

The old monk’s eyebrows twitched as he continued in that deep voice, “…The Ever-Burning Lamps used for Entrusting Life are 999 yuan each. Forty-nine lamps will cost the benefactor forty-eight thousand. You can donate the funds to the merit box at the entrance. This temple accepts QR code payments and also offers installment plans.”

Xie Sui: ???

He had thought that Master Liaokong, who looked every bit the part of an enlightened high monk, would offer some Buddhist gatha to enlighten him. He hadn’t expected the man to be pitching products… Seriously, Master, why are you so practiced at this!

“The temple has to survive, too,” Master Liaokong said unhurriedly, showing no embarrassment whatsoever.

“Thank you, Master, but I have no intention of Entrusting Life for the time being.” Xie Sui suddenly felt like a fool for being so on guard.

Just as Xie Sui was about to change the subject and mention his ‘accidental’ encounter with an Evil Cultivator who was creating Shiduo Hariti, Taoist Master Ganchen spoke again.

“What a foolish child…” Taoist Master Ganchen lifted his eyelids, his clouded eyes looking straight at Xie Sui.

“Little friend, I told you when we first met that raising ghosts is an evil path. Being entangled with ghosts year-round will damage your lifespan and your hidden merit. Wealth is but a worldly possession; do not hold it too dearly. Why not take this opportunity to Entrust Life for all these ghosts here at Shikong Temple?”

Xie Sui had no desire to make small talk with this old Taoist. He brushed it off casually. “Wealth is a worldly possession, but without it, one can’t move an inch. As Master Liaokong said, everyone has to live.”

Taoist Master Ganchen sighed deeply. For some reason, Xie Sui saw a flicker of genuine heartache in those clouded eyes, a sight that nearly made his heart jump out of his chest.

What was the deal with this Taoist Master Ganchen? What was with that look?

Taoist Master Ganchen said in a heavy voice, “You are not the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva of Shijiao, who once made the great vow that ‘unless the hells are empty, I shall not become a Buddha.’ You do not possess that Bodhisattva’s great power to save all living beings.”

“You are just an ordinary person. Although your Fate Pattern is peculiar, there is no need to take all the suffering of children upon yourself. In places you cannot see, how many innocent children in this world die prematurely? Even if you continue like this, how many souls can you truly save? Why put yourself through such hardship?”

Hearing his own Bodhisattva mentioned by an old Taoist, Master Liaokong showed no reaction, merely taking a leisurely sip of tea.

Xie Sui, however, grew tense, his hands instinctively gripping the armrests of the chair.

Who exactly was this Taoist Master Ganchen? What did he know?

Xie Sui immediately shifted into a defensive posture, replying coldly, “Mind your own business. My affairs are not for you to worry about.”

When he finished speaking, Taoist Master Ganchen didn’t react, but the young Taoist standing beside him exploded with rage.

“How dare you speak to the Grandmaster like that!” In his agitation, he directly activated the talisman in his hand, and the familiar figure of a headless little girl appeared beside him.

Xie Sui glanced at him coldly. So this was the Taoist who had controlled the ghost to scare him.

“Kunyi.” Taoist Master Ganchen shook his head helplessly. “Your temperament is still too unstable.”

The young Taoist gritted his teeth hard, looking at Xie Sui as if he were a mortal enemy with whom he shared a blood feud.

He endured it as best he could, but finally questioned indignantly, “Grandmaster, how could someone like this have a master-disciple bond with you? Our Shangqing Sect has so many gifted children; why are you so obsessed with this fellow who is burdened by karmic debts?! Is his Fate Pattern really that special?”

“Kunyi.” Taoist Master Ganchen’s voice turned cold instantly. Those clouded eyes that were always half-squinted opened fully, looking at the young Taoist with displeasure.

Under Taoist Master Ganchen’s gaze, the young Taoist couldn’t help but tremble. With a face full of resentment, he retreated to the side.

Xie Sui watched the old and young pair expressionlessly.

To be honest, if it weren’t for the fact that the old monk was still in the room, Xie Sui would have left long ago.

Back at the Lin Family Old Mansion, he had already rejected Taoist Master Ganchen once. What kind of act was he trying to pull this time by bringing a young Taoist along?

Could this young Taoist be a shill hired by the old man? Was the goal to artificially inflate his own value and create a sense of urgency, making Xie Sui think, “This Taoist Master Ganchen is a big deal and in high demand”? What business school did he learn these tactics from? Was Taoist Master Ganchen really that desperate to sell himself?

“Cough, cough…” For some reason, the old monk who was drinking tea suddenly choked. The corners of his mouth, which he was deliberately keeping down, trembled slightly.

Xie Sui glanced at the old monk in confusion, but Taoist Master Ganchen’s next words recaptured his attention.

“Young friend, I know you may have a prejudice against our Xuanmen because of some charlatans in the world,” Taoist Master Xuanxu said with deep sincerity. “But currently, heaven and earth are in turmoil, the world is restless, and evil thoughts are breeding wantonly. Those who succumb to their emotions and are controlled by their own desires are countless in every sect and school, not just within our Xuanmen.”

“The human heart cannot be easily controlled. Among ordinary people in the world, there are good and bad; among those who practice Taoism or Buddhism, there are also good and bad. I will not make excuses for those who do evil, but…” Taoist Master Ganchen looked at Xie Sui’s face with a nostalgic gaze, and a faint shimmer of tears actually appeared in his old, clouded eyes.

“The person who saved you was also a member of Xuanmen. Why do you have such a prejudice against us?”

Xie Sui, who had been extremely tense, instantly relaxed upon hearing that last sentence.

They were talking on completely different frequencies, yet it somehow managed to align with his situation. It was truly a heart-stopping coincidence.

No matter what this old Taoist had seen, at least his secret identity hadn’t been exposed. This old Taoist must have mistaken him for someone else.

“Mhm, yes, exactly. Everything you said is correct,” Xie Sui replied with great sincerity. “However, I’m not interested in practicing Taoism right now. Your destiny for a master-disciple relationship probably doesn’t lie with me.”

To prevent Taoist Master Ganchen from rambling further, Xie Sui quickly turned to Master Liaokong. “Master Liaokong, would it be convenient to speak in private? I have something very important to discuss with you. It’s regarding…”

“The evil cultivator who created the Shiduo Hariti is not a traitor of our Shijiao,” Master Liaokong said, setting down his teacup unhurriedly. “As for why you have come here, Benefactor, I am well aware.”

“You’re aware?” Xie Sui was stunned instead.

“Our temple’s warrior monks can help you eliminate that evil cultivator… Hmm, the appearance fee will be 300,000, with medical expenses calculated separately.”

Master Liaokong looked at Xie Sui and added with a smile, “Payment can be made in one month.”

Translator’s Notes