The Path to Immortality Begins with the Life-Extending Lamp

Chapter 1 Shaodao is good at curing ghosts

The mountains and rivers of the South are magnificent and rugged, and the customs and traditions of the eighteen prefectures and autonomous prefectures are all different. In the southwest, near the primitive mountains, is Tiannan Prefecture, where there is a Mengyun Mountain.

Verdant mountains reflect the azure clouds, and a thin mist hangs in the air, carrying the chill of dew.

In this remote mountain village, there is a large village of a thousand people. There are not many powerful officials to bother them. They can make a living by relying on the thousands of acres of cultivated land in the southern part of the mountain.

It was the fifth watch of the night, and the darkness had not yet faded.

The only two-courtyard house in the village is not inhabited by the villagers, but is often used to entertain the prefectural governor and Taoist priests from Tiannan Temple!

At that moment, bright paper candles were seen in the courtyard, their cold white light enveloping the rather elaborately furnished room.

The young Taoist priest in blue robes was fast asleep, seemingly unable to resist the weariness of his studies. However, there were four sheets of white paper casually stacked on the desk, which could explain the reason for the priest's exhaustion.

If a person who has entered the Dao were here and opened their Dharma Eye, they would be able to clearly see the clear and bright spiritual power flowing continuously on the thick white paper, and know that it is the Ten-Eyed Spiritual Paper that cultivators often need.

At dawn, a time when all things revive, there was not a sound of insects chirping or frogs croaking in this village built in the mountains, which was really strange.

“Eee-yah…”

Under this eerily quiet moonlight, a gentle melody from Jiangnan suddenly began to play, its sound rippled through the courtyard along with the reflection of the moon in the autumn palace, yet its origin remained elusive.

Only under the hazy moonlight, through the gauze window, could one see a beautiful, crimson figure behind the sleeping Taoist priest. Pale, soft fingers traced the path of the priest's dark hair, as if indulging in longing or falling into depravity.

Her graceful figure, subtly revealed, circled the grand master's chair, gently caressing the Taoist's shoulders. Her captivating face slowly emerged from beside the Taoist in blue robes, leaning lightly against the Taoist's shoulder, creating a sense of bittersweet romance.

However, if one's gaze lingered a little longer, following the movement of the candlelight, and glimpsed the woman's full appearance, any living person, upon seeing that face—half holy, half withered—would be terrified by the ferocious appearance of that half-alive, half-dead ghost...

"Ahhhh!!!"

The long howl that pierced the night immediately resounded throughout Mengshan Village, instantly drowning out the noisy chirping of insects and croaking of frogs in the surrounding fields.

Tuk-tuk-tuk!
"Master, little master." A slow but firm knocking sounded outside the courtyard in the village. Two hunters from Mengshan rushed to the front of the mansion and called out to the master who had come from Nanguan that day.

In that instant of sudden disturbance, the original scene of smoke-shrouded candles and the idyllic atmosphere in the courtyard vanished like a dream.

The Taoist priest, who was lying lightly on the table, suddenly opened his eyes, his long, neat eyebrows furrowed, and his slightly cool fingers touched his forehead. He said, "It was another nightmare."

With all thoughts returning to his consciousness, the young Taoist priest didn't delay. He flicked the corner of his green robe and immediately rolled the coiled willow whip hanging on the corner of the table into his sleeve. The four sheets of spiritual paper folded and changed, and with a "rip," they suddenly turned into a white paper lantern. The Taoist priest threw the cold white paper candle into the lantern, picked up the paper lantern, pushed open the door, and went outside.

Before long, a Taoist priest in green robes gently opened the courtyard gate, revealing two burly hunters whose clothes were covered with morning dew and sweat, and who exuded a strong odor.

The Taoist priest, showing no disdain, picked up a paper lantern and walked alongside the two, quickly taking the lead and gesturing for them to follow, while inquiring about the layout of the village:

"They're just little devils in the mountains, no need to be too afraid. I told you to bury all the old scissors, pig-slaughtering knives, and ten-year-old willow stakes that I had arranged in the octagonal corner of the village."

Upon hearing the question from the abbot, the two hunters were startled. They immediately bowed and replied in a low voice, "Master, everything in the village has been arranged as you instructed. I personally oversaw it, and I guarantee there will be no problems!"

That's no problem.

"Well, don't worship at wild graves or temples in ordinary times. The mountain ghosts won't have any incense offerings during the Three Yuan Festival, so they won't be able to gain any influence. You can also find some old willows by the stream, weave them into banners of three or six strands, and hang them in all four directions of the village. When they sway in the wind, they have the effect of warding off evil spirits and dispelling the evil spirits..."

"Also, don't call me Master. That's a title reserved for righteous cultivators who have reached the Foundation Establishment stage in the Purple Mansion. My surname is Li, just call me Daoist Li!"

The Taoist priest in green robes, named Li Qing, was from Guihua Prefecture of the Quewei Dao in the Southern Kingdom. In his youth, he admired a talented woman and made a presumptuous remark about an ancient genius, which proved prophetic. This angered the ghost woman Dingxin, who sent him a message at midnight. Left with no other choice, he sought refuge in Tiannan Prefecture and entered the Tiannan Taoist Temple, thus avoiding his calamity. He had just completed his Qi cultivation three months prior and was currently serving as a disciple at the Tiannan Temple.

Tiannan Prefecture is located in the southwest of Tiandu Nanguo, nestled among mountains and miasma-ridden ridges. It is often haunted by malevolent spirits and evil spirits. Tiannan Temple is situated in the prefecture capital, possessing incredible secret powers. Its position is comparable to that of the prefectural government, and it receives offerings from the people of the prefecture. It is also responsible for preventing these strange occurrences for the people.

Regarding the recent case of disturbances caused by wild ghosts in Mengshan Village, Li Qing, who is known in the temple for his ability to exorcise ghosts, was naturally entrusted with an important task.

Li Qing picked up the magic whip woven from three hundred years of fire willow from his sleeve, and with the life-extending spirit candle in hand, ordinary wild ghosts were nothing more than chickens and dogs to him!
As the saying goes: "Willow branches placed on the door keep out all ghosts."

Willow wood is yin in nature, and yin objects whip yin spirits, which is exactly the right medicine for the disease. Moreover, the fire willow whip in Li Qing's hand is yin wood containing fire evil. With one lash, an ordinary wild ghost will be seriously injured on the spot, so it is quite vicious.

After exchanging words with the two hunters who had been lying in ambush outside the village for two days, Li Qing didn't linger. He channeled his true energy, immediately leaving the two hunters behind, and swiftly rushed towards the source of the long howl. The two hunters only had a moment to react before they saw the blue figure flash by. The two figures leaped several meters away, disappearing from sight after a few bounds across the roof beams. How could they not be astonished by their extraordinary abilities!
"This...this..." The bearded hunter's pupils immediately widened in shock, as if he had seen a ghost, and he was speechless.

"Tch, it's true that you, Old Zhao, are a country bumpkin who's never even left Mengshan. Do you know that man in blue? He's a registered disciple of the Tiannan Shangguan Temple. He's mastered True Qi, and can take three zhang in one step. He can subdue bulls and tigers. Even our county magistrate has to dismount and bow when he sees him!"

The other hunter, seemingly more knowledgeable, leaped away at the Taoist priest, showing off his expertise to his companion. Fortunately, neither of them dared to delay their mission, and they hurried towards the village gate without stopping...

On the north bank of this mountain stronghold, there is a natural cliff several meters high. It is the only direction in the stronghold that has not been walled. However, no one could have predicted that the evil spirit would appear from here to hunt for food, trying to lure the children of the stronghold out to be blood sacrifices. The hunters and villagers drew their bows and nocked their arrows, but their hands went limp as they looked into the thin mist.

A chilling wind blew from the cliff, stirring up wisps of eerie mist. Yet, within that hazy mist, a scene that sent shivers down the spines of the village hunters unfolded. From within the eerie white mist, pale-faced, ashen-skinned ghosts and demons floated on tiptoe, casting their numb yet terrifying gazes upon the villagers.

Several local militiamen used thick ropes and leather rings to restrain the fierce dogs searching the mountain, while the others either nocked arrows and lit fires or drew iron spears and long spears. Despite their fear, they dared not retreat.

"Damn it! He can't hit my arrow!"

"How...how can there be so many ghosts? Wasn't it said that it was just wild mountain spirits that accidentally wandered into the mountain village and caused trouble?"

But in the twilight, one pale ghostly figure after another flickered, and the chilling wind was enough to make any strong man despair. Even the fierce dogs that usually searched the mountains tucked their tails between their legs and lay prostrate on the ground, and iron arrows and spears missed their mark every time.

Sneaky things are the most dangerous!

Seeing that the Taoist priest from the village had not yet appeared, the village militiamen, who had finally mustered their courage, were almost on the verge of tears:

"What should we do?"

This is the evil calamity that was supposed to wipe out the village in the nursery rhymes of my childhood!
However, a sudden gust of wind arose, and the ghostly figures that were faintly visible in the twilight drifted into the village along with the movement of the mist. The ghostly figures became even more conspicuous under the gaze of the flickering torches.

Those dead ghosts were either missing a heart or lungs, often with incomplete limbs, and their wounds were particularly gruesome, with flesh turned outwards, deathly gray, and a stench of decay that would make one dizzy at the slightest glance.

Crackling sounds...

As the cold wind blew, the villagers in front of the village immediately felt dizzy and their heads were in a daze. Suddenly, a green light flashed, and several mournful cries were heard. A figure in green robes leaped down from a corner of the eaves. The willow whip seemed to be a green dragon drawn from its sleeve. With two "cracks," it lashed the evil spirit in the mist, scattering its yin energy.

"ah!!"

As soon as the Taoist appeared, he whipped several dead ghosts to death with two lashes. The horde of ghosts in the mist instantly went wild. The ghost mist, which had just been so frightened that even the waist-high hunting dogs were crawling in fear, now seemed to have seen something terrifying. They cried out in alarm and scattered in all directions. Even as the cold wind outside the village swept in and poured back, the ghosts seemed to be fleeing against the wind.

In that instant, Li Qing raised the willow whip wrapped around his wrist again. With his true qi flowing, he didn't waste any words. The long whip seemed to be a coiled snake, moving horizontally and vertically. In just a few breaths, he scattered and destroyed the group of ghosts.

This scene, which seemed like a divine intervention, truly astonished all the village warriors.

"Is this the master of our capital? He wiped that old ghost... he just... he turned him to ashes with a wave of his hand?"

"God!"

"I also think Guru Ben is amazing!"

"..."

The village militia knew nothing of auspicious words, and after racking their brains, they could only come up with a few flattering phrases to Li Qing.

But Li Qing felt very strange at this moment. Although he was carrying the contract of that ghost woman on his back, and ordinary little ghosts dared not approach him... but so many dead ghosts, whose five bodies and seven orifices had all materialized, should all be considered as fierce ghosts, right? How could they be so weak, and be wiped out with just a few lashes?
He's not like those senior brothers who have cultivated for many years and reached the upper level of Qi Refining; he really doesn't have such magical power yet!

Could it be a trap?
Countless conspiracies flashed through Li Qing's mind in an instant. Could it be that the old patriarch of the village was practicing some kind of evil ghost-taming technique? Were the mountain spirits gathering to seek revenge? Had his fellow disciples secretly plotted against him...?

"Gentlemen, you've gone to great lengths to get rid of me, Li. But to set up such a scheme involving mortals from the foot of the mountain violates the temple's rules, and your entire clan will be burned alive!"

Exorcism techniques, weak exorcism techniques, and the eerie winds that howl with hidden spiritual power—they're definitely one of the rivals in the courtyard.

Li Qing held a whip in one hand and raised a paper lantern slightly with the other, looking down at the cliff on the mountainside of Mengshan. Backlit by the candlelight, coupled with his handsome yet somewhat gloomy face, he seemed like a demon descending to earth.

His judgment wasn't entirely wrong; the culprit was indeed hiding below. A deafening roar of a tiger echoed through the mountains, followed by a fierce gust of wind. A massive claw, as thick as a roof beam, ripped down. As Li Qing hastily retreated, he heard a tearing sound as the corner of his sleeve was ripped, along with some rocks from the northern village.

With a loud bang, all the birds and livestock in the entire village were paralyzed, and excrement and urine were everywhere. No wonder those fierce dogs that could search the mountains and drive away demons were so afraid. Li Qing couldn't help but curse inwardly!
Damn, which mountain lord deep in the mountains is this cat from?
(End of this chapter)