I became an immortal in the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 26 The Feast of Ghosts and Gods
"Jiang Jun".

Seeing that Jiang She had stopped writing, Li Bai finally spoke.

Jiang She placed the calligraphy brush on the cat-shaped ornament and looked over.

“Three days from now is the day when a local deity enters the Dao, and he invites many spirits and deities. Will you attend the banquet, Lord Jiang?” Li Bai said, “I have heard that there will be a hundred kinds of delicacies, none of them are ordinary.”

"Those who come and go are either ghosts or gods."

On the table, brushes and ink were laid out, along with an awl and hemp rope. The book was already bound, with only a few lines written on it. This was a notebook that Jiang She had made for himself.

Jiang She tucked the note into his sleeve.

"Did the Deer Mountain God tell you this?"

"Yes."

"I would like to see what I can do for you. When is that time?"

Li Bai recalled the words of the old deer mountain god, and was somewhat unsure. After thinking for a moment, he said, "When the moon is high in the sky."

……

……

Near Mount Lumen, there is a certain ley line.

Mountain gods and earth spirits, ghosts of the mountains, demons and monsters, all came to the banquet.

There was no cold wind, only a pure and ethereal aura. The Earth Deity, who established this temple for humankind, is a deity of the true Dharma transmission, and the guests he invites are naturally all practitioners on the righteous path.

The guests, whether human or animal, occupy a certain area.

Nestled in the mountains, a place shaded by a bamboo grove.

In a place unseen by mortals, green-feathered birds bring forth crimson fruits with branches, monkeys carry wine jars, tigers lead the way, snakes and eels follow in winding paths, and jackals guard the rear.

This is the feast of the Earth God.

The Old Deer Mountain God is of noble status and possesses profound Taoist magic; he arrived very late.

He glanced around at the guests. The person was nowhere to be seen.

He sat down in his special seat, offered a cup of wine to the local deity, and wished him success in his ascension to the Dao. After the mountain god of Deer Gate Mountain took his seat, the feast began in earnest. Fierce beasts feasted heartily, snake women devoured spiritual flesh, and monkeys held vermilion fruits.

The Earth God Mountain Demon is particularly concerned about the Old Deer Mountain God.

"What was the mountain god looking at just now?"

The old deer mountain god, holding his wine cup, glanced at the banquet again, lowered his eyes, and said, "It's a pity the immortals haven't arrived..."

The Earth God was alarmed and exclaimed, "You invited that immortal for me?"

"Of course."

The black fur on the Earth God's cheeks seemed to tremble with fear, and his beastly face was filled with terror. The Old Deer Mountain God saw this and comforted him, saying, "Don't panic. Do you think the immortals didn't know you existed just because you didn't show yourself that day?"

And then he said.

“These days I have some connection with that person, and he is not an unreasonable person. Since you became a local deity and escaped from chaos and ignorance, you have never eaten people.”

"Besides, the immortals have not yet arrived, so what do you have to fear?"

The Earth Deity's voice was deep: "What you say makes sense."

The old deer mountain god drank his wine and laughed.

"Today is the day you attain enlightenment, and what you cultivate is the righteous Dharma. The ghosts of the mountains fear you, the spirits of the mountains revere you, the birds and beasts follow you as their teacher, and we mountain gods also befriend you."

“A few days ago, I used the mantis and the bird to preach to you. Today it is your turn to discuss the Way.”

The earth spirits have calmed down a bit.

He then hurriedly asked, "Has the immortal shown you the way?"

The old mountain god stroked the deer god image in his sleeve. "I've severed my ties with the Lu family; from now on, we'll each cultivate our own paths."

The Earth Deity nodded: "It should have been broken long ago!"

He listened with a sense of longing.

He sighed, "It's a pity the immortal didn't arrive today. How could I miss the chance to see such a sage..."

"That's all."

The Earth God raised his wine bowl and drank it all in one gulp.

Stepping into the moonlight, they preached to all living beings. The mountain gods and earth spirits were local deities, revered in status, possessing profound Taoist arts and extraordinary lifespans, far surpassing the guests present. Therefore, apart from the two gods, none of the other mountain spirits and demons present heard this conversation.

From beginning to end, no trace of immortals was heard.

"The method I am teaching today is the method of enlightenment and spiritual awakening, the method of liberation from chaos—"

"For those who are human, there are two methods of cultivating the inner and outer elixir. Those who cultivate the inner elixir refine the three treasures of essence, qi, and spirit, forming the golden elixir, and the yang spirit leaves the body, uniting with the Dao."

"Those who cultivate external alchemy refine their bodies with golden elixir, making them indestructible and immortal. Taking it can lead to ascension to heaven."

"But these are all methods for humans to learn immortality."

“We are demons, spirits, ghosts, and mountain monsters. We are born with short lifespans, know nothing, and die in a daze. Most of us cannot escape the fate of life and death.”

"Not to mention defying the mortals to cultivate the Dao and embarking on the path of cultivation."

The beasts looked somber.

The red fox was deeply moved and couldn't help but shed tears.

Half of them were born from ordinary beasts and ghosts, and before they had developed any intelligence, they had already seen their parents, brothers and sisters die.

They may have died at the hands of hunters in the mountains; or from being hunted by wild beasts; or their fur may have been gleaming and collected to make a fur coat.

The Earth God sighed and continued speaking:

"However, being born as a supernatural being, one is naturally protected by mountains, rivers, and lakes."

"Or reside in a blessed land, refine the essence of the sun and moon, and keep the true spirit within your heart undying. When the true spirit is strong, the body survives and lives; when the true spirit is weak, the body dies. In this way, one can seek the Dao..."

"Or it may be the path of worshipping deities and offering incense. This could involve listening to chanting scriptures, receiving offerings from people, or perhaps receiving guidance from a wise person..."

"All can enter the path."

After speaking, the Earth God poured himself some wine to moisten his throat, setting the stage for what he was about to say.

The bamboo leaves rustled, the wind blew through the treetops, and only the occasional chirping of cicadas could be heard; even the birds had flown away. Tonight, this place is where spirits and deities feast and play, imparting wondrous teachings and expounding doctrines.

Naturally, it would not be known to ordinary people.

Ordinary people occasionally linger in the mountains, passing by the bamboo grove three times without entering, completely unaware that a deity is transmitting the Dharma just a dozen or so feet away.

Just like the old deer mountain god who protected the temple for several days, preventing anyone from noticing or disturbing the courtyard.

Only high in the sky, a half-moon hangs in the sky.

Moonlight pierced through the bamboo forest, illuminating the spirits that roamed around it. Their fragmented shadows swayed in the wind, some resembling tiger heads, others fox bodies, snake bodies, or bird feathers—a truly wondrous and beautiful sight.

A faint sound came from outside, but the Earth God paid it no mind, assuming it was just another ordinary person passing by. He cleared his throat and was about to speak again.

Suddenly, the Old Deer Mountain God stood up, holding a wine cup, and stepped forward.

The local deity was taken aback. After a few moments, he suddenly realized what had happened that had drawn such attention from the White Deer Mountain God—

The immortal has arrived.

Under the moonlight, a person slowly walked towards them.

He was dressed in a simple blue robe, appearing quite unassuming, yet his features and demeanor were captivating and otherworldly. Bamboo leaves bowed low as they passed by him. Wherever he went, filth and defilement shunned him, remaining untouched by worldly dust.

Suddenly, the Earth God remembered something he had heard in the Taoist scriptures.

"When the real person travels, the foul air dissipates and the grass and trees bow low wherever he goes."

Is this what the legendary immortals and gods are like?

After a few moments of stunned silence, the Earth God came to his senses and hurriedly stepped forward, saying, "Greetings, Immortal."

The local deity approached, head bowed, not daring to scrutinize the immortal. Instead, he looked behind the immortal, where a white-clad attendant, carrying a long sword, also possessed an extraordinary air.

Jiang She looked around and saw nothing but demons and monsters.

There are wild beasts with innate mountain spirit; there are strange blue birds, about the size of two human arms, that dwell in the forest; there are snake women who are half human and half snake; there are fire foxes that lie lazily on the ground with their tails scattered; there are monkeys that carry wine jars; and there are fierce tigers with black and yellow fur and hooked claws and serrated teeth...

On the other side, there were several more people with blue faces and ghostly bodies, dressed in precious clothes like royalty. Only the shadowy figures behind them made it clear that they were ghosts from the mountains, the most noble among ghosts.

The mountain god offered his seat to Jiang She.

"I'm late."

"Were you all just preaching the Dharma?"

　Taking external elixirs is not recommended, as it can easily lead to ascension to heaven.

　　Thank you "Milk Fox" for the 3000 points! So touched! =v=
　　
　
(End of this chapter)