How did I, who just ascended to heaven, become an evil spirit?

Inside the Li hut of the Bamboo Cottage, Qi Yuehong was unconscious, having long since lost consciousness.

His neck and hands twitched from time to time, as if he were having a nightmare or being terrified at night. However, his condition was already very bad. If you were to open his eyelids at this time, you would know that his pupils could no longer contract on their own.

Grandma Mouse had just finished her granddaughter's wedding, and her face was still flushed with excitement.

She pushed open the door and walked into the room. She glanced at Qi Yuehong on the bed, and her eyes slowly dimmed.

"Your husband is quite lucky. It must have been the art of Qimen Dunjia that injured you like this; it's something that's difficult to cure in this world."

Grandma Mouse seemed to be talking to herself or to Qi Yuehong, her words babbling incoherently, causing her whiskers to twitch.

"I was not going to live much longer, but this ugly body of mine can still serve some final purpose. It is a joyous occasion that I can marry my granddaughter to that money rat. I have no regrets now."

She sighed, helped Qi Yuehong up from the bed, sat behind him, clapped her hands together, then bit her fingertip and pressed several acupoints on Qi Yuehong's body, including Dazhui, Lingtai, Zhiyang, Zhongshu, and Gaohuang.

Suddenly, an indescribable black mist gushed out from Granny Mouse's body.

In her hazy state, Qi Yuehong felt comfortable all over, and her tense brows gradually relaxed.

The next day, just as dawn was breaking, everyone shook the flowery mouse awake. It was the second day of the wedding, and according to custom, the son-in-law who had come to live with the family should serve tea to Grandma Mouse.

However, after knocking on the door of the bamboo hut several times, there was no response from inside.

After knocking for a long time, the door finally opened, and everyone saw that it was Qi Yuehong who opened it.

He was covered in dried, hardened bloodstains and soaked in sweat, looking as if he had just crawled out of hell.

When she realized it wasn't Granny Mouse who came out, Little Sister knew something was wrong and quickly rushed inside with the tray. Everyone followed behind her, wondering if something bad had happened.

"grandmother!"

The young girl who had just entered screamed, and the tray she was carrying with her tea fell from her hands with a loud crash.

When Li Hu went in, he found that Grandma Rat was slumped on the back half of the bed, looking pale and thin.

It was clear that only air was going in, and no air was coming out.

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"Good day, young hero. I have fulfilled my promise to you," Granny Rat said with a smile to Li Hu.

Li Hu frowned, already guessing what was going on, and said regretfully, "Isn't there any other way?"

"My lifespan has come to an end. I was born a mortal, and I have already exhausted all my strength to pass on my primordial impurities to that Master Qi." She coughed lightly twice, but because she had little strength, she could not cough anything up, so she said hoarsely, "Now that my merits are complete, the immortals will take me back."

"Grandma, Grandma." The little girl crawled to Grandma Mouse and cried her eyes out.

"You silly girl, now that you're married, you should be more mature. What kind of person are you, crying and whining like this? How will you be a mother in the future?" Grandma Mouse patted her youngest sister's shoulder and finally murmured, "Of all the children in the village, I'm most worried about Chi Yue."

She looked at Li Hu and said sincerely, "Young Master Li, you are a sword immortal transformed into a demon. I dare to ask you for a favor."

"Please speak," Li Hu said.

Grandma Rat didn't rush to speak. Instead, she beckoned to Chi Yue, calling her to her side, and said, "This is my little sister's daughter. She's mischievous by nature and runs off from the village all day long. If she stays here, she'll be a menace sooner or later."

"I...I'll never run around like this again, Grandma," Chi Yue said, her nose tingling with sadness.

Grandma Rat waved her hand and looked at Li Hu, saying, "I know you are incredibly powerful, and when you ascend, ten thousand swords will come to pay homage. I hope you can take this little girl with you on your journey so she can serve you and fulfill her dream of going out and exploring the world. What do you think…?"

Chi Yue was slightly surprised to hear this. In fact, every time she sneaked out of Peach Blossom Spring and came back, she would always be beaten up by Granny Rat.

She was still very resentful, but unexpectedly, on her deathbed, Grandma Rat entrusted her to Li Hu.

"I will obey." Li Hu nodded.

"If that's the case, then I can rest assured." With that, Grandma Mouse closed her eyes, a few whiskers fell from her mouth, and she passed away peacefully.

After finishing his business, Li Hu stayed in this paradise for another seven days.

Firstly, Qi Yuehong had not fully recovered and needed to rest for a few more days; secondly, it was a good opportunity to hold a memorial service for Grandma Rat.

When they set off again, Li Hu was followed by the playful Chi Yue, who shared the luggage with Yan Yang and wiped her sweat as they followed behind the group.

Flowery Mouse, holding Little Sister's hand, stood at the village entrance, tearfully bidding farewell to the group.

We experienced a lot along the way, and it was very difficult to part ways.

……

After traveling for several more days, they were now very close to Blackwater Mountain.

On this day, the group arrived at the top of a mountain and looked down. A rather magnificent city complex stretched out below the mountain. This was Qingzhou City, which was only about a hundred miles away from Blackwater Mountain.

Yuan Shou shrank his neck; the wind on the mountaintop was chilly, and he felt a bit cold.

"You seem to be getting more and more nervous these days. We're almost home, aren't you happy?" Wong Tai Sin asked Yuan Sou.

"Alas... As the saying goes, one feels timid when nearing home. It has been more than 150 years since I last returned to the mountains. I wonder how Grandpa is doing."

Yuan Sou's thoughts were racing. Looking down at Qingzhou City, he cupped his hands to Li Hu and said, "Master Hu, although we'll be there soon, I must ask for your leave."

"Are you asking for leave?"

"Yes, I haven't made a name for myself in the past hundred years. If I go back now, I don't know what Grandpa's reaction will be," Old Yuan said, scratching the back of his hand.

"I want to go into the city to buy some things. It's better than going home empty-handed. When you all meet my grandfather, you might as well say a few good words for me so that I can save face in front of him."

He chuckled awkwardly, and the others smiled knowingly at his expression.

"I only need a day, and I'll be right back," Yuan Sou added.

"Just go ahead, we'll wait for you here in the mountains." Li Hu turned to Yan Yang and said, "You should go with him too, and come back soon."

"Thank you, Master Hu!"

Yuan Sou chuckled, took the silver from Li Hu, transformed into human form, and left with a smile.

Li Hu had something on his mind lately and had no interest in going into the city for sightseeing, so he just sat on the mountaintop, quietly looking down at the scenery in front of him.

These days have been relatively peaceful, without any danger encountered, and neither the Sword Immortal nor the Sword Qi have appeared.

What puzzled Li Hu was...

Not only the Sword Immortal has been absent during this period, but also the Valley Immortal.

Logically speaking, if Gu Xian ascended to heaven, he should at least have shown some respect to Huang Daxian, whether he wanted to kill or punish him.

After leaving Zhongzhou City, Gu Xian never once attacked Huang Daxian, nor did he lend a hand when they encountered danger.

This was the thing that Li Hu couldn't understand the most.

Could it be that immortals all have different temperaments, with some liking to show off and others preferring to remain hidden?

Li Hu was quite puzzled, so he looked into the distance, trying to dispel some of his inner turmoil.

Qingzhou is a land of beautiful mountains and rivers. As Li Hu looked around, he suddenly noticed a towering building that seemed to reach the clouds.

The building was not in the city, but rather nestled against the mountains and beside the water, in a secluded spot. Scholars came and went in the courtyard, where a library, several tens of feet high, stood out spectacularly and could be seen at a glance.

"Where is that place?" Li Hu turned around and asked the remaining people.

"This is Xiazhu Academy, the place most longed for by scholars of our Great Tang Dynasty," Huang Daxian said after glancing at it.

"There are many academies in the Tang Dynasty, so why is this place called the most desirable place?" Qi Yuehong interjected.

"Brother Qi, you may not know this, but Xiazhu Academy has a long history and has trained no less than a hundred top scholars for our Great Tang Dynasty."

"Is it really that amazing?" Li Hu was also somewhat surprised. The Tang Dynasty lasted only five hundred years, and the imperial examination was held every three years. To be able to produce a hundred top scholars was indeed a terrifying thing.

"Xiazhu Academy has a renowned reputation; how could it be false?"

Wong Tai Sin said with some regret, "Back then, I failed to get into school, so I became a grain farmer. Otherwise, if I could have obtained an official position in the future, I could have benefited the people more than I have done for so many years by distributing porridge."

"The most exquisite part of this academy is that library," Wong Tai Sin said, pointing to the tallest and largest building.

"The collection of books there is all-encompassing, including the Four Books and Five Classics, books from the three religions and nine schools of thought, books on mountains, medicine, physiognomy, and all kinds of classics. Every year when the books are aired out, they are aired out for a full six months."

It turned out to be a huge library, and Li Hu gradually became interested after hearing this.

"If you want to look up books about immortals and evil spirits, do you have any here?" Li Hu asked.

"I'm afraid he could even record clearly whether the sword immortals of each generation were male or female, what their names were, where they were from, how old they were, and what sword techniques they used," Wong Tai Sin said quite heartily.

"If not, I will come back to subdue you." Upon hearing this, Li Hu stood up and decided to go to the academy.

Since I'm just killing time anyway, I might as well try to gather some information from it.

Previously, Li Hu was so obsessed with the pursuit of immortality that he had never interacted with any scholars or teachers from academies, and he almost forgot about these knowledgeable people who were also fond of collecting ancient books.

I have many doubts in my mind right now. If I can find clues in this library, it will not have been a wasted trip.

In just a short while, Li Hu arrived at the gate of Xiazhu Academy.

The gate was wide open, and there wasn't even a guard outside, so Li Hu walked straight in without any hesitation.

On the way to the library, Li Hu passed by many scholars, all of whom were looking down at their books and didn't even glance at Li Hu's face.

As if no one was around, they were completely absorbed in the books in their hands, some even eating dry rations while walking, not wanting to waste any time for meals.

Li Hu sighed inwardly.

The scholar here truly exhausted all his strength in order to pass the imperial examinations, just like when he was in school.

Even the inscriptions on the walls were words of encouragement for studying written by the academy's teachers, which Li Hu found very familiar.

As Li Hu entered the library, he encountered no one who tried to stop him.

In this unfamiliar place, Li Hu was not reserved at all. He followed the signs in various places and climbed straight up the tower.

Finally, Li Hu found a doorplate with the words "Demons and Monsters" written on it in large characters, and there was even a couplet next to it.

"The Master did not speak of strange phenomena, physical prowess, disorder, or spirits."

"If people do not speak, they will defile the evil immortals."

"This must be it." Li Hu smiled. He never expected that these people who were so focused on passing the imperial examinations would actually set up a room here specifically to record ghosts, demons, and immortals.

Li Hu pushed open the door, pulled over a ladder, and began searching the room, acting as if he considered it his home.

Back in my school days, I loved reading all sorts of random books. Now that the teachers have collected them all together, it's actually done Li Hu a favor.

It was extremely quiet all around. Li Hu picked up a few books that might be useful, sat down on the floor by the bookshelf, and started flipping through them.

There are eight recorded sword immortals throughout history, and Li Hu is the ninth. However, the previous eight may have been killed for various reasons, just like that Moon Immortal. This is why Li Hu's path to immortality was unobstructed, as if it had been arranged.

Li Hudong flipped through the pages, looking around, and became somewhat engrossed.

It wasn't until a gong sounded outside the window that Li Hu got up and looked down from the window.

The sound of the gong must have been the school bell for morning reading. As soon as the gong rang, the students below put down their books and hurriedly walked into a room with open sides.

Before long, the sound of students reading aloud could be heard.

"The way of the Great Learning consists in manifesting one's bright virtue, in loving the people, and in abiding in perfect goodness."

"Knowing when to stop leads to stability; stability leads to tranquility; tranquility leads to peace; peace leads to contemplation; contemplation leads to attainment."

Li Hu breathed a sigh of relief. The sound of reading was very relaxing, and the surroundings were quiet and peaceful, a stark contrast to the hustle and bustle of the past few days.

Li Hu simply sat down on the steps, holding a few small books of strange tales, and began to read them contentedly.

Just as Li Hu was engrossed in watching, a stern reprimand suddenly came from behind him.

"Why are you skipping your morning reading class without a reason and instead reading this garbage for entertainment?!"

The voice was so fierce that Li Hu instinctively shrank back. He stood up and turned around to see a supervisor who was nine feet tall with a leopard-like head and piercing eyes. He was holding a pair of rulers and staring at Li Hu with a stern gaze.

He probably mistook Li Hu for a student here.

Li Hu smiled and cupped his hands, saying, "My name is Li Hu, courtesy name Fengcong. I have traveled a long way to this place, and I have some doubts in my heart..."

But before Li Hu could finish speaking, the supervisor suddenly interrupted him, saying, "Since you have traveled a long way to study here, you should study even harder!"

He slapped the two rulers in his hands together, making a cracking sound.

The sound was quite ordinary, but to Li Hu it sounded like a booming bell, making his head throb. He immediately realized that the pair of rulers were probably magical artifacts.

"Come here, eat three feet of my food, then go to the lecture hall and stand there reading as punishment."

Li Hugang wanted to explain the misunderstanding with a smile, but suddenly found that his mouth was inexplicably out of control, as if deliberately fighting against his own will, and he could only slowly utter one word:

"Yes."

Li Hu was horrified. This strange situation was completely wrong. It seemed that he had been completely under the control of the supervisor since the moment they slapped each other with those boards, and his body had become a puppet.

Immediately afterwards, Li Hu's legs also began to move uncontrollably, and he slowly walked towards the supervisor.

To outsiders, it looked like they were preparing to be punished, which was perfectly normal.

Only Li Hu himself knew how terrifying the situation was. He tried his best to control his legs, but apart from making them tremble slightly, he could do nothing else. He walked blankly to the supervisor and stood with his back to him.

Snapped!Snapped!Snapped!

The supervisor struck Li Hu three times on the back with a moderate force.

Li Hu felt that he was not injured, but inexplicably, he had completely lost control of his body and could not even make his legs tremble.