Journey to the West: Starting with the Hunting of the Three Demons of Twin Fork Ridge

Upon hearing this, Li Fa felt somewhat relieved.

But then the Zen master invited again, "In that case, would you like to come to my Crow's Nest for a chat?"

Li Fa pondered for a moment, then bowed and said, "I will leave it to the Zen Master's arrangement."

He verbally agreed, but in his heart he was already reciting the merit chart.

The catalogue unfolded before my eyes, shimmering with golden light, yet it showed no reaction to the Zen Master Wuchao before me.

There was no karmic assessment, no task prompts, and not even a warning that "one should not kill."

It was empty, as if the person in front of me did not exist in the perception of the catalog.

This is exactly the same as when I encountered the Old Mother of Lishan before!

Li Fa felt a chill run down his spine.

When Venus came to Shuangcha Ridge, the Merit Chart clearly gave a hint.

The silver-headed deity clearly marks karma and rewards.

Only the Old Mother of Lishan and the Zen Master Wuchao before them remained completely unresponsive to the illustrations.

Oh, and Guanyin Bodhisattva too.

However, he was being chased and beaten by Guanyin at the time, and had no time to open the catalog or pay attention to whether the Bodhisattva had any karmic assessment.

"Could it be because the level of Zen Master Wuchao and the Old Mother of Lishan is too high?" Li Fa wondered to himself. "That possibility cannot be ruled out."

Just as he was pondering this, Zen Master Wuchao turned around gracefully and led Li Fa toward the straw hut.

The nest entrance was shimmering with golden light, and the interior space was clearly much larger than what could be seen from the outside.

"Please." The Zen master stepped in first.

Li Fa took a deep breath and followed closely behind.

As he stepped across the nest entrance, the scene before him suddenly changed.

Sure enough, it looked only a few feet in diameter from the outside, but inside it was a completely different world—lotuses were everywhere, and auspicious clouds swirled around; there was a misty atmosphere in the distance, and the sound of clear springs flowing nearby.

This place is actually a small, independent world!

"The Zen Master has excellent skills," Li Fa exclaimed sincerely.

Creating a small world is a supernatural power beyond that of a Great Luo Golden Immortal.

Zen Master Wuchao, however, did not take it seriously and led Li Fa to a stone platform.

There is a stone table and stone benches on the platform, and two cups of tea have been placed on the table.

The two took their seats.

The Zen master picked up his teacup, took a sip, and slowly asked, "Are you human, benefactor?"

Li Fa nodded and said, "That's right."

The Zen master said, "But what you are cultivating is not the Great Dao of the Golden Elixir."

Upon hearing the Zen master's question, Li Fa immediately became alert.

The "Opening Heaven and Earth Technique" he practiced was indeed not the orthodox Taoist Golden Elixir Path.

This practice method is derived from the Record of Merits and Virtues. It does not involve refining essence, transforming qi, or concentrating the mind; rather, it is a self-contained system that evolves on its own.

"The Zen Master's insight is truly remarkable," Li Fa replied cautiously. "The cultivation method I practice was obtained by chance and is certainly not the orthodox method of Taoist alchemy."

Upon hearing this, Zen Master Wuchao's eyes flashed with a strange light, and he said, "May I have a look?"

Li Fa nodded, channeled his magic power, and condensed a wisp of it at his fingertips.

Upon seeing this, the Zen master nodded and said, "I see."

Li Fa asked, "What does the Zen master mean by this?"

The Zen master said, "The practice you are engaged in is magnificent and profound, without relying on external things or borrowing from heaven and earth. It is unique and evolves on its own... This reminds me of an old story."

Li Fa pressed further, "What story did you hear?"

The Zen master said, "In the ancient times before heaven and earth were separated, there was a primordial deity who could absorb chaos with every breath, manipulate laws with a wave of his hand, and create and destroy the universe with every step he took. His path of cultivation was the path of 'self-discovery'."

Li Fa was deeply shocked: "The Zen master means that my cultivation method..."

"I didn't say anything," the Zen master interrupted him with a slight smile. "I just noticed that your magical power is pure and profound, without any trace of acquired refinement, but rather possesses a certain innate quality, hence my feeling."

He then changed the subject: "Since you are neither Buddhist nor Taoist, your presence here today is a matter of fate. This old monk wishes to impart a method to you, a method that is also neither Buddhist nor Taoist. Are you willing to learn it?"

Li Fa immediately stood up and bowed respectfully: "Please enlighten me, Zen Master."

As soon as he finished speaking, the Zen master stretched out a finger and drew a line in the air. Golden light flowed and gradually condensed into seven tiny arrows, which floated in mid-air. "This method is called 'Seven Arrows with Nailheads,' and it is an unparalleled supernatural power."

Li Fa stared at the seven golden arrow phantoms shimmering in the sky, his heart trembling violently.

"Seven Arrows of Nailhead"!

He had heard this name in his previous life. In the novel "Investiture of the Gods," this was the famous supernatural power of Lu Ya Dao Ren, who used straw figures in conjunction with talismans and archery techniques to take lives from a thousand miles away. It was impossible to defend against and he was infamous for his evil deeds!

He looked up at Zen Master Wuchao and saw that the Zen Master's expression was calm, as if he was just teaching an ordinary magic technique.

"Zen Master..." Li Fa hesitated, "I've heard a little about this method, it seems to be..."

"It is indeed an ominous technique, a curse, and a heretical supernatural power that kills without a trace," the Zen master picked up on his words, but then he immediately changed the subject, "Spells and supernatural powers are neither good nor evil. The distinction between good and evil lies in the user's heart and the reason for casting the spell."

"This technique is infamous because it's used to plot against others, using deception to defeat righteousness," the Zen master paused, "but if used properly, it is an unparalleled art of slaughter!"

Li Fa took a deep breath and bowed solemnly: "Please explain this technique in detail, Zen Master."

"When this technique is to be performed," the Zen master slowly explained, "you need to know the other person's name and take their hair as a guide. Then, make a straw effigy, write their name on it, place an oil lamp on each of their head and feet, burn talismans and form hand seals, and perform the ritual of stepping on the Big Dipper."

Then, every three days, he would shoot an arrow in the southeast direction while bowing, for a total of seven times, totaling twenty-one days. Each bow damaged one of his acupoints; after seven bows, all seven acupoints would be damaged, his soul would dissipate, and his body would perish. Even a Great Immortal could not escape this fate.

Li Fa observed intently, memorizing every detail.

"However, this technique also has its taboos," the Zen master suddenly said solemnly, "You must remember them."

"Please enlighten me, Zen Master."

"First, if you want to worship someone to death, you must not stop. If you stop, you will not be able to worship them to death, but only to injure them."

"Secondly, this technique is too murderous and carries too deep a karmic burden. Each time it is used, it will inevitably incur a great deal of negative karma. It may be acceptable to kill those with heavy karmic burdens, but if it harms those who have accumulated merit, it will backfire and the person will surely die."

Li Fa felt a chill run down his spine.

Sure enough, there is no free lunch in the world.

After the Zen master finished imparting the teachings, he said, "The Dharma has been transmitted to you; take good care of yourself."

Li bowed in thanks, but the Zen master remained silent and continued drinking his tea.

Li Fa knew that he was about to see his guest off, so he stood up and bowed solemnly: "Thank you for the Dharma transmission from the Zen Master. I will take my leave now."

Zen Master Wuchao nodded slightly, said nothing more, and simply drank his tea.

Li Fa turned around and walked out of the nest.

The moment he stepped out of the nest, the scene before him changed, and he was back at the foot of Mount Futu, where the night was deep and the mountain breeze was blowing on his face.

He looked back, but could only see an ordinary bird's nest.

"Seven Arrows of Nailhead... Lu Ya..." Li Fa muttered to himself, "I think this Zen Master Wuchao is most likely Lu Ya Daoist."

As I was pondering this, the Merit Chart suddenly trembled slightly.

With a thought, Li Fa saw the catalog unfold before him, and new text appeared on it:

[Target for slaying: Yellow Wind Monster (Yellow-haired weasel at the foot of Mount Ling)]

[Karma Assessment: Lower Grade B]

Success rate of hunt: 50%

Killing it will yield:

[Optional Reward 1: Five Jiazi of Mana from the "Creating Heaven and Earth Technique"]

[Optional Reward Two: Indestructible Vajra (Supernatural Power)]

[Optional Reward 3: A bowl of clear oil from a glass lamp]