Under One Person: Sincerity Moves the Gods

Chapter 94 Li Cunzhen's Three Corpses

The next day, early in the morning.

Li Cunzhen came out early, asked for directions, and went straight to Zhang Zhiwei's residence.

Zhang Zhiwei's room was located on the west side of the main hall.

Li Cunzhen knocked on the door, and a muffled response came from inside.

"Who is it? Come in!"

"It's me!"

Pushing open the door, I saw Zhang Zhiwei sitting cross-legged on the bed, holding a bowl of porridge in his hand and chewing something in his mouth.

Upon seeing that the visitor was Li Cunzhen, he grinned, a grain of rice still clinging to his lips.

"Oh, what a rare guest!"

"You've been in Longhu Mountain for so long, and you finally have time to see your old friend, huh?"

"So, Lao Li, have you eaten?"

Li Cunzhen waved his hand, not bothering to mince words with Zhang Zhiwei, and went straight to the point.

"I've eaten, Master Zhang. I've come to you because I need your help."

Zhang Zhiwei became interested and stretched his neck forward.

"What is it?"

Li Cunzhen replied.

"I need to go see the people from the Three Demons Sect. Although the Three Demons Sect is a reputable sect, we have never met before, and I am not sure about their temperament."

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"Moreover, once I start to deal with my inner demons, I will most likely lose my fighting ability. Having a master by my side to watch over me will give me peace of mind."

"So I would like to ask you to come with me and protect me."

After he finished speaking, Zhang Zhiwei put down his bowl, wiped his mouth, and tilted his head to look at him.

"A Dharma protector? That's a rare thing."

"Speaking of which, Old Li, I saw that your sexual cultivation was quite advanced, but I didn't expect you to have something called inner demons?"

Li Cunzhen nodded.

Upon seeing this, Zhang Zhiwei's eyes lit up, and a hint of interest appeared on his face.

"Sure, I've got nothing better to do anyway."

He stood up, stretched, and his tall frame almost touched the roof beam.

"When are you leaving?"

Li Cunzhen glanced at the bowl in Zhang Zhiwei's hand.

"Wait until you finish this bowl of porridge."

"become!"

Zhang Zhiwei patted Li Cunzhen on the shoulder.

Then he tilted his head back and drank the bowl of white porridge in one gulp, grinning as he did so.

"Your inner demons, Master Li, are rare finds; I can't miss them!"

"Perfect timing, I also want to see what tricks those who play with the Three Corpses have up their sleeves."

After the two finished packing, they informed Zhang Jingqing and then went down the mountain.

Zhang Jingqing knew Zhang Zhiwei's strength and the capabilities of the Three Demons Sect members.

He didn't stop them, but just glanced at Zhang Zhiwei and said, "Don't cause trouble."

He waved them off.

After leaving the Tianshi Mansion, the two walked down the stone steps.

Zhang Zhiwei walked ahead, his steps light and quick, humming an unknown tune.

Li Cunzhen followed behind him, clutching the note Zhang Jingqing had given her.

The note had a place name written on it: Baishui Township, Tongfu Inn.

It is said to be an asset of the Three Demons Sect.

This place is about two or three days' journey from Longhu Mountain.

The two descended the mountain, passed through the town at the foot of the mountain, and headed northeast along the official road.

Time flies.

Soon, two days later.

An unassuming little town came into view.

The town is small, with a main street running east to west, lined with low brick and tile houses on both sides.

There weren't many pedestrians on the street, only a few vendors carrying loads of food occasionally passed by, their shouts as loud as anywhere else.

Following the description on the note, Li Cunzhen found an inn at the east end of the town.

The inn has a small storefront with a faded signboard hanging at the entrance that reads "Tongfu".

The wooden door was half-open, and the smell of cheap tea and alcohol wafted from inside.

Li Cunzhen pushed open the door and went in.

The room was dimly lit, with several square tables scattered around, and only one waiter dozing off at the counter.

Li Cunzhen's gaze did not fall on the waiter, but swept across the entire lobby.

Soon, his gaze settled on a table.

Three people were sitting at that table.

The leader was a middle-aged man, around forty years old, with a thin face and slightly high cheekbones. He looked no different from ordinary people in every way, except for his unusually deep-set eyes.

He was wearing a gray cloth long gown, holding a teacup in his hand, and slowly drinking tea.

A slightly younger man, in his early thirties, sat next to the middle-aged man. He had an ordinary appearance but sharp eyes and kept glancing towards the door.

Behind the two of them stood a boy of about fifteen or sixteen years old.

The young man was fair-skinned with delicate features. He wore a slightly worn Taoist robe, and his eyes darted around, sizing up the guests who entered the room.

From the conversation of the three, it was learned that the boy's surname seemed to be Tu.

Li Cunzhen's heart stirred slightly.

This boy...

He suddenly remembered a character from the original work, Tu Junfang, the Three Corpses.

The Corpse Demon, one of the Three Corpses and Six Thieves of the Quanxing Sect, is the sole successor of the Three Demons Sect after the War of Resistance against Japan.

Could this be Tu Junfang's grandfather or great-grandfather?

Li Cunzhen secretly speculated.

As he sized up the three men, they were also sizing him and Zhang Zhiwei up.

The middle-aged man in gray at the head of the group lingered on Li Cunzhen for a moment, then his gaze fell on Zhang Zhiwei, and he frowned slightly.

He noticed the Taoist robes worn by the two men.

One outfit is in the style of the Sanyi Sect, and the other is in the style of the Celestial Master's Mansion of Longhu Mountain.

Looking at their ages, one was in his early twenties and the other was even under twenty, but both walked steadily, had long breaths, and were full of energy, indicating that they were already masters with both physical and mental cultivation.

The Celestial Master's Mansion has always been the leader of the righteous path, so it's not surprising that it has such a promising talent.

As for Sanyi Gate...

The middle-aged man in gray picked up his teacup, took a sip, and sighed inwardly.

In recent years, the Sanyi Sect has produced Zuo Ruotong, and it has already shown signs of becoming the second largest sect in the righteous path. I didn't expect that another genius would emerge so soon.

The younger generation is truly formidable.

I was just thinking about it.

Li Cunzhen stepped forward and bowed to the middle-aged man in gray.

"This junior is Li Cunzhen from the Sanyi School."

"May I ask if you are a member of the Three Demon Sect, senior?"

The middle-aged man in gray knew they were looking for him as soon as he saw their clothes.

He wasn't surprised to be asked a question by Li Cunzhen; he simply put down his teacup and smiled slightly.

"Exactly."

"My surname is Bai, and my given name is Xun. I am honored to be the current head of the Three Demons Sect."

He then pointed to the man beside him.

"This is my junior brother, surnamed Yu, given name Feng."

Then he patted the boy on the shoulder behind him and laughed.

"This is my junior apprentice, surnamed Tu, given name Lan."

Li Cunzhen cupped his hands in greeting to Yu Feng, nodded to Tu Lan, and then pointed to Zhang Zhiwei.

"This is Master Zhang Zhiwei from the Celestial Master's Mansion, who accompanied me here."

Bai Xun's gaze swept back and forth between the two of them.

"The arrival of eminent disciples from the Sanyi Sect and the Celestial Master's Mansion at the same time truly brings honor to my humble inn."

He gestured for the two to sit down and then asked the waiter to bring them two more cups of tea.

"Young friend, you've traveled a great distance; what brings you here?"

Li Cunzhen didn't beat around the bush and directly stated his purpose.

"I have come here to ask for your help in overcoming my inner demons."

Bai Xun's expression remained unchanged as he took a sip of tea.

"Explain in detail."

Li Cunzhen then recounted how he learned the Samadhi True Fire in Zhuge Village, igniting the lower and middle Samadhi levels but stopping at the upper Samadhi Divine Fire.

Bai Xun was somewhat moved, pondered for a moment, and nodded.

"Although I have not personally witnessed the cultivation method of Samadhi Fire, I have heard of it. This method requires extremely high mental and physical qualities. Your ability to ignite the Samadhi Fire is already a rare achievement."

He paused, then continued.

"However, our Three Demons Sect is a small and insignificant sect. If people from all over the martial world come to us asking for help, how will we survive?"

Li Cunzhen understood Bai Xun's implied meaning and quickly replied.

"If you have any needs, senior, I will do my best to help."

Bai Xun glanced at him and smiled slightly.

"Our Three Demons Sect may not know anything else, but we do study the Three Corpses and the Inner Demon. I can help you draw out your Inner Demon, but afterwards, you must let us study your Three Corpses in exchange."

Li Cunzhen was taken aback.

He suddenly remembered the plot of the original work.

After seeing the unusual three corpses of Lü Liang and others, Tu Junfang showed a strong desire to study them.

Could it be that there's something wrong with my three corpses, and that Bai Xun has seen through it?

He subconsciously glanced at Zhang Zhiwei beside him.

The latter was holding a teacup, looking completely unconcerned, but Li Cunzhen knew that with Zhang Zhiwei's abilities, he could handle anything that happened.

Thinking of this, Li Cunzhen nodded.

"Alright, I agree."

Bai Xun nodded in satisfaction, stood up, and walked towards the back of the inn.

"Come with me."

Li Cunzhen and the others quickly followed.

Behind the inn is a small courtyard, surrounded by walls on all four sides, with blue bricks paving the middle, and it is very clean.

There was a stone table in the courtyard, on which were several ritual implements: a bronze mirror, a peach wood sword, and several yellow paper talismans.

Bai Xun walked to the center of the courtyard, turned around, and looked at Li Cunzhen.

"Master Li, I need to explain something to you first."

"When I guide your inner demon, you will briefly enter an illusion guided by the inner demon. In the illusion, your inner demon will take human form and may even accompany you."

"This is the moment when your inner demons are most apparent, and also the easiest moment to resolve, but it is also extremely dangerous. Whether you succeed depends on your own understanding."

He paused, then emphasized it again.

"If anything happens, our Three Demons Sect will not be responsible."

Li Cunzhen nodded.

"I understand! I will bear all the consequences myself."

Seeing his resolute attitude, Bai Xun stopped arguing and pointed to the futon in the center of the courtyard, indicating that he should sit down.

"Enter a meditative state."

Li Cunzhen sat cross-legged on a futon, placed his hands on his knees, closed his eyes, and focused his mind on his body.

Bai Xun stood before him, light flowing from her fingertips.

He formed a strange hand seal with both hands while muttering incantations.

"The Three Corpses of Taoism are also known as the Three Insects, the Three Pengs, and the Three Corpse Gods."

His voice was deep and slow, as if he were reciting an ancient scripture.

"The three corpses are: the upper corpse is named Peng Ju, which resides in the human brain. It loves finery and adornment, causing people to have many desires, and corresponds to greed."

"The middle corpse is named Peng Zan, who lives in the Mingtang of the human realm. He is fond of delicious food, which makes people crave food, forgetful, and short-tempered, and corresponds to anger."

"The lower corpse is named Peng Jiao, residing in the stomach and abdomen of people. It is fond of lust, causing people to indulge in lust and murder, causing joint discomfort, and corresponding to foolish thoughts."

With each name he uttered, the light at his fingertips changed, as if guiding some kind of power.

"The corpse makes people crave the flavors of the world, crave the warmth and coldness of human relationships, and crave those obsessions they can't let go of."

"The corpse in the middle makes people angry about all kinds of misfortunes, angry about not getting what they want, and angry about the impermanence of the world."

"The mortal body makes people obsessed with outward appearances, obsessed with the so-called Tao, and obsessed with fantasy."

"These three corpses represent the deepest desires in people's hearts."

Bai Xun's voice echoed in the courtyard, carrying a strange rhythm.

"In the hearts of ordinary people, the three poisons entangle and transform into endless inner demons. The three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance are all present, causing people to sink into the cycle of birth and death and be unable to escape."

"When the three corpses possess you, it means your inner desires are manifesting."

"They will transform into the people or things you crave most, fear most, and cannot let go of most, and entangle you in your illusions."

Bai Xun's voice grew softer, yet clearer.

It was as if it was directly imprinted in Li Cunzhen's mind.

"But the more you indulge, the deeper you sink."

He paused, took a deep breath, slammed his hands together, and shouted in a low voice.

Only by experiencing it can one truly understand!

With Bai Xun's low shout.

Li Cunzhen felt his consciousness suddenly sink, as if he had been pulled into an abyss by an invisible hand.

Everything around us is fading away!

The blue bricks of the courtyard, Bai Xun's voice, Zhang Zhiwei's presence... all vanished into the darkness.

Something was wriggling in the darkness.

Three dark figures emerged from his body, like three snakes breaking free of their restraints, and slowly took shape before him.

The corpse.

It was the first to appear, transforming into a blurry shadow.

The figure was tall and imposing, dressed in a flowing Taoist robe, holding a whisk in his hand, with flowing hair and beard, and enveloped in a faint halo.

He has the air of an immortal.

Rather than calling it an inner demon, it's more accurate to call it an immortal being.

The corpse followed closely behind.

The ruler was entirely black, about a foot long, and covered with densely packed small characters.

Li Cunzhen looked closely and saw that all the small characters were the same sentence.

Not a hair's breadth was damaged.

Not a hair's breadth was damaged.

Not a hair's breadth was damaged.

The ruler was densely covered with rulers.

The corpse was finally revealed.

The black energy was expelled from Li Cunzhen's lower abdomen, but instead of turning into an object, it transformed into the character "诚" (chéng, meaning sincerity).

The characters floated in mid-air, their strokes neat and their ink thick, like a seal placed on paper, heavy and carrying an undeniable majesty.

Li Cunzhen's three corpses appeared simultaneously.

Then, they moved.

Or rather, the corpse moved.

The Taoist priest stretched out his hand and slowly took the ruler that the middle door had transformed into in his left hand, and the character "诚" that the lower corpse had transformed into in his right hand.

Left hand holds the ruler, right hand holds sincerity.

It's like a high and mighty judge.

But after that, it never did anything again.

Bai Xun stood aside, staring wide-eyed at the scene, unable to help but marvel.

He has lived for over forty years and has witnessed the manifestation of the Three Corpses in countless people.

The three corpses of an ordinary person, once manifested, will all be aggressive, actively attacking the host and attempting to control their mind. Moreover, they are independent of each other, each acting on its own, and may even interfere with each other.

But Li Cunzhen's three corpses were different.

His three corpses were actually combined by the upper corpse, and they were completely non-aggressive.

Bai Xun's junior brother, Yu Feng, also came over, looked at the three corpses, and whispered.

"Senior brother, this is..."

"

Bai Xun shook his head without speaking, but a glint of light flashed in his eyes.

Sure enough, his intuition was right.

Our ancestors are above!

I've struck gold!

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