Chapter 124: Chapter 90: Peach Blossoms_1
Translator: 549690339
Ten years later, Peach Blossom Mountain.
Atop Peach Blossom Mountain was Peach Blossom Taoist Temple, within the temple resided the Peach Blossom Immortal, the Peach Blossom Immortal who planted peach trees…
Within North City County, everyone knew of a mountain called Peach Blossom Mountain; atop the mountain was a temple called Peach Blossom Taoist Temple, and within the temple lived a cultivator renowned as Peach Blossom Taoist.
This Taoist was a well-known true cultivator within North City County, whose Taoism could drive away evil and exorcise ghosts, whose single Spirit Talisman could eliminate illness and save people, and who also had the ability to vanquish demons, conjure fertility, and more. The local people within miles praised his meritorious deeds.
On this particular day…
“Boom!”
The clouds were dense, the rain poured heavily, and with flashes of lightning and peals of thunder, heaven and earth were shaken.
Within the closed-door Taoist gymnasium, in a hidden chamber secluded from view, a Taoist sat on a mat with his eyes tightly closed, his brow slightly furrowed.
The man wore the Supreme Pure Hibiscus Crown on his head and donned pink peach blossom robes. His brows slanted upwards like gallant sword-strokes, his nose stood like a lofty ridge with a handsome philtrum, his cheeks adorned with whiskers like a noble gentleman, and his wide mouth framed in cinnabar-red lips truly resembled a true cultivator of the law, a paragon of immortal grace and elegance from a respectable family!
He was none other than the master of Peach Blossom Taoist Temple—Peach Blossom Taoist.
“Boom!!!”
Another thunderclap struck like a shatter of the heavens, terrifying in its awe. Even though the chamber was built deep within the Taoist Temple, protected by numerous brick walls, it could not fully shield the sound, causing Peach Blossom Taoist’s body to tremble slightly.
Behind him, at each of the three sides, stood a locust wood rack filled with jars and pots, sealed with Yellow Talismans, emanating an eerie aura.
Facing the roaring thunder, the many jars on the three wooden racks trembled, and from within them came faint crying sounds.
Seeing this, the seated Peach Blossom Taoist furrowed his brows tighter, feeling uneasy, and immediately closed his eyes to make his calculations.
But soon he opened his eyes again, shook his head with a sigh, and abandoned this futile endeavor.
Divination involved the secrets of heaven, which was not something a petty evil cultivator like himself could master.
It was one thing to deceive others and ghosts on normal days, but now, was he going to deceive himself as well?
Yet, without this fruitless effort, his heart truly felt uneasy, filled with inexplicable fear.
“Could it be that someone is scheming against me, wanting to harm me?”
Peach Blossom Taoist’s eyebrows tightened as he secretly speculated, but then he immediately dismissed the thought, “No, no, no, as a humble Taoist who lives in seclusion, not stirring up troubles, who would bother to make life difficult for me? Could it be… my identity has been exposed?”
“It should not be, it should not be!”
“Damn it, every time I encounter a thunderstorm, I am always so restless. The Evil Path Cultivation Method really has many defects and hidden dangers!”
“The thunder terrifies, the ghosts dare not emerge, and I lose my sight and hearing from the outside. It is time to find a few disciples to act as Divine Guard Generals to fill this void, otherwise, I will surely be taken advantage of by others in the future!”
Peach Blossom Taoist sat on his meditation mat, startled by the deafening thunder outside the temple, and his heart throbbed with fear, while he also secretly contemplated and planned for the future.
Thunder and lightning are the pivotal mechanisms of heaven and earth, holding the greatest power and manifesting the utmost authority. When thunder rolls, all evils retreat, and no malevolent spirits dare to offend.
As an evil cultivator, a specialist in the Ghost Path of evil cultivation, Peach Blossom Taoist’s greatest fear and concern was thunderstorm weather.
During thunderstorms, the continuous crashing of thunder encapsulated the grandeur of the universe’s power, forcing the hordes of ghosts to only shrink within the Yin Altar and not dare to poke their heads out, lest they risk having their underworld souls shattered by the thunderous sound.
Not to mention the underworld ghosts beneath him, even he, the Ghost Lord Taoist, could only shrink within the Taoist Temple, hidden deep inside the secret chamber, or else he might also be terrified by the thunder to the point where his evil skills would go berserk and damage his soul.
This was the inherent defect of the Evil Path Cultivation Method. Though it could lead to rapid advancement, it came with numerous hidden dangers, taboos, and was shunned by society.
If it wasn’t for this, Peach Blossom Taoist would not have holed himself up in the insignificant North City County to play the role of a well-behaved Taoist.
If his identity as an evil cultivator were exposed and it drew the attention of Taoist, Buddhist, and Confucian Gate masters, with his current level of cultivation, he would face more danger than fortune.
Therefore, he stayed hidden within Peach Blossom Mountain, secretly rearing ghosts and practicing his skills.
He had already kept a low profile.
But why still feel uneasy?
Peach Blossom Taoist could not understand.
Over the years, he had always been amiable towards others, staying away from disputes and encountering nothing particularly unusual…
Nothing unusual?
Peach Blossom Taoist frowned at the thought.
If there were any bizarre and abnormal occurrences throughout the years, he had indeed experienced one.
That poor scholar from Ma Family Village had a birth date and time that matched his own, a type of Spirit Material so rare to come by, that in a moment of weakness, he cast a spell to confine the scholar’s soul, intending to refine it into a personal underworld ghost.
Unexpectedly, after the soul was confined, the scholar came back to life, and even the soul he had seized inexplicably lost one spirit and two souls.
Feeling uneasy, he had no choice but to make another move, summoning the “Three Aunts and Six Wives” nine ghosts and casting a curse to assassinate the man.
To his surprise, this frail scholar who couldn’t even pass the district examination endured the first round of assassination curses from his Three Aunts and Six Wives nine ghosts and even found his way to the base of Peach Blossom Mountain through his spiritual connection.
The Three Aunts and Six Wives nine ghosts, his proud mastery, required finding nuns, female Taoist priests, fortune-telling women, and then finding matchmakers, brokers, and other six types of wives, who are killed during the Yin hours to refine into underworld ghosts. Only then could he create the “Three Aunts and Six Wives” nine great underworld ghosts.
These nine ghosts could bewilder people, capture souls, cast spells, and place curses with many evil skills and being female ghosts, they were extremely yin and terrifying.
For such nine ghosts to cast their spells and curse a mere mortal, it should have been as easy as taking something out of one’s pocket.
Yet unexpectedly, the first assassination attempt had not succeeded.
How could that weak scholar, who didn’t even have the “scholar” status, withstand the curse of his Three Aunts and Six Wives nine ghosts?
When something out of the ordinary happens, there must be something demonic at play.
He was startled at the time and summoned the nine ghosts again, finally managing to kill the man at the mountain base.
This was the most extraordinary event he had encountered in recent years.
Saying it’s recent, but it’s also been over ten years. The scholar’s bones have long since turned to ash—could there still be any trouble lingering?
Peach Blossom Taoist’s eyebrows were tightly knitted, his mind unsettled.
Just then…
“Boom!!!”
Another thunderclap exploded, causing the heart of the Peach Blossom Taoist to skip a beat.
In the aftermath of the shock, the secret room’s door…
“Boom!!!”
With a loud bang that shook all directions, the tightly shut door of the secret room blasted open, and amidst the dust and smoke, a figure burst in.
“Hmm!?”
The Peach Blossom Taoist’s pupils constricted as he immediately rolled to evade, while simultaneously casting a talisman.
“Bang!”
A figure soared in, thrusting a sharp sword directly at him, clashing with the light and feathery talisman. Instantly, Yin Qi exploded like thunder, violently catapulting him away.
However, the intruder’s Qinggong was exquisite, and his movements were masterful. Even though he was blown away by the fierce Yin Qi, with just a twist and somersault, he landed steadily on the ground.
On the other side, the Peach Blossom Taoist, who had flipped off his meditation cushion, stood up and coldly sized up his opponent.
The other party looked like a young man, clad in Mysterious Armor, a sword on his back, and a great bow slung behind him, an imposing figure, majestic as a mountain, fully displaying the martial might of a Martial Artist.
“Who are you to dare invade my Peach Blossom Taoist temple?”
The gaze of the Peach Blossom Taoist sharpened as he spoke, and suddenly, he threw a jar.
“Bang!”
The jar, resembling an urn for bone ashes, fell to the ground, and immediately an Underworld Ghost flew out, shrieking as it lunged towards the newcomer.
The intruder, without a word, took a gourd from his waist, poured it onto his sword, and instantly a stench of blood and filth assailed the senses.
“Heavenly Morning Glory?”
“Black dog’s blood?”
“Trifling tricks!”
The Peach Blossom Taoist’s nostrils flared as he instantly identified the smells, and he let out a scornful laugh, his fear vanishing at once.
Had the intruder been a true cultivator of Taoism or Buddhism, or a renowned scholar of the Confucian path, he might have had some fear.
But this was just a Martial Artist, someone who knew no spells, who dared to violate his Peach Blossom Taoist temple relying on some filthy substances?
Did he truly think him to be a novice Evil Cultivator that only raised little ghostly children?
The Underworld Ghost flew out, shrieking as it pounced to attack.
The intruder’s long sword was stained with filth, fighting against the tangible and intangible Underworld Ghost, and for a moment, it seemed they were locked in a stalemate.
“Hmph!”
Seeing this, the Peach Blossom Taoist was even more composed and walked aside saying, “You chose a good time to attack. On an ordinary day, with your meager abilities, you wouldn’t even be able to reach Peach Blossom Mountain, let alone have the fortune to witness my tactics.”
Having said this, he reached for a small stand, preparing to cast his spell.
But unexpectedly…
“Shriek!!!”
The sword light flashed, the dark chamber suddenly brightened, and the tangible and intangible Underworld Ghost was cut in half by the sword, emitting a pitiful shriek before collapsing and dissipating.
“Hmm!?”
The eyes of the Peach Blossom Taoist constricted, suddenly feeling uneasy.
Turning to look at the intruder, he had already taken the great bow from his back, with an arrow nocked, the bow drawn full circle. At the tip of the arrow, a Yellow Talisman rolled down and unfolded.
“You…”
Before he could finish speaking, the talisman-arrow shot out, heading straight for the Peach Blossom Taoist.
“Bang!”
With an explosion, Yin Qi burst forth, forming a formidable defense.
Within the Yin Qi, the Peach Blossom Taoist stepped out, throwing the half-broken arrow shaft onto the ground, and looked coldly at his opponent: “Just a Prajñāpāramitā Heart Sutra Talisman…”
Before he could finish speaking, he was struck dumb with horror.
For the person in front of him had notched another arrow, fixed with a talisman. Lightning flickered, and it whistled as it tore through the air.
The Peach Blossom Taoist had his eyes full of dread, and with no time to evade, was struck by the talisman-arrow’s force.
“Boom!!!”
There was a loud explosion, the thunder shattered, the surging Yin Qi instantly turned to ashes, and the Peach Blossom Taoist was slammed into a corner of the wall, his hand desperately covering his chest, trying to condense Yin Qi at any cost to suppress the thunderous power of the arrows shot into his body.
However, the rampaging lightning was unstoppable by the Yin Qi, which turned to ash, making the pain even more unbearable.
“Thunder Talisman!”
“You…!!!”
The face of the Peach Blossom Taoist turned deathly pale, his expression twisted. He ignored his own code of martial ethics and in a rage, used the last of his strength to sweep everything off the stand, including the Yin Altar.
“Bang bang bang bang!”
Instantly, the Yin Altar shattered, ghostly energy surged, and countless Underworld Ghosts howled as they charged out, among them nine elderly ghostly figures with the clearest shapes and most intense Yin Qi.
They were the “Three Aunts and Six Wives,” nine ghosts!
“Go!”
The Peach Blossom Taoist fell to the ground, ignoring how dangerous the thunderstorms were, thunder rolling ominously outside. He channeled all his power into commanding the Underworld Ghosts, determined to annihilate his foe on the spot.
However…
Xu Yang’s hands flickered, lightning intertwined, and two “Small Thunder Talismans” appeared in his palms. With the added force of lightning bolts, he lunged forward, striking with his bare hands into the horde of ghosts, unleashing havoc.
