Chapter 8: The Food-Eating Ghost

The situation of the Xu Daoyan family is well known to them. When they see Xu Daoyan able to produce one or two silver coins, it is as if a person who is usually impoverished suddenly possesses a large sum of money, which is hard to believe

Xu Daoyan, who was originally in the midst of cultivation, suddenly opened his eyes. The doors and windows were all closed. Although he had cultivated, he was not strong enough to see ghosts through obstacles. He furrowed his brows and said, "A ghost has appeared!"

I will thus die on the battlefield... Another ghostly cry echoed out, far and wide, where many could hear it

Xu Daoyan continued to sit cross-legged, absorbing the spring energy into his liver, transforming it into vital energy. As dawn approached and before the hour of Chen, Xu Daoyan noticed that his mother was already fast asleep. He gently withdrew the corner of his garment from her hand, got up, and ran towards the direction of the back mountain.

"If I cultivate the Rejuvenation Technique to its utmost limit, are there any other techniques available?" Xu Daoyan asked the old beggar

"Mother, it is all right now, you may go to sleep, I will continue my cultivation!" Xu Daoyan said slowly.

Wu knew that the jade bottle was definitely worth more than ten taels, and likely much more. However, this was also for the best, as keeping the jade bottle on her person was, in her view, always a source of trouble

Upon returning home, Wu Shi was quite surprised to see Xu Daoyan bringing back so much food. Xu Daoyan explained that he had exchanged the jade bottle with a traveling merchant for ten taels of silver, and then spent one tael to purchase these provisions.

"Bold specters, how dare you wreak havoc here? Behold my sword!" A stern voice echoed.

Xu Daoyan appeared unfazed, continuing to sit cross-legged in meditation, awaiting the arrival of night, uncertain of what events the evening would bring

Alright, don't play for too long, go to bed early! Wu did not think much of it; it is quite normal for children to have fantasies of being able to cultivate, to fly and escape the earth, and to be omnipotent. However, Wu did not know that Xu Daoyan was truly cultivating

From the moment it got dark until deep into the night, it has not ceased at all

I want to meditate and cultivate!" Xu Daoyan said with utmost seriousness

Xu Daoyan frowned upon hearing this and thought to himself: "Could it be a ghost that has escaped from the battlefield graveyard in the back mountain?"

I died unwillingly ... ... '' Another scream echoed, seemingly right at the doorstep of Xu Daoyan's home

Due to previous cultivation, the essence of lifespan has been enhanced, allowing Xu Daoyan to expand the range of his absorption of the powers of heaven and earth. He is now capable of drawing in energy from a radius of fifty zhang, which ordinary people are completely unable to perceive

At that moment, many villagers from the surrounding wooden houses opened their doors and knelt down to Daoist Jia, saying: "Thank you, Daoist Jia, for driving away the ghosts"

"Back then, my mother hid her dowry." Xu Daoyan casually brushed it off with a single sentence; one or two taels of silver could buy a lot of things

At this moment, outside the cabin, the wind suddenly picked up, causing many wooden barrels and farming tools to be blown over, producing a clattering sound that tightened one's heart even more

Xu Daoyan looked at the mute aunt from the neighboring house, who also stood up. She exchanged a glance with Xu Daoyan and nodded.

Beside Aunt Ya, there was a little girl who was very delicate in appearance, about the same age as Xu Daoyan, around twelve years old. At first glance, she exuded a sense of spirituality, and Xu Daoyan always called her Ling'er

"Daoist, you dare to obstruct my revenge. I will bring forth the army of the dead and trample your village!" The chilling voice of the ghost echoed, extremely piercing to the ears

"I died so tragically..." In the dead of night, a chilling ghostly wail echoed through the air.

"Don't! Stay by your mother's side." Wu tightly embraced Xu Daoyan, preventing him from leaving. Her body involuntarily trembled, filled with fear.

Wu felt somewhat helpless, thinking that Xu Daoyan was truly too carefree: "Stop playing around, go to bed early, there are ghosts again, you should sleep with your mother tonight!"

Then I will cultivate on my mother's bed, and if any ghosts dare to come, I will drive them away said Xu Daoyan with a cheerful smile

He does not dare to engage in self-harm at home, fearing that it would frighten his mother, so he can only absorb the spring energy into his liver. Although the small room is confined, the essence of the universe is not affected by material things; the small wooden house cannot block the spring energy, which is omnipresent.

"So impressive? What about after the rejuvenating energy?" Xu Daoyan asked again.

Xu Daoyan felt that the vital energy contained within his liver had increased significantly. If previously it was merely filled to the level of a small basin, now it was akin to being filled to the brim of a large bucket, representing a multiple growth.

Daoist Jia looked at Xu Daoyan, merely a child, and did not pay much attention. He sighed and said, "I never expected that this ghost had actually died in battle on the battlefield, extremely formidable, with a heavy aura of death. Just now, it threatened to lead the army of the dead to trample the village. I fear that in the coming days, I will also be powerless to intervene."

Wu's sleep was shallow; upon hearing the ghostly cries, she immediately woke up, feeling a chill in her heart. She looked towards Xu Daoyan, not daring to speak loudly, and urgently whispered, "Quickly come to Mother’s side!"

"Hmph, consider yourself lucky to have escaped!" At that moment, Daoist Jia let out a cold snort.

Haha, of course there is. It can unleash the rejuvenating energy, which is a form of group healing that can cover an area of one hundred zhang. As long as individuals are within this range, they can be nourished by your rejuvenating energy, repairing the injuries they have sustained. However, the demand on the vital energy that your liver can accommodate is extremely high.

When Xu Daoyan opened his eyes, he found the old beggar sitting silently across from him

Immediately, Xu Daoyan nodded, bid farewell to the old beggar, and returned home. Before leaving, Xu Daoyan took some raw sweet potatoes home and dug out the ten taels of silver buried under the crooked tree, purchasing a considerable amount of rice and grain in the village, attracting many astonished gazes.

Little beast, watch how I scare you to death tomorrow night

Seeing Xu Daoyan sitting cross-legged on the small bed, looking quite the part, Wu said with a smile, "What are you trying to do?"

"Hehe, that makes it even more impressive. By unleashing the rejuvenating rain, the vital energy can be condensed into liquid rain, enhancing the healing effects and also boosting their strength." As soon as the old beggar spoke these words, Xu Daoyan felt a surge of excitement throughout his body, as if he were becoming incredibly powerful.

In such a small village, very few people ever leave their entire lives, so sometimes itinerant traders come here to exchange goods, whether through barter or for money.

What happened last night? Could it be that the vengeful spirits of the battlefield cemetery in the back mountain have come out to cause trouble?" Xu Daoyan asked the old beggar.

Xu Daoyan suddenly realized: "So that's how it is, now I understand"

Xu Daoyan nodded; he knew that his mother was also afraid, and immediately went to her side

Seeing this scene, Daoist Jia's eyes glimmered with a hint of cold light. A twelve-year-old child actually dared not to kneel before him, appearing rather unafraid. This only strengthened Daoist Jia's resolve to completely eliminate Xu Daoyan's family.

At the request of Xu Daoyan, the Wu family prepared 5 pounds of rice and 5 pounds of pork, all of which were consumed completely by Xu Daoyan

Originally, Xu Daoyan intended to continue his cultivation on the back mountain tonight. However, upon reflection, with Cai Wu missing and Cai Village Chief uncertain about what actions he might take, he decided to return home. After all, he could also cultivate at home, though the results would not be as effective as those on the back mountain.

Xu Daoyan frowned. Ever since he began training his liver, his gallbladder had also been nourished, greatly enhancing his gall. From the very beginning, he had wanted to confront these spirits and see just how powerful they truly were: "Right at our doorstep, I will go out and take a look!"

Wu only regarded Xu Daoyan as young and had no understanding of what a ghost was. Like a newborn calf that fears no tiger, he did not say much and immediately lay down, grasping the corner of Xu Daoyan's clothing.

Upon reaching the back mountain, I found that the old beggar was not present, so I immediately sat cross-legged to cultivate. After two hours had passed.

Xu Daoyan remained silent; this matter would have to wait until daytime when he could go to the back mountain to inquire with the old beggar to uncover the truth. He knew that the old beggar possessed great abilities and would certainly be aware of the events that transpired this evening.

During these two time periods, it is the moment when the vital energy of growth is at its most abundant

On this day, Xu Daoyan began to continuously perform the Rejuvenation Technique. By the end of the day, until evening, Xu Daoyan now only needed a quarter of an hour to heal his injuries using the Rejuvenation Technique, showing significant progress

Three villagers have already died, and no one wants to die

100 jin of rice, 5 jin of pork, 4 live chickens. Since his cultivation, Xu Daoyan's appetite has greatly increased. Over the past two days, he has eaten too many roasted sweet potatoes, to the point of feeling nauseous. Therefore, he wishes to improve his diet.

Hahaha, the vengeful spirits are much stronger than the ghost from last night. The strength of that ghost is not weak for you; only someone at level 8 can deal with it. It is called a 'soul-eating ghost,' which specifically targets those who are frail and sick, devouring their vital energy to enhance its own power. If a frail and sick person is left alone, they become an easy target for the soul-eating ghost. Therefore, when a loved one is ill or weak, it is essential to have a healthy person with strong yang energy by their side, so that the soul-eating ghost cannot take action. The old beggar explained this very clearly, and Xu Daoyan gained new knowledge from it. He recalled that the three people who had died in the village were indeed all frail and sick.

Wu was taken aback, but she felt that after drinking the divine wine, her appetite had increased significantly. Moreover, considering that Xu Daoyan was at a growing stage, she did not say much. However, she still felt somewhat strange in her heart. But did she not understand her own child? He had been without a father since childhood, so he matured early and kept his thoughts deep. If he did not want to speak, Wu also did not wish to press further.

"Master Jia, save us! You cannot abandon us!" A villager shouted immediately.

Seeing Ling'er was not very frightening, so Xu Daoyan did not approach her. Instead, he walked directly into the small wooden house, closed the door, and his own mother was clearly still haunted by lingering fears

One by one, they were so frightened that they trembled like chaff, shaking uncontrollably, and it seemed that Daoist Jia was their only lifeline

The old beggar has given instructions that during the period of March in spring, one must go to the mountain to cultivate every day at the hours of Chen and Si. This is because the union of man and mountain leads to immortality. The number of people living on the mountain is few, and the spiritual energy of heaven and earth is abundant. There is a certain rationale behind why many people choose to cultivate in the mountains

Xu Daoyan opened the door and saw a man dressed in a yellow Daoist robe, holding a peach wood sword, standing not far away. Many villagers were bowing to him, repeatedly prostrating themselves.

"Daoyan, how did you become so wealthy?" asked the uncle who sells rice.