Chapter 010: The Shadow Spirit Enters the Dream
Useless waste! The Earth God grew increasingly angry, transforming his heartache into irritation towards the scholar. The little ghost was timid and compliant, yet not particularly fearful. This Earth God was also in a poor state, only able to flaunt his authority among mortals. If the River God were to find out, who knows how he would deal with this Earth God!
***
The Landlord of Linhe was naturally unaware that his only subordinate wished for his early demise. His heart was already clouded with rage. "A mere mortal dares to speak ill of me to my face. If this scholar were to pass the imperial examination and attain a degree, I, as the Landlord of Linhe, would naturally show him some respect. But what is a mere xiucai? How dare he speak so arrogantly in front of me? This time, I will ensure he wails for three days and nights before he dies, so that my resentment can be alleviated!" If this scholar were to pass the imperial examination and attain a degree, I, as the Landlord of Linhe, would naturally show him some respect. But what is a mere xiucai? How dare he speak so arrogantly in front of me? This time, I will ensure he wails for three days and nights before he dies, so that my resentment can be alleviated!
The sea of consciousness in a person is extremely complex, and the land does not dare to delve too deeply; otherwise, if a sleeping person experiences great joy or sorrow in their dreams, it could generate overwhelming waves in the sea of consciousness, and the land would inevitably face dire consequences. However, at present, those who have fallen under his coma spell sleep as soundly as a dead pig, not even dreaming throughout the night. Otherwise, without this spell, how could the minor deity of the land dare to recklessly intrude into the dreams of others?
Upon thinking of this, the land felt a stir in its heart: "You stay here to guard the house well, and I will take care of that scholar. A mere mortal, how can a broken sword harm the spirits!"
The land by the river resembles a scholarly old master; at this moment, he coldly inquired, "Did you kill that scholar?"
He thought to himself that the speed of the ominous wind had naturally increased by a third, and soon he arrived at the thatched cottage. This land deity was cunning; although he did not believe that an ordinary person could harm him with a sword, he still paused to take a look inside. He saw that the scholar seemed to be lying on the bed asleep, and there indeed appeared to be a sword beside him.
Fu was also somewhat dazed; he merely tossed the paper aside without a second thought, never expecting such a result. Suddenly, there was a loud crash, and the paper instantly shattered into pieces on the ground
The moonlight was hazy and dim, when suddenly the wind began to rise. Fu felt a stir in his heart and stood up. Wherever there are malevolent spirits, there must be wind! The wind rustled through his thatched cottage, and a gust of cold wind swirled around, rushing towards him. He let out a cold laugh: "The land by the river does not come itself, yet it sends you, a ghostly being, to your death!" Saying this, he did not even glance, but threw a piece of paper into the cold wind.
The sword seems to emit a faint golden light, yet it does not appear to belong to any deity. The land by the river looks at the sword with a hint of fear; it is evident that it has been consecrated by a master, and it can indeed harm both ghosts and gods
Fu said that he practiced in the thatched study for several months in order to perceive the existence of the light of the nature of consciousness. Without reaching this step, all practice is mere empty talk! Now, Fu has already been able to easily achieve this step, and upon introspection, a sphere of luminous white light gradually appears. This is the manifestation of the light of the mind's nature, and it is only with this that the foundation for all subsequent practice is established
The little ghost revealed itself, startling with a shiver. This ghost appeared extremely disheveled, its clothes tattered and torn, looking emaciated and weak, clearly a wandering spirit: "My lord, that scholar is quite formidable. As soon as I entered the house, he drew his sword to kill me. If I hadn't run away quickly, I would have likely been killed and my soul scattered!"
The moon tonight is not as bright as it was last night in the book, occasionally obscured by clouds, creating a halo. For some reason, Fu felt not the sense of a "dark night with a high wind, perfect for murder," but rather a nostalgic thought of the bright moon that once illuminated the colorful clouds on its return.
The land is filled with unquenchable resentment, yet he does not know whom to direct his anger towards. He only has this one useless lackey under him, and he has not managed to recruit any other subordinates. "It seems that to kill that scholar, I must take matters into my own hands!"
The land is the lowest of the shadowy spirits, hardly stronger than evil ghosts. Therefore, for ordinary land spirits, if there is a need to communicate with the people under their jurisdiction, it can only be done at night, after mortals have fallen asleep and entered their dreams. Naturally, this is also a good method for causing harm, as one can die in a dream without a sound!
Tonight is unexpectedly a realm I have never entered before, but unfortunately, this evening is truly not a good time for practice. Fu reluctantly ceased his training, merely engaging in some breathing exercises. Unbeknownst to me, the night has already reached the third watch!
One would not expect that the principles of the world could manifest in such a way, transforming even the essence and temperament of divinity into power. Fu Yue silently savored this, feeling that his understanding of the world had deepened a level further
He also transformed into a shadowy wind, but his shadowy wind was much faster than that of the little ghost, disappearing in the blink of an eye. The little ghost watched as the land moved further away and spat on the ground in frustration: "Damn old fellow, I hope that scholar kills him with a sword. That way, I can take over this riverside land and enjoy the offerings and incense for myself!"
Huangfu Ming sent a talisman to Fu Shuo, which Fu Shuo secretly placed under his parents' bed. This was to guard against the local land deity, who, in a fit of rage, might even harm his parents. However, what he threw away was merely a character for "sword" that he had written during the day, a character imbued with a certain spirit. In this world where the Dao manifests its sacredness, a character with spirit possesses magical power.
He smiled faintly, merely a scholar, thinking of ways to deal with the situation, there were plenty of methods, why must it be a head-on confrontation? He employed the simplest method of inducing a coma, allowing the complexion to sleep even more deeply. Then, he transformed into a black light and swiftly entered through Fu Shuo's mouth and nose, directly rushing towards the sea of consciousness. The shadow spirit entered the dream, but this was his specialty as a local deity.
***
The little ghost merely said that the sinister wind blew back to Linhe. In the eyes of ordinary mortals, the land temple of Linhe is just a humble house, no taller than a person, and quite unremarkable. However, in the eyes of these spirits, it appears to be a large house with at least two rooms. As he entered, he saw the land deity of Linhe sitting upright in a grand chair, which immediately startled him.
If someone could open their spiritual eye, they would see that a long sword suddenly flew out from a piece of paper, striking down at the little ghost amidst the sinister wind. This little ghost was not particularly formidable; with one strike, it let out a mournful cry, and the sinister wind suddenly retreated, as it actually fled.
It is said that the practitioners are overly protective of their bodies, which is why they are referred to as "corpse guardians" by those in the Buddhist community. Only when the body and mind are in harmony can one reflect inwardly and illuminate the spiritual platform within the sea of consciousness, thereby discovering the innate light. This is the foundational practice of the Heavenly Origin Divine Elixir, which is distinctly different from the alchemical methods of other sects
"Useless waste!" the land roared, forcefully smashing the tea bowl he was pretending to drink from. The little ghost dodged, and the tea bowl shattered on the ground with a loud crash. The land immediately felt a shiver run through him; in his rage, he had thrown the tea bowl, but he already regretted it. Ordinary vessels from the human realm cannot be used in this spirit world, and he was merely a minor land deity, possessing only two tea bowls. Having smashed one, only one remained.