Chapter 3, Discussion on Sealing the Mouth

Huang Sangu is a spirit, one that has transformed into a being capable of freely taking on human form. Huang Lao Qi can only be considered a monster, while those erratic little yellow weasels do not even qualify as monsters. The so-called Great Barrier is a true threshold, the critical point from monster to spirit. Only by surpassing this barrier can one transform into human form and become a spirit monster

Upon hearing what Master Huang said, Wang Xiaobai ceased his wild thoughts and hurriedly nodded. He certainly did not want to remain in the den of the spirits, and besides, what harm could there be in just exchanging a few words? However, he still asked with a hint of concern, "Master, you mentioned earlier that if I bowed my head, I could leave. This time, you must keep your word."

The first three questions were about whether he resembled a person, but when it came to Huang Lao Qi, the question was whether he resembled a deity. Coupled with his stuttering, Wang Xiaobai was momentarily taken aback, looking at Huang Lao Qi, who was wearing a skull head and appeared eerie and terrifying. Just as he was about to respond that he looked like a deity, Huang Er Ye angrily rebuked, "Huang Lao Qi, are you going to break the rules?"

In just over three months, Wang Xiaobai had become quite familiar with Old Wang. However, who would have thought that Old Wang was actually a remarkable person? At a critical moment, he arrived to rescue him with a popcorn machine. Wang Xiaobai was on the verge of tears and dared not move, but Old Wang adjusted his glasses, smiled at him, and said, "Xiaobai, don't be afraid, your grandpa is here to save you!"

In the dead of night, intruding into the Huangxian Temple, and being so brazen about it, even Lord Huang Er could not help but feel anger and asked, "Who are you?"

Huang Lao Qi's face was fierce and menacing, and it was he who had brought Wang Xiaobai here. In a fit of excitement, he jumped around chaotically, the skull on his head shaking wildly in a ghastly white. Wang Xiaobai was startled, his mind a bit hazy, and he instinctively began to respond: "I see you as a ... ... "

Old Master Wang walked forward step by step, took out a document from his pocket, and said to Master Huang with utmost seriousness: "I am a Taoist priest, really, I have a Taoist certificate..."

The sudden occurrence was rather inexplicable. Wang Xiaobai and all the wild immortals could not help but go to see what had fallen to the ground. They found an old popcorn machine, pitch black and emitting smoke, making a hissing sound. Then, with a loud bang, the popcorn was ready, scattering everywhere, releasing a delightful aroma. The commotion was so great that all the wild immortals were somewhat alarmed. Elder Huang frowned, exhaled a puff of smoke towards the door, and asked, "Who is it?"

Classmate Wang Xiaobai buys popcorn, and it is always Wang Xiaobai who makes the purchase. Old Man Wang does not mind at all, and every time he gives a little extra. It is quite a coincidence that the two of them are connected. Old Man Wang suddenly appeared at the entrance of Wang Xiaobai's middle school during the second semester of the third year, selling popcorn. After Wang Xiaobai was admitted to high school, he appeared at the entrance of the county high school.

Wang Xiaobai was afraid that after agreeing to Huang Erye, Huang Erye would come up with some tricks. To his surprise, Huang Erye was taken aback, staring at Wang Xiaobai for a moment. A glimmer of shrewdness flashed in his small eyes as he said to him: "If you bow your head to me, our grievances will be settled. I will ask for a seal for the disciples of the Huangmen, and in return, I will owe you. So, first, you give me a seal for the disciples of the Huangmen, and once that is done, I, the old man, will bow to you three times and then leave!"

Huang Sanggu listened to Huang Erye mention the Great Pit, took a few steps forward, and said: "There are eight disciples of the Huangmen worshipping the moon outside the door, all at the pit. What do you mean by this, Erye?"

Huang Sanggu looked at Wang Xiaobai's head and said, "Indeed, it is a little three-colored flower; I didn't expect he is still a spiritual child."

The weasel was in high spirits, standing upright, raising its two front paws to bow to Wang Xiaobai, then scurrying to the side. Next came the second and the third, without exception, all asking the same question, to which Wang Xiaobai responded with the same answer. The first three were fine, and the progress was quite smooth, but when it came to Huang Lao Qi, a problem arose

Wang Xiaobai replied as taught by Master Huang Er: "I see you look like a person!"

First there are monsters, then they become spirits, followed by demons, and only then do we encounter immortals. However, this term 'immortal' is merely an honorific and does not refer to true deities, but rather to grass immortals, the great immortals in the eyes of the common people. To put it this way, Lord Huang Er in the Huangxian Temple is not even considered a grass immortal; he can only be regarded as a demon.

A dark object suddenly swooped down with a whistling sound towards Huang Lao Qi, who let out a strange cry and had no time to evade. Huang Er Ye's expression changed, and he extended his smoking pipe forward to poke at the object, but it merely trembled slightly. The object then crashed to the ground with a loud bang, sending dust flying in all directions inside the small temple

Wang Xiaobai sat anxiously, and after a short while, Huang Sangu led in a group of eight yellow weasels from outside the temple. These were the same eight weasels that had been seen earlier worshipping the moon. Huang Laoqi also squeezed in, taking the fourth position, glaring coldly. Huang Sangu frowned slightly but did not say much.

Before the word could be spoken, a furious shout suddenly came from outside the door: "Shut up!"

All the weasels had a skull on their heads, and Huang Laoqi was no exception. It was unclear how he suddenly ended up with a skull on his head. They stood in a neat row. Huang Erye coughed, and the first weasel walked over, stopping three steps away from Wang Xiaobai. It spoke in human language, but its voice was quite awkward, resembling that of a three or four-year-old child: "Do I look like a person to you?"

Wang Xiaobai had long wanted to stand up, and after finishing his kowtow, he quickly tried to rise. Unexpectedly, Lord Huang Er suddenly turned hostile, pressing the smoking pot onto his shoulder. He felt a heavy weight, as if he were carrying a mountain, and simply could not stand up. He heard Huang Sangu and Lord Huang Er speaking in a mysterious manner, seemingly very interested in the top of his head, mentioning something about a small three-flower.

The three flowers gather at the crown, and the five energies converge at the source. The characters "花" (flower) and "华" (splendor) are interchangeable, with "华" being the original character for "花". Therefore, "三花" (three flowers) is equivalent to "三华" (three splendors), signifying the glory of the body's essence, energy, and spirit. The term "聚顶" (gathering at the crown) refers to the unification of essence, energy, and spirit, converging at the mysterious orifice. Many individuals may spend their entire lives in cultivation without reaching this level, yet Wang Xiaobai is naturally endowed with the small three flowers. Although it may not be as extraordinary or powerful as the cultivated three flowers gathering at the crown, being born with the small three flowers is still quite remarkable, which is why there are three whorls on the top of his head. Many individuals may spend their entire lives in cultivation without reaching this level, yet Wang Xiaobai is naturally endowed with the small three flowers. Although it may not be as extraordinary or powerful as the cultivated three flowers gathering at the crown, being born with the small three flowers is still quite remarkable, which is why there are three whorls on the top of his head

Wang Xiaobai has three small whorls on his head, which adds to his spiritual prowess. The words he speaks are far more effective than those of ordinary people. For Master Huang, being able to gain Wang Xiaobai's endorsement is significantly more advantageous than with an average person. This is also the reason why Master Huang chose to keep him upon seeing the three whorls on his head

Wang Xiaobai indeed knows this old man; he is Old Wang, the one who sells popcorn at the entrance of their school. Speaking of Old Wang, Wang Xiaobai has a pretty good relationship with him because every time Wang Xiaobai buys popcorn, Old Wang always gives him a little extra, smiling and saying that they are fated to meet. For two yuan worth of popcorn, he can give Wang Xiaobai five yuan worth.

Wang Xiaobai saw the person who had arrived, his eyes widened in surprise, and he couldn't help but shout: "Old Man Wang!"

Old Master Huang had a peculiar expression on his face, and he pointed at Wang Xiaobai's head with his smoking pipe, saying: "This kid has three small flowers on his head"

The smoke exhaled by Old Master Huang took the shape of a knife, swift and unparalleled. However, upon reaching the doorway, it suddenly halted, only to be dispersed shortly after. An old man appeared at the entrance; he was in his fifties, with grayish-white beard, wearing glasses, dressed in an old military green uniform, and sporting a vintage-style hat. His arms were covered with sleeves, and he walked in with a slight stoop.

It is a pity, it is a pity, this young man is already around fifteen or sixteen years old. If he had started cultivating at the age of five or six, he would have been a promising candidate for enlightenment. However, with the three small flowers on his head, it is not an easy feat. His spiritual energy is greater than that of an average person, allowing this young man to help our disciples of the Huang sect overcome significant obstacles

Old Master Huang grunted and pressed Wang Xiaobai down onto the armchair, saying to Aunt Huang San: "Go and tell the kids outside to come in one by one to ask for a reward!"

What Wang Xiaobai did not know was that the bare insect, born with a spirit, would seek out humans for a mouthful of praise at the crossroads, following behind people at night to ask, "Do I look like a person?" If one says it resembles a person, it may transform into a human, advancing its spiritual practice to a higher level, becoming a spirit or monster. However, if one speaks nonsense or scolds it, the lighter consequence is that it will have no hope of transforming into a human in this lifetime, while the heavier consequence is the complete loss of its spiritual practice, leading to three disasters and nine difficulties. Those with a small temperament cannot withstand such blows and may even die from anger. If one says it resembles a person, it may transform into a human, advancing its spiritual practice to a higher level, becoming a spirit or monster. However, if one speaks nonsense or scolds it, the lighter consequence is that it will have no hope of transforming into a human in this lifetime, while the heavier consequence is the complete loss of its spiritual practice, leading to three disasters and nine difficulties. Those with a small temperament cannot withstand such blows and may even die from anger.

Not to mention the powerful thunder tribulations and heavenly tribulations, even the numerous obstacles are not easily traversed. Only by overcoming these obstacles can one enhance their cultivation and have the hope of becoming an immortal. Moreover, the cultivation of animals is hierarchical, categorized as immortal, demon, spirit, and monster.

Huang Lao Qi did not know where he had found the skull on such short notice, it was quite fresh, with strands of flesh that had not completely decayed still clinging to it. It bounced to within three steps of Wang Xiao Bai and, raising his voice, asked: "Wang Xiao Bai, do I... do I look like, like a... deity"

Huang Lao Qi hopped around, his eyes gleaming with a faint green light, staring into Wang Xiao Bai's eyes, and shouted: "This kid owes... owes me, if he doesn't answer me like a... like a god, I will... I will kill him"

Wang Xiaobai was startled, but it was only because he accidentally damaged the shrine and ruined a roast chicken, which led to him being tied up by the fairies and brought to the temple. If Lord Huang were to bow three times, would he still have his life? He was not Tang Seng, nor did he have the Monkey King to rescue him. He hurriedly waved his hand and said, "No need, no need, Lord Huang, whatever you say, let’s get started. I still have to return to school, or else my teacher will come looking for me..."

Wang Xiaobai was lost in thought when Huang Erye suddenly pulled him up, squinting his eyes and smiling as he said: "Kid, we are fated to meet. I have a small favor to ask of you. Later, when my disciples come in, they will ask you, 'Do I look like a person?' You just need to answer, 'I think you look like a person!' That’s all you need to say. Once they finish asking and you finish answering, I will have Huang Sangu take you home, and you will not miss out on the benefits in the future. What do you think?"

He has three whorls on his head, making it difficult to manage his hairstyle, so he can only have a buzz cut. Unexpectedly, there is such a saying. Wang Xiaobai has read a lot of fantasy and Xianxia novels, and a thought popped into his mind: Am I a prodigy in cultivating immortality? Am I one of those with particularly strong spiritual roots? Or is it that Lord Huang Er has taken a liking to me and wants to take me as his disciple?

It is said that among flying birds and running beasts, there are distinctions in intelligence, goodness and evil in nature, and variations in lifespan. The unusual are termed as strange, the long-lived as refined, the skilled as supernatural, and the enlightened as immortal. All living beings have their unique endowments, yet they are confined to minor achievements, making it difficult to comprehend the great way. This speaks to the challenges faced by animals in cultivating immortality; they must not only follow the righteous path but also endure various tribulations.

Huang Sanggu nodded and exited the temple, while Wang Xiaobai sat in the grandmaster's chair, feeling as if he were in a dream. Just moments ago, he had been kneeling on the ground, bowing his head, and now he was seated in the grandmaster's chair. He wanted to stand up but was held down by Huang Erye, leaving him at the mercy of others. His mind was quite chaotic; he did not understand what Huang Erye meant by asking for a seal, nor did he know why he needed to answer a few questions. Did he possess some special ability that made his words effective?