Chapter 129: The Ghost… Is… Coming…
Snap...
The kick was intercepted solidly by Chen Jin.
"A bit mischievous, aren't we?" Chen Jin grabbed the small foot. "The stench of a cat, the smell of salted fish."
Whoosh...
The other foot lashed out through the air, aimed directly at Chen Jin's neck.
"Freeze!" Chen Jin commanded softly.
The incoming foot stopped mid-air, unable to reach his neck.
Bang...
Chen Jin released his grip. The maidservant plummeted to the ground, shattering instantly into a pile of dirt and powder. The "dinner" she had placed before him was revealed to be nothing more than a heap of earthworms, insects, and excrement.
Chen Jin glanced indifferently at the dust and the "meal," then flicked his sleeve. A gust of wind whipped up, dispersing the dirt and sweeping the "dinner" out of the room.
Meow!
A low cat's cry echoed from outside. The Zhang household was still busy with gongs and drums; the funeral rites were meant to last seven days, and as this was the final day, the importance placed upon it was even greater. Consequently, those outside the courtyard of the mourning hall could not hear the sound.
A black cat strolled in. Chen Jin, still facing the coffin, did not turn around, but he knew his old acquaintance had arrived.
"You're here," Chen Jin said.
"..." The black cat did not reply. It seemed the creature had abandoned its air of superiority.
"Was it delicious?" the black cat asked.
"What do you think?" Chen Jin retorted.
"Delicious," the black cat replied.
"I see... well, as long as you enjoy it, why care what others think?" Chen Jin answered coolly.
"Cunning fellow," the black cat muttered, its voice low and tinged with embarrassment and rage.
"Junior Brother Lizheng, come out," Chen Jin continued.
"..."
The room remained silent, though the black cat turned its head, scanning the surroundings.
"Is Junior Brother not planning to show himself?" Chen Jin pressed.
"..."
Still, there was silence.
"It seems he is indeed not here," Chen Jin smiled. In truth, Chen Jin’s Primordial Qi permeated the entire hall; he had already detected Lizheng’s presence. However, Lizheng appeared to be using some form of concealment spell, allowing Chen Jin to sense his presence in the hall while remaining unable to pinpoint his exact location.
"Let’s cooperate. I have a Lesser Yang Pill. It can consolidate your foundation, strengthen your constitution, and help you condense your Five-Qi True Essence," the cat demon broke the silence.
"How many times is the word 'idiot' written on your face?" Chen Jin glanced at it.
"..." The cat demon’s green, oily eyes narrowed—it was frustrated and on the verge of attacking.
"Are you sure you want to fight?" Chen Jin withdrew his disdainful gaze.
"I am going to sever your neck." The cat demon raised a claw, gouging a long, narrow scratch into the floor.
"Then why don't you do it?" Chen Jin said, calm and unhurried.
Meow...
With a frustrated hiss, the cat demon slowly retreated from the hall. It seemed they truly needed Chen Jin to trigger a specific event, or perhaps they required his body to achieve their goal—likely to lure out the ghost of the old Madame Zhang and seize the relic.
Yet, if this relic were truly the legendary treasure left behind by the Bodhisattva Samantabhadra, why were these two—neither of whom seemed particularly formidable—the only ones vying for it? A relic of Samantabhadra could allow one to instantly attain the status of an Arhat, ensuring a life free of illness, calamity, and death. It was a prize every practitioner dreamed of. That it was being fought over by two novices just starting their journey made Chen Jin suspect the relic wasn't what Master Zhang claimed. It was likely left by some highly virtuous monk, intended only to help practitioners understand life and cultivate their character.
It didn't matter, though. I have no intention of becoming a monk anyway, Chen Jin thought.
"..."
Time passed, and silence became the theme. Someone came to deliver food halfway through—actual dinner this time—but Chen Jin did not touch it. He had already reached the state of *bigu* (abstinence from grain); he could survive for three months without food. The only reason he couldn't go indefinitely was that his Primordial Qi could not perfectly simulate all necessary nutrients. If it could, he would never need to eat again.
Of course, once he condensed his Five-Qi True Essence, he would be able to go without food or drink until the day he died. Thus, the Dingshen Realm was a crucial threshold.
As the hour of the Rat approached, Chen Jin knew it was time to await the arrival of the spirit. The hall gradually grew cold, and the funeral music outside had yet to cease; the drumming would continue until midnight. The hall was not yet completely silent, as the noise from outside persisted.
At the stroke of midnight, the drums finally stopped. Chen Jin knew that what was meant to come would now appear.
The thirty-six candles in the hall flared suddenly, their flames jumping from one inch to three feet high, shifting from a bright yellow to a ghostly cyan. A chill gripped the room, and an aura of malevolent yin began to swirl in from all directions. It seemed the old Madame Zhang had absorbed the yin energy and truly become a specter.
Whoosh...
A cold wind swept into the hall, rolling across the floor and gathering the flames of the thirty-six candles, molding them into a human silhouette atop the coffin. The figure, composed of green, oily fire, took the shape of a hunched old woman. Her features were not fully formed, likely because her cultivation was insufficient.
Yet, if her cultivation was so low, how could she be in possession of the Bodhisattva’s relic?
"Junbao..." the old woman called out to Chen Jin from atop the coffin.
Chen Jin did not respond, keeping his head lowered, pretending not to see.
"Junbao..." the old woman continued to call.
After two calls met with silence, she slowly flickered out. The green fire dissipated, returning to the wicks of the extinguished candles.
Meow...
The cat demon was the first to reappear with a cry.