"Go, protect her."
I stammered out the words.
I still don't know how to address Ghost Path Master.
Father?
No
When Old Qin taught me the nine schools of funeral rites, he kept telling me a truth.
"When a person dies, the light goes out; the past is gone, the debt is paid. There are no more relatives, and the family dissolves."
Only alone, can one walk well on the road to the next life.
All who tread the path to the next life sever all ties.
If not for severing ties, who would be the one who speaks of the past life, the past life's past, and so on?
"She, is unobstructed."
"The lady, as well as your father, will protect her."
Ghost Path Master's words sounded ethereal, kind, and amiable.
"A strand of yangshen, shatters the realm of that Buddhist soul, allowing him to have only one-third of his yangshen. Although he is filled with greed, I do not know why he didn't die under the three insect spirits. But at this moment, it will not be easy for him to reunite his soul body and consolidate his true self. The things worshipped in these statues seem to be under his command but are more greedy for him than he is. They have already pursued him."
I fell silent abruptly.
Yes, I did indeed see something coming out of those statues before, and even earlier, I sensed a few anomalies.
"You seem very confused," Ghost Path Master slowly floated closer to me.
Unconsciously, I took a step back, my heart indeed confused, feeling even more unbalanced.
"Grandfather, why are you backing away! Get down and call me daddy!" Old Gong under the table was still struggling, but he couldn't say anything for a moment.
I fell silent.
Ghost Path Master pointed his sword at a spot, and a strand of purple energy twined around Old Gong's face, preventing him from speaking and leaving his eyes wide open.
"Dao..."
"What is the Dao?"
Ghost Path Master suddenly slightly raised his head, as if looking up at the sky outside the Buddhist hall.
"The Dao that can be spoken is not the true Dao."
"The name that can be named is not the true name."
"This phrase is recited by everyone, and its meaning is known to all. However, the interpretation of the meaning comes from the predecessors, not from itself."
"The ancients sought immortality, while the people loved to live forever. Death is life, immortality is loneliness."
"What Dao are you seeking?"
Ghost Path Master is asking me.
I remained silent for a long time before responding, "No disasters, no hardships for my family, no one to plot against them or harm them, and a peaceful corner can be enough."
Ghost Path Master was stunned again.
He took a few steps forward, reaching the edge of the hall, but did not go any further.
I unconsciously followed him, and the confusion in my eyes only increased.
Because I didn't understand what he intended to do.
Is he guiding me?
It doesn't seem like it.
"I once had a son, named Mao Xianjun. I was the abbot of Jüqu Mountain Monastery, and my three disciples all had exceptional talents."
"Xianjun was born naturally dull, his heart scriptures were not proficient, his Daoist scriptures were not proficient, and his body law was even less proficient. "Ghost Path Master sighed again and continued to speak: "He did not want to immerse himself in the study of Daoism, but only wanted to 'sink' with a woman. I forced him to soak in the best medicinal liquid of Juqu Mountain to strengthen his body, forced him to memorize all Daoist arts, and forced him to 'cultivate', but he was like rotten wood, completely unenlightened."
"He died in front of me to protect that woman, and when the woman died beside him, I realized that was also a path of the Dao."
"His path is for a small family."
"I also become more enlightened, my path is ultimately still narrow and confined to a small family, otherwise, I would not have forced Xianjun in such a way."
"Otherwise, after the three insect spirits dissipated and I broke through again, the lower body blood would not have reappeared, more so as a tangible substance that could not be cut off."
"Both father and son are like this, it's fate, it's the Dao. He has understood the Dao, but I am still obsessed, which led to his death and the death of his daughter-in-law."
Ghost Path Master looked much older, and during this period, more lower body blood drilled out of his soul, covering his face densely.
He began to tremble, his eyes turned red, as if his will was shaking and struggling.
"Your path is for a small family, for private desires, but you have shown yourself very well. You, not only have heart, but also strength."
"Perhaps, that is the look Xianjun gave me as he died—pained, desperate, regretful, resentful. He pointed at me and finally expired."
"People teach people, they will not understand. Things teach people, once will understand."
"Therefore, in this life, your path is still the Dao, but your person is not that of the predecessors. You have refined yourself and refined the Dao."
"My heart is greatly comforted."
The moment Ghost Path Master's words fell, the lower body blood on his face suddenly began to drop.
All the lower body blood coalesced into a worm-like creature of blood color. It seemed to be very panicked, wanting to retreat into Ghost Path Master's body, but it couldn't go back.
It suddenly changed direction, trying to crawl into my body.
Ghost Path Master stepped forward and stepped on the lower body blood, and as he lifted his leg, the corpse bugs disappeared.
"If I had understood on that day, if I had let go, if I had been kind-hearted, this worm would not have troubled me."
"The thing that troubles me is not the worm, but the heart. The heart wonders why Mao Xianjun was so obsessed with the woman, that the flesh is only for a dozen years, how can passion be allowed to disrupt the Daoist heart? As a result, the more I resist, my heart becomes more chaotic. The more chaotic it becomes, the more out of control I am. My heart becomes demonic, and the worm disrupts my intentions. Today, I have finally woken up from a dream, but it's too late."
"You are the soul of my son that will continue to live, and the path of life that will endure. I am not your father, but only a Ghost Path Master of Jüqu Mountain."
"Your path will still be for a small family, but the mountain gate, which is also your home. I once was attached to the appearance, but today, I have finally understood."
"You must walk this path well and do not let down the people of this life, do not let down your parents of this life, and also do not let down your teachers."
"The path of cultivation is difficult and treacherous, and I cannot protect you."
Ghost Path Master turned around.
A ray of slanting sunlight once again shone into the Buddhist hall, hitting Ghost Path Master exactly, making his soul shadow seem to be bathed in a layer of golden mist.
"Do not enter this ground of difficulty and confusion between Buddhism and Taoism, do not enter the Black City Temple. They have not yet clarified what they are seeking and their own path."
"Here, neither the beginning nor the end."
As his words ended, Ghost Path Master's soul suddenly shattered into pieces.
My heart suddenly felt a sense of emptiness, following my instinctive feeling, I turned my head and looked.
Only then did I see that there were two other Ghost Path Masters behind me!
They had stern and fierce expressions, their hands tightly pressed on the person's leather tube next to Xinbo's corpse, which was also the Tangka of the previous Xinbo.
At the same time, they were also breaking apart!
The Ghost Path Masters were splitting into three, and their realms had also fallen.
Just that, he himself is stronger, so I didn't notice it much.
And since Xinbo's remaining fragment of spirit was scattered by the last bit of Gao Tien Dao's spirit, and was chased by those things that emerged from the statues, it had no effect on Ghost Path Master at all!
A part of Ghost Path Master's soul was speaking to me, indicating that he had finally realized the Dao.
However, there were two other parts of his soul, still pressing down on the Tangka of the previous Xinbo, and the person's leather tube!
Perhaps, the former Xinbo inside that person's leather tube had also paid a huge price, or it was also the true self divided into three.
As Ghost Path Master shattered into pieces, the person's leather tube also began to disintegrate...
They disappeared simultaneously, dissipating all at once, and became fine powder.
"My mother's father... will even perish together in the god of Yang? I thought they would fight to the end of the world, scares the ghost, scare a ghost!" Old Gong lost the constraint, he shrieked: "Grandfather, let me out, quickly let me out!"
I shook my head and started to walk towards Old Gong.
The result was that my body weakened, and I fell to the ground with a thud, completely spent.
I struggled and crawled towards Old Gong.
"If you're tired, drink some blood and eat some meat. The stuff here is a great tonic, a real great tonic!" Old Gong shouted.
I remained silent, continuing to crawl towards Old Gong.
Without the characteristics of Wu Zhongkuan, this seemed to be the real Old Gong. Without any restraints and with no rules or manners?
Can the things here be eaten?
Blood and flesh come from humans, which are nourishing, just like the human images here. If you eat them, what's the difference from the human images and Xinbo?
Finally, I crawled up to Old Gong. The purple in his eyes had become very deep, even more eager.
His eyes, which were spinning wildly, also swept past the long table, as if he would feast heartily if I let him out.
"Originally, this is you."
The feeling of helplessness was not only in the body, but also in the heart.
Old Gong is not simple. Otherwise, how could a beggar consume a thread of soul from Wu Zhongkuan and exhaust it? And then eat the entire Wu Zhongkuan? Eat so many ghosts?
People have qualities and limits, ghosts are formed after people die, and they also have qualities and limits. Otherwise, every ghost in the world would be comparable to the plague ghosts.
However, Old Gong does not have limits. At this moment, he has become a ghost like Wei Youming, still yearning and greedy.
Perhaps, this step is his limit? I don't understand.
"Grandfather, let me go! Let me go!" Old Gong shouted sharply, "We can't stay here for long. We need to run away with the master. Xinbo is dead, and the Black Demoness is still outside guarding. If they find out that A Gung Lama didn't come, they will return. Then we'll be in big trouble. Your previous father is gone too, and we don't have any powerful backers left! If you don't let me go, when the old wife comes back, she'll take you as well!"
"Old Gong," my voice was rough and hoarse, I asked: "Let go of you. What else do you want to do besides just running?"
"Do what... Eat! After eating these offerings, the things inside the statues, and me are no different. They can eat, and I can eat too. Once we're full and drunk, God blocks, we eat God; demon blocks, we eat demon! You have nothing to worry about, Grandfather. Just shout if you need anything! Old Gong is fierce!"
Old Gong screamed with excitement.
However, my heart felt even more painful for a moment, and the oppression was even stronger.
"What are you doing, Grandfather? Why don't you act? Are you possessed?" Old Gong suddenly became bewildered again.
"Where is the scroll?" I asked hoarsely.
"No, no, that thing is not good! It's not comfortable for you to bathe, dress you, pick your nose with gloves. Just open the table and let me out! Hurry up, do you hear me?" Old Gong's voice suddenly became fierce, with orders and questions!
My breathing became heavier, I crawled away from the long table, but instead of going to Old Gong, I crawled towards Xinbo's corpse.
What are you doing?
"Don't let me go! What do you want to do!?"
"Grandfather, come back! I'm your old Gong! Ah, I'm in a hurry, Grandfather. Let me out and I'll take you away. I won't eat anything. I won't eat anything!" Old Gong's eyes showed more ancient and malevolent wisdom, deeper and heavier. He kept shouting without stopping, but without Wu Zhongkuan's soul as a balance, he couldn't hide his emotions. His expression was clearly acting and being cunning.
