Tradition

For several days in a row, a divine light shimmered on the back mountain of Sanyi Temple, sometimes as white as the moon, sometimes a blend of gold and blue, and sometimes as dark red as blood. The commotion was especially great at night, when the Demon-Slaying Ribbon was used in a test move, its golden and blue flames illuminating half of the hillside.

When the Illusion Moon Mirror took shape, the moonlight streamed through the pine forest for most of the night, and the Taiyin Gauze Robe expanded and contracted, radiating a cold light that froze a thin layer of frost onto the blue stone on the back mountain.

The people of Jinhua City, unaware of the situation, assumed it was a ghost in the mountain and flocked to the City God Temple to burn incense and pray for peace. The temple keeper was overwhelmed with incense money and, unable to bear it any longer, had to go to the back hall to report to the City God.

The City God stood by the window of the rear hall of the City God Temple, gazing at the flickering, precious light in the direction of the North City for a long time. He recognized that aura: the coolness of the Yin Fire, the domineering power of the Samadhi True Fire, the judgment of the Red Lotus Karmic Fire, and the warmth of the lights of ten thousand homes.

He had seen each of them before, but for so many completely different flames to appear on the same mountaintop at the same time, flowing smoothly and clearly having been unified into a single system, was no longer a matter of "recognizing" them.

It was a question of "wanting to see what had happened." Unable to suppress his curiosity, he changed into a plain-colored long robe, and without any ghost attendants, he walked alone under the moonlight toward the Sanyi Temple.

When he arrived, Liu Jin was sitting at the stone table in the courtyard, drinking tea. All three magical treasures had been put away, except for the Taiyin Gauze Robe, which had transformed into a thin layer of silvery-white cold light and was draped over his body, shimmering faintly in the moonlight.

Zhao Fengnian was washing dishes in the kitchen, while Mingxin was drawing water from the well. The two chatted casually about how they had helped people exorcise nightmares in Jinhua City during the day.

The City God didn't enter through the main gate; he floated in directly from the top of the wall. Zhao Fengnian, carrying washed bowls from the kitchen, nearly dropped them. The City God waved him off, saying he was just there to watch the fun.

Liu Jin rose to greet them, and Mingxin also put down her water bucket and came over to pay her respects. The four of them then sat down at the stone table in the courtyard. Zhao Fengnian brewed another pot of tea and brought out a plate of freshly steamed osmanthus cake.

The City God first inquired about Mingxin's condition. Liu Jin briefly recounted the trip to Laoshan, the sect leader's request, Mingxin's awakening, and the fact that the lingering illusion would take time to resolve. The City God nodded slightly after listening, but his expression was more solemn than when he arrived.

He stroked his beard and remained silent for a while before saying that there was something he had originally planned to discuss in a few days, but since Liu Jin had already returned, he would say it all at once. The underworld had recently noticed unusual activity in the earth's veins, with yin energy flowing back and the soil cracking. Several coffins in various cemeteries had had their corpse energy drained.

He had witnessed this omen more than once, and each time it was related to the drought demon. Recalling the corpse-training disciple mentioned by the Laoshan sect leader, he had already sent several ghost messengers to investigate along the direction of the unusual earth vein movements. Once the location was determined, he would immediately inform Liu Jin.

Upon hearing the words "drought demon," Zhao Fengnian nearly dropped the osmanthus cake in his hand into his teacup. He swallowed the cake and muttered, "It really is a drought demon." When Mingxin heard the words "drought demon," her fingers trembled involuntarily, but he gently pressed them down, and she regained her composure.

Changing the subject, the City God looked at the gold and blue ribbon around Liu Jin's waist, and his tone became lighter again. He said that these past few nights, standing in the back hall of the City God Temple, one could see a radiant light soaring into the sky from the top of Beiguo Mountain, a spectacle even greater than the last time when thousands of lights gathered on the mountaintop.

He was curious last time, and he was curious again this time; he couldn't resist any longer. He examined Liu Jin's three magical treasures one by one, and was particularly interested in the Illusion Moon Mirror. He looked at it over and over for a long time, asking how wide the mirror's illusion could cover and how many people it could affect at the same time.

Liu Jin answered them one by one. The Demon-Slaying Ribbon is made of the lights of ten thousand homes and the Samadhi True Fire as its blade. It can be separated and combined, and can be wrapped and burned. The Taiyin Gauze Robe is made of moonlight as its gauze and reverse-life Qi as its bone. It can cover one's aura and block detection. The Illusion Moon Mirror is formed by the fusion of Taiyin and karmic fire. Wherever the mirror light reaches, it can evoke illusions of obsession.

After listening, the City God remained silent for a long time, then suddenly straightened his clothes and spoke solemnly.

"The secrets of heaven are obscure nowadays, and spirits and monsters are emerging frequently, but not all monsters are as wicked as the tree demon Black Mountain."

"Over the years, my ghost messengers have encountered many ignorant little demons who want to cultivate. Some of them have only swallowed a wisp of the essence of the sun and moon and gained intelligence, while others have mistakenly eaten spiritual herbs and gained the ability to speak human language. They neither know how to cultivate nor dare to approach human cities, so they can only hide in the wilderness and fend for themselves."

"These virtuous little demons have caused a lot of trouble for the underworld. If we leave them alone, they will cause some disturbances from time to time, disturbing the people. If we manage them, they haven't committed any major crimes. We can't just lock them all up at once."

"The underworld has limited manpower and simply doesn't have the energy to teach each one individually. But if someone can establish a lineage and pass on the methods, passing them on to virtuous people to subdue demons and monsters; and passing them on to lesser demons who are inclined towards goodness to persuade them to walk the righteous path, then this is the long-term solution."

After he finished speaking, he added a few more truthful remarks, his tone so frank that it didn't sound like the City God who had lived for hundreds of years, but rather like an old friend of the people present.

"We didn't mention this before because we saw that you were very focused on your cultivation and devoted all your energy to your own path. Moreover, the flames you possess are simply too powerful. Whether it's the Samadhi True Fire or the Red Lotus Karmic Fire, they are not things that ordinary disciples can learn. There is no reference point, and they cannot be imitated."

"But this time is different. I don't understand the illusions of Laoshan, and I don't have the Taiyin Fire, but Master Liu can disassemble, reassemble, and solidify these things into magic weapons. This means that your understanding of your own Great Dao has already taken shape."

"Having understood this to this extent, establishing a lineage is no longer a tree without roots, and we can begin." After saying this, he returned to his relaxed tone, saying that he was just making a suggestion, and the specifics of how to establish it, what kind of people to recruit, and what methods to pass on were entirely up to Liu Jin.

......

"The City God is a good person to get along with; he really cares about things. By day he's the City God, and by night he's a planner for community public welfare projects."

"Sanyi Temple Admissions Brochure: No racial restrictions, no educational restrictions, no qualification requirements, as long as you have a kind heart, ghost messengers will personally pick you up and drop you off for the trial class."

"Zhao Fengnian, go paint the sign first thing tomorrow morning. That's some serious drive you have, model worker Zhao Fengnian."

"When Zhao Fengnian said the saying 'Many righteous people are butchers,' the City God even nodded in agreement. Isn't your Taoist temple really the Jinhua office of the Liangshan heroes?"

"Establishing a Taoist lineage is actually a natural progression. Liu Jin has been saving people, ghosts, and minor demons over the past few years, doing what a Taoist lineage should do, but he just hasn't officially established his banner yet. Now that the City God is registering the Sanyi Temple with the underworld, he, the Fire-Swallowing Taoist, will be the officially stamped director of the formal Taoist office."

......

Liu Jin didn't respond immediately. He held his teacup in silence for a long while.