Chapter 38: A Crushing Blow to Our Colleagues
Nezha, listening from the side, clicked his tongue in amazement:
He was willing to travel a long distance to attend a distant relative's birthday banquet just to obtain something whose existence was uncertain. Would any parent truly care for their children to this extent? Even Jinzha, Li Jing's most beloved son, wouldn't be so concerned. If any of the three brothers caught a cold or fever, he would only offer a few words of advice: "Drink some warm soup and medicine, and get some rest."
But this exclamation was fleeting, quickly dispelled by Pingyu's next words. The girl waved her hand dismissively at the grilled fish, saying, "I don't want this either."
Nezha's veins throbbed; how could someone refuse to eat this or that?
Now, Green Robe was at a loss for what to do.
The young lady is kind and gentle, but she is quite difficult to deal with when it comes to meals. There are dozens of dishes served in the mansion, but she often only chooses two or three to eat, and the rest are just vegetables and fruits.
Her health was already poor, and such pickiness would make it difficult for her to get proper nutrition. The plate in front of Pingyu now only contained sweet rice balls and egg pancakes; her appetite was even smaller than a child's!
She softened her voice, wanting to persuade him again.
He opened his mouth, but the voice did not come from his own mouth.
"Don't you love eating fish? Why don't you eat grilled fish?"
Turning around, it was the third prince of the General's Mansion speaking.
The host and guests had something to say, so the female slave withdrew.
The fishpond he mentioned at Cihangwu Inn was just an excuse. Meeting Nezha's probing gaze, Pingyu felt a moment of guilt: "I won't eat food that's too finely sliced!"
She wasn't lying; she really doesn't spew barbs.
Nezha pointed to the pork chop and asked, "What about this?"
"I do not like pork today."
"You'll like it tomorrow?"
Ping Yu, though unconvinced, retorted confidently: "Maybe!"
Nezha, expressionless, personally served the food. As the boy picked up his chopsticks to add food to Pingyu's jar, she quickly covered the jar with her hand and shook her head frantically.
Before the girl could refuse, he said, "Do you know that mutton is one of the three sacrificial animals used in rituals?"
Why the sudden science lesson? Ping Yu nodded.
“Since it can be used as offerings to immortals and gods, it proves that its meat contains spiritual energy. Mutton is warm in nature and can dispel the yin energy in your body.” Nezha, without changing his chopsticks, asked, “Would you like to eat?”
Pingyu did not answer, but quietly withdrew his hand.
Seeing that the boy had added a lot of dishes to his young lady's plate in just a few words, Green Robe wished she could immediately order someone to build a temple for him.
The folk tales are true; the Third Prince is indeed terrifying!
Pingyu disliked the gamey smell of mutton, so she pinched her nose and tried to swallow it whole like medicine. Nezha watched, propping his chin up, and after a while said, "Go find your parents after you're done."
She choked, thinking she was hallucinating from the stench. Her mouth was full of food, her cheeks puffed out like a guinea pig's. The strong smell of mutton almost made Pingyu faint, but Nezha's words cheered her up. Seeing her suffering, Nezha chuckled:
"I came back with you to see your parents; it doesn't count if I don't see them. I keep my word."
He pushed a glass of water towards him: "Eat and then leave."
Having received affirmation, the girl raised her bowl and drank it all in one gulp.
.
After the meal, Nezha kept his promise and summoned his Wind Fire Wheels to leave.
“Come on up.” He beckoned, eliciting a pause from the girl’s raised hand. Ping Yu shook his head, then slapped her twice defiantly.
*Slap slap*
Instantly, slaves on both sides presented trays held aloft.
The left side is filled with gold, and the right side is filled with copper coins.
The golden light shimmered in the sunlight, so bright that even Nezha couldn't help but squint.
"How come you're going to find your parents with money?" He assured him, "This time, the Wind and Fire Wheels will definitely be fine."
“No, you don’t understand.” Pingyu filled two large money bags and hung them on her waist, looking every bit the part of a nouveau riche money-grubber. She didn’t caress her now full money bags, her face serious: “This is my sense of security.”
Nezha remained silent, letting Pingyu climb onto his back.
The woman in green said that the place where the ancestor held the banquet was called "Balai," a village located in the southern mountains. Pingyu was a little unsure and grabbed Nezha's Qiankun Circle around his neck, saying, "Nezha, do you think my parents might have been deceived? I've never heard of Balai Village before."
There are wicked people even among the people of Guanzhong, not to mention those in the uneducated deep mountains.
It is not uncommon for merchants to be murdered and eaten while traveling in the mountains.
The speed of the Wind-Fire Wheels increased slightly after she finished speaking. Nezha replied, "I don't know. But I do know a little about the 'Longevity Horn,' which is recorded in the library of the Golden Light Cave."
Since it wasn't fabricated, Ping Yu felt a little more at ease.
She felt that she had heard about people having horns on their foreheads, but the memory was too distant for her to recall clearly.
But Nezha's second half of the sentence made her heart leap into her throat again.
He said, "However, the horn written on it is not 'longevity' but 'a demon with horns'."
The bamboo slips record that humans and demons share the same origin.
Humans were created by Nuwa, and thus possessed an innate spiritual energy, which distinguishes them from demons. This spiritual energy is commonly referred to as "luck," and a person's fortune is closely linked to the rise and fall of dynasties. A virtuous emperor brings prosperity to the nation, and those who cultivate Taoism within the court can ascend to immortality through this luck. Conversely, a foolish emperor leads to national decline, and the people's fortunes also suffer. When spiritual energy becomes turbid, demons and monsters will wreak havoc on the mortal realm.
Not only are people's fortunes subject to the fate of the nation, but their personal fortunes also fluctuate due to various interferences.
Have you ever heard the saying, "May you enjoy eternal bliss and live as long as the heavens"?
Pingyu, who was "knowing," said, "Isn't this a common auspicious saying?"
"A verbal blessing is fine, but... if a mortal were to truly live as long as the heavens, that would not be a good thing."
"After the age of seventy, one lives by defying the natural lifespan, which requires exchanging one's fortune. Therefore, the older a person gets, the lower their fortune becomes. Until the moment when their fortune is completely exhausted, they are no longer human. Heaven holds to the middle way, and one can only gain by giving up something."
Nezha's voice softened:
Ping Yu felt a chill run down his spine when Nezha suddenly lowered his voice.
No wonder they say that if someone is old and doesn't die, they become a demon. Were her parents thrown away to be fed to monsters?
“However, there is another possibility,” the boy continued, “that is, when a dynasty is about to fall, an old man will grow horns on his forehead as a warning.”
The next second, Ping Yu covered his mouth. The girl's wary voice rang in his ear: "It's fine to say this in the sky, but we can't say this normally."
Nezha snorted coldly and ultimately refrained from uttering any more reactionary remarks.
In other words, the appearance of horns on a person's head either signifies that the person has become a monster, or it foreshadows the impending demise of the dynasty. Regardless of which interpretation ultimately leads to which conclusion, Pingyu is far from happy.
The Wind-Fire Wheels could travel a thousand miles a day, and in the short time it took to talk, Chen Tang Pass was left far behind. The town disappeared into the clouds and mist, vanishing without a trace. Only the mountains were visible, their peaks strangely shaped, and the ground covered in lush greenery like moss. The earth's veins were intricately intertwined, and even if one chose a mountain path, Pingyu would still stray off course due to the numerous forks. If it was like this in the air, one couldn't imagine how helpless one would feel in the mountains without a local guide.
Nezha hovered in mid-air for a while before finally choosing a spot to land.
“The clouds are thick and the trees are dense, I can’t see where people are.” The boy said, releasing the Hun Tian Ling (a magical ribbon). The moment the red ribbon was unsealed, it darted into the forest: “The Hun Tian Ling can scout ahead, but until then, we have to rely on ourselves.”
Even with the keen eyesight of a cultivator, Ping Yu couldn't spot the Lin family's convoy. He gazed ahead. This place was even more rugged than Qian Yuan Mountain, the road narrow and overgrown with grass, and occasionally the howls of wolves could be heard. The branches and leaves overlapped, blocking out even the sunlight.
Trying to find someone in this vast forest is like searching for an ant in a sesame seed, or looking for a needle in a haystack.
While she was still in a daze, the boy reached out his hand to her: "Let's go first while it's still light, and we mustn't get separated."
Pingyu took her hand, and Nezha held her tightly.
The mountain path was long, and birdsong filled the sky. She wondered if wild birds were truly like that, but it sounded like a woman's weeping. Suddenly, news of travelers being murdered deep in the mountains flashed through the girl's mind.
With her parents' safety unknown, Pingyu felt a chill run through her body, even her palms were sweating. She felt a little embarrassed and tried to loosen her grip on Nezha's hand. But she couldn't manage it. Nezha tightened his grip and initiated the conversation: "Since we have nothing else to do, let's learn some talismans."
Not in a tone of consultation, Nezha slowed his pace.
"Now?" The girl's attention was diverted. "But we don't have any writing brush, ink, paper, or inkstone."
"No need for those." Nezha looked at her: "Did you bring your book?"
"Oh...here!"
Ping Yu hurriedly took out the complete guide to talismans that he hadn't opened since acquiring it, and Nezha took it and casually flipped through it. The first half consisted of basic talismans, suitable for beginners. After confirming the teaching content, he returned the book to his companion.
She looked at the book and marked one place on each of the two pages.
They are: Five Thunder Talisman and Water Talisman.
“The reason why talismans drawn with paper and pen are more effective is because the talisman itself is a tool to borrow the power of the gods in the heavens. The brush and ink on the talisman paper make the request clearer, so the gods can naturally borrow more power. However, you and I do not need to use tools to write talismans.”
"You are born of water."
"The water of the Hanging River represents Heaven, and the four Gui (癸) elements entering the underworld at Hai (亥) indicate that if you delve deeply into the art of talismans, you will surely achieve something. Your master saw through this, which is why he gave you this book."
Nezha only let go of Pingyu's hand when it was time to demonstrate.
He stepped forward with one foot, pointing his sword at his temple.
"This is the simplest Gangbu (罡步) step."
Pingyu hurriedly followed suit.
Seeing that the girl was in sync with him, Nezha said, "First, learn the most basic Five Thunder Talisman in thunder magic. It has the effect of dispelling misfortune, purifying, and slaying demons. Silently recite the Five Thunders from one to five in your heart. After that, whatever I say or do, you just follow along."
Pingyu nodded and blew three breaths onto his fingertips together with the other person.
"Heavenly Fire Thunder God, Earthly Fire Thunder God, Five Thunders Descend Spirits, Lock Ghosts and Confine Spirits."
With fingertips, three dots are drawn in mid-air, as if paying homage to the Three Pure Ones.
"By imperial decree of the Five Emperors, evil spirits were vanquished and their essences destroyed."
The talisman head has fallen; now write down the talisman core.
As Ping drew her characters, she felt the atmosphere around her become more oppressive, as if several gazes were fixed upon her. It was as if the air was being compressed, making it hard for her to breathe. Her body felt incredibly heavy, and the movements of her fingers as she wrote became increasingly sluggish.
The sky above where the two of them stood suddenly began to stir. Dark clouds slowly gathered, and thunder and lightning seemed to beat drums and hammer nails.
Ping Yu glanced around furtively.
The commotion seems a bit loud; is this really a basic talisman?
She forgot that Nezha was a genius.
What the boy considered the basics was something that ordinary cultivators would need to practice for more than ten years to barely reach.
Nezha remained unfazed and continued reciting:
Undeterred, the boy coldly uttered the final word along with Ping Yu:
"make."
Boom!
In an instant, two bolts of lightning struck down from the clouds, scorching the earth wherever they landed.
It hurts so much!!
The object in front of him was struck squarely by the lightning. He screamed and collapsed to the ground, motionless. Pingyu, terrified, hid behind Nezha, asking anxiously, "What did we hit? A demon? A monster? A spirit?"
“No,” Nezha said calmly, “it’s the Earth God.”
Pingyu: ?
Wait, what did you say you hit?
Author's Note: A crushing defeat for my teammates.
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