Many years ago, Xie Lian met a white-speaking immortal.
He had just built a small thatched cottage single-handedly. As he stood admiring his new home, he heard a small voice from the corner, saying, "This house will collapse in two months."
Shi Qingxuan asked, "What are you going to do?"
Xie Lian said, "Nothing much happened. I said, 'Two months later? If it can still stand within seven days, that would be strange.'"
“…”
Hua Cheng smiled slightly, and then the smile faded.
The White-Talking Immortal hid in the shadows, waiting to absorb Xie Lian's fear, irritation, and uneasiness. However, after sucking in air for a long time, by the time Xie Lian had washed up and slept in his new room, he hadn't absorbed anything.
Although Xie Lian didn't see its true form, he could sense that it was probably very angry.
A few days later, a bolt of lightning struck at night and burned the whole house.
The White-Talking Immortal was quite pleased, probably thinking that it was burnt and collapsed, its curse finally fulfilled, and Xie Lian should finally be afraid. But it didn't. It still didn't absorb anything to fill its stomach. Of course, it was unwilling to give up, so it followed Xie Lian, waiting for the next happy event.
Who knew that this wait would last for more than half a year? During this period, Xie Lian hadn't experienced a single happy event!
An ordinary person would have given up. But Baihuaxian had another characteristic: he was a dogged fighter. Once he set his sights on someone, he would follow them relentlessly. So, he followed them, starving and suffering for the better part of six months. Finally, his opportunity arrived.
One day, Xie Lian raked in a large sum of money collecting scrap, earning him a small windfall. The White-Talking Immortal, overjoyed, had been holding back for so long, so he immediately unleashed his full powers, unleashing a long and eloquent narrative of Xie Lian's life after becoming wealthy, a life of extravagance, gambling, whoring, illness, and a mountain of debt, all while pouring out curses and repercussions. Xie Lian listened with rapt interest, counting the coins. Afterward, he washed up and went to sleep, and the White-Talking Immortal still didn't absorb anything.
That night, Xie Lian's pile of junk caught fire.
After the fire was out, Xie Lian, his face covered in black ash, sighed to the white-talking immortal, "What a pity. It's all burned up, not a cent left. I haven't experienced any of that life of drunkenness and dreams, or the fleeting glitz and glamour you talked about last night. I think what you said was quite interesting. Why don't you tell me again?"
This went on three or four times, until Xie Lian even approached it and asked, "Do you have anything you want to say? Do you want to say a few words?" Finally, the White Talking Immortal couldn't stand it anymore and ran away.
To the Baihua Immortal, Xie Lian, a plague god, was truly unkind. Either he had no good news, waiting in vain for years; or he had become accustomed to all kinds of misfortune and felt no fear or anxiety. Moreover, his bad luck was beyond Baihua Immortal's imagination, so their curses had no effect on Xie Lian, and were practically blessings or daydreams.
In short, from then on, Xie Lian had no contact with the White-Talking Immortal. He even suspected that the White-Talking Immortal had escaped and then gone to his own tribe to spread rumors about his evil deeds.
Hearing this, Shi Qingxuan couldn't hold it in and chuckled. Hua Cheng said calmly, "Is it funny?"
Shi Qingxuan also realized that something was wrong and immediately straightened his expression. He said solemnly, "I'm sorry, Your Highness." Xie Lian smiled and said, "It's nothing. I found it quite amusing anyway."
He concluded, "The Baihua Immortal draws power from people's fears, uses this power to make prophecies come true, and then makes new prophecies. This cycle repeats itself until a person is completely broken and despairing. Therefore, the weaker one's will, the greater the loss; and the more one possesses, the greater the fear of losing."
After a pause, he reminded, "Did a follower of Master Fengshi receive such a prayer and ask for your help? You are the God of Wind, and this matter is not within your jurisdiction. If you receive it, you can hand it over to the God of War."
Shi Qingxuan said, "It wasn't the believers who encountered it, it was me who encountered it."
Xie Lian was even more puzzled now. "Did you encounter this yourself? Generally, White-Talk Immortals wouldn't dare to provoke a priest. Even if they did, a priest of such dignity wouldn't need to be afraid of them."
Shi Qingxuan sighed, "If I had encountered him after my ascension, I wouldn't have been a big concern, but...it's a long story."
It is said that hundreds of years ago, the second Feng Shui master was born into a wealthy merchant family.
When Shi Qingxuan was born, his second son, the whole family rejoiced and gave him the nickname "Xuan." They gave him porridge and snacks, and practiced charity. At that time, a fortune teller drank the porridge, saw the baby in the cradle, asked about his birth date, and said this:
"After eating your porridge, let me say something. Your son's fate is good, but it's hard to describe. If you want to save him, you must keep a low profile. Don't let him develop an ostentatious personality from a young age. Don't let him seek the limelight. Remember to make a fortune quietly. Only in this way can he live a peaceful life. And absolutely don't hold a wedding for him, it will attract bad things."
Those words were incredibly harsh, practically tantamount to the slang of a celestial being. The Shi family, being merchants, attached particular importance to such matters. They immediately sulked and sent the man away, naturally not taking his words to heart. A few days later, they held another banquet for Master Qingxuan, complete with lanterns and decorations and the sound of gongs and drums.
However, at the banquet, just as everyone was drinking happily and singing words of blessing to the infant son of the Shi family, a voice suddenly came from underground, singing: "If you don't start well, you won't end well!"
This sound really came from underground, drowning out the voices of all the other people present and shocking everyone.
The banquet was dispersed in panic. That night, the infant Shi Qingxuan developed a fever, crying incessantly and complaining bitterly, leaving the entire family terrified. The Shi family, remembering the fortune teller who had been driven away for his strange words, searched everywhere and invited him back. The fortune teller said, "I told you not to spread the news, but you wouldn't listen. This child has encountered a true immortal, and he will suffer endless troubles for the rest of his life. This high fever is nothing; it will soon subside. But this is just its welcome gift!"
The object that had collided was, of course, a Baihua Immortal. However, this wasn't just any Baihua Immortal that could be easily driven away. It was the oldest and most accomplished Baihua Immortal. How advanced was he? He couldn't even attend weddings, but he could also mourn at funerals. Hence, he was called the "True Baihua Immortal."
This "True Immortal" lives a life of serenity, reaping the rewards of three years of quiet. With a piercing vision, those who stalk it are all figures of remarkable rise and fall, legendary figures whose lives are filled with legends. Some defeat it, but they also battle it for a lifetime, providing it with abundant food; others, defeated, become a permanent part of its magical power. Thousands of years have accumulated deep roots. Now, after over a hundred years of rest, it seems it's time to emerge, and this time, it's bound to take a big bite. Shi Qingxuan, born at this time, has a destiny perfectly suited to its liking, and has been "destined" by this True Immortal. While the tiny infant might not understand its prophecy even if it heard it, it will eventually grow up, eventually gaining understanding and fear. And this fear, instilled from childhood, will become deeply ingrained, unshakable.
Fortunately, these spirits tend to be single-minded, with strange ways of thinking that differ from those of ordinary people. So, the fortune teller devised a plan to trick it: first, have the Shi family give Shi Qingxuan away, pretending to give him away. Then, they would disguise their son as a baby girl and send him back in disguise, claiming she was an adopted daughter from outside. They would have the entire family address this young man as "Miss," raising him as a girl from childhood. As long as the Baihua Zhenxian couldn't find the baby boy he'd chosen, over time, he might forget who he'd chosen.
In this way, Shi Qingxuan grew up safely until he was ten years old.
Over the past ten years, the once wealthy family gradually declined. Second Master's parents passed away, and the family became embroiled in intrigue and strife over the property. Shi Wudu grew tired of this, and so, at the age of sixteen, he left home with Shi Qingxuan, who was several years younger than him.
The two brothers depended on each other for survival. Shi Wudu went up the mountain first to practice martial arts, leaving his younger brother in the small town below. He practiced until late each day, only coming down the mountain in the evening. There was no food on the mountain, so he could only return home for dinner at night. One night, Shi Wudu became so engrossed in a sparring session that he lost track of time. Shi Qingxuan waited for his brother for a long time, but he didn't see him return. Worried that he might be hungry, he decided to bring him food up the mountain.
At that time, Shi Qingxuan was still a child, unable to navigate the mountain roads. It was pitch black at night, and she had been walking for a long time, carrying her lunch box. She felt an urgent need to go to the bathroom, so she took off her skirt by the mountain road. At that moment, a dark figure approached from the front of the mountain road and asked, "Is that Xuan'er?"
When Shi Qingxuan heard someone calling his nickname, he thought it was his brother calling someone to pick him up, so he quickly put his skirt down again and replied, "It's me!"
The strange voice asked again, "What is your birth date? Is it the year, month, day, and time?"
Shi Qingxuan was even more puzzled. Firstly, why did he suddenly ask about his birth date? Secondly, this person had given it exactly as it was. He responded, "That's right! How did you know? Who are you? Do you know my brother?"
The voice didn't answer, and finally said, "Come here, let me see your face clearly."
This was a commanding tone. At this point, Shi Qingxuan finally felt something was wrong.
He grabbed the lunch box and ran. As he ran, he heard a whistling wind and wild laughter from above and behind him. It was that thing chasing him closely, shouting, "You're going to fall!"
Shi Qingxuan was so frightened that when he said the word "fall", he fell down, breaking the lunch box and spilling the rice all over the floor. Just as the thing was about to pounce on him, Shi Wudu arrived.
Seeing the arrival of the people, the Baihua Zhenxian disappeared. Shi Wudu picked up his brother who had fallen and his face was covered in blood and rice. Both brothers were terrified.
It was discovered anyway!
After years of hiding, the Immortal Baihua finally tasted his first sweet victory and began to regularly reappear, each time becoming more elusive. This creature's power was so great that the Shi family's fortune had collapsed, leaving the Taoist priests and sorcerers Shi Wudu could employ helplessly, unable to wield millions of merits to communicate his message directly to the heavens. While it hadn't yet killed Shi Qingxuan, both brothers knew it was simply waiting to fatten him up before killing him. For now, it only dealt you a few gentle blows, a reminder to fear it, for one day it would strike a greater blow. It was like a hunter who, instead of delivering a quick, quick kill, chose to shoot arrows that brushed past the prey, instilling a wave of fear in its prey, which it then fed on.
It's like a slow slicing.
Fortunately, a turning point finally came. After years of hard training and perseverance, Master Wudu ascended to heaven.
As soon as he ascended, he immediately brought Shi Qingxuan to the Central Heaven Palace and smashed the treasures of heaven and earth. A few years later, Shi Qingxuan also ascended smoothly. The Baihua Zhenxian disappeared from sight.
Shi Qingxuan naturally assumed that it had finally given up and retreated, but it seemed that this was just his wishful thinking.
A few days ago, he went out drinking with a bunch of friends. When he was drunk, he suddenly heard a voice in his ear saying viciously, "You'll never see your brother again!"
That voice was incredibly familiar. From the time he turned ten until his ascension, he'd heard it once or twice almost every year. The fear of it had been ingrained into his bones, like a thunderclap in his ears. Shi Qingxuan sobered up instantly, terrified. He ran to Pei Ming's territory that night, only to see Shi Wudu gathering with Lingwen and the others. Only then did he regain his composure.
Afterwards, he wondered if the voice was just hallucination. After all, it had left a deep impression on him since childhood, and it had happened to him before. But after much reflection, he still felt a bit uneasy, so he took Mingyi with him and went to ask Xie Lian about it. Unexpectedly, he ran into Huacheng at Puqi Monastery. What a coincidence!
After listening, Xie Lian said, "So, Master Feng, what you encountered is completely different from what I encountered." After thinking for a moment, he asked Hua Cheng, "Sanlang, have you ever seen the Baihua Zhenxian with your own eyes?"
Hua Cheng played with a pair of chopsticks in his hand and said, "Hmm? I've never seen one in person. But I know someone who has."
Although Xie Lian was curious about who this "acquaintance" was, he didn't ask any further questions. He simply said, "How advanced is its cultivation? Is it truly formidable?"
Hua Cheng dropped his chopsticks and said slowly, "It's very high."
Upon hearing this, Shi Qingxuan and Mingyi's expressions grew even more serious. Hua Cheng added, "It's different from ordinary minions. It's indeed difficult to deal with."
Although he said "difficult to deal with," he remained calm, as if he was just being polite. However, it was not easy to get such an evaluation from Hua Cheng. Xie Lian said, "Master Wind Master, it seems that the problem is not small. Why didn't you tell Master Water Master about this?"
Shi Qingxuan waved his hand and said, "No, no. You know, my brother is about to undergo another tribulation. What if he gets distracted by fighting that Baihua Zhenxian at this critical moment? I have to keep this a secret and cannot let anyone else know. I haven't told any of the priests who are friends with my brother."
A priest isn't limited to just one tribulation in their lifetime. The more tribulations they overcome, the higher their realm, the more stable their status, and the greater their magical power. Shi Wudu was a priest who had endured two tribulations. Xie Lian had vaguely heard about this during casual conversations in the spirit communication array earlier. He was currently awaiting the third. Distraction would undoubtedly be detrimental. Failure to overcome a tribulation would inevitably lead to a drop in realm.
The author has something to say: When you see different opinions on the content of the article in the comment section (for example, it is not good, not to your taste, or has problems), the best response is [don't reply].
Of course, it's okay to discuss different opinions, and peaceful exchanges and discussions are welcome. However, everyone has different sensitivities, and it's often difficult to strike a balance in a discussion. For example, what constitutes a good tone and what constitutes a bad tone, what's reasonable and what's unreasonable—these are all very confusing, with no clear standards. A single wrong statement can lead to an argument. By the end, no one has even considered what was being discussed in the first place. It's simply that you think I'm aggressive and irritable, and I think you're sarcastic and snarky. It's endless and unnecessary.
So the best response is [don’t reply].
Don't start an argument. Whether it's creating a hot topic or just opening a single comment to argue, both are bad strategies. They only escalate the conflict.
If it's RS or rumor-mongering, you can report it directly. But if you see a different voice and really disagree with it, you can [write a loving comment yourself or interact with other readers who share the same opinion].
Arguing never solves any problems; it only pushes both parties to a more extreme position. Think about it: every time you argue with someone, regardless of whether you win or not, whether you are convinced by the other person or not, not only are you not convinced, but you become even more extreme and radical.
Actually, at this point, comments really don't affect my writing anymore. I've already prepared myself for this, and my expectations are always low, both for myself and for the readers. Plus, I don't read comments every day. The only thing I feel is that it's too difficult. These readers are all V-rated, so if there's a conflict, I really don't know what to do. I only care about writing the article, not how to handle this kind of situation. It feels like no matter how I handle it, it's not going to be right.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
