Chapter 18 Even if a person desires to become a god, amidst the chaos of countless methods, they wouldn't know how to create this flag...
I wonder who created this flag; not only is he not very bright, but he's also incredibly arrogant.
The three entered the city as night fell. The streets were bustling with people, all dressed in black, white, and gray robes, making it impossible to distinguish between men and women. They each carried a white, green, and purple lantern, creating a scene reminiscent of ghosts wielding will-o'-the-wisps, strange and eerie.
The three stopped in their tracks. Yan Chao lowered his voice and said, "The Ghost Festival is over. Is this some kind of mortal city of illusion?"
Lianxi asked, "Has Peach Blossom been there?"
Yan Chao shook his head and said, "That's the territory of the Ghost Realm. It doesn't seem appropriate for a living person like me to go there. However," Yan Chao blinked and added, "I'm quite interested."
Lianxi smiled and said, "Okay. I understand."
Hmm? What do you know?
Yan Chao didn't understand what he meant and was pondering what he meant when he heard Yao Xu say, "Why don't we find a place to stay first? The people on the street don't seem very friendly."
When Yan Chao looked up, although the people were covered by robes and their expressions could not be seen, he could still sense that they were looking at them with strange eyes.
This place is not safe to stay for long.
The three continued walking in, and every person they passed would stop and stare at them for a while. A whisper could be heard through their robes. Yan Chao had never heard such language before and subconsciously thought it must not be anything good.
The shops and stalls lining the street had their doors wide open, displaying a dazzling array of goods, but no one was selling anything. As they passed a shop, a head covered by a white robe suddenly appeared from behind the curtain, its head illuminated by the glow of a three-colored lantern. This startled Yao Xu, who nearly cried out, and even Yan Chao, who was standing next to him, was frightened.
Lianxi helped her up and asked, "Are you alright?"
Yan Chao patted his chest and said, "I'm fine. But this place is really hard to say."
You wouldn't believe it until you see it; the things they sell are quite strange: "Lectures on Divine Visits," "True Scriptures of Divine Visits," True God's Prayer Beads, Spirit-Capturing Bell, Three Divine Return Seals, Holy God's Herbal Bath Pack, Flying Immortal's Dream Soup...
Putting everything else aside, the "Flying Immortal Dream Soup" has a nice-sounding name, but it's actually just a pot of black, viscous stuff bubbling with green smoke, topped with uncooked snake heads, gecko tails, toad feet, and some offal of unknown origin.
If you were to drink a bowl of this, it would truly be like seeing immortals in a dream, but it would also be the death of a person.
Yan Chao rubbed his forehead, thinking to himself, "What kind of nonsense is this?"
Upon arriving at this place, Yan Chao was filled with doubts. He wanted to pick out a few items to take back and study. When he came to the stall selling medicinal bath packs, a person wearing a black robe suddenly jumped up from below. Having experienced it once before, he was much calmer this time.
The voice behind the robe sounded like that of a middle-aged man, speaking in a somewhat broken Central Plains accent, saying, "Does the wise woman wish to become a god?"
Yan Chao's eyelids twitched, and he asked, "What did you just call me? And are you saying this medicine packet can make you a god?"
The man in the cloak chuckled obsequiously and said, “The raven perched on your shoulder is a sacred object! You are a person with great wisdom, so you should naturally be called the Wise Woman. As for this medicinal bath, as long as you soak in it for one hour every day for eighty-one days, you can go straight to the Heavenly Court and ascend to become a god.”
Yan Chao gave an awkward laugh and said, "Even the heavenly tribulation is waived. So, everyone who takes this medicinal bath becomes a god?"
The man in the cloak said, "Of course! They've all gone to heaven to enjoy their blessings and are no longer here."
Yao Xu asked, "I wonder how many people have ascended to immortality?"
The man in the cloak said with considerable pride, "There are at least a thousand people."
"......"
"......"
Yao Xu rolled his eyes, speechless, and muttered under his breath, "There are only so many divine positions. Do they think going to the Heavenly Court is as easy as going to the market? If more than a thousand people really go to the Heavenly Court, it will be packed with people."
Judging from the current situation, those who "went to heaven" are probably in grave danger.
"If becoming a god is so easy, then why are there so many people here?"
Lianxi suddenly said something, and Yaoxu realized something was wrong. Yes! If becoming a god is so easy, shouldn't everyone "ascend to heaven"?
The cloaked man said, "We are all children of gods. As long as we complete our cultivation in the human world and receive guidance from the true gods who come to our door, we will naturally return to heaven."
"......"
Yan Chao rubbed his face, thinking to himself, "A divine child? More like a lunatic."
Lianxi said, "Then what is your path of cultivation? Is it simply wearing these tattered robes that can't be seen in the light?"
Lianxi's words were full of sarcasm and extremely impolite, but the man in the cloak ignored them and instead mocked her, saying, "You ignorant and clueless young man should really come to our Shenshangmen's Nine Realms for a baptism."
At this moment, the owner of a bookstore suddenly appeared in front of the three of them, holding up a book called "A Comprehensive Record of Gods Coming to the Door," and said, "Young people should read more books so that they can understand the true way of the gods."
Lianxi casually flipped to a page, where she saw the words: "The world is full of suffering, becoming a god is the right path. Enter the world and enjoy life, for extreme joy will naturally lead to godhood." At the end, it also said: "When the gods come to your door, it is paradise on earth."
Lianxi exclaimed "Oh?" and laughed, "A god has come to visit, great! I'm quite curious about what this 'paradise on earth' is like."
Upon hearing this, the cloaked man repeated the phrase that Yan Chao couldn't understand, and laughed, "Once you see the true god, you will surely be captivated by his charm and become his most loyal believers!"
Yao Xu's eyes sharpened, and he said, "Alright, we'll wait."
As the three were about to leave, the man in the cloak called out to Yan Chao, "Hui Nu, wait a moment, you haven't taken your medicine packet yet."
Yan Chao turned around, almost forgetting about it. She took out some money from her bag, but the man in the cloak refused, saying, "You are a wise woman, so this medicine packet is for you."
Upon hearing this, Yan Chao did not refuse and took back the money, saying, "Thanks! But what did you mean by what you just said?"
The cloaked man was taken aback, but then understood her meaning. He pretended to be mysterious and said, "You will know when you see the true god. The true god will protect you and bless you."
After the three left, they saw an inconspicuous little shop at the end of the street, which was also the only closed shop there. The sign read "Chi Family Shop".
Yan Chao suggested, "How about we stay here tonight?"
Lianxi and Yaoxu exchanged a glance and said, "We'll listen to you."
Yan Chao stepped forward and knocked on the door. After knocking for a long time, the door slowly opened a crack. Inside was an old woman without a robe. Her face was withered, and she looked Yan Chao up and down with great vigilance. She asked, "What do you want?"
Yan Chao smiled and said, "Grandpa, don't be nervous. We just want to stay at a hotel."
The old woman looked at Yan Chao in surprise and said, "You, you said you want to stay at a hotel?" The old woman obviously didn't expect her to say that, and couldn't help but confirm again, "You, you really want to stay at a hotel?"
Yan Chao turned slightly to the side, pointed to the two people behind him, and said, "You see, the three of us are genuine. Not a bit bad!"
The old woman looked at the two of them again, thought for a moment, and said, "Come in."
As soon as the old woman opened the door, she saw Mo Mo on Yan Chao's shoulder. Her pupils constricted suddenly, and she cried out in panic, "It's a crow!!! Don't come any closer! Don't come any closer!!" The old woman retreated repeatedly, but lost her footing and collapsed to the ground. She seemed to have been greatly shocked, her whole body trembling, and she burst into tears.
Yao Xu asked, "What's wrong?"
Confused, Yan Chao quickly helped Momo into the bag and tried to comfort her, saying, "Don't be afraid, don't be afraid. It won't hurt you..."
"No! I won't listen!! You, you are people sent by the gods..." the old woman cried out in a pitiful voice, "Heavens! Why won't you let us go?!"
Yan Chao was at a loss, knowing that the old woman wouldn't listen to anything he said, but he had to calm her down, so he looked to the two people beside him for help.
Lianxi came to the old woman's side, squatted down, gently patted her back, and softened her voice, saying, "We are not from the Gods' Sect, we will not harm you. The crows are our companions, not evil creatures."
Upon hearing the voice, Yan Chaoxin's heart skipped a beat.
He said, "Companion."
His voice was deep and clear, almost magical, and the old woman's emotions gradually calmed down. She said tremblingly, "You really aren't from the God's Gate?"
Yao Xu patted his chest and assured him, "It's genuine, no deception whatsoever."
The old woman looked them over for a while longer before finally relaxing. Lianxi helped her up, and she wiped away her tears, smiling as she said, "I was just being disrespectful. You three must be hungry, having come so late. I'll go and prepare some food for you right away. Please have a seat; the tea on the table is freshly brewed."
Lianxi said, "Thank you for your trouble."
As the old woman passed by Yan Chao, she bowed and said, "I'm sorry, young lady, I offended you just now."
Yan Chao shook his head and said gently, "You flatter me. I was being presumptuous."
The old woman smiled, gestured for the three to sit down, and then turned and went to the kitchen.
The three sat down at the square table. Lianxi poured Yan Chao a cup of tea, which was indeed warm. Yan Chao naturally took it, took a sip, and found it a little astringent at first, but it warmed his body after drinking it.
The place is small, with just two tables and simple, slightly worn furnishings, but it's very clean. The candles on the candlesticks flicker, making a very faint crackling sound, illuminating the room with warmth.
One door, two worlds.
Before long, the old woman brought over a plate of coarse flatbread, a plate of pickles, and three bowls of wild vegetable soup. Looking embarrassed, she said, "I'm so sorry, this is all we have..."
Yao Xu picked up a piece of flatbread first, took a big bite, and nodded, saying, "This flatbread is really good! Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, with a hint of sweetness. I like it!"
Yan Chao also picked up his bowl and took a sip of the wild vegetable soup, praising, "To be able to make such simple wild vegetables so delicious, most people don't have this skill."
Lianxi glanced at Yan Chao, took a bite of bread and a sip of soup, nodded, and said nothing.
Upon hearing this, the old woman's brows relaxed, and she said, "I'm glad you don't mind."
After the three of them had eaten and drunk their fill, they thought about it for a while and decided to ask. Yan Chao said, "May I ask you why you are so averse to the gods coming to your door?"
The old woman lowered her head and remained silent for a long time, shaking her head and sobbing softly, as if she had something difficult to say and was unwilling to talk about it.
Yan Chao sighed softly and said, "Since you don't want to talk about it, I won't ask."
Suddenly, the old woman gripped Yan Chao's hand tightly, her eyes filled with tears, her gaze deep and unwavering, as if she had a thousand words to say. Yet, as if she had thought of something, her gaze dimmed, her fervent hopes gradually cooled, and her clenched hands fell limply to the ground.
Yan Chao saw it all but said nothing. He simply grasped those weathered hands in time and patted them comfortingly, a warm current flowing through his palms.
They both laughed.
The three of them went upstairs and gathered in Yaoxu's room. Yan Chao took out the medicine packet, opened it, and found an instruction sheet inside. Upon reading the contents, he was shocked.
Angelica dahurica: removes the three corpses;
Peach skin: wards off evil spirits;
Cypress leaves: Descending immortals;
Zero Edge: Gathering Spirit Saint;
Costus root: dispels impurities and summons truth.
Looking at the dosage again, each herb was a full five qian (approximately 15 grams), and it had to be soaked for a full eighty-one days. If you add some scallions, ginger, and star anise, the person would be thoroughly marinated.
Yan Chao said, "Whether this can make one a god is unknown, but it will definitely make people who have soaked their feet smell sweet even when they turn to ashes."
Lianxi threw the book "The Complete Record of Gods' Door" on the table and laughed, "Ascension here is as simple as clear water. You don't have to do anything, just enjoy yourself. People are so addicted to it that they can't extricate themselves. The only problem is that this clear water gets muddy, and in the end, the joy turns to sorrow and all is for nothing. It's just utterly foolish."
Yao Xu snorted coldly and said, "One thought gives rise to ten thousand thoughts. If becoming a god is so easy, then wouldn't those who desperately want to ascend but are struck down by heavenly tribulations be splattered with blood and unable to find peace even in their next life?"
Some people always want to achieve instant success, but there are no such things as free lunches in this world.
Being a god is not as carefree and leisurely as people imagine.
This is not some righteous path; it is nothing but a heretical and deceptive doctrine that bewitches people.
A note from the author:
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