Chapter 772: Fulfilling the Fox's Fate
From Taoist Hou, Zhang Chengzu learned of King Maruo's past, and that his ancestor, General Zhang, had slain him. He also learned that to dispel King Maruo's curse, Xinjue, Taoist Hou, and General Zhang had guarded his soul for generations, forcing him to reincarnate repeatedly, each one achieving nothing and ending in depression. It was only in this life, when he was reborn into the Zhang family, that he gradually saw the path ahead and had the opportunity to advance further.
"An opportunity to advance further?" he repeated, staring at Hou Laodao and asking, "What does this mean?"
"It means that I failed at the last moment. It means that I have saved him in every life by rectifying my mind. I can already see the changes in this life. Even if I can't fulfill my long-cherished wish in this life, I can still find a new path and be completely liberated in the next life."
Xinjue's eyes and hands were actually a little dazed, and he asked, "Why didn't you tell me?"
Taoist Hou shouted, "Why was he reincarnated into the Zhang family in this life? He has a deep foundation in cultivation, a natural seed of cultivation, and a pair of spiritual eyes. Do you understand this? Have you ever considered why?"
"How long has it been since you had a proper chat with us about these matters? In the past hundred years, you've only been coming and going in a hurry, disappearing after helping King Mara reincarnate. Xinjue, your Zen heart has long been broken, and your faith has long been shaken!"
Xinjue felt cold all over, and when he looked at Zhang Chengzu again, his eyes and hands no longer showed any emotion.
"Zhang Chengzu, if you are unwilling to return to the right path, kill me and practice with Xinjue to awaken the power of the Golden True Nature King. After you recover from your injuries, you will become one and indistinguishable from each other. You can achieve success in one stroke and become a fourth-grade master, saving countless hard work."
"If you wish to shed the resentment you harbored four hundred years ago and cultivate your righteous nature, then follow me in cultivation, suppress the power of the Golden True Nature Mingwang, and return to being your Zhang Chengzu. However, this will be difficult, more difficult than you expected. For four hundred years, your cultivation has been weak. You would have achieved something in this lifetime, but with a demon sleeping within you, this will likely be more difficult than at any other time in the past four hundred years."
If Zhang Chengzu had the memories of King Mara, if he could recall the four hundred years of fruitless cultivation, he might have wavered at this moment. But he didn't have those memories. What he remembered most clearly was that he had illegally stolen the Fox Book from the fox, and when he was cultivating, he entered the Golden Soul Palace and received guidance from the immortals. If he took back the Fox Book, he could become a disciple of Taishan.
Now, two people have emerged, claiming he is the reincarnation of Mara King, with a murderous, evil, and terrifying Ming Wang dormant within him. They ask him whether he should follow the headless demon and cultivate to become Ming Wang, or follow the shackled old Taoist priest who looks like he's escaped from prison and cultivate into the right path. Crucially, what they say is true, leaving Zhang Chengzu with no choice.
Zhang Chengzu hesitated for a moment, still unable to forget the immortal god of the Golden Soul Palace, so he expressed his thoughts: "I have already promised the immortal god in the moon that I will retrieve the Fox Book and become a disciple of Mount Tai. I cannot practice with you."
Xinjue was stunned, and so was Hou Laodao.
"fox……"
"Why a fox?"
Taoist Hou recalled everything that had happened in recent days. Because of the change in the fox book, Zhang Chengzu entered the Taoism with fox magic. Although they realized it later and made peace with the fox fairy, they were obviously one step too slow. Before the fox fairy took back Zhang Chengzu's magic power, he had already turned into the Golden True Nature King.
Xinjue even said, "But the Lord just fought a battle with a fox demon, and has a life-and-death feud with the fox fairy."
"Ah?" Now it was Zhang Chengzu's turn to be stunned.
When Taoist Hou heard this, he looked at Zhang Chengzu again and suddenly had an idea.
He bit his finger and barely drew a talisman on the shackles. He then used this talisman to calculate Zhang Chengzu's face and his destined fate.
He originally thought that the fox's fate would block his path to righteousness, but unexpectedly, the fox star would shine brightly and bring him good luck.
"Hahahaha, good." Taoist Hou looked disheveled, but he gathered his spirits. He looked at Zhang Chengzu with a burning gaze and said, "You want to take Fox Book as your master and become Taishan's disciple, but the Golden True Mingwang in your body wants to kill the Fox Immortal. This couldn't be more clever."
"We've been running this training bureau for four hundred years. The feud of life and death, the debt of grace for extradition, is entangled between you and me. It would be better to fulfill this fox fate." Old Taoist Hou's eyes were calm and resolute. "I will only teach you training and pass on the method of rectifying your mind. I won't accept you as my disciple. If you want to become Taishan's disciple, wait until you have achieved success in your training, and then go to Taishan to worship."
Xinjue looked at Taoist Hou, and for a moment he was at a loss for words. With Taoist Hou's skill, he could only take in one disciple, Zhang Chengzu. Now, he was teaching cultivation without accepting any disciples. Not only was he passing on his master's magical powers, he was also severing his master's legacy.
Are you willing to do this?
The gaze of Hou Laodao met that of Xinjue Mushou, but Mushou's gaze shifted away involuntarily, unable to meet the sharpness in Hou Laodao's eyes.
Hou Laodao was willing to give it up, and not only was he willing to give it up, he was also very calm about it.
Zhang Chengzu looked at Hou Laodao in surprise. Hou Laodao smiled kindly and said, "Son, let's find a populated place to rest up first. Once you have sorted out your mind and body and are able to calm down, I will pass on all my cultivation to you."
Zhang Chengzu was speechless.
Xinjue didn't know why, so he didn't try to stop them. He just followed Hou Laodao and Zhang Chengzu, like a shadow illuminated by the moon.
This night is destined to be sleepless.
Zhang Chengzu couldn't sleep. Everyone in Chengyang Village was immersed in the thunder. No one was willing to push down the fox's overly fluffy fur, so naturally no one slept.
The monks in the Mirror Pagoda Temple escaped death, but the Nine Mirrors Pagoda was completely destroyed. The Buddha statues in the pagoda were burned by the evil fire and their faces and expressions could not be distinguished. Naturally, no one could sleep there.
In the Xia Pi City God Temple, the temple keeper is in a coma. The Xia Pi City God and all the ghost officials are imprisoned in the ghost prison. Although the monsters guarding the prison have disappeared, they still cannot get out because no one releases them from the outside.
The City God lost his divine seal and his magic power was sealed by shackles. Taoist Hou was taken away by Xinjue and never returned. He was filled with anxiety.
He waited with his eyes open until dawn, and finally, Zhang Chenghuang heard footsteps and voices outside the prison.
"My lord, I will lead the way."
The door of the prison was opened, revealing the light from outside and casting a slender figure inside.
Five strong servants wearing five-colored scarves filed in, surveyed the dark prison, and after finding no threat, they invited him in, "My lord, there are no guards."
Then a slender figure stepped out from the light and, led by a strong servant, walked all the way to the prison door where Zhang Chenghuang was imprisoned.
Zhang Chenghuang looked up and saw an immortal in red clothes and a jade crown, playing with a divine seal in his hand. He smiled and said, "City God, you have suffered."
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