Chapter 55: The Ashen Immortal (1 / 2)

What amazed everyone even more was the rainbow-like beam of light slowly descending from the sky, perfectly illuminating the mouth of the dragon-shaped terrain. In mere moments, it formed a breathtaking bridge of light, something you'd only expect to see in the movies. The villagers around me gasped in awe.

Even the foreman gulped and said, "This is beyond strange. I've worked construction for years, and I've never seen anything like this."

The village chief echoed, "Yeah, who would've thought we had such a feng shui treasure right in our own village?"

A feng shui treasure? That was only on the surface. This wasn't a True Dragon Vein — it was a Hidden Dragon, and the five "blades" above it weren't a joke.

Sure enough, just as the village chief finished speaking, the five peaks that formed the natural gate around the site began to tremble simultaneously. It felt just like an earthquake. Sensing the growing panic among the crowd, I raised my voice: "Don't move! It'll pass in a moment."

"Listen to the master!" the village chief shouted. "These mountains are far enough. Even if it's an earthquake, no rocks will reach us. What's there to be scared of?"

Someone muttered, "But my sow at home's about to give birth… If she miscarries from the fright, what then?"

Just as people started shuffling to leave, the peaks began shedding debris from their tips due to the tremors. When the shaking stopped, the previously ordinary peaks now looked sharpened — like the edges of blades.

A sharp-eyed child pointed and said, "Dad! That mountain looks like a pestle!"

Another chimed in, "Yeah, and if you add the other four, they look like a hand!"

The murmurs grew louder, some villagers even joked it was the Five-Finger Mountain of Buddha, and that maybe Sun Wukong was about to break free. As the speculation got wilder, all eyes turned to me — waiting for an explanation.

But there was no time.

I quickly scattered the ashes I held into the earthly crevice we had uncovered earlier. Only once Liu Changsheng was buried completely did I step back, kneel respectfully, and say:

"You were my grandfather's disciple — my uncle in the craft. Uncle Liu, I've fulfilled your last wish. With this spiritual burial ground protecting you, you'll soon be able to reincarnate. May you earn good karma in the afterlife and return as someone wealthy and blessed."

As I've said before, being reborn as a human is no easy feat. Many wandering souls wait countless lifetimes just for a chance to be reborn, so I truly hoped he'd accumulate virtue and get another chance at life.

I stood up and turned to the workers. "Seal the site. Cover it with earth."

The foreman was still stunned. He blinked and asked, "Wait… that's it?"

"Yes," I said calmly. "Seal the crack with bluestone slabs. The main hall will be built directly on top. For everything else, stick to the eight cardinal directions I gave you — don't alter a thing."

"Got it!" The foreman waved his arm. "Alright, boys — let's get to work!"

But just as the workers began approaching the fissure to break ground, a rustling sound came from within the hole. Then, suddenly — a black rat the size of a dog crawled out.

It was huge. So huge, in fact, that the workers dropped their tools and bolted in terror.

"Holy hell! A monster!"

Chaos broke out. A few brave men even grabbed shovels and approached, ready to kill it.

But I saw it clearly — this was no ordinary rat. It had become a spirit. I rushed forward to stop them."Don't touch it! Stop! You mustn't hurt this rat!"

"What is it, Master?" asked the village chief. "A big rat like this can't be good luck, can it?"

I turned and looked at the rat. Strangely, it didn't run or hide. It just sat there calmly, staring back at us. Its eyes were pitch black but sparkled like gemstones. Its fur gleamed, its tail was long, and its ears large. It looked like the noble of all rats.

Even more remarkable — its posture was completely human-like. Rats usually lie flat when resting, but this one sat up straight — like a meditating monk.

"Don't speak nonsense," I snapped.

For an animal to cultivate into a spirit is no easy task. There's an old saying:

"A thousand years black, ten thousand years white."

It refers to the Five Great Immortal Families — Fox, Weasel, Hedgehog, Snake, and Rat. These spirit creatures begin as dark-colored beings. After a thousand years, their fur turns black. After ten thousand years, they turn white — only then are they close to taking human form.

Humans are considered the most spiritually advanced beings — naturally born with 500 years of Taoist cultivation. For animals to ascend, they must first become human. This process is treacherous: they face three disasters, nine calamities, divine lightning, and must not harm others. Many of the so-called "out-on-behalf immortals" use a disciple's body to cure spiritual ailments just to accumulate merit and accelerate this transformation.

As for those seductive fox spirits in folklore that drain men's life force — those are not true spirits but demons. No matter how powerful they become, they carry an evil aura and will eventually be struck down by divine thunder.

I pushed the others behind me and respectfully stepped forward, bowing deeply.

"Blessings to the Ashen Grandmother. I'm just a junior here to bury an old friend. I didn't mean to disturb your cultivation. Please forgive the intrusion."

(In folk tradition, all Ashen Immortals — whether male or female — are respectfully called "Ashen Grandmother.")