Chapter 109: The White Snake (1/2)

Outside the apartment building, a crowd of yin agents (阴差) had gathered. With my spiritual insight, I saw each held a drawn blade, their expressions grave—like soldiers bracing for a fierce battle, awaiting orders.

I knew there was no avoiding it now. Jiang Shiyu desperately needed spiritual roots, and with Yuan Beitang missing, if I did nothing more, she was as good as dead. I had to hold out until Yuan Beitang returned!

Since they were yin agents—powerful spirits of the underworld—I, as the 108th generation secret sect leader of Maoshan, wielding the Celestial Master's order, and the historically weakest sect master with access to the full set of secret scriptures—how could I ever fear ghosts?

I remembered clearly back in Zhoujia Village, when the Ox-Head and Horse-Face came to capture souls, they treated Wang Yi's Celestial Master Order with great respect, clearly aware of its formidable origin. As the Maoshan secret sect leader, I could not afford to disgrace my ancestors' prestige!

Some readers once asked why our founder is called "Sanqing Grandpa" (三清爷爷) instead of "Sanmao Zhenjun" (三茅真君). When fighting the yellow weasel spirit (黄皮子), which had reached the rank of Earth Immortal (地仙), though both were immortals, their powers were very different.

The Great Maojun, Mao Ying (茅盈), styled Shenshu (申叔), at eighteen left home to study the Tao and I Ching at Heng Mountain. He mastered yin-yang secrets, later met the Queen Mother of the West, received jade pendants and golden bells, and learned the Taiji Xuan Zhen classics, achieving enlightenment at forty-nine.

Zhong Maojun, Mao Gu (茅固), styled Jiwei (季伟), was a filial official under Emperor Jing of Han. Influenced by his elder brother, he pursued folk sorcery and excelled in magic, gaining high recognition.

San Maojun, Mao Zhong (茅衷), styled Sihe (思和), served as magistrate of Luoyang and later various posts, influencing the capital move. After Mao Ying ascended, the other two sensed instability in the empire and both returned home, receiving from Mao Ying the longevity technique. After three years of cultivation, they reached the ninth alchemical level and ascended as immortals.

Thus, the three are founders of Maoshan. But since Maoshan belongs to Taoism, the "Sanqing" are Taoism's supreme founders, and the three Maoshan lords except Mao Ying are Earth Immortals. The yellow weasel spirit, having also ascended as an Earth Immortal, shared the same rank, so calling them "grandpas" is just a joke.

Holding the Celestial Master Order in one hand and the Seven-Star Sword in the other, since I had come, I wouldn't disgrace the sect's reputation. Besides, I always felt someone above was watching over me.

As I stepped into the residential complex, the gathered yin agents all fixed their Ox-Head gazes on me. Even a civilian under a police standoff would feel nervous, let alone me facing these underworld officials. To bolster my courage, I lifted my head, chest out, and loudly recited:

"Heaven and earth clear and pure, soldiers follow the order, commanding as the order moves. Celestial Master Order present. I am Zhang Dabao, 108th generation sect leader of Maoshan Secret Sect, practitioner of the human path, supervising the yin agents' duty. You spirits gather on Yang land, harming the living—do you not fear disrupting the heavenly way?"

I brandished the Celestial Master Order. Though they kept their eyes locked on me, not one stepped forward. I roughly counted—at least a hundred of them—like a whole battalion.

I advanced, heart pounding. With so many yin agents, could Jiang Shiyu's father hold the line? Yin agents and underworld soldiers were similar—shrouded in mist and deathly silent, even crickets dared not chirp.

Biting my lip and staring ahead, I realized success or failure, life or death, depended on today. With the Celestial Master Order in hand, this was a very different situation from before. As the saying goes, "to beat a dog, one must see its master." Now that I had revealed the Maoshan talisman, I wasn't afraid they'd just overwhelm me. I didn't believe the heavens would let such disrespect pass quietly.

No one came forward, so I pressed on. When I was less than five meters from them, a short, slightly plump middle-aged man in black stepped out from the stairwell. He wore a long gown and a tall hat, upon which were written the characters "Pursuing Souls" (追魂).

Black Wuchang? I shivered. He's the leader of the yin agents, but old stories by Wu Cheng'en had portrayed them too weakly, leading people to underestimate them (a reminder of how much influence public opinion has).

In Chinese mythology, "White Wuchang" is Xie Bi'an—tall, slender, pale-faced, called "Bamboo Lord" or "Seventh Lord." "Black Wuchang" is Fan Wujiu (sometimes written as Jiu), short, stout, black-faced, respectfully called "Short Lord" or "Eighth Lord."

This stout man was likely the Eighth Lord. Though his face was black, he showed no cruelty, his eyes half-closed as he studied me. Not as courteous as Ox-Head, but his demeanor was gentle.

After a long pause, he stammered, "Th-this... ah, y-you're Zhang Dabao, of Maoshan?"

Seeing he was polite, I softened. "That's right, Eighth Lord. Let's not beat around the bush—upstairs is my girlfriend. I won't let you take her away."

"Well, well," he chuckled warmly. "But... it's no use. Her lifespan is up. The Bodhisattva, the Bodhisattva wants her. We have no choice."