Chapter 28: Jie Tan’s Delusions
Did the Gluttonous Ghost’s person really appear here?
Before anyone could react, Tide Old Man continued, “However, his status is not high, and his strength is only Eighth Rank. Not far from his corpse, there is also the corpse of a Seventh Rank Vengeful Spirit connected to him. Besides that, he bears the unique mark of the Gluttonous Ghost, proving he was just a follower at the second layer Blade Mountain Hell level.”
After hearing this, Lu Yun’s first reaction was to look at Jiang Ce: “You did it?”
But before Jiang Ce could speak, Tide Old Man refuted Lu Yun’s guess: “It’s not him. I found a cellar that had been broken into in the house. Inside, besides densely packed talismans, there were nearly a hundred Japanese pirate corpses placed there, not recent, possibly nearly a hundred years old.
The ghosts and monsters you saw before, Lu Yun, probably came from these corpses. Given this manor’s feng shui—no wind, no water, many willows and low pits—this should be a Corpse Raising Ground, with all the corpses used as nourishment for the formation eye.
Perhaps the Soul Soothing Technique was interfered with by this corpse raising array, losing its proper effect.
However, in the coffin at the center formation eye of the cellar, I saw nothing, only the aura it left behind, approaching that of a Fierce Ghost.
I think that Gluttonous Ghost’s person was killed by that thing, but it’s now nowhere to be found. I suspect it not only faked its death but has preliminarily developed intelligence rivaling humans and found a place to hide. If not found soon, it will become a major problem later.”
Although Jiang Ce’s progress was already shocking enough, Tide Old Man still hadn’t considered that Jiang Ce had dealt with that top-tier Vengeful Spirit, assuming it had simply vanished.
Jiang Ce had even less intention of explaining. He already had enough inexplicable mysteries about himself; exposing this would just invite trouble.
Just as everyone felt worried about this, Lu Yun suddenly asked, “Master Ye, why do you smell so bad?”
Hearing this, Tide Old Man looked grim: “It should be something from that Vengeful Spirit. I didn’t pay much attention when I went down and got it on me. It’s truly foul-smelling.”
Hearing this, the usually silent Jiang Ce couldn’t help but chuckle.
Was there a possibility that it was urine?
“What are you laughing at?” Tide Old Man asked.
Jiang Ce stammered: “I remembered something happy.”
Though he really wanted to disgust Tide Old Man, reason told him this matter alone must be concealed, taken to the grave!
At this moment, the silent Jie Tan spoke: “Besides this, any other discoveries?”
Tide Old Man shook his head: “Nothing else.”
“In that case.” Jie Tan pondered: “If he were Gluttonous Ghost’s person, there’s no reason his companion died while he didn’t. The only possibility is he left before the Vengeful Spirit appeared, then Gluttonous Ghost’s person entered and died inside. Moreover, as a Seventh Rank, he has no unique mark, which instead proves he has no connection to the Gluttonous Ghost.”
“I wasn’t sure at first, but Master, you just said this kid was an ordinary person a few days ago. If he were from Righteous Sects, how could he progress so rapidly?”
Tide Old Man retorted:
“Moreover, not all Evil Cultivators are Gluttonous Ghost’s people. The current evidence only proves he’s unrelated to the Gluttonous Ghost, not that he’s not an Evil Cultivator.”
On one side, Jie Tan insisted on his judgment, believing Jiang Ce was not a bad person; on the other, Tide Old Man felt immense unease about such a suspicious figure hiding near Chen Mian and wanted to get to the bottom of it.
The two stared at each other, and no one dared interject, plunging the situation into a deadlock.
After a long time, Jie Tan finally sighed deeply: “Have you heard of one-day ascension?”
Tide Old Man looked puzzled, not understanding why Jie Tan suddenly changed the topic.
Jie Tan didn’t explain and slowly continued on his own:
“Buddha Shakyamuni sought a way to save suffering sentient beings, meditated under the Bodhi Tree, and on the morning of the forty-ninth day, saw the morning star and achieved enlightenment, attaining perfect fruition in one day, ascending from ordinary person to True God in a single day.”
“But those were true Sages; how can they be compared.” Tide Old Man understood Jie Tan’s point but couldn’t help questioning it.
Ignoring him, Jie Tan continued: “Dao Ancestor Laozi resigned and returned home, rode the Green Ox out of Hangu Pass, left the Classic of the Way and Virtue at Yin Xi’s request, then achieved enlightenment, rode the Green Ox to ascension, becoming a True God and attaining the Dao fruit.”
Tide Old Man fell silent.
“Sage of Literature Confucius toured the states, and on his deathbed achieved sudden enlightenment, shedding his mortal shell of dross. The world thought the Supreme Sage had passed, unaware he had already ascended and transcended, becoming a True God.”
“Martial Sage Jiang Ziya, from a fallen family, studied astronomy, geography, military strategy, and statecraft from youth. At seventy, fishing by the Wei River, he met Lord Xibo, helped Zhou found the nation, returned in glory, and fished again, gaining true insight, abandoning fame and fortune, achieving the Dao by the Wei River, becoming a True God.”
Jie Tan paused, then said: “It seems like sudden enlightenment, but they were all Sages who accomplished unparalleled merits, with immeasurable merit. For them, they just needed an opportunity to transcend and become Saints in one day.”
Tide Old Man silently looked at Jiang Ce: “You mean, he might be one of them.”
“Indeed.” Jie Tan nodded: “From the moment I saw his deep Buddha affinity and taught him Great Shamatha, in just a few short days, he stepped into Seventh Rank. This proves he inherently has considerable merit; otherwise, even taking the evil path, his progress couldn’t be so rapid.”
No one expected Jie Tan to give Jiang Ce such high praise; their gazes toward Jiang Ce’s back were like seeing a rare animal, full of surprise.
Tide Old Man, thinking of the perfectly executed Soul Soothing Technique array he had just seen, knew Jiang Ce had only recently started learning and had no doubt about his enlightenment.
Could such a person really be an Evil Cultivator?
For the first time, Tide Old Man doubted his own judgment.
After thinking it over, he still temporarily released the Immobilization Spell on Jiang Ce first.
Jiang Ce could finally move, struggling to lift his somewhat numb left leg from the bicycle, then hopped on one leg to lean against the wall, letting out a long breath, then stared resentfully at Tide Old Man.
If he could beat him, he’d definitely crack open this punchable guy’s head.
Respect the elderly and love the young? Doesn’t exist. As long as I’ve been wronged, even if you’re pregnant, I’ll call the police and say you ganged up on me!
Lu Yun was utterly oblivious; even though Jiang Ce was clearly uncomfortable, he came over and asked: “Why is your face so red?”
“From anger!” Jiang Ce muttered in dissatisfaction.
In fact, his face was red because of his rare sense of shame. What Jie Tan said was correct in a sense; Jiang Ce had indeed progressed rapidly thanks to his existing foundation.
But the only problem was, he wasn’t a person of great merit, but a scum of the mortal world with great lack of merit, flying high purely on lack of merit.
So hearing himself compared to those true Sages, even Jiang Ce felt a bit embarrassed.
But just as Jiang Ce thought the misunderstanding was resolved, he heard Tide Old Man say:
“But I still think it’s improper to conclude based on just a few words.”
Jie Tan was neither hurried nor annoyed: “Then do you have a good way to prove it?”
Tide Old Man took a deep breath: “I need to return to the base anyway to report this trip’s findings to the Gatekeepers. Why not have him come along? Ask the Gatekeepers to jointly open the Four Gods Hall. If the Four Gods judge he’s not an Evil Cultivator, then I was wrong. Not only will I personally apologize, I’ll also teach him my unique secret sorcery as compensation.”
Not only the four who came with Tide Old Man were stunned, even Jie Tan was somewhat dumbfounded.
“Amitabha, are you serious? Opening the Four Gods Hall just to verify his nature?”
But Tide Old Man seemed resolute, saying righteously: “I originally planned to use the chance after becoming a Gatekeeper to cleanse my disciple’s marrow, but if he truly is, as you say, Master, a peerless figure comparable to the Four Gods, what’s the harm in giving him this opportunity? If the Gatekeeper gains a bit more fortune, my disciple waiting not just one more year, but ten, would be worth it!”
Jie Tan stared at Tide Old Man for a long time, then finally nodded.
“Then let’s do that.”
Note: The Four Gods setting is the author’s fabrication based on reality, so Jiang Ziya starts as an ordinary person, not a person-immortal from the Chan teachings in Romance of the Investiture of Gods. This book is purely the author’s reality-based adaptation, not fitting other myths, nor fanfiction. If there are setting conflicts with other works, follow this book’s worldview.
Flaws will certainly exist, but please don’t specifically cite classics to attack the author’s cultural level. The author is twenty-two and tender, can’t handle criticism. Please praise me more; that’ll motivate writing.
Also hope everyone actively posts chapter comments with memes and roasts. I’ll read all comments, reference and reply to suggestions with thanks, but if it’s just nitpicking, I’ll read but ignore. Don’t ask; it’s just that I lack quality^^
