Volume One: The Soul-Attracting Gourd and the Flame of the Spirit Chapter 20: The Peculiar Taoist

In an instant, the immortal maiden from the painting sprang forth, her terrifying blood-red maw opened to its widest. Not far away, the beggar immediately drew a talisman, shouting loudly, "Fire of the Three Pure Ones and Lord Zhu Rong!" Instantly, a scorching fireball, the size of a well’s opening, whirled toward them. The oppressive darkness and chill were swept away by the wave of heat.

Caught off guard in midair, the immortal maiden from the painting was ignited completely by the strange fireball. A piercing, hysterical scream echoed through the night. In the burning, the red gauze she wore vanished, leaving nothing but a pool of green blood and the eerie scroll reduced to drifting ashes.

A charred, brittle skull rolled to the feet of Yan King Jiang Jingxue. She looked down with disdain and scoffed, "Hmph! I would never use such a stool!" As the dust settled, the beggar quickly formed a Taoist seal with his fingers and intoned, "Boundless Heavenly Venerable!" No sooner had he spoken than this peculiar Taoist kicked Li Gang squarely on his backside.

Looking up, Li Gang saw this middle-aged eccentric, who, like an ostrich avoiding danger, had buried his head deep in the earth, his rear sticking up high—a sight as comical as could be imagined.

"Hey—get up!" After the strange Taoist spoke, the still-shaken Li Gang crawled out of the dirt. The two ragged men met each other's gaze, each feeling as if the other were mimicking him.

Yan King Jiang Jingxue broke the silence with a soft cough, addressing the odd Taoist, "Master, what should we do now?"

The Taoist, fingers forming a seal, replied, "Let’s return to the shop!" Hearing this, Li Gang’s heart sank—after all, from his perspective, the beggar was speaking to empty air. A cold, terrifying sensation swept over him.

"Big... elder brother, who are you talking to?" The Taoist shot Li Gang a glance and frowned: "With your age, I could never be your elder brother!"

Li Gang could only smile bitterly, saying nothing more. The Taoist hoisted the unconscious Gu Mo onto his shoulder and strode toward the incense shop. Yan King Jiang Jingxue gathered her black bundle and followed.

A shift in the scene, and soon the three men and one ghost arrived at the entrance of the incense shop. The strange Taoist produced a key from his pocket and unlocked the door. With a flick, he turned on the lights, and as they entered, a tranquil fragrance filled their senses.

Inside, the first thing to catch their eyes was a portrait of the Three Pure Ancestors. The shop was neither large nor small, perhaps forty square meters, but neatly arranged with many items. Shelves on both sides were lined with all kinds of Taoist supplies, and in the center stood a tea table shaped like a Tai Chi Eight Trigrams. Atop it sat a deep blue tea set, quiet and still. Beneath the table were five wooden stools.

The furnishings exuded an antique charm, full of unique character. The ragged Taoist waved a hand, saying, "Please, come in!"

Li Gang, still jittery, found the beggar-dressed Taoist extremely peculiar, almost mad. Nonetheless, since the immortal maiden was gone, Li Gang's heart brimmed with admiration for the Taoist.

The Taoist sat at the tea table, pointed at the tea set, and—strangely—the teapot lifted itself, pouring fragrant tea into the cups. It filled four cups of hot tea.

Witnessing this, Li Gang was terrified. ‘One, two, three!’ Counting, he realized that, with the unconscious shopkeeper, there were only three people—so who was the fourth cup for?

His body trembled at the thought. The Taoist, seeing this, pressed Li Gang’s pulse point with his fingers. Instantly, Li Gang felt calm and at ease.

Then, the Taoist spoke, "Brother, the word ‘lust’ is a sharp blade. You’ve been entangled with that immortal maiden for days, losing much of your vital energy. If you keep this up..." He trailed off, and Li Gang understood. The Taoist grabbed a folded triangular talisman and a palm-sized Eight Trigrams mirror, handing them to Li Gang, who took them with both hands, grateful. "Thank you, Master, thank you!"

The Taoist smiled nonchalantly, rubbing three fingers together. Li Gang quickly fished out his phone and scanned a payment of one hundred yuan.

With that, the Taoist and Li Gang began to chat. After a cup of tea, Li Gang, feeling refreshed, took his leave.

Once Li Gang departed, the Taoist stood, gently closed the shop door, and respectfully addressed Yan King Jiang Jingxue, "I am Shezou, a wandering Taoist from Wuzhuang Temple at Jade Void Peak. May I ask, Yan King, what brings you here?"

Jiang Jingxue nodded shyly, glancing at the unconscious Gu Mo. Shezou began to count with his fingers, and after a moment, he exclaimed in surprise, "My goodness—Mr. Gu’s fate is extraordinary!"

Jiang Jingxue was stunned, half-believing, and asked, "Master, is there something amiss?"

Shezou shook his head and sighed, "This fate cannot be spoken of, or I would be doomed for eternity. But..." He looked into Jiang Jingxue’s clear, spring-like eyes, and continued, "I wonder... what you intend to do, Yan King?"

Jiang Jingxue was confused. Shezou drank his tea, sighed, and sank his body. At once, golden light flooded the small fortune-telling shop, gathering at the Taoist’s fingertips. The light grew brighter, and Shezou pressed a finger to Gu Mo’s brow. Gu Mo, just moments ago unconscious, opened his eyes.

Tense, Gu Mo leapt up, his fists clenched, still caught in the terror of moments before. "Where... where am I?"

Jiang Jingxue placed a hand on Gu Mo’s head, soothing him gently. "Don’t be afraid, you’re safe now."

Gu Mo searched his body, but the terrifying wounds were nowhere to be found.

Next, Jiang Jingxue recounted everything that had happened to Gu Mo. Hearing these bizarre events, Gu Mo frowned, finding it all both unbelievable and utterly absurd.

Yet, looking at the beggar before him, Gu Mo felt a strange sense of familiarity, almost as if he’d met him before. He wasn’t suspicious of the Taoist, but rather wondered why he’d become a zombie.

He glanced at the Taoist, curiously surveying the surroundings. "This is...?"

The Taoist waved a hand, inviting, "Please, Mr. Gu, have a seat."

Gu Mo looked at the tea table and the round wooden stools. Finally, he chose one and sat down.

"Mr. Gu, I have waited ten years for you!" Hearing this, Gu Mo smirked mischievously. "Are you really a Taoist? I’m not some lonely maiden, why wait for me?"

Shezou smiled, spreading his hands. "Do I not look like a Taoist?"

Gu Mo squinted, his face shaded with doubt. The Taoist before him was tall, with disheveled long hair and a somewhat sleazy look, dressed in rags. He might believe this man was a five-bag elder of the Beggar’s Sect, but as a Taoist? Impossible!

Shezou coughed lightly, seeming to realize the impression. Then, he poured tea, and the liquid spelled out Gu Mo’s name on the table.

"Mr. Gu, your ‘Pure Yin Fate’ is exceedingly rare! But the destiny you carry is what truly matters."

Gu Mo was still baffled. Before he could ask, the Taoist began reciting:

"Jinling’s best water first flows forth, then black earth arrives anew.
Heaven’s fate cannot hold you back, when rain and dust meet, all clears through."

Gu Mo was utterly bewildered. Though a university student, he could sense the hidden meaning in the verse, but could not comprehend it.

"Master, could you explain? Jinling, black earth—I don’t understand!"

Shezou smiled calmly. "Mr. Gu, these lines are your fate. From the moment you awoke, you chose the ‘earth position’ stool. I calculated your name already. But... there is something I am unsure whether to say."

Gu Mo waved his hand with equal composure. "Speak freely, Master."

"Mr. Gu, you are full of surprises! At first sight, I sensed you were wrapped in Yin energy—you’ve lately been dealing with ghosts, and your fate confirms this. As for the wounds on your neck and shoulders..."

At this, Gu Mo tensed, his body shuddering. "Right! Master, how did I become a zombie just now?"

Shezou smiled and explained, "Just a sniff, and I knew you’d been treated with snake medicine. The bandaging is quite skillful—how did you encounter a zombie, and who was the expert that treated you?"

Gu Mo recounted his strange experiences of the past few days. Upon hearing this, the Taoist’s expression suddenly darkened, his gaze anxious as he asked, "Mr. Gu, what has become of Feng Kaixuan?"

Gu Mo was utterly confused...