Man in the heavens, wins by lying down to prove the truth

Chapter 366 Divine Worship, Strange Events

Inside the room, Zhou Cheng was completely unaware of the changes in the outside world, his mind immersed in the clear and pure state guided by the "Qingjing Jing" (Classic of Purity and Tranquility).

At first, I felt that the air was exceptionally fresh, and the coolness was like morning dew soaking into my skin and penetrating my limbs and bones.

I don’t know how much time has passed, but I feel that a dormant light in my dantian is touched by spiritual energy and suddenly trembles!
"Om-"

It wasn't a real sound, but a resonance from the deepest part of life that exploded in the depths of Zhou Cheng's consciousness.

In an instant, that tiny glimmer of light seemed to be ignited like a spark, suddenly expanding and burning.

An indescribable, powerful warm current, or rather, something that transcends the concept of "flow," more like the primal pulse of life, burst forth from that single point in the dantian!

This is not the absorption and refinement of external energy, but rather the embodiment of the origin of all things, the true essence of life—the primordial Qi.

"It's actually possible to cultivate it successfully!"

Zhou Cheng sensed the surging Qi within his body, flowing throughout his entire being.

As the Qi surged forth, Zhou Cheng's five senses also suddenly improved.

Outside, you could hear the dew rolling down, earthworms wriggling, and even the heartbeat and breathing of Shi Dazhuang inside the main house.

The fresh scents of grass and trees, the slightly earthy smell of soil, the delicate fragrance of wildflowers, and many other aromas fill the nostrils, yet each is distinct and layered.

"Strange...it feels so familiar."

Zhou Cheng didn't know why, but he felt a sense of familiarity.

After a long while, the inexplicable sense of déjà vu finally dissipated.

"Since Qi is real and tangible, then... the Six Treasuries Immortal Thief, one of the Eight Extraordinary Techniques, should also be something that can be truly cultivated, right?"

As Zhou Cheng's thoughts stirred, the surging innate Qi began to intertwine and connect the six internal organs according to the specific meridians.

As the Qi circulates, the gallbladder, stomach, large intestine, small intestine, bladder, and triple burner seem to undergo a second transformation, becoming a unified whole.

Moreover, in traditional Chinese medicine, the heart is connected to the small intestine, its essence is filled with blood, and its orifice is the tongue. The lungs are connected to the large intestine, their essence is filled with the skin, and their orifice is the nose.

The liver and gallbladder are connected, their energy resides in the tendons, and their orifice is the eyes. The spleen and stomach are connected, their energy resides in the muscles, and their orifice is the mouth.

The Sanjiao (Triple Burner) is the entire thoracic and abdominal cavity. It is the sixth organ, encompassing the other five viscera and five bowels, forming a whole.

……

After a long while, when Zhou Cheng opened his eyes again...

With each breath, even some natural spiritual essences and various substances in the air are broken down by the lungs and internal organs.

It transforms into pure Qi and pure vitality, nourishing and giving back to Zhou Cheng.

"The Six Treasuries Immortal Thief, the Sage Thief, truly lives up to its reputation. But I always feel that it is not perfect."

Zhou Cheng frowned slightly, but the strange feeling dissipated in an instant.

"Never mind, let's take it one step at a time. We can study it later."

Zhou Cheng silently exhaled a breath of turbid air, his breath condensed like a bolt of silk, blowing away the floating dust.

Immediately, Zhou Cheng looked out the window.

As dawn broke, the night faded, and the east began to glow with a pale white, leaving only a few remaining stars.

"Someone?"

Zhou Cheng's expression shifted slightly, sensing a peculiar aura outside the room.

It was a bit chilly, but you could still faintly smell some incense.

It wasn't human, but it probably wasn't a demon or ghost either.

Immediately, Zhou Cheng pushed open the door and came out.

squeak-

The slightly old wooden door made a soft sound.

Outside the door, the cool light of dawn streamed in, revealing three figures standing in the center of the small farmhouse courtyard.

The leader was clearly not human. He was nearly ten feet tall, dressed in a black ancient official robe with gold trim, wearing a scholar's cap, with a stern face, graying hair and beard, a bushy beard, and bright, piercing eyes.

Behind the leader were two figures: a scholar in a long robe and a burly armored soldier.

Upon seeing Zhou Cheng push open the door and come out, the leader hurriedly clasped his hands and said, "Sun Xianyou, the City God of Guiping County, greets the True Man."

The three figures following behind him bowed in greeting.

"I am Wenpan of Guiping County, and I have met you in person."

"I am Wu Pan of Guiping County, and I have met you in person."

City God and civil and military judges?
Zhou Cheng breathed a sigh of relief. Since it was a true god, it shouldn't be a problem.

I just don't know why they came looking for me.

Zhou Cheng smiled and cupped his hands to the three people, saying, "You are too kind, esteemed deities. I am Zhou Cheng, a humble man from the mountains, and I am unworthy of the title of True Man."

"I wonder what brings Your Excellency to visit at dawn?"

As Zhou Cheng finished speaking, the old City God Sun smiled and cupped his hands, saying, "You are too modest, Master. Observing your divine power of absorbing the spiritual essence of the sun and moon last night, it is truly a profound and wondrous art."

"Since the True Immortal has graced our humble land with his presence and displayed his majesty, we have come here to pay our respects so as not to slight him."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Cheng immediately understood. It turned out that his cultivation last night had triggered the lunar phenomenon, which had alarmed these Yin Gods.

but……

Judging from the words of these three underworld spirits, cultivating by absorbing moonlight is something that ordinary people cannot do.

Immediately, Zhou Cheng revealed a perfectly appropriate apology, cupped his hands and said, "I see. Last night I had a feeling that stirred up some moonlight."

"I did not expect to disturb the peaceful cultivation of you venerable gods. It is truly my fault. I hope you venerable gods will forgive me."

His words were sincere and his attitude humble. However, they greatly surprised Sun Chenghuang and the civil and military judges.

A sliver of moonlight?

This person is being far too modest.

It absorbs the essence of the sun and moon, but it is not simply about absorbing the moon's radiance.

Only a highly accomplished Taoist master can draw upon the spiritual essence of the sun and moon in the heavens.

Such abilities, as described in ancient books and biographies, are those of a legendary immortal who has ascended to heaven.

What made the City God judge even more flattered was that this immortal was also very polite in his demeanor and speech. There was no arrogance in his words, but rather a hint of sincere apology.

Such moral cultivation and such humility are worlds apart from the vast majority of immortal cultivators!
The old City God Sun hurriedly led the civil and military judges in bowing deeply again, his tone filled with fear and heartfelt respect: "Your words, Master, are too kind to this old man."

"The cultivation of a true master draws upon the spiritual essence of nature, nourishing the land within a radius of dozens of miles, which is a blessing for our Guiping County."

"We, the gods of the underworld, are fortunate enough to witness the presence of a true immortal; how can this be considered a disturbance?"

"I am filled with trepidation, fearing that I failed to come and pay my respects in time last night, thus neglecting my duty and disrespecting the esteemed master."

Judge Wen stepped forward and said respectfully, "Master, your humility and open-mindedness truly embody the spirit of the Daoist Master. We wonder if there is any deeper meaning behind your presence in this humble mountain village? If there is anything we can do to assist you, please let us know, and we will do our utmost!"

Looking at the three Yin Gods before him, whose postures were so respectful they were almost humble, Zhou Cheng felt a sense of absurdity.

He became increasingly certain that these three underworld deities had misunderstood his abilities.

However, this misunderstanding doesn't seem to be a bad thing right now, at least the other party's attitude is very good.

Zhou Cheng's mind raced. He could take this opportunity to solve the immediate problem; he couldn't stay in Shicun forever.

"I appreciate the kind hospitality of all the esteemed deities."

Zhou Cheng cupped his hands again and said with a smile, "To be honest, my decision to come down the mountain this time was also on a whim to enter the world of cultivation. I have nothing of value since I have just arrived in your esteemed place, so staying in this mountain village for the time being is just a temporary measure."

"I wonder if there are any places in Guiping County, or even the nearby prefectural city, that have been harassed by demons and evil spirits, causing suffering to the people? If there are demons causing trouble, I, Zhou, may do my part to relieve the people's suffering, and also... to accumulate some necessities for my travels."

Upon hearing this, the City God, the civil judge, and the military judge felt immediately relieved.

It's already a blessing from heaven if such a highly accomplished person just passes by and doesn't cause any trouble.

I didn't expect them to be willing to personally step in and resolve some tricky issues.

"The real person is compassionate and cares about the common people. He is truly a blessing to the people of Guiping County."

Sun Lao Chenghuang's face showed genuine admiration, then his brows furrowed slightly, as if he were deep in thought.

These profound and virtuous masters can handle even the most mundane matters.

If we ask Master Zhou to handle some minor matters involving vengeful ghosts, it would seem childish and inappropriate.

After a moment, a glint flashed in the old City God's eyes, clearly indicating that he had thought of something. He then cupped his hands and said, "Since you have asked, Master, I dare not conceal anything."

"Ordinary demons and ghosts are dealt with by us underworld officials and monks and Taoists in the human world. We dare not trouble you, Master."

"However... recently a strange thing has happened in Dingxing Prefecture, which has also troubled the City God, and remains unresolved to this day."

After the old City God finished speaking, Zhou Cheng was speechless for a moment.

They really think they're something special.

This old City God Sun is the City God of Guiping County.

Guiping County was one of the many counties under the jurisdiction of Dingxing Prefecture.

The City God he mentioned was the most powerful underworld deity within a radius of several hundred miles.

"Old City God, please tell me in detail what this strange thing is?" Zhou Cheng didn't say anything, he wanted to see what was going on first.

Sun Chenghuang composed himself and slowly began to speak: "This matter concerns a wealthy and benevolent family in the prefectural city. The head of the Song family is a virtuous and capable man, with immense wealth and a reputation for charity. However, a little over a month ago, his only son, Song Shuhang, was suddenly plagued by nightmares!"

"According to the eldest son of the Song family, every night in his dream, a emaciated evil ghost dressed in blood-stained prison clothes, holding a rusty iron chain, crawls out from a boundless, dark swamp, howling and demanding his life, saying that he should pay for the sins he committed in his previous life."

"The evil spirit had a hideous face and was filled with resentment. Every time, it would try to lock his neck with an iron chain and drag him into the depths of the swamp. As a result, Song's eldest son would always wake up in extreme terror, his clothes soaked with cold sweat, his soul trembling, and he would gradually become thin and weak, with no medicine working."

Judge Wen added from the side, "The Song family invited eminent monks and famous Taoists from both inside and outside the prefectural city to set up altars, perform rituals, burn incense, and chant scriptures. They also covered their home with talismans and hung up magic mirrors and peach wood."

"The vengeful ghost still haunts our dreams every night without ceasing. Helpless, the Song family had no choice but to prepare a grand offering of three kinds of sacrificial animals, countless incense sticks and paper horses, and go to the City God Temple to plead with the City God to make a decision."

The judge, Wu, quickly seized the opportunity to speak: "Upon hearing the report, the City God, mindful of the Song family's accumulated virtues, immediately dispatched a capable night patrol god and several skilled underworld officials to keep watch at the Song family's residence and investigate the matter."

"However, after a night, the Night Watchman reported that the Song family mansion was clean inside and out, without the slightest ghostly or demonic aura. He also did not sense any evil spirits invading his dreams."

"The City God was astonished upon hearing this. The following night, he personally descended upon the Song residence, concealed in the void, and used his divine sense to cover the entire mansion, monitoring it throughout the night."

After the two judges finished speaking, the old City God Sun sighed, a look of confusion appearing on his face.

"As a result... even the City God of the Prefecture found nothing. Under his divine sense, the eldest son of the Song family was indeed sleeping soundly, but his soul was fluctuating violently, clearly trapped in a nightmare."

"However, no matter how the City God investigated, even using his divine power to trace the source of the dream, it was all like a stone sinking into the sea. The vengeful ghost seemed to exist only in Song's eldest son's dream, with no connection to the mortal world or the underworld."

"Even with the City God's divine power, not a trace of resentment or evil spirit could be found. It is truly bizarre."

"Neither demon nor ghost, neither evil nor bewitching, yet it truly haunts my dreams every night, tormenting a sixteen-year-old boy to the point of being emaciated and on the verge of death."

"The City God once said that this was a rare event he had only seen in hundreds of years."

After Sun Chenghuang finished speaking, he and the civil and military judges looked at Zhou Cheng and bowed in respect.

This case is so strange that even the City God is helpless. If the Daoist Master Dao Miao in front of us were to take action, perhaps he could uncover the mystery.

Zhou Cheng listened quietly, his fingers unconsciously tapping lightly on the door frame, making a soft tapping sound.

This is highly likely beyond one's capabilities.

To be precise, the Six Treasures Immortal Thief is not a supernatural power that excels in combat.

If I knew how to control spirits and generals, I might have a better chance of success in dealing with this matter.

Just as Zhou Cheng had this thought, a voice as loud as a great bell rang in his ears.

“In ancient times, there were those with great supernatural powers who possessed the ability to restrain gods, and who could summon the heavens and earth.”

"Those who wish to control spirits and command generals must first visualize themselves as the Great Emperor of Mount Tai, gathering the light of the three souls, the essence of the seven spirits, and forming a breath of immortal energy..."

After a moment, seeing that Zhou Cheng had not spoken, the old City God Sun raised his head slightly to look at Zhou Cheng.

Zhou Cheng's eyes were half-closed, as if he was deep in thought, so I didn't disturb him.

After a moment, Zhou Cheng slowly spoke: "This matter is indeed strange, so I am not entirely confident. I can only say that I will try my best."

"I wonder how to get to Dingxing Prefecture, and where the Song family is located in Dingxing Prefecture?"

Upon hearing Zhou Cheng speak, the old City God Sun hurriedly said, "There's no need for you to worry about this, Master. I will report to the City God of the Prefecture and personally send a dream to the Song family magistrate, instructing him to prepare nine gifts to invite you, Master."

Zhou Cheng nodded upon hearing this, then suddenly seemed to remember something and asked, "How did the Song family acquire their enormous wealth? Have they ever oppressed or exploited poor families?"

Upon hearing this, the old City God Sun cupped his hands and said, "You are merciful, Master. The good deeds of the Song family throughout the ages are all recorded in the underworld."

"Normally, the Song family only pays 40% rent and has no other miscellaneous income."

"If there were years of famine and poor families pawned their land, the Song family would not deliberately lower the price, and they would never be harsh on those who redeemed their land."

(End of this chapter)