The Three Pure Ones' Secret: Expressing Spirit

In July 1995, at a temple in Huangjia Village, a young man and a young woman appeared at a stone table behind the temple. They whispered to each other, but their voices were drowned out by the chirping of insects around them.

The moonlight was so clear, it resembled a chandelier hanging in the sky.

The girl's name is Huang Yao and the boy's name is Lin Gangming. They met through a matchmaker and fell in love with each other. During the day, they were too shy to talk to others, so they chose to meet up in the evening.

The two had been chatting quietly and enjoying each other's company, but soon an evening breeze began to blow, the chirping of insects gradually faded, and the moon was obscured by slowly moving dark clouds. Just as they sensed the change in weather and prepared to say goodbye and go home, they heard two very strange voices.

They held their breath and listened intently, discovering that the sound was actually coming from inside the temple. One of the voices was very shrill, saying to the other, "Hey buddy, do you know that our headquarters recently made a decision!"

The other person had a rough voice and a stutter: "What...what...a decision? We're always running up there, inseparable, how come I haven't heard any rumors!"

The man chimed in, "Hey, of course you don't know, Old Ma told me. You were talking to a Thai prostitute by the bridge!"

The two young men were completely bewildered, but they dared not approach, because the temple was dedicated to the City God, and it was terrifying to hear two people talking inside so late at night.

They didn't really believe in ghosts or spirits; they were simply feeling a bit scared, especially since it was all dark around them. Just as they were about to leave, the wind blew away the clouds that were obscuring the moon. They walked to the temple and, through the bright moonlight, saw that the temple doors were tightly shut and a large padlock was hanging on them. The two men couldn't help but feel puzzled.

Just as the two thought they were hallucinating, they heard a sharp male voice from inside the temple continue, "I heard that the higher-ups are going to arrange two reincarnations. I wonder who they are. It certainly won't be us two brothers."

Hearing this, the two young men were even more confused and puzzled. Then Lin Gangming whispered into the temple, "Is anyone here?"

But as soon as he asked in a low voice, the surroundings fell silent. The two could only hear each other's breathing and rapid heartbeats.

After a moment of silence, there was no response. Just as the two thought someone was deliberately trying to scare them, something horrifying happened before their eyes.

Suddenly, the lock on the temple gate clicked open by itself. As the lock hook came off, it fell onto the threshold with a clatter, and the temple gate slowly opened to both sides, making a creaking sound.

The temple was pitch black, as it wasn't the first or fifteenth of the lunar month and no one offered incense or sacrifices. There were no candles, only the moonlight from outside illuminating the interior, making it somewhat blurry. As they watched, their fear grew, their legs trembling uncontrollably. They wanted to run, but their legs wouldn't obey them. At that moment, a large cloud of white mist billowed from the temple's main gate, slowly enveloping it. From within the mist, two figures slowly emerged. They were very tall, probably over two meters, each wearing a tall, pointed hat. One was jet black, the other deathly pale. The black man's hat bore the inscription "Peace Under Heaven," while the pale man's hat proclaimed "Instant Wealth."

Upon seeing the two strange figures, one black and one white, their hearts leaped into their throats. And what they saw were none other than Xie Bi'an and Fan Wujiu, the two ghost messengers!

The two ghosts are legendary figures in folklore, known as the Death-Taking Demons. Black Impermanence is entirely black with an angry expression, while White Impermanence is the complete opposite, pale-faced and smiling. These two unpredictable ghosts are called the Impermanent Lords, and are the soul-collecting messengers of the underworld.

With a furious expression, Black Impermanence Fan Wujiu asked the two in a drawn-out, gruff voice, "Who are you, juniors, daring to steal heavenly secrets and eavesdrop on your old man, the Impermanence Grandpa's, conversation?!"

The two were terrified and didn't know how to answer. Seeing them frozen in fear, Bai Wuchang, with a sneer, said to Fan Wujiu, "Hey brother, didn't they say that heavenly secrets lie among mortals? Could this be the work of heavenly secrets, the will of Heaven?"

Then the two ghosts transformed into a large cloud of white mist, enveloping Huang Yao and Lin Gangming.

The next day...

As dawn broke, lightning flashed and thunder roared, and a torrential downpour that had lasted half the night began. In the gloomy, rainy weather, an old man wearing a straw hat and a raincoat led a large yellow ox slowly from afar.

The old man noticed the strange occurrence in front of the temple while he was still a short distance away. When he reached the temple, he froze on the spot, hurriedly tied the cow rope in his hand to a cypress tree, and went forward to check on the two people on the ground, a man and a woman.

The old man dared not approach and called out several times, but received no response. Upon closer inspection, he discovered that both of them were already dead. The old man was so agitated that he trembled slightly and ran towards the village without even untying the cow's rope.

About ten minutes later, a large group of people rushed anxiously from the direction of the village, braving the heavy rain. Several of them were particularly nervous, and even before they reached the village, they cried out in distress, "Oh my god, how did you end up lying here!"

He then ran to Huang Yao, who was lying on the ground, and wailed as he looked at the corpse lying on the ground.

Meanwhile, all around were people's confusion and discussions, the sounds of voices mixed with the sound of heavy rain pounding on the ground, creating an exceptionally chaotic atmosphere...

On the road from the underworld to the netherworld, Black Impermanence held a large black iron chain, on which were bound a young man and a young woman. These two young people were none other than Huang Yao and Lin Gangming, who had quietly died the night before.

The two men, their eyes vacant, were being dragged along by Fan Wujiu, seemingly without knowing where they were going. In front of them stood Xie Bi'an, dressed in a white robe and tall hat, holding a broken stick and flipping through a booklet.

Xie Bi'an flipped through the pages, making a scratching sound like he was scratching glass, and said to himself, "Huang Yao from Huangjia Village, Gaoshankou Town, Guangyuan City, was born on July 15, 1973, and died on July 15, 1995, at the age of 22. She lived to be 22 years old and has been detained!"

Then, Black Impermanence conjured a pen and drew a checkmark on the name in the booklet in his hand.

He continued flipping through the booklet, and after a while, whether he couldn't find it or for some other reason, he stopped. Seeing him suddenly stop, Black Impermanence Fan Wujiu, with an impatient look on his face, stammered, "Why did you stop?"

Xie Bi'an, the White Impermanence, walked up to the boy. The boy, trembling with fear at Xie Bi'an's insincere smile, hurriedly asked, "Sir, I haven't done anything wrong!"

Xie Bi'an said with a sly smile, "Don't be afraid, young man. Your Master Bai couldn't find your address and was afraid he might have mistakenly detained your soul."

Then, those slender, white fingers poked at the boy's brow, as if reading something within him. She withdrew her fingers, took out a booklet, and quickly flipped through it, muttering to herself, "Wow! This is incredible! Although you've reached the end of your lifespan, your identity is far from simple; you actually possess the constitution of a 'Master'!"

The physique of the master is actually the physique of a deity, which is accumulated by a person through reincarnation. There are three types of this physique: one is living cultivation, which is immortal transformation into the Dao; another is reincarnation transformation into the Dao; and the most powerful one is reincarnation transformation into the Dao.

The first type, "living cultivator," as the name suggests, refers to a practitioner who comprehends the principles of heaven and earth, achieves enlightenment, and attains immortality. The second type involves reincarnation, overcoming tribulations, dying peacefully at the end of one's life, and then returning to one's original position or ascending to immortality. The third type is the most difficult and extremely extraordinary, often referred to as multi-life cultivation. Such individuals will inevitably create their own Taoist methods and sects, becoming independent deities.

Xie Bi'an was secretly surprised: "Huh! What a coincidence! It seems the young man they sent us to capture is the very one they wanted! And this girl is also from this date, what a coincidence!"

Fan Wujiu looked at Xie Bi'an with an expression that suggested someone owed him money, and said to Xie Bi'an, "Then what are we waiting for? Let's hurry back, finish our business, and go have a drink!"

A few black clouds drifted across the dim sky. Four ghosts slowly moved forward in the forest shrouded in black mist. There was no wind, but as the four ghosts passed by, the leaves in the forest rustled.

These trees seemed to be alive; they grew in strange shapes, each one crooked and twisted, with leaves that resembled human hands. Whenever Xie Bi'an and Fan Wujiu approached them, they would move aside to make way.

After an unknown amount of time, inside the Hall of the Demon King.

An elderly man dressed in strange attire sat imposingly in the main hall, surrounded by many ghost soldiers. Seeing Xie Bi'an and Fan Wujiu with two spirits, he asked the two ghosts, "Wuchang, why have you brought these two spirits here?"

Xie Bi'an replied with a forced smile, "My lord, one of these two souls is no ordinary being!"

Yama, the King of Hell, glanced at Xie Bi'an and asked, "What's so special about him?"

Xie Bi'an: "Reporting to Your Excellency, this Lin Gangming was ordered by my father!"

King Yama glanced at Huang Yao and Lin Gangming behind Xie Bi'an and Fan Wujiu: "Oh! Then remove their shackles. Do you think they can escape in this underworld? Show me the Book of Life and Death!"

Xie Bi'an casually spread his hands, and a booklet appeared in his hand. With a wave of his hand, the booklet flew to Yama's side.

King Yama flipped open the Book of Life and Death, glanced at it, and frowned: "Go and call Old Lu over!"

After the summons was completed, a handsome middle-aged man in a white robe entered the Yama's Palace. He bowed to Yama and asked, "Your Honor, Lu Zhidao from the Investigation Department of the Judge's Office is hereby summoned. When may I ask when Your Honor may review his report?"

The King of Hell said to Lu Zhidao, "This boy named Lin Gangming is a predestined being. I need you to use the Mirror of Reincarnation to see his fate in his next life!"

Lu Zhidao cupped his hands in greeting: "Please wait a moment, my lord!"

Then, Lu Zhidao slid his right hand in front of him, and a bronze mirror the size of a head appeared in his hand. He tossed it into the air, and it transformed into a giant mirror, from which a blurry image appeared. The figures within became increasingly indistinct until finally nothing could be seen at all!