The Three Pure Ones' Secret: Expressing Spirit

On the way back, Fan Biao drove with his eyes steadily focused on the road ahead, driving slowly and appearing particularly relaxed.

He suddenly turned his head and glanced at me, looking completely carefree, and slowly said that he was actually quite surprised when he bumped into that Huang Xian Huang Canye last night.

I sat in the passenger seat, listening with a blank expression, completely baffled.

Who is this old guy, Lao Fan? He has been practicing Taoist magic since childhood and has seen ghosts and immortals all the time. Ordinary demons and immortals are no match for him and will not cause him the slightest ripple.

I really can't figure out what was so special about that weasel last night that could surprise even the well-informed Lao Fan.

Before I could ask any further questions, Fan Biao took the initiative to explain the ins and outs to me.

While focusing on driving, he slowly said, "You don't understand. Among the five clans of immortal soldiers, the Huang family ranks second and has an extremely high status."

He told me that the five great immortals known in folklore—fox, weasel, white fox, willow, and gray fox—originated from the northern shamanic tradition. This system of immortal ranking was established by ancient shamans and has been passed down for thousands of years, deeply rooted in the tradition.

The Five Immortals correspond to five types of spirits: the fox is the Hu family, the yellow one is the Huang family, the white one is the hedgehog, the willow one is the long snake, and the gray one is the rat.

The Huang family is a lineage of weasels. For thousands of years, the Huang family immortals have been most skilled at healing the sick, saving people, and warding off disasters. They also have the most popular folk tales about weasels who are grateful and do good deeds. They have an excellent reputation and are orthodox in their practice, but there are also a few bad ones.

The Hu family's fox spirit ranks first, possessing the strongest spiritual energy and deepest foundation. The Liu family's snake spirit has the heaviest malevolent aura and the strongest killing power; most of the supernatural rumors and monster disturbances in the world in recent years have originated from the Liu family.

Fan Biao also specifically mentioned that, in addition to the main branch of the Liu family, the Snake Immortals once had an extremely powerful collateral branch.

Legend has it that the ancestors of that collateral branch were renowned for their power, even surpassing the main Liu family in strength at their peak, enjoying unparalleled glory. But from some unknown time, this powerful collateral branch completely vanished without a trace, as if evaporated from the face of the earth. For decades, there has been no news of them, making it a strange and unsolved mystery among the demon race.

I listened quietly as he talked about these mysterious and esoteric immortals, my head spinning.

These ancient lineages and the great immortal families are too far removed from me. With my current experience and cultivation, I simply cannot fully comprehend them.

To be honest, I didn't really care to delve into these important matters concerning the demon race.

At this moment, my mind was completely blank, devoid of any thought about the demon race's calamity. My thoughts were consumed by only one thing: receiving my payment tomorrow would allow me to buy the camera I'd been longing for and give it to Yin Yuhong. Thinking of this, I stared at my phone screen, unable to suppress a secret, silly grin, my lips curving upwards in uncontrollable anticipation.

Fan Biao, who was driving, had already noticed my little actions out of the corner of his eye. He didn't ask me what I was laughing about, nor did he tease me about my unusual behavior. After a few seconds of silence, he suddenly asked a question that surprised me greatly: "Hey bro, are you short on cash lately?"

I was stunned for a moment when I heard this, my mind went blank, and I was a little dazed. I didn't expect him to see through my predicament so suddenly. He quickly pretended to be calm and shook his head perfunctorily: "No, I'm just a student. I don't spend much money. Why would I be short of money?"

I thought I could just brush him off with a few words. But who is Fan Biao? After spending so much time with me, he can see right through my little thoughts and troubles.

He glanced at me helplessly, his eyes filled with a knowing, speechless look. He gripped the steering wheel firmly and drove forward, saying gently, "What kind of relationship do we have? We're closer than brothers. Why are you hiding things from me? If you weren't short of money, why would you get involved in these strange things with that old geezer Peng Guoqiang, who talks big but does nothing right?"

He spoke sincerely, his words earnest: "You're not working and have no income, so it's perfectly normal for you to be short of money. If you need money, just tell me. I can't give you more than I can give you, but I will never let my brother suffer from poverty."

I stared blankly at Fan Biao, who was driving intently beside me, and a warm feeling instantly welled up inside me. This guy usually seemed carefree and pretentious, and liked to play tricks on me from time to time; he wasn't very reliable. But when I was in trouble or in a predicament, he actually saw right through me at a glance.

Thinking back on it carefully, of all the people who have come and gone in my life, the only one I can truly call a confidant, a reliable and trustworthy brother is probably Fan Biao.

My heart was filled with warmth and guilt. For a moment, I didn't know what to say, nor did I want to continue lying to my only brother. I was silent for a moment, then spoke frankly: "Okay, I won't lie to you, I am indeed a little short of money lately. But after this is over, I will never agree to help others with this kind of thing again."

After listening, Fan Biao not only didn't blame me, but grinned, showing an exceptionally open-minded attitude. He earnestly said to me, "Don't say that, brother. We cultivate the Three Pure Ones' Daoist methods precisely to uphold righteousness and eliminate evil, to transform evil with the Dao, and to assist demons in becoming righteous. This time, it seems like you got involved for money, but it was actually a lucky accident, all preordained by fate. If you hadn't been short of money and we hadn't gone there last night, we wouldn't have been able to contact Huang Xian at all, let alone get news of the changes happening within the demon race. The successors of the Three Pure Ones' Conferred God Technique are also trying to find information about other descendants. Moreover, you indirectly saved Boss Huang's family, accumulating merit, so it's not a bad thing."

I was stunned and couldn't help but think to myself: Goodness, what he said sounds like a forced attempt to whitewash and a substitution of concepts.

However, I was too lazy to dwell on it, and I actually felt much more relaxed. We chatted along the way, and the car soon arrived at the gate of my school.

I had originally planned to chat with him a bit more, joking around and talking about the upcoming trip to find the successor of the Three Pure Ones on the fifteenth of the lunar month. But the old guy seemed to have something else to do and wasn't in the mood for small talk at all, casually tossing out a comment that he had important business to attend to that afternoon.

He watched me get out of the car and close the door, then stepped on the gas and sped away.

Watching the car drive away, I stood at the school gate, my heart filled with mixed emotions. I was looking forward to tomorrow's reward, but also felt lost about the affairs of the demon race. Fortunately, I was grateful to have a good brother like Fan Biao who truly cared for me.

I walked slowly towards the school. The morning sky was completely bright, the sun slowly rose, and warm sunlight bathed the tree-lined paths of the campus. A morning breeze, carrying the unique fresh scent of grass and trees, caressed my face, dispelling the biting chill of the night. More and more pedestrians appeared on the streets. Students began to appear one after another at the school gate, and the campus, silent all night, slowly regained its former vitality and bustle.

I dragged my slightly weary body, walking slowly towards the school. Having not slept all night, my body and mind were utterly exhausted, and my eyes betrayed my weariness. As I reached the school gate, a portly security guard sat on a plastic stool outside his booth, legs crossed, smoking and leisurely observing the students coming and going in the morning sunlight. Noticing me, he slightly raised his eyelids and casually remarked in a friendly tone, "Young man, you're back at school early today. Why aren't you resting at home on Sunday? Why are you back at school so soon?"

Hearing this, I felt a pang of unease. How could I dare tell him that I'd gotten involved with his younger brother? Besides, after the bizarre events I'd experienced with Lao Fan last night, if I told him, he'd think I'd lost my mind and was spouting nonsense first thing in the morning. I could only force a stiff smile, nod vaguely to the old man, and without further explanation, quickly stepped into the campus.

The dormitory hallways were clean and quiet, especially early in the morning, with only the occasional soft chatter from the next room, mixed with the crisp clicking of game buttons. I slowly climbed the steps and arrived at our dormitory room door.

Pushing open the door, I saw that the curtains were half-drawn, and soft natural light streamed in through the gaps, creating an interplay of light and shadow in the room. The air was filled with the smells of puffed snacks, the stench of Li Peng's feet from not washing his socks or feet, and the lingering smell of cigarettes they secretly smoked in the dorm room—it felt like stepping into a chemistry lab.

Li Quan and Li Peng had no intention of getting up early and leaving the house. They were both lounging lazily on the bed, their backs propped up with thick pillows, their phones propped up securely on the blankets in front of them, completely absorbed in playing mobile games. Their limbs were stretched out casually, their posture relaxed and carefree, clearly indicating that they had been lying in bed for quite some time.

Upon suddenly seeing me return to school early Sunday morning, both of us paused in our screen-operating movements, simultaneously raising our heads and staring at me with surprise on our faces, clearly not expecting me to return so early.

Li Peng subconsciously reached under his pillow, pulled out a cigarette, and deftly lit it with a lighter. A wisp of white smoke slowly rose and dissipated. He took a deep drag, his gaze still mostly fixed on the game screen, his fingers rapidly tapping the screen, occasionally muttering curses and complaints to his underperforming teammates.

After venting his frustrations, he turned his head and asked me with great curiosity, "Hey bro, why are you back so early today? Was it boring staying home? Not fun at all?"

I casually closed the dorm room door, inwardly reflecting on last night's experience—it was so bizarre that I couldn't possibly talk to these two bastards beside me. If I actually told them, they'd probably just tease me for bragging, so I decided to keep quiet.

I suppressed my exhaustion, put on a listless expression, and casually replied, "There's nothing to do at home, it's too boring, so I might as well go back to school early."

As soon as I finished speaking, I looked at the two of them still curled up on the bed playing around, and continued with some confusion, "I really admire you two. You haven't gone home for a month or two, and you've stayed at school the whole time. Don't you even have the slightest thought of going home?"

Li Peng exhaled a smoke ring, the smoke slowly dissipating in the air. He curled his lip and replied nonchalantly, "What's the use of missing home? It's a hassle to travel back and forth, and there's nothing fun to do at home. On the contrary, staying at school means we can get together to play games every day, and life is carefree and comfortable."

Li Quan, who was standing next to him, also stopped what he was doing and leaned against the edge of the bed, lazily chiming in: "That's right. At home, you have to deal with the nagging of your elders and feel restricted in every way. It's so much more carefree in the dorm. You can play whenever you want and lie down whenever you want. It's much more comfortable than at home."

Listening to their conversation, I couldn't help but marvel at how vastly different people's thoughts could be. After everything that had happened last night, and looking at the peaceful and carefree scene in the dormitory, I felt a sense of being in another world. Those tales of immortals, the changes in the demon race, and the obsessions of vengeful ghosts seemed like stories from another world, completely out of place with the relaxed and lazy campus life before me.

I put down my belongings and slumped onto the edge of my bed, leaning back against the headboard. The exhaustion of the past few days washed over me instantly. My eyelids felt heavy, and my mind was filled with thoughts of the fifteenth day of the lunar month, the upcoming reward, and the reaction of Yin Yuhong after I gave her the gift. A jumble of thoughts swirled and intertwined in my mind.

I lay down on my bed, my mind a jumble of thoughts, constantly replaying the events of the previous night. Having stayed up all night, waves of drowsiness washed over me, and before long, my eyelids became so heavy I could barely keep them open. Before I knew it, I had fallen into a deep sleep.

I slept like a log, not knowing how much time had passed. When I slowly opened my eyes and looked out the window, it was already completely dark outside. All the streetlights on campus were on, and the daytime sunlight had completely disappeared. I couldn't believe I had slept from early morning until night, a full ten hours or so.

Li Quan and Li Peng, who were by the bed, noticed I was awake and stopped what they were doing, turning to look at me. Their faces showed surprise, and they couldn't help but exclaim, "Wow, bro, sleeping for over ten hours straight! You can sleep forever. What were you doing last night to get so tired?"

I scratched my head sheepishly, forcing an awkward smile. Instead of telling the truth, I changed the subject, asking, "It's nothing, I just didn't sleep well last night. Have you guys had dinner yet?"

Li Peng waved his hand and casually replied, "What are we going to eat? We were waiting for you to wake up so we could go out to eat together."

I reached for my phone, which was beside my pillow. As soon as I unlocked the screen, I saw several messages from Yin Yuhong, along with a lot of photos. They seemed to be pictures she had casually taken during her afternoon outing, and the scenery in the pictures looked quite nice.

I tapped the screen to reply to her message, telling her I had just woken up and couldn't sleep well last night after getting home. I slept all day at school today and only just woke up. Yin Yuhong sent a speechless emoji, then said to me in a voice message, "Well, you're really amazing, Pu!"