The Three Pure Ones' Secret: Expressing Spirit

Yin Yuhong told me she came to school that afternoon. But I didn't reply to her message, and she assumed I was busy and didn't bother me.

I chatted with her and asked if she had eaten. She said she had eaten a long time ago, but it was too cold outside, so she went back to her dorm to lie down.

Li Quan, Li Peng, and I left the dormitory. It had started to drizzle sometime earlier than when I came back this morning, when the sun was shining brightly. We walked towards the cafeteria in the rain. The streetlights shone on the falling raindrops, making the raindrops reflect a silvery sheen.

Perhaps this is the characteristic of our city: the damp and cold winter arrives quietly, and the damp and cold air penetrates the whole body. Even Lao Meng, who has lived in Heilongjiang all year round, often complains that the weather here is like being possessed by a ghost, and no matter how many clothes you wear, you can't warm up.

Time flew by, and the next day, Boss Huang transferred the money to Peng Guoqiang. But the very night before he transferred it to me, Fan Biao actually transferred me some money. When I saw the transfer amount on our chat page, I was shocked. And before transferring it, that old guy even messaged me saying, "I'll transfer you a little bit first, let me know if it's not enough!"

My buddy had never seen so much money before. Looking at the zeros on Lao Fan's transfer message, my hands trembled uncontrollably, while he casually said to let me know if it wasn't enough. Was he afraid I'd think he was stingy? Was he afraid I'd think 10,000 yuan wasn't enough for me? He really overestimated me. Did he think I was the kind of person who could amount to anything?

I politely declined, but he messaged me saying that refusing meant I was disrespecting him. This left me speechless; I couldn't believe someone would force me to lend them money. He eventually gave me a long explanation, and I couldn't argue with him, so I accepted. After all, he probably didn't need the money.

Although Peng Guoqiang was unreliable, he was someone you could get along with. As soon as he received the transfer from Boss Huang, he immediately transferred the money to me. To be honest, I was quite pathetic; like a silly kid, I finally placed the order on my phone with an silly grin. Li Quan and Li Peng, who were watching from the side, thought I was being silly. Li Quan asked me with a sly grin, "Hey, what's wrong with you? Did your polio flare up? You can laugh all you want, but don't drool."

The guy wiped the drool from the corner of his mouth, ignored him, rolled over on the bed, and continued looking at his phone.

Time flew by, and it was already a few days before the fifteenth. Old Fan and I had been eagerly anticipating it for over ten days. We were worried about unforeseen circumstances, so we prepared many things we needed, including the white jade staff that Fan Biao had given me in the underworld. I didn't know what Old Fan wanted me to do with it, but whatever, I could use it to chase dogs in the village!

The thought that Yin Yuhong's birthday was in three days made me feel cheerful. Clutching the camera gift I had already ordered, I couldn't help but imagine her expression when she received the surprise, her eyes crinkling with a smile, or perhaps a hint of surprise. Just imagining these scenes made my lips curl into a smile, and my heart was filled with anticipation and secret joy.

Despite the joy, the heavy burden on my heart remained. The most important matter at hand was to find out about the demon race as described by the descendants of the Three Pure Ones. This matter was related to the dying wish left by the ancestors of the Three Pure Ones. Now, including myself, Fan Biao, and a fellow disciple I had never met, there were only three descendants of the Three Pure Ones left.

I have always had a big question in my mind. The demon race is a large and numerous group, and there have always been many people with profound cultivation. When something happens within the race, they should be able to handle it themselves. Why do they go to such great lengths to invite us, the successors of the Three Pure Ones, to help them?

No matter how much I pondered, I couldn't fathom the hidden reason behind it. I could only suppress my curiosity and quietly wait for Fan Biao to pick me up from school. Before this, I had simply thought that nothing strange would happen on this trip to meet up. Recalling the ghostly and strange things I had encountered with Lao Fan in the past, I thought that was already quite thrilling. But I had a vague premonition that those past experiences were at most insignificant trifles, and the truly thrilling plot was only just beginning.

Two days passed in a flash. In the evening, my phone vibrated and a message popped up. It was from Fan Biao. He had already driven to the vicinity of the school.

I immediately got up and packed my bags, taking the spare candles needed for the divination, and putting the white jade stick that Lao Fan had reminded me about, which I had brought back from the underworld, into my bag. I also casually stuffed a few bags of snacks and bottled drinks into my bag.

The sky outside was overcast and oppressive, with a continuous drizzle falling steadily, and the air was filled with a biting, damp chill. I zipped up my coat, opened my umbrella, and stepped out of the dormitory building, walking all the way to the bus stop next to the school gate to wait.

Cars streamed along the road, speeding across the wet surface, their wheels crunching over puddles and splashing up tiny droplets of water. A misty spray, carried by the evening breeze, drifted everywhere. The grey sky, combined with the continuous drizzle, shrouded the entire campus in a hazy mist, blurring visibility.

I stood on the platform, leaning slightly forward, my eyes scanning back and forth among the passing cars, trying to identify Lao Fan's car.

A moment later, a familiar figure came into view. Fan Biao's car slowly slowed down and came to a steady stop beside me. The car window slowly slid down, followed by a crisp, short horn honking.

I immediately withdrew my gaze from the surroundings, looked at Fan Biao in the driver's seat, shook my head helplessly, and put on a wry smile.

Fan Biao rested one hand on the edge of the car window, tilted his head slightly towards me, and teased me in a relaxed tone with a playful smile in his eyes: "Hey Lao Pu, with your eyesight, it looks like you really need to find some time to get a pair of glasses."

Dude, I was speechless. I closed my umbrella, bent down and climbed into the passenger seat. I closed the door, shutting out the drizzle from the school gate.

After I got in the car, Lao Fan drove slowly through the rain. The two of us drove out of the city and onto the highway, braving the light drizzle.

Traffic was sparse on the highway, and night gradually descended. The raindrops, glistening in the headlights, seemed to rush past. The car was very soundproof; this time, Lao Fan wasn't playing his usual jarring DJ music, but rather Mao Buyi's "The Nameless Man." I leaned back in my seat, watching the night scenery rush past the window, a mix of nervousness and anticipation swirling in my heart.

After driving for more than an hour and covering a distance of over 100 kilometers, we finally arrived at the destination that Huang Canye had told us about.

This is Tianxian Town, a small town nestled among mountains and rivers, belonging to Shehong City, which is under the jurisdiction of Xuning City.

Just hearing the name evokes a sense of ethereal beauty, elegant and evocative.

Once I stepped into the town, I found it to be even more beautiful than I had imagined. The town was neatly planned, with clean streets and well-arranged buildings, completely unlike the dilapidated and backward mountain village I had envisioned.

What's most amazing is the natural environment surrounding the town.

Tianxian Town is built along the river, right next to the wide Zitong River. The entire river is vast and boundless, with calm waters and an extremely open view. This town is located at the widest bend of the Zitong River, surrounded by water on three sides, with an open terrain and an extraordinary feng shui layout at first glance.

Looking downstream along the river, a huge old-fashioned hydroelectric power station stands not far away, large in scale and occupying the center of the entire river channel.

It was clear that the hydroelectric power station had been abandoned for many years; the walls were mottled, the facilities were old, and the entire plant area was quiet and deserted, without any trace of operation. Later, I noticed a brand-new, modern hydroelectric power station a kilometer or two away. It seemed that after the new station was built, the old one was completely abandoned and left idle.

Across the river from the hydroelectric power station stands a majestic and massive mountain, its undulating slopes rising and falling darkly at the edge of the night.

By now, darkness had completely enveloped the land, plunging the deep mountains into utter darkness. The landscape within the forest was obscured, making it impossible to discern whether any dwellings existed. Only scattered, dim lights could be discerned through the gaps in the trees, flickering and dimming intermittently. These lights added a touch of human presence to the otherwise inky blackness, while also lending an air of profound, serene tranquility.

We drove all the way from evening until late at night on empty stomachs, and our stomachs were rumbling with hunger and exhaustion.

It was at this moment that I clearly noticed the change in the weather.

Back in our city in southern Sichuan, it's been raining incessantly, damp and chilly, with a constant drizzle. But after crossing over 100 kilometers to Xuning, the climate is completely different.

It didn't rain at all in Tianxian Town.

The air was dry and cool, and a gentle evening breeze made it exceptionally comfortable.

I looked up at the night sky instinctively, and froze instantly.

The layers of dark clouds completely dissipated, the night sky was clean and clear, and countless stars filled the sky, sparkling and dazzling beyond belief.

A huge, bright moon hangs in the center, pure and round, only missing a tiny imperfection to be a perfect full moon.

The moonlight shone brightly on the town, the river, and the entire mountain forest, illuminating the world with a hazy glow.

I turned my head to look at Fan Biao, who was driving. He had just breathed a sigh of relief, raised his hand to rub his stomach, looked at the moonlight outside the window, and sighed softly, "Awesome! Only a little over a hundred kilometers apart, but completely different weather."

The night was gentle, the stars and moon were bright, and we had finally said goodbye to the damp and cold weather in southern Sichuan.

Fan Biao and I were starving. We drove around town for a bit and found a small, home-style restaurant that was still open. The town was quiet at night, with few pedestrians on the streets. The streetlights cast a soft, yellow glow, and the starry sky overhead created a particularly serene atmosphere.

As we sat down to eat, the owner, a middle-aged local, appeared honest and simple. He quickly wiped the table and handed us the menus.

After a long and tiring journey, they finally settled down to eat. With nothing else to do, Lao Fan kept gazing at the night view of the mountains and rivers outside the window, showing particular interest in the terrain and environment.

While waiting for the food to be served, he leaned back in his chair, slowly drinking water and chatting with the owner.

The two chatted casually about the weather, the landscape, and the town's development. Suddenly, Fan Biao changed the subject, asking casually, "Boss, your town looks beautiful, with excellent feng shui, and the name is lovely too, 'Heavenly Immortal Town'! It sounds so ethereal. Are there any Taoist temples or ancient shrines nearby?"

This casual question led us to fully understand the origin of the name Tianxian Town and hear the bizarre folk legends that have been passed down for hundreds of years.

When the boss heard us ask this, he immediately became interested. He wiped his hands, took a pack of cigarettes from the counter, walked over to us, and handed one to each of us, Lao Fan and me. I indicated that I didn't want one, and he and Lao Fan lit them up and started smoking. As he smoked, a storyteller's expression appeared on his face. He pulled up a small stool and sat down nearby, slowly telling us stories passed down from his ancestors.

The shopkeeper smiled and said, "This story isn't official history; it's just a folk tale passed down from generation to generation. Nobody really cares whether it's true or not, so just listen to it as a strange story."

It is said that a long time ago, this place was not called Tianxian Town at all. As for its original name, it is too long ago for the locals to know.

The reason for the name change to Tianxian can be traced back to the Ming Dynasty.

Back then, Tianxian Town had no flood control dikes, and the wide Zitong River would flood violently during the rainy season. The entire riverbank was flat open space, usually calm and peaceful, but during the flood season, the river would swell wildly, overflowing the banks, destroying crops, and flooding houses. The town's residents suffered from floods year after year.

Later, in order to protect themselves, the local people worked together to build a long flood control dike along the river and erected high walls to block the river water. They thought that from then on they could rest easy and live a peaceful life.

However, the year the dam was completed coincided with an extreme rainstorm that was the worst in a century.

As the boss spoke, his tone unconsciously lowered and his expression became more serious.

The weather that day was eerily strange. The entire sky was dark and gloomy, with heavy clouds overhead and thunder rumbling. Lightning flashed wildly through the clouds. The wind howled and howled, whipping up torrential rain that ravaged the mountains and fields. The wind's mournful sound was like the wailing of a demon, sending chills down one's spine.

The river was swollen to an alarming degree, its surging waters roaring and churning, creating towering, muddy waves. The newly repaired dike was teetering on the brink of collapse, the river relentlessly pounding against it, threatening to breach it completely. If the dike collapsed, the entire town would be submerged by the raging floodwaters, resulting in utter destruction of homes and loss of life—the consequences would be unimaginable.

Just when everyone was panicking and helpless, and the flood was about to break through the dam and wreak havoc, a slender, white figure slowly emerged from the clouds in the midst of the raging storm.

She was a woman dressed in a simple white dress, with an exquisite figure and ethereal temperament, standing quietly amidst the wind, rain, thunder, and lightning, untouched by any turbidity.

She held an ancient mirror in her hand and gently reflected it onto the surging, turbulent waters of the Zitong River.

In an instant, a blindingly large beam of light burst forth from the mirror, piercing straight through the churning, turbid waves.

The moment the beam of light swept across the river, the center of the river suddenly churned and exploded, revealing a gigantic, pitch-black serpent coiled in the river's heart, stirring up storms and waves—the very evil entity that had caused the years of floods.

The black snake was incredibly fierce and unwilling to be subdued. It twisted its massive body, creating towering waves, and attempted to take to the air to confront the woman in white, determined to fight to the bitter end.

However, their strengths were worlds apart. The white-clad lady moved with composure and grace, her movements fluid and graceful. In just a few rounds, she completely suppressed the raging black snake, forcefully subduing the colossal serpent and shrinking it into a mere few feet long, thus utterly stripping it of its ability to cause trouble.

But the most breathtaking scene was yet to come. After subduing the black serpent, the woman in white suddenly transformed, her white robes billowing and light and shadow shifting.

Her human form faded away, and she transformed into a colossal white python that blotted out the sky, coiling above the wind and rain, her majestic and sacred figure awe-inspiring the mountains and rivers.

As the white python subdued the river, the once raging and turbulent Zitong River calmed down completely in a short time, with the waves still and the tide receding.

Having done all this, the white python moved swiftly, soaring upwards and plunging into the rolling dark clouds and lightning, disappearing completely from the world.

After the giant python left, all the strange phenomena disappeared.

The torrential rain and howling winds suddenly ceased, the oppressive dark clouds slowly dispersed, and peace returned to the world.

The townspeople who witnessed this astonishing miracle were all awestruck and knelt in worship, convinced that the woman in white was a deity descended from heaven, a celestial goddess who came down to earth to save the people.

To express their gratitude for her saving their lives, the people of later generations raised funds to build a temple in the deep mountains opposite the town to worship the Heavenly Goddess, and the temple has been continuously incense-burning for generations.

Over time, everyone started talking about the Celestial Goddess and the Celestial Miracles. As the name stuck, the original name of the ancient town was gradually forgotten, and people simply started calling the place Celestial Town.

After listening to the boss's long tale, Fan Biao and I exchanged a glance, both of us deep in thought.

I initially thought it was just a common folk myth or a legend from the older generation, and after listening to it, I only felt that it was bizarre and mysterious.