The Three Pure Ones' Secret: Expressing Spirit

After listening to the restaurant owner tell the legend of the Celestial Goddess, I rested my elbows on the edge of the table, gently rubbing my chin with my fingertips, my eyes full of curiosity.

Fan Biao, that old codger, also narrowed his eyes slightly, a playful smile playing on his lips, nodding occasionally as if savoring the moment. We exchanged a glance; without a word, we both knew what was going on. This seemingly peaceful and tranquil Tianxian Town must be hiding something, otherwise why would a fellow disciple of the Three Pure Ones' Conferred God Technique come to this place?

Fan Biao turned to look at me, lowered his voice, and stammered, "Have you eaten, Lao Pu?"

I shook my head: "That's about enough, why?"

He gestured with his chin towards the night view outside the window, a hint of interest in his eyes: "This place is interesting. It's been rumored to be amazing. Don't rush off after we finish eating. Let's go for a walk along the river and see for ourselves what's so special about the Zitong River."

I immediately nodded in agreement, and I was also incredibly curious, wanting to see for myself how the Zitong River, where the White-Clad Goddess suppressed the snake, was any different.

We slowly ate the food in our bowls while chatting with the shop owner, reminiscing about the old stories of the town's flood season. We were quite interested.

Just as we were chatting, the restaurant's wooden door creaked open, and the evening breeze, carrying the cool, damp air from the riverbank, blew in, causing the warm yellow lights inside to flicker.

I subconsciously looked up. A man walked in through the door. He looked to be in his thirties or forties, not old at all. He was tall and had a thick beard around his face. He looked rugged but was exceptionally energetic, exuding a calm and composed aura of someone who had traveled all over the country.

Upon seeing the newcomers, the restaurant owner immediately stopped talking, his face breaking into a familiar smile as he quickly stepped forward to greet them warmly: "A rare guest! Coming for dinner so late tonight?"

The bearded man simply nodded slightly, without saying a word. His demeanor was efficient and decisive, clearly indicating that he was in a hurry to get things done and had no interest in idle chatter.

Under the bright lights of the shop, I discreetly observed him. He wore a well-made casual jacket, his attire neat and sophisticated, befitting a successful business owner. On his left wrist was an exquisite watch, and on his right, a deep-colored bracelet that looked quite valuable. But what truly caught my eye was a white jade pendant hanging from his neck. The jade was translucent and warm, with clear moonlight patterns, and its surface was clearly engraved with authentic Taoist symbols—it was obviously a protective artifact for a Taoist practitioner.

Old Fan, who was sitting across from me, seemed very interested in that person. He straightened up slightly from his relaxed posture and fixed his gaze on the jade pendant, as if he was examining something.

Just as Lao Fan was about to take a closer look, the man seemed to find the exposed jade pendant bothersome, swaying back and forth awkwardly while eating. He frowned slightly, quickly grabbed the jade pendant from his collar, and with a flick of his wrist, stuffed the entire pendant inside his clothes.

Seeing that he put the jade pendant into the collar of his clothes, Fan Biao and I tacitly looked away, pretending to bury our heads in our food, keeping our expressions calm.

The bearded man was clearly in a hurry and had no time to sit and eat. He casually ordered two home-style dishes, and after the food was served, he picked up his chopsticks and ate a few mouthfuls haphazardly, chewing quickly without saying a word. He ate very hastily, purely to fill his stomach and continue his journey.

In just a few minutes, he put down his chopsticks, paid the bill decisively, and left, disappearing into the night.

After the person left, I looked up at Fan Biao and muttered to myself, "This guy seems like someone special. Is there something to it about that badge he's wearing?"

Fan Biao picked up his water glass and took a sip, his tone calm: "They're probably Taoist believers. It's normal for them to wear a protective jade pendant when they go out. They're most likely just traveling pilgrims passing by. Don't overthink it."

I thought about it and realized that there are countless people in the world who believe in Taoism, but not all of them are experts in the field, so I stopped worrying about it.

After we finished eating, we got up, scanned the QR code to pay for our meal, said goodbye to the owner, and left the small restaurant.

A cool evening breeze blew in my face, the sky was full of stars, and the full moon shone brightly, casting its light on the ground.

Fan Biao unlocked the car, opened the door, got into the driver's seat, and said as he started the engine, "Let's go, let's go take a look at the riverbank."

The car slowly drove out of the street and headed towards the riverbank on the edge of Tianxian Town. But when we got closer, we found that the entire riverside area was covered with a scenic pedestrian walkway. The road was narrow and closed to vehicles, so cars couldn't drive in at all.

Fan Biao gripped the steering wheel, looked around, and clicked his tongue in exasperation: "Well, the car can't get to the riverbank."

We slowly drove along the riverside road looking for a parking space, and finally our eyes were fixed on an empty spot next to an abandoned hydroelectric power station on the edge of town.

There was a flat, open patch of dirt, just the right spot to park. Fan Biao turned the steering wheel, and the car smoothly pulled over to the side of the road and the engine was turned off.

As I stepped out of the car, the cool night breeze, carrying the dampness of the river, rushed towards me. The dim beams of the streetlights slanted across the road, illuminating the dilapidated surroundings.

Adjacent to the parking lot is the abandoned hydroelectric power station building, which has been abandoned for many years. Large sections of the walls have peeled off, revealing the gray bricks underneath. The cement walls at the corners are old and blackened, showing signs of age and decay after years of weathering. In the center of the wall, someone has sprayed the words "Dangerous Building, Do Not Approach" in large, glaring red paint. The handwriting is messy, bold, and eye-catching, conveying a sense of disrepair after years of abandonment.

I looked around, my gaze sweeping over the side of the dilapidated building, and my eyes lit up slightly: "Old Fan, look this way!"

I pointed and saw a concrete staircase leading downwards hidden next to the wall of the hydroelectric power station.

The steps are old, overgrown with weeds on both sides, the waist-high weeds densely intertwined and almost completely covering the steps. Only the narrow dirt path in the middle is bare, the soil compacted and shiny, clearly worn by people walking on it over the years, probably a path worn out by fishermen in town.

Fan Biao looked in the direction I was pointing, squinted slightly, and nodded. He reached for the car key, and with a "click," the car locked smoothly. After doing so, he turned to look at me, raised his chin, and said casually, "There's a way down. Let's go! Let's go down the steps and take a look at the riverbed below the power station."

I followed his gaze to the riverbank in the distance. Several faint lights were scattered along the riverbank in the night, their lights flickering on and off.

I said to Lao Fan with great interest, "There are lights over there, so locals must be night fishing. Let's go down and check out the situation on the riverbank."

After we finished speaking, we walked one after the other along the overgrown path, slowly heading towards the dark river embankment below.

The wind along the riverbed was cooler than on the embankment, carrying the unique damp, fishy smell of the river water, which blew against my face in gusts.

The cement steps beneath my feet were uneven and cracked, with wild grass tangled around them, occasionally catching on my trouser legs. I bent down, lifted my foot, and pushed the weeds aside, walking slowly, my gaze occasionally sweeping across the dark, barren slopes around me.

The area around the abandoned power station was eerily quiet. There were no human voices, no car sounds, only the constant lapping of the river against the embankment, carried on the evening breeze. Listening to it for a while made one feel inexplicably empty inside.

Fan Biao walked ahead, his hands casually in his pockets, but his eyes were never idle, constantly scanning the entire riverbank terrain through the moonlight. He looked relaxed and seemingly nonchalant, but I knew that whenever he was out on business, he was never truly relaxed.

I followed behind and muttered to myself, "This place looks so desolate. No wonder the power station is abandoned. Standing here at midnight is actually a bit scary."

Fan Biao didn't even turn his head, chuckling lightly, "Scary? You've experienced several strange things in the past few years, and you're still so timid?"

I was a little embarrassed: "That's different. Those are ghosts and monsters, this place is a desolate wilderness, the atmosphere is different, okay?"

As we talked, we slowly walked down the steps along the weedy path, finally stepping onto the old river embankment covered with boulders.

The ground was covered with stones of varying sizes, all covered in moss, and slippery and cold.

Standing on the riverbank and looking out through the moonlight, the entire river surface was spread out before my eyes.

The opposite bank of the river is estimated to be two or three hundred meters away. Under the cover of night, the water is dark and deep, with waves slowly advancing in layers. The moonlight spreads across the water, creating long, silvery ripples that look spectacular.

The mountains on the opposite bank of the river stood tall and dark, their massive forms pressing down on the horizon. A few scattered lights within the mountains flickered precariously, as if they might be swallowed up by the night at any moment.

Sure enough, several locals were squatting by the riverbank not far away, night fishing.

Several people sat scattered around, each wearing a small headlamp. The light was weak and focused, only illuminating their own fishing spots. They didn't disturb each other and were unusually quiet.

Fan Biao and I slowed down and strolled leisurely along the riverbank, avoiding the fishermen so as not to disturb their night fishing.

After taking two steps, the old man suddenly stopped, stood up straight, stared intently at the center of the river, and frowned slightly.

I noticed his expression was off, so I immediately stopped and leaned closer to ask, "What's wrong, Lao Fan? Is there a problem?"

Fan Biao narrowed his eyes slightly and lowered his voice: "Look carefully at the surface of the river."

I quickly glanced over and stared intently at the wide river for several seconds. Under the cover of night, the river surface appeared calm, with ripples gently shimmering, showing no signs of anything unusual.

I turned my head blankly and said, "It's nothing, just the river, it's pretty calm."

Fan Biao turned his head to look at me, his eyes becoming more serious: "Peaceful? This is probably not just because it's too calm."

He raised his hand and pointed to the center of the river bend in the distance: "The Zitong River is so wide, and the evening wind is so strong, so the waves should be getting stronger with each wave. But the very center of the river is completely still. Don't you find that strange?"

I looked more closely again. Following his pointing finger, this time I really saw something was wrong! The water along the bank rippled clearly, layer upon layer, but that area in the middle of the river was as if it were being suppressed by something invisible, completely still, without a ripple. It was like a huge black mirror, rigidly embedded in the middle of the river.

A chill ran down my spine, and I instinctively swallowed: "Holy crap...it's really not moving!"

Fan Biao remained calm and slowly began to speak: "The legend the boss just told us, about the black snake that caused chaos during the Ming Dynasty and the Heavenly Fairy Goddess who suppressed the demon, should have taken place at the widest part of this river bend."

My heart skipped a beat. I had just taken the story as a folk tale, but now, standing here, looking at this eerily calm river, I felt a chill run down my spine.

I asked in a low voice, "You mean... there really is something at the bottom of the river?"

Fan Biao did not answer directly, but stared at the river for two seconds in silence before slowly uttering, "It's hard to say, but the current is definitely not normal."

Just as we were staring at the middle of the river and talking in hushed tones, a muffled complaint suddenly rang out from among a group of people night fishing not far away.

"It's strange tonight, I haven't had a single bite."

"Forget about taking a bite, the float doesn't even budge. It seems the fish in this river aren't easy to fool."

"Fishing is usually best around the full moon, but tonight the water is eerily still. Where did all the fish go during the winter?"

I overheard every word of the casual conversation among a few anglers.

The night wind blew again, and when it hit my face, I felt a chill, even colder than the eerie atmosphere around me when I encountered a ghost.

I looked at the dark, vast river and spoke softly:

"It seems... our trip to Tianxian Town this time is not as simple as just meeting a fellow disciple."

Fan Biao withdrew his gaze and turned to look at the dark, towering mountains on the opposite bank, his eyes deep: "Tomorrow is the fifteenth. Let's see what our fellow disciples look like! This place is incredibly deep, hiding the waters."

The evening breeze was strong, and the river was rushing. Lao Fan and I stood on the riverbank, staring at the silent heart of the river for a long time, feeling a heavy weight in our hearts.

We were completely in the dark, with no clues whatsoever, and no idea where to begin investigating the unusual situation on the river. Besides, it was getting late; the night was deepening, and the chill in the mountains and along the riverbank was growing stronger. Fan Biao let out a soft breath, turned to me, and said calmly, "Let's leave it at that for tonight. It's too late; we won't find anything by forcing an investigation. Let's find a place to rest, and tomorrow, after we've gathered some information, we can come back and investigate more thoroughly."

I nodded; that was the only way.

The two did not linger any longer, turned around and walked back along the wet, slippery moss-covered rocks by the river, stepping on the overgrown path, climbing the old steps step by step, and returning to the parking lot by the roadside.

The evening wind howled, the withered grass rustled, and the entire abandoned power station was eerily quiet.

We both opened the car doors and got in, the interior shielding us from the cold night wind. Fan Biao took out his phone, his fingers flying across the screen as he opened the navigation app and diligently searched for the nearest hotel in town.

With nothing to do, I leaned back in the passenger seat, idly looking around at the empty streets and the dark, dilapidated buildings of the power station.

But as I looked, my gaze suddenly sharpened, fixing on a figure by the roadside in the distance. The person was dressed in tattered clothes, old and dirty, with frayed edges, and covered in dust. He looked like a beggar from the town, disheveled and extremely inconspicuous.

He walked slowly and unsteadily along the roadside toward our car, his body hunched over and looking frail.

I didn't pay much attention at first, assuming he was just a homeless person traveling at night. But when he was a few dozen meters away from our vehicle, his behavior suddenly changed. He abruptly stopped, his head rapidly turning left and right, his shifty eyes scanning the empty roadside warily to make sure no one was watching.

His eyes were bright and cunning, unlike the dull and lifeless look of an ordinary beggar. After confirming it was safe, he walked straight to the main gate of the abandoned hydroelectric power station.

The main gate of the power station was originally an old-fashioned, multi-panel, thick wooden door. Over the years, a piece of wood under the door was damaged, leaving a large hole at the bottom.

But what happened next completely stunned me.

The ragged beggar bent over, his eyes fixed on the large hole under the gate. With a practiced swift movement, he slipped through the low, broken opening and instantly disappeared into the dark interior of the power station.

No normal person could possibly make such a nimble and bizarre move. But what truly sent chills down my spine and made the hairs on my body stand on end was the instant he slipped inside!

As he bent over and his buttocks sticking out, the tattered hem of his clothes fluttered slightly, revealing a long, thin tail that dragged on the ground without any concealment!

Its tail swept lightly across the ground with an extremely natural movement, and then it followed its body into the dark doorway.

My pupils contracted sharply, and my mind went blank for half a second. In the past two years, I've encountered quite a few monsters with Lao Fan, caught ghosts and met demons, and witnessed countless eerie and strange events. I've long since developed a basic ability to distinguish between humans and demons.

This thing in front of me is not human at all!

My heart sank, and I broke out in a cold sweat.

I immediately raised my hand and grabbed Fan Biao's wrist, which was looking at his phone. My voice was low, with barely concealed tension: "Old Fan! Stop looking for a hotel! Look at the power station entrance just now!"

Fan Biao was looking down, his fingers rapidly swiping across his phone screen, intently filtering nearby accommodations, completely unaware of the commotion outside. Suddenly, I grabbed his wrist, causing him to abruptly stop. He looked up at me, a hint of confusion in his eyes, and casually asked, "What's wrong, bro? Why are you so jumpy?"

I quickly pointed to the gate of the abandoned power station, staring wide-eyed at the dark doorway. But in just two or three seconds, the strange beggar's figure had vanished without a trace. The entire roadside was empty, with only swaying weeds and lifeless, dilapidated buildings; there wasn't a single trace left.

The thing moved incredibly fast, disappearing completely into the darkness after entering the building, leaving not a sound.

My heart was still pounding, and a chill ran down my spine. I quickly told Lao Fan everything I had just witnessed.

From the man's tattered clothes and beggar-like appearance, to his shifty eyes looking around, to his skillful crawling through the hole, and finally revealing his long tail, I described every single detail.

After listening to my description, Fan Biao's relaxed expression instantly vanished. He immediately put down his phone, looked up and stared intently at the dark gate of the hydroelectric power station, his brows furrowing slightly, a strange look flashing in his eyes.

He stared at the doorway of the dilapidated building in silence for a few seconds, then slowly spoke, his tone firm and calm: "I think I know what it is."

I immediately turned to look at him, my face tense: "What is that? It's not human, right? I'm absolutely sure I'm not mistaken, it really does have a tail!"

Fan Biao nodded slightly, a faint, playful smile playing on his lips, and slowly explained, "You're not mistaken, it's definitely not human. Judging from your description of its body shape and movements, as well as its habit of hiding its head and tail and burrowing into holes, it should be a large rat spirit with some cultivation."

I was stunned for a moment after hearing that, a little incredulous: "A rat spirit? There's actually such a thing in this place?"

I subconsciously looked at the abandoned hydroelectric power station again. The whole building was lifeless, dilapidated and desolate, uninhabited for many years. Dark and damp places are indeed the easiest places for spirits and evil spirits to breed.

Fan Biao rested one hand on the steering wheel, gazing intently at the dark building, and continued, "These old houses, abandoned for years, filled with death and rarely visited, are the perfect hiding places for little spirits like this. It spends its days cultivating here, learning to transform and mingle in the human world, deliberately disguising itself as a beggar to avoid being noticed, keeping a very low profile. It usually doesn't give itself away at all, but it was just that it was careless and didn't hide its tail properly when it was crawling through the hole, which is why you stumbled upon it."

After hearing this, I felt a sense of awe and it truly broadened my horizons.

Previously, they had only encountered vengeful ghosts, snake demons, and other sinister creatures; this rat spirit was a first for them. They never imagined that this seemingly beautiful and peaceful Tianxian Town would harbor so many strange and unsavory things.

I looked at the dark, tightly closed gates of the power station and asked in a low voice, "So what do we do now? Should we go in and take a look?"

Fan Biao shook his head, his expression calm: "No rush. This little thing's cultivation level isn't high, and it doesn't have any harmful aura. It's just cultivating here in seclusion. Let's find a place to rest as soon as possible, and we'll talk about everything tomorrow!"

As I gazed at the desolate, abandoned power station, a vague understanding dawned on me. The secrets of Tianxian Town were far more complex than we had imagined.