Taoist priests in the supernatural world

Inside the mortuary.

Rows of coffins were neatly arranged, with yellow talismans pasted on the black coffins.

The hall was chilly.

The candlelight was dim, casting flickering shadows on the wall, and the air was filled with the smells of incense ash, glutinous rice, cinnabar, and coffin.

In front of the ancestral hall, Wencai and Qiusheng knelt on the ground.

Uncle Nine stood in front of the two men with his hands behind his back, his face extremely grim.

He rarely gets truly angry.

When his two apprentices misbehaved, he would at most scold them a few times or give them a few slaps, and then the matter would be over.

This time is different.

The ghosts scattered, disturbing the mortal realm, and the underworld held them accountable.

If things go wrong, it could be a catastrophic disaster that could cost lives.

"You have committed an unforgivable disaster this time."

"If you cannot remedy the situation in time, even your teacher cannot help you."

Uncle Nine pointed to the darkness outside the mortuary, his voice stern.

"Did you see the ghost messengers from before? They'll be coming to arrest you in ten days."

Wencai then became truly frightened.

His face turned pale, and he quickly crawled forward on his knees, trying to hug Uncle Jiu's legs.

"Master, you must save us! I really didn't mean to, I was just careless for a moment..."

Qiu Sheng hurriedly lowered his head and admitted his mistake.

"Master, we were wrong this time. You can scold us or hit us, but please don't abandon us."

Uncle Nine looked at the two of them, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath.

If this matter is not handled properly, not only will the two apprentices be in trouble, but he, as their master, will also be held responsible.

If the two apprentices are of wicked intentions, Uncle Nine can simply expel them from the family.

As their master, he knew better than anyone that Wencai and Qiusheng were not inherently bad.

They are just careless, playful, and disrespectful, but they will help poor families when they encounter them.

Unfortunately, the two of them always acted without any sense of propriety.

Ultimately, it's because my master didn't discipline me strictly enough.

Uncle Nine opened his eyes, about to reprimand him a few more times, when a sudden gust of cold wind swept through the mortuary.

Whoosh!

A cold wind blew open half of the wooden window.

The candlelight inside the room flickered violently, and several oil lamps nearly went out.

A thick, ghostly mist poured into the hall through the cracks in the doors and windows.

The yellow talismans on the coffin were blown around and made a rustling sound.

Wencai and Qiusheng shuddered and instinctively shrank behind Uncle Jiu.

A dozen or so dark figures slowly emerged from the mist.

The shadowy figures were all sinister, dressed in the robes of underworld officials, with chains, iron plaques, and mourning sticks hanging from their waists.

The leader of the ghosts was nine feet tall and had a jet-black bull's head.

A ghostly green flame burned atop the bull's horns.

His eerie green eyes flashed with a fierce light, and his whole body exuded a menacing aura, like a wicked god emerging from the depths of the underworld.

The moment he appeared, the chill in the mortuary intensified several times over.

Wencai felt his teeth chattering and his knees go weak.

Although Qiu Sheng was bolder, he dared not speak recklessly at this moment.

The white-hatted impermanence, who had met Uncle Nine once before, stood next to the bull-headed man and raised his voice:

"Taoist Lin Fengjiao, this is General Ox-Head of my Underworld, who holds the same rank as your judge of Yuezhou. Why don't you pay your respects quickly?"

Uncle Nine's expression changed slightly.

The position of judge is neither particularly important nor insignificant.

In the underworld of Yuezhou, there was more than one judge from Maoshan.

Since this Ox-Headed General is of the same rank as the Judge, he is no ordinary ghost messenger.

Uncle Nine quickly stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "So it's General Ox-Head. My apologies, my apologies. I was unable to greet you from afar. I hope the general will not take offense."

General Ox-Head looked down at Uncle Nine, his voice like muffled thunder.

"The ghosts scattered, disturbing the mortal realm."

"If it were just a few wandering ghosts, that would be fine, but this time the number of ghosts that escaped is too large. If they cause the deaths of living people, we will also be held responsible."

"We want to help, but we can't help everyone."

He said this coldly:

"The higher-ups have decided to shorten the original ten-day deadline to three days. Within three days, we must bring back the scattered ghosts."

Uncle Nine's heart sank upon hearing this.

Three days?

Three days is too short.

The paper cranes he sent out had just flown away, while his fellow disciples were still on their way.

Even if they come immediately, they may not be able to arrive within three days.

Moreover, the ghosts scattered and fled, their whereabouts unknown.

Since it was his two apprentices who had made a mistake, Uncle Nine could only suppress his anxiety and bow again.

"When a disciple makes a mistake, I, as the master, cannot shirk my responsibility."

"But three days is far too short. Please grant me a few more days, General."

General Bullhead remained expressionless.

"The ironclad laws of the underworld cannot be violated."

Uncle Nine was about to say something more when the White Impermanence beside him suddenly spoke up.

"General, the judge of Yuezhou has always been on good terms with us."

"Lin Fengjiao's lineage also has connections in the underworld. How about we do them a favor and stick to the original ten-day agreement?"

General Bullhead seemed somewhat hesitant.

He lowered his head and pondered for a moment before slowly saying:

"It's not impossible, but the order has been given, and if we want to make some concessions, we'll have to spend some money."

Upon hearing this, Uncle Nine immediately understood.

It turns out they were using this as an excuse to extort money.

Uncle Nine remained silent for a moment, then could only ask:

"Please enlighten me, General."

Bai Wuchang stepped forward, his smile chilling.

"Alright then, you shall prepare a grand Dharma assembly."

"The three sacrificial animals, fruits, paper money, incense, and paper horses made of gold and silver—none of them can be missing."

"The ritual will last for ten days and ten nights, and the incense must not be burned out."

"In addition, the mortuary was maintained with incense offerings for ten years and the offerings were submitted to the underworld."

"Every year when the gates of hell open, you must prepare enough incense and offerings for the deceased, and you must not be negligent."

Uncle Nine's face was grim; this was going to rip the mortuary dry.

The charitable institution hadn't accumulated much money from donations over the years.

When he encountered poor families, he would often charge less or even not charge them at all.

If we were to prepare a ten-day, ten-night grand ceremony as White Impermanence suggested, and then offer ten years' worth of sacrifices, the entire mortuary would be emptied out and still not be able to fill the void.

The White Impermanence hadn't finished speaking.

He glanced at Wen Cai and Qiu Sheng kneeling on the ground, then changed the subject and continued to raise the stakes.

"In addition, each of your two disciples will sacrifice twenty years of their lifespan to atone for their sins."

This time, Bai Wuchang didn't use ghost language, but spoke directly in the official language of the living world.

Wencai and Qiusheng heard it clearly.

Qiu Sheng's expression changed drastically, and he immediately looked up.

"Master, we can't agree to their demands!"

Wencai was so frightened that he trembled all over, and his voice changed.

"Twenty years of lifespan? That's going to kill us!"

Uncle Nine slowly began to speak:

"Your price is too high; I cannot comply."

It's not that he's unwilling to spend the money, but that he genuinely can't afford it.

It's even more impossible for him to stand by and watch his two disciples lose twenty years of their lifespan.

The fierce light in General Bull's eyes intensified.

"snort."

"In that case, let's take it."

As soon as he finished speaking, several ghost messengers approached, their chains dragging on the ground with a rattling sound.

A sudden, chilling wind arose.

The memorial tablets in front of the ancestral hall were all slightly swayed by the wind.

Wencai and Qiusheng were pale, while Uncle Jiu stepped forward to protect his two disciples behind him.

His right hand was already on the talisman bag.

Even though he knew that fighting with the underworld officials would have dire consequences, he couldn't possibly let his disciple be taken away when things came to this.

"Wait a minute."

Just then, a voice came from outside the door.

Before the person even arrived, the words had already reached the mortuary.

"Uncle Jiu, it's been a long time."

Uncle Nine looked up.

A white-haired young Taoist priest walked in from outside the door.

He was dressed in a Taoist robe and looked calm.

The cold moonlight outside the door shone behind him, making him appear as if he were walking on the moon.

Uncle Nine was taken aback at first, then his eyes lit up with surprise.

"Master Huang!"

The visitor was Huang Bai.

Upon seeing Huang Bai, Uncle Jiu immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

If anyone could hold the fort at this moment, this Fellow Daoist Huang would certainly be one of them.

General Ox-Head turned to look at the suddenly appearing young Taoist priest, his eyes cold and sinister.

"Who are you?"

Huang Bai glanced at him and said, "Huang Bai, a Taoist of the Huangtian lineage."

After saying that, he glanced at General Ox-Head and White Impermanence.

"The underworld has its laws and regulations, and the mortal world has its traditions. You are acting on the orders of the City God to hold people accountable, which is acceptable."

"Is it against the rules to extort a mortal monk by using one's identity as a ghost messenger?"

The underworld of this world was already in a state of ruin and devastation.

The so-called underworld, on the surface, has the names of city gods, judges, and ghost messengers, but in essence, it is a ghost king's power that controls a region.

Upon hearing this, General Ox-Head's face immediately darkened: "Mind your own business! What's it to you?"

As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly looked at Huang Bai.

In an instant, boundless malevolent energy swept over.

The malevolent aura carried the power of the underworld's punishments; if an ordinary Taoist were struck by such an aura, his soul would tremble.

Wencai and Qiusheng, just standing to the side, felt a tightness in their chests, as if a large rock was pressing down on them.

Uncle Nine also subconsciously took half a step forward, trying to block the evil aura for them.

The murderous aura had just approached Huang Bai's side when it was repelled by an invisible force.

His yellow and white sleeves twitched slightly, but his expression remained unchanged.

"Oh? Since when can't even mortal monks concern themselves with matters of the mortal realm?"

His eyes slowly turned golden.

A faint rumble of thunder could be heard in the void.

An invisible aura of majesty emanated from Huang Bai.

The ghostly mist inside the mortuary paused instantly.

The spirits of more than ten ghost messengers swayed and involuntarily took a half step back.

Even the yellow talisman on the coffin seemed to be stimulated by yang energy, faintly glowing with golden light.

General Bull Head originally wanted to get angry.

The moment he made contact with the yellow, white, and golden eyes, his entire soul body stiffened abruptly.

At that moment, he seemed to see a dazzling sun.

The blazing light pierced deep into his soul, burning his soul with excruciating pain.

Even more terrifying, he vaguely saw the true anomalies of Huang Bai through the illusion.

Golden crown, golden hair, golden wings.

His body was enveloped in lightning and fire, like an ancient divine bird descending to earth.

Such profound cultivation, such a high position.

If he is not a deity descended to earth, he must be a high-ranking master from a prestigious lineage, whose background is probably even more impressive than that of Maoshan.

In an instant, General Ox-Head was so frightened that his soul almost left his body.

He no longer dared to put on airs, and his tone immediately softened.

"The Taoist priest is right. I was momentarily overcome by greed, and all my previous requests are null and void."

He paused, then cautiously added:

"However, the capture of wandering ghosts was indeed ordered by the City God of Ghosts in Guangdong Province."

"I have no right to withdraw without authorization, and I hope the Taoist priest will understand."

"It would be best...it would be best to resolve this within a month."

He really couldn't afford to offend this kind of half-immortal who could travel between the yin and yang realms and roam freely between humans and ghosts.

Whether the Ghost City God will stand up for him remains to be seen.

But if the other party wanted to kill him, they could make him vanish into thin air right now.

White Impermanence also lowered his head, not daring to utter another word.

He was the one who said the harshest thing just now.

If Huang Bai were to investigate, his fate would be even worse than Niu Tou's.

Seeing that they had given in, Huang Bai did not press them any further.

"Of course, they will take full responsibility for this matter."

Uncle Nine immediately chimed in, "We will definitely take full responsibility, please rest assured, Your Excellency."

General Bullhead nodded.

"Okay, it's a deal."

Having said that, he dared not linger and immediately led his ghost messengers out of the mortuary.

The ghostly fog arrived quickly and dissipated just as fast.

In the blink of an eye, the mortuary hall fell silent again.

Wencai and Qiusheng collapsed to the ground, panting heavily.

For a brief moment, they truly thought they were about to be dragged down to the underworld by the ghost messengers.

Uncle Nine stared in the direction the ghost messengers had left, still feeling uneasy.

"Fellow Daoist Huang, will they tell the City God after they return?"

Huang Bai calmly said:

"Of course not. The bull-headed bull extorted us first; how could we dare report it?"

"Moreover, when ghosts come to the mortal realm, it's not necessarily a matter of who wins and who loses."

Uncle Jiu felt somewhat relieved upon hearing this.

With Huang Bai's current cultivation level, he would be able to become a ghost king after his death.

Moreover, he was a legitimate Taoist immortal who practiced orthodox cultivation.

Both the Yin and Yang realms remain powerful.

In addition, given Huang Bai's mysterious and unpredictable background, unless it involves a life-or-death conflict of interest, even the Ghost City God would treat him with caution.

Uncle Jiu stepped forward and bowed respectfully.

"Thank you for helping me out, Fellow Daoist Huang."

At this point, he showed a hint of emotion.

"The last time we met was when you summoned me to slay the black dragon."

What Uncle Nine was referring to was the time when Huang Bai used the "Aid Incense" to ask him to slay the Black Dragon in the Ming Dynasty world.

Huang Bai owes Uncle Jiu a favor in this matter, which is why Huang Bai stepped in to help today.

Huang Bai said, "Thank you for your help that time as well."

Uncle Nine waved his hand and laughed, "It was nothing. I learned a lot from that experience."

It was after that incident that Uncle Nine truly began to see Huang Bai in a different light.

He had heard of summoning gods and exorcising ghosts; even living Taoist priests could be summoned to other realms, a skill no less than that of immortals.

Furthermore, today Huang Bai only needed a glance to force General Niu Tou to bow his head.

Uncle Nine felt more and more that the cultivation level of this Fellow Daoist Huang had already reached a point that was beyond his comprehension.

Thinking of this, Uncle Nine couldn't help but tentatively ask:

"Fellow Daoist, are you nearing ascension to immortality?"

Huang Bai's expression shifted slightly, and he countered, "Ascension in broad daylight? Your Maoshan sect also has people who ascend in broad daylight?"

A sense of doubt arose in his heart.

Could it be that ascending to heaven in broad daylight is the end of cultivation for Taoists in this world?

Will the physical body travel to the spirit realm, or will it be guided by some higher realm rule?

Uncle Nine said:

"Of course, three patriarchs of Maoshan ascended to heaven in broad daylight."

"My senior brother in this lineage has also reached this level."

"Once you overcome the tribulation, you can ascend to heaven in broad daylight."

Shi Jian was highly skilled in Taoism and possessed formidable thunder magic, making him the undisputed number one among his peers in Maoshan.

But he has a fiery temper and acts domineeringly, so Uncle Nine wasn't really sure about asking him to come and help this time.

Huang Bai asked, "What calamity?"

Uncle Nine explained:

"It is divided into heavenly tribulation and human tribulation. Once you have passed both tribulations, you can ascend to heaven in broad daylight."

"Heavenly tribulations are mostly caused by thunder and fire, yin winds, and external demons."

"Human tribulations are even harder to predict."

At this point, Uncle Nine looked at Huang Bai with some confusion.

"Fellow Daoist, are you perhaps unaware?"

Huang Bai casually replied:

"My lineage cultivates the path of earthly immortals to remain in the world and achieve longevity, not to pursue ascension to heaven in broad daylight."

Speaking of transcending tribulation, Huang Bai suddenly thought of something.

His gaze fell on Wencai and Qiusheng.

Ninth Uncle's apprentice, and Shi Jian's son.

Could it be a kind of human calamity in itself?

If one cannot see through the tribulation of humanity, one's cultivation will be destroyed in an instant.

This may be the destiny of this world.

The human world cannot tolerate such a Taoist priest with such powerful magic.

Either survive the calamity and leave this world.

If you cannot overcome this obstacle, you will die and your spiritual path will perish.

If that's the case, then Wencai and Qiusheng, these two good-for-nothing apprentices, actually have another purpose.

They are both Uncle Nine's weaknesses and the stepping stones to his enlightenment.

The same applies to Shi Shaojian.

No matter how powerful Shi Jian's thunder magic is, if he can't get past his son, he will still fall from grace.

Seeing Huang Bai's gaze fixed on his two apprentices, Uncle Nine quickly scolded:

"What are you standing there for? Hurry up and thank Master Huang! If it weren't for Master Huang, you two would be dead tonight!"

Wencai and Qiusheng then realized what was happening and quickly kowtowed.

"Thanks……"

Just as the two were about to speak, Huang Bai raised his hand to interrupt them.

"Wait a minute."

Wencai and Qiusheng froze.

Huang Bai looked at the two of them, his tone sending chills down one's spine.

"There are no laws in the mortal realm regarding punishment for releasing a horde of ghosts, but while one may be exempt from earthly sins, one cannot escape the sins committed in the underworld. This debt has not yet been settled."

(There will be another chapter later, please vote with your monthly tickets)