He changed Tiwat

Chapter 348 The Hungry Ghost's Offering of Power in the Void [4k5]

Xiao suddenly opened his eyes and found that he was no longer at Wangshu Inn.

Han Fulai stood not far in front of him, and the emerald green longbow in his hand immediately caught Xiao's attention.

That was the "Suspended Li Thousand Jun" bestowed upon Fushe by the Emperor!

Considering that Han Fulai had recently returned from the Abyss of Layered Rocks, perhaps he had news of Brother Fushe, Xiao Lishi immediately wanted to capture him and find out the whole story.

Just then, another familiar voice reached his ears.

Liu Yun Jie Feng Zhenjun gave a soft shout: "They've arrived!"

At the same time, the voice of True Lord of Moon-Slicing and Sun-Building also rang out: "Great Sage Who Subdues Demons, please forgive me."

At the same time, the True Lord of Lishui Dieshan, who was most skilled in the art of external landscapes among the three True Lords, raised the amber in his hand. The amber was square and upright, shaped like a prison. The True Lord of Lishui Dieshan murmured: "Dragon saliva condenses fragrance, sea swallows vomit their nests; fierceness is revealed, the painted prison locks up the accomplices; inner clarity and outer knowledge, the prison of amber."

With the True Lord of Lishui Dieshan forming the formation, and Liuyun and Xiaoyue assisting, the immortal power of the three True Lords converged above Xiao's head, and then formed an amber-colored dome that enveloped both Han Fulai and Xiao.

—This is the exterior sealing technique of the True Lord of Water and Mountain, "Amber Prison".

He once followed the Emperor to seal the Dragon King Ruoduo, and also used this technique hundreds of years ago to save the life of Qiqi, a herb-gathering girl who was on the verge of death. Among the Liyue Immortals, if we talk about sealing techniques, his "Amber Prison" is second only to the Emperor.

Located in Mount Hulao in western Liyue is the abode of the Water-Earth-Earth Lord. The mountain is covered with strangely shaped amber, some of which have the power to suppress evil spirits, resembling the shape of sword blades and spear tips, and can suppress demons, and are called "Fierce Self-Aware"; others are shaped like cages, and can imprison those with evil intentions, and are called "Painted Prison Locked Up".

In fact, those amber pieces were all the work of the True Lord of the Divided Mountains and Flowing Water. Their true form is a wondrous plant he cultivated called "Mountain-Strolling Wasp." These "Mountain-Strolling Wasps" are like landmines buried in front of the True Lord of the Divided Mountains and Flowing Water's cave. Intruders who step on them are encased in the amber that sprouts from them. Currently, the amber of Mount Amber still contains many nearby demons—of course, there are also wild boars that have strayed in, or members of treasure-hunting groups...

To construct this seal, the True Lord of Water and Mountain used his best "wasabi" as a spellcasting material. Even if Xiao Zhen were to become possessed by a demon, it would take him a great deal of effort to break this seal.

Inside the "Amber Prison," Xiao felt only deep astonishment and bewilderment.

The three immortals joined forces to use the power of the outer realm to place a seal; that was a force to be reckoned with against a demon god.

But why would this seal be used against me?

"We should go out and find out the truth," Xiao said, reaching out to summon his kite, Pu Yuan.

With his supernatural power "Freedom in the Air" combined with the divine artifact and the advantage of the kite, he could completely tear through space and forcefully break free from the seal.

Then he discovered that the green spear he never parted with did not respond to his call, and that his wrist was transparent.

"This is... the 'Dreamwalking Technique'?"

Only now did Xiao realize that his soul had left his body.

The mastermind behind all of this, Han Fulai, cupped his hands in apology and said, "I'm sorry, but in order to get you to cooperate with the 'treatment,' I had no choice but to use this method."

Xiao fell silent for a moment.

He certainly remembered his conversation with Han Fulai a few days earlier at the Wangshu Inn, and he also knew that Han Fulai wanted to help him get rid of the "karmic obstacles" on his body.

With his cultivation level, he wouldn't easily be possessed by the "Dream Wandering in Various Realms" technique. The fact that Han Fulai could do this shows that Xiao's soul is far less powerful than before.

Even now, he is unwilling to accept this "treatment".

"Let me out," Xiao said coldly.

Han Fulai shook his head.

"Once I help you remove the demonic influence that is eroding your mind, True Lord Liuyun and the others will lift the seal. I am now your 'doctor,' and time is of the essence, so please cooperate with the treatment."

Xiao was a little angry, but mostly helpless.

He knew that this "dreamwalking technique" could not last long, and that if his soul left his body for too long, it would be unable to return to his body. Time was indeed running out, and he also knew that Han Fulai and his old friends were doing it for his own good. They were using this "amber prison" to imprison him because they were afraid that he, the "patient," would not cooperate with the "treatment" and would escape.

But Xiao has his own reasons.

For Xiao, those "karmic obstacles" are things he should bear, the karma he planted in the past, and the consequences he must swallow.

He willingly endured the torment of "karmic obstacles".

Only in this way does Xiao feel that he is worthy of living in this world.

Han Fulai then said in a deep voice, "Immortal Xiao, do you believe this is to atone for your past sins of killing? Is that right?"

Xiao couldn't help but feel saddened upon hearing this. Even though he was now a spirit and shouldn't have any emotions on his face, Han Fulai could clearly sense his emotional changes.

He knew he was right.

Xiao... He has never truly escaped the nightmare from two thousand years ago; he has been punishing himself all along.

The immortals of Liyue have always been objects of worship for mortals, and many immortals are still worshipped by the people even after they have passed away—for example, the "True Lord of the Sky-Shifting Path" who is commemorated as the "Bright Sky Lantern" during the Lantern Festival.

But Yaksha is not.

Among the Liyue Ascetics, the Yakshas receive the fewest offerings—for example, the "Bronze Sparrow Yaksha Temple" in the outskirts of Liyue is dedicated to a Yaksha named "Bronze Sparrow" who died protecting the people during the Demon God War. But now, that temple is dilapidated and no one repairs it, let alone offer any incense.

—Because the Yaksha has two faces in the hearts of the people of Liyue. One is a sage who vanquishes demons and monsters, and the other... is a hungry ghost that eats people.

During the Demon God War, the Yaksha tribe, controlled by the "Dream Demon God," truly killed and ate people.

The fear of the Yaksha still lingers in the hearts of the people of Liyue Harbor.

Most festivals in the world are celebrations, but few people remember the stories behind them.

These days were mostly the days when the man-eating monsters were subdued by the saints. People imitated their deeds, holding ceremonies to drive away the monsters and commemorate the heroic acts. This custom gradually evolved into a celebratory festival.

Of all these festivals, the one that Xiao hates the most is the "Sea Lantern Festival".

Not only because during the Lantern Festival, a large number of suppressed demons would erupt with resentment, requiring him to fight hard all night, but also because... Xiao felt he was not worthy of celebrating the Lantern Festival.

The Lantern Festival was once held to commemorate the subjugation of the "Hungry Ghost Yaksha" by the Rock King Emperor.

The "Demon-Slaying Dance" that Xiao is currently performing was originally a blessing dance performed in ancient Liyue to drive away Yakshas, ​​who were feared monsters at the time.

In ancient times, before the Liyue New Year, there was a festival called "La Festival," held the day before the Lantern Festival. One ancient custom within it was "Nuo," also known as Nuo dance or Nuo opera, a ritual to drive away disease and evil spirits. This involved wearing masks to frighten ghosts and using dance and other rituals to drive away evil spirits and ward off plagues in the coming year. The demon mask worn by Xiao was once used by humans to drive him away.

After Yaksha was subdued by the Rock King, he became a member of the immortals. Therefore, the "La Festival" has disappeared from people's memories and merged with the Lantern Festival. No one will drive away Yaksha anymore, and there are even a few believers who are willing to make offerings to Yaksha... But Xiao cannot forget the past.

Some people in this world commit crimes and then try to escape responsibility—they ignore them, forget them, shirk their duties, say it's all someone else's fault or the world's fault, and try to silence others, pretending the crime never happened. Even worse, some will try to rewrite history to appease public opinion.

Xiao won't.

He will not run away from his past.

He could not forget his "sin," and he continued to suffer his "punishment."

Han Fulai had previously read a book about Yakshas in the game, titled "The Method of Giving Alms to Hungry Ghosts in the Sky".

Scholars from the Sumeru Order conducted folklore research on Liyue and compiled their findings into a book titled "Travels in the Land Between the Lapis Lazuli Rocks," with one edition existing in Sumeru and another in Liyue. The version preserved in Liyue was renamed "Lapis Lazuli in the Box, Moon in the Clouds," and many of the witchcraft and mystical elements were removed.

The "Dharma of Giving Alms to Hungry Ghosts in the Void" is a section of the complete version that is only preserved in the collection of the Sumeru Kyoryokuin.

The text mentions that although the "Immortal Yakshas" possess great supernatural powers and virtues, they are still bound by their own karmic obstacles and occasionally suffer great fear and pain. This is the suffering of the hungry ghosts who wander in the sky, which lasts for millions of years.

This text also lists various ways to appease the Yaksha sage, including offering food and performing melodious music. By doing so, the Yaksha will surely be pleased and willing to protect people's peace.

The Yakshas are skilled in combat and often lead their troops into battle as warriors. However, the numerous wars of the past thousand years have nearly wiped out the Yaksha race. Today, a massive, broken statue of a Yaksha still stands in the Liyue region, though its face is completely destroyed.

—The statues of the Liyue Ascetics are all worshipped and repaired, and the incense is burned continuously, but the statues of the Yakshas are damaged, which in itself shows the attitude of some Liyue people towards the Yakshas.

Especially since only the face was damaged, it was clearly because the face of the enemy was seen.

The term "flying hungry ghosts" refers to the image of the Yaksha people in the hearts of the people of Liyue—hungry ghosts that fly through the air and devour people.

The "giving" to the Yakshas is actually a description of the "Hungry Ghost Realm" in the Buddhist Six Realms of Reincarnation.

Han Fulai was interested in this at the time and read some Buddhist stories, such as the Nirvana Sutra, which recorded stories about giving alms to hungry ghosts.

It is said that once when the Buddha was traveling, he came to the village of Kumbum, where there was a hungry ghost who killed many living beings and ate one person every day.

Although the Buddha wished to convert it, he saw that it was violent, foolish, and unfit to accept the Dharma. So he first used his supernatural powers to subdue the hungry ghost, causing it to be terrified and faint. Afterwards, the Buddha revived it, restored its Buddha form, and preached various Buddhist teachings to it, leading it to take the precept of not killing.

After receiving the precepts, the hungry ghost in the wilderness asked, "My family and I have always lived by eating flesh and blood. Now that we have received the precepts to abstain from killing, won't we starve to death?" The Buddha promised, "From now on, I will have my disciples, wherever they practice the Dharma, provide you with food and drink."

After that, the temple would offer food to the hungry ghosts and demons before lunch every day, and recite the following verse: "Great Garuda, all the ghosts and demons of the wilderness, Rakshasa and Hariti, may you be filled with sweet dew."

The story of the Rock King subduing the Yaksha clan coincides with a Buddhist story, and the Garuda is the true form of the demon.

What Han Fulai needs to do now is to "give alms" to Xiao.

He took out the "Dust-Cleansing Bell" that Grandma Ping had lent him.

The "Dust-Cleansing Bell" was originally made by Gui Zhong, a demon god from Guili Plain. It is said to be a magical bell specially prepared for immortals. Its sound is exquisite and resonant, lingering for a long time, and can cleanse the mortal world. Zhongli once borrowed this "Dust-Cleansing Bell" from Granny Ping during the "Sending Off the Immortals Ceremony" to play "Funeral Music" for himself. Han Fulai remembers that the melody was quite elegant, bringing peace and joy to those who heard it.

At this moment, Han Fulai held the "Dust-Cleansing Bell" in his hand, as if he could feel a life force pulsating within it, as if it might fly out of his hand at any moment.

He opened his palm, and the "Dust-Cleansing Bell" rose slowly into the air on its own.

Before they came to the back of Mount Aozang to hold the ceremony, they had discussed the ceremony's procedures. The very talkative Liuyun Jiefeng Zhenjun saw the "Dust-Cleansing Bell" and started chatting, reminiscing about his old friends and casually telling them a story about "Aping's childhood"—

"I am by nature indifferent, reserved in my emotions, and dislike socializing. My connection with Gui Zhong began with our study of mechanical arts." This was the opening statement of True Lord Liu Yun Jie Feng.

Then she was immediately refuted by her old friend, who shook his head very honestly and said, "No, you are the most talkative among us. You were the one who insisted on chatting with others in the first place..."

Lord Liuyun pushed up his glasses and said seriously, "Not showing timidity in front of others does not mean that I enjoy socializing... This is called an outgoing introvert!"

True Lord Li Shui Die Shan tugged at his overly honest old friend and whispered, "Don't say anything, or she'll start telling you the story of when you were first accepted as a disciple by the Emperor..."

The True Lord of Shaving the Moon and Building the Sun immediately shut his mouth.

Liu Yun Jie Feng Zhenjun changed the subject, turning the conversation to Granny Ping: "In the end, I am not like Ge Chen Lang Shi. She is both bold and meticulous, and she is also eloquent. Her friendship with Gui Zhong is only stronger than mine... The two of them used to be rivals, and they often competed in composing music."

"That 'Dust-Cleansing Bell' is Gui Zhong's masterpiece. It can be used for both composing and playing music..."

It is said that Granny Ping was proficient in music, skilled at playing the guzheng, and was a leader among the immortals in composing. Even the Emperor was deeply attracted by her music, calling it "celestial music."

However, the demon god Gui Zhong took a different approach and created this "Dust-Cleansing Bell," using mechanical arts to compose music, often competing with Granny Ping in composing music.

Gui Zhong believed that although mechanical art could not completely replace human composition, its finished products were comparable to simple compositions.

Grandma Ping believed that music is the sound of the soul, something that arises from feeling, and could never be spontaneously generated by a mechanism.

The two argued endlessly; in modern terms, it would probably be a debate about whether human composition or AI composition is better.

Finally, the Emperor intervened and confiscated the bell.

Since then, the two have often met in the mountains to discuss elegant music, mechanical arts, and various aspects of human life.

But the good times didn't last long.

Later, when the demons and gods clashed, the battle at Guili Plain raged on. Gui was ultimately no match for the invaders and perished in the battle.

When the immortals arrived, only the remains of their deceased friend remained amidst the ruins.

Afterwards, at Grandma Ping's request, King Yan entrusted the "Dust-Cleansing Bell" to her for safekeeping.

"The 'Dust-Cleansing Bell,' powered by mechanical means, is perfectly suited for accompaniment and played a crucial role in the later rituals of sending off the immortals. Ge Chenlangshi later specifically requested it, not to compose funeral music. Every time she rang the bell, the melody played was the one composed by Gui Zhong," sighed Liu Yun Jie Feng Zhenjun. "The two of them once had a clash of musical ideas. No one expected that after Gui Zhong's passing, as Ge Chenlangshi played her zither in remembrance, the melodies they had each composed gradually merged..."

"Ge Chenlang City used to love lively gatherings, enjoying wine and singing... After Gui Zhong left, she no longer loved company, often sitting alone on the mountaintop, playing her zither and lost in thought. Sometimes she was sad, sometimes soothing, and sometimes passionate... After countless years, she seemed to have finally composed a satisfactory melody, and played it to the clouds to celebrate. Unfortunately, I only heard her play it once."

"I once asked her why she stopped playing the piece after finally composing a satisfactory score. She replied, 'The strings are not broken, but the soulmate is gone. Liuyun, tell me, to whom should this piece be told?'"

The "Dust-Cleansing Bell" vibrated gently, and the lingering sound of the original composition echoed here. The title of the piece is "Moon in a Cup".

Chapter 349 Suspended Might Breaks the Inner Demon [4k]

The "Dust-Cleansing Bell" moves automatically without wind, and the ancient melody sealed within it thousands of years ago gently ripples within the "Amber Prison".

The tone was light and soft, like a gentle breeze caressing one's face.

Listening to this song, "Moon in a Cup," Xiao inexplicably thought of the Lantern Festival a few months ago.

That night, he cleaned up the restless remnants of the demon god under Guyun Pavilion, and then crossed thousands of mountains and rivers to arrive at Lisha Suburbs.

At the top of that dilapidated little temple on the outskirts of Liyue, Xiao stood alone, gazing at the brightly lit Liyue Harbor in the distance.

Xiao didn't find the battle dangerous. If his efforts could bring peace to Liyue Harbor, it would all be worthwhile.

He watched as people lit the lanterns, the blessed lights illuminating the night sky and the nearby sea.

The bustling city life, the vibrant atmosphere, all seem like a dream. The lively docks and streets appear small and serene amidst the towering mountains.

At this moment, a special emotion also arose in Xiao's heart.

Loneliness? Peace of mind? Or perhaps, fear of the future? The young immortal asked himself these questions, but found no answers.

Under the bright moonlight, Xiao quietly reminisced about his past.

Fushe, Mi Nu, Fanan, Yingda, Tongque... the figures of his old friends appeared before his eyes one by one.

The crystal-clear moonlight made the blue figure appear dreamlike and ethereal.

—As long as I have this moonlight to keep me company, that's enough.

That's what Xiao thinks.

Seeing that Xiao's soul was no longer restless but rather tranquil, Han Fulai knew that the crucial step had been successful.