Chapter 10: Finally Didn't Die of Fright

The fierce tiger outside the temple and the attendant ghost beside it were both filled with apprehension after the question was answered, while the people inside the temple were all stunned into silence for a long moment, creating a brief silence.

Ji Yuan once again calmed his emotions, pondering how to harmoniously communicate with the man-eating tiger demon.

As the fierce tiger outside the temple grew restless, a drawn-out voice finally emerged from within.

“Lu Shan-jun, you indeed have great courage. If it were other demons, they would likely have tried to deceive me with a few words. You haven't made me underestimate you!”

The scholar-attendant ghost couldn't help but clench his fists in his sleeve, and Lu Shan-jun, the tiger demon, was secretly delighted.

“Humans are the most intelligent of all beings. Perhaps some demons believe that eating humans is the most nourishing. What do you think, Lu Shan-jun?”

Ji Yuan didn't wait for the tiger demon to speak again and immediately posed another question.

Beyond trying to dissuade the creature outside from its intention to eat humans, his primary goal was to stall for time, allowing him to devise appropriate words. After all, if he failed to trick it, its sudden outburst of rage would mean the end for everyone.

Despite the simplicity of the question, the tiger and the attendant ghost outside grew anxious again.

Lu Shan-jun's massive tiger head merely stared at the attendant ghost. He himself had no idea how to answer. Saying “yes” felt absolutely wrong, while saying “no” seemed too simple. What if the person in the temple then asked, “Why not?”

The scholar-attendant ghost anxiously paced back and forth, feeling as if a strict teacher from his student days was beside him, testing his knowledge.

“Have you thought of something? Have you?”

“Don't rush, Shan-jun, don't rush... I've got it!”

“Quick, tell me, tell me!”

The scholar subconsciously raised his sleeve to wipe away non-existent sweat, replying in a low voice.

“The answer to this question naturally cannot agree with the previous statement. The key is how to explain a dissenting view without refuting Shan-jun's previous words, considering Shan-jun has eaten fifty-three people... Shan-jun, you must say it like this...”

The expression on Lu Shan-jun’s tiger face shifted from vexation to a frown, then to relief.

“Are you saying that no matter how we answer, it will surely be wrong, and we only need to be true to ourselves without contradicting ourselves?”

“Exactly, Shan-jun, trust me!”

The fierce tiger nodded slightly and spoke towards the temple.

“I have pondered your question deeply, Master. Since developing sentience, I, Lu Shan-jun, have long resided on Niu Kui Mountain, rarely encountering other demons, so I don't know their thoughts. For me, indeed, eating humans is nourishing, but your question has suddenly made me feel uneasy. I ask you, Master, to instruct me!”

He actually threw the question back.

However, this was exactly what Ji Yuan intended. As a young man who had lived through the internet boom, he had been exposed to an indescribably vast amount of information and knowledge. As long as he wasn't completely flustered, it wasn't difficult to conjure up something profound and logical. Not to mention, those "chicken soup for the soul" platitudes alone were quite catchy.

This time, Ji Yuan didn't make Lu Shan-jun and the attendant ghost wait long. The person inside the temple directly answered the question.

“It is often said that humans are the spirit of all creation, and the essence of plants, trees, birds, and beasts are drawn to them. However, humans are also the most emotionally complex beings in the world, perpetually entangled in resentment and karma. When demons consume humans for too long, they easily become addicted, believing it nourishes their cultivation, but they are already consumed by malevolent energy. Over time, while they may progress in some ways, they are unable to break through. With each passing day, their temperament becomes more savage, their spiritual insight becomes clouded, until they descend into madness... This is indeed the path to self-destruction.”

Lu Shan-jun, the massive tiger, swallowed hard as he listened, and the fur all over his body bristled slightly.

No one had ever said such things before. Although the scholar-attendant ghost had mentioned some books that often contained advice on cultivating goodness, they were mostly filled with laughable pedantry. Now, the words from the person in the temple made him break out in a cold sweat.

Because Lu Shan-jun indeed had an increasing urge to eat humans the more he consumed, and he had indeed been stuck in his cultivation for a long time. The person in the temple should not have known this, so with these two points corroborated, he naturally believed this reasoning deeply.

At this moment, Lu Shan-jun had even forgotten the question he originally asked. Instead, he urgently questioned the person inside the temple.

“Master, is there, is there a way to remedy this?”

Upon hearing this, Ji Yuan carefully let out a breath of relief. A huge weight was lifted from his mind; his bluff was crucial!

“I heard from Lu Shan-jun earlier that you eat humans much like humans eat birds and beasts: you don't slaughter indiscriminately, you don't eat when full, you don't eat during the day, and you don't eat the old, young, sick, or disabled. Among demons, this is already extremely rare. Heh heh heh, perhaps Lu Shan-jun sparing me, this rotten beggar, back then was also out of this respect!”

“I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare! Master, you are a profound person; Lu Shan-jun would never presume to offend you!”

Lu Shan-jun's heart panicked again, and he quickly responded with an explanation. Indeed, that was the initial situation; he had gradually come to suspect the beggar might not be simple, but it was only a suspicion. Today, however, it was confirmed.

Ji Yuan did not dare to push his luck and slowly continued.

“The method of remedy is simple, yet also difficult; it's certainly not merely a matter of not eating humans. However, its fundamental principle is not profound: cultivation is like being a human – a righteous body, a righteous mind, and a righteous path are the foundations.”

Ji Yuan paused, feeling that this statement might not be impressive enough to fully subdue the tiger demon. He immediately added another sentence.

“The Dao of Heaven diminishes the abundant and supplements the deficient; the Dao of Man diminishes the deficient to serve the abundant. Previously, you asked me about my enlightenment, and now you ask me how to remedy your situation—all derive from this principle... Lu Shan-jun, you and I share no small fate. Today, enough has been said!”

After saying this, Ji Yuan nervously awaited the reaction from outside.

Outside, the fierce tiger’s brow furrowed then relaxed, relaxed then furrowed again, as it pondered deeply, seemingly grasping something while also feeling the profound depth of the words. Yet, its heart felt much more settled.

The silence inside and outside the temple lasted for several long minutes, which tormented Ji Yuan, though surprisingly, he wasn't overly panicked.

“Rustle… rustle, rustle, rustle…”

“Whoosh~~~ whoosh~~~”

Amidst the swaying of the wind, after deep contemplation, Lu Shan-jun slowly began to move his limbs, heading towards the Mountain God Temple.

Each paw step felt like a claw treading on Ji Yuan’s heart. Cold sweat involuntarily seeped from his back again, and he internally screamed: I'm going to die, I'm going to die, I'm going to die! It seems I bloody overacted and sealed my own doom!

At this moment, Zhang Shilin and the other itinerant merchants were surprisingly in better spirits. Although still incredibly nervous, they couldn't hear the tiger's steps, and having already decided there was a master nearby, their hearts felt much calmer.

Within a few breaths, Lu Shan-jun had reached the temple entrance.

Then, to the horror of Ji Yuan and the assembled itinerant merchants, a massive, striped tiger, estimated to be nearly four meters in length, slowly stepped through the temple gate, accompanied by that scholar Lu.

With yellow fur and black stripes, a 'king' character on its forehead, and fierce eyes, it inspired awe without even needing to rage.

The itinerant merchants couldn't even grip their weapons and collapsed in fright. Ji Yuan, too, dared not move a muscle.

The fierce tiger's gaze completely ignored everyone else, fixed instead on the beggar sitting beside the dilapidated Mountain God statue. Though disheveled and dirty, his pair of half-closed, tired eyes stared straight ahead at the entrance.

“Lu Shan-jun will never forget the grace of Master's guidance!”

The fierce tiger actually raised its body, crossed its front paws, and made a cupped-fist salute, bowing three times towards Ji Yuan.

Then, it returned to all fours, its tiger eyes turned to the attendant ghost, and with an inhale, a stream of white mist was drawn from the ghost's body into the tiger's.

“I once promised you that if you could help me, I would release you. Go now!”

The scholar-attendant ghost was overjoyed. He bowed to Lu Shan-jun, then knelt directly before Ji Yuan, knocking his head several times. He then faced the itinerant merchants and kowtowed several times to them as well. Without another word, he transformed into wisps of smoke and drifted away, disappearing before even leaving the temple gate.

After the scholar-attendant ghost left, Lu Shan-jun looked at the itinerant merchants. In their terrified gazes, he then spit out another attendant ghost, Wang Dong, and similarly sent him away.

Seeing this, Ji Yuan offered a stiff smile, relieved he hadn't been scared to death.

“I dare not disturb your rest, Master. Lu Shan-jun takes his leave!”

Having done all this, and leaving behind that statement, the fearsome tiger slowly departed from the Mountain God Temple, and the surrounding wind sounds gradually subsided.