Chapter 192: Modern Law and Ancient Law

During Qin Zizhou’s ghost body transformation, the four individuals surrounding him felt the process most intensely. Qin Zizhou himself did not perceive it as profoundly; he simply felt a change from a chilling cold to warmth, accompanied by a general sense of refreshment.

Throughout this process, Old Dragon’s direct involvement meant that the two River Gods only needed to continuously gesture with their hands, channeling incense and prayer power, without having to divert their attention to maintaining the Spring of Yin Spirits.

After Ji Yuan used the imperial decree sound to guide Qin Zizhou’s body transformation, his chanting of the decree paused briefly before continuing.

“Heaven’s light does not scorch, the yin chill remains still. The true form can transform and possess a tangible body. The earth cannot bind, the heavens have no limit. The spiritual path conceives itself, the divine path becomes clear!”

With each word spoken, a profound Xuanhuang Qi appeared, converging into characters. These characters illuminated one by one with golden light above Qin Zizhou’s head, then seeped into his body one by one.

Old Dragon was somewhat startled; this Xuanhuang Qi remarkably resembled the Light of Merit. To be honest, apart from Bai Qi, who had experienced it firsthand, Old Dragon was the only one who could discern its true nature by simply observing. Other ghosts and deities believed it was merely a magical light from Ji Yuan’s divine ability.

*Can someone now manifest the power of merit separately? Is this something true immortals can do, and I’m unaware? Or…*

Old Dragon was both surprised and alarmed, just as Bai Qi had been. Wielding Xuanhuang power to participate in the work of creation—this ability, similar to that of a Boundary Roaming God, existed only in legends.

He remembered that after his own birthday banquet, Bai Qi had departed joyfully after receiving a single piece of advice from Ji Yuan. The white flood dragon’s words at the time were ambiguous, but now he somewhat understood. No wonder Ji Yuan could summon Bai Qi with a single word to participate in an event so detrimental to the divine path.

Thinking of this, Old Dragon looked at Qin Zizhou before him and couldn’t help but narrow his eyes, his thoughts drifting far.

*Boundary Roaming God…*

Meanwhile, after uttering so many Xuanhuang Edicts in one breath, Ji Yuan stood there, visibly exhausted. Even though he tried his best to circulate the Five Elements Qi within him to alleviate the dizziness caused by the energy consumption, his fatigue was evident.

Fortunately, his cultivation was far superior now. With his rapid progress in cultivation, he at least didn't make a fool of himself. Had he done this a few years ago, he would likely have collapsed on the spot.

Others didn't notice, but Old Dragon, who still had enough strength to pay attention to other matters, frowned. He thought to himself, "Indeed, becoming a Boundary Roaming God is difficult. Just fostering someone who can walk this path has made Ji Yuan visibly exhausted. This is the first time I have seen Ji Yuan in such a state."

Approximately fifteen minutes passed, and the light in the entire Evil Punishment Department’s prison gradually dimmed. More precisely, it was slowly being absorbed into Qin Zizhou’s body. Qin Zizhou was no longer considered a ghost body. As all the light merged into him, his body also gradually brightened, transforming from Yin to Yang, from ethereal to solid.

Eventually, the entire Evil Punishment Department’s prison returned to its previous chilling atmosphere. Only Qin Zizhou glowed brightly, as if his entire body, including his hair, emitted a soft, unblinding luminescence.

The two River Deities remained seated beside him, regulating their breathing and calming their divine aura. Their recent expenditure of power had been excessive, affecting the foundation of their divine path. Fortunately, neither of these deities primarily relied on the divine path, so the damage wasn't severe enough to harm the fundamental aspects of their cultivation.

The gaze of everyone present, both humans and ghosts, was fixed on Qin Zizhou. They watched as the luminescence on his body gradually faded until he returned to the appearance of an ordinary person.

“Is this a golden body?”

“Doesn’t look like it!”

“Could it be a physical body? Is he alive again?”

“Well, not exactly…”

“Has the divine body of a Boundary Roaming God formed?” “Not that fast, is it? Didn’t Immortal Ji say he needed to cultivate from scratch?”

“This…”

At this moment, the ritual seemed to have concluded. The ghosts and deities on the outer perimeter whispered among themselves, but they couldn't come to a clear conclusion. When Qin Zizhou was glowing, he still resembled a divine being. Now, he looked completely like a living person. If they hadn’t witnessed the preceding scene, even the Prefectural City God would have thought a living person had entered the underworld.

Qin Zizhou felt no pain throughout the entire process. At most, he experienced temperature changes. But now he felt different again. His physical senses were no longer as dull as they were in his ghost body after death. He could feel the chill of the prison, the surrounding moisture, and a faint divine light. These changes seemed subtle, but they revealed a profound transformation in minute details.

Qin Zizhou stood up and looked at himself. He reached out and touched his arm, feeling its warmth. He even instinctively checked his pulse, thanks to his medical background.

Ji Yuan steadied his breath, and his spirits gradually recovered. He looked at Qin Zizhou, who appeared curious, excited, and slightly bewildered, and cupped his hands in a respectful gesture towards him.

“Congratulations, Fellow Daoist Qin, your spiritual body is complete!”

Old Dragon walked to one side and, uncharacteristically, cupped his hands.

“Congratulations to Fellow Daoist Qin!”

Although Qin Zizhou had virtually no cultivation yet, a Boundary Roaming God was rarely seen. Even Qin Zizhou, who now had to cultivate from scratch, commanded Old Dragon’s high regard.

Qin Zizhou quickly cupped his hands in return to both of them.

“Thank you, Immortal! Thank you, Dragon Lord!”

Afterward, Qin Zizhou bowed to Bai Qi and Ying Ruoli, who had finished calming their magical energy and regulating their breath, to express his gratitude.

“Thank you, Lord River God! Thank you, Lady River God!”

After thanking these two, Qin Zizhou turned again to face the numerous ghosts and gods.

“Thank you, Lord City God! Thank you, Lords of the various departments! Thank you, Earth God! Thank you, all Underworld Messengers!”

“Oh, oh, you’re too kind, too kind!” “No need for such formality, Sir Qin!”

“We didn’t do much to help!” “Congratulations, Sir Qin!”

“Congratulations, Sir Qin!”

The many ghosts and deities from the Underworld reciprocated the greetings. Qin Zizhou was no longer a mere ghost in the Underworld.

It was Qin Zizhou’s seventh day after death, the day for the first seven-day ritual. This time, his return home was different from other ghosts; there were no underworld messengers accompanying him. Qin Zizhou returned home alone.

Although he hadn't formally embarked on cultivation yet, the reborn Qin Zizhou possessed innate divine abilities. For instance, being invisible to mortals, like a deity, was a basic skill he knew without learning.

That night, the Qin family prepared a lavish meal for Qin Zizhou. However, all the family members were asleep in their own beds. Even those who couldn't sleep stayed in bed, covered with blankets.

In rural customs, only a few specific individuals needed to avoid the ghost’s return; it wasn't strictly forbidden for family members to stay. But it was absolutely forbidden for the deceased’s ghost to see crying relatives, as this would make it reluctant to leave. Fearing they couldn't hold back their tears, the Qin family simply followed the practice of some households: they left out offerings of food and then went to bed.

At approximately 11:15 PM, Qin Zizhou, without any inhibitions, entered his home through the main gate, just as he had in life. He walked through the courtyard and slowly made his way to the main hall.

Several oil lamps with shades illuminated the main hall.

On a square eight-person dining table, a lavish meal was laid out. There was fish, meat, both savory and vegetarian dishes. These were not only offerings for Qin Zizhou but also prepared for the underworld messengers who would escort the ghost home.

According to rural tradition, if the underworld messengers were well-fed and satisfied, they would not make things difficult for the deceased, sparing them from beatings.

Four or five dishes that Qin Zizhou particularly enjoyed were placed in the center.

“Heh, how thoughtful!”

Qin Zizhou immediately noticed a special dish: fermented amaranth with steamed tofu.

This was a dish Qin Zizhou loved in life, though it wasn't considered refined enough for formal occasions. But he enjoyed it. It was already autumn, and amaranth in Jizhou was past its prime. Few people still grew amaranth, let alone prepared fermented amaranth. At least in Deyuan County, it shouldn't be available. His family must have put in a lot of effort for this simple dish.

He couldn’t resist picking up the chopsticks from the table. He carefully took some tofu to eat. The melt-in-your-mouth texture and savory aftertaste still captivated Qin Zizhou.

He was neither human nor ghost, nor an ordinary ghost or deity. Yet, he possessed a tangible body that could consume grains and transform them into sustenance.

“Tsk tsk… delicious. Could it be that in my current state, my sense of taste has actually improved?”

Qin Zizhou laughed to himself. After eating for a while, he instinctively stopped. Then he walked towards an adjacent room to see his children. Someone like him wouldn't be hindered by underworld messengers, nor would he linger like a new ghost.

His old wife had passed away long ago. He knew in the underworld that her lifespan had been exhausted, and her soul had returned to heaven, dissipating into nothingness. His worldly attachments were now his children and his disciples.

However, Qin Zizhou didn't plan to visit each child individually. He went directly to his second son's room.

His second son had long since slept in a separate bed from his wife. He was soundly asleep on a bed in the corner of the room. Reaching his son's bedside, Qin Zizhou heard his son's rather rhythmic snoring.

“Alas, this child, with his congested airways and sluggish qi and blood, truly lacks exercise. Just like when he was young, he never listens to my advice!”

Murmuring, Qin Zizhou reached out and placed his hand over his son's head...

Qin Yan, deep in sleep, had a dream. In the dream, he was very young. Everyone around him seemed tall, and his own hands were very small.

This was the outer hall of Anren Grand Pharmacy. Qin Yan was pounding herbs with a few pharmacy assistants. These assistants looked exactly like the ones currently working at the pharmacy, not younger or like those from his childhood. Yet, in the dream, Qin Yan didn't feel any incongruity. And Qin Zizhou was presiding over the counter.

Suddenly, Qin Yan felt the light being blocked. He looked up and found his father standing close by.

“Father?”

“Yan’er, your elder brother died young, so now the family relies on you. You never liked listening to your father’s words, but I hope the Qin family’s Anren Grand Pharmacy can be passed down as much as possible. If, in the future, none of our descendants truly wish to study medicine, then so be it…”

Qin Yan looked at his father, who appeared somewhat blurred due to the backlighting, and said, “Oh.”

By Qin Yan's bedside, Qin Zizhou nodded. He stood up, walked straight through the door, and exited the Qin residence.

Outside, Ji Yuan and Old Dragon were indeed waiting.

“Sir Qin, won’t you take another look?”

Ji Yuan asked with a smile, and Old Dragon chimed in with a teasing remark.

“As the saying goes, ‘When one attains the Dao, even their chickens and dogs ascend to heaven.’ No one would say anything if you looked after them a bit more.”

Qin Zizhou waved his hand.

“No, no. It's not that I’m pedantic. Children and grandchildren have their own destinies. I, Qin, cannot stay here forever as the head of this household!”

Old Dragon let out a “tsk tsk” sound, then turned to face Ji Yuan.

“Mister Ji, now that Fellow Daoist Qin’s earthly matters are settled, shouldn’t you finally tell us your plans?”

Old Dragon had asked about this several times over the past few days. Ji Yuan, with a hint of playfulness, had kept silent, maintaining an air of mystery.

Hearing Old Dragon’s words, Qin Zizhou also looked at Ji Yuan with curiosity and expectation. Everyone said the Boundary Roaming God was wonderful and marvelous, but he currently had no cultivation methods, only ordinary divine path techniques.

The clumsy conjectures in “Legends of Heresy” had only stumbled upon one possibility for the Yang-spirit body of a Boundary Roaming God. There were absolutely no cultivation methods mentioned.

Ji Yuan, however, still didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he looked up at the stars in the sky. Only after a long silence did he speak.

“I know a place, within Cloud Mountain in Bingzhou…”

Old Dragon followed Ji Yuan’s gaze to the stars in the sky, and his heart stirred.

“Cloud Mountain Temple? The Star Chart?”

“Precisely!”

Ji Yuan and Old Dragon seemed to be playing word games, yet understanding each other implicitly.

“Although there are no true cultivation methods for the Boundary Roaming God passed down through the ages, true methods also have a beginning and an end. This ‘beginning’ might be ancient, but it can also be found in the present!”

Old Dragon’s eyes lit up, and then he looked at Ji Yuan with a half-smile.

“Interesting, interesting. But… what you’re saying, Mister Ji, is it truly not an ancient method?”

Ji Yuan withdrew his gaze from the starry sky and looked at Old Dragon with a perplexed expression.

“Hahaha… just joking, just joking!”

Old Dragon chuckled, then turned to look at Qin Zizhou, who appeared even more confused.