Chapter 364: All Going to the Underworld

Lu Shan Jun’s wind-riding speed immediately increased as he left Xiao Liang Mountain, fleeing rapidly in the direction Ji Yuan had departed. He naturally entertained the thought of catching up with his mentor, especially since he had only stayed behind to say a couple more words, meaning they had left almost simultaneously.

Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned. You can't wake someone who's pretending to be asleep, nor can you catch someone who deliberately hides from you, especially when that person is more capable than you.

With the Tai Xu Jade Talisman secretly given to him by Qiu Feng of Yuhuai Mountain, and Ji Yuan deliberately concealing his aura, few could find him. Lu Shan Jun, at least, was not among them.

After pursuing him for nearly half a day, having already traveled almost an entire prefecture beyond Xining Prefecture without spotting Ji Yuan, Lu Shan Jun finally gave up. He rode the wind back, as there were still matters to attend to in Xining Prefecture – not for himself, but concerning Monk Jue Ming.

Ji Yuan watched Lu Shan Jun fly into the distance from the sky, then took out a dry leaf packet from his sleeve. He opened it to find a handful of dried goji berries.

He put one in his mouth and chewed it; it was sweet with a hint of sourness, quite delicious.

Another half day passed, and dusk began to fall. In the wilderness outside Xining Prefecture city, Lu Shan Jun slowly descended from the sky. Seeing no one around, he opened his mouth and exhaled a breath, which materialized before him as a *chang* ghost – none other than Monk Jue Ming.

"Blessed is the Great Ming King Buddha, is this the body of a ghost...?"

Monk Jue Ming finished reciting the Buddhist chant, then reached out to examine himself. He couldn't feel his heartbeat and was insensitive to external temperature changes; at least, he felt no cold.

Lu Shan Jun looked at the monk. Now that the monk had become a *chang* ghost, although Lu Shan Jun couldn't know the specifics of his thoughts, he could clearly perceive his emotional shifts and his persistent good and evil intentions.

So, in a sense, Lu Shan Jun now understood Monk Jue Ming's Buddhist nature better than the monk himself and was aware of his current disposition. If Lu Shan Jun's transformation into human form was a complete rebirth, then Monk Jue Ming, having died once and become a *chang* ghost, experienced a similar profound change.

Compared to typical *chang* ghosts, Monk Jue Ming's aura was peaceful and devoid of any chilling presence. Lu Shan Jun could now better understand why the monks of Daming Temple were so anxious about Jue Ming. However, if Jue Ming hadn't died and had remained in the temple, such a transformation might not have occurred.

"Master Jue Ming, a *chang* ghost is still a ghost; it fears sunlight and the *yang* essence, and it has the weaknesses of a ghost. However, a *chang* ghost is fundamentally different from an ordinary ghost, bearing more resemblance to a human. And you, in particular, resemble a human even more. This is a desolate woodland on the outskirts, and Xining Prefecture is just ahead. I will release you now!"

Lu Shan Jun no longer called the monk "Zhao Long" but directly addressed him as "Master Jue Ming." As he finished speaking, he reabsorbed a wisp of faint smoke from the monk's *chang* ghost form.

"After I release you, you will no longer be my *chang* ghost. Though you will have your freedom, be aware that the magic power I bestowed upon you will only sustain you for one year. After that, you'll have to rely on your own ghostly lifespan. I'm not sure how many years you'll have, so if there's anything you wish to do, you should seize the opportunity."

Monk Jue Ming bowed in Buddhist salute.

"Many thanks, Benefactor Lu!"

Lu Shan Jun cupped his hands in return.

"Master, take care. I hope we meet again someday. Oh, and you can visit places near the jurisdictions of river gods, earth gods, and mountain gods, but you must be especially wary of underworld deities and ghosts. No matter how good a ghost you are, if they encounter a wandering spirit, their duty dictates that they will most likely not let you go."

"Understood, this humble monk is aware!"

Although the demon across from him had just consumed him, Jue Ming was now genuinely grateful. Seeing that Lu Shan Jun seemed about to leave, he quickly spoke up to ask about something that concerned him.

"Shan Jun, have you met all nine people from back then? And what were the outcomes?"

Lu Shan Jun smiled, sat on a nearby rock, and once again exhaled, summoning the *chang* ghost Lan Ningke.

"This person is Lan Ningke, more of a scoundrel than Zhao Long used to be."

Upon manifesting, Lan Ningke immediately looked at Jue Ming, a smile appearing on his face. Although his appearance hadn't changed much (despite being bald), he immediately recognized who it was.

"Hahahaha... Zhao Long, you got eaten too! Hahahaha, you're no good either, pretending to be a monk!"

Jue Ming put his palms together in a respectful gesture.

"Benefactor Lan's words are indeed true. Buddhist teachings are compassionate. May you soon escape the sea of suffering. Blessed is the Great Ming King Buddha."

"You..."

Lan Ningke was stunned, feeling as if he had punched cotton. For a moment, he didn't know what to say. This shift in his mood was particularly amusing to Lu Shan Jun, who could sense it.

Lu Shan Jun continued, a smile playing on his lips.

"Luo Ning Shuang married, and now raises her children while supporting her husband, still possessing a chivalrous heart; she should raise some good children. Although Lu Cheng Feng didn't eliminate evil in the martial world, he upheld the chivalry in his heart, acting with integrity and openness. Wang Ke is the chief constable of Yaqian Prefecture, having apprehended countless criminals and always acting impartially in his duties. Du Heng is even more remarkable; it was thought that losing an arm would end his martial arts path, but he instead used his left hand to strive diligently. He has even gathered a group of wandering heroes, traveling far and wide to uphold justice, and is now a renowned hero of his generation. As for the others, I haven't found them yet."

Jue Ming nodded. He had met Du Heng and had felt a touch of envy when he saw him at the monastery back then.

"Thank you, Benefactor Lu, for informing me. This humble monk shall now depart. Benefactor Lan, please take care as well."

After another bow, Jue Ming turned and headed towards Xining Prefecture city. Lan Ningke, meanwhile, snapped back to reality, appearing somewhat agitated.

"Shan Jun, you released him? You gave him his freedom? Why? Why him? Why!?"

"Why so many 'whys'? If you understood why, you'd be gone too!"

Lu Shan Jun couldn't be bothered to respond further. After uttering that remark, he swallowed the *chang* ghost whole again, returning Lan Ningke to that lightless, airless prison state where, unless Lu Shan Jun shared a sliver of perception, he could see nothing, hear nothing, and feel nothing.

This was the sorrow of a *chang* ghost: no physical freedom, little mental privacy, and yet unable to go insane even if it wished to.

Lu Shan Jun resumed riding the wind and flew away, but Ji Yuan did not leave. Instead, he descended into Xining Prefecture city and followed Monk Jue Ming, curious to see what the monk would do.

After winding through the city streets, Monk Jue Ming arrived at the Zhao residence, presumably his mundane home. He entered the compound with familiarity, went into the inner courtyard, and in a bedroom, bowed three times towards two elders on a bed before leaving the residence.

After following the monk for another quarter of an hour or so, Ji Yuan suddenly looked up at the sky and couldn't help but smile.

It was truly a case of "like master, like disciple," as Lu Shan Jun was also watching from a distance, though not too close, clearly not wanting Jue Ming to notice him.

The fact that Lu Shan Jun cared about Jue Ming's opinion itself showed the extent to which he had changed his view of the monk, or perhaps his acceptance of him.

Monk Jue Ming, at this moment, was like a living person, slowly and steadily walking, eventually arriving at the Temple Bureau quarter of Xining Prefecture.

His eyes were half-closed, his expression serene, and he chanted Buddhist scriptures as he walked towards the City God Temple.

Two night patrols approached, bringing with them a chilling wind. After glancing at the monk, they were about to pass by Jue Ming when they were unexpectedly called out to.

"Are you two underworld deities?"

It was Jue Ming's first time seeing ghost deities, but he felt little novelty and his emotions remained calm. Instead, the two night patrols exchanged glances and turned to face him with interest.

"This master indeed possesses some cultivation; he can actually see us."

"That's right. We are night patrols under the City God of Xining Prefecture's underworld. I am the Right Deputy, and he is the Left Deputy. How may we assist you, Master?"

Jue Ming bowed in a Buddhist salute.

"Blessed is the Great Ming King Buddha, esteemed Night Patrols. This humble monk is a ghost who committed grave sins. Please take me to the underworld. If possible, this humble monk would also like to meet some wrongfully deceased souls."

"You?"

"A ghost?"

The two night patrols exclaimed in surprise, scrutinizing Jue Ming.

His aura was stable, yin and yang balanced, without malevolent energy, vengeful intent, or accompanying bad karma. There was even a faint Buddhist aura. They had never encountered such a ghost in all their years.

"Indeed. This humble monk only recently died, so perhaps I lack some ghostly essence."

Lacked some ghostly essence? Those words sounded somewhat absurd.

But seeing that the monk didn't appear to be insane, the Right Deputy narrowed his eyes, used his magic, and suddenly slapped the monk on the back of his head, causing Jue Ming to stumble.

"He really is a ghost!"

"Strange... A ghost like you exists?"

The two night patrols found it rather amusing and, treating him with courtesy, "invited" the monk to the underworld.

'He actually went to the underworld!'

Ji Yuan and Lu Shan Jun had similar thoughts at that moment. They had both previously speculated about this possibility, and while not surprised to see it happen, they couldn't help but feel a touch of emotion.

Ji Yuan even wondered if Lu Shan Jun's act of going to Daming Temple and consuming Jue Ming was detrimental or beneficial to Buddhist teachings.

In early summer, Lu Shan Jun found Bao Dong in You Prefecture. This individual had not become a great martial hero, nor had he turned into a villain; he was now an administrator within his sect.

Lu Shan Jun appeared at Bao Dong's home one night after observing him for two days.

Lu Shan Jun's arrival thoroughly startled Bao Dong, and their entire interaction was filled with tension and cold sweat. Fortunately, Bao Dong wasn't eaten, and the demon soon departed.

Ji Yuan appeared after Bao Dong's mood had somewhat calmed. He simply made small talk with him, discussing the ups and downs of his life over the past nearly two decades and the gradual erosion of his ambitions.

There were no complaints or reprimands, just quiet listening and conversation, until dawn when Ji Yuan finally left.

In truth, among ordinary people, situations like Bao Dong's and Luo Ning Shuang's should be the most normal; they simply had the added aura of being martial arts practitioners.

A few more days passed. When he found Dong Bi Cheng, the outcome was somewhat surprising to Lu Shan Jun. Dong Bi Cheng's aura felt relatively weak in his perception, leading him to expect another special circumstance. The situation was indeed special, but not in the way Lu Shan Jun had anticipated.

At the foot of a mountain in Laoyang Prefecture, Yan Province, Lu Shan Jun stood before a tomb, looking at the inscription on the stone tablet with some distress, murmuring bitterly to himself.

"Dong Bi Cheng, oh, Dong Bi Cheng, why were you so short-lived? Now I have to go to the underworld to find you. How am I supposed to get in there?"

The agreement bound both the nine heroes and Lu Shan Jun. The situation was truly one where he needed to "see the person alive and the ghost dead."