Chapter 10: This venerable one’s Humble Beginnings

Chapter 10: This venerable one’s Humble Beginnings

Fortunately, Mo Ran's playful performance of "verbal punishment" didn't reach Chu Wanning's
ears in its entirety. He blabbered on, barely managing to deceive him.

When Mo Ran returned to his own quarters, it was already late. He slept and woke up the next
day to continue his morning cultivation. After the morning practice, he indulged in his favorite
activity of the morning: breakfast.

Meng Po Hall was the place for breakfast, and as the morning practice ended, more people
started gathering.

Mo Ran sat across from Shi Mei, and Xue Meng arrived late. The spot next to Shi Mei was
taken by someone else, so Xue Meng reluctantly sat next to Mo Ran with a gloomy face,
holding his own breakfast.

If Mo Ran were to talk about the most exquisite aspect of the peak life and death technique, he
would say: "Our sect does not require fasting."

Unlike many other elegant sects in the cultivation world, the peak life and death technique had
its own way of cultivation that didn't require abstaining from meat or fasting. Therefore, the
meals in the sect were always abundant.

Mo Ran enjoyed a bowl of spicy and fragrant oil tea, sipping the shredded lettuce, crispy
soybeans, and a plate of golden and crispy pan-fried buns specially ordered for Shi Mei.

Xue Meng glanced at Mo Ran and sneered, "Mo Ran, I never thought you could survive the Red
Lotus Hell. Impressive."

Mo Ran didn't even lift his head. "And you should take a look at who I am."

"Who are you?" Xue Meng scoffed. "If Shi Zun hadn't spared your leg, would you still be
clueless about your identity?"

"Oh, I'm just a scallion. What about you?"

Xue Meng sneered, "I am Shi Zun's chief disciple."

"Appointed by yourself? Well, I suggest you go to Shi Zun and get a seal made, frame it and
hang it on the wall. Otherwise, it wouldn't be fair to the title of chief disciple, would it?"

With a snap, Xue Meng broke his chopsticks.

Shi Mei quickly mediated, "Enough arguing, let's eat."

Xue Meng huffed, "Hmph."

Mo Ran cheekily imitated him, "Hmph."

Xue Meng's anger flared, and he slammed the table. "You dare!"

Shi Mei saw that the situation was turning bad and quickly grabbed Xue Meng, "Young Master,
there are so many people watching. Let's eat and stop arguing."

The two of them didn't get along. Although they were cousins, they would always argue
whenever they met. After Shi Mei persuaded Xue Meng, he awkwardly sat between them, trying
to ease the tension and engage in conversation with both sides.

At one point, he asked Xue Meng, "Young Master, when will Lady's cat give birth?"

Xue Meng replied, "Oh, you mean Ali? My mother made a mistake. She's not pregnant; she just
ate too much, so her belly looks big."

Shi Mei: "............"

Then he asked Mo Ran, "Ran, do you still have to work for Shi Zun today?"

"I don't think so. I've finished everything that needed organizing. Today, I'll help you copy the
sect rules."

Shi Mei smiled, "How do you have time to help me? You still have a hundred copies to write for
yourself."

Xue Meng raised an eyebrow, looking somewhat surprised at Shi Mei, who was usually quiet.
"Why do you need to copy the sect rules too?"

Shi Mei looked embarrassed

, but before he could speak, suddenly, the bustling chatter in the dining hall abruptly fell silent.
The three turned their heads and saw Chu Wanning, dressed in white, entering Meng Po Hall.
He walked expressionlessly to the counter and started selecting snacks.

In the dining hall, with over a thousand disciples having their meals, the presence of Chu
Wanning made it as quiet as a cemetery. The disciples all ate silently, and even if they wanted
to communicate, they spoke in hushed voices.
Shi Mei sighed softly, looking at Chu Wanning holding a tray and sitting in the corner where he
usually sat. He silently drank his porridge and couldn't help but say, "Actually, I feel sorry for Shi
Zun sometimes."

Mo Ran raised his gaze. "Why do you say that?"

"Look, nobody dares to approach the place where he sits. When he's here, no one even dares
to speak loudly. It was okay when the Lord was here, but when the Lord is absent, he doesn't
even have someone to talk to. Isn't he lonely?"

Mo Ran snorted, "Well, he brought it upon himself."

Xue Meng became angry again, "How dare you mock Shi Zun?"

"I wasn't mocking him. I was just stating the facts," Mo Ran said and picked up another pan-fried
bun for Shi Mei. "With his temperament, who would want to stay with him?"

"You--!"

Mo Ran grinned lazily as he looked at Xue Meng and said, "Can't accept it? If you're not
satisfied, go sit with Shizun and have a meal. Don't sit with us."

With just one sentence, Xue Meng was silenced. Although he respected Chu Wanning, like
everyone else, he also feared him. He felt embarrassed and annoyed, unable to refute. He
could only kick the table legs a couple of times and sulk in his own frustration.

On Mo Ran's face, there was a trace of smugness, provocatively glancing at Little Fenghuang
before his gaze shifted through the crowd, landing on Chu Wanning.

For some reason, as he looked at the sole white figure among the deep blue silver-armored
individuals in the room, he suddenly thought of the person who had slept curled up in the cold
metal last night.

Shimei was right. Chu Wanning was truly pitiful.

But so what? The more pitiful he was, the happier Mo Ran felt. The more he thought about it,
the more obvious the curve of his lips that curled up involuntarily became.

Days passed by quickly.

Chu Wanning did not send him to the Red Lotus Water Pavilion again. Mo Ran's daily tasks
now consisted of washing dishes, feeding the chickens and ducks kept by Madam Wang,
weeding in the medicinal garden, and he was quite leisurely.
In the blink of an eye, one month of confinement had already passed.

On this day, Madam Wang called Mo Ran to the Danxin Hall, patting his head and asking, "A-
Ran, is your wound fully healed?"

Mo Ran smiled and squinted his eyes, "Auntie, don't worry, I'm completely fine."

"That's good. From now on, be careful when you go out. Don't make such a big mistake again
and anger your Shizun, do you understand?"

Mo Ran was particularly good at pretending to be innocent, "Auntie, I understand."

"Furthermore, there is another matter." Madam Wang took out a letter from the rosewood table
and said, "It has been a year since you joined. It is time for you to take on the responsibility of
demon-slaying. Yesterday, your uncle sent a message specifically for you to go down the
mountain and fulfill this mission after your confinement is over."

The rules of life and death dictate that after a disciple has been with the sect for a year, they
must venture out to slay demons. During their first demon-slaying mission, the disciple's Shizun
accompanies and assists them. In addition, the disciple must also invite a fellow disciple to
accompany them, so that they can support each other and understand the meaning of "Danxin
can be discerned, life and death remain unchanged."

Mo Ran's eyes lit up as he took the appointment letter and quickly tore it open, glancing through
it hurriedly. He couldn't help but smile widely.

Madam Wang worriedly said, "A-Ran, your uncle hopes that you will make a name for yourself
in this battle. The task he has assigned to you is a heavy one. Although Elder Yuheng has
profound cultivation, in the heat of battle, swords and knives show no mercy. He may not be
able to protect you well. Don't just focus on being happy and underestimate the enemy."

"I won't, I won't!" Mo Ran waved his hands repeatedly, grinning, "Auntie, don't worry, I will take
care of myself." After saying that, he quickly packed his belongings.

"This child..." Madam Wang watched his figure and her gentle and beautiful face filled with
worry. "How did he become so happy

just by receiving a mission?"

Could Mo Ran not be happy?

The demon-slaying task entrusted to him by his uncle took place in Caidie Town. It was
commissioned by a local landowner named Chen.
Regardless of what kind of monsters or ghosts were causing trouble there, the key point was
that in his past life, it was in Caidie Town where he was bewitched by demonic influence, lost
his sanity, and forcibly kissed Shimei in the illusion. This was one of the few rare intimate
moments Mo Ran had with Shimei, and it was truly enchanting and unforgettable.

Moreover, because he was bewitched, it was difficult for Shimei to hold him accountable. What
a cunning move! After all, even if someone "cuddled" with him, they couldn't find him to settle
the score.

Mo Ran's joyful eyes curved into hooks. Even in completing this assignment, which had to be
done together with Chu Wanning, he didn't mind at all.

Exorcism relied on the master, while seducing men relied on oneself. Why not take on this
beautiful task?

Having invited Shimei and reported to Shizun, the three of them rode swiftly and arrived at the
troubled Caidie Town.

It was a town known for its abundance of flowers, with fields of flowers extending for dozens of
miles outside the residential area. As a result, colorful butterflies always fluttered around the
town, hence the name Caidie Town.

When the three of them arrived, it was already evening. The sound of drums and music echoed
at the village entrance, creating a lively scene. A group of musicians dressed in bright red robes
played suona horns and emerged from the alley.

Shimei wondered, "Are they getting married? Why are they coming at night?"

Chu Wanning replied, "It's a ghost wedding."

A ghost wedding, also known as a Yin wedding or bone matching, is a posthumous marriage
arranged for unmarried individuals who died prematurely. This custom is not prevalent in
impoverished areas, but in wealthy Caidie Town, it is a common occurrence to find spouses for
young men and women who had not been married in their lifetime.

The ghost wedding procession was grand, divided into two lines. One line carried real satin and
silk, while the other line carried paper offerings. They surrounded a large sedan chair decorated
in red and white, with golden lanterns held by the attendants, and made their way out of the
village.

Mo Ran and the others pulled their horse reins and stood to the side, allowing the ghost
wedding procession to pass first. As the sedan chair approached, they saw that the person
inside was not a living person but a paper-mâché ghost bride. The ghost bride had painted lips,
rosy cheeks, and a pale face outlined by two clusters of vermilion makeup, with a smiling and
extremely emaciated appearance.

"What kind of ridiculous custom is this village following? They must be burning money like
crazy," muttered Mo Ran in a low voice.

Chu Wanning said, "The people of Caidie Town attach great importance to feng shui and
believe that a family should not have an unattended grave, otherwise their family fortune will be
affected by the lonely spirits and wandering ghosts."

"...Is that even a thing?"

"The townsfolk believe it."

"Well, that's true. Caidie Town has been following this tradition for hundreds of years. Even if we
were to tell them that the evil they believe in doesn't exist, they probably wouldn't accept it."

Shimei asked quietly, "Where is this ghost wedding procession going?"

Chu Wanning answered, "When we arrived, we passed by a small temple. It doesn't enshrine
any gods or buddhas, but the lintel is adorned with the word 'Double Happiness,' and the altar is
covered with red silk with messages similar to 'Heaven's Blessed Union' and 'Perfect Harmony
in the Underworld.' I think they must be heading there."

"I noticed that temple too," Shimei said thoughtfully. "Shizun, is it a temple dedicated to the
ghost officiator?"

"You're correct."

The ghost officiator is an imagined ghostly figure in folk beliefs. People believe that even in the
marriage of deceased souls, they need matchmakers and ceremonial papers, and they need an
officiator to recognize the union of

the two deceased individuals. Due to the prevalence of ghost weddings in Caidie Town, they
naturally created an image of a gold statue for the ghost officiator, which is placed in front of the
town's cemetery. Before families bury their loved ones in the shared grave, they must first carry
the ghost bride to the temple and pay their respects.

Mo Ran rarely witnessed such absurd scenes, finding it fascinating, while Chu Wanning only
glanced at it coldly for a moment, turned the horse around, and said, "Let's go and take a look at
the haunted house."

"Oh, Daoist masters, my life is truly miserable! Finally, someone has come to deal with this
matter. If no one else intervenes, I... I don't even want to live anymore!"
The one who entrusted the matter of exorcism to Sisheng Peak was the wealthiest merchant in
town, Mr. Chen.

The Chen family was in the fragrance powder business and had four sons and one daughter.
After the eldest son got married, his wife disliked the noisy household, so the two of them
decided to move out and start their own family. With the Chen family's wealth, they bought a
large plot of land in a secluded area on the northern mountain, complete with a natural hot
spring pool, for their exclusive enjoyment.

However, on the day they started construction, as soon as a few shovels went into the ground,
they hit something hard. The daughter-in-law leaned over to take a look and immediately
fainted. It turned out that they had dug up a new coffin painted entirely in red!

Caidie Town had a collective burial ground where the townsfolk were buried after death. But this
isolated coffin appeared inexplicably on the northern mountain without a tombstone or a grave,
and its contents were blood-red.

They didn't dare to proceed further and hastily filled the soil back. But it was already too late.
Since that day, strange occurrences had been happening continuously at the Chen family.

“First, it was my daughter-in-law," Mr. Chen sobbed, "She got frightened, had a miscarriage,
and lost the baby. Then it was my eldest son. He went up the mountain to gather herbs to
replenish his wife's body, but he slipped and fell to his death at the bottom of the mountain...
Ah!" He let out a long sigh, choking on his words and gesturing with his hand to stop.

Mrs. Chen couldn't stop wiping her tears with her handkerchief. "My husband is right. In the
months that followed, one after another, our sons had accidents. They either disappeared or lost
their lives. Three out of four sons... all gone!"

Chu Wanning furrowed his brow, his gaze sweeping over the Chen couple and landing on the
pale-faced youngest son. He appeared to be around the same age as Mo Ran, fifteen or sixteen
years old, with delicate features. But fear had twisted his face.

Shimei asked, "Can you tell us what happened to the other children?"

Mr. Chen continued, "Ah, Zhongzi was bitten by a snake while he was looking for his brother. It
was just an ordinary grass snake without any venom, so nobody paid much attention at the
time. But a few days later, he suddenly collapsed while eating, and then... wuwuwu, my child..."

Chu Wanning sighed, feeling sorry for them. "Were there any signs of poisoning in the body?"

"Ah, there was no poison. It's certain that our family has been cursed! The older sons have
already gone, and the next one will be the youngest! The next one will be the youngest!"
The youngest son of the Chen family shrank back, his legs trembling, his eyes swollen, and his
voice sharp and distorted. "It's me! It's me! I know! The person in the red coffin found me! He
found me! Daoist master, save me! Save me!"

As his emotions started to spiral out of control, he lunged forward, trying to grab Chu Wanning's
thigh.

Chu Wanning, who disliked contact with strangers, immediately evaded him and raised his
head, staring at Mr. and Mrs. Chen. "What exactly is going on?"

The couple exchanged glances and trembled as they spoke in a quivering voice, "There's a
place in this house that we... we dare not go near anymore. If Daoist master sees it, you will
understand. It's truly evil, truly..."

Chu Wanning interrupted, "Which place?"

After hesitating for a moment, the couple extended their hands and pointed shakily towards the
ancestral shrine in the house. "It's there..."

Chu Wanning entered first, followed by Mo Ran and Shimei, while the Chen family members
followed from a distance.

Pushing open the door, they found a room that resembled the ancestral halls found in the
homes of wealthy families, densely filled with rows of ancestral tablets. Pale, eternal candles
burned on both sides.

All the inscriptions on these tablets were engraved with yellow paint, neatly stating the names of
the deceased and their positions within the family.

However, the inscription on the central tablet was different. The words on it were not carved and
then painted; they were written in bright red, stating:

"Chen Yanji's spirit."

陽上人陳孫氏立 - Chen Sunshi, the disciple of Yang Shangren.

The Chen family members, hiding behind Chu Wanning, perhaps held a glimmer of hope, but
when they timidly glanced at the ancestral shrine where the white cloth fluttered, they collapsed
once again. Mrs. Chen wailed loudly, and the youngest son's face turned as pale as a ghost.

This tablet had two peculiarities. First, it was not written in accordance with the proper ritual
format, and second, the characters on the tablet were crooked and distorted, resembling
scribbles hastily written by someone half-asleep. They were so messy that it was difficult to
discern them clearly.

Shimei turned to ask, "Who is Chen Yanji?"

With a quivering voice, the youngest son behind him replied, "It's... it's me."

Mr. Chen, crying as he spoke, said, "Daoist master, this is how it is. Ever since Zhongzi passed
away, we discovered... We found an additional tablet in our ancestral shrine. The names written
on these tablets are all the names of living members of our family. Whenever a name appears,
that person will meet a tragic fate within seven days! When my third son's name appeared on
the tablet, I locked him in the house, sprinkled ash outside the door, and sought help from
others to perform rituals. We tried everything, but on the seventh day, he still died... for no
reason at all!"

He became more and more agitated as he spoke, growing increasingly fearful, and finally fell to
his knees with a thud. "I, Chen So-and-So, have never done anything to harm heaven or earth.
Why is the heavens treating me like this? Why?"

Shimei felt heartbroken and quickly went to comfort the distraught old man. Meanwhile, he lifted
his head and softly called out, "Master, take a look at this..."

Chu Wanning didn't turn around. He was still engrossed in examining the tablet as if flowers
were blooming from it.

Suddenly, Chu Wanning asked, "Yang Shangren, Chen Sunshi, is it you, Mrs. Chen?"

Author's Note:
Once upon a time, there was a ruthless demonic Master, and he had three disciples who all had
incredibly chuuni titles. They were Shu Land's Phoenix Xue Ziming, the True Dragon's
Resurrected Ink, and the Sleeping White Tiger Shi Mingjing.
Bang!
The aforementioned titles were all fake.
Actually, it should be: Silly Bird Xue Mengmeng, Stupid Dog Mo Weiyu, and the Pure White
Lotus Little Junior Sister. I can only laugh helplessly. :-D