Chapter 384 - 382: The Monk Exorcises a Ghost

As for the clamor of fighting, that was merely an illusion created by Monk Dazhi’s Blinding Technique. To those outside, it sounded as if he were locked in a fierce battle with the Hungry Ghost!

For the next few days, Monk Dazhi remained in the backyard, swindling food and drink daily. Meanwhile, inside the Chaos Space, Li Qiye’s deductions on the "Brilliant Strike" were nearing completion. In the end, Li Qiye successfully derived the complete Immortal Chapter for the "Brilliant Strike."

Having obtained the "Brilliant Strike," Li Qiye couldn’t help but survey the Chaos Space again, muttering to himself, ’The suppression of an Immortal Emperor True Artifact... it really is something else.’

Li Qiye didn’t linger in the Chaos Space. He used the Zero Domain Void Wheel to open a gateway, instantly crossing over and landing back in the yard.

By now, the sky was full of stars. They hung high in the night, bright and dazzling. The village night was serene and calming, and a gentle breeze made one want to take a deep, refreshing breath.

At that moment, Monk Dazhi was in the backyard, feasting heartily. He had spent all day there mooching food and drink, acting as if he could never get his fill. It seemed he was the one who was the true reincarnation of a Hungry Ghost.

"Your ghost-exorcising seems to be focused on the meat and wine," Li Qiye said casually, standing behind Monk Dazhi.

For a person to suddenly appear out of nowhere in the middle of the night would have scared anyone else half to death. Monk Dazhi, however, wasn’t the least bit surprised. He was holding a large, fatty pig’s trotter with both hands, gnawing away with a greasy mouth. Upon seeing Li Qiye, he grinned and said, "Fellow Daoist, sit down and have a taste. This is Old Lin’s handiwork. It’s absolutely fantastic."

"So you stole it," Li Qiye laughed. He sat down without ceremony, glanced at Monk Dazhi, and said, "A ghost-exorcising monk like you, sharing a table with a Hungry Ghost. Aren’t you afraid it’ll possess you?"

Monk Dazhi laughed at Li Qiye’s words. "That might scare someone somewhere else," he said with a grin. "But this is the Ghost Sacred Realm. There are countless more ghosts running around on the streets than there are buried underground. Here, even real ghosts can’t scare anyone."

Li Qiye smiled faintly. Monk Dazhi invited him to eat and drink, but even as he did, the monk devoured a whole roast chicken and a large fish in the blink of an eye. The way he wolfed down his food, he looked just like a reincarnated Hungry Ghost.

Compared to Monk Dazhi’s ravenousness, Li Qiye’s manners were infinitely more refined. He merely took a small taste.

"Hehe, so what kind of treasure did you get in there, Fellow Daoist?" Monk Dazhi asked with a grin, in between mouthfuls.

Li Qiye shot him a sidelong glance. "What? You’re also here for what’s in Feihuai Village?"

Monk Dazhi chanted a mantra, then said with a grin, "Amitabha. The fact that Feihuai Village holds a treasure is hardly a top-secret. Many have come here over the ages, but no one has ever managed to uncover its secrets. There are powerful measures in place here. No one who comes dares to act presumptuously. Anyone who tries to act recklessly here, even a Great Sage, would likely suffer a miserable death!"

Li Qiye just smiled and said nothing. It was just as Monk Dazhi said. The great protection over Feihuai Village was a suppression left behind by Immortal Emperor Feiyang using his Supreme Dao. If even a Great Sage dared to cause trouble here, they would certainly die a miserable death.

"I wander the world, and when I passed through Feihuai Village, I could tell there was a great Creation to be found. Unfortunately, I’ve never been able to see through the mysteries of this land," Monk Dazhi said with a grin.

Li Qiye laughed and shook his head. "So what if you could? This place is reserved for someone with the right destiny. Those without it can never obtain the great Creation here! Anyone who tries to take it by force will surely bring about their own destruction!"

"Amitabha. Well said, well said." Monk Dazhi chanted a mantra. Even as the words left his mouth, the wine-and-meat monk didn’t stop stuffing his face for a second.

The next day, just as the sky began to lighten, the old village chief hurried to the backyard to see what was going on. When he saw a person suddenly appear there, he jumped in fright.

"Amitabha. My Buddha is merciful." Monk Dazhi chanted a mantra and explained to the old village chief, "Don’t be afraid, old sir. This is a Fellow Daoist whom I invited. Thanks to his powerful assistance, the two of us joined forces last night and finally slayed the Hungry Ghost. You can rest easy from now on, old sir. The Hungry Ghost is gone, and no other ghosts will come here to cause trouble."

Hearing Monk Dazhi’s explanation, the old village chief heaved a sigh of relief. He praised them repeatedly, saying, "You two Immortals truly have boundless powers to have eradicated the Hungry Ghost! Incredible, just incredible."

Seeing Monk Dazhi’s charade, Li Qiye didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He didn’t expose the monk’s trick, though. While Monk Dazhi had come here to mooch food and drink, he had no malicious intent. With his abilities, he had no need to swindle mortals for a meal.

With the Hungry Ghost gone, the old village chief and his wife strongly urged Monk Dazhi and Li Qiye to stay. Monk Dazhi immediately agreed to remain in Feihuai Village for a few more days. Li Qiye, also wanting to take another look around the village, agreed as well.

News that Master Dazhi had slayed the Hungry Ghost in the old village chief’s backyard drew many villagers over to have a look. For a while, surrounded by the villagers’ curiosity and enthusiasm, Li Qiye and Monk Dazhi felt like circus monkeys, being pointed and stared at by the crowd.

Powerful cultivators reduced to charlatans—Li Qiye didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Monk Dazhi, on the other hand, was thoroughly enjoying the attention. He handled the villagers with the ease of flowing water, projecting the perfect image of an Enlightened Monk. Anyone who didn’t know better would have truly believed he was a High Monk.

Li Qiye and Monk Dazhi stayed at the old village chief’s home, where the chief and his wife hosted them with great enthusiasm.

They were especially warm toward Li Qiye. The old village chief would ask him from time to time, "Which Immortal Mansion do you cultivate at, Immortal? Are you married?"

Li Qiye found the old village chief’s questions a bit strange. Monk Dazhi, who was nearby, grinned and said, "Old Sir, you’re asking for such details. Could it be you want to marry your daughter off to our Brother Dao?"

The old village chief just chuckled and shook his head. "As for that girl of ours, we two old folks can’t make decisions for her. But if the Immortal Master is interested, you two could certainly get to know each other."

Monk Dazhi grinned. "Amitabha! Old sir, that’s not a bad idea at all. Your daughter is as beautiful as a Celestial Immortal. If our Brother Dao here meets her, he’ll definitely be smitten."

Being subjected to Monk Dazhi’s matchmaking, Li Qiye didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He just smiled, shook his head without saying anything, and walked out of the old village chief’s house for a stroll.

Monk Dazhi grinned, excused himself to the old village chief, then hurried to catch up with Li Qiye. "The old village chief’s daughter," he said with another grin, "you have no idea how many men would kill to marry her."

"If you don’t hold that tongue, believe me, I’ll pull it right out," Li Qiye said nonchalantly, shooting the monk a sidelong glance.

Monk Dazhi immediately shut his mouth and chanted a mantra. "Well said, well said. I’ll say no more, I’ll say no more."

Feihuai Village was neither large nor small. Yet, for a village of its size, it had produced many notable figures, from generals and high officials in the mortal world to powerful experts in the Cultivator Realm. However, no matter what kind of talent emerged from this village, none could leave their own mark upon it.

In short, neither the talents who left Feihuai Village nor the great figures who entered from outside could ever shatter its tranquility. An outsider might find this strange, but anyone who knew the Profound Secret behind it would not. Under the supreme protection of an Immortal Emperor, who could possibly resist his will?

Although Feihuai Village wasn’t cut off from the outside world, it was like a hidden paradise. With its small bridges over flowing streams and its green hills and verdant forests, the entire village was immersed in peace and tranquility.

Li Qiye and Monk Dazhi took a walk around the village. In truth, this was not Li Qiye’s first visit. He had been here a long, long time ago, back when he was still the Yin Ya.

In fact, though countless years had passed and the village had seen generation after generation come and go, the green hills and clear waters remained unchanged. The people were different, but the scenery was the same. This was the protection of an Immortal Emperor!

"Truly an incredible feat," Monk Dazhi said with a sigh of admiration as he walked through Feihuai Village, studying the lay of the land. "What kind of Heaven-Defying existence would it take to shatter the peace of a place like this!"

Li Qiye smiled but said nothing. The methods of an Immortal Emperor were, of course, incredible. During a certain era, he had once used Heaven-Defying means to deduce that Immortal Emperor Feiyang might just be buried in this very unremarkable village.

Of course, this was only a possibility; it was hard to say whether it was true. Throughout the ages, while many Immortal Emperors had left behind Daoist Lineages and even continued their bloodlines, basically no one had ever heard of an Immortal Emperor being buried in the mortal world.

So, whether Immortal Emperor Feiyang was actually buried in Feihuai Village remained a mystery. Unless someone could undo the Emperor’s great seal, no one would ever know the answer.

In fact, the ultimate fate of the Immortal Emperors throughout the eons has always been a mystery. Many believe that not even Immortal Emperors can achieve true immortality or remain in the world forever. Thus, most people believe that even they must die one day.

And though it’s said that Immortal Emperors do eventually die, no one has ever known where they are buried. It has always been a mystery.

Some Emperor Immortal Gates have claimed to the outside world that their founding Immortal Emperor was buried within their Ancestral Land and Sect Territory, but not everyone believes such claims.

Even when an Emperor Immortal Gate has sworn that their ancestor is buried within their Ancestral Land and Sect Territory, there have always been those who doubted the truth of the matter.