Xu Zhixing was taken aback by the question. People of such high status were usually well-informed and held strong opinions, unlikely to believe in mere rumors. For her to ask this, she or someone close to her must have had an encounter.
"May I ask, Miss, what is a monster?" Instead of answering directly, he tossed the question back to her. As she pondered, he quickly sifted through his memories—the stories his grandfather told him in his childhood and the ancient texts he had read concerning such creatures.
"A monster...?" Zhao Qingran had never truly considered the question. She had always heard the term "monster" used, but no one had ever carefully explained the reasoning behind it. For a moment, she was at a loss, so she repeated the common lore. "I've only heard that monsters are beasts and birds that have learned to use tricks to harm people."
Xu Zhixing considered for a moment before speaking. "When Heaven acts contrary to the seasons, it brings disaster; when Earth produces things contrary to their nature, they are deemed monsters. Anything that deviates from its norm can be called a 'monster.' What people commonly call 'monsters' are usually plants, animals, or birds that have gained intelligence. Those who commit heinous acts are 'guai' (怪), while those who cultivate according to their innate nature are 'jing' (精). Hence, we have the terms 'yao-guai' (妖怪) and 'yao-jing' (妖精). Humans are beloved by Heaven and Earth, born as the wisest of all creatures. Newly enlightened monsters naturally envy this, so they hide among humans, learning their speech and customs, hoping even more to shed their monstrous forms and seek the path of immortality and the Dao. However, unfamiliar with human rules, they occasionally transgress and are rejected by society. Moreover, the mortal world is turbid. Some ancient monsters, having experienced its ups and downs, learn its deceptions and use illusions to deceive the foolish, creating many tragedies. Others take a wrong path, feeding on human essence and blood in a misguided attempt to accelerate their cultivation. Such acts are even more intolerable to the law. Therefore, the mere mention of 'monsters' often makes people pale with fear, giving them a foul reputation. But since all are sentient beings, how can we label an entire kind as harmful because of a few vile individuals? That is also biased."
Zhao Qingran was as astonished as Duanmu Cheng had been upon hearing the horse appraisal. She had met many Daoists and monks in Luzhou Prefecture, but none had ever explained "monsters" so clearly. Even Qing Song, the abbot of Profound Heart Temple in the capital, had never spoken of it this way. Though Xu Zhixing hadn't directly answered her question, his explanation alone filled her with admiration.
"I see. Thank you for clarifying, Daoist," she said, her face lighting up as if she had already found her answer. "Can plants and trees also become monsters?"
"They can. However, plants and trees require immense fortune to develop intelligence. Those that become monsters face countless hardships and mostly retreat into the mountains for quiet cultivation, rarely seen in the human world."
Zhao Qingran understood. The cycle of spring, summer, autumn, and winter, the gnawing of birds and beasts, the felling and picking by humans—it was truly a path of endless perils.
"Then, Daoist," Zhao Qingran asked, her interest piqued, "do immortals truly exist?"
"Immortals?" Xu Zhixing wasn't sure how to answer. If monsters existed, perhaps immortals did too. He fell into thought.
She had set out from Songshan County that morning, intending to ride straight to Mount Hengliang. But after just one hour in the saddle, her back and legs ached, forcing her to stop by the roadside. Never did she expect to meet Xu Zhixing. She was pleasantly surprised; matters that had always been ambiguous to her were explained by him with such clarity. She assumed the Daoist must be a cultivated practitioner, never imagining him to be so young.
"Immortals..." Xu Zhixing organized his thoughts and spoke. "What people commonly call 'immortals' often refers to celestial deities, earth spirits, object spirits, underworld gods, spirits within the human body, and spirits of human ghosts. They also call accomplished cultivators 'immortals.' Which kind do you mean, Miss?"
"I..." She opened her mouth but didn't know what to say. "Are there so many types of immortals?"
"When a person dies, they become a ghost; when one attains the Dao, they become an immortal. There are five types of immortals in the world: Celestial, Earthly, Divine, Human, and Ghost." Xu Zhixing recalled Ancestor Lü's theory of the five immortals and explained it earnestly, as it had convinced him deeply in his childhood. "The Ghost Immortal does not leave the state of a ghost; the Human Immortal does not leave the state of a human; the Earth Immortal does not leave the earth; the Divine Immortal does not leave the divine state; the Celestial Immortal does not leave Heaven. If a cultivator fails to achieve a body of pure yang and their lifespan ends, their soul may emerge after death as a 'yin spirit,' traversing the darkness, neither born nor perishing—this is the Ghost Immortal. If one attains a single method during cultivation, holds firm belief and will, persists unwaveringly, and achieves lasting success, they may prolong life, reverse aging, solidify the flesh, and attain longevity—this is the Human Immortal. Those who cultivate with success, transcend the cycle of reincarnation, leap beyond the three realms, and achieve ageless longevity are the Divine Immortals. The Earth Immortal is halfway between Heaven and Earth, possessing the talent of a Divine Immortal but not comprehending the Great Dao. They stop at minor achievements, unable to manifest great merit, dwelling in the world through longevity alone, never dying among humans. Those who preach the Dao in the human world, perform meritorious deeds on the path, and accumulate virtue through human conduct, upon fulfillment of these merits and deeds, receive heavenly texts to return to the grotto heavens—these are the Celestial Immortals."
Zhao Qingran was dumbfounded. She had never heard such discourse before. Like common folk, she had only known the terms "monsters" and "immortals," unaware of the intricate classifications. Even the so-called eminent masters she had met had never explained it so thoroughly. Her respect for Xu Zhixing grew immensely.
"Daoist," she asked, her face full of expectation, "can you... perform magic?"
"No." This was no matter for jest. Before she even finished her sentence, his reply was clean and decisive.
"My apologies for the presumption," Zhao Qingran said, her face showing regret. "To be frank, Daoist, this journey was prompted by an experience of an elder in my family. Last year, while passing by the Earth God shrine on Mount Hengliang, he seemed to hear someone shouting 'Help!' in his sleep. Rushing out of the shrine, he discovered that one of his trusted men on night watch had vanished without a trace, with only the sound of movement through the forest. Following the sound, he found the attendant already dead, with only a wound on his palm, his face and body withered like a man in his final years. Abbot Jingkong of the Fajue Temple in Luzhou Prefecture, upon hearing of it, declared he must have had his essence and blood drained by a monster. The vengeful ghost, bearing a grievance, had led them to the corpse. We are going there now to eliminate the harmful creature and prevent other passersby from suffering the same fate."
Mount Hengliang lay over four hundred li north of Xishan Hollow. He had heard the villagers speak of it—a continuous range of steep, rugged peaks like an iron beam forcefully separating the capital from Luzhou Prefecture. Although in the early years of Great Yan, the royal family had spent years conscripting hundreds of thousands of laborers to carve the official road through the mountains, it remained mountainous terrain, often damaged by rain, forcing travelers to use smaller paths through the peaks. Staying overnight in the mountains was common.
Xu Zhixing was inwardly astonished by the woman's courage. "If that is the case, Miss, why would you personally venture into such danger? Have you not heard, 'A son of a thousand gold does not sit under the eaves of a crumbling wall'?"
"Thank you for your concern, Daoist," Zhao Qingran said. "At the time, my family elder had four trusted guards. The monster only dared target one who was alone and lacked the strength to harm others further. The victim also had no martial skills. This time, I have Uncle Cheng and eleven other highly skilled companions. Before departing, I also obtained a spirit talisman personally drawn by Abbot Qing Song of the Profound Heart Temple. We plan to stay there only three days. Even if we cannot capture the monster, we can retreat safely."
Considering it carefully, Xu Zhixing had to admire her meticulous planning and rare courage. Hearing she possessed a spirit talisman, his curiosity was piqued. "This humble Daoist has an impertinent request. Might I take a look at the spirit talisman?"
"Of course, Daoist. Please wait a moment." Zhao Qingran had no hesitation, turning to Xiao Chan and nodding. "I was just about to ask your advice on talismans, Daoist."
A moment later, Xiao Chan brought over a box. Zhao Qingran gave a slight nod, and Xiao Chan handed it to Xu Zhixing.
Xu Zhixing examined the box in his hands but did not open it immediately. It was made of ebony, with a brass tiger head in relief embedded on the surface. Below it were the characters "Profound Heart." The corners were protected by brass fittings, and the patterns depicted mysterious birds and immortal beasts. Perhaps due to its age, the brass had a dark yellow patina. Though simple in form, it exuded a sense of weight and grandeur.
Seeing him fiddling with the box, Xiao Chan spoke up. "Daoist, the spirit talisman is inside the box."
"Thank you for the reminder, Little Sister Chan." Xu Zhixing smiled and solemnly opened the box.
What met his eyes was quite familiar. He took it out and turned it over in his hand. The yellow paper was of good quality, the cinnabar decent—he just didn't know if it was effective. This thing didn't seem much different from the ones his grandfather had drawn, even looking somewhat familiar. Oh, right, there was one in the book his cheap master left behind, Liu Baogong's Register of Spells for Expelling Evil and Binding Monsters, that looked quite similar. Could it be that everyone has a copy of this book? he wondered privately. Given the circumstances, the so-called spirit talisman probably wasn't very useful.
Zhao Qingran, being quite tall, couldn't see Xu Zhixing's expression, but Xiao Chan saw it clearly—the Daoist's eyes held a trace of disdain. Indignantly, she said, "Daoist, have you seen clearly? What do you think of this spirit talisman?"
Seeing the girl puffing her cheeks and glaring at him, Xu Zhixing knew his earlier mocking expression had been noticed. Feeling somewhat embarrassed, he returned the talisman to the box and handed it back.
"Since it is a talisman drawn by a True Man of the Profound Heart Temple, it must be efficacious," Xu Zhixing said to Xiao Chan with a slight smile, then turned to Zhao Qingran. "I am not skilled in this art, but I know that the wonder of using talismans lies in the heart. You must remember not to rely solely on form or external objects. With such fierce warriors by your side, united in heart and mind, I expect the monster will not dare act recklessly."
Zhao Qingran listened, half-understanding. Xiao Chan, however, thought the Daoist looked down on the talisman—something her mistress had gone to great lengths to obtain. This wretched Daoist, speaking in evasive, cryptic phrases, was truly detestable. She immediately asked, "Didn't the Daoist say you cannot perform magic? Why did you have a look of disdain when you saw the spirit talisman?"
"Xiao Chan, do not be rude!" Zhao Qingran understood the situation clearly. The Daoist must think little of the talisman, and Xiao Chan was speaking out of indignation on her behalf. By now, she had already regarded Xu Zhixing as a hidden master unwilling to reveal his true abilities. How could she be angry?
Just as she was about to ask another question, someone from the tavern shouted loudly, "Innkeeper! Innkeeper! Something terrible has happened! A ghost! There's a dead person!"