Lao Dao Yuanyang

I leave his side, I hear this bone-chilling woman's voice that sends shivers down my spine.Slender, with a touch of admiration in her alluring gaze, but when I turned back, there was nothing there.Th...The night wind was cool, and Jiang Qiyun, pinching the incantation to summon the benevolent deities of fortune, called forth the Deity of Good Fortune.

I am not a high-ranking cultivator nor possess deep virtue. It is perfectly normal for people to not revere me, and I dare not accept the reverence of lesser deities.

But Jiang Qiyun was different. When gods, spirits, and ghostly officials saw him, they all trembled in fear and paid their respects.

"Your Majesty, this land has always been peaceful. There are occasional karmic disturbances due to fate, but nothing related to the balance of yin and yang. There hasn't been anything unusual that would warrant your presence..." The Land God was very nervous.

Jiang Qiyun glanced at me, gesturing for me to speak.

I bowed to the Land God, and whispered, "The spirit I was chasing just now possessed a paper man and escaped. Now that I'm trying to summon it back, it's nowhere to be found. I wonder if you know where it went"

"It was you, Little Madam, who just held that paper effigy's head" Land God frowned.

"Yes, the ghost attached itself and ran away."

Landlord immediately turned around, whispering to the ghost official for defense. The ghost official then turned and relayed the message layer by layer to the little imps behind him.

A gaunt little imp whispered, "This lowly one saw a headless paper figure head north... beyond the borders of our territory."

Jiang Qiyun looked north, and in the night, he only saw layer upon layer of black mountains.

"Further north, it's Liangzhou..." Jiang Qiyun frowned slightly.

"What is Liangzhou" I didn't quite understand. It's the province next to our hometown. If you go further north, it's another province.

"Liangzhou is one of the nine regions that divide the world... Little Madam, you are still young, so naturally, you are not used to being called this way," said the Earth God.

He bowed to Emperor Jun rising from the river cloud and said, "Your Majesty, do you need me to dispatch a ghost messenger to track"

"No need," Jiang Qiyun shook his head. "Just keep guard at the border... There's another matter: have you heard of anyone worshiping the Black Pure Zun God in this realm"

Landlord God widened his eyes and shook his head, saying: “Who is this deity This little god has never heard of… nor ever seen a living person worship this deity in the realm…”

Jiang Qiyun nodded, flicking his sleeves to signal them to return to their positions.

In the pitch-black forest, only he and I remained.

"If I had known to go north, I would have taken Song Wei's car..." I looked at Jiang Qiyun.

"Come on, can't you go any faster" He glanced at me.

"Soon... soon..."

Immortals of noble rank can hear the roar of the East China Sea in the morning and gaze upon the moonlight of Kunlun Mountain in the evening. Heaven and earth are but a stone's throw away.

Even the revered immortals do not feel the cold or heat, and they do not eat grains.

It's chilly out here this late at night, wouldn't it be nice to have a little car for some shelter from the cold

“You... still need cultivation. Although carriages are convenient, mountain roads are difficult to travel, and there will always be inconveniences… Why do Taoist people call themselves walkers when they go out Walking more has its benefits.” He chuckled softly, reaching out to pull me into his arms.

A whooshing sound filled my ears, I didn't dare open my eyes, burying myself in his arms like an ostrich. After all, this was always how it went when we left Faimen.

“......so many times, still not used to it” Jiang Qiyun’s voice sounded above my head.

"How do you even get used to this I never know where you're going to take me, every time it's... exhilarating."

"That makes sense. You should be banished to Kunlun and live as an outsider for a while"

“......”

"Here we are, open your eyes."

Jiang Qiyun's expectations of me are getting higher and higher... Before, he would scold me for crying when I was clumsy and half-hearted. Now that I don't cry, he actually wants to train my ability to withstand pressure

If you really want to send me to Kunlun to cultivate, I wouldn't be able to be a person of the world anymore. I would most likely become a wild man.

The stars and moon shone brightly in the sky, their cold light covering the mountains and rivers.

Forests at night always have a kind of quiet and mysterious beauty.

Even the faintest trace of ghostly air became an embellishment.

I couldn't see how Jiang Qiyun made the hand gestures. All I saw was a small god holding a steel fork appear before him.

This is different from the Land Gods I usually see in various places.

"Little Empress, this little deity is the mountain god of this place…" The deity introduced himself with a smile.

"Hello, hello," I hastily raised my hand in greeting.

Jiang Qiyun's words were much simpler. He asked, "Are there any temples or Taoist shrines dedicated to the realm"

The Mountain God shook his head and said, “To your Majesty, there is none in this domain, but people often offer sacrifices along the way. Traveling north, it seems there should be some ahead.”

Jiang Qiyun nodded and said, "This seat is tracking a headless paper man. If I find its whereabouts, I will arrest it for questioning."

The mountain god received the order and disappeared into the night.

"Shall we still go the Dharma way" I asked.

Jiang Qiyun shook his head: " ...someone is performing a ritual pilgrimage all the way north Let's go see what kind of ritual it is."

Having said that, he raised his hand and transformed a crimson palace lantern, which floated softly in front of him, illuminating the path.

“Seeing your palace lanterns, even ghosts wouldn't dare get close.” He pulled me forward, and after walking a short distance, we found a mountain path.

Patches of unassuming stones, concealed by withered branches and decaying leaves.

In such a remote and deep forest, besides devotees, who would come here to build roads And this little path seems to be incredibly old.

"Faith can reach heaven and earth, but mortals have a limited lifespan. Different ages hold different titles for deities. What do you think of my title, hm" Jiang Qiyun raised an eyebrow, remaining calm and ethereal even in this dark and gloomy environment.

While other couples enjoy romantic outings in bustling, lively places, we find companionship in the supernatural.

Ah, and after getting used to it, you even find it pleasant

"So, what you're saying is that Heiqing Zun Shen might just be a title passed down by believers, concealing the true name of the deity" I understood his meaning.

"Well, you're not too dumb yet."

“So you want to see for yourself, which esteemed deity it is”

Jiang Qiyun chuckled lightly: "There's also a possibility, it's not a god."

"What do you mean...” I tilted my head and said to him as he led me by the hand, not really paying attention to what was around us.

Suddenly, something lightly brushed my ear, making me jerk my neck back in alarm. "What was that A snake!"

A long, thin shadow was swaying in the night wind, with a thread trailing behind it. That's what brushed against me just now.

The red palace lanterns rose slowly, illuminating this object.

It was a hanging, repeatedly tied with red string, skeletal poultry head.

"Goodness me! How, how could there be such a thing hanging about in the deep mountains and old forests!" I raised my hand and rubbed my ears vigorously.

Jiang Qiyun slightly frowned, whispering, "This is... a suspension sacrifice."

Hanging sacrifice

In ancient times, when people worshipped deities, they would use suspension sacrifices. In some terrains, such as deep gorges and ravines, they would employ casting sacrifices... During primitive times, there were even cases where humans served as sacrificial offerings.

"This kind of ritual is... too off. ..." I rubbed my ears hard, getting goosebumps all over.

"Something's not right... Sacrifices never involve beheading. This only means the sacrificer is too violent, or the one being sacrificed isn't a benevolent deity." Jiang Qiyun frowned deeply: "Let's go, see where this sacrificial path leads."

Facing the dark, looming mountains, one could faintly see the curved eaves and ornate corners.

A quaint and ancient Taoist temple sits serenely in the valley opposite.

The moonlight here was especially bright, shining like a layer of white frost.

Holy, yet it pricks the eyes.

I looked up at the moon in the sky and swallowed nervously.

>s to enjoy the incense of mortals. You can't afford to offend her! Better give up this idea and open the barrier so we can leave. We still have over twenty years before the four hundred years are up....