Liaozhai: Immortality Begins with Becoming Yan Chixia's Apprentice

Chapter 32 Demon-Slaying Sword Technique

"This kind of person deserves to die."

Zhou Ning nodded: "This disciple has handed him over to the authorities. He will face severe punishment under the law."

Yan Chixia glanced at him:

"Do you think that's enough?"

Zhou Ning was taken aback: "Master means..."

Yan Chixia stood up and paced back and forth:

"The law can punish people's actions, but it cannot punish people's hearts. Although Squire Wang has been brought to justice, his greed and ambition will not disappear. Given the right environment, this evil will take root and sprout elsewhere."

He turned around and looked at Zhou Ning:

"This is the meaning of 'the human heart is a den of demons.' Demons and monsters can be slain with swords and destroyed with talismans. But the evil in the human heart requires much more time and greater wisdom to resolve."

Zhou Ning pondered, "Master, are you saying that cultivators must not only slay demons and monsters, but also enlighten people's hearts?"

Yan Chixia nodded: "That's right. But this is much more difficult than slaying demons and monsters. Because the evil in people's hearts is often intertwined with good, and it's hard to separate them."

"Like Wang, the local gentry, he harmed people so that his own family could live a better life. His starting point was not necessarily all evil."

He paused, then continued, "This is the relationship between 'the mind of the Way' and 'karma.' The firmer one's mind of the Way, the better one can distinguish right from wrong and see the true nature of good and evil."

Karma, on the other hand, is the result of your actions. Saving others accumulates good karma; harming others accumulates bad karma. Good and evil will ultimately be rewarded; it's not that retribution won't come, it's just that the time hasn't arrived yet.

Zhou Ning solemnly replied, "This disciple understands."

Yan Chixia nodded: "You did well this time. You not only eliminated the evil spirits but also saved the people, and you even knew to hand over Magistrate Wang to the government instead of disposing of him privately. This shows that your Daoist heart has already taken root."

He took out a new jade talisman from his sleeve and handed it to Zhou Ning:

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"This is your reward. Keep it safe."

Zhou Ning accepted the jade talisman and solemnly said, "Thank you, Master."

Yan Chixia waved his hand, about to tell him to go and rest, when suddenly his gaze fell on the tattered booklet in his arms.

"What is that?"

Zhou Ning took out the "Local Landscape Records" and handed it to his master:

"It was a gift from the villagers of Baihe Village to my disciple. It contains records of the feng shui and legends of the nearby mountains and rivers."

Yan Chixia took the booklet and casually flipped through a few pages.

Suddenly, his hand stopped.

Zhou Ning noticed that his master's brows furrowed slightly, his gaze falling on the page containing the record of "Black Mountain".

"Where did you get this book?"

Zhou Ning said, "It was given to me by Li, the village head of Baihe Village. He said it was an heirloom."

Yan Chixia remained silent for a moment, then returned the booklet to Zhou Ning:

"Keep this safe. It might come in handy someday."

His tone was calm, but Zhou Ning keenly sensed a complex emotion flashing in his master's eyes.

It is a memory, and also a warning.

"Master, do you know about the Black Mountain Demon?" Zhou Ning asked tentatively.

Yan Chixia did not answer directly, but only said:

"Go and rest first. I have something to tell you tomorrow."

Knowing that his master didn't want to say more, Zhou Ning respectfully bowed and left the main hall.

The next morning, Zhou Ning practiced his sword as usual on the back mountain.

After the battle at Baihe Village, he gained new insights into the application of "Innate Qi".

Qi is not only a means of protection and attack, but also a means of sensing the surrounding atmosphere and predicting the enemy's movements.

It was through this perception that he found the incense burner, the core of the evil magic, during his battle with the man in black.

"stop."

Yan Chixia's voice came from behind.

Zhou Ning sheathed his sword and turned around, only to see his master standing with his hands behind his back by the pine forest, his expression more solemn than ever before.

"Master."

Yan Chixia walked up to him, looked him up and down, and nodded slightly:

"Your swordsmanship has already achieved some success. Your use of internal energy is also much more proficient than before."

Zhou Ning quickly replied, "It is thanks to Master's excellent teaching."

Yan Chixia waved his hand and turned to walk towards the main hall.

"Come with me. I have something to tell you."

Zhou Ning followed his master into the main hall.

Inside the main hall, the air was filled with the fragrance of sandalwood.

Yan Chixia sat down at the head of the table and gestured for Zhou Ning to sit as well.

"You have been training under my tutelage for over a year," Yan Chixia said.

"Over the past year, you've encountered the Painted Skin Demon, the Mountain Demon, the Corpse King, the Fox Demon... Each time, you've managed to return alive, which shows that your strength and temperament have both made significant progress."

Zhou Ning lowered his head: "This disciple dares not be complacent."

"It's good to not be complacent," Yan Chixia said.

"But excessive modesty is hypocrisy."

He paused, then continued, "Yesterday you asked me if I knew about the Black Mountain Demon. Today, I will tell you some things."

Zhou Ning felt a chill run down her spine and sat up straight.

Yan Chixia stood up, walked around with his hands behind his back, and looked towards the distant mountains outside the hall.

"The Black Mountain Demon is a powerful demon who dwells in the northern lands. He has cultivated for a thousand years, possesses extraordinary magical power, commands countless demon followers, and his influence extends throughout the world."

He turned around and looked at Zhou Ning:

"I fought him thirty years ago."

Zhou Ning's heart skipped a beat: "Master fought him?"

Yan Chixia nodded: "Back then, I was young and impetuous. When I heard that the Black Mountain Demon was harming the people, I went north alone, wanting to slay the demon and eliminate evil."

A flicker of memory crossed his eyes:

"That battle was so fierce that the sky darkened and the sun and moon lost their light. I used all my skills in my life to barely manage to wound him. And I myself almost died at his hands."

Zhou Ning gasped.

He knew his master's strength.

If the Black Mountain Demon could injure his master, how powerful must he be?

"And then?" he asked.

Yan Chixia said, "Later, I escaped back to Lanruo Temple and recuperated for three whole years. The Black Mountain Demon didn't pursue me either; it's said that he was also seriously injured and spent a long time in seclusion to recover."

He paused, then continued, "From then on, I stopped making a move easily. Firstly, my injuries hadn't healed, and secondly... I knew that I couldn't kill him on my own."

Zhou Ning fell silent.

Even his master couldn't kill the Black Mountain Demon, so he...

"Are you scared?" Yan Chixia asked.

Zhou Ning shook his head: "This disciple is not afraid. But...this disciple wants to know, what exactly does the Black Mountain Demon want to do?"

Yan Chixia thought for a moment and said, "He probably wants to rule the Three Realms."

"To rule the Three Realms?" Zhou Ning was taken aback.

Yan Chixia nodded: "The Black Mountain Demon's ambition is not just to dominate one region. He wants the entire human world, and even the underworld and the heavenly court. He expands his power everywhere, buys off demons and ghosts, and creates corpse kings and ghost generals, all for this day."

He took out a black token from his sleeve and handed it to Zhou Ning.

It was left behind by the same man in black robes from last time.

"This token is the symbol of Black Mountain. Those who possess this token are all henchmen of Black Mountain."

Zhou Ning took the token and examined it carefully.

The token is dark black, with a hideous ghost head engraved on it, and a line of small characters below the ghost head.

"Black Mountain Order," he read aloud.

Yan Chixia nodded: "You seriously injured that man in black robes last time and destroyed their altar. The Black Mountain forces will definitely hold a grudge. You must be extra careful when you travel the world in the future."

Zhou Ning solemnly replied, "This disciple understands."

Yan Chixia added, "However, you don't need to worry too much. Although the Black Mountain Demon is powerful, he can't control everything. The righteous sects of the world are secretly fighting against him. You just need to do your job well, and we old folks will take care of the rest."

Zhou Ning felt a warmth in his heart: "Master..."

Yan Chixia waved his hand, interrupting him:

"Don't get sentimental. There's another reason I called you here."

He took a thin booklet from his sleeve and handed it to Zhou Ning.

"This is an offensive sword technique called the 'Demon-Slaying Sword Technique.' I originally planned to teach it to you after you broke through to the Foundation Establishment stage, but the situation is urgent, so I'll give it to you ahead of time."

Zhou Ning took the booklet and opened it.

Inside were several illustrations of sword moves, surrounded by dense annotations.

"This sword technique is extremely powerful, but it also consumes a great deal of internal energy," Yan Chixia said.

"With your current cultivation level, you can only unleash one move at most. After that, your internal energy will be exhausted. Therefore, do not use it unless absolutely necessary."

Zhou Ning solemnly replied, "This disciple has remembered."

"And..." Yan Chixia continued:

"Don't tell anyone about the records of Black Mountain in that book of local landscape records. The less you know about Black Mountain, the safer you are."

Zhou Ning nodded: "This disciple understands."

Yan Chixia waved his hand: "Go. From today onwards, you will practice the sword technique for an extra hour every day. I want to see you have a basic grasp of it within three months."

Zhou Ning bowed respectfully and withdrew from the main hall.