I was forced to cultivate immortality when I just wanted to lie down

Chapter 393 The Yama Sutra, the Emperor's Sword

Before joining the Underworld, the Exorcist Lord was a native of Zhongnan Mountain. His family name was Zhong. He lost his father at a young age and had only one younger sister to rely on since childhood.

Zhong's elder brother was nicknamed A Niu. He had a blue face and round eyes, and was ugly. Since childhood, people had called him A Chou.

Zhong Aniu has a straightforward personality and can't stand being scolded. He got into many fights over this when he was a child.

Zhong Aniu specially learned martial arts for this purpose. Coincidentally, there was an old martial arts master who had retired from the martial arts world next door. The old man was quite skilled. The millstone weighing four or five hundred pounds in the yard was as if it were nothing in his hands. Even in the coldest winter months, he could go shirtless and his whole body would be steaming with heat!

Ah Niu thought to himself, others must be mocking him because they think he is easy to bully. If he learns good martial arts, who would dare to laugh at him?

The old man next door's son was afraid of hardship and unwilling to learn martial arts. The old man also didn't want his descendants to enter the quagmire of the martial arts world, but he couldn't let his martial arts skills be lost forever.
It just so happens that the young man from the Zhong family has a fine physique, but the old man doesn't easily pass on his skills, so he doesn't want to easily pass them on to others.

It is said that what is easily gained is easily lost; what is difficult to gain is difficult to lose.

Things that are easily obtained are less likely to be valued.

So the old man would deliberately show off in front of Zhong Aniu all day long. Whenever Aniu was beaten and came back with a bruised and swollen face, he would always see the old man next door putting on a show with great enthusiasm.

His appearance was no different from the street performers who could break a boulder on their chest, pierce a throat with a silver spear, or use the Vajra Finger technique. The only difference was that the old man's performance looked more like real skill!

On this day, Ah Niu could no longer contain his restlessness. He went to the old man's house and bowed deeply in respect.

The old man almost shed tears, but not from being moved, but because he had waited for three whole years!
If the Zhong family boy doesn't come soon, we'll have to burn paper money for him during the day and he'll appear in our dreams at night to teach us martial arts.

The old man didn't make things difficult for Zhong Aniu, and the two hit it off immediately, thus becoming master and apprentice in secret.

Why do I say "behind the scenes"? Ultimately, it's because the old man didn't want to drag his family into the martial arts world again because of the master-disciple relationship.

The old man made it clear: if you, Zhong Aniu, cause trouble in the future, you cannot say that I am your master. If you dare to reveal even a single word, don't blame me for not showing any mercy and personally beating you to death!

Zhong Aniu kept his word and never revealed to anyone where he learned his martial arts skills.

By the age of fifteen or sixteen, Zhong Aniu had become invincible throughout the village. Even the bandit stronghold fifty miles outside the county was defeated by him with his bare hands and forced to surrender!

However, Zhong Aniu discovered that although the villagers had become more respectful of him, no one was willing to marry their daughters to him.

Zhong Aniu asked an elder in the village, "Does being ugly mean you deserve to never get a wife?"

The elder replied, "That is not true. Even an ugly man can marry a virtuous wife."

"Then why is no family willing to form a marriage alliance with this family?"

"Because you're so ugly, kid!"

"."

Zhong Aniu was deeply hurt.

If it were an ordinary person, they would probably have given up long ago, but Zhong Aniu became more courageous after each setback.

As the saying goes, "A person with a wealth of knowledge naturally exudes elegance." So what if he's ugly beyond belief? As long as one reads countless books and aspires to great heights, why worry about not being able to transform oneself?

And so, Zhong Aniu studied diligently day and night. After ten years of hard work, he finally succeeded in his studies and passed the preliminary examination, the county examination, the prefectural examination, the provincial examination, and the imperial examination. He planned to go to the capital to take the imperial examination.

Zhong Aniu was full of vigor, but at this crucial moment he discovered a very serious problem—he did not have the travel expenses to take the exam.

Fortunately, Du Ping, a fellow townsman from the past, was a righteous man who appreciated his talent and was willing to give him money to help him take the exam. Du Ping and Zhong Aniu also had some kind of connection.

Du Ping's father was the one who taught him martial arts.

Zhong Aniu was grateful for the Du family's kindness and vowed to pass the imperial examinations so as not to betray their kindness.

At that time, the capital was not in Beijing or Tianjin, but in Chang'an, the capital of the country.

When Zhong Aniu first arrived in the capital, he passed by the Wei Bridge and happened upon a fortune-telling stall. Next to it was a fortune-telling banner with a couplet written on it, which read:

"Holding within my sleeve the rise and fall of the sun and moon, I've witnessed the ebb and flow of tides over a thousand years, nothing more than the transformation of the sea into mulberry fields."

'With fingers I grasp the myriad aspects of the mortal world, sighing at the rights and wrongs of three hundred generations—all are but fleeting clouds.'

The horizontal inscription reads: "A pot holds the universe."

"What a loud tone!"

On a whim, Zhong Aniu stepped forward to negotiate with the fortune teller.

The fortune teller before me had his hair tied up and a beard, deep eyes, and wore a plain, dark robe, exuding an air of otherworldly grace.

He called himself the Lord of the Clouds and the Master of Spiritual Prophecy, claiming to be most skilled in the art of spirit writing and divination.

Zhong Aniu's trip was solely for the purpose of going to the capital to take the imperial examination and gain fame and fortune, so he decided to consult a fortune teller about this matter.

Master Fuluan smiled, took out a piece of white paper, and asked him to write a character on it.

After thinking for a moment, Zhong Aniu simply wrote the character "馗".

Master Fulan stroked his black beard, a half-smile on his face, and said, "Kui means champion! You will surely excel in this examination and pass with flying colors, it's just a pity."

Seeing Master Fuluan chuckle and shake his head, Zhong Kui raised an eyebrow and asked, "There are three great joys in life. Since passing the imperial examination is such a joyous occasion, what is there to regret?"

Master Fuluan pointed to the character and said, "The character 'Kui' can be broken down into 'nine' and 'head.' Now it is the ninth month, and your arrival is perfectly timed."

"Unfortunately, the first character of Kui was left aside by the last character of the nine, and could not be included in the banquet."

"In the end, the lay Buddhist will find nothing!"

Regardless of Zhong Aniu's changing expression, Master Fuluan continued, "Being excluded from the banquet is nothing compared to the real dangers that lie ahead!"

The term "head" refers to the stalk. Even a leek can survive if its head is cut off, but a person without a head will certainly not survive!

“If the first part of the character ‘馗’ is removed, it signifies the danger of being beheaded. This is a very ominous sign. If I were a lay Buddhist, I would turn back and prioritize preserving my own life.”

Upon hearing this, Zhong Aniu laughed loudly and said, "As long as I have a clear conscience and act uprightly, why should I be afraid of any great disaster?"

Master Fulan asked in surprise, "If you seek a path through death, you are destined to face a calamity that kills you. Aren't you afraid?"

The Exorcist Lord grinned and said, "What's there to be afraid of! A human life is as fleeting as a blade of grass in autumn. Even trees that want to become pillars must grow straight. I'd rather take the straight path than compromise my principles. Otherwise, even if I live for thousands or tens of thousands of years, I'll still be a tortoise or a bastard, a spineless creature. I wouldn't stoop to that!"

Master Fuluan's face darkened, and he retorted, "Nonsense! Have you not heard that nothing in the world is more yielding than water, yet nothing can overcome the hard and strong? Excessive rigidity leads to breakage; only by yielding and seeking within can one achieve lasting success!"

The Exorcist Lord, still unaware of the fortune teller's true abilities, sneered, "No balls, no balls; coward, coward. What talk of being gentle and weak? You're acting like a woman."

"you!"

Master Fuluan suddenly stood up. He wanted to continue refuting, but he couldn't hit the rude, ugly man who was sometimes swearing and sometimes trying to be sophisticated!

After a somewhat weak and feeble explanation, Master Fuluan began to utter some incomprehensible words, such as "The world is impermanent, the land is fragile, only by experiencing the four elements of suffering and emptiness, avoiding cause and effect, being without action and self, can one glimpse the Great Dao" and other inexplicable statements.

The exorcist master didn't listen carefully at all. He paid the divination fee and turned to leave the bridge.

On the bridge, the ignored Master Fu Luan was furious, but when he thought of the divination results the other party had given, he shook his head helplessly.

"Tell me, why are you getting so worked up over a dying man?"

Even if his and that ugly man's horoscopes were incompatible and their temperaments clashed, he figured they would never have the chance to see each other again.

They were complete strangers, and today he simply hadn't checked the almanac before going out, which led to their accidental encounter. After figuring out the connection, the fortune teller returned to his stall and began waiting for the next person destined to meet him.

A month or so passes in the blink of an eye.

When the provincial and palace examinations began, Zhong Aniu fought fiercely in one exam after another, writing his exam papers in a brocade of words, each one a gem.

After ten years of hard study, Zhong Aniu, who came from a rural area and was known for his exam-taking skills, has never felt so relaxed and at ease as he does today!

On the day the names were announced, in the Golden Hall, just as the Venerable Fuluan had predicted, he achieved the highest rank and stood out from the crowd!

However, just as Zhong Aniu was filled with excitement and wanted to meet the emperor to realize his lifelong ambitions, he did not expect that treacherous officials were in power in the court, such as Lu Qi and Yang Guozhang, who were always jealous of the virtuous and capable.

Seeing that Zhong Aniu was ugly, they hatched a wicked plan to replace him with the second-place scholar, who had a personal relationship with their family.

Lu Qi stepped forward from his rank and, in the palace, used Confucian doctrines such as "a gentleman straightens his clothes and hat, and respects his gaze" to offer slanderous words to the emperor, citing classical texts.

"The top scholar is the best in the land, representing the majesty of the court. He must be of dignified appearance to reflect the grandeur of our great nation. Now, Zhong Kui is ugly and looks like a ghost. If he were to be paraded through the streets as the top scholar, it would be a laughingstock to all nations and would damage the dignity of our celestial dynasty. I hope Your Majesty will reconsider!"

The emperor initially admired talent but had some doubts. However, he couldn't withstand the repeated advice from Lu Qi, Yang Guozhang, and others. In front of all the civil and military officials and the scholars, he abolished Zhong Aniu's title of top scholar and denied his ten years of hard study and his ambitions!

Zhong Aniu was struck dumb, all his passion and enthusiasm turning into ice and snow!

Standing beneath the imperial palace, he said with grief and indignation: "The way to select officials should prioritize talent and virtue. How can we judge merit based on appearance? I have studied by candlelight for ten years, working tirelessly until my inkstone wore out, all for the sake of serving the court and bringing peace to the country. Now, my grand plans have not been realized, and my ambitions have not been fulfilled, yet I have suffered such injustice because of my mere appearance. Where is justice? Where is fairness?"

After speaking, Zhong Aniu looked around at the magnificent palace before him. Although his heart was ashen, it was rekindled. He said, "I have no face to see my younger sister at home, nor do I deserve to face my dear friend Du Ping! But if I can sacrifice this broken body today so that talented people in the future will not suffer such humiliation because of their ugly appearance and have their talents buried, then even if I die, I will have done my duty!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhong Aniu turned around and rammed headfirst into the Panlong Golden Pillar.

The Emperor jumped to his feet in shock and shouted, "Stop him!"

The surrounding civil and military officials hurriedly stepped forward to pull them apart.

But no one expected that this newly crowned champion was not only a brilliant writer, but also a skilled martial artist!

Despite everyone's efforts to pull and tug at his robes and sleeves, they could not succeed and could only watch as the ugly giant crashed into the golden pillar.

With a deafening roar, the massive golden dragon pillar, as thick as a person's embrace, was shaken, and the entire golden hall trembled.

Looking at Zhong Kui again, his forehead was shattered and his soul had flown away into the underworld.

The Emperor took two steps back and sat down in a daze.

After a long pause, he finally spoke: "Bring the top scholar's red robe, dress Zhong Aiqing properly, and give him a grand funeral with the rites due to a top scholar!"

Zhong Aniu's story didn't end there. Xu Qing watched as Zhong Aniu's soul left his body and entered the underworld.

Along the way, there were greedy ghosts demanding money, hungry ghosts snatching food, prostitutes seducing people, drunkards drooling, and gamblers inviting others to gamble. Most of the ghost soldiers and messengers were actually made up of street monsters.

Seeing that Zhong Aniu was wearing a scholar's red robe, the ghosts assumed he had a lot of wealth and began to pull and bully him.

Zhong Aniu sought help from the soul-collecting ghost messenger, but the messenger coldly watched him, simply because he hadn't paid the toll.

Even a clay figure has some temper, let alone Zhong Aniu, who has just experienced a major upheaval.

He was furious and could no longer hold back.

"You wretched creatures, you committed evil deeds in life, and even in death you continue to poison the world! You deserve to die!"

Zhong Aniu swung his fist, which was as big as a sandbag, and his ferocity was even greater than that of a demon!

Seeing Zhong Aniu fight back against the ghosts who were bullying him, the ghost messengers on the side stopped watching coldly and instead used their soul-beating whips and soul-hooking iron chains to attack him.

Zhong Aniu was absolutely furious!
He was law-abiding and obedient, yet he was bullied. He stood up for his dignity and reason, only to be questioned and tortured by officials. Does this mean honest people deserve to be bullied?

Zhong Aniu, filled with righteous indignation both before and after his death, had nowhere to vent his anger. When the resentment in his heart reached its peak, this great man, who was intolerable to the demons and monsters of the world, went completely mad!
He tore apart the fierce demons with his bare hands and devoured the evil spirits raw, like a tiger swallowing a sheep!
The soul-snatching ghost entered his belly, and the troublesome little devils turned into food. Zhong Aniu charged forward recklessly, his aura rising steadily.

Midway through, a human king appeared to him in a dream, saying that he was being disturbed by ghosts. In order to fulfill his duty as a subject to the king, Zhong Aniu used the dream to break the law and devour the evil ghost.

Having fulfilled his duty as a subject to his ruler, he continued his journey deeper into the underworld.

Zhong Aniu bravely passed through the Gates of Hell. A ghost official, barely suppressing his horror, shouted, "You killed a ghost messenger! Your crime is unforgivable! Even if you flee to the ends of the earth, you will still be pursued by the Ten Courts of Hell!"

Zhong Aniu's voice boomed like thunder: "I have lived an upright life, killing only those who deserved to die and eliminating only those who deserved to be eliminated. Why should I need to escape?"

On this day, the underworld trembled, and Zhong Aniu stormed into the Yama Palace, unstoppable by anyone.

An urgent message arrived, stating that the emperor of the mortal realm had bestowed upon Zhong Aniu the title of "Holy Lord Who Protects the Home and Grants Blessings," granting him the honor of having his family worshipped for generations. The message also claimed that Zhong Aniu was protected by the current dynasty's fortune, making him impervious to ordinary ghosts and underworld soldiers.

The Sixth Court of the Underworld is specifically for punishing those who complain against Heaven and others, and those who are disobedient and unfilial.

When the Sixth King of Biancheng saw Zhong Aniu, he was not restrained by the honor bestowed upon him by the mortals; instead, he was furious and said:

"You have disobeyed your sovereign, committed suicide, and are unfilial and unrighteous. You are a sinful soul, how dare you usurp the law and commit violence, thus offending the majesty of the Underworld!"

Zhong Aniu stood before the hall, his brows furrowed in anger: "My death is not self-inflicted, but rather a warning to the world, paving the way for those with ambition in the future."

After saying this, Zhong Aniu continued, "Those I slaughtered were not the king's subjects, but the wicked villains here! As for the majesty of the underworld, when I was alive, I stood on the golden palace and did not bow my head in fear of death. Now that I am here, why would I be afraid of these demons and ghosts!"

Seeing that Zhong Aniu was indeed upright, King Biancheng still showed no mercy and said, "The laws are clear and are the king's law. Even if evil spirits run rampant, there is a three-foot sword of law to judge their good and evil!"

"Although you are a top scholar in the secular world, you are just an unknown ghost here. How dare you use private punishment to deal with the underworld? Have you not heard that even if the cook does not cook, the officiant should not overstep the bounds of the sacrificial table to do so?"

"Today you have overstepped your bounds and disregarded the laws of the underworld. According to the law, you should be sent to the Avici Hell to suffer the punishment of having your fingers cut off, your feet cut off, your tongue cut out, and your heart gouged out, which will be equivalent to 120 years of hard labor. In addition, you will be recorded as guilty of disrespecting the court and disrespecting the presiding official. The legal officials will order you to be punished accordingly. This is to warn all ghosts to know the authority and dignity of the laws of the underworld!"

When Zhong Aniu was alive, he was loyal to his monarch, and even after his death, he was unwilling to do anything that would deceive the emperor.

He closed his eyes, ready to surrender, when suddenly the emperor's imperial carriage arrived outside the Senluo Palace.

It turns out that the emperor of the underworld was passing by this palace when he saw the righteous aura soaring into the sky. He stopped his carriage to observe and took in everything that happened inside.

King Yama arrived in the hall, and all the ghosts paid homage. He looked around at the ghosts and said:
"The law must not be profaned, and benevolence must not be abandoned. The underworld must not lose its dignity because of benevolence, but it also cannot lose its benevolence because of the law."

King Yama turned to Zhong Aniu and said, "Since you are righteous and yearn for justice, I will grant you the position of capturing ghosts and subduing demons, so that you can display your talents and redeem yourself through meritorious service."

Seeing Zhong Aniu bow his head to accept the order, the Underworld Emperor took out the Demon-Slaying Sword and presented it to him, while reminding him, "You must remember that my leniency towards you today is not to pardon your transgression, but to lend you the power of righteousness to restore order to the Underworld. If you abuse the law and act recklessly, you will be punished for both past and future crimes, and will be imprisoned under the Mountain of Knives forever, never to be reborn!"

Zhong Aniu was grateful for the kindness shown to him by Yama, and he indeed used the law to his advantage, managing to restore the fragmented underworld to a new state.

Unfortunately, these were all just a last gasp before the storm!
After that, Zhong Aniu, wielding the Demon-Slaying Sword and the Soul-Gathering Umbrella, patrolled the Yin and Yang realms, and thus acquired the title of "True Lord of Exorcism".

Xu Qing continued reading, and what followed was about Zhong Aniu going to the mortal world to act as a matchmaker, marrying his sister to his benefactor Du Ping, and Du Ping's deeds of subduing demons and monsters.

But this good fortune didn't last long. One day, Yama, the King of Hell, suddenly issued a decree to send the Demon Exorcist to wander the mortal world.

The True Lord didn't think much of it, but by the time he came to his senses, the Underworld that had accepted him had already been destroyed.

The reason why Yama, the King of Hell, sent him to the mortal world was because he couldn't bear to see him die at the hands of the Dharma Corpse.

Later, Zhong Aniu and Master Fuluan reunite and discuss the matter of eliminating the Ghost Law.

As the scrolling text ended, Xu Qing looked at the reward given to Du Renjing.

One drop each of the divine water of the sun, moon, and stars; five strands of imperial mystic energy, totaling five parts of the underworld emperor's fortune.
In addition, there are ten drops of the Three Lives Stone Dew; a hundred Resurrection Pills; a scroll of the Yama Scripture; and a sword of the Underworld Emperor.
Apart from the Three Lives Stone Dew and the Resurrection Pill, all the above are, without exception, top-tier rewards!
(End of this chapter)