A master of metaphysics is farming.

The night sky was dark and gloomy; even the moon seemed to have hidden itself away.

Xiang He went to one of the peaks in the back mountain, took out the statue of the evil god from her cloth bag and placed it on the ground, and then sat cross-legged.

He formed a mudra with his hands in front of his body and started moving his lips rapidly.

He clasped his fingers together and pointed at the evil god statue. In an instant, the talisman covering it burst into flames, which gradually enveloped the evil god statue. The flames were not hot.

Flames rose in Xiang He's eyes, illuminating the area.

About fifteen minutes later, the evil god statue and the talisman were burned to ashes. Xiang He then took out the palm mirror, and two graceful figures appeared beside him.

Shuiyue rubbed her forehead. "Taoist priest, this ghost is really causing trouble!"

"Thank you for your hard work," Xiang He said, tapping the mirror lightly with her finger. "I'll listen to the Heart Sutra in a bit."

"Thank you, Taoist Priest!"

Mirror Flower Water Moon often listened to scriptures by her side, and the aura emanating from her body changed accordingly. After some time, her cultivation level will improve.

She circled her finger on the mirror, saying, "Between Yin and Yang, in the nine levels of hell, Xiang He, the thirteenth generation disciple of Shanqing Temple, begs the underworld messengers to reveal themselves quickly."

No sooner had he finished speaking than a gust of cold wind arose.

The reflection in the mirror and the moon in the water nestled together, watching the approaching darkness.

A figure emerged from the darkness, wielding a clanging chain, and swayed a few steps before appearing before them.

Xiang He stood up to greet him, turning the mirror towards him, "It's been a long time, sir."

The underworld messenger who came was the same one as before, but this time he was much more respectful. "Greetings, Daoist Master. What are your instructions?"

Xiang He moved the mirror in his hand, "There is a sinister thing inside. Please take it away, sir, and let it be judged and punished before the King of Hell."

The underworld official's hand holding the chain twitched slightly. After nodding slightly, he simply flicked his wrist, and the chain slipped into the mirror. Once it was taut, he pulled it out, and Zhang Rumin's genitals were pulled out along with it.

"You, let me go! Let me go! I want revenge!"

He was still clamoring for revenge, but this revenge was nothing but wishful thinking, a way to find an excuse to vent his anger over his mother's death.

Xiang He bowed slightly, "Please tell me your name, sir, so that I may offer you my thanks."

He hesitated for a moment, then his dark eyes lit up. "Song He."

"I would be grateful if Lord Song could make the trip."

Song He waved his hand, "It's my duty, Daoist, there's no need to be so polite. I'll take my leave now."

After bidding farewell to the underworld messenger Song He, Xiang He held the mirror and waved it around. The mirror flower and water moon tactfully entered, not disturbing Xiang He's business.

After the illusion faded away, the moon gradually appeared above the area where she had been.

Moonlight streamed down, making half of her body appear as white as icy mist.

Xiang He found a high spot with a view of the distance, stood with his hands behind his back, and said, "You've been looking for me several times, and today we finally have some free time to meet."

As soon as she finished speaking, a misty white light gradually appeared in a space less than half a zhang in size.

The mist was soft and ethereal, and as it drifted, it formed a figure. The figure wore a crescent-white robe, had black hair like a waterfall, and gradually revealed a face with a faint scholarly air about it.

Xiang He turned her head to look at him; his gentle features hinted at a distance.

"Are you...the mountain god?"

He exuded a cool and aloof aura. His thin lips pursed, and a hint of relaxation appeared when he lowered his eyes.

He suddenly curled the corners of his lips slightly, "Master Xiang, my name is Shan Di."

Upon hearing this, Xiang He's brow twitched and he sat down on the ground. "My name is Xiang He. May I ask what business the Mountain God has with me?"

Seeing her casual demeanor, the ram sat down beside her and they gazed into the distance together.

"Master, your appearance was so sudden. Is there anything you need to ask me?"

Hearing his question, Xiang He did not get excited; his expression remained calm. "I suppose even the Mountain God doesn't know the reason. He might as well have already shown himself to me."

His expression remained calm, the smile at the corner of his mouth contradicting his aloof demeanor. He said, "Daoist Master, your cultivation is profound. If even you do not know, how could I possibly know?"

Amidst the polite exchanges, Xiang He couldn't help but purse her lips. "Mountain God, could you tell me if anything unusual happened that night? For example, when I put on this body, did the heavens and earth exhibit any other strange phenomena?"

"A mute thunderclap breaks through the clouds, a pure soul ascends skillfully; the bridal sedan chair resembles a bridal coffin, the dead body is transformed into a new one."

Xiang He's gaze lingered slightly. "Is it truly confidential?"

Shan Di's brows were as dark as ink. "That night, I sensed something unusual about the world, so I went to investigate and found this scene. This is how I obtained the true secret."

The silent night sky, accompanied by the silence of the two, seemed even more gloomy.

If a mountain spirit is born in a place, it means that the spirit has attained mastery over that place. When a mountain spirit cultivates into a mountain god, it receives the favor of the heavens, and its intelligence is even higher than that of ordinary mountain spirits.

He can sense the true essence of heaven and earth, and presumably after cultivating for some more time, he will break through this body.

The cold night wind brushed against her face, and Xiang He's mind cleared up a bit. Her eyes flickered slightly. "Since the mountain god doesn't know the reason, then he must have something else to ask me."

“Master, you are wise. I do indeed have a request.”

Hearing this, Xiang He tilted her head and looked at him, "The mountain god can still ask for favors, could it be that he's looking for someone elsewhere or something?"

As a local mountain god, finding someone would be incredibly easy for him. Since he still needs help from others, it must be because that person or thing is outside his jurisdiction.

The mountain god must not leave the land of his birth without permission; he must protect the mountain spirits and the people of this place.

The mountain god, whose thoughts had been guessed, was not annoyed. He waved his sleeves and placed them on his knees. "I am looking for a spirit that is greedy for the prosperity of the human world and has wandered off somewhere. I have appeared here to ask you to keep an eye out for it, Taoist priest."

"What kind of spirit is it? I'll show mercy if I encounter it in the future."

“Hehe,” Shan Di took out a portrait from his sleeve and unfolded it. “It’s a spirit. Six years ago, it went to the prefectural government to play and never came back. I’ve heard from other spirits that it loves the hustle and bustle of the world and doesn’t plan to come back for the time being.”

"The prefectural government?" Xiang He pointed to his lap. "Since it's been gone for six years, it probably hasn't stayed there all this time, has it? Could it have gone traveling around?"

"It is naturally mischievous and unruly, and may wander around."

Shan Di smoothed his crescent-white sleeves, his clear, cold eyes seeming to be misty with tears. "I just wanted to ask the Daoist to keep an eye out for it. There's no need to search for it. It should come back when it gets tired of playing."

Upon hearing this, Xiang He nodded slightly, slowly closed his eyes, and stretched out his right hand upwards, "It's a rare encounter with the mountain god, give me something?"

Shan Di's eyes flickered slightly in surprise, then he chuckled softly and placed his left hand over her right. "Daoist Master, you are devoted to the Dao and your Daoist heart is unwavering. Is it because of this spirit that you have undergone such trials?"

The ram's hands were very cool, like the flowing water of mountains, refreshing and soothing.

“There are many people with a stronger will to follow the Dao than I do. I think this is just a torment from Heaven, not a good thing.”

Her words were playful, and Shan Di's smile remained, as he slowly closed his eyes as well.

"Master, have you sensed anything different?"

A misty white swirled between the human and the mountain god, moonlight enveloping them in a thin fog. Besides the cool sensation in her hands, there was also a warm, moist energy flowing through them, entering her body from her palms and circulating through her meridians.

The airflow soothes the body and mind; it's been a long time since I've felt relaxed.

Xiang He's expression gradually relaxed. "As expected of a mountain god who is about to enter a thousand years, thank you."

"polite."