sinovels Chapter 2 April 7, the Feast of Slaughter
Chapter 2 April 7, the Feast of Slaughter
The fingertips tapped the illusory image of the scripture, producing a silent tremor.
The first line of the *Killing and Refining the World Sutra* burned like blood and fire in my mind: "Initiation Ceremony, Feast of Slaughter. One must use acts of killing to clarify the mind and prove the Way, to slay the unforgivable evil, and to eradicate the root of sin. Slaughter is merit, the path of blood is the way."
"To cultivate the 'Killing Sutra,' one must first complete the initiation ceremony, the Killing Feast." He tapped his fingertips lightly on the illusory image of the sutra, his mind already racing with calculations. "This isn't something you can just do by killing a chicken or duck; I need to plan it carefully."
There was another matter weighing on his mind: the concept of destiny.
The original owner of this body targeted Zhang Xiao'e because she was born in a yin year, yin month, yin day, and yin hour, with a pure yin destiny, making her an excellent tonic for the original owner. If she could absorb her, she would have a chance to break free from the control of the Star Daoist.
If this fate were to fall upon a mortal, it would be a catastrophe. Haunted by malevolent energy, coveted by countless ghosts, Zhang Xiao'e would have been devoured by all sorts of wandering spirits long ago, leaving not even bones behind, if not for the original owner's secret protection.
For cultivators, such a destiny can be considered a great elixir.
"Thump, thump thump".
A heavy knocking on the door startled Xu Changqing from his thoughts.
Xu Changqing's eyes narrowed, he straightened the collar of his Taoist robe, and slowly walked towards the front courtyard.
Pushing open the temple gate, one sees a skinny ape with a face full of pimples standing outside.
He was less than six feet tall, wrapped in a dirty robe haphazardly sewn together from various animal hides. His exposed skin was bluish-gray and covered with rough, scale-like patterns.
Its head resembled a human's, but it had a pair of large, amber-colored vertical pupils, a sunken nose, and everted lips that revealed jagged, yellowish-black sharp teeth.
It held a wooden tray in its hands, on which lay a piece of charred birch bark, with writing on it in some dark red, congealed blood-like substance.
"Master of Qingyang Temple," the monster spoke, its voice hoarse and grating, like sand rubbing against each other, "I am 'Lazy Throat,' the patrolman of Black Wind Mountain, and I have come to deliver this message on the orders of my 'Black Wind King.'"
As he spoke, he handed the wooden tray forward, bowed slightly, his movements stiff as rotten wood, but his vertical pupils were fixed on Xu Changqing's face, his gaze filled with undisguised greed and fear.
Seeing its audacity, Xu Changqing remained expressionless, but a sudden chill ran through his eyes.
The next instant, his magical power surged forth, and a wisp of dark starlight silently rose from behind him, revealing his illusory destiny. It was as if an ancient ominous star slowly opened a sliver of blood-red pupil, enough to evoke the deepest, most unspeakable fears in the memories of living beings.
The leper's scales stood on end, and its vertical pupils suddenly shrank to two slits. It felt as if the abbot before it had suddenly turned into a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood. Among the countless broken limbs and remains, a giant bear at the late stage of Qi Refining opened its blood-red maw.
That was the scene of the Black Wind King going berserk and devouring its own kind, a nightmare that weighed heavily on its heart every day.
It let out a miserable howl, its knees slamming onto the stone steps, kowtowing repeatedly, its voice shrill and off-key: "Master, spare me! Master, spare me! This lowly demon was blind to the true man, I deserve to die a thousand deaths, please have mercy, Master!"
The starlight behind Xu Changqing vanished in an instant, and silence returned to the doorway, leaving only the shriveled, panting breath of a leper.
He looked down at the monster crawling on the ground, his tone flat and emotionless: "This humble Taoist has no connection with Black Wind Mountain. Your king suddenly invited me, and now what level of cultivation do you have that you dare to show off your power in front of me?"
Laihou, his heart pounding with fear, dared not conceal anything any longer. His voice trembled as he repeatedly said, "Reporting to the Immortal Master! My King is already in the late stage of Qi Refining, and having heard of the profound mysteries of the Abbot's Daoist arts, he greatly admires them. Just as tomorrow is the full moon, and the 'Blood Apricots' in the mountains will ripen, he has specially prepared a small banquet, inviting the Abbot to the Black Wind Cave to enjoy the first-grade spiritual fruit and discuss the path to immortality. This lowly servant, with his audacity, has dared to flaunt his power; he truly deserves to die!"
As he spoke, he kowtowed again.
A knowing glint flashed in Xu Changqing's eyes. Late stage of Qi Refining…
His expression remained indifferent, but without any visible movement, he flicked his sleeve, and with a gentle force, lifted the man with the leper's throat from the ground. "Get up."
The man with the leprosy staggered to his feet, his legs still trembling violently.
Xu Changqing then reached out and picked up the piece of charred birch bark from the wooden tray. It was slightly warm to the touch, as if still carrying residual heat. The writing on it was crooked and grotesque: "April 7th, full moon and black wind. Blood Apricot Banquet begins, awaiting fellow Daoist. Respectfully presented by Lord Black Wind."
A clear claw mark is visible at the bottom of the sign, deep in the bark, with charred edges, as if it had been burned.
The original owner's memories then surfaced. Black Wind Mountain is located eight hundred miles northwest of Green Sheep Mountain. The mountain is treacherous and shrouded in miasma all year round.
King Black Wind is a black bear spirit who has cultivated for nearly a hundred years. He has gathered many mountain spirits and monsters under his command, and he occupies the mountains as king. He often kidnaps travelers and even attacks villages.
Its Blood Apricot Feast is notorious among the cultivators in the vicinity. The so-called Blood Apricot is actually an evil spiritual plant watered with the essence and blood of living people. Eating it can increase one's magical power.
The original owner of this body had no connection with this black bear spirit, and even shared a tacit understanding of keeping to themselves. Now, suddenly, an invitation was extended…
Xu Changqing's mind raced, but his expression remained unchanged as he gently tucked the birch bark into his sleeve: "I am deeply honored by Your Majesty's hospitality. May I ask who else is attending this banquet?"
The leper's vertical pupils shifted slightly, his voice still carrying lingering fear: "Your Majesty has a wide circle of friends, and several 'distinguished guests' will be present. The abbot will know once he arrives."
Xu Changqing's heart was filled with murderous intent, but when he raised his eyes and looked at the man with a leper's throat, his smile was gentle and warm, like a lotus flower just beginning to bloom in a pond, showing no trace of the lingering power of the mountain of corpses and sea of blood just now.
"The envoy has come a long way and has had a hard time. Please inform Your Majesty that I will certainly attend the banquet on time, to savor the delicious blood apricots, and also... to properly witness Your Majesty's 'hospitality'."
To the scoundrel's surprise, he agreed so readily. He was stunned for a moment before croaking, "Master, you're so generous! In that case, I'll be waiting for you at the entrance of Black Wind Cave tomorrow at dusk."
Having said that, he dared not stop, turned around and staggered away. His heavy footsteps pounded on the bluestone steps, and his hunched figure was quickly swallowed up by the dense miasma at the bend in the mountain path.
Xu Changqing stood alone in front of the temple gate, the mountain wind lifting the hem of his blue Taoist robe.
A feast of killing animals...
Black Wind Cave is a gathering place for demons and filled with villains.
Is there a better venue for a banquet?
"However, we should prepare something special to share with the guests at the banquet!"
Xu Changqing looked at the pond full of lotus flowers and chuckled softly.
These lotus flowers are no ordinary things.
The pond water was crystal clear, and sunlight shone through the surface, reflecting the intricate veins of the lotus roots layer upon layer.
Deep within the roots, dozens of human heads, both male and female, hang suspended, their faces distorted, all pierced through the crown of their heads by the lotus roots.
Wisps of yin energy seeped from the seven orifices, slowly being absorbed by the lotus, leaving faint black trails in the water.
This is the "Yin Yuan Lotus" cultivated by the original body using the "You Lian Miao Xin Jing".
To this end, the original owner killed hundreds of people over three years, took their heads and hung them at the bottom of the pool. Using his own illusory destiny as a guide, he sealed the souls into the skulls and planted a different kind of lotus seed.
The lotus grows by absorbing souls, and the lotus seeds condensed from the lotus heart contain pure resentment and fear, which can aid in the cultivation of evil magic.
Now that all forty-nine flowers have bloomed, it is time to harvest them.