After Transmigrating into an Evil God - Chapter 20

After returning home, Zheng Dao informed his parents of what they had seen on this trip. The third son, Zheng Ji, being lively by nature, was animatedly recounting their experiences in the mountains to his younger siblings.

“Those wild monkeys, every single one of them sat cross-legged like people, listening to the immortal’s lecture!” Zheng Ji imitated the monkeys’ appearance as he spoke. “When the immortal saw us arrive, he dismissed all those wild monkeys.”

“The monkeys stood up and bowed to the immortal,” Zheng Ji said while mimicking the monkeys’ bow, “just like students in the schoolhouse bowing to their teacher!”

While Zheng Ji had only gotten to the part about going up the mountain, Zheng Dao had already concisely finished describing the descent:

“…The immortal saw it was getting late and, concerned about the difficulty of our descent, used cloud mist to carry us down the mountain.”

Zheng Liang took the bamboo tube containing the wine and carefully opened the stopper, taking a sniff. “This is the wine bestowed by the immortal?”

Standing nearby, Zhou Xing felt a gentle, mellow wine fragrance waft toward her, carrying a fresh floral and fruity aroma that lifted her spirits.

“Since the immortal said so, let’s divide it.” Zhou Xing said, “Go fetch some bowls and call everyone else over.”

She turned her head only to see her second son, Zheng Shu, squatting in the courtyard, comparing something with a few grass ropes.

“Tongshu, what are you doing? Come get some wine!” Zhou Xing called out.

Zheng Shu responded. “Mother, I’m recording measurements. I noticed the railing under the immortal’s corridor was rotted, so I’m thinking of repairing it.”

Zhou Xing thought for a moment. Her second son was a man of few words but had excellent carpentry skills. Speaking less meant fewer chances to say the wrong thing, and being closer to the immortal would be good. However, there had been no rain recently, and though they weren’t short of water, they needed to carry water daily to irrigate the fields—they couldn’t spare anyone from the farm work.

So Zhou Xing said, “Alright, after this busy farming season passes, you can go up the mountain and ask the immortal.”

After the bowls were brought over, Zhou Xing poured out the wine from the bamboo tube, trying to distribute it as evenly as possible among everyone.

There wasn’t much wine—just one small tube—and the Zheng family had many members. After dividing the wine, each person only got a small sip.

Tongdou curiously looked at the amber-colored liquid in her small bowl and said boldly, “I’ll drink first!”

With that, she picked up the bowl and drained it in one gulp. Her manner was quite reminiscent of the wandering heroes who frequently gathered at taverns.

As soon as she set the bowl back on the table, Tongdou began to sway. “It’s delicious… ah… I’m sleepy…”

Tongdou wobbled unsteadily with her eyes barely open, reaching out to ask her mother for a hug.

Zhou Xing couldn’t help but laugh. She carried Tongdou to bed and said to the others, “This wine seems to have quite a kick. You should all drink it after you’ve returned to your rooms.”

Though the spirit wine in the bamboo tube was scarce, it had been soaked with wine stones—the essence accumulated by the mountain monkeys over thousands of years. Its nature was warm and gentle; even for cultivators it would be a rare benefit, let alone for mortals.

Although each person only received a small sip, that night, everyone in the Zheng family slept extraordinarily soundly.

The next day when they awoke, the young and vigorous children didn’t notice much difference, but Zheng Liang and Zhou Xing felt their bodies remarkably light and relaxed. Years of accumulated hidden injuries and old ailments seemed to have completely healed overnight! Even their failing eyesight had become considerably clearer.

Zhou Xing stood stunned for a long while, then pushed her sleeping husband awake. “Wake up!”

Zheng Liang drowsily opened his eyes. “What is it?”

“Get down and try walking!” Zhou Xing pulled him out of bed.

Zheng Liang had a leg ailment from when he was young, injured while performing corvée labor repairing river embankments in the water. Though there was no visible injury or illness on the surface, it frequently caused him pain, and on rainy days, it would hurt unbearably.

After Zhou Xing scrubbed his face with a towel, Zheng Liang became more alert. Still dazed, he got down and walked two steps, looking at Zhou Xing in bewilderment. “What is it?”

“Does your leg still hurt?”

Zheng Liang froze, then an expression of incredible joy spread across his face.

Seeing him like this, Zhou Xing’s tense expression gradually relaxed. After a long moment, she let out a long breath. “The immortal is merciful!”

……

On the mountain, last night. The bricks and tiles delivered by the three Zheng brothers were piled on the ground.

Though these bricks and tiles were the finest Zheng Dao had selected, they were still far inferior to those once used in the Li residence.

Li Chi looked at Hou Li beside him and asked, “These crude materials—can fellow daoist also make use of them?”

Hou Li waved his hand, and the bricks and tiles on the ground automatically flew to the damaged areas of the residence, replacing the broken bricks and tiles. “Hou Li does not cling to obsessive attachments. These are also good bricks and tiles, so naturally I can use them.”

Li Chi asked again. “In mortal learning there is a saying: ‘The body, hair, and skin are received from one’s parents and must not be carelessly damaged.’ Fellow daoist exchanges superior for inferior—do you feel any regret in your heart?”

Hou Li pondered for a moment before answering. “Li Manor was built because of the Li clan, and the Li clan made it their hereditary estate, caring for it greatly—I naturally feel grateful. But today’s Hou Li is no longer yesterday’s manor spirit. Li Manor is my physical form, so naturally I can make decisions about it. High God need not test me further with this.”

“Moreover, though the old bricks and tiles were of good material, they were long since damaged. The new bricks and tiles, though slightly inferior in quality, are complete and usable. Replacing the damaged with the usable cannot be called exchanging superior for inferior. I have no regrets in my heart.”

Li Chi remained relentless. “Cultivators use their physical bodies as their foundation. Though they persevere with determination on the path of cultivation, they equally cherish their bodies, fearing injury to them would damage their dao foundation. Fellow daoist compromises today—are you not afraid it will affect your cultivation in the future?”

The little mouse still lay on Hou Li’s knee, extremely anxious. Hou Li had shown it the kindness of shelter, and High God Li Chi had equally shown it the kindness of aiding its cultivation. But now the two seemed to be in conflict. The little mouse didn’t understand why the usually gentle High God Li Chi was being so aggressive today. Frantically rubbing its paws together, it desperately tried to recall which words from the ‘Thousand Character Classic’ could be used to mediate.

Ding Qin beckoned to it. She had discerned something of what was happening and, fearing the little mouse would interfere with its words, gathered it into her palm after it came over and made a shushing gesture.

Hou Li couldn’t answer for a moment.

Cultivation indeed had differences in aptitude. Besides personal comprehension, physique also had an influence. This point was also reflected in object spirits.

Among the living spirits of the world, most were of jade or stone quality, and sword spirits were mostly born in precious swords—one never heard of spirits arising from common iron. While this was partly because fine jade and precious swords could be passed down through generations and nourished by human vital energy, more importantly, spiritual materials like fine jade and divine iron easily accommodated spiritual essence.

After much thought, Hou Li said, “Even if there is some effect, I can simply replace them later.”

Li Chi pressed on. “Can these be replaced?”

“They can be replaced,” Hou Li answered.

Li Chi pointed at the residence and asked, “Is this fellow daoist?”

Though Hou Li didn’t understand, he nodded. “It is me.”

Li Chi then pointed at the remaining bricks and tiles on the ground and asked, “Are these fellow daoist?”

Hou Li shook his head. “They are not.”

Li Chi smiled. “Bricks and tiles can be replaced, doors and windows can be replaced, beams and foundation pillars can be replaced. If one day all the bricks and tiles, doors and windows, beams and foundation pillars of this residence… were completely replaced with these building materials that are not fellow daoist, would this residence still be fellow daoist?”

Hou Li was stunned, standing frozen in place, silent and motionless for a long time.

Li Chi paid him no mind and turned to look at Ding Qin, smiling. “Come, I’ll teach you a character.”

Ding Qin ran over to Li Chi’s side carrying the little mouse, and watched as he used the remaining ink to write a character on a leaf at the stone table under the tree—a character not found in the ‘Thousand Character Classic’.

“This character is pronounced ‘qin,'” Li Chi said.

Ding Qin’s thoughts turned, and she immediately understood, exclaiming in delight. “This is my name?”

Li Chi nodded with a smile. “Qin often grows by the water, standing gracefully with verdant freshness, and can also be used as medicine.”

(TL: 芹 (Qín) literally means “celery” or sometimes “water parsley” / “aquatic herb” in English.)

Ding Qin happily looked at the character and picked up the brush to trace it on the leaf.

The little mouse looked at the character on the tree leaf with rapt attention, gesturing with its two front paws in the air.

A moment later, the little mouse had memorized the character. It turned to look at Li Chi, squeaking. First it pointed at the character “qin” on the leaf, then pointed at Ding Qin, then its long tail made a circle and pointed its tail tip at itself.

After completing this series of actions, the little mouse bowed twice to Li Chi.

“You also want a name?” Li Chi asked.

The little mouse nodded vigorously.

The little mouse had now learned the ‘Thousand Character Classic’ and understood its meanings. It was no longer the confused little beast it had been when its intelligence first awakened—it indeed should have a name.

Thinking thus, Li Chi said, “Since you awakened your spirit through the ‘Thousand Character Classic’, you shall be called Wen Qianzi.”

The little mouse was very happy, turning two circles, then looking at the standing Hou Li and squeaking twice.

“No need to mind him, just let him think,” Li Chi said.

After speaking, Li Chi turned and sat on the large bluestone by the pond, half-closing his eyes.

Spirit mist rose in wisps, spiritual essence leaped and danced.

Ding Qin put down her brush and, holding the little mouse, began cultivating in the clear, pure sweet dew beside the deity.

Outside Li Manor, the old monkey who had first heard the dao teachings was full of diligent aspiration and hadn’t gone far, only thinking of returning after those people left. Even if it couldn’t hear dao teachings again, cultivating near the deity would still be good.

After seeing cloud mist suddenly rise from Li Manor and carry those mortals down the mountain, the old monkey who had been lingering nearby quickly brought the other monkeys back. When they reached the outer wall of Li Manor and had just climbed to the top of the wall, they suddenly witnessed Li Chi cultivating—heaven and earth resonating, sweet dew arising spontaneously. The old monkey was so startled it nearly fell from the wall, and it took several large monkeys pulling and dragging to get it back up.

No wonder the deity wouldn’t accept their wine stones. The old monkey suddenly felt somewhat ashamed, feeling itself like a frog at the bottom of a well that, upon seeing treasures, desperately wanted to gather them all—petty and shallow.

With this thought of self-reflection, the old monkey’s mind opened up. With the help of several large monkeys, it entered the courtyard and quietly sat cross-legged against the wall to cultivate.

Only its poor little great-great-grandson, squatting on the wall unable to get down, pitifully found a stable spot and carefully sat cross-legged as well. But in this position it couldn’t grasp the wall with its monkey paws, and no matter how it sat it felt unstable, relying on its tail for support to avoid falling.

The uneven tiles were really uncomfortable to sit on. After enduring it for a while, the little monkey grimaced and jumped up, switching back to its most familiar crouching position on the wall. Before long, it too slowly entered a meditative state.

The next day, as the morning sun first rose, its gentle light shone into the courtyard.

Hou Li, who had stood there all night, saw the confusion fade from his eyes. He took a step forward and actually left Li Manor, entering the mountain forest.

“How foolish of me to be so pleased with myself for developing self-awareness, yet not even knowing which ‘I’ truly am!” Hou Li laughed with joy.

Li Manor was him, but he was not Li Manor.

With this realization, he was no longer confined within Li Manor. With heaven vast and earth wide, he could go wherever he pleased!