Chapter Thirty-Three: The Spirit of Shadows

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After finishing their meal, the two returned to the academy. Now that Wang Fu had obtained the Daoist manual "Invisibility Technique," he decisively paid the academy and obtained a private dormitory, conveniently located right next to Chen Jianchen’s room.

Once moved in, Wang Fu could hardly wait to lock himself inside and devote himself to diligent cultivation.

Chen Jianchen paid him no mind and remained in his own room, studying "The True Chapter of Triple Establishment."

Several days passed in a flash. Tomorrow would be the official opening day of Minghua Academy. After tomorrow, all students were required to attend classes on schedule, no longer permitted the freedom to come and go as they pleased.

Contemplating the monotonous and nearly unchanging routine that awaited, Chen Jianchen couldn’t help but feel somewhat frustrated.

Wang Fu knocked at his door. His hair was disheveled, his eyes bloodshot, as if he hadn’t slept in days.

"Brother Futai, what happened to you?"

Wang Fu, with bulging eyes, replied, "I have been cultivating the immortal arts. As I suspected, they are truly vast and profound... However, I reached a crucial passage: ‘The wonder of invisibility lies not in external things; only a mind as pure as a newborn’s can succeed.’ I don’t quite understand it, so I’ve come to consult you, Liuxian."

He came seeking advice, yet didn’t bring the book—Chen Jianchen saw through this little ploy but didn’t expose him, instead deciding to tease: "Taken literally, it means that to master the Invisibility Technique, you must strip off your clothes..."

At this, Wang Fu slapped his thigh. "Of course! No wonder I haven’t succeeded after several days—so I must be naked for it to work. It makes sense; my body can turn invisible, but my clothes can’t. They would ruin the whole effect of the art."

Chen Jianchen nearly choked—several days without success, and he could say so without shame. Did he truly believe that Daoist arts were child’s play, something one could master in a few days of dabbling?

"Liuxian, wait a moment—I’ll be right back."

With that, he rushed out.

Chen Jianchen was taken aback. Could that fellow truly be about to put on a strip show?

No sooner had the thought formed than Wang Fu returned—completely naked, not a stitch on him, his flabby flesh exposed for all to see.

Startled, Chen Jianchen quickly shut the door, half laughing, half exasperated. "Brother Futai, what are you doing? If anyone were to see you, you’d surely be accused of indecency."

Wang Fu was even more surprised. "Liuxian, you can see me? But I’m invisible!"

Chen Jianchen nearly smacked him, torn between amusement and annoyance. "Put your clothes on, quickly."

Wang Fu was thoroughly dejected, and now indignant. "That priest was unscrupulous, selling me a fake book. Outrageous! I’ll burn that wretched thing right away."

Chen Jianchen sneered inwardly. He didn’t actually believe the manual was a forgery; a Daoist priest would have no reason to go to such lengths. The problem was that Wang Fu had not achieved enlightenment—cultivating the Dao is a grueling endeavor. Even years of effort might yield nothing, let alone a few days. Wang Fu’s impatience would doom him to failure.

Chen Jianchen himself had gained immediate insight from "The True Chapter of Triple Establishment," opening his Mud Pill Palace, yet despite long and diligent practice, he still hadn’t managed to condense even a wisp of righteous energy.

Hearing Wang Fu threaten to burn the book, Chen Jianchen was struck by an idea. "Brother Futai, why not let me take a look at the manual?"

Wang Fu replied, "Since you wish to see it, I’ll give it to you."

He hurried back, dressed himself properly, and returned with the little book. Having already convinced himself it was a fake, he saw no harm in doing Chen Jianchen a favor.

The book was small enough to fit in the palm, the paper yellowed, the words written in fine script with string-thin strokes. A cursory reading revealed subtle mysteries in every line.

Chen Jianchen, however, did not study it closely. If the book was genuine, it was a Daoist art, and he could not cultivate it. Moreover, "The True Chapter of Triple Establishment" stated, "The gentleman is like a mountain, like jade; he is neither greedy nor distracted by external things," teaching that one must hold steadfast to one’s heart, resist temptation, and not be lured by every novel or strange thing. Otherwise, not only would one gain nothing, but one’s heart would be tainted.

He only wanted the manual to keep for now, perhaps to give to Ying Ning to study in the future.

...

That night, the moon was veiled in haze, casting a dim and obscure light.

A single lamp glowed faintly in the room. Chen Jianchen lay on his bed, eyes half-closed, pondering the start of classes tomorrow—

Suddenly, the room grew cold and eerie, as if a chilling wind swept through. In an instant, a little ghost with a greenish face and tusks appeared before him—no more than three feet tall, clutching a triple-pronged fork. It glared at Chen Jianchen and shouted, "You scholar, I have no grievance with you, our paths should not cross—how dare you destroy my image!"

Chen Jianchen replied, "And what little ghost are you, spouting nonsense here?"

"I am the Earth Deity of Shuyang Village," the ghost declared.

Chen Jianchen laughed. "So you’re this ugly little thing, truly a repulsive sight."

The little ghost was furious, fuming with rage. "Chen Jianchen, you have offended the spirits and committed a grave sin, yet you still dare to argue! You deserve death!"

Chen Jianchen replied proudly, "I possess ‘The True Chapter of Triple Establishment,’ cultivate the righteous path of Confucianism, neither worship Heaven and Earth nor heed spirits and ghosts—what crime is that? You little ghost, coming here to disturb my mind, you are the one who deserves death."

Enraged, the little ghost lunged, brandishing its fork and baring its fangs, ready to bite Chen Jianchen.

Its attack was vicious, and Chen Jianchen, though fearful, could not react in time. The ghost leapt upon him, the fork and teeth tearing into his flesh, blood flowing freely.

Buzz!

In the struggle, a light suddenly flashed from Chen Jianchen’s body—it was the Evil-Dispelling Brush, glowing brilliantly. Swift as a shooting star, it darted forth, the tip shining as it struck the ghost directly on the forehead.

Agh!

The little ghost let out a pitiful scream and was instantly shattered, reduced to nothing.

Huh!

Chen Jianchen awoke with a start, realizing he had just dreamed.

But the dream had felt so real, he immediately understood that it had truly happened—the little ghost’s spirit had left its body, infiltrated his mind, and tried to harm his soul.

The human soul is formless yet real; if damaged, a person may become stupid, even a fool, or die outright from fright.

At this thought, Chen Jianchen broke out in a cold sweat.

So, the little ghost was actually the Earth Deity of Jingyang Village. How it ended up in Jiangzhou City, even entering the academy, was truly audacious.

Chen Jianchen understood that the world was vast and full of oddities—mountains had their deities, cities their city gods, earth its earth deities, all under the jurisdiction of the underworld. Now he had seen for himself what ghosts and spirits truly looked like.

He also reflected that when the little ghost attacked, fear had clouded his mind, exposing a weakness that almost led to his undoing. Only the timely appearance of the Evil-Dispelling Brush saved him.

How close a call!

Ultimately, he was still lacking in strength and experience; otherwise, how could these demons and spirits even come near him?