At the moment when the fox queen was issuing a series of orders, Qiao San’s light footsteps had just returned to his bedroom.
“Huh, what’s this thing?!” The guy who had just flopped onto the bed noticed an ancient book beside his pillow. Under the moonlight, he focused his gaze and was shocked to realize it was the tattered book he had mysteriously picked up from the ghost forest!
Strange, hadn’t he thrown it away yesterday? Moreover, he clearly remembered tearing the book into pieces to hide his embarrassment. Why was it now perfectly intact?
Just as the Fox Queen was issuing a series of commands, Qiao San’s light footsteps had just returned to his bedroom.
“Huh, what’s this?!” The man who had flopped down to sleep noticed an ancient book by his pillow. Under the moonlight, he focused his gaze and realized it was the tattered book he had inexplicably picked up from the Ghost Forest!
Strange, didn’t he throw it away yesterday? Moreover, he clearly remembered tearing it up to cover his shame, so why was it now perfectly intact?!
Oh! He understood! It must have been his kind sister-in-law who picked it up and stitched it back together!
The doubt vanished in a flash, and the rogue chuckled. Since his sister-in-law had put in the effort, he naturally wouldn’t throw the book away again. Instead, he cradled it like a treasure and drifted into a sweet sleep, hoping that his sister-in-law’s presence would dispel the nightmares that haunted him every night.
Time, unchanging and unhurried, flowed on. As the sound of his long snores filled the room, Qiao San’s consciousness gradually slipped into slumber.
In the void, Qiao San’s spirit “awoke.” Tonight was different from the usual. He wasn’t immediately “violated” by a terrifying ghostly woman. Instead, he floated aimlessly in a chaotic haze.
How long had it been? Perhaps just a moment, or maybe a long time. In the chaos, time lost all meaning.
Suddenly, a rainbow light descended from the sky, and a blurry figure slowly floated towards him in the glow.
“Ah, Mother!” Memories etched in his mind made Qiao San blurt out. Although the “dream” from the Ghost Forest’s Yin Wind Ravine was hidden, it left a familiar feeling. “Mother, is that you? It’s me, Sheng’er…”
This time, the phantom in the rainbow light did not respond with a gentle call. Instead, it replied in a flat, monotonous tone, “Master, the Book Spirit is not your mother. The Book Spirit is merely a sprite from the Daoist book, here to explain the book to you.”
“A Daoist book?! A sprite?! You’re not my mother?!”
Disappointed, Qiao San lay down in the void, his excitement turning into curiosity and doubt. “A book can become a sprite?! And since you’ve become a sprite, why would you recognize me as your master and be so generous to me?!”
“Master, please do not doubt. Once you learn the supreme teachings of the book, you will understand everything!” The sprite’s words remained flat and unchanging. Without waiting for Qiao San to respond, “it” gestured in the air, and two strange symbols appeared before Qiao San’s eyes.
“Huh, aren’t these the two characters on the cover of the tattered book?” Although Qiao San didn’t recognize the strange characters, he had an extraordinary memory.
“Master, these two characters are pronounced ‘Guijing,’ the name of the Daoist book. They are in Sanskrit from the Buddhist kingdom of Tianzhu.”
Hearing the Book Spirit speak so authoritatively, the rogue couldn’t help but feel a stir in his heart, thinking to himself, “Maybe it really is some kind of treasure.”
As soon as Qiao San had this thought, the Book Spirit seemed to hear his mind and immediately continued in its flat tone, “Master, this character is pronounced…”
The glowing Book Spirit began its lesson, teaching Qiao San one character at a time. After teaching over a dozen strange characters, the Book Spirit, like an emotionless old scholar, said, “This is the opening discourse of the Guijing, and the first step in cultivating the ‘Guijing’!”
“Oh! Let me see!” Bored and curious, Qiao San, despite having only learned once, slowly read the opening discourse with his perfect comprehension and memory: “To learn… the Guijing, a sharp blade… pierces the heart, discard… the mortal body, enter… the ghostly gate!”
“Ah!” Qiao San was stunned and instinctively repeated the passage. Then, like a roaring tiger, he shouted, “Damn it, what kind of demon are you?! Get lost! You’re trying to trick me into killing myself! Get lost—”
“Master, you are too agitated. It is not suitable to continue learning today. The Book Spirit will return another time!” The glow vanished from the dream, but the flat, monotonous words could make anyone laugh their head off!
Another time—to return and persuade Qiao San to stab himself in the heart! Ha, ha…
“Go to hell! I’ll burn this damn book tomorrow, burn you, whatever ghostly Book Spirit you are!”
The roar paused briefly. The man, who had always disbelieved in ghosts and gods, was certain because he had lost his memories of the Ghost Forest: “Damn it, it must be that what you think about during the day, you dream about at night! Huh, but why didn’t I dream of a beautiful woman instead of this ghostly sprite? How ridiculous!”
In reality, the man turned over in his sleep and tossed the tattered book he had been clutching to his chest aside.
That night, Qiao San finally did not have the embarrassing “nightmare” again!
※※※※※※※
The night, filled with allure and mystery, finally passed. As the mischievous sunlight danced on the tips of the grass, Qiao San arrived at his territory—the vegetable market.
“Boss, when are you going to take over? The brothers can’t wait any longer!” Seven or eight rogues gathered around Bold San, all unusually energetic.
“Damn it! Don’t mention this again, or if your head gets smashed, don’t blame me for not warning you!”
Bold San, dressed in a short, tight outfit, stood crookedly in the morning breeze. The mist in his eyes completely obscured his clarity. His signature short knife swayed at his waist, and finally, he tossed his unruly, disheveled black hair and whispered in a low voice, “It’s likely that our Boss Cai will become the new chief. You all understand, right?”
A new day had arrived, and the old scene played out once more.
“Brothers, let’s get to work—”
“Hey, congratulations and prosperity!” The New Year’s greetings were uttered daily by the rogues, but the small vendors who didn’t prosper weren’t happy to hear them.
“Hurry up, don’t want to live?!” “Looking for death?!” “Damn it, pay up…”
Such shouts filled every corner of the market. Bold San, along with his men like Pancake and Fried Dough Stick, began their sweep.
“Gentlemen, my old wife is sick at home. I really don’t have any extra money, not even enough for medicine!” A pitiful, aged voice broke the “harmony” of the market and drew everyone’s attention.
“Damn it, Old Man Li, you’re trying to play this trick on me?! Believe it or not, I’ll send you to the hospital right now?!” A few thugs glared, their mouths twisted, and they menacingly surrounded the poor old man.
As the subordinates of the most excellent rogue, Bold San, they naturally didn’t forget the rogue’s law:
—Any sign of resistance must be nipped in the bud to ensure the longevity of the rogue business!
Just as the Fox Queen was issuing a series of commands, Qiao San’s light footsteps had just returned to his bedroom.
“Huh, what’s this?!” The man who had flopped down to sleep spotted an ancient book beside his pillow. Under the moonlight, he focused his gaze and realized it was the tattered book he had inexplicably picked up from the Ghost Forest!
Strange, didn’t he throw it away yesterday? Moreover, he clearly remembered tearing it up to hide his shame, so why was it now perfectly intact?
Oh! He understood! It must have been his kind sister-in-law who picked it up and stitched it back together!
The fleeting doubt vanished, and the rogue chuckled. Since his sister-in-law had put in the effort, he naturally wouldn’t throw the book away again. Instead, he cradled it like a treasure and drifted into a sweet sleep, hoping that her presence would dispel the nightmares that haunted him every night.
Time, eternal and unchanging, flowed steadily. As the sound of his long snores filled the room, Qiao San’s consciousness gradually slipped into slumber.
In the void, Qiao San’s spirit “awoke.” Tonight was different from the past. He wasn’t immediately “violated” by a terrifying ghostly woman but instead floated aimlessly in a chaotic void.
He didn’t know how much time had passed—perhaps just a moment, or maybe a long while. In the chaos, time lost all meaning.
Suddenly, a rainbow light descended from the heavens, and a blurry figure slowly floated towards him in the radiance.
“Ah, Mother!” Memories etched in his mind made Qiao San blurt out. Though the “dream” from the Ghost Forest’s Yin Wind Ravine was hidden, it left a familiar feeling. “Mother, is that you? It’s me, Sheng’er…”
This time, the phantom in the rainbow light didn’t respond with a gentle call but instead replied in a flat, monotonous tone, “Master, the Book Spirit is not your mother. The Book Spirit is merely a sprite from the Taoist book, here to explain the book to you.”
“A Taoist book? A sprite? You’re not my mother?”
Disappointed, Qiao San lay down in the void, his excitement turning into curiosity and doubt. “A book can become a sprite? And if you’ve become a sprite, why would you recognize me as your master and be so generous to me?”
“Master, please do not doubt. Once you learn the supreme Taoist book, you will understand everything,” the sprite’s words remained flat and unchanging. Without waiting for Qiao San’s response, “it” drew a line in the air with its hand, and two strange symbols appeared before Qiao San’s eyes.
“Huh, aren’t these the two characters on the cover of the tattered book?” Though Qiao San didn’t recognize the strange characters, he had an extraordinary memory.
“Master, these two characters are pronounced ‘Guijing,’ the name of the Taoist book. They are Sanskrit from the Buddhist kingdom of Tianzhu.”
Hearing the Book Spirit speak with such authority, the rogue couldn’t help but feel a stir in his heart, thinking to himself, “Maybe it really is some kind of treasure.”
As soon as Qiao San’s thoughts shifted, the Book Spirit seemed to hear his inner voice and immediately continued in its flat tone, “Master, this character is pronounced…”
The glowing Book Spirit began its lesson, teaching Qiao San one character at a time. After teaching over a dozen strange characters, the Book Spirit, like an emotionless old scholar, said, “This is the opening passage of the Guijing, and the first step in cultivating the ‘Guijing.'”
“Oh! Let me take a look!” Bored but curious, Qiao San, despite having only learned the characters once, slowly read the opening passage with his perfect comprehension and memory: “To learn… the Guijing, a sharp blade… pierces the heart, discard… the mortal body, enter… the ghostly realm!”
“Ah!” Qiao San was stunned, instinctively repeating the passage, then roared like a tiger, “Damn it, what kind of demon are you? Get lost! You’re trying to trick me into killing myself! Get out of here!”
“Master, you are too agitated. It is not suitable to continue learning today. The Book Spirit will return another time.” The glow vanished from the dream, but the flat, monotonous words could make anyone laugh.
“Return another time—to persuade Qiao San to stab his own heart! Hah, hah…”
“Go to hell! I’ll burn this damn book tomorrow, and burn you, whatever ghostly Book Spirit you are!”
The roar paused briefly. The man, who had always been skeptical of ghosts and gods, was certain because he had lost his memories of the Ghost Forest, “Damn it, it must be that what you think about during the day, you dream about at night! Huh, but why didn’t I dream of a beautiful woman instead of this ghostly sprite? How ridiculous!”
In reality, the man turned over in his sleep and tossed the tattered book aside.
That night, Qiao San finally didn’t have any more embarrassing “nightmares.”
※※※※※※※
The night, filled with allure and mystery, finally passed. When the mischievous sunlight danced on the tips of the grass, Qiao San arrived at his territory—the vegetable market.
“Boss, when are you going to take over? We can’t wait any longer!” Seven or eight rogues gathered around Bold Third, each brimming with rare energy.
“Damn it! Don’t bring this up again, or if your head gets smashed, don’t blame me for not warning you!”
Bold Third stood crookedly in the morning breeze, his short, sturdy outfit swaying. The mist in his eyes completely obscured his clarity, and his trademark short knife dangled at his waist. Finally, he tossed his unruly black hair and whispered in a low voice, “It’s probably going to be our Boss Cai as the new leader. You all understand, right?”
A new day had arrived, and the old scene repeated itself.
“Brothers, let’s get to work!”
“Hey, congratulations and prosperity!” The New Year’s greetings were on the rogues’ lips every day, but the small vendors who didn’t prosper weren’t happy to hear them.
“Hurry up, don’t you want to live?!” “Looking for death?!” “Damn it, pay up…”
Such shouts filled every corner of the market. Bold Third, along with his men like Pancake and Fried Dough Stick, began their usual sweep.
“Gentlemen, my old wife is sick at home. I really don’t have any extra money, not even enough for medicine!” A pitiful, aged voice broke the “harmony” of the market and drew everyone’s attention.
“Damn it, Old Man Li, are you trying to play this trick on me?! Do you believe I’ll send you to the hospital right now?!” A few young thugs glared, their mouths twisted, as they menacingly surrounded the poor old man.
As the subordinates of the most excellent rogue, Bold Third, they naturally didn’t forget the rogue’s law:
—Any sign of resistance must be nipped in the bud to ensure the longevity of the rogue’s enterprise!
Time, ancient and unchanging, moved steadily forward. As the long snores echoed, Qiao San’s consciousness gradually drifted into slumber.
Just as the Fox Queen was issuing a series of commands, Qiao San’s light footsteps had just returned to his bedroom.
“Huh, what’s this?!” The man who had just laid down to sleep noticed an ancient book beside his pillow. Under the moonlight, he saw that it was the tattered book he had inexplicably picked up from the Ghost Forest!
Strange, didn’t he throw it away yesterday? And he clearly remembered tearing it up to hide his shame, so why was it now completely intact?
Oh! He understood! It must have been his kind sister-in-law who picked it up and sewed it back together!
The doubt vanished in an instant, and the rogue chuckled. Since his sister-in-law had put in the effort, he naturally wouldn’t throw the book away again. Instead, he cradled it like a treasure and drifted off to sleep, hoping that her presence would dispel the nightmares that haunted him every night.
Time, unchanging and unhurried, flowed on. As the sound of his deep snoring filled the room, Qiao San’s consciousness gradually slipped into slumber.
In the void, Qiao San’s spirit “awoke.” Tonight was different from the past; he wasn’t immediately assaulted by a terrifying ghostly woman. Instead, he found himself drifting aimlessly in a chaotic void.
He couldn’t tell how much time had passed—perhaps just a moment, or perhaps a long while. In the chaos, time had lost all meaning.
Suddenly, a beam of multicolored light descended from the sky, and a blurry figure slowly floated toward him in the radiance.
“Ah, Mother!” Memories etched in his mind made Qiao San blurt out the words. Although the “dream” from the Ghost Forest’s Yin Wind Ravine was hidden, it left behind a familiar feeling. “Mother, is that you? It’s me, Sheng’er…”
This time, the phantom in the light didn’t respond with a gentle call. Instead, it replied in a flat, monotonous voice, “Master, the Book Spirit is not your mother. The Book Spirit is merely a sprite from the Daoist book, here to explain the book to you.”
“A Daoist book?! A sprite?! You’re not my mother?!”
Disappointed, Qiao San lay down in the void, his excitement turning to curiosity and suspicion. “A book can become a sprite?! And if you’ve become a sprite, why would you recognize me as your master and be so generous to me?!”
“Master, please do not doubt. Once you learn the supreme teachings of the book, you will understand everything.” The sprite’s voice remained flat and unchanging. Without waiting for Qiao San to respond, “it” gestured in the air, and two strange symbols appeared before Qiao San’s eyes.
“Huh, aren’t these the two characters on the cover of the tattered book?” Although Qiao San didn’t recognize the strange characters, he had an extraordinary memory.
“Master, these two characters are pronounced ‘Guijing.’ It is the name of the Daoist book, written in the Sanskrit of the Heavenly Buddha Kingdom.”
Hearing the Book Spirit speak with such authority, the rogue couldn’t help but feel a stir in his heart, thinking to himself: Maybe this really is some kind of treasure.
As soon as Qiao San’s thoughts shifted, the Book Spirit seemed to hear his inner voice and immediately continued in the same flat tone, “Master, this character is pronounced…”
The glowing Book Spirit began its lesson, teaching Qiao San one character at a time. After teaching more than a dozen strange characters, the Book Spirit, like an emotionless old scholar, said, “This is the opening discourse of the Guijing, and the first step in cultivating the ‘Guijing.'”
“Oh! Let me see!” Bored but curious, Qiao San, despite having only learned the characters once, slowly read the opening discourse with his perfect comprehension and memory: “To learn… the Guijing, a sharp blade… must pierce the heart, abandon… the mortal body, enter… the Ghost Gate!”
“Ah!” Qiao San was stunned and instinctively repeated the passage. Then, like a roaring tiger, he bellowed, “Damn it, what kind of monster are you?! Get lost! You’re trying to trick me into killing myself! Get out of here!”
“Master, you are too agitated. It is not suitable to continue learning today. The Book Spirit will return another time.” The glow vanished from the dream, but the flat, monotonous voice could have made anyone laugh.
Another time—another time to persuade Qiao San to stab himself in the heart! Ha, ha…
“Go to hell! I’ll burn this damn book tomorrow, burn you, whatever ghostly Book Spirit you are!”
His roar paused for a moment. The man who had never believed in ghosts or gods, having lost his memories of the Ghost Forest, was now certain: “Damn it, it must be that what you think about during the day, you dream about at night! Huh, but why didn’t I dream of a beautiful woman instead of this ghostly sprite? How ridiculous!”
In reality, the man turned over in his sleep and tossed the tattered book aside.
That night, Qiao San finally didn’t have any more of those embarrassing “nightmares.”
※※※※※※※
The night, filled with both sensuality and eerie mystery, finally passed. As the playful sunlight danced on the tips of the grass, Qiao San arrived at his territory—the vegetable market.
“Boss, when are you going to take over? We can’t wait any longer!” Seven or eight rogues gathered around Bold San, each unusually energetic.
“Damn it! Don’t bring this up again, or if your head gets smashed, don’t blame me for not warning you!”
Bold San, dressed in a short, tight outfit, stood crookedly in the morning breeze. The mist in his eyes completely obscured any clarity. His signature short knife swayed at his waist, and with a flick of his unruly black hair, he lowered his voice and said, “It’s probably going to be our Boss Cai who becomes the new leader. You all know what that means, right?”
A new day had arrived, and the old scene was playing out once again.
“Brothers, let’s get to work!”
“Hey, congratulations on your fortune!” The New Year’s greeting was something the rogues said every day, but the small vendors who weren’t making any money didn’t find it amusing at all.
“Hurry up, don’t you want to live?!” “Looking for death?!” “Damn it, pay up…”
Shouts like these filled every corner of the market. Bold San, along with his men like Sesame Cake and Fried Dough Stick, began their usual sweep.
“Gentlemen, my old wife is sick at home. I really don’t have any extra money, not even enough for medicine!” A pitiful, aged voice broke the “harmony” of the market and drew everyone’s attention.
“Damn it, Old Li, you’re trying to pull this trick on us?! Do you believe I’ll send you to the hospital right now?!” A few thugs glared, their mouths twisted, as they menacingly surrounded the poor old man.
As the subordinates of the most skilled rogue, Bold San, they naturally didn’t forget the rogue’s law:
—Any sign of resistance must be nipped in the bud to ensure the longevity of the rogue business!
Who knew how long had passed—perhaps an instant, perhaps an eternity. In any case, time lost all meaning within the chaos.
Suddenly, a beam of seven-colored light descended from the heavens. A blurry figure slowly floated down within the radiant glow.
“Ah, Mother!” Driven by deeply imprinted memories, Qiao San blurted out involuntarily. Though the “dream” from the ghost forest’s Windy Gully had vanished, it had left behind a familiar sensation. “Mother, is that you? I’m your son Sheng’er…”
This time, the figure within the colorful light did not call him tenderly. Instead, it replied in a flat, emotionless tone: “Master, I’m not your mother. I am the spirit of this Daoist book, appearing especially to explain the Daoist teachings to you!”
“Daoist book?! Spirit?! You’re not my mother?!”
Disappointed, Qiao San floated in the void, his emotional excitement shifting into curiosity and doubt. “Can books even become spirits?! And if you really are one, why would you call me master and be so generous to me?!”
“Master, please don’t doubt. Once you’ve learned the supreme techniques, you will understand everything!” The spirit’s tone remained rigid and unchanged. Before Qiao San could respond, it had already started gesturing in the air. Two strange patterns appeared before his eyes.
“Huh, aren’t these the two characters on the book’s cover?” Though Qiao San couldn’t read the strange characters, he possessed an extraordinary memory.
“Master, these two characters are pronounced ‘Gui Jing’ (Ghost Sutra). This is the name of the Daoist book, written in Sanskrit from the heavenly Indian Buddhist kingdom.”
Hearing the spirit explain so seriously, the rogue couldn’t help but feel a flicker of intrigue. Maybe this really was some kind of treasure.
As soon as this thought arose, the book spirit seemed to hear his mind and continued in its monotonous tone: “Master, this character is pronounced…”
The glowing spirit began its lesson, teaching Qiao San one character at a time. After explaining more than ten strange characters, the spirit, like an expressionless old scholar, said: “This is the opening section of the Ghost Sutra, and also the first step in cultivating the ‘Ghost Sutra.'”
“Oh! Let me take a look!” Driven by boredom and curiosity, Qiao San tried reading the passage. Although he had only learned it once, his perfect comprehension and memory allowed him to slowly recite: “Desiring to study… the Ghost Sutra, a sharp blade… pierces the heart, abandoning… the mortal body, entering… my Ghost Gate!”
“Ahh!” Qiao San froze in shock, instinctively repeating the passage. Then, like a furious tiger, he roared: “Damn it, what kind of demon are you?! Get out! You’re tricking me into suicide! Get lost—”
“Master, you’re too agitated. It’s inappropriate to continue studying today. The book spirit will return another day!” The glowing figure vanished from the dream as it spoke, its dull voice capable of making anyone laugh out loud!
Come back another day—to convince Qiao San to stab himself in the heart again! Gua, gua…
“You go die! Tomorrow I’m burning this damn book, burning you, you ghostly book spirit!”
His roar paused slightly. The guy, who had never believed in ghosts or spirits, firmly concluded, “Damn it, it must be that what you think by day, you dream by night! Wait, that doesn’t make sense either! Why didn’t I dream about a beautiful girl, but instead dreamed of this ghostly spirit? That’s just ridiculous!”
Still asleep, the man turned over in bed and tossed the tattered book, which had been clutched to his chest, aside.
That night, Qiao San finally did not have his humiliating “nightmare” again!
※※※※※※※
A night filled with seductive allure, deep emotions, mystery, and strangeness finally passed. When mischievous sunlight danced upon the tips of the grass, Qiao San once again arrived at his territory—the vegetable market.
“Boss, when are you going to take over the leadership? The brothers are getting impatient!” Seven or eight ruffians gathered around Bold San, each unusually energetic and alert.
“Pfft! Don’t mention this matter again, or I’ll crack your heads wide open—don’t blame me for not warning you!”
Bold San stood askew in the morning breeze, dressed in a short, tight outfit. A misty haze in his eyes completely obscured their clarity. His signature dagger, the ox-ear short blade, swayed at his waist. Finally, he tossed back his unruly black hair and whispered in a low voice: “Probably our Brother Cai will become the new leader. You all understand, right?”
A new day had arrived, and the old routine began again.
“Brothers, let’s get to work—”
“Hey, congratulations and prosperity!” Though these festive New Year greetings were spoken daily by the ruffians, the small merchants certainly didn’t find them cheerful, especially since prosperity never seemed to come their way.
“Hurry up, or you want to die!” “Looking for death!” “Damn it, hand over the money…”
Such shouts of intimidation filled every corner of the market. Bold San, together with subordinates like Bingsan and Youtiao, began their daily rounds of intimidation and extortion.
“Esteemed gentlemen, my old wife is gravely ill. I truly don’t have any extra money. I can’t even afford medicine!” A sorrowful, aged voice broke the “harmony” of the market, drawing countless curious gazes.
“Damn it, old man Li, you want to pull this act on us big brothers? Want me to send you straight to the hospital?” Several small hooligans glared, sneered, and immediately surrounded the pitiful old man.
As the most outstanding ruffian under Bold San, they naturally hadn’t forgotten the fundamental law of hooliganism:
—Any sign of resistance must be crushed in the cradle, only then can the hooligan business thrive forever!
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