Foreword

《The Celestial Cage》 (Complete Edition) Author: Bu Gu Chat  Synopsis: This forest of Fengchi and Longge, I once dreamed of yellow millet, watching five thousand years of rise and fall to my heart's content


That rotten peach mountain doesn't bear the surname Sun, the pigs in the Fuling Cave squeal, and the ginseng fruit tree is inhabited by owls
As the sun sets over the western mountains, the cow, horse, and snake deities, a young man recites and becomes obsessed, fabricating a bizarre tale, speaking of eternal life
A story of a young Daoist disciple who cultivates his body and soul, consumes elixirs, and ascends to immortality

Chapter 1 Midnight Visitor

Rain falls during the Qingming Festival, people hurry along the road.
Hiss! The mist clings to the ground, slowly writhing.
The fields are parched, and a red-clothed scarecrow with a hat stands alone by the field.
Its hands are tied to the frame, spread stiffly and motionless, facing away from the road. Suddenly, someone shouts at the scarecrow: “Brother, where is the tavern?” A figure bursts out of the mist. The newcomer is a fifteen or sixteen-year-old, slender Daoist priest in gray robes.
His face is as pale as paper, his eyes and brows as if painted, quite handsome.
It’s just that he is riding a donkey, his body swaying, weak and frail, giving off an air of being too frail to be helped.
Fortunately, Yu Lie’s spirits are still quite high. He clutches his hands, and upon seeing the scarecrow by the roadside, he immediately waves and shouts.
Upon hearing this, the scarecrow actually trembles. It extends a finger and points to the west. Yu Lie’s face lights up with joy.
He bows to the scarecrow: “Thank you, this Daoist is in a hurry to travel.” After speaking, Yu Lie immediately kicks the white donkey beneath him and quickly heads in the direction the scarecrow pointed.
After he leaves, a gust of wind blows! The scarecrow can’t bear it and creaks as it turns halfway around, revealing a bloodied and mangled figure.
It turns out the scarecrow isn’t stuffed with straw, but a living person skinned, gutted, tongue pulled out, and nailed to the frame.
On the dirt road, the donkey Yu Lie is riding isn’t a real donkey, but a paper donkey.

The donkey’s body is painted white, all wet, with a long face drawn in cinnabar that seems to be smiling but not, and it wobbles as it walks on the road.
With someone pointing the way, Yu Lie no longer needs to wander along the dirt road. He rides the donkey, hushed, leaping directly from the fields, leaving only a rustling sound.
The sky darkens quickly. Not long after Yu Lie leaves, the surroundings are already pitch black, making one feel even colder.
However, when he turns a corner, his vision suddenly brightens, and he sees lights. The firelight is dazzling, torches are inserted into the hills, bright and glaring, like a red fire dragon breathing, scales moving.
Yu Lie doesn’t follow the path. He pats the paper donkey beneath him and moves forward along the slope. Before reaching the top of the hill, murmuring voices appear in Yu Lie’s ears.
Pots and pans clatter, chairs and tables are moved, and people are shouting and toasting.
The aroma of alcohol, charcoal, and dishes all rush into Yu Lie’s nose, making him feel warm even before he enters. Yu Lie is also in the mood.
He jumps to the top of the hill and immediately sees several figures wearing cloaks and hats, some with straw hats and others with conical hats, busy on the hilltop, and children running and playing everywhere.
A black-clothed child is standing at the roadside, listlessly guarding a gong.
Yu Lie calls out to the black-clothed child: “Little brother, why don’t you go eat?” The black-clothed child is startled by Yu Lie’s sudden voice.
Without looking at him, he immediately strikes the gong and shouts in a shrill voice: “The feast has begun!
The feast has begun!” Seeing someone calling him, Yu Lie dismounts with a big smile and strides forward. A simple platform appears before his eyes, with a large bonfire in the center.
The surroundings are dark, but the bonfire is bright and lively. There are cushions on the platform, and an elderly man in formal attire is sitting cross-legged, his mouth full of food, chewing continuously.
Behind the platform, there are many figures waiting, each holding a tray full of fruits, their figures shaking slightly, perhaps chatting and laughing uncontrollably.
Seeing this scene, Yu Lie feels as if he has seen the shadow puppet show from his past life.
Since no one is calling him, he continues to push forward. Entering the crowd, the smell of sweat is overpowering. Fortunately, Yu Lie finds an empty seat. After sitting down, the two people at the same table turn to look at him.
One is an old man with a goat beard, chewing on a cabbage stalk; the other has a waxy face and is grinning while drinking wine.
The old man says while chewing: “The Mountain Lord’s banquet is about to end. Why is the guest arriving now?” The man with the waxy face warmly invites Yu Lie: “A new guest has ar
rived, bring the dishes, bring the dishes!” “It’s foggy, and I couldn’t find the way.” Yu Lie bows to the two of them and apologizes: “I’m late.” The old man says: “Not late, not late, there’s still tomorrow.
But now there are only some fruits left.” After speaking, someone walks out from behind the platform, carrying a tray and placing it in front of Yu Lie. The person holding the tray says tremulously: “Daoist, please enjoy…” The tray is painted red, festive.
The food and wine on it are fragrant, instantly taking Yu Lie away from the stench. Yu Lie glances down and sees the colorful, vibrant fruits in the tray, very pleasing to the eye.
He thanks them happily: “Thank you for your trouble.” The three people at the table start drinking and chatting.
Yu Lie drinks a few cups of wine, his face becoming paler. However, not long after, just as the old man with the goat beard said, the banquet is about to end. No one adds firewood to the bonfire in front of the platform, and it quickly dims.
The elderly man in formal attire on the platform also stops talking and is slowly picking his teeth.
The two people at the same table both poke Yu Lie and whisper: “Look, the Mountain Lord is looking at you.
Did you bring a gift when you came to drink today?” Yu Lie looks up and finds that the elderly man in formal attire is indeed looking at him.
The other party moves his wide sleeves, shakes his head, and says in a twisted manner: “Is it not a pleasure
to have friends coming from afar?” Yu Lie pauses and thinks that whether in his past life or this life, attending a banquet indeed requires giving a gift.
Since he came abruptly today, it would be better to give a gift.
Seeing that the host is also inviting him, Yu Lie nods and says happily: “Indeed! Since it is the Mountain Lord’s banquet, this Daoist naturally has a gift.” After speaking, Yu Lie stands up.
His face is pale, like a paper person, immediately attracting the attention of many people. In the crowd, big and small eyes stare at Yu Lie.
Yu Lie, as if unaware, says loudly: “The sky is dark, today there is wine and food, how can there be no moon?
It would be lacking in flavor.” He takes out a piece of white paper from his sleeve, quickly folds it into a semicircle, and throws it into the air. Thud!
The white paper flies into the air, hovering motionless, and immediately turns into a large white plate, bright and radiant, casting a cascade of silver light.












Yu Lie stood bathed in moonlight, completely transformed into a paper man. His features were delicately painted, standing tall and slender as he bowed to the elderly gentleman
on the podium: “Please use the moonlight to adorn the mountain lord’s entrance, as a gift.” The elderly gentleman on the podium froze, and laughed.
But as soon as Yu Lie finished speaking, the surrounding area was filled with the clatter of overturned plates and bowls, chaotic and unbearable.
The banquet hall was momentarily dazed.
Maa! A sheep’s bleat sounded in front of Yu Lie. He turned to look, and his table companion was not human.


An old sheep placed its hooves on the table, its mustache bloodied, chewing on large chunks of meat, staring at Yu Lie with square pupils.
On the other side, a weasel stood on the table. It glanced at Yu Lie and quickly jumped off, disappearing. Yu Lie’s vision had completely changed.
Although the table was colorful, there were no fruits, only kidneys like loquats, gallbladders the color of mulberries, hearts the size of peaches… all the vital organs were present.
Yu Lie’s nose was filled not with sweat or fruit fragrance, but with waves of pungent and bloody odors.
The ground was not filled with people, but with chickens, ducks, cats, and dogs jumping around, foxes and horses barking orders. The “children” all had rabbit heads and mouse faces, rolling on the ground and chasing after red and white candy eyes.
The bleating of sheep, the lowing of cows, the squeaking of mice made Yu Lie’s ears ring. He finally looked back at the podium.
A child’s skeleton, completely devoured, was placed in front of the elderly gentleman, its bones clearly visible, not a trace of flesh remaining, looking delicate and clean under the moonlight.
The elderly gentleman had also grown black fur all over his body, transforming into a two-meter-tall wolf, his shadow covering the entire podium.
“Wonderful!” The wolf in the elderly gentleman’s clothing seemed oblivious to the changes in the scene.
It clapped its hands and shouted, its voice hoarse: “That guest, why haven’t you started eating?
Do you find the mountain lord’s food unappetizing?” It turned out that Yu Lie had only been chatting with the old sheep and the weasel earlier, and had only taken a few sips of wine, not touching the food on the table at all.
Yu Lie looked at the wolf in the elderly gentleman’s clothing, still composed.
He tapped his plate and sighed: “This monk also wants to feast, but this monk is human, how can he eat human livers and lungs?” As soon as these words were spoken, all the chirping and chattering of the beasts on the ground stopped, and the scene became eerily quiet.
The wolf on the stone platform heard this and nodded in agreement. Then it spoke cheerfully: “Guests are guests. However, our banquet only has meat, no vegetables.
You can choose from the guests present and eat to your heart’s content.” Yu Lie heard this and showed relie
f and joy on his face, saying: “I also cannot eat vegetables, I only eat meat.” The beasts on the ground continued to remain silent, not moving.
“However…” Yu Lie only glanced at the beasts and then stared straight at the wolf on the stage.

He also smiled, with red lips and white teeth: “Ordinary birds and beasts have no taste, only the mountain lord’s liver and heart are worth eating.”






Chapter 2 Hungry Wanderer

Yulu's laughter echoed through the mountain breeze, brimming with enthusiasm.
With the wind, his laughter carried to the back of the podium.
Behind the yellowed cloth curtain, there were no smiling faces, only huddled figures shivering together for warmth like chickens and ducks. Unlike the party scene, they were real living people, dressed in coarse hemp clothing, with rough skin and thin bodies—clearly mountain folk or farmers.
When Yulu's laughter carried on the mountain breeze, the mountain folk's spirits tightened, and a glimmer of hope arose in them. A suppressed, trembling voice emerged: "Master, a real master has come!" "We're saved!
It must be the master from Blackwater Town coming to subdue the demon!" One fearful face after another looked up, their eyes wide, teeth chattering.
Though they were hunched over, they couldn't wait to look toward the cloth curtain.
Outside the curtain, the crescent moon Yulu had cut from paper still hung, casting a dense shadow on the curtain with its "moonlight".
This shadow was formed by the overlapping of Yulu's and the wolf in human clothing's shadows, appearing on the curtain.
Compared to the wolf in human clothing, Yulu's figure was tiny, his shadow completely obscured by the wolf, making it impossible for the mountain folk behind the stage to see even a hint of him.
However, below the podium, Yulu looked at the wolf demon. There was not a trace of fear on his face; instead, he showed excitement, giving his pale face a bit of color.
Yulu laughed so hard that his gums showed. Without waiting for the wolf demon to respond, he said, "Then, this humble monk won't be polite." The wolf in human clothing heard Yulu's disrespectful words and laughed heartily, "Alas!
It seems we have an evil guest.
I cannot be impolite!" Aowu! A chilling howl sounded. In the eyes of the mountain folk behind the stage, the shadow on the curtain suddenly grew larger.
A giant wolf on the podium reared up, its clothes falling off, its black fur standing on end like iron wire. Clang! A commotion erupted behind the stage, and the mountain folk fell to the ground.
On stage, the wolf's throat gurgled, its mouth exhaling a foul breath. Its teeth were sharp, its claws as thick as a person's arm, standing upright and howling at the moon, its presence formidable!
But Yulu saw this, not only unafraid but even more satisfied.
Today, he had traveled hundreds of miles, crossing mountains and rivers, precisely to "eat" such a giant wolf and open his own path!
Yulu composed his smile and clapped his hands, "Lord Mountain, you are so mighty! Then, before the main course, this humble monk must have a few appetizers to whet my appetite." He extended his hand toward the "moonlight" above his head, and a paper dog appeared in his hand.
Woof! A bark suddenly sounded at the mountaintop, but it was not from any of the dogs at the party—it was from the paper dog in Yulu's hand.
Yulu opened his mouth, tilted his head, and blew on the paper dog in his hand. The paper dog immediately jumped down, grew larger in the wind, and became a white dog as tall as a person.
Woof! An even more powerful bark sounded.
As soon as the paper dog landed, it ghostly circled around Yulu's side, first biting to death the goat at Yulu's table, then biting the black cat nea
rby, and finally chasing after the scattered chickens, ducks, rabbits, and mice, tearing them apart. In just a few blinks, the party scene was littered with dead and injured animals, the stench growing stronger.
After all, these animals were just ordinary ones that had eaten human flesh for a few days and had not undergone any demonic transformation, making them easy to slaughter.
Meanwhile, the wolf demon stood on the stage, watching coldly, completely unmoved.
Moreover, the paper dog's movements were swift, and the wolf demon's attention was now focused on Yulu, unable to spare any.
However, after the paper dog had killed most of the chickens, ducks, cows, and sheep and raised its dog head toward the wolf demon, the wolf demon finally forced a grim smile.
It grinned and opened its bloody maw, letting out a roar once more, Roar!
A black blood arrow shot out from its mouth. Pu! A black shadow flashed, and the paper dog Yulu had conjured was pierced through the head and pinned to the ground. This wolf demon not only had a savage physique but also the ability to kill with its breath, far from an ordinary little demon!
Yulu saw this and narrowed his eyes. Such a demon was rare within a hundred miles around Blackwater Town, usually found more than a hundred miles away.
Moreover, after the wolf demon exhaled, it immediately lunged at Yulu, its giant claws outstretched, intending to tear Yulu apart after landing a hit!
Another hiss sounded! "Yulu's" body was unable to dodge in time. Like the paper dog, he was struck by the wolf demon's claw. The expression on his face froze, and the wolf demon's strength was heavy.
The opponent's claw was smooth and split "Yulu's" body into two halves. However, before the wolf demon could rejoice, the torn "Yulu" turned into two pieces of paper, floating lightly to the ground.
A light laugh sounded behind it: "Why are you so eager, sir?
Are you in a hurry to enter my belly?" A gray shadow appeared on the podium, Yulu with his sleeves drawn in, stepping out from a shadow, smiling.
This time, it was the wolf demon's pupils that shrank suddenly. It quickly flipped backward and bit at Yulu again.
But Yulu only looked up and smiled at it. Hiss! Before the wolf demon could land, Yulu's body changed first.
He grew taller and taller, his head like a millstone, his legs like pillars, his arms like beams, as large as a house. However, he was a "paper house," looking as if he would collapse with a gust of wind.
Fortunately, this was not an ordinary paper house but a giant paper figure transformed from the "Qi House Paper Man Talisman" that Yulu had painstakingly acquired.
His cheeks were rouged with cinnabar, his eyes like lanterns, his teeth like tablets, all glowing and shining.
Yulu reached out and grabbed the wolf demon lunging at him. Facing this sudden change, the wolf demon's fierce face stiffened.
Before the wolf demon could have any emotional reaction, a loud laugh erupted on the podium: "In that case, this humble monk will indeed start eating!" Woof!
An urgent howl erupted.













Yulie grabbed the living creature in his hand and threw it down with a bang. The howling stopped abruptly.
The power of the talisman was limited, and he immediately crouched down with his giant paper body, lying on the narrow podium without saying another word, and truly began his feast. Crack!
The fur tore apart, and the bones cracked.
Sounds of tearing and slaughtering echoed on the podium, occasionally accompanied by splashing blood.

The wolf demon, who had just been incredibly strong and full of nonsense, was now powerless to struggle, and its howls could only sound like dog barks, 'woof woof.' Yulie had turned into a giant paper figure, but his hands were still agile.
As he skinned the wolf demon, he couldn't help but exclaim: 'Wow! Your muscles are so tough! They must help me achieve my goals.' Sizzle!
Another spurt of hot blood splattered, splashing onto the fabric curtain inside the podium, making the curtain tremble.
Behind the curtain, the villagers, who had been terrified of the wolf demon, were now shaking even more.
But the scene on the curtain and the sounds outside seemed like an exciting shadow play, captivating them so much that they couldn't take their eyes off it for a moment.
The villagers' shadows were also cast on the curtain. They were trembling, their movements more exaggerated than before.
From the outside, they looked like an audience enjoying a performance, laughing and leaning forward and backward. One curtain, two scenes. The simple podium turned into a stage.
Time passed, and suddenly—splash! Finally, the last spurt of blood splattered onto the curtain, piercing through it and ending the scene. After this spurt of blood, Yulie's movements on the stage slowed down, and his figure gradually shrank.
The sounds of tearing and cutting in front of him stopped altogether. It was over!
But the villagers' tense minds did not relax; instead, they became even more anxious.
A chill ran through their hearts: 'This Daoist...
is he human, ghost, or demon?!' Yulie's actions to subdue the demon had truly frightened them, making them subconsciously think that another demon had arrived, and this one had an even bigger appetite, making their lives even more uncertain.
The villagers hid behind the curtain, their faces pale, biting their teeth tightly, feeling suffocated.
They dared not lift the curtain. In the silence, a rustling sound gradually began again.
Because the half-shadow of a person on the curtain started to tremble again, as if lowering their head to rinse their mouth or drink tea.
Seeing that Yulie had no other movements for a long time, finally, a villager's heart sank, and he reached out to lift the curtain. Just as he was about to succeed, a gust of mountain wind swept by. Bang!
A gust of wind hit the already tattered curtain, causing it to sway and immediately fall from the eaves, revealing the scene outside.
On the podium, a strong stench of blood rushed towards them.
Red and white bones were piled up like a small mountain, with the wolf's head in the center.
The skin was torn, and the meat was rotten, lying on the bones like a carpet, with blood dripping.
Yulie knelt in the pile of bones and meat, counting the organs he had cut, some green and some purple, like fruits arranged neatly by his side.
The villagers were caught off guard by this scene, their tongues numb, their eyes dazed, and their bodies weak, every part of them limp.
The scene fell silent again.
Suddenly, a drumbeat broke the silence, waking the villagers up. It was a black myna bird hanging from a copper gong at a nearby crossroads. It flew up and continuously pecked at the gong, calling out: 'The feast has begun!
The feast has begun!!' The sound of the gong was loud, and Yulie also raised his head.
His lips were red as if stained with cinnabar. He held an organ the size of a baby's head in one hand and a paper knife in the other, his fingers long and slender like holding a willow branch.
The mountain wind howled! Yulie looked around, his teeth red and striking.
He smiled slightly and said to the villagers: 'Gentlemen, would you like to join me for a meal?'









Chapter 3 Mountain Patrol Novice

Yuli's voice echoed on the platform, but no one dared to answer him for a long time. Fortunately, Yuli didn't expect these people to answer.
He wiped the paper knife in his hand on his Daoist robe and put it back into his sleeve. After freeing one hand, he put his fingers to his lips and let out a sharp whistle. Squeak!

The whistle sounded, and the paper donkey tied by Yuli far away responded, immediately recovering from its frozen state and then wobbling, rubbing against the ground, and walking to Yuli's side.
Yuli stood on the platform, pressing down on his paper donkey, and easily pushed it to the ground. Then, the paper knife in his sleeve came out, and he held it, slicing open the donkey's belly like gutting a fish, leaving a smooth incision revealing a large empty donkey belly that could hold things.
Then, a clattering sound arose! Yuli took the wolf demon's organs he had arranged nearby and stuffed them one by one into the paper donkey's belly.
Especially the large wolf heart he had just been holding, he placed it at the very top of the donkey's belly to prevent it from being crushed.
After tidying up, there was still some space left in the paper donkey's belly. Following his principle of not wasting the donkey's belly, he took a few strips of meat from the wolf demon's corpse and a wine cup hidden in the wolf demon's clothes, stuffing them all into the donkey's belly.
The wine cup was made of bronze, tarnished, and though it had no spiritual energy, it might be a small antique and shouldn't be despised.
The surroundings of the platform were still quiet. The villagers were staring blankly at Yuli, feeling that Yuli's actions were both eerie and sinister, making their mouths dry.
On the contrary, Yuli quickly tidied up. He pressed both hands on the donkey's belly, smeared it with the wolf demon's blood, and closed the incision.
He stood up, made a hand seal, and chanted: "Treasure donkey, treasure donkey, obey my command, rise!" Squeak! The paper donkey heard Yuli's command and immediately moved.
Without its feet touching the ground, it lightly flipped over and stood up again, with a face full of strange symbols on its head, smiling yet not smiling.
After Yuli sat on the paper donkey, the donkey, bearing the weight, had an even more comical and sinister expression on its head.
Yuli sat on the paper donkey, turned around, and smiled at the stunned villagers.

He made a bow, saying: "The patrol disciple of Heishui Town, having completed the task of subduing the demon, takes his leave." After s
aying that, Yuli flicked his sleeve, and rode the paper donkey, swaying his body, trotting away on the mountain path he came from.
The villagers heard Yuli state his identity and finally snapped out of their daze.
But they didn't dare to speak, their eyes looking left and right, trying to find the village head or the village disciple to come out and talk to Yuli.
But the next moment, they remembered that their village head had failed to subdue the demon three days ago and was eaten by the wolf demon.
Now, no one knew where the wolf demon had defecated him. On the other side, when Yuli reached the crossroads, the black crow tied to the gong heard the noise and flew up again, ready to call out: "The feast has begun! Open... But before it could call out two words, it was kicked by Yuli, who was riding the donkey, and was kicked flying.
The gong clanged, and the crow, pulled by the rope, also fell to the ground, its sharp cry abruptly stopping. Yuli glanced at the black crow and cursed: "The feast is over!
And you're still saying 'open feast,' do you want to eat whose feast again?" The crow fell to the ground, lay still for a while, and wisely stopped calling out "open feast," instead clucking like a chicken and flapping its wings, trying to fly up.
At this moment, the villagers finally snapped out of their fear.
They saw that Yuli was about to leave and confirmed that Yuli was only here to subdue the demon, not a big demon eating a small one.
Then, a clanging sound arose from the platform. The villagers knelt on the ground, kowtowing and shouting: "Thank you, Daoist Master!
Thank you, Daoist Master!", "Daoist Master's great kindness in saving our lives will never be forgotten!" "Farewell, Daoist Master!" ...
Along with the children's crying, which happened when the villagers kowtowed, a few children fell from their clothes and cried on the platform. Amidst the sound of gratitude and kowtowing, there was suddenly a flurry of activity.
The howling of the mountain wind continued, mournful and pleading. While Yuli rode the paper donkey, hearing the villagers' wailing behind him, he didn't pay any attention. At this moment, Yuli had no interest in dealing with the mountain villagers.
His mind was filled with only one thought. He had to hurry back to Heishui Town while it was still hot, rent a quiet room, set up the ritual instruments, and process the wolf heart and dog lungs he had risked his life to hunt.
Then, he would ingest them into his body and embark on the path of cultivation!

Heishui Town, as its name suggests, is a small town under Qianzhou, Qian Water Prefecture, surrounded by the Black Water River, with mostly mountainous terrain and harsh winds. Yuli rode the paper donkey back from the mountain where he subdued the demon.
He had no choice but to wrap a scarf around his face.


Later, the black crow was picked up by Yuli, tied to the head of the paper donkey, thin and emaciated, already blown into a foolish bird, with most of its feathers fallen off, its color turning gray and shivering.
Yuli didn't care about the foolish bird. He looked at the high hill in front of him, his eyes filled with excitement, he had arrived!


There were no ordinary roads leading into the town, which hadn't been built yet, but it could also prevent the poor disciples in the town from being taken away by the fierce beasts and monsters in the mountains.
After all, within hundreds of miles, this place was the most filled with vital energy. The black fish below the cliff were raised to be fat and strong, very nutritious.
Fortunately, the paper donkey Yuli rode back was not broken down. He didn't have to climb the cliff with difficulty. When he reached the foot of the hill, Yuli kicked the paper donkey hard, and the donkey continued to move forward, stepping on the nearly vertical cliff.
The donkey's hooves stuck to the cliff like a gecko's feet, climbing upwards. Soon, Yuli arrived at the top of the hill and officially entered the territory of Heishui Town.
The town had no gates, only dark mountains, with thick fog and ghostly dwellings.





After half a cup of tea, a rough, crude, and oppressive structure appeared before Yu Lie's eyes. The streets and the Black Water River were level and winding, and the houses were made of stone.
The entrances were narrow, as if for a child's dwelling, and many houses didn't even have windows.
When Yu Lie returned and saw Black Water Town for the first time, the word 'pigsty' immediately came to mind.
He dared not continue riding the donkey through the town, so he dismounted from the paper donkey's back, leading it by the reins, and walked with his head down on the street, completely lacking the previous air of skinning a wolf demon before the mountain people.
The streets were filled with flowing black water, reeking of a pungent, rotting, and foul odor.
However, there were quite a few pedestrians on the street. At dawn, many doors were already open, and shops with signs for 'tea,' 'alcohol,' and 'meat' had opened. One after another, hurried passersby walked past Yu Lie. Most of these people, like Yu Lie, wore gray cloth robes, but their faces were either eerily red or dull and gray.
Yu Lie, leading the paper donkey, drew some attention, but the pedestrians only glanced at him, saw that his face was covered by a gray cloth, couldn't recognize him, then looked away.
Yu Lie continued to walk with his head down. Suddenly, his earlobe felt a chill, and a breathy sound was heard. A red tongue extended from behind Yu Lie's head, brushing the gray cloth from his face.



'Yu Lie, it's been a long time.'
Chapter 4 Pawning Organs

Yu Lie walked down the street, his body stiffened.
The red tongue that brushed against his ear emitted a pungent, rancid saliva smell, and it was sticky too.
His expression changed slightly, his eyes cold, but he still turned around, not even lifting his head as he bowed: “Greetings, Daoist Gao Li.” A tall, lanky gray-robed Daoist stood in Yu Lie’s path, retracting his long tongue.
His face was powdered, and he had rouge on his cheeks. Anyone who didn’t know better might think he was an actor from a theater troupe. But Yu Lie knew who he was. True to his name, he was a notorious figure in Blackwater Town, known for lending money at exorbitant interest rates—what people commonly called loan sharking or usury.
Daoist Gao Li looked Yu Lie up and down, paying special attention to the paper donkey and the crow. After realizing the bird was just an ordinary animal, he averted his gaze.
He grinned and said, “What’s with all this ‘Daoist friend’ talk? We’re both lowly ninth-grade souls. Just call me Daoist Servant.
No need to make it sound like we’re something special in front of the Daoist Masters.” Yu Lie lowered his eyes and nodded in agreement: “Yes.” Before Yu Lie could ask what he wanted, Daoist Gao Li pointed at the paper donkey Yu Lie was leading and said, “Yu’er, you’ve struck it rich!
Now you’ve got a mount for coming and going from town.
Meanwhile, I’m still like a monkey, climbing around all day.” Yu Lie suppressed the air of authority he had when subduing demons, appearing as an ordinary pedestrian. He spoke softly: “Daoist Gao Li, you’re as fierce as a wolf or tiger, with boundless strength. Climbing rocks and crossing rivers is child’s play for you.
As for me, a lowly Daoist servant, how could I dare descend the mountain without talismans? I’d be dead if I fell.” “Hehe!” Daoist Gao Li heard this and laughed so hard that the powder on his face fell off.
His lips split wide, revealing a long, crimson tongue that writhed within. Daoist Gao Li then turned to the person beside him and said, “Look, Daoist Shan, how well-spoken Yu’er is. You should learn from your neighbor.” Standing beside them was a thin, black-robed Daoist servant, who looked dazed.
When he heard Daoist Gao Li call him, the thin Daoist servant suddenly snapped out of his daze. He looked up and realized it was Yu Lie standing in front of him. The thin Daoist servant stammered, “Y-you, Yu Lie?
How do you know Daoist Gao Li?” Halfway through his sentence, he realized what he was saying and his face twisted into a strange expression.

Daoist Gao Li, smiling beside him, replied, “Of course it’s because Yu’er is also one of our customers, a big one at that.” Upon hearing this, the thin Daoist servant immediately clamped his mouth shut.
Yu Lie stood in the street and spoke at an opportune moment: “May I ask what Daoist Gao Li wants? If there’s nothing…” But before he could finish, Daoist Gao Li suddenly shrieked at him, “Shut up!
I haven’t told you to leave, so why are you talking so much! Have you come to pay your debts?” Just moments ago, Daoist Gao Li had been smiling and praising Yu Lie, but now his expression had changed completely.
His mouth, split wide, dripped with saliva as he coldly sized Yu Lie up.
Yu Lie’s eyes darkened, but his face remained expressionless. He promptly closed his mouth and continued to look down.
The thin Daoist servant beside him watched this scene with a look of schadenfreude in his eyes. After scolding Yu Lie, Daoist Gao Li lifted his sharp chin and wiped the saliva from his mouth with his sleeve before saying calmly: “Yu’er, you’ve already pawned a lung and a kidney with us.
In a few more days, you’ll have to add half a liver. And in a few more days after that, you won’t have any business left to do but die.” “Living business” referred to the fact that after Yu
Lie couldn’t repay his debts, and had a lung, a kidney, and even half a liver removed, he could still barely eke out a living.
But if he went beyond this limit, he would only have death waiting for him.
He could either be slaughtered on the spot or become a slave, a medicine slave, sold to mine corpses and ores, half-dead and more miserable than death.
“Don’t even think about escaping. Without a travel permit, you can’t get out of this place.” Daoist Gao Li said, pausing for a moment before suddenly smiling again: “But Yu’er’s face is so pitiful to look at, and the Daoist Masters in town will surely be delighted to see it.
At that time, there’s a good chance that ‘dead business’ can turn into ‘living business.’ Don’t think about dying, and for heaven’s sake, don’t ruin that face of yours!” After praising and insulting him, Daoist Gao Li didn’t say anything else.
He pointed to the thin Daoist servant beside him and instructed Yu Lie, “You two are neighbors, so please take him home.” “I’m in a hurry today. I’m going to the gambling house for a good time.” After saying this, the man covered his mouth and left with a smile.
On the street, only Yu Lie and the thin Daoist servant remained standing there. Everyone else was in a hurry, but the two of them stood there, one with a calm expression and the other with a face as green as could be.
After a long silence, the thin Daoist servant finally approached Yu Lie and asked in a low voice, “Is what that fake bitch said true? Are you really that ruthless? You’ve even pawned your own life for a loan?” “I can’t even imagine it!” The thin Daoist servant clicked his
tongue, “Did you go gambling too?” Yu Lie raised his head and glanced at him but didn’t say anything. Yu Lie hadn’t gone gambling. This time, he had left the town to subdue demons and had borrowed money to make up the last of his expenses.
With over a year’s worth of savings and the money he brought from home, he was able to buy paper figures, paper horses, and paper knives, fully equipped, and didn’t die at the hands of the demons outside the town.
Fortunately, his luck wasn’t bad, and he successfully hunted the wolf demon, obtaining the object needed to enter the Dao.
Yu Lie glanced at the belly of the paper donkey, his heart burning with excitement. He bowed to the thin Daoist servant and continued walking down the street, leading the donkey.
But after the loan shark left, the thin Daoist servant returned to his chatty self. He stood beside Yu Lie and kept saying, “Daoist Gao Li told you to take me home, so how can you just leave?
Do you look down on me, or do you look down on that fake Daoist?” Daoist Shan then said, “Little Yu, it’s not that I’m saying this, but if you need to borrow money, you can come to me for advice.
There are rules to pawning organs with that fake bitch.” “Low-grade snake charming, cultivating blood organs for them, once you’re involved, you can’t get out.
Mid-grade organ removal, neither dead nor alive. Do you know what the high-grade method is?
It’s like me, cutting without harming life or body, the Dao still continues!” The other party shook his head, looking smug.
Hearing this, Yu Lie couldn’t help but stop in his tracks and sneered back at him:






"Oh! Why didn't you say so earlier, Brother Dan? By the way, how many...
eggs do you have left now, Brother Dan?" The thin, black acolyte wasn't originally surnamed 'Dan.' His original nickname was 'Tall Egg.' He was thin, black, and tall.
Later, after borrowing money, one of his testicles was removed, leaving only one, so his friends called him 'One-Legged Egg.' He disliked this nickname but couldn't overpower his friends, so he simply changed his surname to 'Dan.' This way, even if people mocked him, he had effectively removed the nickname.
As for his original surname, very few people remembered it anymore. When Dan the acolyte heard Yu Lie say this, his face turned even greener, a strange greenish-purple hue.
Yu Lie glanced at Dan the acolyte's equally strange walking posture and immediately understood, laughing in surprise: "No wonder that man said he was nimble today. It seems, Brother Dan, your pockets are now empty!" Chuckling a few times, Yu Lie paid no more attention to the other man.
He led the donkey, waved his sleeve, and strode forward with a carefree gait. Dan the acolyte was stunned, his face pale, and he shouted curses at Yu Lie: "Pretty boy!
You're so high and mighty, you can sell your ass!
Just wait and die!" After venting his anger, Dan the acolyte stood on the street, feeling that everyone around him was staring at him.
Their gazes were like needles, and their mouths kept repeating two words. Yu Lie had guessed wrong. Now, Dan the acolyte had not only lost his testicles but also his manhood. Dan the acolyte comforted himself in a low voice: "Can the affairs of a cultivator be called 'castration'?
This is removing the root of troubles." "Yes, yes, it's removing the root of troubles, not making one a eunuch.
In fact, it's more convenient for cultivation..." He lowered his head, endured the pain, and hurried home.


Chapter 5 Official Meditation Room

Yu Lie arrived at the gate of the official Dan Room in the town.
Before he could lead the donkey inside, a severed hand suddenly flew out from the doorway! This was followed by a whimpering sound, and a bald, scabby dog rushed out from the doorway, grabbing the severed hand.
“Giggle!” The dog immediately started chewing, biting the severed hand with a crunching sound, looking delighted. The dog noticed Yu Lie staring at it and stopped its giggling, letting out a threatening growl.
Yu Lie calmly withdrew his gaze without giving the dog another glance. The dog in the Dan Room was no ordinary dog. It was a human-faced dog, also known as a baby-faced dog due to its voice resembling a baby.
Yu Lie couldn't defeat or provoke it. He bowed slightly to the human-faced dog, then stepped aside to let it pass, walking along the edge of the doorway into the Dan Room.
Upon entering the doorway, a female Daoist with a protruding abdomen happened to walk past Yu Lie, likely the one feeding the human-faced dog.
Yu Lie didn't even glance at the dog, let alone the people in the Dan Room.
The foolish parrot on the paper donkey's head was curled up, looking like a dead bird.
The moment Yu Lie stepped into the side room of the Dan Room, a voice rang out: “Customer, what do you wish to buy?
” Behind the high counter, within the iron bars as thick as a child's arm, a shadow moved, emitting a stiff voice. Yu Lie nodded and said, “Be polite.
I'm here to buy some medicine.” Inside the dark counter, a head moved, “You're joking, who comes to the Dan Room without buying medicine? But this is just a side room, we only trade in medicinal materials.


If you want to buy medicine, you need to go to the main hall, that's where the pills and powders are.” Yu Lie smiled and di
rectly said: “Three stalks of red dogtail grass, a bottle of bat urine, ten gecko tails, a bottle of zombie tooth powder...
three avoidance pills, two sticks of sandalwood, a jar of pure urn water.” The shadow in the back of the Dan Room moved, answering, “Good!” followed by a sound of rummaging through boxes. “Dogtail grass... avoidance pills, huh!” Then came a surprised voice: “Customer, are you preparing for a ritual?

Congratulations, I wish you early ascension to immortality and transcendence.” The medicine Yu Lie bought was very targeted, especially items like the avoidance pills, clearly indicating his intention to seclude himself.
The Daoist in the Dan Room, experienced in business, guessed immediately that Yu Lie was preparing for seclusion and cultivation, aiming for a transformation.
The next moment, a head suddenly poked out from behind the iron bars, wrinkled and with fine, long hair.
The head stared at Yu Lie: “However, your medicinal materials are missing the life-saving white cow bezoar. Are you sure you want to save that money?” “Without it, for a lowly Daoist like you, it's a matter of nine deaths and one survival.
I advise you to take it easy.” White cow bezoar has a strong detoxification effect. In case of failure in ingestion, it can timely stop the ingestion and save one's life. It can also enhance one's resistance during the process, making it a cheap yet extremely useful top-grade medicine for the Daoist stage.
Yu Lie heard the words of the Daoist and replied at the counter: “No need, I've already prepared it, no trouble.” “
Hehe!” The wrinkled head on the counter smiled eerily and muttered: “People like you, young and reckless, I've seen too many. Every time there are those dragging their intestines, limping, bleeding from all nine orifices...
Have you seen this thick iron window? It's to prevent them from being desperate.” Yu Lie just smiled and didn't respond to the other party's words.
In fact, the Daoist in the Dan Room was being too lenient. The other party was referring to those who still had the strength to crawl over, which meant they must have prepared a small amount of antidote or had a robust body.
For a lowly Daoist like Yu Lie, as their bodies had not undergone any substantial transformation, if they were poisoned during ingestion and had no antidote, they would certainly die without a chance of survival!
They would melt into meat paste on the spot, with no chance of escaping the quiet room. Next, money and goods were exchanged.
A head flew out from behind the counter, with hair tangled in the iron bars, using yellow teeth to hook the oil paper package and small jar, with an empty space below the neck. The head swayed in the air a few times, throwing the medicine package and small jar into Yu Lie's arms, and sang: “C
ustomer, go slowly, come often!” After obtaining the medicinal materi
als, Yu Lie was content and said, “Come often.” Then he stepped out of the Dan Room, leaving only the head still cackling. Next, Yu Lie bought robes on the west street, dry provisions on the north street, and changed the bird on the south street to storage.
After preparing everything, he entered the official quiet room in Black Water Town. The stone walls of the official quiet room were thick and heavy, neither dry nor damp, but lacked light. The candle in Yu Lie's hand, as thick as a child's arm, could burn for seven days and seven nights, but the quality was too poor.
It should have been made of whale oil, but the Daoist in charge of the quiet room had replaced it with cow oil, which was dim and had a smoky smell.
But Yu Lie had no choice. He bought seven of them at once, enough for him to use in the quiet room for more than a month.
This was because, no external candles were allowed! Although the official quiet room did not charge according to the rules, someone had to manage it. If you wanted to use it, you had to offer some incense money.
If you didn't offer, you would often die miserably. Taking medicine and transforming was not just about swallowing the medicine in one go. It also required bathing, burning incense, purifying the heart, breathing exercises, checking the medicine, etc.
You must not be disturbed in the middle. If disturbed, it would be a waste of all previous efforts.
The lucky ones would be seriously injured, and the unlucky ones would die on the spot, leaving their property to others.




Yu Lie certainly didn't want some “kind-hearted” Daoist to come knocking on the door during his seclusion and ask him: “Customer, do you want to extend the candle?” The effect was also pleasing.
The Daoist in the quiet room not only chose a feng shui treasure spot for Yu Lie, with good ventilation, but also said that the
death rate during transformation was only 30%, reminding Yu Lie to be careful, lest he died and lowered the house price.
The person also thoughtfully provided something to block the door, promising that even if a higher-ranking Daoist came, they wouldn't be able to open the door of the quiet room immediately.
Thus, in the quiet room, Yu Lie put aside his worries.
He patiently adjusted his body and mind, first taking a bath, then lighting the sandalwood incense, and finally taking out the Daoist book, reciting it several times. After everything was ready, Yu Lie took the avoidance pills and looked at the paper donkey beside him, his eyes once again burning with excitement.







There is a threshold to cultivating the Dao. He had been cultivating for over a year, yet still hadn't crossed that threshold.
For this transformation, Yu Lie had staked everything! If he failed, not only would the loan sharks not let him go, but after failing and being left with a broken body and empty spirit, he would throw himself into the river to end it all.
However, Yu Lie was not afraid. He had endured for over a year, even borrowed from loan sharks, all to maximize his chances of success and achieve his goal in one go, stepping onto the path of the Dao!
Though he didn't have the White Cow Bezoar, he had long since obtained the Ascending Spirit Pill, which could increase the success rate during transformation, making it even more precious than the White Cow Bezoar!
Combined with his decent luck, having slain a powerful wolf demon and consumed it, once he completed his transformation, he would be stronger than ordinary Daoist disciples. And this step was the beginning of Yu Lie's ascension to immortality!
The fiery gaze in Yu Lie's eyes could no longer be contained.
He gave in to his desires, picked up the paper knife, stood up from the stone platform in the quiet room, and knocked over the paper donkey. With a swift motion, he slit open the paper donkey's belly, about to take out the wolf demon's heart and lungs to consume for his Dao.
But the next moment... Yu Lie's movements froze. His usually calm face suddenly turned pale, deathly pale.
The paper donkey's belly was empty, with no trace of a wolf's heart or lungs, only a bit of blood and flesh fragments.
'Where did all that demon filth go?!' His vision swam. Yu Lie stood in the quiet room, his heart icy cold.
He felt as if he were already standing at the edge of the Black Water River, the mountain wind fierce and biting.