Chapter 56 – Secrets Revealed! The Struggle Between Dao and Demons! The Curtain Rises!
Uncle Jiu knew the Divine Firmament Sect specialized in thunder techniques, but no one had told him they would shout "Heaven is dead, the Yellow Heaven shall rise" while using them?!
Don't tell me… you're a Taiping Daoist who infiltrated the Divine Firmament Sect?
Three years, then another three years… and you've already become sect leader?
"So damn strong!! I knew it—he was the one behind that thunderbolt the other day!"
Ah Wei's eyes bulged wide as he stared in awe, his jaw practically dislocated. Behind those tiny glasses, there was not only fear, but admiration.
He used to think becoming captain of the security team, holding a pistol, and bossing people around in the town was already a pretty good life. If he could marry Ren Tingting, that'd be a step up.
But now, compared to a cultivator, what kind of life was he even living?
Renji had casually summoned a lightning bolt, and the zombie was instantly reduced to ash.
Under that thunderbolt, Old Master Ren didn't even have time to struggle—he was annihilated on the spot.
Behind Renji, a golden halo suddenly appeared, strands of merit energy slowly flowing into it.
Some came from eliminating the zombie, others from saving innocent lives. Originally, Wencai and Uncle Jiu would've been infected, Master Ren would've died, and other innocents would've been bitten by the zombie. But Renji's intervention changed all of that—naturally earning him some merit. Though meager, even crumbs were still food.
Renji didn't care too much about that now—he was completely immersed in the transformation that merit brought him.
Perhaps because this was his first time receiving a merit baptism…
Renji's cultivation leaped directly from mid-stage Foundation Establishment to late-stage!
No wonder everyone loved merit—who wouldn't?
The golden glow was so vivid it inspired awe in everyone present.
Now, he was just one step away from peak Foundation Establishment. After that, he'd advance to Ren Shi and truly step into the ranks of true cultivators.
Uncle Jiu, seeing the ring of merit behind Renji, looked on in shock. He could actually manifest merit?
Could it be… he was right about his guess?
With that thought, Uncle Jiu hesitated, then raised his finger and pointed at the ring behind Renji. "Daoist brother, that is…?"
"Just merit," Renji said openly. "You, Daoist brother, should be accumulating yin merit, right?"
He didn't keep secrets. Merit couldn't be stolen. Especially among cultivators—if someone knew you had great fortune, they'd avoid provoking you lest karmic backlash fall upon them.
But Renji could tell that he and Uncle Jiu were different. He needed merit to advance his power in this life. Uncle Jiu, on the other hand, was collecting yin merit—useful for attaining a government post in the afterlife.
"Indeed… but I'm surprised you can manifest it like that. And that someone in this era can still cultivate like this—it's beyond belief."
Uncle Jiu didn't dwell on it. He'd just been shocked by Renji's strength. He already knew that killing a zombie granted him yin merit—he just never knew how much while he was alive.
"By the way, Daoist brother… are you really from the Taiping Dao?"
"No, I'm from the Divine Firmament Sect."
Divine Firmament Sect.
Uncle Jiu twitched the corner of his mouth, grumbling inwardly: 'So you were just saying those words for flair? If your elders saw you pulling that stunt today, they'd probably hang you up and beat you senseless!'
But he didn't say anything aloud. After all, this was an internal matter for the Divine Firmament Sect—what business was it of a Maoshan Daoist?
"Um… Daoist, is my father's problem resolved?"
Master Ren finally recovered from his shock. Even though he'd seen his father disintegrated by lightning, the terrifying sight of that zombie was still burned into his mind.
So he had to make absolutely sure—or he might never sleep peacefully again.
"Master Ren, your father's problem has been resolved. You can collect the ashes and rebury him. Don't worry—he won't turn into a zombie again."
Seeing Master Ren trembling as he asked, Uncle Jiu shook his head with a sigh and reached for a cup of tea.
The next second—
"But could he turn into a ghost?"
Master Ren still wasn't assured. After all, he'd hired a Daoist to strike down his own father. If the old man turned into a ghost and came looking for him… wouldn't that be double trauma?
Pfft!
Uncle Jiu had just taken a sip of Renji's fine tea when he spat it all out. "Cough… Master Ren, rest assured—zombies can't become ghosts!"
Once someone becomes a zombie, they can't be a ghost anymore.
"Oh… that's good to hear. That's good…"
Master Ren didn't even care that Uncle Jiu had sprayed tea—he was just relieved to know his father wouldn't come haunting him.
"Ah Wei, hurry up and bring the security team back in. Collect my father's ashes—we're heading out!"
Master Ren turned and gave an apologetic look to Uncle Jiu. "I'm sorry, Uncle Jiu. I should've listened to you from the beginning."
If Renji hadn't stepped in today, his father might've bitten him to death.
He used to strongly oppose cremation.
Well, that's over with now. Cremation came early today—one bolt of lightning completely took care of his father.
"No harm done. As long as you don't hold it against us."
Uncle Jiu waved it off. After all, people believing in ghosts and gods had become rarer these days.
The fact that no one died today was already a win in his book.
"Then we'll take our leave, Daoist. I'll come personally to thank you tomorrow!"
Master Ren was exhausted—he needed rest.
"Dad, we're leaving now?"
Ren Tingting tugged at his sleeve, her voice trembling. That terrifying scene was still fresh in her mind. It was the middle of the night. What if they ran into another zombie on the road?
"Well…"
Master Ren also realized the risk. He just wanted to go home and rest—but forgot this world really did have monsters and ghosts.
"How about we stay the night at the mortuary?"
"Great idea! Great idea!"
Before Master Ren could answer, Wencai leapt up enthusiastically. If Master Ren stayed, that meant Ren Tingting would too, right?
"Then we'll impose."
"Uncle Jiu, Daoist Renji, I'd like to stay too! Don't worry—whatever you say from now on, I'll follow! With me around, no one dares to bully you!"
Ah Wei declared righteously, as if the past hour of screaming and begging for help had never happened.
Ah Wei fully embraced his role as a sycophant. Leaving was obviously not an option, and he had his own plans.
"Daoist brother, shall we continue our discussion tonight?"
There clearly wasn't enough space for everyone to rest here, so Uncle Jiu decided not to sleep either. After witnessing Renji's power, he too was stirred with the desire to debate Dao once more.
"Very well."
"Master, Daoist Renji—may I listen too?"
After this incident, Qiusheng seemed to have matured a bit.
That thunderbolt just now left waves in his heart. He suddenly felt that the days he spent idling away were truly a waste. He wanted to train hard and become a Daoist like Renji!
"Daoist brother?"
"Sure."
Renji was a bit surprised. That mischievous disciple from the movie matured this quickly?
Maybe it was just a rush of hot blood?
Renji didn't mind—it was just a Dao discussion.
"Tingting, you should listen too."
Ren Fa nudged Ren Tingting. Though reluctant, he had made his decision.
He didn't want to hold Tingting back because of him.
After witnessing a Daoist's power, he understood—if Tingting stayed by his side, she'd spend her life as a merchant's daughter. At best, she'd marry into a warlord's household as a concubine. Worse, in these chaotic times, the fate of a beautiful woman... he dared not imagine.
Following Renji, at least, she'd be protected.
And after what happened with the zombie, Ren Fa also realized—his father was likely cursed by a fengshui master, leading to his transformation. That level of revenge from a Daoist chilled him to the bone.
Letting the Ren family decline for twenty years, and finally turning the patriarch into a zombie that wiped out the entire household… all by the hands of the old master himself—just thinking about it was horrifying.
"Dad, I…"
"I know what you're going to say. I'm not old yet. Daoist Renji said you're suited for cultivation, so I feel better knowing you're with him." Ren Fa gripped her hand, then turned to Renji solemnly. "Daoist Renji, I give you my daughter. Please take her to the mountain!"
"No. I don't accept forced disciples."
Renji waved his hand. He didn't need Master Ren's consent—he needed Ren Tingting's willingness.
If she was coerced into joining, then she shouldn't join the Divine Firmament Sect at all.
"Daoist Renji… will I still be able to leave the mountain later?"
Ren Tingting bit her lip. If she were forbidden from ever coming back, then even if this was her only chance, she'd give it up. She couldn't just abandon her father.
"Of course. I'm not locking you away forever. I go down the mountain now and then too."
Hearing Renji's reply, Ren Tingting finally relaxed.
She stepped forward to bow, but Renji gently stopped her.
"Don't bow here. If you want to become my disciple, wait until we return to the Divine Firmament Sect and bow before the ancestral tablets."
Taking disciples wasn't as simple as kneeling and calling someone 'Master.'
Every sect took this seriously. Disciples had to be formally accepted in front of the ancestors' memorials, or else the sect wouldn't recognize them.
"That's enough. Those who wish to stay, stay. Those who want to rest, go rest."
Renji didn't wait on anyone. His exchange with Uncle Jiu had made him realize the strengths of Maoshan Dao.
Both of them were intrigued by each other's cultivation paths.
What interested Renji most was Uncle Jiu's true strength.
He was certainly a Ren Shi, but during the fight against Old Master Ren, his performance seemed a bit strained—which didn't quite match up.
But thinking it over, perhaps the first phase was easy, and the difficulty came after Old Master Ren's transformation.
Their Dao discussion soon shifted to another topic.
"Daoist brother, there's still a demon and a female ghost nearby. Shall we handle them too?"
The female ghost Dong Xiaoyu and the black gorilla—both were perfect opportunities for merit.
"There are monsters nearby?"
Uncle Jiu had lived in Renjia Town for years and had no idea there were any demons or ghosts around.
Yet Renji, newly arrived, already had such a clear picture of the area?
"Yes. A great ape spirit is in the back mountain. And there's a ghost named Dong Xiaoyu. She just needs to be exorcised."
"Alright, then I'll go with you tomorrow!"
Uncle Jiu nodded, curious to see these creatures himself.
Ah Wei, seeing another chance to show off, quickly stood and offered, "I'll come too! Our security team can help with the search!!"
His eagerness was obvious—he wanted to impress Renji. If he could become a disciple too…
Then he'd be on equal footing with Ren Tingting—either as senior brother or junior. Either worked!
"Ahem, Uncle Jiu, I have a question. Since that zombie was raised by a fengshui master, could he return to reclaim it?"
The fengshui master didn't appear in the movie, but with such a prime grave designed to nurture Ren Weiyong into a zombie, it was unlikely he'd just walk away.
Either he was dead, or he hadn't made it back before Uncle Jiu destroyed the zombie. Regardless, he was still a hidden threat.
The moment he turned Old Master Ren into a zombie twenty years ago, he had already strayed into the demonic path.
"Wait—what? That fengshui master's still alive?!"
Master Ren had wanted to rest, but he stayed to listen to Renji and Uncle Jiu's discussion. He hadn't expected to hear something like that.
"We don't know for sure if he's dead. But anyone who raised someone like Old Master Ren is likely a dark cultivator. Most of them use forbidden methods to extend their lives. So we can't rule it out."
If anyone feared death most—it was those on the demonic path.
And after losing such a high-quality grave, the fengshui master might've taken an even darker turn.
But this too was part of Old Master Ren's karmic debt.
"No need to panic. It's just speculation."
"Still, I think we should keep our guard up. You might not know this since you haven't been down the mountain long, but both Maoshan and Dragon Tiger Mountain have already noticed signs of demonic sects returning. They're dangerous."
Uncle Jiu's face was stern as he looked at Renji.
Aside from Master Ren, the only ones present were Qiusheng, Wencai, Ah Wei, and Ren Tingting.
The rest of the security team had gone to rest.
Uncle Jiu thought it over and decided not to hide the truth. Ah Wei might be shameless, but he wasn't evil. Master Ren was the victim. Ren Tingting was Renji's disciple.
So he chose to reveal a little.
The demonic sects were on the rise again. Hundreds of years ago, the struggle between Dao and Demons ended in Daoism's victory. The demonic sects were purged and destroyed.
But now, in this region, they seemed to be resurging.
In these chaotic times, they were no longer even bothering to hide.
Whether it was due to the turmoil of the world or something else, Uncle Jiu didn't know.
One thing was certain—Renji needed to be brought to their side.
Renji was strong.
And it seemed… the next great battle between Dao and Demons was about to begin.
End of Chapter
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