I Have a Date with a Thousand-year-old Female Corpse
Chapter 731

Chapter 731: Chapter 731

After you explained the whole story in detail and looked at the Soul-Attracting Bell in your hand, Nie Ying smiled and said, "It seems that some things are destined to happen."

"What do you mean by that?" you asked, puzzled.

Nie Ying didn’t answer directly but instead asked you, "President, you should know that our Three Purites faction is divided into two main sects, with others being small branches... Hm? Don’t tell me you don’t know?"

"Hehe, well... I’m really not clear about that. I just know that the Taoism Sect is the leader of the Three Purites, akin to hundreds of thousands of Taoists."

Nie Ying said in annoyance, "I really don’t know what kind of books you read normally, how could you not even know this common knowledge?"

Speaking of which, Nie Ying gave Yang Kai, who was standing beside you, a kick. "You tell the president," she said.

Since the beginning of the conversation, Yang Kai had been staring at his wife, not listening to any of your talk.

Now, having been kicked by Nie Ying, he grabbed his head and said with a smile, "What was that? What were you saying just now?"

After giving Yang Kai a fierce glare, Nie Ying shook her head and sighed, "I’ll explain it then. The Three Purites have two main sects, the Quanzhen Path and Zhengyi Dao. The Quanzhen Path is a mainstream, international sect with a very broad reach. It’s what you call the Taoism Sect; whereas Zhengyi Dao, though it has a very ancient founding time, has been gradually assimilated and merged by the Quanzhen Path due to doctrinal issues and is now only present in the southern regions and the eastern parts."

"The Quanzhen Sect? Is it the one founded by Central Divine Power Wang Chongyang from Master Jin’s stories?" Yang Kai finally managed to chime in.

"That’s just for public show. As for exactly which dynasty and period it dates back to, I’m not very sure either."

You turned to Nie Ying and asked, "What’s the difference between these two sects?"

"In everyone’s mind, Taoists all capture ghosts and make talismans, but that’s not entirely the case. Before annexing those smaller sects, the Quanzhen Sect mainly focused on inner core cultivation. They are not adept at making talismans, let alone alchemy. They pursue the Righteous Path of spiritual cultivation and refinement. Their code of conduct is quite strict; Taoists must renounce worldly life, live in temples, and are forbidden from marrying and having children, with a well-established set of rules. Also, since the Yuan Dynasty, Qiu Chuji became the State Preceptor designated by Genghis Khan. Since then, the Quanzhen Sect has become the largest of the Three Purities and is gradually revered as the Taoism Sect."

You nodded. "I see. What about Zhengyi Dao?"

"Zhengyi Dao has always been based in the south and has extended eastward. Just like the ghost-capturing Taoists shown in old movies, Zhengyi Dao is characterized mainly by creating talismans, exorcising evil, and capturing ghosts. Compared to the Taoism Sect, their codes are simpler; Zhengyi Dao’s Taoists can have a family. They do not need to renounce the world or live in temples, and even highly skilled Taoists can open temples in big cities."

"After all this talk, what does this Little Bell have to do with these two sects?" Yang Kai asked.

Nie Ying looked at the Soul-Attracting-Bell in her hand and a wistful expression crossed her face. "The Soul-Attracting Bell was originally the Gate Guardian Artifact of a branch of Zhengyi Dao called the Seeking Immortal Path. Over a hundred years ago, the Seeking Immortal Path was very influential in the southern regions. Back then, I often followed my mother to offer incense at the temple. Then, for unknown reasons, the Seeking Immortal Path suddenly vanished without a trace."

"The Seeking Immortal Path?" Upon hearing these three words, you felt a sense of familiarity and after a moment, recalled, "I remember coming across this in a few books. It seems they made an enemy of some Evil Path, and after a deadly conflict, they were counterattacked and eventually disappeared."

Looking at the Little Bell, you asked Nie Ying, "Are you sure this is the Seeking Immortal Path’s Gate Guardian Artifact?"

"Mhm, I saw it with my own eyes before my physical body died. It was enshrined above the main altar of the Taoist sect, and it’s said that only the Sect Leader could use it."

Yang Kai took the Soul-Attracting Bell from Nie Ying’s hand, feeling a touch apprehensive. "This thing looks ordinary; how could it have such a terrifying effect with just a casual shake?"

"As the name implies, the Soul-Attracting Bell has a strong ability to shock a person’s Three Souls and Seven Spirits. The Seeking Immortal Path established itself in the Jiangnan area for over two hundred years, all thanks to the Soul-Attracting Bell. I just didn’t expect it to appear in a desolate village in the deep mountains."

"If you think about it carefully, everything makes sense now. That desolate village itself was a powerful Array, and moreover, a Spirit Gathering Array. Those people were actually dead already, but they used the Array to create a barrier between Yin and Yang realms, forming an independent space. Although their bodies were destroyed, their souls remained."

"So they’re immortal?"

"Immortal my ass; souls can’t exist indefinitely. If the Three Souls and Seven Spirits don’t attach to something specific, they’ll dissipate before long. When I entered, I felt that the Array’s Spiritual Energy was stagnant and not flowing. It seems they were also at the end of their rope."

At this point, you also understood why those three old men eventually let you take the Soul-Attracting Bell out. It seemed they knew their end was near and didn’t want the treasure of their Gate to be buried alongside them.

Yang Kai handed the Soul-Attracting Bell to you: "Yet, this thing doesn’t affect ordinary people, but why did it clearly nearly kill me?"

Nie Ying looked at Yang Kai and said, "It must be related to your Ghost Eye, but as for the exact reason, maybe experimenting a few more times might give some insight."

"Damn it!"

Today is Saturday, and instead of going back to school, you drove home.

Originally planning to go home for a late-night snack cooked by Mom, you found out she had gone off on a jaunt with the two Little Yans, saying it’d be a few days before she’d return.

Left with no choice, you parked the car by the roadside and headed into a noodle restaurant.

"Boss, give me a bowl of beef noodles."

A steaming bowl of beef noodles was served quickly. You dug in with chopsticks, enjoying the meal, when behind you there came a familiar sound you hadn’t heard in a long time.

Turning your head, ah, there were three mosaics—oh no, three Smat Killers!

That Huang Mao, wasn’t that Laifu?

Speaking of Laifu, you hadn’t seen him in quite a while.

Laifu hadn’t noticed you and was bragging to his two Smat Killer friends.

"Brother Fronco, when did you start dating the Three-wheel?" A green-haired youth eagerly asked.

What the hell, ’Three-wheel’?

When did Laifu become a Teddy (Note: for friends who don’t understand this phrase, here’s a simple explanation: Laifu, a common name for mongrel dogs), and even fancied tricycle rides?

You were mulling over it when Laifu proudly said, "A month ago, I was traveling in Beihai and eating an omelette rice in a diner. Man, you haven’t tried it, huh? The omelette rice from the Three-wheel’s place is so delicious! I was so moved that I grabbed her hand with tearful eyes and said, ’Beautiful miss, will you be my girlfriend?’"

The other purple-haired youth was impatient, excitedly saying, "Brother Fronco is our leader of the Burial Love Family; Miss Three-wheel must have been conquered right away!"

Laifu laughed, "Not yet; she looked down a bit and murmured, ’I’m small.’"

"Huh?"

Purple Hair and Green Hair were both stunned; what kind of response was that?

Laifu flicked the rooster crest-like yellow strand on his head: "Man, I was excited then; that definitely showed she also had feelings for me. So, I promptly and solemnly replied, ’It’s fine, I like the feeling of being childhood sweethearts!’"

Purple Hair and Green Hair didn’t catch on right away, then asked in unison, "And then?"

"Then she shyly agreed!" Laifu said, his face brimming with happiness.

Other customers were sitting nearby, and at that moment, a guy with Glasses tapped Laifu on the shoulder: "Sorry, but I didn’t quite catch the meaning of what you just said. Could you explain what ’the feeling of being childhood sweethearts’ is?"

Casually, Laifu replied, "From small to big."

The guy with Glasses was still confused, as were the people around him, but you instantly got it.

My, oh my, how risquè!

"From small to big" — Brother Laifu, that’s deep!