Ten Thousand Soul Banner: Deceased, do you have any unfulfilled wishes?
Chapter 34 Underworld

Chapter 34: Chapter 34 Underworld

Shen Siyuan stood up, redressed himself properly, since the visitor was a friend of his granduncle, it was only proper to show respect.

The granduncle quickly led an old Taoist into the room.

Upon seeing the visitor, Shen Siyuan was also taken aback.

With his understanding of ghosts, he could naturally tell that the old Taoist was in a state where his Soul Power was exceedingly full.

There were strengths and weaknesses among ghosts, which were not only related to the essence energy and spirit from their living days but also to their innate talents.

Those with exceptional talents had stronger souls than ordinary people from birth, making them smarter, and even geniuses in certain aspects where ordinary people could not hold a candle to them.

And the old Taoist was one of those people; he was extraordinary from birth.

Therefore, even in death, he was still unlike ordinary people.

When the old Taoist saw Shen Siyuan, his face first showed surprise, then he immediately bowed deeply, respectfully saying, "I am Qingyun, and I pay my respects to you, Taoist friend."

"Oh, why do you address me as Taoist friend, shouldn’t you call me layman?" Shen Siyuan asked with a smile.

"Observing Taoist friend mastering yin and yang, breathing the essence energy, standing guard over his spirit, and having a consistent form, you indeed deserve the title of a true person. Naturally, I should call you Taoist friend."

The old Taoist cited references that Shen Siyuan naturally didn’t understand, which included excerpts from the "Inner Canon of the Yellow Emperor," so Shen Siyuan didn’t follow up the conversation and instead politely invited them to sit down and talk in detail.

"Layman Si Yuan is concerned about you, thinking something might be wrong with your body, so he sent me to have a look. But it turns out, Taoist friend, you have simply made progress in your cultivation."

The old Taoist, looking into Shen Siyuan’s radiant eyes, couldn’t help but inwardly admire him. In an era where Taoist magic had fallen into decline and Divine beings no longer appeared, being able to cultivate to such an extent showed exceptional talent. Yet, he also felt a pang of regret that Shen Siyuan was born in the wrong era.

The granduncle, upon hearing the old Taoist’s words, looked at Shen Siyuan surprisingly, now realizing that his nephew was also a person pursuing the Tao, which he never noticed before.

Shen Siyuan, however, was quite curious about the cultivation mentioned by the old Taoist. As far as he knew, in this world devoid of Spiritual Energy, where the energy of heaven and earth was turbid and impure, it seemed impossible for cultivators to exist. Yet the thought of Heavenly Merit made him think it might not be so absolute.

Thus, he inquired, "Are there many people like Taoist priest? I mean, are there many cultivators?"

"In the past, there were few, but many had achieved notable cultivation. Now, there are many, but not a single one has truly succeeded; they are all fake cultivators exploiting the name of cultivation for money," the old Taoist sighed with a look filled with melancholy and sorrow.

"Why were there so few cultivators in the past, yet many had success in their cultivation?"

"Because back then, the world had not changed; all things were spirited; there was order to the world; Divines dwelled above, humans resided in the middle, and the deceased stayed below; everything had its cycle of Reincarnation..."

"Are you saying that there used to be an Underworld?" Shen Siyuan pressed.

"Of course. Otherwise, where would all those myths and legends have come from? Could they have all been fabricated from nothing?"

"So why isn’t there an Underworld now? I have seen many people, who, upon letting go of their obsessions and attachments, just have their souls dissipate."

"Alas~"

The old Taoist shook his head and said, "I’m not very clear on that."

"A long time ago, there were no divine beings descending to the Mortal World, and it was said that the path to immortality was completely severed, with no one able to become an immortal again. However, at that time, the Underworld Reincarnation still existed. After death, as long as one let go of their obsessions, they could enter the Underworld and be reborn. But a hundred years ago, for some unknown reason, the Underworld suddenly vanished, and soul dissipation became the ultimate fate..."

Perhaps the old Taoist’s own reluctance to give up the pursuit of becoming an immortal was related to this.

"Do you have a specific time for a hundred years ago?" Shen Siyuan asked.

Upon hearing this, the old Taoist frowned in thought, "It was around the year when the Westerners invaded our Huaxia Land."

The old Taoist referred to the Westerners and not the Japanese, and it was over a hundred years ago; Shen Siyuan immediately understood.

"1900, the invasion of the Eight Countries?"

"Seems so." The old Taoist had lived for a long time, even though it was more than a hundred and twenty years ago, he was already in his sixties then and naturally clear about these matters.

"You also do not know the reason?" The old Taoist shook his head.

"Back then, I also went with some Taoist friends, traveling around famous mountains and rivers, seeking immortals and paying respects to fox spirits, just to find an answer, but in the end, it was fruitless." The old Taoist sighed.

However, the old Taoist had long since come to terms with it, he then continued, "But the universe has its own operating rules, although ghosts do not enter Reincarnation, they do not have too much impact on the Mortal World."

"No, there is an impact." Shen Siyuan said.

"Oh? What impact?" The old Taoist showed a curious expression.

"When ghosts enter Reincarnation, apart from conforming to the cycle of the universe, it’s also because with each reincarnation, the physical body nourishes, which makes the soul more spirited. A hundred years ago, there were countless exceptionally talented individuals born, do we still have them now?"

"And without the Six Paths of Reincarnation, what’s the difference between good and evil? In the end, all will dissipate into the cosmos."

"That makes sense indeed." The old Taoist showed an appreciative look.

Then he asked, "Do you have time tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow?"

Shen Siyuan thought for a moment, and slowly nodded. Tomorrow morning he was going to meet a potential marriage partner, but he actually did have time in the afternoon.

"Then you should visit my temple tomorrow, I have some things to give you."

"Things? What things?" Shen Siyuan asked curiously.

"With several Taoist friends, I visited famous mountains and rivers, and we did gain something, but our cultivation levels were shallow and we couldn’t make much of it. You managed to make a name for yourself in this world, which shows that you not only have outstanding talents, but also deep fortune. Having these items, perhaps you could figure out something from them..."

Upon hearing this, Shen Siyuan had an epiphany and became even more curious about the things he mentioned.

Just then, his uncle-grandfather, who had been silent until now, suddenly spoke.

"Your Taoist Temple has already collapsed, overgrown with weeds, infested with rats and ants, and so many years have passed, could those things still be intact?"

The old Taoist gave him a sideways glance upon hearing this.

Then he said, "When I passed away, Human Dao was Flourishing, even breaking through a myriad of evil spirits and deities. I was afraid that those items would be lost, so I buried them underground early on. Over the years, my Taoist Temple has been seldom visited, so naturally, those items would be safe."

"If that’s the case, then thank you, Taoist. Tomorrow afternoon, I will go and have a look. Where is your Taoist Temple located?"

"It’s on Little Fengling, called Tingfeng Temple. I’ll wait for you at the foot of the mountain tomorrow afternoon and take you there." The old Taoist said.

"Alright, thank you, Taoist." Shen Siyuan thanked him.

Shen Siyuan was aware of Little Fengling. It was a nearby peak, though calling it a peak might be a bit too generous. It was more like a larger mound of earth. Shen Siyuan had even played there with his friends when he was little.

The old Taoist stood up and said, "In that case, I won’t disturb you any further, get some rest early."

Seeing this, his uncle-grandfather also stood up.

Shen Siyuan had things he wanted to say to his uncle-grandfather but didn’t know what to say. Just as he had said himself, everything was in the past. The paths of the living and the ghosts are different; what’s the use of talking about it now?

The reason why his uncle-grandfather had been lingering in the Mortal World without disappearing was probably because he was waiting for his Qiao Zhen.

In that case, let him continue waiting. Having a lingering concern, Shen Siyuan thought of figuring out why the Underworld had disappeared, to see if he could help him re-enter Reincarnation. Of course, before that, he could let his uncle-grandfather get on the Ten Thousand Soul Banner first, to prevent his body from dissipating.

But there was no hurry at this moment. So Shen Siyuan escorted them to the door, watching the two leave, floating away.