Liaozhai: Immortality Begins with Becoming Yan Chixia's Apprentice

Chapter 189 Merchant Ashu

In a corner of the main hall, an old monk was sitting cross-legged.

Unlike the other monks who went mad, he closed his eyes and muttered incantations.

His face was pale, and his eyes were sunken, indicating that he had not eaten for a long time.

Zhou Ning walked over and called out softly, "Master."

The old monk opened his eyes, a glint of light flashing in his cloudy eyes.

He looked at Zhou Ning, his lips trembling, and uttered a few words with difficulty: "She...she's back..."

"Who?" Zhou Ning asked.

"Wine...the bodhisattva of wine and meat..."

After the old monk finished speaking, he suddenly coughed up a mouthful of black blood.

His body began to tremble, and the light in his eyes gradually faded.

Zhou Ning quickly took out a healing pill from his bag and stuffed it into the old monk's mouth.

The elixir melted instantly upon entering his mouth, and the old monk's complexion improved slightly, but he remained weak.

"Master, where is the Bodhisattva of Wine and Meat?" Zhou Ning asked.

The old monk shook his head, his voice weak: "I don't know... She came... She glanced at us... and we became like this... She said... She said she wanted the world to see... what true bliss is..."

He grabbed Zhou Ning's hand with surprising strength.

"Young man... your resolve is firm... don't... don't be misled by her..."

Before he could finish speaking, his hand fell to his sides, his head tilted to the side, and he closed his eyes.

Zhou Ning checked his breathing; he was no longer breathing.

He remained silent for a moment, then laid the old monk's body flat and covered it with a kasaya.

"A bodhisattva of wine and meat..." Zhou Ning stood up and gripped the Heavenly Fox Sword tightly.

The celestial fox spirit within the sword let out a low roar, seemingly warning him to be careful.

Zhou Ning channeled his divine sense into the sword to communicate with the white fox.

"Senior, can you sense her presence?"

The white fox said, "I sensed it. Her demonic energy is strange; it's not pure power, but... seduction. Be careful, don't be fooled by her words."

Zhou Ning nodded and withdrew his divine sense.

He searched the temple but found no trace of the "wine-and-meat bodhisattva".

But behind the Buddha statue, he found a line of inscriptions.

"If you want to find me, come to Zuixianlou."

"Drunken Immortal Pavilion?" Zhou Ning frowned.

It was a restaurant in Jinling City. He had heard of it, but had never been there.

He carved the inscription and left Dabeisi Temple.

It was already dark when we left the temple.

The moon was obscured by thick clouds, and the world was pitch black.

The sandstorms in the desert were so strong that it was impossible to open one's eyes.

Zhou Ning found a sheltered spot, lit a campfire, and prepared to spend the night there.

He sat cross-legged by the fire, closed his eyes to regulate his breathing, and went through the events of the day in his mind.

Blood-stained Buddha statues, mad monks, the old monk's last words, and the inscriptions of a bodhisattva who indulges in wine and meat...

All of this points to one goal.

The wine-and-meat bodhisattva has reappeared in the human world.

Why did she leave clues? Was it a provocation or an invitation?

Zhou Ning was puzzled.

He took out the "Heart-Cleansing Talisman" given to him by Yan Chixia and stuck it on his chest.

A cool breeze swept into my heart, dispelling some of my fatigue.

Just then, footsteps sounded in the distance.

Zhou Ning opened his eyes and gripped the Heavenly Fox Sword tightly.

Under the moonlight, a ragged young man was walking towards them.

He looked to be in his early twenties, with delicate features, but his eyes held a hint of weariness and fear.

His body was covered in sand, and his lips were chapped, indicating that he had been walking in the desert for a long time.

"Help...help me..." The young man saw Zhou Ning, staggered over, and collapsed beside the campfire.

Zhou Ning stood up, looking at him warily: "Who are you?"

The young man, panting, said haltingly, "I...I am called Ashu, and I am a merchant from the Western Regions."

"We...our caravan got caught in a sandstorm and got separated. I've been wandering in the desert for three days without food or water...please, save me..."

He took out a token from his pocket and handed it to Zhou Ning.

The token is engraved with the character "商" (shāng), and it was a common form of identification used by merchants traveling in the Western Regions.

Zhou Ning took the token and examined it carefully.

The token is genuine; the patterns and engravings on it are all in good condition.

He returned the token to Ashu, took out a piece of dry food and a pot of water from his bag, and handed them to him.

"Eat something and drink some water first."

Ashu took the dry food and water and began to wolf it down.

After finishing his meal, he felt much better and bowed deeply to Zhou Ning.

"Thank you so much for saving my life. May I ask your name?"

Zhou Ning asked, "Zhou Ning, where are you from? How did you end up here after the caravan got separated?"

Ashu said, "I am from Shazhou City in the Western Regions. I went to the Central Plains to do business with a caravan."

"I didn't expect to encounter a sandstorm and get separated from the team. I got lost in the desert and saw a fire here, so I came over."

"Young Master Zhou, are you also going to the Central Plains? Could you take me with you?"

Zhou Ning thought for a moment, then nodded and said, "Alright. I'm also heading back to the Central Plains anyway. You can come with me; it'll be good to have someone to look after you on the way."

Ashu was overjoyed and thanked him repeatedly.

The two sat down by the campfire and started chatting.

Ashu was very talkative and told Zhou Ning a lot about the customs and culture of the Western Regions, as well as interesting stories about the caravans.

Zhou Ning listened quietly, occasionally interjecting a few words.

He noticed that Ashu was very familiar with the terrain of the Western Regions, and even knew some small paths that were not marked on the map.

"Are you very familiar with the Western Regions?" Zhou Ning asked.

Ashu laughed and said, "I grew up in the Western Regions and traveled with caravans for many years. I know every sand dune and every oasis in the Western Regions like the back of my hand."

Zhou Ning nodded and didn't ask any more questions.

The next morning, the two left the desert and headed towards the Central Plains.

The journey back to Lanruo Temple from the Western Regions was long and peaceful.

Ashu followed behind Zhou Ning like a loyal little dog, never leaving his side.

He wasn't a man of many words, but he always appeared promptly whenever Zhou Ning needed help.

He did everything perfectly: delivering water, starting a fire, and scouting the way.

Zhou Ning was initially wary, but gradually, he got used to the young man's presence.

"A-Shu, why are you going to the Central Plains?" Zhou Ning asked as they walked.

A-Shu smiled and said:

"When it comes to business, you go where the money is. The Central Plains are prosperous, with plenty of opportunities. Besides..."

He paused, a strange light flashing in his eyes.

"I want to meet the legendary righteous cultivators. I want to see if they are as the legends say, slaying demons and protecting all living beings."

Zhou Ning asked, "So, what did you think of it after you saw it?"

Ashu looked at him intently and said, "I saw it. I think the legends are true."

Zhou Ning did not respond.

He always felt that there was something hidden in Ashu's eyes, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

Maybe I'm just overthinking it.

After traveling for five days, the two finally returned to Qingyun Mountain.

"Master, your disciple has returned."

He entered the main hall.

Yan Chixia's gaze first fell on Zhou Ning, then shifted to A Shu, and he frowned slightly.

"Who is this?"

Zhou Ning said, "Master, this is a merchant I met in the Western Regions named Ashu."

"His caravan encountered a sandstorm and became separated from the group. My disciple will take him back to the Central Plains and leave once he finds his caravan."

Yan Chixia nodded, without asking any further questions, and simply said, "Stay here for now."

Ashu quickly bowed and said, "Thank you, Immortal Master Yan."