Chapter 65: Yin Soil, Bone Relic

"That's right." The Golden-Nosed Ape held the crystal in his palm and smiled. "This is the Setliluo, also commonly known as a relic. It was obtained from the cremation of Great Monk Dayou's remains on Bald Brush Peak."

"Will this be effective for consecrating my magical instrument?" Ji Ming asked.

"The three orthodox sects control the voice of the world and have labeled Buddhism as the foremost heterodoxy, regarding its teachings as foreign. Yet, laughably, many Daoists practice both Daoism and Buddhism, despite repeated prohibitions," the Golden-Nosed Ape said, raising the bone relic high in his palm. "Great Monk Dayou strictly observed the precepts and possessed both virtue and dignity, never faking or diluting the true teachings. The relics left after his death are proof of his accumulated virtue.

If fate allows, you may establish an altar, invite the relics, and seek enlightenment in Buddhist teachings. Surely this is far superior to summoning mere ghosts and spirits.”

"That makes sense," Ji Ming wholeheartedly agreed, accepting the relic and then inquiring further about the process of "Buddhist enlightenment" from the Golden-Nosed Ape.

The ape scratched his head; truth be told, his understanding of the matter was rather shallow, having only heard of it in passing from his elders long ago.

"Relics carry will; those without destined affinity will not be answered. You need do nothing. If you are fated, all will proceed smoothly," he replied vaguely, pulling Ji Ming to sit with him inside the clam carriage.

The giant clam was as large as a carriage roof, containing a single luminous pearl that shone brilliantly and radiated spiritual energy.

Ji Ming sat atop the soft, undulating flesh of the clam, eyeing the dazzling pearl within, and asked in amazement, "So this clam carriage is alive?"

"Of course it's alive," answered Bi the Attendant, sprawled by the edge of the shell with pride. "This carriage was bestowed when the River Lord first took charge of these waters. Only the River Lord's own children are permitted to ride in such a vehicle."

Bi the Attendant tried hard to squeeze inside the clam pavilion, but was promptly shoved out by the Golden-Nosed Ape, who never liked to share the limelight.

"Come, let’s go eat some fresh fruit," the ape suggested.

Ji Ming felt a jolt beneath him, though cushioned by the clam's flesh, the impact was mild. Another shell closed above, giving him a sensation of being propelled forward.

Through the opening slits of the shell, he saw the river scenery flashing rapidly past.

In just a moment, they descended to a shallow stretch of riverbed. After leaving the clam and stepping onto the shore, they found themselves amid a wild peach grove.

The forest was untouched by human hands; peach branches grew in all directions, some high, some low, each with a unique form. The weight of the fruit bent the branches to the ground.

Ji Ming and the Golden-Nosed Ape gathered many fresh peaches and ate beneath the trees.

He discovered that both he and the ape preferred crisp fruit over the overly ripe, soft ones—this newfound similarity made Ji Ming feel all the more kinship with his companion.

---

"How confident are we that this journey to Perilous Bird Mountain will make the Mountain Spirit, Jialan Serpent, reveal the truth?" Ji Ming asked after a few bites.

"In the mountains, there’s a fifty percent chance; outside, seventy percent," replied the ape.

"Because of the chthonic authority?"

Ji Ming knew something of the mountain spirits and chthonic deities; within their own domains, they enjoyed certain blessings and protections.

"That's not the only reason," answered the Golden-Nosed Ape, and Ji Ming perceived a trace of concern on his furry face. "Lord Chi Yi and Wen Daoyu are not natives of these lands, nor are they close to Jialan Serpent—they might mistake him for an ordinary local god."

Ji Ming listened intently. This was a crucial matter, potentially affecting many future events, and one of the reasons he had sought out the Golden-Nosed Ape.

"I serve under the River Lord, while the mountain spirits are subject to the Earth Lord. What is the Earth Lord? That spirit predates the dynastic shifts, the earliest true deity of the nether soil.

Later, when the heavens changed and blue and yellow met, two great deities—Northern Nether Emperor and Lady Mount Tai—came to rule the nether soil, and the Earth Lord’s line began to wane.”

"So the Earth Lord was of the Yellow Heaven..."

"Silence!" barked the Golden-Nosed Ape, his expression suddenly stern and severe. "I know you spirits draw upon the energies of the Yellow Heaven, but that era is over. Spirits who wish to shed their forms and become human rely on their own bodies to win the approval of the Azure Heaven, thus attaining the so-called status of immortal monster.

Now that Azure Heaven rules, one must be cautious—otherwise, disaster may come from a careless word.”

The ape’s words made Ji Ming acutely aware of the endless struggles hidden behind the "Heavenly Change," struggles that would influence the ages to come.

Ji Ming unconsciously raised his head, gazing at the sky, blue and clear as a polished gemstone.

He knew well that, as long as he continued to grow in power, he would inevitably learn more of these three heavens’ secrets and legends.

These stories, reaching into the past and stretching into the future, made Ji Ming sense the world’s very breath and the strong, steady pulse beneath it all.

Returning to his senses, Ji Ming listened on.

"Jialan Serpent is unlike... Lord Boni. He’s been secluded in the mountains, cultivating for over two hundred years, uninvolved in immoral acts or worldly affairs. What does that tell you?"

"A man of hidden ambition!" Ji Ming replied earnestly.

"Exactly."

---

The Golden-Nosed Ape slapped his thigh, delighted—how much easier it was to speak to a clever spirit.

"Nothing more needs to be said. Just look at the nether soil beneath Perilous Bird Mountain—it’s been fortified by Jialan Serpent into an iron bastion. If it comes to a fight, I fear little, except being dragged into that domain beneath the mountain—that would truly be troublesome."

"The nether officials within Lanyin Domain..." Ji Ming paused, suddenly recalling something.

The reason Mount Taiping wished to sever the vital link between Lanyin Domain and Li Ridge, and had even fought a battle at Guancai Cave and Panhu Pass, was out of displeasure with the dominance of heterodox groups within Lanyin. They wished to end the long-standing, tangled rule of the local powers.

Given that, the nether officials in this domain must be lax in their oversight of the soil, let alone able to wrest the nether authority beneath Perilous Bird Mountain from one such as Jialan Serpent, a mountain spirit of "hidden ambition."

Noticing the contemplative look in Ji Ming’s eyes, the Golden-Nosed Ape marveled inwardly.

To unravel the connections here required a higher, broader perspective—something his centipede brother seemed to possess already.

This was rare indeed. One who could see the big picture was no longer a muddled pawn, drifting with the current.

"What should I do?" Ji Ming asked, clutching the bone relic, his thoughts deep.

"We know more than Lord Chi Yi and Wen Daoyu, so when difficulties arise, they can take the brunt," replied the ape matter-of-factly.

Ji Ming said nothing. The reasoning was sound, but his own strength needed to keep pace.

Right now, the quickest way to boost his power was to consecrate his Heart-Pearl with the bone relic. If he could then further refine it, it would surpass ordinary magical tools.

"Bone relic, Treasure-Light Qi refinement, Nether Spring of Malice..."

Ji Ming lowered his centipede head, antennae twitching as ideas formed and solidified.

He then looked earnestly at the Golden-Nosed Ape before him and, with genuine feeling, offered a crisp peach. "In the days to come, I’ll need your help with a few matters. I hope you’ll lend a hand."

"Brother, there’s no need for such formality!" boomed the ape, thumping his chest with grand camaraderie.

Perhaps out of loyalty, or maybe because Ji Ming truly suited his tastes, the Golden-Nosed Ape pointed to the heavens and declared, "Once our business at Perilous Bird Mountain is done, let’s become sworn brothers. We need not share the same birth year, but let us die together in the same year!"

Ji Ming sighed inwardly, thinking, "If you knew my past, you would never wish to die in the same year as I."