Chapter Five: The Hu Family’s Night Banquet

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Wang Zhenling’s soul was now, in terms of strength alone, not much different from that of a vengeful ghost—indeed, perhaps not even as formidable as this fierce spirit. Of course, this was only speaking of the power of his soul. As for the magical arts and supernatural abilities Wang Zhenling could wield, it mattered little if there were one or two fierce ghosts, or even three or five—he could easily subdue them all. After all, humanity’s greatest distinction lay in its mastery of tools and skills.

The journey was entirely along mountain paths, with not a single road wide enough for a carriage. Yet the carriage moved with remarkable steadiness, not the slightest jolt, as if traveling across the void itself. Looking out from the window, all was pitch black save for a single lantern, flickering gently in the darkness.

He had no sense of how much time had passed when the carriage finally halted before a brightly illuminated residence. The manor was grand and splendid; lanterns hung in succession from the gate all the way to the corridors, bathing every corner in light and revealing a scene of wealth and prosperity.

Master Hu greeted them at the gate with utmost courtesy, accompanied by his household. To Wang Zhenling’s astonishment, there were three children—a boy and two girls, exquisitely delicate and charming—who bowed to him and addressed him as “Sir.”

Wang Zhenling was taken aback. “Are you Xiaobai...?” One girl, her hair in twin braids, giggled quietly, while the boy and the other girl regarded Wang Zhenling with a look of silent resentment, causing him to swallow the other two names he was about to utter.

He could not have known that, aside from Xiaohua, who was male—or rather, a male fox—the names Xiaobai and Xiaohui belonged to two female foxes. He had named the male fox Xiaohua, and the two females Xiaobai and Xiaohui. No wonder only Xiaobai was content with her name, while the other two looked so aggrieved.

Wang Zhenling found it amusing—he had unwittingly made a rather awkward blunder. Feeling slightly embarrassed, he was ushered inside by Master Hu. Soon, the entire fox family came out to pay their respects to Wang Zhenling.

The foxes bore no prejudice against him and were deeply grateful for his guidance of the three young ones. Wang Zhenling thought to himself, “No wonder they’re fox spirits—indeed, the men are handsome and the women beautiful.” Their warm hospitality made him feel it inappropriate to refer to them as male or female foxes, even in jest.

Yet Wang Zhenling was keenly aware...

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...that what he saw was not the true form of these foxes. Just as he himself was traveling in a state of soul, these foxes were in a similar condition. How this was accomplished, Wang Zhenling did not know. The only certainty was that Master Hu alone had cultivated to the stage of Soul Departure, able to transform his soul at will. The other foxes, and the rest of the household, must have relied on some magical artifact, much as he did.

Even the grand and opulent appearance of the Hu manor was likely some form of transformation—not mere illusion, for Wang Zhenling would have seen through simple trickery long ago.

The Hu family banquet was lively and the cuisine exquisite. Everything seemed to echo the prosperity of a mortal household, though it lacked the strict formalities of the great clans. This made the atmosphere much more relaxed. The women of the Hu family, like mortal women, delighted in gossip and soon questioned Wang Zhenling thoroughly about his own family.

Learning that Wang Zhenling, though born to the Wang clan of Danling, had lost both parents early and had no grandparents—an orphan—they regarded him with exceptional sympathy.

The men, however, grew impatient with the women’s chatter and sent them away, insisting on drinking with Wang Zhenling to thank him for his attentive instruction of their children and grandchildren.

Wang Zhenling took the opportunity to inquire about the origin of the jade box, though the matter was significant and even related to those who had crossed from another world, so he dared not ask directly. Instead, he thanked Master Hu under the pretense of the pearl.

Master Hu smiled. “It has been only a few months since we last met, and I am amazed that you have already cultivated to the stage of Soul Departure. Truly, I am impressed. It took me over three hundred years to reach this level, and more than one hundred fifty years just to achieve soul stabilization. My three grandchildren have greatly benefited from your guidance!”

This old fox, though appearing human, was in fact merely a manifestation of his soul. Wang Zhenling replied with a smile, “You praise me too highly, Master. I should thank you for the pearl you gifted me; without it, I could never have cultivated so quickly. May I ask where it came from?”

Master Hu laughed. “I am pleased the pearl was of help to you, though to say it is entirely due to the pearl is too modest. I used it myself in the past; it does protect the soul, but once you reach the stage of Soul Departure, it is no longer useful. Your rapid advancement to soul stabilization is due to your exceptional talent...

Moreover, mankind is the spirit of all creation, and it is no lie—cultivation in a human body is indeed the easiest!” He sighed deeply as he spoke.

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Wang Zhenling smiled. “To have reached the stage of Soul Refinement in just three hundred years is already quite extraordinary!” At this, Master Hu laughed contentedly.

The human body is precious above all; the Buddhist sects call it the raft that carries one across the world. There is even a saying that cultivation as a human is five hundred years easier than for spirits. For a wild beast, muddled and ignorant, to awaken its intelligence, learn to cultivate, and reach the stage of Soul Refinement—where its soul can assume human form—takes roughly five hundred years.

For Master Hu to have accomplished this in just over three hundred years, his cultivation speed was by no means slow.

By now, Wang Zhenling understood that this old fox’s abilities were exceptional, having reached the legendary stage of Soul Departure—already at the level of spirits and deities. In short, he could now wield supernatural powers, have his own shrine or altar built by the people, receive their offerings, and enjoy the power of their prayers.

In fact, the dozens of village gods in Danling today were mostly at this same stage.

When Wang Zhenling asked further, Master Hu smiled gently. “To let you know, Sir, I have long been the local god of a village shrine, right here near Guangyang.”

Wang Zhenling was moved—so this Master Hu was no ordinary monster, but already a community god, explaining his remarkable supernatural abilities.

Tonight’s visit to the Hu family had revealed extraordinary sights; even if much was the product of transformation, it was far beyond what common monsters could achieve. It turned out Master Hu was the village god of Guangyang.

Guangyang was no small village. Though, in theory, ancient censuses divided people into groups of one hundred households as a village, ten villages as a district, ten districts as a township—this was only the ideal. In reality, things were never so neatly organized. No emperor or official would have such obsessive need for order.

Moreover, a district was not truly an administrative unit.

Thus, Guangyang had many households—five or six hundred, with a population of two or three thousand, enough to rival a small township.

The previous Guangyang Market had arisen around Guangyang Township.

And the Guangyang Shrine was the largest village in Guangyang Township.