Chapter 274: All Beings are “Immortals”

Temple Keeper Huang initially thought that since Mr. Gu would surely kill or capture Hei Shui, there was no need to bother with the four chang ghosts who had lost their cultivation.

Chang ghosts without cultivation wouldn’t be able to run far, nor could they stir up any trouble. Besides, Mr. Gu might have some use for them upon his return, so Temple Keeper Huang refrained from killing them outright.

Who would have thought that all four chang ghosts would simultaneously recover their cultivation and set up a chain scheme—splitting up to flee in different directions, then regrouping after his departure for a three-against-one ambush—ultimately allowing Lustful Ghost to escape alone!

The thought that his negligence had allowed Lustful Ghost to slip away filled Temple Keeper Huang with deep shame!

And now, with the three remaining chang ghosts fighting him desperately, his true rage was finally ignited!

Thunderous booms erupted across the sky, shaking the heavens. Looking up, the townsfolk saw Temple Keeper Huang, clad in a black robe, locked in a chaotic battle against an opera robe, a wooden cart, and two butcher knives!

Yet, this frustration was not his alone—the three chang ghosts, now stripped of their human forms, shared the same torment!

Earlier, when Hei Shui’s voice had echoed in their minds, it had been more than just a single sentence.

Hei Shui had also said:

“You are the only subordinate I trust. Now, I will grant you my power once more. You must take news of my death to the Flood Dragon Emperor!”

Sorrowful Ghost, Angry Ghost, and Greedy Ghost had all heard these words.

But each of them secretly hoped one of the others would take the fall, so they all kept silent.

It wasn’t until all three of them suddenly burst forth at full speed, realizing they had all received power from Hei Shui, that they finally understood—

Hei Shui had given them a test.

Had they paused to think and coordinated with Lustful Ghost, they might have realized that this newfound “freedom” was actually a trap.

But the sudden shift from certain death to survival was too overwhelming.

They had no time to think.

It wasn’t until their bodies moved against their will that they finally realized—

The one Hei Shui truly trusted in the end…

Was Lustful Ghost!

Although they had temporarily regained their cultivation, control over their bodies had been given to Lustful Ghost.

And so, they unwittingly became sacrificial pawns—bait to lure Temple Keeper Huang away, while Lustful Ghost escaped…

…

The sun dipped westward, the sky darkening.

Yet Four Corners Town, despite the newfound calm, did not settle.

White lanterns and mourning banners hung across every street and alley. Walking from one end of town to the other, one would see countless funeral altars, each marked with a bold, somber “奠” (offering to the dead) characters.

Nearly every household had lost someone to the ghost calamity.

Some who had been afflicted by corruption survived, but their bodies were permanently weakened.

Others, those too deeply possessed, had perished completely—some so utterly destroyed that even their remains could not be found…

The once peaceful Four Corners Town was gone, replaced by a place shrouded in the air of death, like an elder in the twilight of life.

And the hardships were far from over.

Their lifeline, the Shengxian River, had turned murky and lifeless.

Perhaps a few river creatures had managed to survive, but restoring the town’s prosperity was now impossible.

For years to come, funerals would be a common sight in Four Corners Town.

Those who had been tainted by the corruption would not live long. Their bodies were frail, and even a common cold might now claim their lives…

At this moment, within the Universal Temple, Temple Keeper Huang sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion, his mind replaying the words that Mr. Gu had spoken to him upon returning from slaying the flood dragon.

A few hours earlier, in a fit of fury, Temple Keeper Huang had revealed his true form, burning his own heart’s blood to completely exterminate the three remaining chang ghosts.

But even after all that, Lustful Ghost was long gone.

Just then, Gu Ning’an had returned to Four Corners Town, dragging behind him a headless flood dragon’s corpse—and another dragon head—before tossing them into the Shengxian River.

Hei Shui had consumed the river’s spiritual energy, and this was Gu Ning’an’s way of restoring it—allowing the energy to slowly spread back into the land.

Of course, this would take generations—perhaps so long that countless lifetimes would pass before the river was fully restored.

But at least… there was hope.

When Temple Keeper Huang reported Lustful Ghost’s escape, Gu Ning’an merely shook his head and dismissed it as inconsequential.

Temple Keeper Huang thought to himself—if even Hei Shui, a demon of such terrifying power, could be easily slain by Mr. Gu, then if Mr. Gu said it was fine, that meant there was truly nothing to fear.

“Mr. Gu said that Old Tailor Ma is dead… I should go back and offer incense for him someday.”

“Mr. Gu said that my self-given name, Huang Fan, was a good choice…”

“Mr. Gu said the Universal Temple does not need to hang his stone statue. He does not need incense offerings, and the great calamity he once averted… was merely an act of fate, not something to be repaid.”

“Sir also said that since this temple is named ‘Universal Temple,’ it should indeed belong to all beings. The Universal Immortal it enshrines should come from the people—those willing to save themselves and others…”

As Temple Keeper Huang muttered to himself, a series of footsteps sounded behind him.

His thoughts interrupted, he turned around and saw Zhou Zhongtian and his group arriving.

Qiao Min stepped out from the crowd and silently walked to Temple Keeper Huang’s side, staring at him for a moment.

After a brief pause, he said, “Sir has already left.”

Hearing this, Qiao Min simply nodded and went to sit on a nearby meditation cushion.

Meanwhile, the External Agents exchanged glances, clearly wanting to ask something but unsure how to begin.

Seeing this, Temple Keeper Huang spoke first, “You’ve all worked hard. If there’s anything you want to ask, now’s the time…”

After a long silence, Zhou Zhongtian stepped forward and solemnly asked, “Temple Keeper Huang, I want to know—why does Sir, possessing such divine power, choose to play a game of make-believe with us ants?”

“Sir truly foresaw everything…”

Temple Keeper Huang chuckled, taking out three calligraphy scrolls left behind by Gu Ning’an. He spread them out before the group and said, “Sir said that if you were to ask, I should show you these. He believes you will understand.”

It was unclear how much time had passed before the External Agents, after silently staring at the scrolls for a long while, began to leave one by one. They said nothing, but their eyes carried a hint of complex emotion.

Watching their departing figures, Temple Keeper Huang seemed to recall something. He then turned his gaze toward the divine statue on the altar.

Originally, the statue had borne a six-part resemblance to Gu Ning’an, but now, it had transformed to look like Temple Keeper Huang himself.

Not only that, but every time he blinked, the statue would change again—one moment it had the yellow-toothed grin of Grandpa Donkey, the next it became the breathtakingly beautiful Courtesan Yu Ling, then it shifted into the simple, honest smile of a villager from Shou Village…

“Universal Immortal… Universal Immortal… All beings are immortals…” Temple Keeper Huang’s eyes shone with a strange light, and he couldn’t help but laugh. “Qiao girl, do you think I look like an immortal?”

Beside him, Qiao Min gently stroked the iron sword in her hands and said coolly, “You looked like one when you were saving people. Right now? Not so much.”

Temple Keeper Huang frowned. “Then what do I look like now?”

Qiao Min lifted her head, a slight smile playing at her lips. “Like an old fool who just got a compliment and can’t stop grinning.”

Temple Keeper Huang burst into laughter. “You cheeky girl!”