Chapter 28: First Learn of Death, Then Discover Life
The Earth Deity pondered for a long while.
He said, “As a newly appointed Mountain Lord, having been acknowledged by the mortal realm, I had just emerged from ignorance, freed from a state of confusion. At that time, mortals aided me greatly, showing reverence and fear.”
“Yet I offered no repayment… merely indulging in the offerings of blood sacrifices.”
Jiang She nodded.
It seemed the Earth Deity had earlier received some guidance from the Old Deer Mountain God, and his words fully reflected his heart—honest and sincere.
The Mountain God continued, “Afterward, I cultivated for decades, gradually gaining insight into worldly affairs. Witnessing the mountain floods rise, seeing humans as mere ants, homes destroyed, countless lives lost, only to behold barren fields—truly lamentable.”
“This stirred compassion within me. I learned from the Lord of Deer Gate Mountain how to regulate the earth’s veins, ensuring harmonious weather around. These years, save for some summer heat, have been free from other troubles.”
The Earth Deity paused.
Reflecting further, he added, “Regulating the earth’s veins is the duty of an Earth Deity. For thirty years prior, I neglected this duty. Though I did not take the gold, silver, or fruits offered, it was a dereliction of responsibility. My blessing upon the village is middling, but in the past, my neglect was beneath par…”
“I know not how to assess myself.”
“How do you rate me?” he asked.
Jiang She nodded.
He refrained from judging the Earth Deity’s past actions or assigning them merit, instead bringing up a matter of interest.
“Before I came here, walking in the mountains, I overheard the Mountain Lord preaching, speaking of cultivation methods for spirits, demons, and ghosts.”
“The Mountain Lord himself is a spirit-born being, understanding the difficulties faced by spirits and mountain ghosts in their practice.”
The Old Deer Mountain God set down his wine cup and listened alongside Li Bai.
The Earth Deity was surprised that despite the barrier he had set and the distance, others could still hear. Then he realized these were celestial beings and nodded humbly, listening attentively.
This immortal seemed not to disdain the spirits and demons.
He even sat among them—a rarity indeed.
Jiang She raised his cup, taking two sips to soothe his throat.
He continued, “Yet, in my view, the Mountain Lord need not undervalue himself. As a spirit-born being, once enlightened and awakened from chaos, one swears to diligently cultivate, transcending life and death, pursuing the Great Way.”
“Every mortal life, more or less, encounters opportunities to form karmic bonds.”
At some point, Jiang She lifted the barrier.
Below, various strange beasts, spirits, ghosts, and demons, upon hearing the sermon, involuntarily lifted their heads.
Those chatting quietly suddenly fell silent. The tiger lay back down, its head focused; the half-human, half-snake python lifted its head to listen; the monkey scratched its ears and stared intently upward. The fox looked up, the spirits of the mountains crossed their arms, listening with concentrated expressions.
All present held their breath, focused.
Listening to the immortal’s teaching.
Jiang She seemed unaware, leaning back among the trees.
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The moon shone clear and bright, illuminating the bamboo grove like scattered remnants of snow.
All the mountain gods, spirits, and monsters gathered to hear the Way.
The immortal’s voice was calm and composed, like flowing water. His words bore no scorn for spirits, nor frustration toward mortals ignorant of the true teachings.
He simply pointed out a few words to those with karmic affinity.
The immortal said, “Mortals, in their lives, may worship at temples, offer incense, pray and have their wishes granted, glimpsing the divine statues; or before marriage, match their birth dates, briefly discerning the yin and yang of heaven and earth; or study Taoist scriptures, learning the method of purity. Yet those who diligently cultivate are few.”
“Among countless beings, hardly one in ten thousand.”
“Why then should any of you belittle yourselves?”
The Earth Deity, Mountain Demon, listened solemnly and silently, a sigh within.
The beings below displayed varied expressions, their minds stirred by Jiang She’s words, difficult to forget.
Jiang She paused.
He likened the many mountain spirits and demons to trees.
“When trees grow, the soil they root in differs in fertility—this is innate difference. Some bend all year, failing the carpenter’s square; some have weak branches and leaves, unable to outshine peaches and plums; some are hollow inside yet straight without flaw, appearing dull.”
“The woodsmen sigh, saying the forest is full of worthless wood.”
“Yet, Heaven and Earth produce all kinds of timber.”
“Are they meant only to be pillars and beams?”
...
Having said this, Jiang She fell silent, drinking wine and savoring the dishes—rare mountain delicacies. The Earth Deity likely brought out all the finest provisions. The spirit fruit tasted far better than ordinary, infused with a peculiar, refreshing spiritual aroma.
For ordinary people, such fruit could ward off disasters and cure ailments.
Jiang She ate merely for flavor.
Occasionally, he chatted with the Old Deer Mountain God, asking about any strange or wondrous tales nearby in recent centuries.
The Old Deer Mountain God pondered, then shared some stories.
“During the Sixteen Kingdoms of the Eastern Jin, the realm was torn by endless war. When Huan Wen marched north, he saw at night the ruins of Fan City—‘shadows of soldiers, spears clanging on their own’—the lingering spirits of those who died defending the city, refusing to disperse.”
“Sometimes, an old woman would patrol the battlements on rainy nights, carrying a white lantern. She was the soul of Lady Han, guarding the perilous city, protecting the land even in death.”
Recalling the past, the Old Deer Mountain God shook his head.
He sighed, “In truth, these are not extraordinary tales, only mortals mistaking spirits for miracles, recording them in books. After war, cities lie empty, ghosts outnumber humans, yin overwhelms yang—thus spirits become visible.”
Tonight, in the mountain forest, spirits and demons gathered, gods and ghosts assembled.
Though separated by over ten miles of mountain and valley.
Only mortals remained unaware.
Having finished of the Sixteen Kingdoms’ warfare, the Old Deer Mountain God told of a wealthy household that bought a painted screen depicting a young woman. Thereafter, strange phenomena occurred frequently in the home. Unease gripped the family, and they sought a high monk to subdue the spirit.
When the Old Deer Mountain God sensed the commotion, he secretly investigated and learned the truth.
“This was the resentful spirit of a concubine of a Southern Dynasty governor. Because her child was born pure white and unlike others, she drowned the boy in a pond, her resentment unquenched, thus trapped within the screen.”
While they chatted, the Earth Deity, a newcomer with less than a century of cultivation, merely listened, occasionally chiming in.
Above, the immortal and gods joked and conversed; below, the spirits and demons relaxed. Rarely encountering such a feast, with exquisite dishes and spiritual wine, each drank deeply and grew intoxicated.
Li Bai too was drunk.
He moved down to sit among the spirits and demons. The drunken monkey, seeing the figure in white, asked curiously, “Didn’t you come with the immortal?”
Li Bai laughed heartily, “Indeed I did. Might you grant me a cup of fine wine?”
The spirits, surprised by such boldness, were eager to learn more about the immortal and offered their best wines. The half-human, half-snake serpent woman coiled gracefully, her scales shimmering in moonlight as she handed him a cup.
The fierce tiger growled softly and offered an entire jar of wine, saying, “If you drink this, you’ll be drunk for three days.”
Li Bai, intrigued, asked, “Can wine truly keep a man unconscious for three days?”
“Wonderful! Since ancient times, sages have all perished; only those who drink remain remembered.”
He drank three cups heartily.
At some point, Jiang She and the Earth Deity ceased their conversation, listening to the spirits below drinking and chatting.
Moonlight bathed the forest.
Drunk and carefree, Li Bai sat shoulder to shoulder with spirits and demons, asking, “I have never witnessed how demons and ghosts cultivate. May I ask how you all set foot on the path of the Way?”
The drunken monkey spoke up.
“When I began cultivation, I was blessed by the Mountain God of Deer Gate and the Mountain Lord of Black Stone Ridge, learning the Way. However…” His voice turned somber. “My talent is lowly; thirty-six years have passed without progress.”
Li Bai asked, “Thirty-six years—is that a long time for spirits and gods?”
The monkey burst into tears.
“For a monkey like me, how long is a lifespan? I fear I shall die within two years!”
The monkey wept bitterly, his expression humanlike, akin to a crying infant.
The fierce tiger also drank strong wine in great gulps, the liquid trickling through his mottled fur. He laughed, “Since beginning cultivation, we first encounter death, only then do we know life!”
“Where there is life, there is death—so what of it?”
“Fellow cultivators,”
“Why weep so bitterly?”
The Earth Deity’s night banquet continued, spirits running wild, discussing the Way, sighing and laughing.
Ancient moonlight shines upon present men.
Throughout the endless ages, all is but a fleeting moment of wind and moon.