Myriad Heavens: Who Let Him Into the Horror Movie?-Chapter 31 : Heretical Path

Chapter 31: Heretical Path
Pulling open the curtains, the blinding sunlight made Li Zhen squint his eyes.
He did not know whether it was because he had slept too long or because of some other influence, but he found that he no longer liked the sun as much as before—in fact, he felt a little averse to it.
He now preferred darker places.
In those places, he felt more comfortable.
It had already been a full day and night since he returned to Fatty’s home from beneath the building, and Li Zhen had also slept for that entire day and night, only waking up not long ago.
His body was fine, merely overexerted.
In addition, having forcefully devoured the Evil Spirit required him to suppress the influence of its negative emotions, which left his mind dazed and muddled.
After so much sleep, he now felt much better.
But to completely rid himself of the lingering effects caused by “Devourer of Ghosts,” he probably still needed a few more days.
He looked down at his right arm.
Li Zhen sensed the task’s status.
The information transmitted into his consciousness showed that the mission had been completed—he could return at any time.
That meant the Evil Spirit was indeed slain by him.
When he was beneath the building, even without the mission’s prompt, Li Zhen had already guessed that what he encountered was most likely one of the Evil Spirit’s tricks.
How could such a cunning ghost be so easily killed?
The Red-Eyed Bat, which had devoured the Evil Spirit, still had not woken up. Li Zhen had tossed it into an open box in the corner of the room to rest.
The Red-Eyed Bat had changed greatly.
Its size had grown noticeably larger.
Moreover, the gray fur on its body, once dyed crimson by blood, had not faded since.
Most striking of all was the increasingly distinct and eerie human face that could now be seen forming on its back.
Once its transformation was complete, it would certainly become far stronger than before.
Even in its slumber, Li Zhen could feel the increasingly ferocious aura radiating from the Red-Eyed Bat.
After covering it with a piece of black cloth, Li Zhen opened the door and walked into the living room.
Just as he took a sip of water, he heard the sound of the front door opening.
“Master Danyang said he’s free anytime and would like to have a chat with you. Master Li, you can drop by whenever you’re available.”
Wearing a short-sleeved shirt and shorts, Fatty walked into the living room, placed the food box he was carrying on the table, and said, “Roast meat rice from Kam Kee, my favorite place—their roast meats are amazing. Master, you should try some too.”
Li Zhen glanced at the roast duck rice, then looked at the pendant hanging around Fatty’s neck—it was almost a replica of the Red-Eyed Bat. His expression grew slightly odd.
Patting the pendant on his neck, Fatty grinned proudly. “I specially asked an old craftsman to carve it out of peachwood. What do you think? Looks alike, right?”
“It does look alike,” Li Zhen said, “but I’ve never seen anyone wear that as a necklace.”
“‘Bat’ sounds the same as ‘blessing’ in Chinese. They say in ancient times, bats were seen as symbols of good fortune.” Fatty picked up the bat carving hanging on his chest and gave it a big kiss. “From now on, bats are my lucky animals. I’m going to wear this forever.”
Regardless of what bats symbolized, wearing a piece of peachwood—known for its strong yang energy—could at least serve some purpose in warding off evil.
Feeling a bit hungry, Li Zhen opened the food box and casually asked, “How’s Cheung Kam-Keung’s family?”
Fatty sat down across from Li Zhen. “Ah Keung’s fine. His wife gave birth to a baby boy yesterday. She’s very weak after delivery, but the doctor said there’s nothing serious.”
“The baby’s weight at birth was normal, a bit over five pounds, but he wasn’t in good condition. He couldn’t even cry at first. They had to resuscitate him for a while before he was out of danger.”
“As long as they’re alive, that’s good,” Li Zhen said.
“Yeah, as long as they’re alive,” Fatty agreed sincerely.
After finishing their meal, Fatty acted as chauffeur and drove Li Zhen to Master Danyang’s residence.
As expected of a renowned Feng Shui Master, Master Danyang was quite well-off; he lived in a villa on the outskirts of the city.
Once inside, Li Zhen saw Master Danyang dressed neatly in a suit and handed him the two Cross-shaped Effigies wrapped with yellow Sigils.
He entrusted both to Master Danyang—not because those two ghostly items could turn on him at any moment—but because Li Zhen was a man of principle.
He could learn heretical arts to survive, but he could not bear to enslave two pitiful souls for the sake of using Head-Descending Curses, condemning them to eternal suffering.
Letting Master Danyang perform rites to release them was the best ending.
Master Danyang was pleased with Li Zhen’s decision, thinking that he truly had not misjudged him.
Saying, “Wait a moment,” Master Danyang went into another room.
A few minutes later, he returned.
“I’ve temporarily sealed them before the divine statue. When the time is right, I’ll send them to reincarnation.”
After inviting Li Zhen and Fatty to sit down, Master Danyang changed the subject and suddenly said, “Head-Descending Curses often rely on external forces—by borrowing the power of certain Evil Entities—to control or harm others, neglecting the cultivation of one’s inner nature.”
“This dependence on external sorcery not only fails to elevate one’s spiritual realm but may even damage one’s essence and spirit through the overuse of yin-based, malevolent methods.”
“As it is said, ‘Though one’s arts may touch the divine, if not of the righteous path, one shall fall into heresy.’ That is the meaning of the saying.”
“The reason Head-Descending Curses are regarded as heretical arts lies in their opposition to orthodox teachings.”
It was clear that these were words Master Danyang had long wished to say to Li Zhen—words from the heart.
Were he not a genuinely kind man, he likely would not have spoken so much.
To someone less familiar, such remarks could easily be taken as an insult.
Especially for Head-Descending practitioners known for their short tempers and pride, what Master Danyang said might sound less like advice and more like, “Your curse arts are garbage.”
But Li Zhen did not feel offended, nor did he think Master Danyang was provoking him.
After years in the business world, having met all kinds of people, he knew how rare it was to meet someone willing to speak truthfully, to criticize out of sincerity.
Li Zhen made no comment on Master Danyang’s words; instead, he asked, “Master, may I ask where your teachings come from?”
Master Danyang did not hide it. “My teacher once cultivated for many years on Mount Mao. Later, he came south to Hong Kong and took me as his disciple.”
Mount Mao…
No wonder Master Danyang had such deep understanding in both Sigils and Exorcism.
Li Zhen’s heart stirred, and he continued to ask, “Master, you said the Head-Descending Curse is heretical because it does not cultivate one’s inner nature. Is that the greatest difference between it and orthodox cultivation?”
Master Danyang nodded after taking a sip of tea. “Precisely. Orthodox Daoist schools emphasize the dual cultivation of nature and life.”
He dipped his right index finger into the tea and wrote the characters for “nature” (性) and “life” (命) on the table, then explained, “Nature refers to the spirit, and life to the qi. When spirit and qi unite, true nature is formed.”
“Here, ‘nature’ means one’s mind, consciousness, or primordial spirit, while ‘life’ concerns the body’s essence and qi. Daoists believe that only when spirit and qi become one can one cultivate true nature.”
“If nature is unclear, life becomes unstable; if life is unstable, nature cannot be clear. Only by cultivating both can one attain the Great Dao.”