Shi Jian arrived at an inn and sat down to rest.
"Daoist, what would you like to order?"
The waiter approached Shi Jian and asked.
"Bring me some chicken, and remember not to add the five pungent herbs."
"Understood, Daoist. I know your customs, the three meats and five edibles abstained by Taoists."
The waiter noted down the order and turned to the inn's front desk to report it to the innkeeper.
While waiting, he looked around the inn and spotted a painting of Zhong Kui on the wall, falling into a deep thought.
Zhong Kui is a popular deity in Taoism, known for catching ghosts and dispelling evil. He is commonly worshipped in homes for protection and is later enfeoffed as the "Holy Lord of Bestowing Blessings and Suppressing Calamities."
Among the three Great Emperors of Subduing Demons, Zhong Kui was enfeoffed the earliest and is also referred to as the Heavenly Master of Subduing Demons.
However, Zhong Kui is both a god of the underworld and a door god.
Unlike the three Patriarchs of Maoshan, he did not directly ascend to join the ranks of immortals.
"Zhong Kui, Divine Invocation Technique!"
Seeing the painting of Zhong Kui, Shi Jian immediately thought of using the Divine Invocation Technique to deal with zombies.
But the Divine Invocation Technique only summons spirits to possess the body, it does not bring Zhong Kui himself down to the mortal realm.
Therefore, whether using Zhong Kui's image to perform the Divine Invocation Technique to eliminate zombies remained a significant question.
"This painting of Zhong Kui is so extraordinary, I almost thought it was Zhong Kui himself."
After careful observation, Shi Jian increasingly felt the Zhong Kui painting was too lifelike.
With a leopard head, bulging eyes, an iron face, and a curly beard, his appearance was strange, adorned with a full beard, making him look not only peculiar but also fearsome and menacing.
"Daoist, what are you looking at?"
The waiter saw Shi Jian staring intently at the Zhong Kui painting and came over to ask.
"Waiter, do you have any more paintings of Zhong Kui?"
"Daoist, this is the only Zhong Kui painting. Not many people paint Zhong Kui, so there aren't any for sale in town."
The waiter immediately understood Shi Jian's intention and began to plot how to make a profit.
Indeed, there were no Zhong Kui paintings in town. Nowadays, very few people worship Zhong Kui.
Let alone Zhong Kui painters; most artists focus on the Three Pure Ones, Door Gods, Guanyin, and the Buddha.
In this day and age, finding a superior Zhong Kui painting would be as difficult as climbing to the heavens.
"Waiter, go and ask the innkeeper how much this Zhong Kui painting is. This Daoist will buy it."
Zhong Kui was popular only during the Tang Dynasty, in the Tianbao era. It is said that the first painting of Zhong Kui was commissioned by Emperor Xuanzong and painted by Wu Daozi.
As time passed, fewer people believed in Zhong Kui.
Until now, to be able to paint such a lifelike Zhong Kui, the painter's skill must be considerable.
"Alright, I'll go ask the innkeeper right away."
The waiter went to the inn's cashier and spoke a few words to the innkeeper.
After a few minutes, the waiter returned to Shi Jian.
"Daoist, our innkeeper said this painting is at least one silver dollar."
"It's the only painting in the whole town. If you miss it, you won't get another chance. Opportunity knocks but once."
Shi Jian heard that the Zhong Kui painting was only one silver dollar and, without a second thought, took out a silver dollar from his brocade pouch and handed it to the waiter.
Buying a life for one silver dollar was well worth it.
During his previous encounters with the thousand-year-old zombie, he always felt that the zombie wasn't using its full strength.
If he were to encounter that monstrous zombie again, perhaps the Zhong Kui painting could save his life.
"Daoist, you are truly generous. I'll go pack up the painting for you immediately."
The waiter took the silver dollar from Shi Jian, carefully put away the Zhong Kui painting from the inn, and wrapped it in a coarse cloth.
"Daoist, here is your painting. Your chicken will be ready soon as well."
The waiter handed the wrapped painting to Shi Jian and then busied himself again.
For the time being, he continued to ponder how to deal with the thousand-year-old zombie.
A zombie that could survive for a thousand years would definitely be stronger than an uncorpse.
Moreover, the zombie had claimed to have killed people from the Celestial Master's Mansion during the Tang Dynasty.
This indicated that the zombie's strength was already formidable during the Tang Dynasty.
"The zombie killed people from the Celestial Master's Mansion? Doesn't that mean there's a feud with the Celestial Master's Mansion?"
As soon as Shi Jian thought of this, he decided to summon the old Celestial Master from the Celestial Master's Mansion.
The Celestial Master's Mansion might have a way to deal with a thousand-year-old zombie, as they encountered one during the Tang Dynasty.
"Daoist, your roasted chicken is ready."
The waiter brought a plate of chicken, smiling broadly as he approached Shi Jian, as if he had found a treasure.
"Daoist, please enjoy. I won't disturb you."
The waiter flicked the towel on his shoulder and went to another wooden table to clear away some leftovers.
Shi Jian slowly picked up a piece of chicken with his chopsticks and tasted it.
"This roasted chicken is excellent, incredibly flavorful and a must-try."
Just as he picked up another piece of chicken to continue tasting, a child in ragged clothes ran up to him, staring intently at the roasted chicken on the table.
"Hey, where did this little beggar come from? Always coming here. Go play in the mud somewhere else."
Seeing the child, the waiter quickly grabbed a broom to drive him away.
Shi Jian saw this and intervened, blocking the waiter and shielding the little beggar behind him.
"May blessings be infinite. He's just a child. Go and prepare another portion of roasted chicken."
When the waiter saw Shi Jian blocking him, he stopped driving the child away.
"Consider yourself lucky, little beggar, to have met such a kind-hearted Daoist."
The little beggar glanced around the inn and said, "This inn will soon attract some unclean things."
Upon hearing this, the waiter's anger flared, and he raised his broom to strike.
Fortunately, Shi Jian reacted quickly and grabbed the broom from the waiter's hand.
"Do you believe what a child says? Hurry and prepare another portion of roasted chicken."
"Daoist speaks wisely. It's just the nonsensical talk of a little beggar."
The waiter dropped his broom and turned towards the inn's front desk.
After the waiter left, Shi Jian brought the little beggar closer.
"Little one, when were you born? Do you remember?"
The little beggar was stunned for a moment, thought for a few seconds, and then shook his head.
"Can you see certain things?"
Shi Jian asked the child with a puzzled expression.
Just now, the little beggar had said the inn would attract unclean things.
He guessed the child might possess some special ability to see things that ordinary people couldn't.
The little beggar nodded and said, "Since I was young, I've been able to see dark shapes and some figures."
Hearing this, all of Shi Jian's doubts were resolved.
This little beggar could see vengeful spirits and resentment without using any spells, clearly possessing Yin-Yang Eyes.
People born with Yin-Yang Eyes are extremely rare.
Furthermore, Yin-Yang Eyes not only allow one to see vengeful spirits with the naked eye but also possess a form of spiritual connection, enabling unobstructed communication with vengeful spirits and ghost envoys.
The Maoshan classics do not provide extensive records on the further functions of innate Yin-Yang Eyes.
"Little one, would you like to become my disciple and follow this Daoist, eating roasted chicken every day?"
Seeing that the little beggar possessed Yin-Yang Eyes, Shi Jian desperately wanted to take him as a disciple.