Master's surprised expression was within my expectations.
After all, there were so many soul reapers, and not everyone encountered these two deities to have their souls taken.
While Master was surprised, he even choked on his tea.
He coughed a few times, his face red, and looked at me.
"Yes! I met Black and White Impermanence, and they almost took our souls..."
Master was alarmed and immediately stood up.
His eyes seemed about to pop out of their sockets.
"What, what happened..."
I took a breath and told Master about encountering Black and White Impermanence and how White Impermanence bestowed the Impermanence Mantra upon me.
Then, I showed him my right palm:
"Master, look, this is the Impermanence Mantra given to me by Xie Bi'an, White Impermanence.
It can be used twice..."
Even though Master had seen great storms and had been in this line of work for decades.
Seeing the Impermanence Mantra in my hand at this moment, he could no longer remain calm.
He grabbed my hand, and as I circulated my true energy.
The golden character "常" (Chang) reappeared.
"My heavens!
Xiao Qin, you have truly encountered a great destiny.
This Impermanence Mantra, I have only heard of it, never seen it."
Master's face was filled with surprise, his eyes wide open.
He carefully examined the mantra mark on my palm.
Master's words also surprised me quite a bit.
I never expected Master to know about this "Impermanence Mantra."
"Master, you know about the Impermanence Mantra?"
Master nodded:
"I know.
After all, our profession is to slay demons and monsters, traversing between Yin and Yang.
Some fellow practitioners might encounter the Seventh Lord and Eighth Lord.
And some with affinity can receive such mantra marks.
They are known as the three seals of the underworld, alongside the Zhong Kui Mantra and the Ox-Horse Mantra.
Once the talisman is released, ordinary demons and ghosts can be instantly annihilated.
Its power is immense.
I just didn't expect you, boy, to be so lucky.
To obtain such a fortune right after starting.
With this mantra for defense, even without using it, its deterrent power is not ordinary..."
Master spoke excitedly, one after another.
From Master's words, I could fully grasp the power of this mantra.
My heart filled with even more surprise.
"Master, you don't know.
If I hadn't announced my identity in advance last night,
and proposed that Black and White Impermanence help us capture the souls of Miao Nanzi and Daoist Crow,
I might have been taken away by the soul reapers without even realizing it.
Moreover, I wouldn't have obtained this Impermanence Mantra."
Speaking of this, I still felt a lingering fear.
My soul had already been pulled out by a head at that time, thinking about it made me shiver.
Master shook his head with a wry smile:
"This is your destiny.
If I had told you before that we Daoists could interact with Yin officials without fear,
perhaps you wouldn't have obtained the Impermanence Mantra last night.
This is all destiny.
You, a young man, have gained the recognition of Lord Impermanence.
Your future is bound to be limitless..."
"Recognition?"
I asked with doubt.
Master nodded:
"Black and White Impermanence, although they are a lesser class of deities in the divine hierarchy,
they are still deities, with divine positions.
Soul reapers and Yin officials who traverse the underworld and the living world.
The Impermanence Mantra is naturally a divine mantra.
Since it's a divine mantra, it's not something ordinary people can draw.
Ordinary people would not have this good fortune either.
You said White Impermanence checked your background with a booklet before letting Black Impermanence release the soul-binding rope.
This indicates that White Impermanence certainly confirmed your identity in the book of the underworld, and also saw that your fate was extraordinary.
Coupled with your mention of the demonic Dao later,
that's why they bestowed this magical mantra upon you for defense, as a form of protection."
Hearing Master's explanation,
I understood, and felt a bit of unwarranted pride.
Master saw me getting a little carried away and said again:
"Don't get too happy.
Didn't Lord Impermanence tell you?
To maintain your integrity, and never lose your original intention in all matters.
Although your great fortune has been completely consumed, and you need to strive for a longer lifespan by capturing ghost souls,
you still cannot do anything out of line.
You must continue to cultivate diligently and strengthen your own Daoist cultivation.
The world is not as peaceful as you imagine."
Master had told me this more than once or twice.
And I had always kept it in my heart.
When Master brought it up again, I nodded very seriously:
"I understand, Master."
Master grunted:
"It's good that you understand. Also, quickly burn the ingots and villas that Lord Impermanence asked you to.
After all, such great kindness.
It's only a few pounds of ingots, a few paper villas.
For others, even burning tens of thousands of pounds of ingots or thousands of villas, they probably wouldn't be able to exchange for this Impermanence Mantra."
"Alright. I'll go do it now."
I nodded in agreement and then walked directly into the inner room's storage.
As I left, Master let out a few happy chuckles.
Faintly, I could also hear Master humming a little tune with a smile.
After all, I am Master's disciple, and when I do well,
Master naturally shines too...
I went into the inner room and carried out the paper ingots, paper villas, and other items from the warehouse to the backyard.
Black Impermanence said he wanted five pounds, but looking at the ingots in front of me, it was definitely more.
Anyway, these things are not expensive. These ingots are all procured from merchants.
A pound doesn't cost much.
I directly moved out two boxes and five paper villas.
The cost was around a hundred to eighty yuan.
Not feeling any heartache, I directly lit them in the backyard.
Finally, on a piece of yellow paper, I wrote with a cinnabar pen:
"For Black and White Impermanence, Xie Bi'an and Fan Wujiu to receive."
After writing, I threw it into the fire and burned it...