Volume One: The Soul-Luring Gourd and the Spirit-Igniting Lamp Chapter 45: The Five Immortals in Conversation

Outside the shop, the night was deep and silent, but within, the air brimmed with questions.

“Brother Gu, do you know of the Five Immortal Families?”

Faced with Xiao Yulou’s inquiry, Gu Mo merely nodded with modest calm.

“Fox, Yellow, White, Willow, and Gray.”

Hearing this, Xiao Yulou smiled gently, flicking his robe sleeve with graceful ease as he began to explain.

“These five Immortals are worshipped by common folk, who pray to them for relief from disasters and hardship, seeking blessings for both people and animals. Among them, the most distinguished are known as ‘Riding Immortals’—at crucial moments, their followers can invite the Immortal to possess their body, helping others dispel calamity and confusion. The five types of Immortals guard their domains, ensuring local peace, enjoying incense offerings, and receiving veneration in their regions.

Each possesses unique abilities. The Fox Immortal’s true form is a fox. It stands foremost among the five, proficient in Daoist arts, able to foresee fortune and misfortune, and exorcise demons and ghosts. Both foxes and wolves live for eight hundred years, and for three hundred as humans. The Fox Immortal cultivates fastest, so in the northeast, it is common for Fox Immortals to preside over altars, invoked as ‘Third Lord Hu’.

The Yellow Immortal’s true form is a weasel, commonly called ‘Second Lord Huang’. Fond of chicken meat, cunning and vindictive, it excels at bewitching arts. Its reputation lags behind the other four. In rural areas, ‘Immortal Towers’ are often the Yellow Immortal’s abode. Given its penchant for grudges, it is said: ‘Better provoke a ghost than a Yellow Immortal.’

The White Immortal’s true form is a hedgehog, known as ‘Old Lady Bai’. Of the five, only she appears as a female. She can exorcise evil and heal illness, with miraculous skill, versed in all forms of medicine. Her lifespan is exceptionally long. Though her path of cultivation is hardest, once she succeeds, her foundation is exceptionally solid.

The Willow Immortal’s true form is a snake or python, most spiritually attuned. Sometimes called ‘Chang Immortal’, it bears no ill reputation among the people. Legend has it, after surviving heavenly tribulations, Willow Immortal may ascend as a dragon or dive as a flood dragon. In battle, Willow Immortal is the strongest of the five. Since ancient times, there have been tales of Nüwa and Fuxi, half-human, half-snake.

The Gray Immortal’s true form is a rat, able to seek fortune and avoid danger, foreseeing the future. It dwells long among humans, most common yet most elusive. Folk believe the Gray Immortal, active at night, can bring wealth, thus called ‘God of Wealth’, prayed to for prosperity.

These five possess vast supernatural powers, able to possess disciples to expel demons and accumulate virtue.”

After his lengthy exposition, Xiao Yulou’s throat was parched, but Gu Mo listened intently, utterly absorbed.

Before Gu Mo could ask his next question, the immortal-looking Xiao Yulou reached into his robe, searching and producing a blue tea set.

He then pointed in midair, and the blue teapot floated up by itself.

In an instant, a fragrant stream of hot tea poured forth.

After drinking, Gu Mo asked, full of confusion,

“Brother Xiao, what exactly did the White-furred Yellow Immortal mean in his heart?”

Xiao Yulou stroked his chin and looked at Gu Mo with resolute gaze.

“Brother Gu, hear the Immortal’s words. It seems ‘Willow Kunsheng’ had some enmity with the Yellow and Gray Immortals. Else, why would Gray Immortal ‘Gray Guangji’ have died by his hand?”

At this, Gu Mo was instantly flabbergasted, his eyes wide with shock.

A single gold bar was already a hot potato, but now, with eight more in front of him, was he not being pushed to the very edge, into the abyss?

After a moment’s thought, Gu Mo’s face darkened as he looked at Xiao Yulou, speaking with grievance.

“Brother Xiao, is there no way to return these gold bars? After surviving the heavenly punishment of the ‘Nine Yin Purple Thunder’, my mind is still buzzing! What if—”

He broke off, his face pale as wax, swallowing hard before continuing,

“If I provoke another Immortal like this, I’ll surely be in deep trouble!”

Hearing Gu Mo’s concerns, Xiao Yulou burst out laughing.

“Brother Gu, there’s no need to worry. Look at the Immortal’s letter—the only request is that you give his dear friend a proper burial, Gray... Gray something?”

Gu Mo’s face remained drawn and bitter.

“Gray Guangji!”

At those words, Xiao Yulou’s eyes bulged as he exclaimed,

“Right! A proper burial for the Immortal’s cherished friend, Gray Guangji. Even from the name, it’s clear this one too was an Immortal!”

Crack!

---

Thunderstruck, Gu Mo felt as if his mind had been split open, his features twisted in confusion.

“Brother Xiao, isn’t this nonsense? White-furred Yellow Immortal is an Immortal himself, why doesn’t he properly bury his own friend, but insists on involving me?”

He frowned deeply, continuing,

“Besides, hasn’t the body already been buried under the tree? Why must it be dug up and reburied? Isn’t this just absurd?”

Xiao Yulou glanced at the eight gold bars on the table and chuckled.

“Brother Gu, it’s just burying a corpse. If you won’t do it, I’d be glad to oblige.”

With that, Xiao Yulou reached for the gold bars with greedy hands.

Seeing this, Gu Mo snatched the pouch away and handed it to his wife, Lady Yan, Jiang Jingxue.

“Enough! This is hard-earned money, paid for with my life! Do you think walking an hour barefoot in a bellyband is pleasant?”

Then Gu Mo smiled at his delighted wife, Lady Yan, and said,

“Darling, keep these nine gold bars safe. Your husband has struggled for years and never seen so much money!”

Lady Yan giggled behind her hand.

“Yes, husband.”

Xiao Yulou, observing the couple’s sweetness, was genuinely happy for them. His greedy act was mere pretense; he did it to spur Gu Mo on.

Cultivation, after all, was tedious and dull. Without Xiao Yulou’s antics, Gu Mo would surely stagnate!

After a pause, Xiao Yulou looked Gu Mo in the eye and spoke seriously.

“Brother Gu, since you’ve decided to undertake this task, I will support you. However—”

Gu Mo, seeing Xiao Yulou about to drop another hint, craned his neck curiously.

“However what?”

The sly Daoist Xiao Yulou, seeing Gu Mo take the bait, sipped his tea to heighten the suspense.

“However, Willow Kunsheng has transformed into a flood dragon. If he survives his tribulation, do you truly have the courage to slay a dragon?”

At the mention of “dragon,” Gu Mo’s curiosity was piqued and he asked,

“Xiao, don’t frighten me. Are there really dragons in this world? I’m not a three-year-old!”

Xiao Yulou merely smiled, offering no explanation.

The more Xiao Yulou acted mysterious, the more uneasy Gu Mo became. His thoughts whirled uncontrollably…

Dragons!

Such creatures were shrouded in mystery, with tales and records both domestically and abroad—midnight stories of dragons falling from the sky, thirsty flood dragons, specimens collected by foreigners, white dragons appearing in museums.

All sorts of strange events flashed through his mind, and Gu Mo was indeed fascinated.

As the saying goes: “Dragons in the sky, donkey meat on earth.” Who could say what dragon meat tasted like?

(In truth, years later, Gu Mo would indeed have his wish fulfilled!)

...

After a long while, Xiao Yulou cleared his throat and spoke in his immortal manner.

“Brother Gu, are you still uncertain in your heart?”

---

Gu Mo, hearing this, gave Xiao Yulou a look of utter disdain.

“Brother Xiao, do Daoists of your Five Manor Temple always talk in riddles? You call this uncertainty? I’m completely lost!”

Xiao Yulou laughed heartily.

“Very well, I’ll help you with a proper calculation soon!”

Gu Mo was puzzled.

“You’re offering to divine for me, but why wait?”

Xiao Yulou flicked his robe sleeve, his gaze settling on the gift box by the counter. Clearly, this scruffy Daoist was craving a treat.

“Brother Gu, what is this—”

Gu Mo then recounted the story of Wang Xiaohu.

Upon hearing it, Xiao Yulou was delighted.

“Brother Gu, on such a fine night, with flowers and moonlight, and your own day of joy—why not—”

Gu Mo snorted, then smiled.

“Alright, I haven’t eaten all night. Since Brother Xiao is in the mood, I’ll call my childhood friend Radish and we’ll head home for a drink!”

With that, Gu Mo picked up the shopping bag by the counter, and Xiao Yulou took Wang Xiaohu’s gift.

The two men and Lady Yan marched grandly toward Gu Mo’s courtyard…

Before long, a taxi sped up and Radish, Gu Mo’s childhood friend, stepped out, seeing Gu Mo and Xiao Yulou chatting at the stone table.

A large red character for “double happiness” was pasted on the half-height wooden gate.

Radish paused, pushed the gate open, and entered the courtyard in confusion.

“Mushroom, what’s with all this? Why did you say you got married on the phone?”

Gu Mo smiled mysteriously.

“Quit yakking, just sit down and we’ll talk.”

Radish sat on a stone stool, and was greeted by the aroma of fine food and drink. The stone table was laden with fish, meat, vegetarian and rich dishes, even two bottles of thirty-year Fenjiu.

The impressive spread left Radish at a loss.

“Mushroom, what’s going on tonight? You seem odd!”

Gu Mo glanced at his wife, Lady Yan, who smiled and raised her finger to tap Radish’s brow from afar.

In an instant, Radish, now spiritually sensitive, felt a chill and shivered. Then Lady Yan, Jiang Jingxue, appeared before him in her wedding dress.

Looking closely—

Lady Yan, Jiang Jingxue, wore the festive red bridal gown, her beauty beyond compare! Not only fair and gentle as jade, but every gesture radiated nobility. Before them, the bride looked like a goddess.

Radish’s face went pale. He rubbed his eyes and then laughed.

“Mushroom, is this our sister-in-law? Hurry and introduce us!”

...