Zhang San, please behave yourself!
Chapter 107: Beg Me! Beg Me and I’ll Help You!

Chapter 107: Chapter 107: Beg Me! Beg Me and I’ll Help You!

When Zhang San heard that Master Ma was finally going to impart the Secret Technique that could refine Wronged Souls, he was just about to be happy when he heard Master Ma speak.

"No! I naturally can’t impart my skills to you for nothing. How about this, Zhang San, if you take me as your master, I will impart this Secret Technique to you, how’s that?"

"After all, if I impart the Secret Technique to you, and you end up causing some karma, it would still be my bad luck. But if we have a master-disciple relationship, even if I get implicated because of you, I would accept it!"

Zhang San pondered and realized it made sense.

There was no need for others to take risks for outsiders.

Zhang San didn’t know the proper etiquette for taking a master, but considering "one day a master, a lifetime a father," he supposed bowing and addressing him as ’Master’ was still necessary.

Just as Zhang San was about to grab a cushion and formally take Master Ma as his master, he was stopped by Pharaoh.

"No need!"

Zhang San was startled and turned his head towards Pharaoh, looking puzzled.

Pharaoh chuckled, turned his head towards his old friend Master Ma and said, "Ma, the skill you’re imparting is neither the Forging Method nor your Thousand Mechanisms Path’s expertise. It’s just a marginal Secret Technique from the Path of Life and Death. There’s absolutely no need to formally take a master for such a skill."

"Zhang San, no need to prepare, Ma was just teasing you."

At this moment, Master Ma looked at his old companion with a grim face.

While Zhang San observed the look in their eyes as they faced one another, though he didn’t sense anything between their gazes, he felt the atmosphere around them growing increasingly tense.

At that time, to outsiders, Ma and Pharaoh were merely making eye contact, but in reality, their Divine Senses had clashed countless times already.

"Pharaoh, what do you mean? Are you trying to sabotage me?" The two communicated on a level unseen by Zhang San.

"You’re up to no good! You’re imparting a Secret Technique of the Path of Life and Death, not even your specialty! What’s really on your mind?"

"What’s it to you whether I’m acting normal?"

"Don’t think I didn’t see what was inside that round box. Are you mad, daring to keep such a thing?"

"How was I to know that was inside? Had I known, I would never have accepted that trash from the Yuwen Family!"

"So, holding that item, you truly intend to take a young man from the Town Martial Office as your disciple?"

Master Ma was silent for a moment, then he turned to Zhang San with a slight smile, "Indeed, just imparting you a marginal Secret Technique of the Path of Life and Death, no need for a master-disciple formality. I was just playing with you."

Zhang San felt that there must have been some exchange between Master Ma and Pharaoh just now.

But he had never been able to discern how the two had communicated.

"I may not understand the etiquette of taking a master, but since Master Ma is willing to impart his skills to me, he is my benefactor. Teacher above, please receive your disciple’s bow."

Zhang San bowed deeply in respect to Master Ma.

Master Ma watched Zhang San, nodding with satisfaction.

This way, he had a student, yet without too much involvement.

"Zhang San, remember, your teacher’s name is Ma Lingyao."

Zhang San was helped up by Master Ma.

Watching Master Ma’s gratified smile, Zhang San couldn’t help but feel as though he had been duped for some reason.

"Now, I will impart to you the Secret Technique of Refining Wronged Souls—the Evil-Banishing Eye Seal Spell!"[Note 48]

As Master Ma began to directly impart this secret technique to Zhang San, he soon realized a problem.

"Teacher, why do I feel as if this secret technique involves entering through the eyes, using the recollections in both eyes to suppress and refine all the maladies within the body?"

Ma Lingyao looked very satisfied as he watched Zhang San, his mouth curling into a smile.

Sure enough, this was a man who could effortlessly decode Woodcraft Making, endowed with potential and talent.

"You’re right, this is indeed a method of refining the heart through the eyes, but do you only feel it in your eyes?"

Zhang San shook his head, practicing and sensing simultaneously.

"I feel like something is missing, and so it always seems a bit unstable. It’s like I’m trying to catch a chicken, but the chicken behaves like a ball, rolling around everywhere. I clearly know a way to trap it, yet I always nearly miss that bit which is..."

Suddenly, Zhang San awoke, opening his eyes wide to exclaim, "The third eye!"

Ma Lingyao looked at Zhang San, nodding slightly while his third eye abruptly opened at the brow center.

"Do you see now why I had to handle many issues with the living dead personally? Because in this world, those who possess a third eye are exceedingly rare. This secret technique I’ve imparted to you will aid in refining your Heart Demon and even in unraveling some ghosts and monsters’ tricks. However, your friend might still need my personal treatment. After all, even if you mastered the Evil-Banishing Eye Seal Spell, you can’t refine for your friend, and for him to train himself would be even harder."

Hearing this, Zhang San chuckled instead.

"Teacher, isn’t it a coincidence? The one who needs to refine Wronged Souls also has three eyes!"

Having said that, Zhang San stood up from the ground and bowed again to Ma Lingyao.

"Teacher, have a good rest tonight with Pharaoh. I’ll go back and pass on this secret technique to Senior Xu."

With these words, Zhang San turned and left the courtyard. Just as he reached the entrance, he noticed that both the gate of the courtyard and his teacher’s room door had disappeared.

Zhang San immediately used the Ghost Summoning Method, summoning a dozen little ghosts.

"I’m assigning you a task: go help my teacher find some door panels and fix both this gate and the room door."

The dozen little ghosts promptly went searching for them among the nearby uninhabited dilapidated buildings.

Ma Lingyao watched the familiar figures of the little ghosts and cursed inwardly: I knew it was this kid’s doing!

Meanwhile, Pharaoh slightly furrowed his brows. The way Zhang San had just summoned and commanded the little ghosts seemed familiar, yet despite having seen many methods of summoning and commanding ghosts and monsters, he couldn’t recall where he had seen this particular method.

It felt incredibly familiar, yet he just couldn’t remember.

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[Note 47]Reference Explanation

In our novel, Master Ma’s real name is Ma Lingyao, whose character is inspired by records of Prince Ma in "Comprehensive Compilation of Searching for Spirits from the Three Religions." The book states that Ma Lingyao was a marvelous and auspicious incarnation, showing his divinity three times by killing the East Sea Dragon King and wreaking havoc in hell to save his mother. Known for having three eyes, he is also called "Prince Ma with Three Eyes." Appointed as a marshal under the True Martial Great Emperor and a protector of Heaven, he is also known as the Great Brilliant Light Emperor. The general populace regards him as the Fire God, and during the eighth and ninth months of the Lunar Calendar, the Brilliant Light Ritual is held to pray for protection from fire disasters.

[Note 48]Reference Explanation

The Evil-Banishing Eye Seal Spell, originating from "The Grand Daoist Canon," Volume 158 in "Remedies for Dizziness and Delirious Behavior," originally was a spell to treat patients seeing hallucinations in front of their eyes. In this book, it extends to a technique capable of refining wronged souls and warding off all sorts of evils.