Gu Shi Yi stretched out a second finger,
"Don't be afraid, there's a second way... that is to find a corpse and possess it to return to life. However, finding such a corpse isn't easy; it needs to have died recently, within the first seven days of death, must have the birthdate and time that matches yours, the physique must be compatible, and at the time of death there can't be any resentful spirits attached to it. Moreover, the years leading to the death should have involved a very weak constitution—but these are all trivial matters. As long as you're willing to diligently practice the Taoist Sect's mind and body techniques, slowly you will improve..."
The little mud man sat cross-legged on the table like she did, basking in the moonlight, stroking his chin in thought,
"The first way sounds extremely dangerous. I'm not afraid of suffering, but if my nature drastically changes in the end and I harm you and unrelated bystanders... If I can take the second way, naturally that would be best..."
She had also heard Gu Shi Yi talk about their master and disciple's adventures in slaying demons and exorcising monsters. Actually, many demons and monsters were not inherently evil; most were invaded by inner demons during their cultivation, or were tempted by those on the Demonic Path, seeking to improve their realm hastily for quick success, and thus strayed onto the evil path.
Gu Shi Yi nodded in agreement,
"That's what I'm thinking too. When Master returns, I'll ask him to lead us out of the mountains to find a suitable body for you. Don't worry... Though the population in this realm isn't as large as in your realm, a corpse that matches your birth time should still be findable. At worst, it will just take a little more time..."
After some thought, he added,
"If all else fails, you can shift to Cultivate the Path of Ghosts. Master, after all, comes from the Taoist Sect, and he should also have a way to alleviate your pain..."
Gu Shi Yi continued,
"Right now you need to find a way to consolidate your soul. I'll teach you a set of breathing techniques first. You start by absorbing the Power of Taiyin to fortify your soul body. Otherwise... given your current state, if you're exposed under the sun, in less than ten minutes, your soul will scatter, and you'll never have a chance to pass on to the afterlife!"
The clay figure nodded, sitting cross-legged like Gu Shi Yi taught, looking up at the moon, chanting in her heart, and practicing the breathing exercises with her mouth. The two friends stayed like that in the courtyard until midnight. In the latter half of the night, Gu Shi Yi went into the temple to sleep, while Li Yaner stood at the temple door, staring blankly at the moon. The moonlight shone on her, and she looked down at her hands, feet, and body made of dark clay, sighing deeply...
These last couple of days felt like she was living in a dream!
They say life is full of twists and turns, but who could have a more dramatic change than herself?
The first half of her life had been miserable enough, living in such a family. She never expected the latter half to be even more bizarre. She had first become a vengeful ghost trapped in a fish pond for three years, and now, somehow, she had crossed over to this realm, becoming nothing more than a lump of mud without even a body, so fragile that she could be crushed at any moment, in constant danger of her soul scattering.
"Sigh..."
Li Yaner heaved a sigh,
"Well, I'm here now, what else can I do? Naturally, I must try my best to survive!"
In the other world, she lived for not quite thirty years, had just graduated from college, and was just starting to do well at work. If it hadn't been for being tricked by her family to return home, several older colleagues would have introduced her to boyfriends. She might have been able to avoid her subsequent tragic fate, if it weren't for her own too kind heart!
Death had been so suffocating, she truly wasn't reconciled. Now with the slim chance that Shiyi managed to secure for her, she absolutely couldn't let down her dear friend's sacrifice!
She took a deep breath out, stepped outside, sat down with her legs crossed, and began diligently practicing the breathing techniques Shiyi had taught her...
The Old Taoist Priest returned at Noon the next day, carrying two pounds of beef and two flasks of wine,
"You dead girl, hurry up and set the table, I want to drink and eat meat!"
Seeing that the Old Taoist Priest had returned to his usual playful and unscrupulous demeanor, Gu Shi Yi was very pleased,
"Seems like Widow Zhang has a remarkable effect on depression, truly a wonderful... reviver!"
Of course... it surely wasn't just her hands that had cured him!
Seeing the Old Taoist Priest happy, Gu Shi Yi naturally felt elated too. He brought out bowls and chopsticks, and the master and disciple sat down for a drink. They drank until nightfall; the Old Taoist Priest got drunk again, and Gu Shi Yi helped him into the temple. After the master went to sleep, Gu Shi Yi let the little mud man out,
"Yanyan, continue practicing the Dharma Practice I taught you yesterday. It takes cumulative effort, you can't slack off even for a day..."
Little Mud Man nodded and walked on his own to the temple gate, while Gu Shi Yi returned to his bedstead, meditating and breathing through thirty-six cycles before finally going to sleep!