"Upon entering the household, combine Qi with Qi, merge spirit with spirit..."
Xu muttered these words as he looked towards Yu Daoning lying on the ground.
He then pulled out a small piece of wood from his chest.
Small Leaf Purple Sandalwood, a type of wood particularly suited for special purposes.
Although it was only a small segment, the thickness of a thumb, it was quite valuable.
At that moment, Xu inserted the segment of Small Leaf Purple Sandalwood into the center of Yu Daoning's forehead, whereupon runes shining with light began to appear in the surrounding air.
"Please summon the profound and true Qi, let it descend into the body so that it might reach the divine realms..."
Suddenly, the small piece of Purple Sandalwood in Yu Daoning's forehead began to spontaneously combust due to the influx of spiritual energy from the surrounding air.
As the flames ignited, Yu Daoning's entire body began to burn.
Zhang San was witnessing such a miraculous technique for the first time, even more astonishing than Sister Ling's Paper Folding Technique.
Although he didn't understand it, he was watching intently.
Under the influence of countless runes, Yu Daoning's body and soul began to scorch, eventually turning into a wisp of blue smoke.
As the blue smoke rose, it recondensed into the form of Yu Daoning.
Countless runes began to tremble, and the spiritual energy between heaven and earth surged frantically, turning into a Qi Flow within the blue smoke.
"Heart Core, grant true insight, refine the spirit into sweat fluids, and maintain the correct Qi forever." [Note 13]
After Xu finished reciting, he glanced at Zhang San, "Give him the sweat fluids!"
Zhang San, fully absorbed in watching Xu's technique, suddenly heard the call for sweat fluids but didn't hear clearly.
"Fluid what?"
"Sweat fluids!"
"Ah? In front of so many people, and also a man, isn't it inappropriate?"
Xu was also momentarily anxious and didn't catch on. Although Zhang San was young and evidently a child servant, he had just undergone Refining Qi into the Body and was not very familiar with many cultivation terms.
Sweat fluids!
Skin pores open, sweat pouring out, this is called 'sweat'.
Food enters, qi is fulfilled, enriches the bone through marrow, bones are subjects of bending and stretching, enrich the brain marrow, make the skin moist, this is called 'fluid'.
What are you thinking about?
"Blood, sweat, even saliva will do, it must be from a lively child servant. Hurry!"
Only then did Zhang San fully understand what was actually needed.
"Drink—tui~!"
Xu had originally thought Zhang San would bite his middle finger and squeeze out some blood essence.
At the very least, some ordinary blood.
Although saliva could also work, but...
Well, let it be!
Yu Daoning didn't expect that, being dead and even about to become a god, he would end up being spat on.
However, with Zhang San's mouthful of saliva landing on the face and body of the smoke-formed Yu Daoning, it instantly transformed into a trace of vitality, entering his body through his seven orifices.
In that moment, Yu Daoning felt as if he could breathe the air of this world again.
With Xu's successful application of the technique, Yu Daoning had indeed transformed into the City God of Jingyang County.
Magistrate Long immediately ordered the locals to contribute labor, materials, and to record exactly what each household donated and the effort they provided, to gather the entire county's resources to build a City God Temple in Jingyang County.
This was indeed a communal credit!
Of course, when reporting, it still had to be stated that the labor, materials, and other resources were funded by the county government office, and even the County Magistrate himself had contributed a considerable amount of money.
Without a bit of deceit and manipulation, how could one ever be a good County Magistrate!
Since this affair had been conducted so smoothly, he guessed that the people from the Heavenly Punishment Sect probably wouldn't trouble him again.
As the City God Temple was completed, everyone came to worship.
A few carpenters' well-carved wooden statue of Yu Daoning as City God was placed inside the City God Temple, surrounded by various offerings.
At dusk, when everyone had dispersed, only Zhang San, who began eating inside the main hall, and the Tiger Demon with a wooden comb, remained in the City God Temple, aside from Yu Zhen who was sweeping outside.
"Yu Daoning, one must not forget their roots. Now that you are the City God here, you can't stop combing my fur, can you?"
Yu Daoning was at a loss for words. I'm supposed to be a deity protecting the local populace, how am I still expected to comb your fur?
However, he barely had any magical power now and could only faintly hear half of what was happening in Jingyang County, although it was enough to provide a warning if any minor thieves or robbers were around.
After all, he had just become a ghost and lacked the power of incense flame.
The weather conditions in Jingyang County would likely rely on the Tiger Demon for quite some time.
Grooming the Tiger Demon then, so be it.
Thus, Yu Daoning jumped down from the platform of the great hall and began to groom the Tiger Demon skillfully, while also returning the Tiger's Might Treasure Pearl to it.
The Tiger Demon had not enjoyed such a comfortable grooming service for a long time, lying on the ground with its eyes closed and enjoying the moment, it asked Zhang San, who was still eating in the hall, "Zhang San, do you have any techniques that can whiten?"
Zhang San: ???
"Whiten?"
"Although I am a Tiger Demon, I also have a heart that aspires to be a White Tiger."
"It's just that in my early years of cultivation, I didn't understand the Yin and Yang Harmony, so I absorbed too much Essence of the Sun, which is why my fur is all golden. But my favorite is the White Tiger!"
"How many times have I wished I could become a White Tiger, with a majestic body of silver-white fur!"
Zhang San thought, oh, he's talking about the White Tiger, one of the Four Holy Beasts.
Indeed, which Tiger Demon wouldn't want to become such a Holy Beast?
"I've only just started Refining Qi into the Body not long ago, but if I find such a technique in the future, I will definitely bring it to Tiger Brother!"
The Tiger Demon nodded in satisfaction, feeling that Zhang San was a reliable person, otherwise, he would not have voluntarily helped Yu Daoning.
Thinking about what kind of person Zhang San was, the Tiger Demon immediately thought of another important matter.
"By the way, about my little niece, you should really consider her. Although humans and demons follow different paths, I have heard that you human males like vixens, right?"
Zhang San's face darkened, are the vixens we like that kind of vixen?
Well, that's part of it, but you're not being precise.
But Zhang San knew that explaining this to the Tiger Demon would be futile, as it wouldn't understand.
"I'm actually not the kind of superficial man who only focuses on appearances and figures."
Hearing this, the Tiger Demon felt very satisfied, indicating that Zhang San was a good man with substance. Like me!
"It's also about the touch, the agility of the tongue, the twist of the waist..."
The Tiger Demon didn't understand what Zhang San was talking about, probably some peculiar human mating criteria.
After all, this species that is in heat all year round in many aspects is quite strange.
The two chatted for a while longer, and seeing that it was getting late, Zhang San prepared to take his leave.
Before leaving, Zhang San asked for the Tiger Demon's name and found out that the Tiger Demon had always been just that, without a name.
"How about you name me?"
Zhang San grinned, my own name is so casual, am I to name you?
"How about the name Hu? What do you think about that?"
The Tiger Demon didn't know any better, but having a name was better than not having one.
"Let's go with Hu then, come, here's a little gift before you leave."
With that, a golden bead floated into Zhang San's palm.
"This is a fledgling form of my 'Might.' You could comprehend it and, if successful, benefit immensely! You should know, such 'Might' can only be cultivated by powerful species like the Dragon and Tiger."
"Of course, it's also a token from me, as an uncle, to express my niece's sentiments."
Zhang San thanked him repeatedly.
After Zhang San had left, the Tiger Demon turned to look at Yu Daoning and asked, "Is my name good?"
Yu Daoning nodded repeatedly.
Seeing his good friend's approval, the Tiger Demon was very satisfied.
Then it suddenly realized something, turned its head, and looked at Yu Daoning again.
"Did you just laugh? Were you secretly laughing? What are you laughing at?"
========
[Note 13]Reference explanation
The incantation recited by Xu references "Daoist Integration," volume two hundred forty-five.
"If one enters a house and does not contemplate preservation, or contemplates but does not activate one's own Primordial Spirit, then how can one communicate with the Higher Mysteries. Only in such manner, thereafter one may invite the True Qi of Higher Mysteries, descending into the body, with the spirit refining fluids, and rightfully sustain the Qi."
[Note 14]Nomenclature explanation
A type of tiger-shaped pot with a ceramic handle opening upwards was popular from the Northern and Southern Dynasties through the Tang and Song Dynasties.
Please do not let your thoughts wander, ponder whether this thing holds wine or tea.
This item has an elegant name called "Wei (pronounced wei)", also known as Hu, and is specially used by men to urinate. In the Tang Dynasty, because Li Yuan's grandfather was named Li Hu, the name for Hu changed to Ma Zi.
In the plot, Zhang San, as a transmigrator, actually doesn't know what Hu means... well, at least not yet.