The woman was originally a locust tree that had cultivated for five thousand years, growing in a mountain forest surrounded by Yin spirits and ghosts. Locust trees are inherently ghost trees, so many ghosts gathered around her.
Perhaps it was because she had cultivated for too long, or perhaps it was her destined tribulation. Some human souls also gathered around the locust tree. She found these souls very interesting; they would work according to their behaviors in life and talk about various interesting things from their past.
Cultivating was inherently boring for the locust tree, so she idled her time listening to these souls speak. Over time, the locust tree also became interested in the human world. She really wanted to see what the prosperous secular world they spoke of was like.
So, after cultivating for 5,800 years, the locust tree passed the transformation tribulation and finally transformed into human form.
She secretly came to the human world, feeling extraordinarily novel as she watched the comings and goings of people. The locust tree was curious about everything in the human world but also encountered many troubles.
Perhaps it was because her transformed human form was too beautiful, the locust tree was repeatedly harassed by lecherous men.
Until one chance encounter, the locust tree met the young master of the Qian family. She had a good impression of this warm-hearted and kind person. He not only helped her fend off trouble but also gave her some understanding of the human world.
The Qian family master was willing to spend money for the locust tree to travel and enjoy the scenery, and the locust tree naturally repaid his kindness. She split off a small locust tree and had the Qian family master plant it in his backyard to change the Qian family's feng shui. This made the Qian family's fortunes flourish, and their wealth increased day by day.
Soon, the Qian family became one of the wealthiest merchants in Yangzhou, with business even reaching the northern states.
The locust tree naturally knew that she had been tricked and plotted against. Both angry and annoyed, she wanted to fight the Qian family to the death, but unexpectedly, a cultivator arrived, setting up a formation in the Qian family and imprisoning her in this locust tree's underworld.
The woman was naturally unmoved by the monk's words, only her expression changed slightly. She coldly snorted and pointed at Jiang Wen, who was trapped by the Four Symbols Formation: "Do you really think I would let you go after hearing a few words? You're too naive. Today, let's start with you."
Watching the approaching locust spirit, Jiang Wen wondered what method he should use to escape. He didn't plan to use merit points to cast spells for the time being. He wouldn't use that trump card unless he was truly at his wit's end.
At this moment, the three of them were bound by vines, hanging in the sky like individual cages.
"So that's why Benefactor is so eager to attack us, Amitabha." The monk put his hands together and sighed. "If Benefactor puts us to death because of this matter, it would truly be Benefactor's regret."
He looked at the indifferent woman and then burst into loud laughter: "Hahahaha..."
"Why? Why do you say that?" The locust spirit's face came closer, her large, beautiful eyes staring at Jiang Wen.
Every year on the Zhongyuan Festival (Ghost Festival), that cultivator would come to extract her spiritual essence and demonic power, then reinforce the seal on this land.
The locust tree naturally did not refuse the Qian family master's kindness. When she received the embroidered shoes, she was also attracted to them, so she happily put them on.
He glanced at Yan Gongli, who was sleeping behind him, and muttered unhappily: "What time is it already? And you're still sleeping, you old woman. You call yourself a patriarch, isn't now the time to show off? We're being targeted by a millennium-old demon! I really can't count on you at all!"
There is a strange formation here, and even with her thousands of years of cultivation, it is difficult for her to escape.
"What did you say? How dare you question me?!" The locust spirit's face showed an angry expression, and her huge, thick fingers pointed at the cage. "You are now my prisoner, aren't you afraid that I will kill you right now?"
This locust spirit was indeed attracted by his laughter, pulling the cage in front of her and looking at him. She asked with some confusion: "Why are you laughing?"
"If you wanted to kill me, you would have done so long ago, why wait for me to say more? I just want to tell you that if you really kill us, you will be fulfilling that cultivator's wishes," Jiang Wen said disdainfully.
The locust tree originally thought that everything would be safe and sound, but unexpectedly, one day, the familiar Qian family master sent a pair of embroidered shoes, saying that she would definitely like them as a gift.
"No morals!" Jiang Wen said indignantly.
"Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva, when practicing profound Prajñāpāramitā, perceives that the five aggregates are all empty, and transcends all suffering. Shariputra, form does not differ from emptiness, emptiness does not differ from form. Form is emptiness, emptiness is form. Sensation, perception, volition, and consciousness are also like this..."
Unexpectedly, all of this was a conspiracy. After the locust tree put on the embroidered shoes and traveled everywhere, she was imprisoned in the locust tree in the Qian family's old mansion.
After calculating what else he could use, Jiang Wen made up his mind.
"I'm just laughing at you, locust spirit, for being brave but lacking in strategy, and for having a simple mind," Jiang Wen said proudly. "You're being played in the palm of someone's hand and don't even realize it, yet you insist on being deeply involved."
"..." Jiang Wen was speechless. He didn't expect that he would be the first one chosen by this locust spirit. He thought that the monk was talkative and should be the one to be beaten first. Who would have thought that this locust spirit wouldn't play by the rules and would deal with him, the quietest one, first.
"If you can explain it clearly, I will spare you from death."
"Greed is also the source of hatred. The World Honored One once said: Letting go of the hatred in your heart is to reconcile with yourself. All beings suffer, and where does suffering come from? It all comes from the attachments in Benefactor's heart. Humans are like this, and demons are like this. People hate demons, and demons hate people, and people also hate demons. Living and repeating, how can it stop?" The monk lightly sighed with a flower-plucking gesture, then he lowered his head, closed his eyes, and placed his hands on his chest, chanting scriptures.
"That cultivator came seven times, and then he never came again. Although I was plotted against by you cunning people, I still managed to find a way to break the imprisonment. Now you dare to闯 in here on your own, you are really courting death," the woman said indifferently, looking at the imprisoned people. "Are you satisfied with this story? Does it reflect your own dirty souls, or does it awaken you to your own despicable behavior? If you have both, then die in peace."
"Does this even need to be explained? Locust spirit. Do you know why we came?" Jiang Wen asked with a smile.
"Why did you come?" The locust spirit sneered. "Isn't it just to plot for my spiritual essence and my millennium of demonic power?"
"Wrong! Utterly wrong! You demon, you don't even know our intentions, and you still don't admit that you've been plotted against?!" Jiang Wen said loudly, preparing to unleash his verbal persuasion.
