"The mass graves?"
Li Yan was taken aback. "That's the territory of the Western Beggars, a place where yin and sha qi gather thickest—hardly good ground. Could a heavenly spirit earthly treasure really grow in such a forsaken place?"
Zhao Lvzi scratched his head. "Brother Li, there are things you may not know. 'Heavenly spirit earthly treasure' is just a blanket term meaning spiritual objects born of heaven and nourished by earth, but they aren't all beneficial things.
"Some can be forged into magical artifacts, some prolong life and heal the sick, and some naturally form formations that harmonize feng shui when placed in a home... All that bring benefit are fortunes of heaven and earth.
"That's why whenever we take a treasure, we must shout, 'Fortune has been received!'
"The opposite are called ominous things. Not only is taking them harmful, but some can even transform into spirits, demons, and monsters, requiring great Xuanmen sects to suppress and seal them.
"You might have heard of one such incident: during the Tang Dynasty, a great drought struck Guanzhong, and a dragon-bone treasure reef emerged in the Wei River. The world thought it was the bone of a dragon king and burned incense to worship it. But that very night, fierce winds blew up flying sands and rolling stones, killing countless people in the surrounding villages. That was an ominous thing.
"Later, Weiyangzi of the Taixuan Orthodox Sect set up an altar for a grand ritual, established a nether prison to capture the evil, and summoned heavenly thunder to shatter it. When the tale spread among the common folk, it became 'Immortal Weiyang Slaying the Dragon God.'"
"I see..." Li Yan realized in enlightenment.
He had actually heard that opera before, assuming it was merely folklore; he never imagined it had a real origin.
With that in mind, he asked again, "Then what is this Mountain Tai Sui?"
Zhao Lvzi held nothing back and replied, "The name 'Tai Sui' originally stems from the Year Star, bearing the emblem of a sovereign monarch that common folk dare not meddle with—hence the saying about 'avoiding Tai Sui.'
"As for the Tai Sui underground, it possesses two aspects: fortune and calamity. Some are called flesh ganoderma, which prolongs life when consumed. Others absorb the yin and sha qi of the earth veins, turning into ominous things. If ordinary folk unearth one by chance, they might fall gravely ill at best or perish on the spot at worst—which is known as 'disturbing earth over Tai Sui's head'...
"As for a 'Mountain Tai Sui,' it grows within the central meridian node of a mountain's earth veins. It either absorbs innate gang qi or gathers innate sha qi. Over the years, it can even develop divine gang and usurp the seat of the mountain god. Offending it rashly is perilous in the extreme."
Hearing this, a flash of inspiration struck Li Yan's mind. He said in a deep voice, "We once went to the mass graves to invite a Yin deity. According to Daoist Wang, there was supposed to be a mountain god governing the yin soldiers there, yet there was no stir at all. Could it be this thing?"
Zhao Lvzi nodded. "Exactly, that's the one.
"According to word leaking from Xianyang City, the mass graves originally had a mountain god and were a place of excellent feng shui. But later, too many corpses were buried there, gathering vast amounts of yin and sha qi that fouled the mountain god's divine gang. Add to that the severance of incense and offerings, and it ceased manifesting its divine presence.
"According to the leaked intel, Master Shan, the head beggar of the Western Beggars, was originally an itinerant jianghu sorcerer from outside. He seized the position of beggar chief and waited at the mass graves for years precisely to claim this treasure.
"The item to suppress it is the tattered cloth pouch handed down through generations of beggar chiefs. In a few days, on the Double Ninth Festival—the ninth day of the ninth month, when the double nines return to truth and the primal cycle begins anew—the Mountain Tai Sui will spit out all the yin and sha qi within its body in an attempt to reclaim the divine throne.
"At that time, so long as one times it right, the treasure can be taken. Its greatest efficacy is healing injuries; no matter how grave the wounds, they will be fully restored."
"It's that miraculous?"
Surprise showed on Li Yan's face, though in truth his interest had waned.
The Mountain Tai Sui's efficacy certainly couldn't compare to the Daluo Dharma Body. Although absorbing fortune could mend the Daluo Dharma Body, given the current situation with so many experts vying for it, his turn would hardly come.
"Come, drink!"
With this thought, Li Yan pulled Zhao Lvzi right back to drinking.
Drinking and eating meat inside the mountain god temple would be disrespectful, so the two lit a bonfire on the slope outside the temple, and Zhao Lvzi roasted two wild hares he had caught.
By now, the bright moon was rising. Beside the fire, the two exchanged cups and chatted about curious sights and anecdotes.
Knowing Li Yan was interested in treasure seeking, Zhao Lvzi held nothing back—save for his core clan heritage—and recounted various historical lore, taboos, and ancient tales.
Li Yan shared many jianghu secrets as well.
Before they knew it, deep night had fallen, the bright moon hanging high.
On the pitch-black mountain, the campfire flickered amid laughter...
……
Outside Xianyang City, upon a hillside, flames likewise flickered.
Two rows of braziers were set around, and as the night mountain wind swept through, the pungent stench of burning grease drifted with the swaying firelight.
In the open clearing between the braziers stood a temporary ritual altar.
Unlike the altar Wang Daoxuan had once erected, this one not only bore the five offerings of incense, candles, water, melons, and fruit, but also a Bagua tube stuck with command flags, a square ritual seal, a peach-wood sword, and paper talismans plastered all around.
Stranger still, a row of wooden puppets stood before the altar, each lifelike with painted theatrical faces—sheng, dan, jing, mo, and chou, all five theatrical roles represented.
Chen Fakui wore a white Daoist robe of an odd cut resembling mourning garb, with a white bandana tied around his forehead, save that a large Bagua diagram was embroidered on the back of his robe.
In the distance, Yuan Qu stood watching quietly with several subordinates, along with Zhou Peide, who wore a hooded cloak.
Watching the dark-faced Zhou Peide, Yuan Qu suddenly asked in a low voice, "Is everything taken care of?"
Zhou Peide replied coldly, "Rest assured. I revealed no names and hired through Chang'an's Ge Guild—the two sharpest workers under Tu Lao'er. By now, the kids should have arrived at Menggu Village."
Hearing this, Yuan Qu sneered. "So cautious. Are you scared, Senior Brother Zhou?"
Zhou Peide shot him a cold glance without a word.
He was no fool. In truth, not long after returning to the manor, he had guessed that Yuan Qu harbored ill intent and wanted to drag him into deep water.
Zhou Pan didn't care about him, nor did he care about Zhou Bai.
Yet behind them was the entire Zhou family.
Yuan Qu surely wanted some leverage so that if trouble arose, he could threaten Zhou Pan into not betraying him.
Yet even though Zhou Peide understood this clearly, he had still pressed ahead.
Because he, too, had learned of the heavenly spirit earthly treasure at the mass graves.
Chen Fakui was going to claim the treasure, and if Zhou Peide brought men to assist, he could share a portion afterward.
This was Zhou Bai's only hope!
What did the Zhou family matter?
When Zhou Bai met with disaster and was cast aside, among so many elders, had a single one stepped forward to speak a word of justice for father and son?!
Seeing Zhou Peide's expression, Yuan Qu smirked and said no more.
Just then, Chen Fakui opened his eyes in the distance. He glanced at the bright moon in the sky, casually lifted the peach-wood sword, pinched hand seals, and chanted an incantation, all while pacing the Big Dipper steps with his feet.
Poof!
He lifted the Bagua water bowl from the altar and spat the water into a mist.
This was called "spritzing water."
Water benefits all things and is close to the Dao; the method of "spritzing water" could dispel dust, cleanse filth, and dissolve foul miasma, while also serving as a crucial step in activating the ritual altar.
In an instant, wind stirred and waters rose; the altar's gang qi gathered into formidable momentum.
Of course, Yuan Qu and the others could not see this. They only perceived a sudden wind rising around them, which whirled into a whirlwind upon reaching the altar, buffeting the surrounding braziers into unsteady flickers.
And this was only the beginning.
At this moment, Chen Fakui seemed an entirely different person—erect of posture, his gaze deep. His peach-wood sword flicked a few floral flourishes while his other hand raised a command tablet, pointing toward the sky. Then his gang steps shifted once more, as though dodging something...
Having completed this full sequence, he struck the ritual seal onto the table with a sharp clack. Then, tossing out a command flag, he formed a seal and chanted: "By the decree of the Three Nether Sovereigns of Nine Yuan Returning to Truth, I command the soldiers of all camps—swiftly as the law decrees!"
With that, the peach-wood sword thrust forward.
Whoosh—
Instantly, a howling yin wind swept the clearing.
On the altar, a puppet doll of a huadan—the lively maiden role—began to creak and chatter as its head twisted slowly. As if tugged by invisible threads, it stood up on stiff wooden limbs.
The sight sent chills creeping down the spines of Yuan Qu and his men.
Chen Fakui cast a faint glance over. "Set out. Follow the instructions given: take the puppet outside Shangyi Village, and the moment it returns, leave immediately."
Yuan Qu nodded and turned at once to the man beside him. "Zhu Tiedan, it's on you!"
The man he addressed was a burly, thickset fellow with a face full of savage jowls, known as the boldest man in the White Ape Gang, having once washed down human liver with liquor without batting an eye.
Yet at this moment, even this fellow was pale, cold sweat dripping from his brow. Seeing Yuan Qu's sinister stare, he could only brace himself, step forward, and gingerly reach to receive the puppet.
Clatter, clatter...
To his horror, the puppet scuttled like a spider right up his arm and onto his back.
"Ah! Ahh!"
Zhu Tiedan's hair stood on end in terror as he clawed wildly at himself.
Chen Fakui frowned. "Rest easy. Just don't thrash about."
Yuan Qu also barked coldly, "Zhu Tiedan, if you dare botch this, I'll bury you alive in a grave tonight!"
Under their reprimands, Zhu Tiedan had no choice but to pull a mournful face, hasten his steps, leap onto the black horse nearby, and snap the reins, riding toward Shangyi Village.
All along the way, his back felt colder and colder, as though someone were constantly blowing chilly breath against his ear, scaring him until he trembled all over.
Fortunately, he truly possessed guts. Once he grew somewhat accustomed, he stopped letting his mind wander and merely muttered to himself, "Braised meatballs, lamb offal soup, donkey meat burgers..."
Riding like wind and lightning, he arrived outside Shangyi Village before he knew it.
Suddenly, Zhu Tiedan felt the weight on his back lighten. He swallowed hard, cautiously turned his head, and looked behind him.
The puppet doll on his back was already nowhere to be seen...
Chapter 62