Mourning Array

"Who is the Star of Mourning?" Old Yao replied, "The local spirit of Huangtuqiao. Nobody remembers his real name anymore. People only know he is a Mourning Cultivator, possibly the head of that entire pathway. Everyone who knows him calls him the Star of Mourning." At the mention of the Star of Mourning, Old Yao felt a wave of disgust, mixed with no small measure of wariness. "He sent every last one of his disciples here. He wants to ruin Yaowanggou." Li Banfeng asked, "Why would he want to ruin Yaowanggou?" Old Yao sighed. "That was the exact trick he used back then to seize Huangtuqiao. Huangtuqiao originally belonged to Old Train. Ever since it fell into the hands of the Star of Mourning, conditions have gone downhill by the day. I just never imagined it would end up in such a wretched state." *Old Train?* *Grandpa Train?* Li Banfeng deliberately asked, "Who is Old Train?" Old Yao said, "Old Train is a grandmaster of both Journey Cultivators and Craft Cultivators." "Is a grandmaster the same as a founding master?" Old Yao shook his head. "A grandmaster and a founding master are different. The one who establishes a pathway is called the founding master. Neither the Journey Cultivator nor Craft Cultivator pathway was created by Old Train. However, he achieved the highest accomplishments in both pathways, far surpassing the founding masters of both. That is why people call him a grandmaster of two pathways." "Why is he called Old Train?" Li Banfeng wanted to confirm how many people knew about the Portable Abode. Old Yao said, "He loves trains. He was always studying trains, and he even loved pretending to be a train himself, running wild along the railroad tracks. The man was a lunatic, but his abilities were immense. Huangtuqiao, Heishipo, Qingyancheng, Baiqiaolong, and Qishuiyao all used to be his domains. But that old bastard couldn't stay put anywhere. He handed all those territories over to his disciples. The disciple at Huangtuqiao was useless, failed to defend against the Star of Mourning, and lost the domain. He went searching everywhere for his master, hoping to take the land back, but nobody knows where Old Train ran off to." Li Banfeng knew: Grandpa Train had gone to the Inner States. Yet Li Banfeng still didn't understand. What good would it do for the Star of Mourning to send his disciples to Yaowanggou? Old Yao sighed. "Fifteen Mourning Cultivators arriving all at once—he dispatched every disciple he had. He wants to ruin my cultivation." Li Banfeng remained puzzled. Old Yao made no secret of the truth and laid it bare: "I have tier-three cultivation, and it isn't on the ground-crust. The Star of Mourning is at tier three as well. By sending his Mourning Cultivators here, he aims to scatter the hearts of the people in my domain and ruin its human vitality. Once that happens, my cultivation will drop. When it drops to tier two, he will make his move against me." Li Banfeng asked, "Then if Old Train gave away all his territories, didn't his cultivation drop?" "His cultivation is no longer at this level; he doesn't need human vitality anymore. Wait here a moment. I need to go inside and make a few preparations." Old Yao turned and headed into the house, off to fetch who knew what. According to Old Yao, for a local spirit, when human vitality surged, their cultivation rose; when human vitality dwindled, their cultivation fell. This matched Meng Yuchun's explanation completely. Yet while the principle sounded straightforward enough, when applied to this situation, the underlying logic had a severe flaw. Li Banfeng asked Qiu Zhiheng, "Huangtuqiao has fallen into such utter ruin. How much human vitality could possibly be left there? How could the Star of Mourning still have tier-three cultivation?" Qiu Zhiheng understood local spirits far better than Li Banfeng. This was Old Yao's courtyard; whatever Qiu Zhiheng said, Old Yao would be able to hear anyway, so he spoke without hesitation: "Local spirits have different methods of cultivation. Old Yao uses living water, while the Star of Mourning uses dead water." *Living water? Dead water?* *What kind of concept was that?* Looking at the wine pot, Qiu Zhiheng explained, "Take Old Yao's wine pot, for example. To our eyes, it's just a wine pot, but in truth, it connects to a wine vat. When the wine in the vat is deep, the pot holds plenty of wine; when the wine in the vat runs low, the wine in the pot becomes scarce. The human vitality of Yaowanggou boosts Old Yao's cultivation, and Old Yao uses his cultivation to bestow good fortune and blessings upon Yaowanggou. The two benefit each other. When human vitality flourishes in the domain, the local spirit's cultivation grows; when human vitality wanes, the local spirit's cultivation declines. That is cultivation by living water, and it's the method most local spirits use. "However, a small number of local spirits do not follow this method. They only harvest human vitality without granting any fortune. When vitality in their domain increases, their cultivation rises; when vitality decreases, their cultivation remains unchanged—unless the domain degrades from proper land into oldland, at which point they will drop in rank. Huangtuqiao is in deep decline and already shows signs of turning into oldland. Fearing that his rank will drop, the Star of Mourning wants to plot against Old Yao's territory." *Plotting against Yaowanggou?* Li Banfeng remarked, "He only takes vitality and gives no fortune. If he keeps operating like that, wouldn't any territory in his hands eventually turn into oldland?" Qiu Zhiheng remained silent; he didn't know much about the Star of Mourning either. "That dog-spawned Star of Mourning is just that kind of wretch! Who knows how many good territories he has ruined!" Old Yao emerged from the house, wearing a three-pronged purple-gold cap on his head, draped in a red brocade robe of a hundred flowers, clad in cloud-stepping boots of lotus-silk, and gripping a three-pointed, double-edged blade. Most striking of all, four flags were planted into his back. In theatrical circles, these four flags were known as backing flags, or back-protecting flags—symbols of a martial general's authority and might. Old Yao strode aggressively toward the gate, singing aloud as he marched: "First drum roll: cook the combat rations! Second drum roll: tighten the battle gown! Third drum roll: draw the blades from their sheaths! Fourth drum roll: clash in battle! Every man who presses forward shall be rewarded; whoever falls back cannot escape the blade!" His singing was resonant, powerful, and brimmed with world-shaking vigor. Li Banfeng called out in praise, "Well sung! Old Yao, what are you setting off to do?" Old Yao declaimed in theatrical recitative: "Slaughter those dog-spawned Mourning Cultivators down to the last man! Wa-ya-ya-ya-ya!" "Why are you dressed like that?" Old Yao said, "You don't understand. Killing a Mourning Cultivator covers you in bad luck. This battle armor and weapon of mine can suppress the misfortune, so that when I fight that old cur, the Star of Mourning, I won't lose my fortune. Follow me, both of you. You don't need to lift a finger—just point those scoundrels out to me! Wa-ya-ya-ya!" Qiu Zhiheng wasn't sure whether Old Yao's theatrical outfit would actually work. He glanced at Li Banfeng, equally uncertain whether Old Yao was truly sober. Yet as Old Yao stepped toward the front gate, Li Banfeng suddenly felt his heart quiver. It fluttered just that once, then instantly returned to normal. *What was that?* *A premonition of danger?* "Old Yao, wait a moment." Acting as if he hadn't heard, Old Yao kept up his momentum and continued marching outward. "Old Yao, hold on!" He kept marching. There was no stopping his ferocious stride. Li Banfeng roared, "Halt right there!" With his fighting spirit burning hot and his momentum surging, how could Old Yao tolerate being yelled at like that? Old Yao spun around abruptly and bellowed in fury, "What do you think you're doing?" Qiu Zhiheng was terrified. He couldn't fathom why Li Banfeng would shout at Old Yao. Among local spirits, Old Yao was certainly on the gentler side, but that didn't mean one could simply contradict him at will. The liquor gourd hopped out from Li Banfeng's side and placed itself between the two men. "Old Yao, quell your temper! The young brother definitely has something to tell you." Li Banfeng truly did have something to say. Though he lacked common knowledge, he had interacted with local spirits quite a few times. In particular, he had lived through two wars between local spirits, and the current situation reminded him of Shui Yongquan. "Old Yao, is it possible that the Star of Mourning is already here?" Old Yao froze. "What do you mean by that?" "Old Yao, could sending his Mourning Cultivator disciples have been a trick just to lure you out? If you leave, what if he slips into your home?" Old Yao asked, "What would he come to my home for?" "What do you think?" After staring at each other for a few moments, Old Yao calmed down. He immediately returned to the center of the courtyard, planted his three-pointed, double-edged blade into the ground, and looked at Li Banfeng. "That old cur wants to dig up my covenant deed?" Li Banfeng gave a slight nod. Qiu Zhiheng marveled inwardly. Li Banfeng hadn't been in Puluo Province for very long, yet he had actually deduced this level of the plot. He didn't know what Li Banfeng had experienced before. When Shui Yongquan had fought Qiu Luoye, that had been the exact tactic used. Furthermore, Li Banfeng had sensed danger just moments ago. With the Star of Mourning's level of cultivation, had he intended to conceal his malice, Li Banfeng would never have detected it. Yet the moment Old Yao had reached the gate, the Star of Mourning had likely grown excited. Of course he would be excited—the instant Old Yao stepped out the door, his prize would be won! That momentary surge of excitement had slipped through his concealment, and Li Banfeng had caught it. Old Yao stood in the courtyard, silent as a clay statue for a long time. He grabbed the wine pot from the table and poured it down his throat in heavy gulps. From the sound of it, he swallowed three to five jin in one breath. Wiping his mouth, Old Yao said, "Come, brothers! Follow me down the mountain!" Li Banfeng was taken aback. "Why are you still heading down? Didn't we agree that you can't leave this courtyard?" "Hide here? Hide until when? Hide until all the vitality in Yaowanggou is gone, my cultivation drops, and I wait for the Star of Mourning to come finish me off?" As he spoke, Old Yao chuckled. He raised the three-pointed, double-edged blade, spun it twice in his hands, and the four backing flags behind him fluttered in the wind. "Even if I forfeit being a local spirit today, even if I throw away this old life of mine, I will not let that old cur ravage Yaowanggou!" Qiu Zhiheng stepped forward to stop Old Yao. "You have shown great kindness to me. You don't need to worry about the Mourning Cultivators in town; I'll deal with them." Old Yao shook his head. "Xiao Qiu, you're a good lad. You can't let yourself be haunted by bad luck for the rest of your life. "Li the Seventh, you needn't say anything either. You are both good lads, and I won't drag you down with me. "I'll handle this myself. I'll leave behind an avatar and a few magical treasures to guard the house. Even if the Star of Mourning truly shows up, they can hold him off for a while." Old Yao had an avatar. That made the matter much simpler. Li Banfeng said, "How about this: keep your true body here and send your avatar down to kill the Mourning Cultivators. Wouldn't that satisfy both needs?" "That won't work. An avatar cannot suppress misfortune. If my avatar kills a Mourning Cultivator, the bad luck will rebound onto me, and I'll still end up suffering at the hands of the Star of Mourning!" Old Yao exhaled a mist of wine vapor, which condensed into his avatar, assigned to stay behind and guard the house. This avatar looked identical to Old Yao, wearing the same battle robe, bearing the same set of flags, and holding a matching three-pointed, double-edged blade. Because Old Yao had drunk a bit too much, the avatar's mind was rather foggy the moment it manifested. Unable to tell whether it was the avatar or the true body, it shouted at the two men, "Brothers, let's head down the mountain!" Old Yao's true body grew infuriated and barked at the avatar, "What mountain are you heading down? I told you to stay and guard the house!" The avatar grew angry as well, swinging its long blade toward the true body. "Who do you think you are? Since when is it your turn to call the shots?" Li Banfeng and Qiu Zhiheng knew Old Yao was accustomed to clowning around, so neither of them took it seriously at first. To their surprise, the avatar was completely in earnest, pushing, shoving, and brawling with Old Yao. With the true body fighting an avatar, Old Yao should have held the upper hand with ease and dealt with it without breaking a sweat. Yet unexpectedly, someone in Ligou happened to burn spirit money right at that moment to send Old Yao a message. That sudden message caused Old Yao to lose his focus. With that lapse of concentration, Old Yao's true body took a strike from the avatar. The three-pointed, double-edged blade cleaved into his skull, lodging firmly in the bone. Qiu Zhiheng was shocked; he hadn't expected the avatar to strike with lethal force. Li Banfeng was stunned, marveling in his heart that the avatar's martial arts were remarkably impressive. The avatar stopped, realizing it had made a mistake. With the blade still embedded in his head, Old Yao looked at Li Banfeng and Qiu Zhiheng. "Does this count as catching bad luck?" *Did it?* *Shouldn't this be considered an accident?* *Could an unexpected accident like this have been caused by bad luck?* Old Yao yanked the long blade out and looked at the two of them. "Just now, that girl Yu Nan sent word saying that the Mourning Cultivator from earlier died at the train station." *Yu Heshun is dead?* *Who did it?* Wiping the blood from his face, Old Yao continued, "The moment that Mourning Cultivator died, I got cleaved by my own avatar. "Could it be that the Star of Mourning laid a Mourning Array across Yaowanggou in advance? "As long as a Mourning Cultivator dies in Yaowanggou, I won't be able to escape the misfortune? "If that's the case, doesn't that mean these Mourning Cultivators cannot be killed?"