Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
The master rubbed his hands for about three minutes, during which the incantation never ceased. After finishing, he slapped my thigh and said, "Alright, you can go in now. This is a sacred place of the Buddha, filled with incense and countless deities. If I don't seal it, I'm afraid it might act out of desperation and harm your Three Souls and Seven Spirits. Don't feel embarrassed; you were reckless and didn't consider the consequences, yet you still worry about others laughing at you."
I repeatedly acknowledged my mistake and followed the master through the gates of Lushan Temple. We twisted and turned until we arrived at the entrance of a standalone hall. The hall had red walls and yellow tiles; although it wasn't large, it appeared particularly solemn. On either side of the grand door were inscriptions: "Solemn Buddha Land, Achieving All Beings," with three large characters in the center: Maitreya Hall.
Stepping over the short stone steps, we reached the entrance. Inside was not spacious, but there were quite a few people. Upon closer inspection, I was surprised to see a group of elderly men, among them a familiar face—Master Xiao's teacher, Master Pan.
When Master Xiao spotted Master Pan, he hurried over to greet him. Master Pan smiled broadly as he patted Master Xiao's plump arm, seemingly very pleased.
I asked the master what was happening with so many people around.
He replied, "These are all masters from Hunan's Buddhism and Taoism attending an Exchange Meeting at Lushan Temple. Other places have more tourists, so they chose this location as their venue for discussion and exchange. Old Pan and I came to join in the excitement and catch up with some old friends. You should stay outside; otherwise, those highly accomplished masters might notice the lingering spirits on you."
I nodded and stood at the entrance, not daring to go in. Besides, I could still bask in the sunlight at the door, which felt warm and comforting.
I nearly lost my patience standing there; it took almost two hours for that old man to come out. Master Xiao was no better; during that time, he followed Master Pan around greeting various seniors, his demeanor humble as he bowed repeatedly to show respect. Every master he conversed with nodded approvingly at him. I stood at the door looking down on Master Xiao's smug expression and spat on the ground—he really knew how to put on an act.
Finally, Master Pan emerged alongside my master, with Master Xiao cheerfully trailing behind. When he saw me still standing at the entrance, he rushed over and said, "Hey! Brother Liu! Why are you still standing here? Find a place to sit! You're still recovering; don't overexert yourself."
"Master Pan," I greeted him politely before making a rather reasonable request, "Can I give your disciple a good beating?"
Master Pan chuckled and replied, "Sure, as long as you can take him on."
I turned to look at Master Xiao's defiant expression that seemed to say he wasn't afraid of anything. For now, I decided to abandon my plan to take him down.
The Master said, "Let's go, first have lunch. Tonight, Old Pan and I will take a look at that thing inside you."
Hearing the Master mention that they would help me, I realized the situation was indeed serious. Worry began to creep into my mind. I didn't care about myself, but if this matter caused any harm to the two Masters, that would be a grave sin. However, there was nothing I could do now; my hatred for that Imposter Yincai grew even stronger.
We didn't go to the temple for vegetarian food but were led by Master Pan to a small farmhouse. The owner of the small courtyard was a former Victim of Master Pan, a kind man who rarely smiled. The business inside was rather quiet; despite the lack of customers, the dishes were delicious. I wondered why such a good restaurant had so few patrons.
As the four of us ate and chatted, I recounted everything in detail again, including Liu Bi's possession of Li Da Ye and Mu Xue, as well as that Oiled Paper Umbrella. When I mentioned the umbrella, both the Master and Master Pan felt it had an unusual origin. Although they were eager to see it, they didn't ask me to take it out since it was broad daylight, and both spirits inside couldn't withstand the sunlight. After all, we were eating under a shed rather than inside a building. Liu Bi was fine, but Mu Xue was as fragile as paper.
Once I finished explaining everything, the Master looked at Master Pan and asked for his opinion. Master Pan scolded me first for being too impulsive and not knowing my limits. Then he said it was fortunate that I was clever enough to realize it wasn't Yin Chai before taking action; if I had dared to confront Yin Chai directly, no one could have protected me. As they continued chatting, they reminisced about their younger days when some elders could indeed tangle with Yin Chai for a while. There were even powerful predecessors who could command Yin Chai to do their bidding. One such predecessor had single-handedly helped suppress a Hundred Demons Riot during a ghost festival. Eventually, their conversation drifted far from the topic at hand, leaving me behind.
Finally, Master Xiao couldn't hold back any longer and softly reminded them, "Masters, shouldn't our discussion focus on the thing on Brother Liu?"
Master Pan shot him a glare and said, "Elders are speaking; what business is it of yours? Our discussion is also about finding solutions. You wouldn't understand anyway—stop butting in."
Master Xiao stuck out his tongue and lowered his head to eat in silence. He hadn't grasped the meaning behind their words and only noticed that Master Pan had scolded him. However, I understood and felt increasingly puzzled. I quickly asked, "Master Pan, are you saying your discussion is related to this Imposter Yincai on me? But you're talking about events from decades or even centuries ago—what does that have to do with now?"
Master Pan replied, "Because we suspect that what’s inside you is connected to that Hundred Demons Riot."
My heart tightened as I turned to look at the Master. He nodded and said, "It is indeed possible. Based on the methods of that thing inside you, it shouldn't be entirely an Imposter Yincai; at least it has some connection to Yin Chai."
I asked, "Why? Is it just because of its weapon—the iron chains?"
The Master responded, "Yes and no. The chains are exclusive weapons of Yin Chai, known as Soul Lock Chains. When they encounter heinous or powerful evil spirits among them, they use these chains to bind their souls and bones, rendering them incapable of resistance. Those chains are incredibly powerful; aside from Yin Chai, no other Spirit God can wield these Soul Lock Chains..."
"Master's words were not yet finished when Master Xiao interjected, 'No wonder! That iron chain struck Brother Liu, and his entire hand went numb and couldn't move. He even had to use his own Blood Curse to break free.'
Master Pan, who had just bitten into a piece of chicken butt, quickly spat it back into the bowl after hearing Master Xiao's comment. 'This is also what Old Xu mentioned as the reason. If it really was the Yin Chai using iron chains, it wouldn't just numb one hand. It wouldn't be surprising if it could even extract Xiao Liu's Living Soul. So I think that thing must be related to the real Yin Chai.'
The more they spoke, the more frightened I became. If it was connected to the real Yin Chai, I could only hope that the relationship wasn't a good one. If it was similar to the relationship between city management and their assistants, then we were doomed. Even if we didn't die, we would suffer greatly.
Just as I thought about the role of assistants, Master Xiao voiced my concern: 'It can't be an intern from the Yin Chai, can it?'
Master shook his head and said, 'I've never heard of interns in the Yin Chai. If it were a ghost enforcing Underworld laws, it wouldn't use such methods to collect Joss Paper. By the way, it also wanted that Oiled Paper Umbrella called Liu Bi. So there are definitely two points we can be sure of: first, this Spirit God must have escaped from the Underworld; otherwise, there wouldn't be a Soul Lock Chain. Second, this Spirit God has likely existed for several decades; otherwise, it wouldn't be so powerful. You brought this thing with you and still got possessed.' Master pointed at the Evil-Repelling Copper Bell hanging around my neck.
I understood what Master meant. Although the Protective Copper Bell around my neck was small, it was considered a treasured item passed down through generations in our sect. It was hung around my neck by Master on the day I graduated. This item looked ordinary but was not just a simple talisman; it served as a powerful protective artifact against evil spirits. Its greatest function was to guard against malevolent forces. The fact that I wore this and still got possessed showed just how formidable this Spirit God was.
I hadn't noticed until Master mentioned it, but after he spoke, I recalled that when the Spirit God attempted to possess me, it lingered in the air for quite some time before making a move. It turned out that it feared the copper bell around my neck. This clarified my confusion; if it was so powerful, why didn't it possess me in an instant? Why did we remain in a stalemate for so long?
I looked down at the copper bell hanging around my neck; its luster seemed much dimmer than usual..."
Comment 0 Comment Count