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The more I thought about it, the more sense it made. I quickly shared my thoughts with everyone, and this time I didn't wait for Mao Ruiliang to speak. Meng Biao chimed in, "That's right, I think it's possible too, but I'm not sure if that place isn't a gathering of Yin energy. Liu Shidi, now that you mention it, I'm even more convinced."
Upon hearing this, Master Xiao immediately said, "That's great! If we can encounter that Vengeful Spirit that attacked Little Sister, I will definitely give it a taste of its own medicine." He shamelessly referred to Sister Wang as Little Sister.
Mao Ruiliang looked at the direction I pointed with a serious expression, still seeming a bit hesitant. However, he finally murmured, "In that case, let's go take a look. But I must clarify beforehand: if we discover a Human Cave, everyone should refrain from acting recklessly. Let's set up camp about a hundred meters east; that should be safer."
We all agreed with Mao Ruiliang's suggestion; it was only reasonable to prioritize safety.
A group of us marched toward that direction. The experience of the mountain at night was completely different from during the day. Sunlight filtered through the dense trees, casting beams of light and accompanied by the sounds of cicadas and birds, creating an incredibly refreshing atmosphere. In contrast, at night, apart from the howling wind, there was nothing else—everything felt dark and eerie.
We moved quickly, hoping to find the Human Cave before nightfall. If we had time, we could explore it thoroughly. As expected, after walking less than a mile past the spot where Wang Xiaolu had been attacked last night, we discovered a cave. Although the entrance was large, it was surrounded by thick vines and trees. It was hard to notice unless you got close. As for whether this cave was indeed the Human Cave, no one could say for certain.
The cave's entrance was embedded at an angle in a chaotic hillside. We pushed aside the vines and branches at the entrance; it could barely accommodate two people walking side by side. We stared intently at the entrance without uttering a word.
Since it was on the shady side and the sun was about to set, the entrance felt cold and foreboding rather than warm like during the day. Master Xiao called out into the cave; from the echo, it seemed there was quite a large space inside. If I wasn't mistaken, this had to be the Human Cave without a doubt.
"Excuse me, let me take a look," Meng Biao said as he approached with a purple talisman dangling between his index and middle fingers. We made way for him as he stepped into the center of the cave entrance and began chanting an incantation loudly; his voice echoed continuously in the spacious cave. I didn't understand what the incantation was for; I had never even heard anything like it before. It sounded somewhat like Buddhist scriptures mixed with Tibetan.
Once Meng Biao finished his chant, something unexpected happened: a strong gust of wind suddenly blew out from inside the cave. The wind was chilly and uncomfortable enough to raise goosebumps on our skin; Meng Biao's talisman fluttered wildly in his hand as we instinctively took a step back. Everyone knew this was Yin wind; however, such winds were ineffective in daylight. Yet Meng Biao pressed forward instead of retreating; he swung his hand forward sharply, and that purple talisman instantly transformed into flames before vanishing from his grasp. At that moment, the wind inside the cave abruptly ceased.
"What kind of Feng Shui method is this? What does it signify?" Master Xiao asked in confusion.
Meng Biao frowned and replied, "The Yin Qi inside this cave is too heavy; there are too many Yin spirits within. Logically speaking, it would be difficult for us to enter at night."
"Do you have any idea how many there might be?" Mao Ruiliang inquired. Meng Biao shook his head and said, "At least over fifty; I can't be certain about the exact number because my talisman can only handle up to fifty spirits before it ignites spontaneously."
"Then this must be the Human Cave! What if we go in during the day?" I asked curiously.
Meng Biao replied that entering during daylight without using any Daoist Techniques would be fine.
"If we don't use Daoist Techniques, what good is going in? Aren't we here to help them move on?" Master Xiao remarked. "So... is that Vengeful Spirit inside?"
Meng Biao shook his head again and said, "I can't be sure."
As dusk approached, Mao Ruiliang suggested we set up camp first to eat and replenish our strength.
We found a relatively flat but small hillside, surrounded by lush Pine Trees that could slightly block the wind. It was about two hundred meters east of the Human Cave. According to Mao Ruiliang, this place was relatively safe.
During dinner, everyone began discussing the situation. If this area was only inhabited by lost spirits, it would be manageable. We could use summoning and exorcism techniques to draw the spirits out of the cave, gathering them in batches for mass purification. However, the problem was that there were not only lost spirits in these mountains but also entities like the White Shirt Wraith, and their numbers were unclear.
Spirit Gods are unlike beasts; they have a strong sense of territory, and only one leader can exist in a given area. They usually do not interfere with each other, but if provoked by human Daoist Techniques, they would band together. They understood the principle that if their skin is gone, their fur will have nowhere to cling. If we took action, they would unite and work together to resist us, the intruders from the human realm.
After much discussion without arriving at a concrete plan, I said, "The reason that Vengeful Spirit attacked Sister Wang before was that we were heading toward the Human Cave. Now that we have returned and caused a disturbance there, it will definitely be aware of us. I believe it will come looking for us."
"Yes, Liu Shidi makes a good point. How about we stay right here and set up a trap for it? But what if several of them come at once?" Mao Ruiliang replied.
That was indeed a concern. If multiple Spirit Gods of the same strength as the White Shirt Wraith came at once, we would be left defenseless; let alone subduing them, just ensuring our safety would be an achievement.
Zhang Chuanzheng pondered for a moment and said, "As long as there are no more than four, we should be able to hold them off."
"You finally said something sensible," Master Xiao remarked with a hint of sarcasm as he noticed Zhang Chuanzheng's enthusiasm.
"By the way, is that Vengeful Spirit you mentioned wearing white clothing and sporting an updo with a thin red cloth wrapped around it?" Zhou Hong asked suddenly.
Wang Xiaolu looked at me and said, "Liu Shixiong, did you see anything?"
I shook my head and turned to Meng Biao. "It was too far away and poorly lit; I couldn't see clearly. Meng Shixiong has fought it before; he should have seen it."
Meng Biao nodded and looked at Zhou Hong. "How do you know that thin red cloth has any significance?"
Zhou Hong chuckled lightly and replied, "I know about this from history; my Master told me before I came here. My Master is originally from Hubei but later moved to Hunan. The White-Clad Vengeful Spirit you saw is likely a disciple of the Red Sun Sect, which is a branch of the White Lotus Sect, and probably a minor leader."
Through Zhou Hong's explanation, we learned much about the Red Sun Sect.
Speaking of the Red Sun Sect brings us back to the White Lotus Sect. Most people perceive the White Lotus Sect as an evil cult that deceives and misleads people. However, it actually formed during the Northern Song Dynasty and originated from China's Pure Land Buddhism. At that time, it was known as the White Lotus Society or Lotus Society and was purely a religious belief.
Their early doctrines were no different from Buddhism; they were similar to Pure Land teachings that revered Amitabha Buddha and required followers to chant sutras while adhering to precepts against killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, and drinking alcohol in hopes of being reborn in the Western Pure Land. Although they faced suppression from the imperial court at that time, they did not cause harm to society and thus could not be considered an evil cult.
However, after long-term propagation into the Yuan Dynasty, both the organization and doctrines of the White Lotus Sect underwent tremendous changes. The discipline loosened; various sects emerged. Some factions revered Maitreya Buddha and promoted prophecies regarding Maitreya's descent based on Feng Shui methods. Some disciples gathered at night to create disturbances or occasionally armed resistance against Yuan rule. In response to their growing power during the Great Yuan era, the court issued prohibitions against them. Thus began the transformation of the White Lotus Sect from a simple sectarian belief into a semi-rebellious organization.
During the Ming Dynasty, the White Lotus Sect began to rise in rebellion, repeatedly defying suppression. Some deceived followers under the guise of spreading teachings to amass wealth; others ingratiated themselves with the court by writing scriptures; some developed followers among palace eunuchs and bureaucratic elites; while others combined their struggles against the government with armed uprisings, with some organizations even declaring themselves emperors. From that point on, the White Lotus Sect fully evolved into a cult.
As the government's crackdown intensified, the White Lotus Sect not only failed to be suppressed but proliferated like mushrooms after rain. The sects began to diversify into many forms: the Pure Tea Sect, the Bull Eight Sect, the Cross Sect, the Incense Burning Sect, the Hunyuan Sect, the Red Sun Sect, the White Yang Sect, the Laojun Sect, the Mahayana Sect, the Pure Fragrance Sect, the Round Enlightenment Sect, the Eight Needle Sect, and the Great Sun Sect among countless others. In Hubei, the most active was undoubtedly the Red Sun Sect.
In fact, as the White Lotus Sect developed further, it became more than just a rebellious organization. Its followers were numerous and included many eccentric individuals—monks and Taoist priests. Many wayward practitioners exploited their sinister arts to deceive people, welcoming anyone who wished to become their disciple. They bewildered ignorant commoners, leading them into a frenzy of superstition within the White Lotus Sect. Followers became fanatical and lost their sense of self, each proclaiming allegiance to the True Martial Emperor, believing they could achieve immortality and invulnerability.
Zhou Hong's master told him that anyone with a bit of authority in the Red Sun Sect would wear white robes adorned with hairpins. The number of red cloth strips on their heads indicated their rank—the more strips, the higher their position. That was why he recognized that White Shirt Wraith as a member of the Red Sun Sect.
Everyone began to understand. After listening to Zhou Hong, I spoke up: "According to Brother Zhou, if it's a minor leader of the Red Sun Sect, there shouldn't be too many of them."
Zhou Hong chuckled and said, "I don't know what level one strip of red cloth represents. There’s no signal in this mountain; otherwise, I’d call my master to ask. But I think it shouldn’t be many—at most two or three."
"Since there are only two or three, that makes things easier," Meng Biao said coldly before standing up and walking toward his tent...
At six o'clock sharp, Happy New Year! The Golden League's semifinals officially began. Since I’m not participating, I kindly ask readers holding golden tickets to vote for our new book Soul Chronicles. Let’s see if our 'little son' can achieve something in the Golden League. Thank you for your support!
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