Chapter 28: Summoning Ghosts and Gods

“Master, why were you gone so long?”

Gangchen had just stepped out of Miss Yu’s courtyard when he saw Guan Zhong holding a paper lantern shaped like the God of Longevity offering a peach, standing with two maids in the narrow corridor outside.

“See that your mistress retires early.”

Gangchen first dismissed Xia Zhi and Yongxue, then strode purposefully toward the Eastern Garden.

“Only two hours have passed—I still think it was too short!” This was said to Guan Zhong.

Guan Zhong was puzzled: wasn’t this just about teaching the Tiger Soul Seven Killings? Miss Yu couldn’t even read characters—tonight should’ve been nothing more than an introduction to martial basics, right?

“How is Miss Yu progressing?” he ventured to ask.

“She’s already glimpsed the threshold,” Gangchen replied, his tone complex.

“Oh, Miss Yu is so clever—she’s already glimpsed the—” Guan Zhong nodded instinctively, murmuring flattery, but halfway through, he suddenly realized: Master was teaching Miss Yu the Tiger Soul Seven Killings!

“You didn’t teach her the Tiger Soul Seven Killings tonight—only some harmless foundational body cultivation fist technique?”

“Hmph, I know you can’t believe it—I’m still dazed myself!”

Gangchen’s mood lifted slightly as he sighed: “In the past, I often heard how extraordinary China’s heroes were, and I said the same myself.

But deep down, I never thought I was much inferior to the greatest heroes of Great Qin.

All I lacked was a chance to stand shoulder to shoulder with them.

Now I am utterly convinced.

There truly exist people who seem like Da Luo Golden Immortals reborn, their talent so immense it extinguishes even envy.

Even Yu’er, a desert barbarian, is this extraordinary—China’s eminent figures must be even stronger.

Alas, if not for the ‘Little Lifu Plan,’ just thinking of how many even more terrifying heroes remain in the Central Realm would drain half my ambition for fame and fortune.”

“But you only taught her two or three hours!” Guan Zhong still couldn’t believe it.

“Actually, it wasn’t even two or three hours—the true transmission of Tiger Soul essence took at most half an hour,” Gangchen said.

“Could Miss Yu truly be a Da Luo Golden Immortal reborn, endowed with immortal roots and celestial fortune?”

“How could Master Qingsong have entrusted her to you?” Guan Zhong exclaimed in disbelief.

Gangchen stepped over the stone threshold, waved away all servants inside and outside the room, then took the hot tea Guan Zhong offered and sighed: “To a beggar, a white flour bun is a treasure; to an emperor, it’s merely coarse food to fill the belly.

What we consider precious may not even catch Master Qingsong’s eye.

On that day at Shahuang, he examined Yu’er’s qi, measured her bones and soul.

First, Yu’er is not a Golden Immortal reborn—she has no past life; she is a primordial soul.

Second, though Yu’er is naturally gifted with innate wisdom, she likely has no immortal affinity—her Dao cultivation talent is quite ordinary.

If high martial skill alone earned Qingsong’s favor, why didn’t he choose Yan Feiying for the Dao Palace?”

“That makes sense,” Guan Zhong nodded slowly.

Yan Feiying, known as “Halfway to Human Immortal,” was the top hunter of Western Shu and the strongest on Western Shu’s martial rankings.

Crucially, he had successfully captured Human Immortals who committed grave crimes—not once, but multiple times.

Such a master who had reached the pinnacle of divine martial arts surely possessed no shortage of martial talent or realm.

“Yu’er is probably asleep by now—let’s prepare the Shadow God Diagram.”

Gangchen set down his teacup, entered the study, and asked as he gazed at the desk: “Have you prepared what I requested?”

Guan Zhong hurried forward, reaching ahead of Gangchen to retrieve two light walnut-colored wooden boxes from the bookshelf.

“Master, I couldn’t find the Fire-Soaked Cloth from the Northern Volcano Kingdom, but the Li family in the southern city possesses a zhang of Jingjiao Silk—it should be no worse than Fire-Soaked Cloth.”

As the three-foot-wide box opened, a faint jade glow immediately radiated forth.

Under the candlelight, it shimmered faintly, like a garden from a dream.

“Excellent! Perfect! Jingjiao Silk is the finest calligraphy and painting paper—even Immortals use it for their brushwork.”

Gangchen’s face lit up; he quickly wiped his hands on a towel before carefully unrolling the scroll.

“I couldn’t find the demon rabbit brush, but I borrowed this Wenxi pen from the Prefect’s office.

The Prefect also gifted Master a white jade inkstone and a cake of pine ink brought from the Central Realm by a foreign merchant.”

Gangchen frowned slightly. “The Wenxi pen is a treasure, and this pine ink may originate from Great Qin—but it lacks spiritual energy. And I still need a full set of colored inks.”

Guan Zhong sighed helplessly. “This pine ink is already the finest in Hengsha Pass—colored inks, even ordinary ones, are scarce.

After all, this is a northern frontier region; wealthy families mostly practice martial arts, and literary culture pales in comparison to Luodu.”

“Spiritual ink with inherent qi is essential—absolutely indispensable,” Gangchen said firmly.

Guan Zhong replied: “Master, in Hengsha Pass, you certainly won’t find what you need. But if we cross Feixian Ferry into the heart of Western Shu… the Shu heartland has just been ravaged by the Thirty-Six States—hope is slim.

Only in Luodu, in Yingxiang Prefecture, can you surely gather everything you require.”

Gangchen hesitated for an instant, then quickly steeled his resolve: “You now know the connection between Lady Li and Yu Yu. If you knew my ‘Little Lifu Plan,’ what do you think Yu Yu’s reaction would be?”

“Er… this…,” Guan Zhong’s face shifted through several expressions as he hesitated: “He’d fly into a rage?”

Gangchen shook his head. “I don’t know how he’d react—the outcome is uncertain, the risk unknown. So I cannot use ‘Summon Immortal to Transmit True Form’ in his presence.”

Guan Zhong worried: “You already have a plan to replace Lady Li with Miss Yu—why still need to swear allegiance to Lord Yangyang and join his Fire Crow Army?

Once the Shadow God Diagram reaches Xianyang, your plan will inevitably be exposed, won’t it?

At that point, your lord-vassal bond is already sealed—if he wants to eliminate you, it’ll be effortless.”

“You’re right. Lord-vassal bonds are vital—when the lord commands death, the vassal must die. But Great Qin is not the West.

In the West, Lord Yangyang is the Retired Emperor.

In Great Qin, Heaven belongs only to the Son of Heaven.”

“Once the Shadow God Diagram is complete, the Son of Heaven will inevitably learn of it—if he truly still mourns Lady Li.”

Gangchen added with quiet intensity: “Don’t forget—the Son of Heaven doesn’t merely govern the people of Great Qin; he is the sovereign of all ghosts and gods across the Eight Directions.”

Master Qingsong, a mere Daoist boy, could, in a single night, obtain information about Yu’er from the distant Western Desert Barbarians.

Once Yu’er’s Shadow God Diagram is complete, the ghosts and gods will know.

Once the ghosts and gods know, it cannot be fully concealed.

Some things weigh nothing until placed on the scale.

A tiny desert barbarian girl? Any noble in Xianyang could crush her effortlessly.

But once something is placed on the scale, even ten thousand catties won’t stop it.

If one day the Son of Heaven shows even a hint of lingering attachment to Lady Li… hmm, won’t all the ghosts, gods, and nobles who know of the Shadow God Diagram scramble to curry favor?

What fury would the Son of Heaven unleash when he learns the ‘Little Lifu’ was within reach—yet destroyed?

The Son of Heaven’s wrath—how much more than ten thousand catties!

I understand this. Yu Yu understands it. All clever people in the world understand it.

That’s why I say: if the Shadow God Diagram is completed, it secures my plan—and protects Yu’er.

As for Yu Yu…”

Gangchen’s expression relaxed as he smirked. “He’ll likely suppress his discomfort, treat me even better, perhaps even court me, and join me in elevating the Little Lifu.

After all, the Little Lifu isn’t truly challenging his mother’s position.

His mother is dead—that’s a fact.

I refuse to believe that in recent years, no Qin nobles have offered the Son of Heaven women resembling Lady Li in appearance, demeanor, and spirit.

He may have disliked it at first—but he should be used to it by now.”

His reasoning was flawless; Guan Zhong nodded repeatedly, then asked hesitantly: “If the Son of Heaven wields such authority, why not enshrine Lady Li as a ghost god to keep her by his side?”

Gangchen shook his head. “Think: why do our ancestors dwell in the City God Temple instead of residing in our homes, where descendants could serve them day and night?

Even between humans and ghosts, the paths are separate—how much more so between the Son of Heaven and ghosts!

Moreover, the Son of Heaven remains a mortal monarch, permitted only limited interference in the Netherworld through enshrined ghosts and gods.

Even he himself may one day be forced to enter the Netherworld.

Why didn’t past enlightened monarchs and emperors of China enshrine themselves before death, so they could remain as ghost gods and continue ruling the world?

Don’t speak of the Son of Heaven—even the Heavenly Emperor must abide by Heavenly Law.”

“There’s no spiritual colored ink to be found inside or outside Hengsha Pass—what do we do?” Guan Zhong asked.

Gangchen gazed past the window at the pitch-black courtyard and asked: “Have you prepared the fruit wine offerings for the ghost ritual?”

Guan Zhong replied: “Fresh fruits, all present. The wine is the finest sheep wine; two large tables are laden with meat and vegetarian dishes—eight pairs each of pig heads, sheep heads, ox heads, and horse heads.”

Gangchen cursed: “Fool! Pig heads and sheep heads I understand—but ox heads and horse heads? What’s the meaning of that?

Among the ghosts you’re summoning may be Ox-Head and Horse-Face—do you want them to eat their own likenesses?”

Guan Zhong puzzled: “Aren’t you summoning the Immortal to Transmit True Form? Shouldn’t the spirits be the Brush Immortal or Painting Sage?”

Gangchen muttered: “If I had the Dao art to command ghosts and gods, I’d summon the Brush Immortal and Painting Sage directly.”

But he knows no Dao arts, and his City God ancestor forbids him from studying spirit-summoning or exorcism techniques.

Gangchen may use his City God’s “connections” to communicate with ghosts through offerings, but he cannot cultivate such esoteric arts.

The old Lord Guan gave no explanation—only said it was for his “great future.”

Gangchen never doubted this, so he was merely frustrated, not resentful.

That night, at the first hour past midnight.

Hengsha Pass lay entirely shrouded in darkness and silence.

In the center of Gangchen’s Eastern Garden courtyard, three large tables stood side by side: the two side tables were piled high with cold meat and vegetarian dishes; the central table held fruit platters, an incense burner, a pig’s head, and a large porcelain bowl filled with wine.

Before the left table stood a copper basin large enough for a man to bathe in.

Guan Zhong, dressed in plain robes, squatted beside the basin, burning strings of paper ingots one by one.

The courtyard immediately blazed with crimson fire.

Hu Chen also donned a deep blue Daoist robe and was now writing a petition on rice paper with a brush.

The text was brief—only about a hundred characters—and straightforward: My name is Guan Hu Chen; ‘Guan’ is the same as in Guan City, the City God of Yingxiang Prefecture; ‘Hu Chen’ is the same as in the Cavalry Commandant of Shu. I have come near Hengsha Pass on official business under the special mandate of the Human Emperor. Today I have prepared fine wine and spirit money to offer to the Earthly Court’s ‘Grand God Song Da’... yes, the Patrol Envoy who delivers messages from the Earthly Court’s judges to the city’s radiant ones.

A petition, also called a ‘Shu Tou,’ is a prayer text written by the living to petition spirits and deities.

Generally, the content is not long nor overly complex.

After all, spirits and deities are also ‘people’—if the prayer is too elaborate, the phrasing too awkward, or the meaning too obscure, they cannot understand it, and they grow impatient.

After finishing the petition, Hu Chen checked it once more, ensuring no misspellings or taboo words, then placed it into the fire basin and lit it.

“Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...”

The effect was excellent: as soon as the rice paper bearing the petition turned to ash, a cold wind suddenly arose in the courtyard.

The flames in the fire basin seemed enclosed by an invisible barrier, their glow dimming noticeably, yet the speed at which the fire consumed the paper ingots did not slow—on the contrary, the wind fed the flames, making them burn faster.

“Hu Chen, younger brother, why have you summoned me here?”

A cold, joyous, grating voice echoed from the main seat before the altar, accompanied by the faint clinking of cups, plates, and bowls.

The voice sent shivers down the spine and chilled the bones, yet its delight was unmistakable.

Guan Zhong stole a glance and saw the wine in the large bowl and the dishes on the plates rapidly diminishing.

Beside the table, piles of chicken, duck, and fish bones were quickly accumulating, their surfaces still bearing sharp tooth marks.

The spirit had arrived!