Chapter 13

Zhang Old Lady - original term: Old Lady Zhang

"Master, I'm back…" When I got home, it was already morning the next day. Just as I stepped outside, I weakly called out into the house.

"Master, I'm back..." When I got home, it was already morning of the next day. Just as I reached the door, I shouted weakly into the house.

At that moment I saw a sight that made my eyes bulge. Li Feng, that jerk, was sitting in the hall with his legs crossed, stuffing himself with chicken legs and drinking liquor.

At that moment, I saw a sight that made my eyes pop out. Li Feng, that guy, was actually sitting in the hall with his legs crossed, greedily eating chicken legs and drinking liquor.

Seeing me come back, Li Feng wiped oil from his mouth with one hand, a big chunk of chicken in his mouth, and mumbled, "You're back, you're back—Master can see you; no need to shout."

Seeing me return, Li Feng wiped oil from his mouth with one hand, a large piece of chicken in his mouth, and mumbled: "You're back, you're back, Master can see, no need to shout like that."

I… is that even shouting? I'm half-dead from exhaustion, damn it—I risked getting hacked to pieces stealing cloth, while you're just lounging here eating chicken legs.

I… is that considered shouting? I'm half-dead from exhaustion, damn it, I risked being hacked to pieces stealing cloth, while you're just lounging here eating chicken legs.

Yin Mountain Command Flag - original term: Yin Mountain Command Flag

Five Ghosts Finger - original term: Five Ghosts Finger

"Uh… actually, Master was worried about you last night, so he went hungry all night and is just making up for it now." Li Feng, feeling guilty, made up an excuse for himself.

"Um… actually, Master stayed up worried about you last night, so I went hungry all night and am just making up for it now." Li Feng, feeling guilty, made up an excuse for himself.

Five Ghosts of the Five Directions - original term: Five Ghosts of the Five Directions

Five Directions Evil Gods - original term: Five Directions Evil Gods

Yellow Incense - original term: Yellow Incense

Li Feng, biting into a chicken leg, waved his hand and said, "Don't give it to me—keep it for yourself to use tonight. Now go wash your hands and eat."

Li Feng, biting into a chicken leg, waved his hand at me: "Don't give it to me, keep it for yourself, use it tonight; now go wash your hands and eat."

I answered, rushed to the well and quickly washed my hands, returned to the table, didn't bother with manners, grabbed a chicken leg, and began biting into it heartily.

I responded, hurriedly ran to the well, casually washed my hands, returned to the table, didn't stand on ceremony, picked up a chicken leg, and started biting into it big mouthfuls.

"By the way, Master, why are cats afraid of rice?" As I ate, I remembered what happened last night—the monk with that bowl of rice, whose power was so strong it scared all the cats away.

"By the way, Master, why are cats afraid of rice?" As I ate, I recalled what happened last night, the bowl of rice in the sorcerer's hand, whose power was great enough to scare all the cats away.

Li Feng spat out a chicken bone, sneering, "You mean the rice that guy was carrying last night? That's "inquiry rice"—each grain is pointed on one end and round on the other. It can subdue wild cats not only because he cast a spell on the rice, but also because inquiry rice belongs to the metal element, is extremely yang, and is naturally a bane of yin evil."

Li Feng spat out a chicken bone, sneering: "You mean the rice that guy was holding last night? That's 'inquiry rice,' each grain pointed on one end and round on the other. It can subdue wild cats not only because he cast a spell on the rice, but also because inquiry rice belongs to metal in the Five Elements, is utmost yang, and is naturally a bane of yin evil."

"But if it were me, I wouldn't bother with all that useless nonsense—I'd just wave the flag and be done with it. Unlike that guy, who's just shouting and yelling." After a pause, Li Feng added dismissively.

"But if it were me, I wouldn't need all that useless fuss; just waving a flag would settle it. Unlike that guy, who's all shouting and yelling." After a pause, Li Feng added contemptuously.

Universal Hermitage - original term: Universal Hermitage

After wolfing down my meal, exhausted, I rolled back to my room to sleep; besides making up for the sleep I missed last night, there was also an important point: using time to soothe my wounded spirit.

But good times always fly by, or else they're wantonly ruined. The old man, like a ghost, dragged me out of bed again, and it was the middle of the night.

"Get up, follow me, don't speak," the old man whispered mysteriously.

I rubbed my eyes; seeing the old man's demeanor, it seemed he was about to do something shady again.

I kept following Li Feng, and we came to the well behind the house.

Beside the well, a yin altar had already been set up; on the ground lay a small stick, and the white cloth I had stolen from covering Old Lady Zhang's head.

"Master, what are you doing?" I asked Li Feng cautiously. I truly couldn't understand; clearly it's my own home, yet I'm made to feel like a thief.

"Don't speak; I'm now going to consecrate the Yin Mountain Banner for you," Li Feng whispered, making a silent gesture.

Li Feng instructed: "Don't say anything; just do as I say."

He had me follow his hand making the Five Ghosts finger sign, walk the Five Ghosts Yu step, then invite the Five Directions Five Ghosts and the Five Directions Evil Gods to descend.

Afterwards, Li Feng used incense to draw several floral characters on the white cloth, then took out a brush and drew a skull in black ink; beneath the skull was a talisman I had never seen before.

"Close your eyes, turn around; no matter what happens, do not look back." Suddenly, Li Feng, with a solemn expression, ordered me.

I took a deep breath, carefully turned my back to Li Feng; even if I were curious now, I dared not turn around, after all Li Feng had issued a death order.

In the middle of the night, the two of us were tinkering with mysterious things beside the well. There was no sound; the only thing I could hear was the chirping of insects.

No, there was also a rumbling sound. Suddenly, a rumbling water sound came from behind; even without turning back, I knew it came from the well behind me.

The well seemed to be rolling with waves, like the sound of the sea at high tide. The water seemed about to gush out of the well, surging toward me; even standing that far away, I felt a piercing chill, as if water droplets had fallen on my back, making my scalp tingle and my whole body cold.

But I dared not move; I could only endure the discomfort, while my mind imagined the water gushing out from behind me, drowning me—it was unbearable.

After a long, long time, the water sound slowly receded.

At the moment the water sound receded, Li Feng's voice also came faintly from behind me.

"All right, you can turn around now."

Turning around, I discovered that the stick and white cloth on the ground were gone; all that remained was the banner in Li Feng's hand.

Li Feng, with a solemn expression, handed me the banner, instructing: "Hold it; this is the Yin Mountain Sect's Yin Mountain Command Banner. Besides being used to dispatch troops and command generals, it can also, via the banner, employ the Dragon-Drawing Secret Method to change fortune and protect the body. The power of the Yin Mountain Banner is immense; even if you wave it at an ordinary person, it will cause them to lose their soul or fall gravely ill. Remember, do not use it unless absolutely necessary, and do not misuse it."

Li Feng's words made me swallow my saliva; I hastily took the banner and placed it carefully. I never expected such a small banner to have such great power.

"In a while, Master will transmit to you the mysterious taboo and method for consecrating this command banner. But you must remember Master's words. The banner must be used cautiously; do not misuse it." Seems uneasy, Li Feng added another reminder.

I put the banner into the box, nodded vigorously: "I remember, Master."

Only now did I understand the purpose of the dead person's white cloth. But why must the consecration of the command banner necessarily use the white cloth covering a dead person's head?

Regarding this question, Li Feng also said he didn't know, only saying this is a rule left by our ancestors: to consecrate the command banner, one must use the white cloth covering a corpse's head and a willow branch.

Only after tonight did I truly count as having entered the Yin Mountain Sect.

From then on, I followed Li Feng, practicing the various arts of the Yin Mountain Sect. By day, I listened to Li Feng teach various talismans, the application of arts, learning to recognize each talisman's head and essence, floral characters, taboo orders, and the use of incantations.

At night, sitting before the altar, swallowing talismans to increase power, training my spiritual sight, paying respects to the "General"—a session lasting several hours. On suitable days, I also had to open the altar to consecrate the command banner, inscribing the mysterious taboo onto it.

As the saying goes, outsiders see the excitement, insiders see the doorway. After entering the sect, I realized that what seemed simple was actually not simple at all. Especially the Yin Mountain Sect, which mixes arts from Mao Shan, Pu An, Lü Shan, and other sects. Therefore, what we must learn is not only Yin Mountain Sect arts, but also to flexibly apply the arts of other sects.

Merely these arts, without ten or eight years of hard work, it's absolutely impossible to achieve complete integration and mastery.

Almost every day my sleep time is only five or six hours, on the premise that Li Feng fears I'll be distracted, so he deliberately lets me focus solely on mountain arts.

For a period of time, I still slept those five hours in split sessions.

How split? For example, sleep half an hour at twelve, another half hour at one, and so on, adding up to five hours.

Because in the Yin Mountain art of dispatching troops and commanding the Five Ghosts, the twelve earthly branches each have different magical incantations; sometimes even the finger gestures and points of focus differ.

In order to better practice and apply flexibly, over a long period I had to get up once every hour.

Besides that, what caused me pain was drawing talismans with a brush. For someone who dislikes studying, it's forever a torment of hand cramps.

Thus, time slowly passed three years. For three years, I followed Li Feng in cultivation without rest. From a clueless simpleton who knew nothing, I slowly became an initiated Daoist. My respect for Li Feng grew; previously I might have called him 'shifu' with my mouth while thinking of him as Old Man Li Feng. But through prolonged contact, moved by his character, whether in heart or speech, there is now only one title: Shifu... Shifu like a father.

I had thought we would continue living such a peaceful, tranquil life; however, man proposes, heaven disposes. When I thought I had found kin again, this master-disciple affinity lasted only three years.