Chapter 154

I tightly grabbed Pangzi's both shoulders; because of excessive tension, my nails sank into his flesh.

"What are you saying? Is this really true? Even now, I still can't believe it."

Pangzi felt no pain from the nails digging into his flesh and immediately replied: "It's true; my dad said the Black and White Impermanence will come tonight to take away my sister-in-law's and elder brother's souls."

"What should we do now, Uncle? Does he have a way?" Before Pangzi finished speaking, I anxiously interrupted him again.

"Yes, my dad is currently using the Lamp Avoid Death Method to hide the souls of Zheng Ge and my sister-in-law to avoid death, but..." Pangzi sighed: "With my dad's ability, at most he can only avert it for ten days; after ten days, my dad can no longer conceal the heavenly secrets, and can only watch as the Black and White Impermanence takes their souls."

Upon hearing that there was still room to turn the situation around, I couldn't help but let out a big sigh of relief.

The Lamp Avoid Death Method is actually another clever use of the Body-Hiding Avoid Death Method. The Body-Hiding Avoid Death Method is a technique used by Daoist Sect disciples to avoid calamity and conceal heavenly secrets.

For example, the spell from the Lu Ban Book: "Hide, hide, truly hide; hidden in the Great General Zhenwu; left hand holds the three souls, right hand holds the seven spirits; where to hide, stored in the depths of the Prajna sea; heaven covers earth, earth covers heaven; lift the clouds and mist to see the blue sky; a thousand evil masters cannot find it, ten thousand evil masters cannot achieve it; if an evil master comes and finds it, heavenly thunder strikes and reduces it to dust; I respectfully summon the Six Stars of the Southern Dipper and the Seven Stars of the Northern Dipper; I obey the Supreme Elder Lord's urgent command as per the law."

This is the Body-Hiding Method; in the Daoist Sect it is also called Soul-Hiding. Although some mistakenly think it is an Invisibility Method, in fact the Body-Hiding Method and the Invisibility Method are two different things.

When disciples of the Dharma enter the door, the master will always seal their bodies and store stones with souls; when the disciple's cultivation is still weak, and their spiritual sense perceives a disaster but cannot calculate it precisely, using the Soul-Hiding Method can avoid calamity.

As a cultivator, on the path of cultivation one often encounters the "death gate." The death gate is actually Heaven's punishment for cultivators. To evade punishment and pass through the death gate, Daoists use this Soul-Hiding (Body-Hiding) Avoid Death Method.

However, this Soul-Hiding Avoid Death Method can only be used by Daoist Sect disciples who have undergone the body-sealing instruction; ordinary people using it would find it ineffective.

Consequently, QingSongShu used the two lotus-flower lamps before the Buddha hall altar to hide Dong Yumin and Chen Zheng's souls inside the wicks; when the Black and White Impermanence comes to seize souls, it cannot find theirs.

But human strength eventually runs out; the lamp has twelve turns, each turn a lotus petal falls off; after twelve turns, the lotus lamp will completely fade away; even someone as strong as QingSongShu, when the petals have burned out, may be powerless.

"Pangzi, I need to be away for a while. Tomorrow you must immediately give Murong Jiaja a spirit tablet, then go find Fan Wuchang; take as many people from Dongling as there are. Remember, make every subordinate of Dongling sincerely offer a stick of high incense to Murong Jiaja." I gritted my teeth and instructed Pangzi.

Pangzi was initially bewildered, but after hearing me out, he suddenly understood.

"I understand, you want to use the power of incense to heal the Murong beauty's wounds; once her wounds heal, we can then refine the Eight Treasures Purple Gold Blossom, right?" Pangzi exclaimed happily, then immediately looked at me doubtfully and asked: "Even if the Murong beauty awakens, what about the medicinal ingredients for refining the Eight Treasures Purple Gold Blossom?"

"You don't need to worry about that; the most crucial medicinal ingredient has already been secured!" I said calmly, then repeated to him what Murong Jiaja had told me.

After I finished speaking, both Pangzi and Yuan Qiu couldn't help but feel great joy.

They said in unison: "That's naturally good; why don't we come with you?"

I waved my hand and said: "That won't work; Pangzi, your injuries aren't healed yet, moving around is still a problem; Yuan Qiu, you also need to stay, after all there's still much here that needs your help."

Pangzi worried: "Can you manage alone?"

I forced a light smile and said: "In this situation, even if we can't, we must." Then I patted their shoulders, comforting them: "Don't worry; before Murong Hui Lingyu, she already told me everything that needs to be prepared."

Having said that, I prepared to leave the hospital to gather the materials needed for going up the mountain.

"Wait..."

Just as I was about to leave the hospital and my steps halted, QingSongShu's voice came from inside the ward.

"In Xiaoqiang's room, there is my Huaguang Seal; Hai Sheng, you take it with you up the mountain, just in case." QingSongShu's voice echoed faintly from the room.

He also instructed Pangzi: "Besides, Xiaoqiang, you give the family heirloom Dragon Spring Precious Sword to Hai Sheng, so he can also bring it up the mountain."

QingSongShu's words made me feel warm inside, but upon hearing about the Dragon Spring Precious Sword, both Pangzi and I stared at each other in surprise.

If I remember correctly, Pangzi had already given that Dragon Spring Precious Sword to Wei Xiong; his plan to steal heaven and replace earth hasn't been carried out yet, so he fundamentally had no time to forge a fake sword!

Pangzi's face turned deathly white; he paused, then moved his lips weakly and said: "Dad, that Dragon Spring Sword, I gave it away as a gift."

Stillness, death-like stillness, silence, a silence that frightens one to death.

"You prodigal scoundrel, you dare to give away the family heirloom Dragon Spring Sword. Good, it's truly excellent." After a moment, QingSongShu's angry shout, born of extreme fury mixed with a bitter laugh, echoed from the ward, shaking the entire hospital's ceiling.

Pangzi covered his ears and curled up in the chair, while I immediately fled the hospital.

What a joke! I'm also involved in giving away the Dragon Spring Sword; if QingSongShu finds out and beats me up, what then?

To preserve myself wisely, I decisively chose the Thirty-Six Stratagems: fleeing is the best plan.

……………

After leaving the hospital, following Murong Jiaja's instructions, I bought some doll toys that children like to play with, and also some thin strings; the only thing still missing is donkey hoof blood.

Murong Jiaja said that as long as you dye the string with donkey hoof blood once, you can bind that spiritually matured Huangjing; I don't know what miraculous use donkey hoof blood has, but I have heard of black donkey hooves.

This is one of the essential tools that a grave‑robbing master must prepare, specifically used against zombies. But this donkey hoof blood… can it really bind the Huangjing?

I had some doubts, but in the end I still chose without hesitation to believe Murong Jiaja.

However, to be frank, although technology in the 1990s wasn't very developed, finding a donkey in the city is still an extremely difficult task.

I walked from one end of the street to the other, asking everywhere, but I couldn't find anywhere that sold donkeys.

I could only wander helplessly down the street, hoping for a miracle or a stroke of luck—seeing someone lead a donkey down the street, I would not hesitate to spend a thousand gold pieces to forcibly buy the donkey.

However, after wandering for half an hour, the legendary miracle did not appear; the donkey‑selling tale from martial arts novels is pure nonsense in reality and simply cannot happen.

As I was rubbing my deflated belly while looking for a restaurant on the street, suddenly a restaurant came into my view.

Looking up, I saw the restaurant's signboard read: "Donkey Meat Manor, heavenly dragon meat, earthly donkey meat."

Gazing at the sign, a smile involuntarily crept onto my lips; inspiration struck, and a plan formed in my mind.

"Got it."

Immediately, I pushed open the door without hesitation and walked into the restaurant.

After I pulled out a chair and sat down, a long‑haired waitress in a uniform approached me, wearing a standard smile.

"Boss, hello, what would you like to order?"

I said, "I want to buy donkey blood!"

The waitress's smile froze instantly, her face filled with astonishment.

Moments later, the waitress put on her standard smile again, pen in hand, and began to introduce.

"Boss, what kind of donkey blood would you like? We have donkey blood stew, donkey blood prosperity, donkey blood soup, and also donkey blood hot pot, donkey blood stir‑fried vegetables…"

The waitress smiled and listed off dozens of dish names in a row.

I felt both amused and exasperated, and could only interrupt again: "I don't want these donkey bloods."

The waitress stopped; I thought she understood me, but instead she took out another menu, pointed at the dish names, and gave me another introduction: "Boss, aren't you satisfied? We still have…"

"Stop, stop, stop—I said it, I don't want these; I want donkey blood, raw donkey blood!"

The young lady was stunned, holding the menu, unable to snap out of it for a long while.

After a moment, the young lady extended her thumb, pointing at me and speaking in a weak voice.

"Boss... your taste is truly uniquely strong."

I: "..."