Chapter 326

I fell to the ground, my limbs twitching continuously; it wasn't that I had been struck by someone, but that my body was too cold.

"Damn it, at this moment I actually have to release yin." I cursed inwardly, struggling to get up.

Releasing yin is a secret technique of the Yin Mountain Sect, but this technique is not for attacking people; it is used by the Daoist himself to save his life. Members of the Yin Mountain Sect cultivate year after year in places of extreme yin energy such as graves, and are known in the Daoist Sect for commanding ghosts, so yin energy naturally accumulates in our bodies. Whenever yin energy builds up to a certain level, we must release yin; if we do not, the Daoist will be overwhelmed by yin energy and his body will explode.

But being overwhelmed by yin energy usually comes with some warning signs; never before has it been as sudden as today.

"Hehe, Yin Mountain brat, you'd better look after yourself first; that cat immortal granny has been taken away."

At that moment, the fox immortal attached to the yellow-robed boy laughed loudly, scooped up the unconscious cat immortal from the ground, leapt up, and quickly disappeared from my sight.

"Damn, don't scare me, Hai Sheng?" Pangzi, not bothering with the escaping cat immortal, crouched on the ground anxiously asking me.

"Hurry up and leave, don't worry about me..." I gritted my teeth, desperately enduring the yin energy on my body; even though I felt as if I were in an ice cellar, I still forced out a sentence.

Pangzi snorted, his eyes red as he shouted at me: "What the hell are you talking about? I, Wang Weiqiang, am not the kind of person who abandons his brothers." He then fumbled to help me up: "Tell me what the hell is going on."

I had no energy left to answer him; I could only, while my consciousness was still clear, urge him to leave quickly, as far away as possible.

When a Yin Mountain Daoist releases yin, all trees and livestock within a ten-meter radius will have their lives taken by the yin energy. Although Pangzi had heard that I, a Yin Mountain Daoist, was going to release yin, he had no idea what releasing yin entailed, so he also didn't know how dangerous it was.

"Are you leaving or not?" I snapped, cursing outright in my anxiety.

Pangzi stubbornly shook his head, saying: "I'm not leaving, I'm not leaving. Damn it, if something happens to you, who will I bully in the future? If you die, who will be the nanny for my future son?"

... The yin energy hadn't yet exploded my body, but Pangzi's words almost made me die of anger.

Finally, I could only glance at him with tears I couldn't shed, and said: "You're not leaving, right? Then later remember to protect yourself with the Golden Light Mantra; make sure you don't get hit by the yin energy when I release yin."

After I said that, Pangzi finally relaxed: "Oh, so it's releasing yin? Go ahead and release it quickly; I'll stand guard here." He spoke as if releasing yin were no big deal, like farting.

The cold inside my body grew stronger, almost forming frost on my skin; if I dragged on, I feared I would be overwhelmed by yin energy and my body would explode.

I quickly crawled to a tree, sat cross-legged, bit my finger to draw a talisman on the ground, and began chanting the incantation for releasing yin.

In the hurry, I glanced at Pangzi. I saw him sitting cross-legged with the White Crane finger posture, apparently having heeded my words and using the Golden Light technique to protect his body. Seeing this, my heart settled a little; although the Golden Light Mantra is an entry-level method of the Daoist Sect, it is also the unsurpassed method for protecting the body and repelling evil. Even ordinary people who regularly recite the Golden Light Mantra can ward off evil and keep demons at bay.

You dead Pangzi, if you don't listen to me now, you'll have a hard time later.

The icy feeling on my body grew stronger, almost rushing to my head; I hurriedly held my breath and calmly released yin, daring not to be the slightest bit careless.

Having closed off the six senses, I could see nothing of the outside world, only slowly sorting through the yin energy rising in my body. Each release of yin is, for a Yin Mountain Daoist, equivalent to making a trip through the gates of hell. The success or failure of releasing yin determines the life or death of a Yin Mountain Daoist; it is of paramount importance in their cultivation.

Normally, when a Daoist is about to release yin, his body gives advance signs. Yin Mountain Daoists usually first find a secluded spot, set up a spell formation, and then release yin. But this time the yin energy came so suddenly that it seems to be a lingering effect from last night's summoning of generals.

I don't know how long passed, but I felt a sudden emptiness in my body, shivered, and felt as refreshed as after urinating.

I opened my eyes, and the sight before me made me suck in a breath of cold air.

I saw that, centered on me, the surrounding trees, flowers, and grass were all withered, as if sprayed with deadly pesticide. The leaves were coated with a dark hue, completely wilted, devoid of any vitality.

"By the way, how's Pangzi? Is he alright?" Seeing the wretched state of the plants, I instinctively thought of Pangzi; although he is also a Daoist, could such dense yin energy not harm him?

"Holy shit, it's... so cold." A voice of Pangzi gritting his teeth and trembling came from behind me; I turned around and couldn't help but laugh.

Pangzi had his arms crossed over his shoulders, his whole body's fat trembling rhythmically, even his teeth chattering.

"You motherfucker, what the hell is this, it's freezing my ass off." Pangzi couldn't help but shiver twice.

I laughed heartily: "You dead Pangzi, you said releasing yin was no big deal, now you know you were wrong, huh? See if you dare to mess around next time." Although my tone was still teasing him, I couldn't help but feel relieved in my heart. Pangzi is my brother; I absolutely cannot just stand by and watch him come to harm.

"Your sister, if I knew releasing yin was this weird, next time even if you paid me I wouldn't accompany you." Pangzi cursed, stood up, and began practicing Xingyi boxing.

"By the way, the cat immortal has been taken away; what should we do, just go back?" Pangzi shook his stiff fists and asked me.

I gritted my teeth and said sternly: "Of course not; that cat immortal killed Qingqing. No matter if I have to chase him to the ends of the earth, I must kill him, even if he has the protection of the shamanic sect, I must demand justice for the deceased Qingqing."

Pangzi wondered: "You hadn't even met Qingqing before, right? How come her death makes you grieve more than if your mother died? That makes no sense."

I sighed, waited a while, then thought of Xiao Meng and Qingqing; they are, really, too alike. I can't fathom how there could be two people so alike in this world.

When the images of the two of them gradually overlapped in my mind, I told Pangzi everything that had happened in the past.

After hearing me out, Pangzi also couldn't help but sigh: "No wonder you're determined to kill that cat immortal; it turns out there's a reason."

I nodded glumly; heaven gave me a chance to have a second dream appear before my eyes, but I couldn't properly protect her, only watch helplessly as the wild immortal seized her vitality. I hate my own inadequacy, and I wish to tear the cat immortal who killed Qingqing into ten thousand pieces.

By now, Pangzi no longer tries to dissuade me, for he knows that if I cannot kill the cat immortal to memorialize Qingqing, I will spend my lifetime in guilt; this will inevitably become a mental obstacle on my cultivation path, accompanying me for life.

Put simply, a mental obstacle is a cultivator's inner demon, an attachment that cannot be let go. Not every Daoist can achieve desirelessness; even after his father's death, he might feel it's none of his business and simply put it aside. But once there is something you cannot let go of, or a grudge, it will inevitably follow a Daoist for life. If you cannot see through it, you may be disturbed by the mental obstacle and fall into the demonic path.

The best way is either to be guided by others to let go of this demonic obstacle, or else to completely eradicate it so that it disappears entirely.

I believe I have done nothing wrong; that cat immortal killed Qingqing, and moreover she is a wild immortal who cultivates by stealing people's vitality. My action is also carrying out heaven's will, eliminating a monstrous evil.

Pangzi pondered for a while, then asked weakly: "Now that wild cat has been taken by the horse-riding immortal's disciple named Fang Xin. The world is vast; where should we look for him? Do we really have to kick down his northeastern lair?"

I shook my head and affirmed: "Fang Xin must have set up an altar nearby; otherwise he wouldn't have been able to invite immortals to possess him just now."

Pangzi asked doubtfully: "How so?"

I am so certain because I know that horse-riding immortals, like yin-passing grannies, cannot go far. Once they stray far, the immortals cannot possess the medium; the medium's techniques used outdoors are far less effective than when used near the altar.

Now we are deep in Anhui, still a long distance from the northeast. Yet Fang Xin can invite immortals to possess him at will. Being able to invite immortals to possess him means he must have set up an altar nearby.

After hearing my explanation, Pangzi sighed weakly: "Alright, then when do you say we should go look for him?"

I replied without hesitation: "Right away."

Pangzi jumped up as if his tail had been stepped on: "Right away? You're not joking, are you?"

I again affirmed without hesitation, word by word: "Right away, we must find him immediately; otherwise, once he flees back to the northeast, it will be hard for us to seek redress."

Pangzi slumped, resigned: "Alright, right away then right away."

Having said that, he supported me as we prepared to go down the mountain.

"Ring ring ring" suddenly, a sound like a bell rang out, startling me; I thought some demon or monster had come. But… damn it, my soul-summoning bell was already broken; where did this ringing come from?

"Hey hey hey, don't overreact; this is my phone's sound." Pangzi pursed his lips and pulled out that heavy brick phone from his satchel.

"How did you bring this thing along too?" I speechlessly took the brick phone he produced.

This brick phone was given to QingSongShu by a Hong Kong boss the year before last; Pangzi liked it and asked QingSongShu for it. I never imagined he would actually bring this brick phone to Anhui; damn it, carrying such a heavy thing, doesn't he find it tiring?

"This number seems a bit unfamiliar; could it be some pretty girl calling me to chat about feelings?" Pangzi gave a lecherous smile and pressed the answer button.

However, before Pangzi could speak, a panicked voice came from the other end of the phone.

Brother, where are you? Come back quickly, there's a ghost in this house, Zhengyang died, Huangsheng died, Zhoutian also died, so many people died, we can't get out now, where are you, come back quickly.

The voice was filled with bewilderment and helplessness, and I and Pangzi both recognized it as Mengxue's voice.

"Mengxue, don't panic, slowly tell Brother clearly what's going on?" Pangzi also became anxious upon hearing Mengxue cry.

"The planchette, it's the planchette, wuu wuu"

"Beep beep" When Mengxue finished saying this, the sound of hanging up came from the other end of the phone. No matter how Pangzi shouted, there was no echo on the other end.

After hanging up the phone, I and Pangzi exchanged a glance and, in unison, said a sentence.

"The old castle has had an incident."

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