Chapter 466

This is the second time I have used the paper soldier summoning technique, which is slightly different from before in Anhui. Last time I did it to search the mountains, but this time I made paper soldiers for the sake of realism.

Yes, exactly realism. Ordinary summoning technique, no matter how meticulous, some cultivators can still tell at a glance that these are vengeful spirits.

Yuan Zheng, military soul, killing form, spirit passage, bone-naming technique, heavy soul fate

When I was carrying a large stack of paper to the mid‑slope of the back mountain, Song Lin and Pangzi were already sitting by the small cave opening there, lighting a fire and resting. Seeing me arrive, Song Lin immediately stood up, took a deep breath, and said, "Are you all ready?"

"Pangzi already told you," I said with a smile.

"En, I won't waste words! Just tell me what I should do, what I can do! As long as the theater troupe doesn't collapse, I'm willing to do anything." Song Lin expressed his resolve in the simplest words.

"Good, since that's the case, I won't waste time. Now slowly recall the script of the Huang'an battle play! After I summon all the vengeful spirits later, I'll have you start performing the play, and you just start performing!"

"Perform the play," Song Lin said, slightly surprised, but quickly regained composure: "Alright, when you tell me to sing, I'll sing."

guide rice, talisman paper, command flag, underworld ghost gate

Ghost Power Great King Mantra, dharma ruling, incense oil, meritorious energy flow, Dragon-Drawing Method, Yin Shan Sect

As my final talisman command of the mysterious taboo fell, waves of yin‑cold air drifted from the sky, clusters of mist like ghost fire rose on the small path ahead; the thick mist dispersed, and vague human figures blurredly stood before our eyes.

"All soldiers, hear my command..." The beginning of a talisman incantation, I spoke while inscribing the events on the plain text before the altar.

The talismans of Yin Mountain, including many Daoist Sect troop‑summoning talismans, have an innate restraining power over ghosts. Therefore, when we summon souls, ghosts must obey us. Of course, this only applies to weak wandering souls; if resentment is strong or the ghost's cultivation is high, they have a certain autonomy, the right to negotiate with us and make demands.

The ghosts walked up to the altar stiffly, writing their names and eight characters on the main talisman text; I carefully noted which wandering soul corresponded to each name and eight characters. Then Pangzi pin‑calculated with his five fingers, weighing out the bones of these ghosts.

tailor's ruler

Although the paper soldiers made according to bone‑weight measurements need not be perfectly accurate, their weight and limb length must match the ghosts almost exactly.

A person's name and eight characters are heaven; when they land they are earth; ** is person. Only when the three powers of heaven, earth, and man are united can one be called a person; therefore, to be indistinguishable from a real person, one must harmonize man with heaven.

During the cutting process, several paper soldiers were scrapped. Afterwards, gradually, after becoming skilled, I sped up, spending nearly half an hour before finally gluing together twenty‑three paper soldiers.

"We can begin!" After the paper soldiers were glued together and I used the command flag to summon the twenty‑three souls into them, I then turned and had Song Lin start singing.

Song Lin without hesitation took a deep breath, assumed a stage pose, clenched one fist, and began the opening of the Huang'an battle play.

Modernized anti‑Japanese Peking opera differs greatly from ordinary Peking opera; the usual Peking opera, whether excerpts from Romance of the Three Kingdoms, The West Chamber, etc., is all about elocution. For example, the performance last night of Lin Chong rushing to the mountain god temple at night had a lively tune, but ordinary people couldn't understand it. After reform and opening up, the staged anti‑Japanese Peking opera changed: whether it's Sha Jia Bang or Zhao Family Town, it's all in vernacular, which ordinary people can understand.

"It's time," I said, looking out over the empty expanse, to Song Lin: "Brother Lin, we can begin."

"Wait..." Suddenly Pangzi stood up.

Pangzi rested his chin on his hand, pondered for a moment, glanced at Song Lin, then asked me: "Hai Sheng, do you think letting Lin Ge play the regiment leader who leads the ** troops in their anti‑war effort would be more realistic? After all, this group of newly‑learned ghosts doesn't have Lin Ge's skill."

"This..." I hesitated a bit, after all this is extremely dangerous; one mistake could get us killed at any moment—this is no joke.

At that moment, Song Lin, standing aside, slapped his chest and declared loudly: "Leave it to me, no problem!"

"Are you really capable?" I still felt uneasy. Original Zheng is a military soul savage body, with keen spiritual perception. So I cannot place any magical implements or talismans on Song Lin's body; doing so would undoubtedly put his safety in great jeopardy. Paper soldiers are fine—if things go wrong I can recall them with the command flag—but Song Lin…

"As long as the Liu family troupe doesn't fall, I can do anything!" Song Lin doesn't use many words to express himself, but his dark, honest face has never shown a hint of hesitation or fear. Those three words, "Liu family troupe," seem to have become his spiritual backbone.

"Alright, then let's begin!" Having come to this point, we are like an arrow on the bowstring that must be released. Pangzi and I can only be as careful as possible, doing our best to protect Song Lin.

regiment commander, outside the mountain, ambush from all sides, camp

Song Lin and nine paper‑crafted souls were performing the Huang'an battle, while Pangzi and I slipped into the nearby woods. Both of us held talismans, ready at any moment.

Japanese soldiers, soldier souls, Only seven ghosts portraying **

"Hai Sheng, do you really think this method works?" Pangzi leaned against the left side of the woods, staring at the actors by the bonfire, and asked me.

"It works, it definitely works!" I nodded without hesitation, aside from the specific factor of Original Zheng appearing on the anti‑Japanese drama stage. In the dark I also had a feeling that tonight Original Zheng would surely appear.

Song Lin projected his voice as much as possible, letting it echo far into the valley. As the play unfolded, the situation grew more intense, both sides nearly coming to blows.

But just then, the quiet, dark valley suddenly stirred with an oppressive atmosphere; accompanying this breath‑stifling mood came a stirring, sorrowful melancholy.

"They're here..." I frowned, unable to hold back an exclamation.

No sooner had the words left my mouth than the valley erupted with a earth‑shaking roar; a burly black figure burst from the pitch‑black night and charged straight at Song Lin by the bonfire.

"Go," I snarled, grabbing a talisman and preparing to rush out first. The black figure's approach was formidable; once it started fighting, the surrounding troops would be no match for it. Hearing its earth‑shaking roar as it charged furiously toward Song Lin, to protect his safety I immediately grabbed the talisman and command flag and rushed to his position.

But at that moment something happened that no one expected; I could only watch helplessly as Original Zheng's ghost lunged toward Song Lin.