Chapter 52: Zhou Jin and Tong Shen

“Something like this…”

After listening, the old Daoist frowned in thought: “Sounds like a Rosha bird.”

“Rosha bird?”

“A yin evil born of death qi—not a real bird, but often takes bird form, with sharp claws and fangs, skilled in transformation and deception, usually appearing at dusk or dawn to harm people.” The old Daoist remained seated on the steps, posture careless. “I’ve never seen one myself, but when I was young, before I became a Daoist, I heard someone in the neighboring village was killed by it. Later, after becoming a Daoist, I learned its origins from my master.”

“It can fly, because it is qi itself—but it flies low, for death qi is turbid and sinks to the ground. Blades, arrows, and weapons inflict little harm; only when it takes form does it suffer greater damage.”

“Death qi is tied to human corpses—it learned its shape-shifting from them, and its ability to peer into human hearts as well.”

The old Daoist paused, then sighed:

“During times of war and chaos, these things were more common. It’s been many years since I last heard of one—yet now it’s appeared again.”

“So that’s how it is.”

Lin Jue understood his sigh.

Master Yunhe had lived for several decades; though shorter than most dynasties, it was long enough to witness rises and falls. To him, the world’s changes likely came faster and more concretely than to the young.

“You noticed something was wrong—that shows wit. With your few days of Dao practice and this little magic you’ve learned, to fight such a yin evil, you’ve got some talent.” The old Daoist spoke like a village elder chatting at home. “Your junior sister is much the same. Don’t be fooled by her youth—she knows far more than she lets on. She has a natural gift for the Five Phases; learning Five Phase magic suits her perfectly. And Five Phase magic excels in combat… Good. Very good. When you both leave the mountain in a few years, I won’t worry so much about you.”

“My junior sister is indeed clever,” Lin Jue readily praised her.

“Pity—we practice Yin-Yang Spirit Law. Five Phase Spirit Law would suit her best. With Five Phase Spirit Law paired with Five Phase magic, given her disposition and these chaotic times, she’d likely achieve great things.”

“Five Phase Spirit Law…”

Lin Jue murmured the phrase again.

Spirit Laws across the world differ yet interconnect: one who cultivates Yin-Yang Spirit Law can still use Five Phase magic, and vice versa—but harmony between the two is naturally best.

Yet now, like the old Dan Ding School, Spirit Law sects are fading, replaced by Talisman Sects. Magic scrolls are scattered across the land, rare and strange—even traveling performers, who pass down tricks generation after generation, often possess only two-thirds of a single Fire-Repelling Spell. How many fools yearn for Immortality and fail? To have any Spirit Law to cultivate, any magic to learn, is already fortune enough—who can afford to pick the one suited to them?

At most, when I descend the mountain, if fortune favors me, I might seek a Spirit Law that fits—and switch cultivation then.

Losing some Dao cultivation isn’t critical.

“By the way—”

The old Daoist finally stood: “When you went down the mountain before, I told you I’d teach you a simple, useful spell after you mastered the lingering yin soul. Here it is.”

“What spell?”

“Have you heard of ‘Zhou Jin’?”

“Yes.”

How could one not have heard of Zhou Jin?

In this age, the most commonly spoken-of magic among the people are fortune-telling, physiognomy, spirit board séances, illusions, talisman drawing, and Zhou Jin—because they’re simple and widespread, or because their truth is hard to discern, or often both.

Wherever you go, you hear tales of a fortune-teller who’s uncannily accurate, a village where someone summons a spirit board deity, or a man who uses Zhou Jin to expel demons and cure illness. Lin Jue often heard such stories from village elders in Shu Village.

Truly, hard to tell truth from falsehood.

Among these, Zhou Jin is the only one the court and imperial family invite into official service.

Fortune-telling is half-accepted: occasionally someone uses it to gain a minor official post, even becoming National Master—but without formal rank.

Zhou Jin is different.

The court has an official post: Zhou Jin Doctor, subordinate to the Imperial Medical Bureau, ninth rank lower, with underlings called Zhou Jin Trainees—proof of its commonality.

“The court established Zhou Jin Doctors and Trainees because the art is simple and easy to learn—many can master it. It harms humans almost not at all, and for expelling demons, it’s mostly auxiliary. It poses no threat to the imperial family. But don’t underestimate it: many ‘masters’ below the mountain rely on it to expel demons and cure illness. If you count the peace it brings to common folk, hmm—likely more than all the legendary sky-piercing, earth-shaking spells combined.”

“The one I’ll teach you is called the Manifestation Spell—it reveals the true form of spirits. Once you descend the mountain, you’ll find it indispensable.”

“First memorize the incantation, then learn the technique.”

“Listen carefully—

“Heaven and earth vast, spirits of this land heed my command. Spirit light cleanses, shattering ancient darkness. Demons and ghosts, come forth—do not hide from the light. The Three Realms, Yin and Yang—my spell uttered, forms revealed.”

“Again…”

It was the same incantation Third Senior Brother had chanted that night.

Lin Jue repeated it immediately.

…

“Heaven and earth vast, spirits of this land heed my command…”

Back in his room, Lin Jue murmured the incantation again and again, etching it deep into memory.

Now he understood: common demons and spirits aren’t that powerful. If a great demon or ghost truly harmed people, it would have already caused cataclysmic chaos. So the spirits people commonly encounter are rarely stronger than humans—perhaps even weaker—yet they’re elusive, unpredictable, shape-shifting, hard to distinguish, or skilled at hiding, invisible and untouchable.

He could now guess how village ‘masters’ used Zhou Jin to expel demons.

Either they forced the spirit away with incantations, or made it manifest, or trapped it—then handed it over to blades, spears, bows, fire, and oil. Simple, crude—doesn’t matter. As long as it works.

And this spell truly was simple—

Before his master, Lin Jue spoke the incantation for the third time and already achieved spell-spirit alignment. At this point, the incantation had effect—but its strength depended on one’s depth of cultivation.

Back in his room, he took out the ancient book.

He still didn’t know its origin, but its traits were becoming clearer.

The book wasn’t afraid of being lost—even if placed anywhere, as long as he willed it, it appeared beside him, as if sentient. Naturally, he could also command it not to come. After much experimentation, he’d gradually learned how to hear its ‘words’ without starting from the beginning each time. All this control felt like the legendary mind-guided treasure artifacts.

Now he opened it again, turning to a new page:

Zhou Jin: a medical art.

Medicine and witchcraft share a common origin. Zhou Jin methods are numerous—all involve talismans and incantations to expel evil, cure illness, dispel yin, and capture ghosts. It cannot directly harm demons or humans.

Among the many incantations, they can roughly be categorized as: healing, exorcism, yin-dispelling, manifestation, binding, and spirit-attachment. Incantations change over time—each dynasty has its own variations.

Lin Jue gripped the page.

A voice arose in his mind, explaining the essence of Zhou Jin, along with cultivation tips and personal insights.

But no incantations were recorded.

Probably too many to remember—or because they changed often, so none were written down.

Had there been a page before this?

Lin Jue flipped backward—

Tong Shen: ritual procedures.

Spirits have existed since ancient times; later, the Spirit Path formed. Those who serve spirits may communicate with them through fixed ritual procedures—either by submitting petitions or invoking divine power.

Lin Jue gripped the page again.

Instantly, another voice sounded.

He now understood—

Tong Shen originated in ancient rites of nobles praying to heaven. As spirits multiplied and believers grew, spirits imitated these heavenly rites and created their own exclusive rituals. Later, when orthodox immortals gathered in the Nine Heavens, built palaces, and formed systems, standardized ritual procedures emerged—the formal ceremonies for summoning deities.

But spirits aren’t only in heaven.

They exist on earth too.

Some are earth deities or village gods, officially recognized; others are self-proclaimed by common folk; still others are demons, ghosts, or spirits who simply call themselves gods—good or evil, hard to tell.

These spirits have believers, servants, even temples and temple keepers—and they too need communication.

So they borrowed from orthodox divine rituals.

Some changed greatly; others barely at all.

Lin Jue now understood why his master warned him not to casually set up incense altars or spirit platforms.

“New Talisman Sect cultivators who’ve studied strict altar rituals won’t make mistakes. Most Talisman Sect cultivators with real Dao possess a ‘Lu’—recognized by heavenly immortals—and can precisely summon their own deities. But if ordinary people set up altars and incense platforms, it’s uncertain.”

“A slight mistake in the ritual can occur.”

“Most won’t summon any spirit.”

“That’s good.”

“But if they truly summon one—”

“Know this: orthodox deities are busy. They never respond casually to mortals.”

“Someone who once dealt with a malevolent spirit, carrying something tied to it, might summon it; someone near a malevolent spirit’s worship site might summon it; someone might summon a nearby spirit or ghost with such power; someone might summon an unrested ancestor—”

“Mostly not good.”

“...”

The book’s words said so.

The “malevolent spirits” mentioned here refer to deities not recognized by court or heaven—not necessarily evil.

“These words… this ancient book… seems to come from when the Talisman Sect first arose.”

Lin Jue thought silently.

Tong Shen was of little use to him, a Spirit Law cultivator learning magic—but it helped him understand much, making his image of deities clearer, richer.

Before, deities in his mind were utterly abstract.

Lin Jue also looked up Yi Li Shen Jun.

He seemed to be a True Lord under Yu Jian Di Jun, who was widely worshipped in this region—his statue stood in the Tianweng Hall of Fuqiu Temple. If so, then besides Tianweng, the main deity venerated on Qiyun Mountain was likely Yu Jian Di Jun.