Chapter 10: Night Worship of the Divine

“Grandpa, you seem to be in good spirits today.”

“That’s true—I don’t know why, but my chest doesn’t feel tight anymore, my breath flows free, and suddenly a lot of things make sense. It’s strange…”

“Life’s just life, that’s all.”

Grandpa Li Gui’s condition today was strange—he didn’t get angry at the broken plaque, even wandered around the village entrance and fields, no longer squatting by the door smoking in silence as he used to.

Li Yan naturally understood.

The plaque’s damage had caused the Three Talismans of Demon-Sealing coins to fall out, breaking the evil curse directed at their family; the three blades hanging over their heads vanished, and the heart naturally felt light.

This effect wasn’t obvious on the surface.

The elder could still sense it, faintly.

Perhaps because he was in good spirits, after dinner Grandpa Li Gui squatted by the door, smoked a few puffs, and began singing an old Qin opera he hadn’t sung in years:

“Wearing a golden circlet-bound cap, draped in a robe of Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams. Girded with silk cords of Yang-Restoring grass, stepping on Cloud-Ascending shoes…”

“Mystic, mystic, wondrous, wondrous—I’ve roamed the Three Mountains and Five Peaks. Ask my name and surname? Turn your head, snap your neck—Shen Gongbao!”

Qin opera, the Yellow River Array.

This world also had the Legend of the Deification, widely known.

“The Yellow River Array” was especially beloved by old and young in Guanzhong.

Inside the room, listening to Grandpa’s booming Qin opera, Li Yan sat on a stool, holding the Guanshan Dao, sharpening it methodically on a whetstone.

Clang! Clang!

The rugged Qin opera blended with the sound of sharpening.

As the sun set, Li Yan held the blade up for inspection.

The cold blade shimmered with lethal brilliance!

…

The Earth God Temple, also called the Temple of Virtuous Blessings, originated from ancient She-shen worship.

The “Rites of Zhou: Spring Officials” states that beyond the Great Deity, there are Earth Deities and Ground Deities—these became the names for later Earth Gods. The Five Earth Deities are the She.

It can be said that this belief has run through folk religion from ancient times to the present.

Even today’s imperial court has issued edicts requiring one altar per Company Commander, to worship the Five Earth Deities and Five Grains.

Thus, Earth God Temples are nearly ubiquitous across the Nine Provinces.

Of course, their size and the vigor of their incense offerings vary.

In Guanzhong, most people till the soil for their livelihood—they fear no hardship or fatigue, only unpredictable weather.

Hence, Earth God and Dragon King temples enjoy strong incense offerings.

The Earth God Temple in Li Family Village was no exception.

This temple was small, built with blue bricks and yellow mud along the roadside, a dirt hut barely taller than a man, no more than five paces in length or width.

Calling it a temple was generous—it was more like a shrine, barely able to shield from wind and rain.

Inside, the Earth God and Earth Goddess were enshrined; though their painted smiles were benevolent, the colors had peeled and faded, making them seem strangely eerie under moonlight.

Before the altar, incense ash and spent candles piled like mountains; red blessing ribbons were tied to surrounding trees, clearly indicating heavy daily offerings.

Tonight, the moon shone like frost, and mist curled thickly around.

A flicker of light came from the village, drawing nearer.

The figure was Li Yan.

He wore coarse black cloth, leg wrappings tied tight, a Guanshan Dao at his waist, one hand holding a basket, the other a lantern.

To avoid being seen, he also wore a wide straw rain hat.

Walking alone in the dark, he carried an air of mystery.

Arriving before the Earth God Temple, Li Yan lifted his head slightly; beneath the hat, his gaze burned with cold intensity.

Sharpening the blade in the afternoon was no different from honing his killing intent.

After confirming no one was around, Li Yan set down the basket and took out fruits, offerings, incense, candles—even roasted meat and a jar of wine.

He arranged them in order, lit the candles.

Li Yan rubbed his face, then broke into a bright smile, cracked open the wine jar’s clay seal, and whispered: “Earth God Grandpa, we’ve come to see you.”

“You’ve watched me grow up—you’re practically family. I never came to burn incense before, that was my fault, but I couldn’t just let that evil thing wreak havoc…”

“Tonight, I borrow your sacred ground—we’ll join forces to purge the evil. What do you say?”

Knowing this world wasn’t simple, Li Yan naturally changed his tone.

He usually Landeshaoxiang —whether it worked or not, when the moment came, he’d say the right words, to avoid mishaps later.

And truthfully, this Earth God Temple was different.

Before, even a hundred paces away, the incense scent was strong; now, after he placed the offerings and lit the candles, he felt an unexpected warmth.

It resembled the feeling from the “Hundred Battles, Mighty and Fierce” plaque, but gentler.

Meanwhile, the Three Talismans of Demon-Sealing coin tassel in the red cloth pouch at his waist grew colder.

Clearly, these were two entirely different forces.

Yet they did not clash; according to the widow Wang, the Three Talismans of Demon-Sealing coins were forged in the previous dynasty, consecrated with incense offerings atop Mount Tai, and had become a ritual artifact.

Yin and yang may oppose, yet they can also harmonize and complement.

Li Yan was still a novice—he didn’t understand the principles behind it.

But he could read people; he saw the widow Wang meant no harm—she truly wished to destroy the Cold Jar Demon Soldier.

Thinking of this, Li Yan chuckled:

“Earth God Grandpa, if you don’t speak, I’ll take that as your agreement!”

Saying this, he lit three sticks of incense and prayed sincerely.

After inserting the incense, he bowed three times respectfully, then, as the widow Wang instructed, unfastened the red cloth pouch from his waist, took out the Three Talismans of Demon-Sealing coin tassel, and placed it before the Earth God Temple.

Instantly, he sensed a difference.

Though nothing visibly changed, he could smell the warm incense scent now enveloping the tassel.

He was no Daoist practitioner, had never cultivated.

With the tassel’s enhancement, the Guanshan Dao radiated lethal energy—he could barely endure its chill after less than a pipe’s worth of smoke.

With the Earth God Temple’s incense blessing, he could wield it far longer.

Seeing no mishaps, Li Yan relaxed, rose, circled the temple several times, memorizing every detail of the terrain.

Night combat demanded low visibility—familiarity with the environment was crucial.

The temple sat against a small hillock, barely a hundred paces from the official road; farther off lay a poplar grove, the ground flat, no ditches or ravines.

For him, this was an advantage—he wouldn’t stumble in the dark.

Having finished, Li Yan returned to the temple, sat cross-legged, the Guanshan Dao resting across his knees, glanced at the sky, then closed his eyes to rest. Behind him, the Three Talismans of Demon-Sealing coin tassel remained enshrined.

As the widow Wang had warned, this artifact could only be used after the demon soldier possessed its host—otherwise, it would scare the target away, ruining everything.

Incense curled, the Earth God and Goddess still smiled benevolently…

…………

Finally, Zi Hour arrived.

It was a uniquely potent time.

Within the temple’s incense range, Li Yan felt it more deeply.

Zi Hour carried the heaviest yin energy—even the temple’s warmth seemed suppressed, cold rising from the ground.

Yet, a faint yang began to stir.

At this hour, rats emerge to move about—thus Zi belongs to the rat.

!.

Folklore says that though small, rats teem with vitality; they can gnaw a crack into the primordial chaos, allowing yang to rise gradually, enabling yin-yang rotation—hence the saying, “The rat gnaws open heaven.”

This is why Zi, the rat, leads the twelve zodiacs.

Of course, at this hour, evil spirits and ghosts are most rampant.

Heaven’s yang is suppressed; human yang is too—easiest to exploit by such entities.

Suddenly, Li Yan opened his eyes, cold light blazing.

Hoo~

From afar on the official road, an unnatural wind surged, swirling dust in place.

Under the moon, it stood out starkly.

Simultaneously, Li Yan smelled that icy, putrid stench.

The chill along his spine intensified.

He knew—this was the curse laid upon him, a kind of marker; even if he fled to the ends of the earth, it would pursue relentlessly.

Sensing his presence, the whirlwind turned toward the Earth God Temple.

But when it neared the temple’s incense boundary, it was blocked, swirling and thrashing, unable to enter.

Hoo~

The icy wind howled, the stench growing thicker.

The wind’s sound entered Li Yan’s ears—and transformed.

“Yan boy, where are you?”

“Come out, come home with me…”

A weary, mournful voice—his grandfather’s.

Li Yan’s lips curled into a cold smile, unmoved.

Though not of the Xuanmen, he had discerned some patterns.

First, these so-called Cold Altar Challenging Soldiers possessed intelligence and were exceedingly cunning, more like beasts, governed by primal rules—lacking the depth of human thought, yet bound by certain limits.

Otherwise, how could they have been fooled twice in a row?

Second, they did not know human secrets, but could bewitch the mind, and required a curse to manifest.

The grandfather, who had not been cursed that night, heard nothing.

This bewitching art targeted the weaknesses of the heart.

For instance, since he most feared for his grandfather, it would mimic the old man’s voice.

The heart is the mirror—no gap left unpenetrated.

Moreover, the foe excelled in concealment.

During the day, he circled the village several times and detected no trace of the thing’s scent. Nor did it stir the guard dogs when it slipped into the village.

Only when wounded would the village dogs sense it.

According to Widow Wang, the thing had tried to possess her body.

As long as one remained within the incense power of the Tudi Temple, unfooled by its deception, the Cold Altar Challenging Soldier could only enter by possessing an intruder.

Indeed, the situation had changed.

As the dark wind repeatedly struck, the Tudi Temple began to stir.

The scent of incense nearby grew stronger.

Li Yan felt warmth flow through his heart; the chill of the curse on his back clearly lessened, and the bewitching cries vanished with it.

The Tudi Lord delivered!

Li Yan silently praised within.

Huh~

Yet, the dark wind began to slowly retreat.

It seemed it intended to leave.

That wouldn’t do!

Li Yan’s heart sank.

He had no time to waste chasing it; besides, the talisman tablet guarding his home was already ruined. If he missed tonight, his grandfather might be in danger.

Thinking of this, Li Yan’s eyes flickered—a plan formed.

Without hesitation, he sprinted to the boundary of the Tudi Temple’s incense power.

“Don’t rush off. Let’s play a bit longer.”

“Hey, I’m coming out…”

“Hey, I’m going back in…”

“Come on! Have the guts to strike me!”

The blatant provocation drove the thing into utter frenzy.

Huh!

Suddenly, a violent dark wind surged.

Li Yan’s heart tightened; he hastily retreated into the Tudi Temple.

But when the gale passed, that unique icy, foul stench was gone.

Did it really flee?

As Li Yan cursed inwardly, he suddenly felt a chill behind him.

Whoosh!

In the distance, a flock of birds took flight in panic from the poplar grove.

Through the thick fog, a wolf with glowing red eyes slowly crawled forth.

Then, over a dozen wolves of all sizes burst from different directions, surrounding the Tudi Temple…

(End of Chapter)