Chapter 62: Spellcraft Under the Moonlit Night

"Graveyard of the Unburied?"

Li Yan froze upon hearing it. "That’s the territory of the Western Wanderers—where yin-sha energy gathers. It’s no place at all. How could a heavenly treasure grow in such a hellish spot?"

Zhao Lizi scratched his head. "Li Brother, you don’t understand. 'Heavenly Treasure' is just a general term for naturally formed spiritual substances—not all of them are beneficial."

"Some can be forged into talismans, some prolong life and heal wounds, some create their own spatial fields and, when placed in a home, regulate feng shui... All beneficial things are blessings from heaven and earth."

"So whenever we retrieve a treasure, we shout, 'We’ve received a blessing!'"

"Conversely, harmful things are called ill omens. Not only do they bring harm when taken, some even transform into spirits, demons, or monsters—requiring great Daoist sects to suppress and seal them."

"You may have heard this tale: During the Tang Dynasty, the Guanzhong region suffered a great drought. A dragonbone reef surfaced in the Wei River. People thought it was the bones of the Dragon King and burned incense to worship it. That very night, sand and stones flew through the air, and countless villagers died. That was an ill omen."

"Later, the Unfinished Son of the Great Xuan Orthodox Sect set up an altar, established a prison to imprison evil, and summoned heavenly lightning to shatter it. In folk tales, it became the story of the Unfinished Immortal slaying the Dragon God."

"So that’s how it is..." Li Yan suddenly understood.

He had heard this opera before—he’d thought it merely a folk tale, never imagining it had a real origin.

Thinking of this, he asked again: "Then what is the Mountain Tai Sui?"

Zhao Lizi answered without concealment: "The name 'Tai Sui' originates from the Year Star, symbolizing imperial authority—not something common folk dare use. Hence the taboo against disturbing Tai Sui."

"Underground Tai Sui has dual natures: some are called flesh lingzhi; consuming them extends life and enhances health. Others absorb yin-sha energy from the earth’s veins, transforming into ill omens. When common folk accidentally dig them up, they fall gravely ill—or die instantly. That’s why it’s called 'digging up earth beneath Tai Sui’s head.'"

"The 'Mountain Tai Sui' grows at the central node of a mountain’s earth vein—absorbing primordial gang qi or gathering primordial sha energy. Over centuries, it may even evolve into divine gang qi, seizing the position of Mountain God. To disturb it recklessly is extremely perilous."

At this, Li Yan’s mind flashed with sudden insight. He spoke low and grave: "We once went to the Graveyard of the Unburied to summon a yin spirit. According to Master Wang, there should have been a Mountain God commanding the yin troops—but there was no response. Could it be this thing?"

Zhao Lizi nodded. "Exactly. That’s it."

"Rumors from Xianyang City say the Graveyard of the Unburied once had a Mountain God—a place of excellent feng shui. But after too many corpses were buried, overwhelming yin-sha energy polluted the Mountain God’s divine gang qi. With offerings cut off, it ceased to manifest."

"According to leaked intelligence, the Western Wanderers’ leader, Master Shan, is an outsider—a rogue sorcerer who seized the position of Wanderer Chief and waited years at the Graveyard of the Unburied, all to steal this treasure."

"The countermeasure is the tattered satchel passed down through generations of Wanderer Chiefs. In a few days, on the ninth day of the ninth month, the Double Ninth Festival, when nine returns to truth and the primordial begins anew, the Mountain Tai Sui will expel all its internal yin-sha energy, attempting to reclaim its divine position."

"At that moment, if we time it right, we can seize the treasure. Its greatest power is healing: no matter how severe the wound, it restores the body to perfect condition."

"So it’s truly that miraculous?"

Li Yan’s face showed surprise—but inside, he had lost interest.

The Mountain Tai Sui’s power paled beside the Great Luo Body. Though absorbing blessings could repair the Great Luo Body, with so many experts converging to fight over it, he’d likely never get a chance.

"Come, come—drink!"

Thinking of this, Li Yan pulled Zhao Lizi to drink.

Drinking and eating meat inside the Mountain God’s temple was disrespectful, so the two lit a bonfire on the hillside outside. Zhao Lizi roasted two wild rabbits he’d caught.

The bright moon had just risen. By the bonfire, the two exchanged cups, chatting about all manner of tales and anecdotes.

Zhao Lizi knew Li Yan was interested in treasure-seeking, so beyond his own lineage, he recounted every legend, taboo, and ancient story without holding back.

Li Yan also shared many secrets of the martial world.

Before they knew it, night had deepened, the bright moon hanging high.

On the pitch-black mountain, the bonfire flickered amid laughter...

…………

Outside Xianyang City, on another hillside, flames flickered just the same.

Two rows of firepans surrounded the area. Night wind swept over the hill, spreading the pungent stench of fat with the swaying flames.

In the open space between the firepans stood a temporary altar.

Unlike the altar Master Wang Xuan had set up, this one held not only incense, candles, water, and fruit—the five offerings—but also a bag of eight-trigram flags, a ritual seal, a peachwood sword, and walls of talismans pasted all around.

Even stranger: a row of wooden puppets stood before the altar, each lifelike, painted with opera masks—sheng, dan, jing, mo, and chou roles all present.

Chen Fakui wore a white Daoist robe of unusual design, resembling funeral attire, with a white headband tied across his forehead. On the back of the robe was embroidered a massive eight-trigram symbol.

In the distance, Yuan Qu stood with several subordinates, along with Zhou Peide, who wore a hooded cloak, all watching in silence.

Yuan Qu glanced at Zhou Peide’s gloomy face and whispered: "Is everything arranged?"

Zhou Peide replied coldly: "Don’t worry. I didn’t reveal any names. I hired Ge Xing from Chang’an—two of Tu Laoer’s most efficient men. They’ve probably delivered the body to Menggu Village by now." Yuan Qu snorted. "So cautious? Brother Zhou, are you afraid?"

Zhou Peide shot him a cold glance and said nothing.

He wasn’t a fool. In fact, after returning home, he’d quickly realized Yuan Qu’s ulterior motive—he was being dragged into this mess.

Zhou Pan didn’t care about him. He didn’t care about Zhou Bai either.

But both of them had the entire Zhou family behind them.

Yuan Qu clearly wanted leverage—if something went wrong, he could threaten Zhou Pan into silence.

Even though Zhou Peide understood this, he still chose to act.

Because he, too, had heard the rumor about the Heavenly Treasure at the Graveyard of the Unburied.

Chen Fakui would go to retrieve it. He’d bring men to assist—and afterward, he’d claim his share.

This was Zhou Bai’s only hope!

What did the Zhou family matter?

When Zhou Bai was abandoned, how many of the elder generation had stepped forward to speak a word of justice for them?

Seeing Zhou Peide’s expression, Yuan Qu smirked and said no more.

At that moment, Chen Fakui suddenly opened his eyes, glanced at the bright moon, then picked up the peachwood sword. He chanted a spell, formed hand seals, and stepped the Nine Stars gang step.

!

Puff!

He lifted the eight-trigram water bowl from the altar and spat water into mist.

This was called "spitting water."

Water nurtures all things, akin to the Dao. The "spitting water" technique purifies dust, dispels filth, and clears malevolent qi—it’s also the essential first step to activating the altar.

Instantly, wind arose and water stirred; the altar’s gang qi gathered into a powerful force.

Of course, Yuan Qu and the others couldn’t see this—they only noticed a sudden wind had risen, swirling violently around the altar and making the firepans sway.

But this was only the beginning.

At this moment, Chen Fakui seemed transformed—his posture upright, gaze profound. He twirled the peachwood sword in several flourishes, raised the ritual flag in his other hand, pointed it toward the sky, then shifted his gang steps again, as if dodging something unseen...

After completing the ritual, he slammed the seal onto the table, seized a flag, and hurled it into the air while chanting: "By the command of the Nine Primordial Spirits, all camp troops—hasten, as the law commands!"

He then pointed the peachwood sword forward.

Whoosh~

Instantly, a chilling yin wind howled.

The wooden puppet on the altar, dressed as a dan role, creaked and slowly turned its head—as if pulled by invisible threads—its stiff limbs rising to stand upright.

This sight sent chills down Yuan Qu and the others.

Chen Fakui glanced at them coolly. "Go. Follow the plan. Take the puppet to the outskirts of Shangyi Village. When it returns, leave immediately."

Yuan Qu nodded. "Zhu Tie Dan, it’s your turn!"

The man he referred to was a burly, broad-faced brute, famed in the White Ape Gang as the bravest of them all—once eaten human liver with wine without flinching.

Yet now, his face was pale, sweat drenching his forehead. Meeting Yuan Qu’s cold gaze, he gritted his teeth and stepped forward, trembling as he reached for the puppet.

Rustle-rustle...

Unexpectedly, the puppet crawled up his arm like a spider and clung to his back.

"Ahh! Ahh!"

Zhu Tie Dan screamed, clawing frantically at his back.

Chen Fakui frowned. "Relax. Don’t move."

Yuan Qu barked coldly: "Zhu Tie Dan, if you mess this up, I’ll bury you alive in a grave tonight!"

Under their threats, Zhu Tie Dan forced a grimace, quickened his pace, leapt onto a nearby black horse, yanked the reins, and galloped toward Shangyi Village.

Along the way, he felt his back grow colder, as if someone were whispering into his ear—he trembled uncontrollably.

But his courage was real. Once he adjusted, he stopped thinking, muttering to himself: "Roasted meatballs, lamb offal, donkey meat buns..."

He raced like the wind, unaware he’d reached the outskirts of Shangyi Village.

Zhu Tie Dan suddenly felt his back lighten. He swallowed hard, cautiously turned his head to look.

The wooden puppet on his back had vanished...

(End of Chapter)