Chapter 69: The Evil Daoist

Cold moon hung dim and misty, paper money fluttered through the sky.

This is called scattering road money.

In Shenzhou funeral customs, when carrying out a coffin, a respected elder of the family must scatter paper money at every crossroad.

One purpose is to guide the deceased’s soul—“the dead travel west, paper money paves the way.”

The other is to distract wandering ghosts and stray spirits, keeping them from clinging.

Wu Laosi used the Spirit-Transcending Technique; his soul had already left his body, leaving the flesh like an open door, attracting wandering ghosts and unclean things.

Legends say wandering ghosts, not yet admitted to the Underworld, are far from at ease—tormented by memories and obsessions from life, while enduring terrible loneliness and cold.

By day, when sunlight strikes, they scatter into nothingness.

Put simply, it’s like landing on a planet where daytime is a lava hell, and nighttime breath turns to ice, freezing even the soul.

Can you imagine how great the allure of a warm, living body is to such things?

Sha Lifei had roamed the Jianghu, and during his unlucky times, he had once worked for wealthy households, helping to organize weddings and funerals, so he was well familiar with this ritual.

“Gentlemen, gentlemen, don’t disturb, don’t disturb!”

As he spoke soothing words, he hurled paper money with force.

Whoosh!

Paper money whirled, spinning rapidly in the cold wind, rising and falling, then settling into stillness.

Li Yan sniffed. “They’re gone!”

The cold wind dissipated; the flickering oil lamps steadied.

Sha Lifei saw this and sighed in relief.

What are paper money?

Wu Laosi said three catties were needed—he bought eight. As long as the job got done, scattering a few extra handfuls wasn’t a problem.

Of course, this was the gentle way.

If scattering paper money failed to drive them off, then Li Yan would have to draw his blade.

Soon after, a few more wandering ghosts appeared.

But before they could draw near, Li Yan warned them off with his talisman.

At that moment, another scent drifted from the riverbank ahead.

Cold and fishy.

Li Yan sprang up, drawing his Guanshan blade and stepping before Sha Lifei, then hanging the Three Talismans Exorcising Coin tassel on the blade.

Sha Lifei asked, “What is it?”

As he spoke, he leaned forward to look.

Beneath the moonlight on the riverbank, a thick snake, as wide as a bowl, glided slowly ashore, coiled into a formation, hissing as it flicked its tongue.

“Don’t look into its eyes!”

Li Yan whispered, gripping the Guanshan blade tightly.

The once still tassel now swayed gently, radiating icy, lethal energy.

Sensing the threat of the Three Talismans Exorcising Coin, the snake halted, hissing uncertainly.

Yet Li Yan dared not lower his guard.

He had heard Wang Daoxuan say that wandering ghosts were the most pitiful beings in heaven and earth—weak, unable to possess even an ordinary traveler without rare luck and great effort.

Sometimes, a mere spit and a few curses could scare them off.

A handful of road money was enough to make them leave.

Even luckier, because of the presence of Xianyang City’s She Ling troops, stronger entities dared not approach; moreover, the City God Temple annually distributed food and released river lanterns to guide souls, so drowned water ghosts nearby rarely caused trouble.

For methods like this—soul detached, body temporarily empty—aside from vengeful ghosts, the greatest fear was those with cultivation.

Once possessed, the host’s behavior became animal-like.

When their cultivation was low, these things often took over human bodies to practice, sometimes even using corpses for training, slipping into graves and coiling atop corpses.

Sometimes, when people opened coffins, they found snakes coiled or foxes lying atop the corpses—these small things were practicing.

Finally, the snake sensed danger, twisted its body, and slithered back into the river.

Li Yan made no pursuit—he knew guarding was more important.

Thus, they passed the Zi Hour in peace.

Li Yan exhaled, glancing at the Six Lamps of the Southern Dipper.

Once Zi Hour passed, the difficulty of possession increased greatly.

This Spirit-Transcending should succeed.

But where was that evil Daoist hiding?

…………

Elsewhere, within Xianyang City, the Iron Knife Gang’s base.

Torches blazed brightly; wails and screams echoed everywhere.

Zheng Heibei’s face was grim as he watched his men rushing about.

Zhou Peide was imprisoned, the White Ape Gang was surrounded, Yuan Qu had fled; the Zhou family now faced disaster, so he remained at the Zhou residence to consult with others on countermeasures.

Unexpectedly, the gang had been attacked again.

“Boss, it’s the Tai Xing Carting Company!”

A subordinate, limbs severed, gritted his teeth: “I knew that cart captain—he was always meek, never dared even fart in front of me. I never thought…”

“Never thought what!”

Behind Zheng Heibei, a middle-aged man in blue robes snapped: “I told you all—don’t provoke certain people, especially fellow Jianghu clans.”

“You even skimmed oil from the Tai Xing Carting Company? They’re ruthless even in Chang’an. They just didn’t bother with you—did you really think you grew horns?” The speaker was Liu Jincheng, one of the Eight Golden Giants and also the head escort of Xianyang’s Changshun Escort Agency, sent to investigate.

He had traveled far and wide, knew his place, and had warned Zheng Heibei and Yuan Qu repeatedly—but both ignored him.

Now, seeing the Zhou family’s plight, he felt a surge of righteous fury.

Zheng Heibei was stubborn by nature; knowing these brothers looked down on him, he sneered at the mockery:

“Brother Liu, my men are none of your business to scold!”

“Hahahaha… beyond saving!”

Liu Jincheng laughed bitterly, turned, and walked away.

Zheng Heibei had spoken in anger; now he regretted it. Seeing Liu Jincheng leave, his expression darkened.

He hadn’t directly participated in child-snatching, but he had aided indirectly.

But since Yuan Qu fled and Zhou Peide knew nothing, the yamen hadn’t come for him yet—but some things can’t stay hidden forever.

More crucially—Zhou Pan!

If he could sacrifice his own nephews and descendants, what chance did a dirty-work man like him have?

And tonight’s attitude toward him—unusually kind…

!

Thinking of this, Zheng Heibei felt sudden dread, yet his face twisted into fury, his voice resolute:

“Brothers, rest assured—I’ll cover all your medical costs!”

“Bring them all to Anren Hall Clinic!”

“Rest well, brothers—this revenge will be paid!”

“Boss, you’re righteous!”

The Iron Knife Gang members wept with gratitude.

Zheng Heibei nodded, ordered his men to arrange the wounded, then turned and entered the room, pushed aside the bookshelf, and opened the hidden floor panel.

When he opened the small chest inside, he froze as if struck by lightning.

Inside, gold bars had once filled the chest—his life’s savings, meant for emergencies, to raise troops and flee to the mountains if needed.

Now, it was empty.

“You Lao Si!”

Zheng Heibei knew instantly who had done it.

Though fury burned within, he knew he couldn’t stay—he slipped through the hidden passage, emerged from a small courtyard near the Iron Knife Gang, changed clothes, and vanished into darkness…

An hour later, the deputy boss noticed the candle had burned out and Zheng Heibei hadn’t returned. He grew suspicious and rushed in.

Soon, a roar echoed from the room:

“Cowardly thief—the boss ran!”

…………

Unnoticed, the Yin Hour arrived.

Autumn nights grew longer, the dawn’s pale glow still absent; the rooster tied to the tree paced back and forth, then stretched its neck and let out a loud crow.

Sha Lifei and Li Yan immediately turned to the bronze bell on the tree.

Wu Laosi had said: when the rooster crowed, he would awaken—if the bell didn’t ring, the ritual had failed, and they must burn man and coffin together at once.

But the bell remained silent.

Just as the two worried, the hemp rope emerging from the earth suddenly tightened, tugging the bell on the tree, making it sway and jingle.

“Quick, act!”

Li Yan and Sha Lifei swung their shovels, clearing the surface soil, then together lifted the coffin lid.

The moment the lid opened, Li Yan’s face changed.

He smelled a thick, pure, and icy yin energy.

Even without divine sight, the naked eye could see a layer of frost coating the entire inner walls of the coffin, radiating bitter cold.

Wu Laosi was also covered in frost, his skin frozen a pale, iron-blue hue; at their calls, he slowly opened his eyes.

His gaze was hollow and dazed, as if just waking from a dream.

Of course, upon seeing the two, he quickly regained his composure.

Supported by Li Yan and Sha Lifei, Wu Laosi struggled to rise, then pointed southwest, his voice unnaturally hoarse.

“The people are over there—in an old tomb a hundred li away!”

“There are many children—if you want to save them, hurry!”

No sooner had he spoken than he seemed to sense something, struggled to rise, pushed away Li Yan and Sha Lifei, and knelt reverently toward the south, trembling as he said:

“Disciple Wu Laosi acknowledges his fault and willingly accepts punishment…”

Before he could finish, his body slumped, and he died.

“Elder!”

Li Yan, overcome with grief, was also stunned.

Wang Daoxuan had once told him that divine powers were not omnipotent—some formidable things could only be perceived with sufficient cultivation.

Yet just now, he had sensed nothing at all!

“Young Master Li, look!”

Sha Lifei, following Wu Laosi’s earlier instruction, gently lifted his shirt.

On his back, the patterns of blood bruises forming chains and talismanic scripts had vanished entirely!

The scene before them sent a chill through both men’s spines.

Li Yan bit his lip. “Stick to the original plan.”

“You go to the Chenghuang Temple to report it, and properly prepare the Elder’s body. I’ll go ahead and keep watch—don’t let the demon flee!”

Saying this, he and Sha Lifei lifted Wu Laosi into the coffin, then mounted their horses, snapped the reins, and galloped into the boundless night…

(End of Chapter)