Chapter 149: The Deity of Beauty: Hey, Big Evil Spirit, Wanna Play Mahjong? We're One Short!

"Creak—"

The heavy solid wood coffin lid was shouldered open by Lu Yuan.

After pushing it open this time, Lu Yuan leaned against the coffin, panting heavily for a while, his face covered in sweat.

Having just been able to get out of bed and walk, his body really had no strength.

Lu Yuan pondered whether he should put some lubricant on this coffin lid, maybe convert it into a flip-top or a slide-top.

That would make things much easier.

Lu Yuan looked into the coffin, while Aunt Qin and Aunt Qiao'er curiously examined Gu Qingwan.

The two women were a bit reserved, but they still boldly waved their hands in greeting.

Initially, Aunt Qin and Aunt Qiao'er had indeed been quite afraid of Gu Qingwan.

After all, no matter how well Lu Yuan spoke of her, Gu Qingwan was still a major evil spirit.

As long as one is human, hearing the words "evil spirit" will always provoke a reaction.

But humans are ultimately visual creatures. After seeing Gu Qingwan with their own eyes, Aunt Qin and Aunt Qiao'er inexplicably felt less tense.

After all, judging by her appearance alone, she wasn't much different from a human, or rather, she was completely human.

In Aunt Qin's words, she was even born so handsome.

No, too handsome.

It was a kind of breathtaking beauty that was untainted by dust, yet carried a clear, cold, and deathly stillness.

Originally, Aunt Qin and Aunt Qiao'er had thought she might be something ferocious, or extremely sinister and terrifying.

Lu Yuan, however, didn't pay attention to the three women over there. Instead, he craned his neck to look into the coffin.

Before leaving, Qingwan's mouth had still been sealed by that troublesome evil curse.

Looking now.

Her pale lips were clean, that obscure curse seal had vanished without a trace.

Huh?!

Lu Yuan suddenly looked up, turning his gaze towards Gu Qingwan, who was sandwiched between Aunt Qiao'er and Aunt Qin, and quickly asked:

"Qingwan!"

"The evil curse on your mouth is gone?"

Gu Qingwan tilted her head, her clear, cold gaze meeting Lu Yuan's, then she slightly raised her chin, gesturing towards the direction of the windowsill.

Lu Yuan followed her gaze.

On the small rosewood desk, a Duan inkstone was pressing down on a piece of yellowed rice paper.

Walking over and pulling it out.

On it was the old man's flamboyant, cursive handwriting: "The evil curse has been resolved. The method for restoring her tongue can be found in Chapter Seven of the ancient text."

Underneath the note was a tattered thread-bound book.

Lu Yuan casually flipped through a couple of pages before tossing it aside.

The old man was indeed thoughtful, but Lu Yuan had already read this ancient text.

Lu Yuan's system-given "Dao" also contained records of it.

The method for restoring the tongue, Lu Yuan had also long since read and mastered.

Lu Yuan stood by the coffin, closed his eyes, and focused his mind. The book "Dao" in his consciousness slowly turned its pages.

Regarding the section on tongue restoration recorded in "Dao," Lu Yuan could practically recite it backwards.

"To restore a tongue is not to restore the tongue itself, but to restore its speech."

"Any being that loses its tongue loses its speech. Losing its speech means losing its name. Losing its name means losing its existence."

"Therefore, the method of restoring the tongue is, in essence, a method of restoring existence."

This was the opening of the section on tongue restoration in "Dao," followed by more detailed steps.

"Take three qian of coffin dew. This dew is water condensed after the coffin wood becomes damp, absorbing the residual souls and lingering breaths of the deceased. It is of the utmost Yin and purity."

"Take two cun of heartwood from a peach tree that faces the sun. Peach wood that faces the sun obtains the essence of Yang energy. It can suppress evil spirits and also revive dead things."

"Take nine drops of fingertip blood from the practitioner performing the tongue restoration method. Blood is the essence of a person. Nine is the ultimate Yang number. Use the Yang of the living to aid the Yin of the deceased."

With these three items prepared, bind them with a red cord, soak them in rootless water, and place them under the moon for seven nights, waiting for them to naturally fuse.

During the fusion, one can vaguely see a tongue-shaped form emerging in the water, a bluish-black color, no longer than three cun.

During the tongue restoration, one must chant the "Speech Restoration Incantation" three times.

The first chant opens Heaven and Earth. The second chant opens Yin and Yang. The third chant anchors the tongue root.

After the incantation, place the tongue restoration material into the mouth of the deceased, support their jaw with your hand, and make them close their teeth.

In a short while, one can see the tongue root gradually growing, from root to tip, from illusory to solid.

For seven days, the mouth must not be opened, and there must be no disturbance. Only after the tongue root has grown solid can speech begin.

The method itself is not complicated. The difficulty lies in the materials.

Three qian of coffin dew.

Two cun of heartwood from a peach tree facing the sun.

Nine drops of fingertip blood from the practitioner performing the tongue restoration.

These three are easy to obtain.

What's truly critical is the main material used to reshape the tongue root.

Thousand-year willow root.

This thing doesn't sound very impressive by name.

It doesn't seem as extravagant as the top-tier ritual tool Lu Yuan directly dismantled when he gave Gu Qingwan her eyes.

But in reality, despite being just four short characters, this thing is also extremely precious!

Willow, means to stay.

Willow tree roots go the deepest, able to penetrate the Yellow Springs, absorbing the Yin energy of the Earth Veins.

A thousand-year willow root is even more connected to the Yin. Buried in the soil for over a thousand years, it's long ceased to be an ordinary tree root.

It is half-withered, half-flourishing; half drawing upon earth's energy, half absorbing the souls of the dead.

Ordinary willow trees a hundred or so years old are everywhere, but to find a willow root that has lived for a thousand years is like searching for a needle in a haystack.

It must grow in a desolate place untouched by sunlight.

Most importantly, there must be something underground.

What is meant by "something"?

Places with heavy Yin energy, preferably old burial grounds, ancient battlefields, or places where Earth Veins converge.

Only then will the willow root desperately burrow downward, to absorb those things ordinary people cannot detect.

And this kind of thousand-year willow root, Lu Yuan had already prepared.

This item came from an old forest in the foothills of the Taiyin Mountains, a place locals called "Ghost Wailing Ridge."

The name sounds creepy, and it actually is creepy.

For eighty to a hundred li, there's no trace of human habitation. Of ten people who go in, eight don't come out.

Not because they get lost, but because shortly after coming out, they go mad, shouting, "Something's grabbing my ankles!"

That place was originally an ancient battlefield. Two groups of people fought a bloody battle in the mountain valley, killing thousands.

In the end, there wasn't even anyone to collect the corpses; they just rotted in the mountains.

Later, a flash flood occurred, mud and sand swept down, burying all these bones deep underground.

Later still, no one knows in which year or month, a willow seed drifted over, landed there, and sprouted.

That willow tree grew right on top of those thousands of corpses.

Its roots burrowed downward, through the soil, through the rubble, and finally into that pile of bones accumulated over centuries.

Those bones had long since rotted into powder, but that resentment, that deathly aura, that stubborn unwillingness to enter the cycle of reincarnation—all of it was absorbed by the willow root.

By the time people found it, this willow tree had already withered and died.

Not from old age, but from being "overstuffed."

It had absorbed too much Yin energy. The trunk rotted from the inside out, until only a layer of bark was left holding it up. A gust of wind would knock it over.

But what fell was the tree; the roots were still underneath.

An old guide from beyond the Great Wall who entered the Taiyin Mountains searching for spirit meat gathered over a dozen men, took tools, and went into the mountains to dig for a full seven days.

When they dug to a depth of three zhang, they finally saw that root.

To call it a "root"… it actually didn't look much like a root anymore.

Its entire body was pitch black and glossy, as if carved from black jade.

As thick as an arm, with nine bends and eighteen turns, every twist seemed as if someone had deliberately contorted it.

The strangest thing was, holding this root in your hand, you could feel it trembling slightly.

It wasn't an illusion; it was really moving, as if there was still something alive inside.

This kind of priceless, rare treasure was originally hidden in the secret chamber of Baiyun Temple.

But ever since the last incident, after Baiyun Temple's reputation was utterly ruined and dragged through the mud, the people at Baiyun Temple weren't stupid.

When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter. The Taoist priests at the temple absconded with the treasures.

The people at Baiyun Temple split into several factions, fighting over the temple's treasures. Some claimed this item was theirs, others claimed that item was his.

When they really couldn't agree, couldn't divide things evenly, some items flowed out.

And these items were all snapped up by Aunt Qiao'er.

Of course, Aunt Qiao'er had no idea what these things were. She only knew they were Taoist supreme treasures, and she spent a fortune on them without even blinking.

Simply because she thought that since Lu Yuan was a Taoist priest, perhaps one day in the future, Lu Yuan might be able to use such things.

Eating this kind of soft rice was truly comfortable.

It also saved Lu Yuan who knows how much trouble.

The current situation was that the materials for tongue restoration and the method for tongue restoration were both available.

But the only problem was that Lu Yuan, the person performing the tongue restoration…

Wasn't quite up to snuff!

Lu Yuan now had to take several deep breaths just walking from the foot of the mountain to Zhenlong Temple. He really wasn't in any condition to perform rituals right now.

However, there was no rush. The preparatory phase for the tongue restoration method still required a seven-day wait.

Lu Yuan would recover during these seven days. Seven days later, once the preparatory steps for the tongue restoration method were all set, Lu Yuan would also have recovered quite a bit.

Seven days later, he could formally perform the tongue restoration for Qingwan!

Lu Yuan stood beside the coffin, clearing away distracting thoughts.

With a slight movement of his will, that section of thousand-year willow root materialized in his palm.

The moment the pitch-black root appeared in the world, the temperature in the side hall plummeted abruptly. A thin layer of frost rapidly formed on the green brick floor.

Aunt Qin and Aunt Qiao'er instinctively pulled their clothes tighter, but their eyes remained fixed on Lu Yuan, filled with curiosity and awe.

Lu Yuan paid no attention to the reactions of the three women over there. Holding that section of willow root in both hands, he respectfully bowed three times towards the coffin.

With the first bow, the root trembled slightly.

With the second bow, the dense patterns on the surface of the willow root, resembling human faces, faintly glowed.

With the third bow, an extremely soft, almost inaudible sound came from within the coffin, as if something was responding.

Lu Yuan straightened up, walked to the offering table, and lit three sticks of incense.

Azure smoke curled upward. He didn't insert the incense into the incense burner. Instead, he held it in his hand, letting the smoke slowly spiral around that section of willow root.

From left to right, three circles.

From right to left, three circles.

Amidst the swirling smoke, Lu Yuan's deep voice echoed in the spacious side hall.

"I inform the four directions, I open Heaven and Earth."

"Today, Lu Yuan, disciple of Zhenlong Temple, respectfully follows the tongue restoration method, performing the tongue restoration ritual."

"I take one section of thousand-year willow root from the Taiyin Mountains. This root was born in an ancient battlefield, absorbing the resentment of dead souls, buried three zhang underground, half-withered, half-flourishing, half-dead, half-alive."

"Today, with this root, I place it within Miss Qingwan's coffin to nurture for seven days."

"Within these seven days, the willow root shall receive nourishment from Yin energy, and Yin energy shall circulate through the willow root."

"After seven days, the root shall be the tongue, the tongue shall be the root."

Lu Yuan chanted up to here, then formed a hand seal with his left hand, his thumb pressing against the base of his ring finger, the other three fingers pointing straight at the coffin.

"Deities of the four directions, hear my words."

"Today, there is a deceased one, who has lost her tongue and speech. I borrow the willow's root to continue the tongue's fate."

"Yin energy nourishes it, Yang energy protects it. Within seven days, do not startle, do not disturb. After seven days, the achievement shall be complete and perfect."

As the last word fell, Lu Yuan, holding the three sticks of incense in his right hand, directly drew a talisman in the air above the willow root.

The azure smoke condensed in mid-air without dispersing. The brushstrokes were swift and powerful, rapidly outlining a complex, twisted seal script character.

The seal script character hovered for three breaths, then plunged straight into the interior of the willow root.

The willow root trembled violently.

Lu Yuan's expression remained unchanged, his speech accelerating.

"I inform the four directions, I open the Netherworld."

"Beneath the Nine Netherworlds, by the banks of the Yellow Springs, the place where dead souls return, where Yin energy gathers."

"Today, with this root, I enter this coffin, borrowing your Yin energy to nurture this tongue root."

"The root, receiving Yin nourishment, shall then take form. The tongue, aided by the root, shall then continue its speech."

"Yin and Yang complement each other, death and life connect."

"Urgently, urgently, as by the law's command!"

As the incantation's sound faded, the temperature of that pitch-black willow root section soared abruptly.

An extreme burning pain transmitted from his palm—the manifestation of Yin energy reaching its peak and transforming into Yang.

Lu Yuan firmly held the willow root, enduring the high-temperature roasting. In his vision, the color of the willow root grew increasingly profound, black to the point of reflecting light.

"I inform the four directions, I anchor the root."

"The willow root enters the coffin, Yin energy returns to its place. Seven days of nurturing, do not ask, do not rush."

"The root is the tongue root, the tongue is the root's marrow. Wait until the achievement is complete, one word shall be like thunder."

The incantation was complete.

Lu Yuan, holding the scorching willow root in both hands, steadily placed it into the coffin.

The willow root landed beside Gu Qingwan's main body, fitting closely from her wrist all the way to her shoulder.

The moment of contact.

Dense black-red mist suddenly surged from the bottom of the coffin.

The mist churned upward, instantly completely engulfing Gu Qingwan's body.

After only one breath, all the mist rapidly poured back, completely withdrawing into that cold, delicate form.

When the mist dispersed, that section of thousand-year willow root had already vanished.

On Gu Qingwan's pale left arm, a pitch-black vein now meandered from her wrist up to her shoulder.

The vein slowly undulated beneath the skin, gradually establishing a flesh-and-blood connection with this body.

Lu Yuan extended his index finger, touching that pitch-black vein.

A peculiar rhythmic pulsation transmitted from his fingertip.

It was a signal of reviving vitality. This dead object was slowly adapting to its new host.

Lu Yuan withdrew his hand seal, shaking his sore wrist.

"Done."

He turned around, meeting two pairs of admiring eyes.

Zhao Qiao'er blinked her charming peach-blossom eyes, her voice soft.

"This… is done?"

Lu Yuan smiled and shook his head.

"This is just the first step."

"Let the willow root nurture beside Qingwan for seven days. Wait until it fully adapts to the Yin energy of this body. Only after seven days can we formally perform the tongue restoration."

He then looked at Zhao Qiao'er, his tone carrying appreciation.

"Thanks to Aunt Qiao'er's decisiveness in acquiring this treasure back then. Otherwise, searching for such a top-tier thousand-year willow wood would have really taken a lot of effort."

Being praised directly by her man, a blush spread across Zhao Qiao'er's exquisitely beautiful face. She waved her hand coquettishly.

"Just a lucky coincidence~"

Her eyes sparkled as she immediately pressed on.

"Qingwan still needs to have her legs reattached next, right?"

"Whatever items need to be prepared, make a list. I'll have the Chamber of Commerce cast a wide net. As long as it's available on the market, we'll buy it immediately."

This time, it was really because of good luck, with Baiyun Temple collapsing and scattering.

And it just happened to be in Fengtian City, so Aunt Qiao'er was able to acquire it promptly.

But going forward, wanting to find materials for reattaching legs like this would truly be difficult.

Such top-tier things generally don't even reach the point where a chamber of commerce can bid on them.

These things have already transcended the realm of money; they're traded through barter.

Still, having more avenues is always good. Making a list isn't troublesome.

Lu Yuan nodded in agreement.

"I'll go to the study right now to make a list, write down the several core materials needed for reattaching the legs."

He paused, pointing outside the hall.

"Yesterday, we bought quite a few clothes and accessories for Qingwan, right?"

"Aunt Qiao'er, Aunt Qin, could you two trouble yourselves to bring them over and change Qingwan into them? I'll go write the list first."

The two beautiful aunties nodded repeatedly in agreement.

Lu Yuan stepped across the threshold of the side hall.

He ran right into a tall, stunningly beautiful figure.

The Deity of Beauty blinked her starry, dazzlingly beautiful eyes, completely ignoring Lu Yuan, looking over his shoulder at Aunt Qiao'er and Aunt Qin behind him.

Her crisp, pleasant voice carried barely concealed excitement.

"Come, come, come, come~"

"Play mahjong!"

Lu Yuan stood where he was, feeling rather speechless.

Ever since the Deity of Beauty was introduced to the national treasure of mahjong at the Zhao Residence, this deity seemed to have found the ultimate meaning of her divine existence.

Her addiction was extraordinarily strong.

Zhao Qiao'er and Song Meiqin didn't really have any particular obsession with playing mahjong.

Previously, dragging the Deity of Beauty to the table was purely to keep her occupied, to prevent her from pestering Lu Yuan all day.

Now the situation was different.

Zhao Qiao'er raised her beautiful eyebrows, crossing her arms.

"That Yellow Braised Chicken isn't here. We're one short, can't play."

The Deity of Beauty blinked, looking at Zhao Qiao'er, then at Song Meiqin.

Finally, she turned her hopeful gaze towards Lu Yuan.

Lu Yuan decisively turned sideways, striding purposefully towards the Sanqing Hall.

"Don't look at me, I'm busy."

The Deity of Beauty wasn't annoyed after being refused.

She turned her head, her gaze passing through the open hall doors, locking directly onto Gu Qingwan, who was floating mid-air inside the room.

The Deity of Beauty walked into the side hall with light steps, looking up.

She loudly asked this peerlessly beautiful, majestic, cold, and aloof major evil spirit who had almost strangled her to death last time.

"We're one short!"

"Wanna play mahjong?!"

Mid-air.

The black-red mist swirling around Gu Qingwan's body halted for an instant.

That inhumanly cold face tilted slightly to one side.

A large question mark appeared above her head.