Chapter 575: Farewell

Liberation is not hard, yet it is not easy; Pan Yun had nearly exhausted her Yuan force, so she would handle auxiliary tasks.

She sat cross-legged on the ground, hands empty, feeling awkward: "Brother Li, I don't specialize in any Dao musical instrument."

Li Wenying was speechless: "What instrument did you use for your Liberation Certificate exam?"

Pan Yun cleared her throat: "Cymbals."

Li Wenying: "Great instrument!"

Pan Yun: "... Do you think it's appropriate right now?"

Indeed, it wasn't suitable. Li Wenying asked: "Can you play the Dharma Bell?"

Pan Yun: "A little."

That means you don't really know how.

"What about the wooden fish?"

Pan Yun: "A little more."

Li Wenying: "Dharma zither?"

How could she know this thing? There wasn't a single one on Mount Sanqing.

Pan Yun countered: "If I can play it, do you have one?"

Li Wenying: "Then use the wooden fish. Simple, easy to pick up, and easy to chant along with."

Pan Yun extended her hand toward him.

Li Wenying fumbled in his sleeve, pulled out a wooden fish, and handed it to her, looking utterly baffled: "You... at least pay some attention! You're a second-year student, and third-year requirements demand mastery of at least three Dao instruments—you're supposed to be a genius, don't end up failing to graduate."

Pan Yun: "Impossible!"

Li Wenying snorted: "Who couldn't even pass the entrance exam for the Liberation Certificate?"

It was true. Pan Yun had no reply.

She sat cross-legged, calmed her mind, gently tapped the wooden fish a few times, gradually found the rhythm, and began chanting with rhythmic clarity: "Dao says: In the first month, observe long fasting and recite this scripture; for the souls of past generations, sever earthly bondage, ascend to the Southern Palace. In the seventh month, observe long fasting and recite this scripture; your body attains immortality, the heavens inscribe your name, the Yellow Register and White Parchment erase death and grant life..."

As she chanted, Li Wenying stepped through the Heavenly Gang Steps, formed hand seals, and silently recited the incantation. "Pop!"—a sound inaudible to mortals rippled through the air, radiating outward in concentric waves from that center point.

The world seemed to come alive.

First, a gentle breeze brushed their faces, then the rustling of leaves.

Even County Magistrate Wu couldn't help standing with his constables, eyes wide, staring at the suddenly lively graveyard.

Yes, lively.

Though they couldn't see it, they felt it—somehow, their moods rose and fell with it: now anxious and fearful, now comforted and joyful...

County Magistrate Wu was certain: they were being influenced by another world.

Li Wenying stepped through the Heavenly Gang Steps, circling the grave pit step by step; with each step, his Yuan force rippled outward, causing the surrounding spiritual energy to vibrate.

Little by little, it washed away the resentment and malevolent qi clinging to the spirits; the thick black ink slowly turned gray, then pale, then white, finally fading to colorless.

Souls are colorless.

Then, according to their preferences, they choose the Five Elements, and only then do they gain color.

Right now, he was merely returning them to their original state.

"Dong... dong... dong..." The wooden fish tapped steadily, unhurried. Pan Yun closed her eyes and chanted the "Sutra of Liberation" in time with its rhythm—it was the "Lingbao Wuliang Duren Shangpin Miaojing," the foremost scripture of Daoism.

Not only did Wang Feiyin strictly require them to memorize it, but even in the 26th century, it remained one of the required memorization texts in middle school.

Full memorization—no excerpts allowed!

After entering university and pursuing her graduate studies, Pan Yun frequently used this scripture, so she knew it by heart.

The scripture's verses, synced with the wooden fish's taps, pierced into the black-ink spirits, aiding Li Wenying in purifying them.

Li Wenying circled the grave pit ten times, expending nearly an hour, and finally, as Zi Shi arrived, he purified every soul. He then slapped out two talismans. The talismans flew upward and ignited spontaneously. Everyone saw them burn to ash—and faintly, a door appeared in midair.

Everyone stared, wide-eyed. The coffin-shop Shopkeeper, who had refused to leave, grabbed his apprentice's hand and whispered urgently: "I told you, I told you there really is an underworld! We must do more good deeds, accumulate dark virtue..."

The apprentice was stunned. Though he worked at the coffin shop, he never believed in ghosts or gods—he'd always assumed those bizarre legends were just the Shopkeeper's scare stories. Now he realized they were real.

The underworld gate opened. The talismans stuck to the bone urns and coffins ignited simultaneously. Beneath the flames, clusters of colorless light orbs surged toward the gate in midair.

The talismans in midair slowly burned away, the underworld gate gradually closed, while the talismans on the urns and coffins had already turned to ash.

Li Wenying exhaled, wiped sweat from his brow, and turned to Pan Yun: "They're all gone."

Pan Yun stopped tapping the wooden fish. She had chanted for nearly an hour—her throat was parched.

She extended her hand. The Young Master immediately stepped forward to help her up, then unscrewed a waterskin and offered it to her.

Pan Yun was astonished: "Not bad. A change in just an hour deserves a second look."

The Young Master: "... Miss Pan, you're too good at teasing people."

Pan Yun: "Spit it out—what do you want?"

!

The Young Master: "Miss Pan, are you leaving right away?"

Pan Yun hummed: "If I head back now, I can still sleep two hours."

The Young Master: "Could you sell me some more talismans?"

Pan Yun tilted her head: "Glowing golden talismans?"

"No no no—just ordinary paper talismans."

Pan Yun raised an eyebrow: "You know your stuff!"

Pan Yun had given tonight's drawn talismans to County Magistrate Wu, but she still had some left in stock—unfortunately, all were Peace Talismans and Wealth Talismans.

After all, those two were the most popular.

Pan Yun pulled out the talismans and showed them to him: "Want some?"

The Young Master: "I'll take five of each."

He took out a two-hundred-tael banknote.

Pan Yun: "Won't you ask for more? Every time you buy talismans you have to make a trip to Long Hushan, and the round trip costs quite a bit. Their talismans are expensive too, and for quite a long stretch of time coming up I won't be at Long Hushan…"

Young Master Li frowned: "The trouble is, I don't have the money…"

"Out of the way!" Old Master Li shoved his son aside with one hand. "You don't have money, I do!"

Old Master Li gave Pan Yun an ingratiating smile: "Daoist Pan, however many talismans you have, I'll buy them all."

If Old Master Li was buying…

Pan Yun resisted the urge to raise the price, counted the talismans in her hand, and with a slap pressed them into his palm: "I've got six Fortune Talismans and four Safety Talismans left. That comes to two hundred taels, thank you!"

Old Master Li happily forked over the money.

Magistrate Wu forcibly restrained the urge to feel for the talismans in his robe.

He had a whole fistful of talismans Pan Yun had given him tucked into his robe. He always felt that the talismans in his robe weren't the same as the ones Old Master Li had bought — they were more understated, and more precious.

Once the money was in hand, Pan Yun felt this trip out had been worth it.

With this money, for quite a long stretch of time, she wouldn't have to worry about money matters again.

Pan Yun took her leave of them: "If anything like this comes up in the future, you can find me. Till we meet again."

They didn't want anything like this to happen again, but Magistrate Wu was certain to keep in touch with Pan Yun later, so he asked: "How might Wu contact you in the future, Daoist?"

Pan Yun: "Write to me at the Long Hushan Academy, or at Mount Sanqing — either will reach me."

(End of chapter)