"Mass Grave?"
Li Yan froze at the words. "That's the territory of the Western Beggars, a place where sinister energies converge. It's hardly a good spot. Would heavenly treasures grow in such a ghostly place?"
Zhao Donkey scratched his head. "Brother Li, you may not know, but 'heavenly treasures' is just a general term for things born of heaven and nurtured by earth. Not all of them are good."
"Some can be refined into magical tools, some can prolong life or heal, and some form their own patterns, placed at home to regulate feng shui. Anything beneficial is considered a blessing of heaven and earth."
"So, when we obtain a treasure, we shout, 'We've received a blessing!'"
"Conversely, there are inauspicious things. Not only are they harmful to take, but some can even transform into spirits or demons, requiring great Mystic Sect sects to seal them."
"You might have heard of this: during the Tang dynasty, a great drought struck Guanzhong. A dragon bone reef appeared in the Wei River, and people thought it was the Dragon King's bones, burning incense in worship. That night, sand and stones flew, and countless died in nearby villages. That was an inauspicious thing."
"Later, Weiyangzi of the Taixuan True Sect set up an altar, established a ritual prison to subdue evil, and called down thunder to destroy it. In folklore, it became the tale of Immortal Weiyang slaying the Dragon God."
"I see…" Li Yan suddenly understood.
He had heard this story in plays, thinking it mere folklore, not expecting a real origin.
This thought led him to ask, "What about the Mountain Tai Sui?"
Zhao Donkey held nothing back. "The name Tai Sui comes from the Star of Ages, bearing the likeness of a sovereign, not something commoners dare to use lightly—hence the saying about avoiding Tai Sui."
"As for underground Tai Sui, they carry both fortune and calamity. Some, called flesh mushrooms, can extend life when consumed. Others absorb the sinister energies of the earth's veins, becoming inauspicious. When commoners dig them up, the lucky fall gravely ill, the unlucky die on the spot—hence the phrase 'stirring trouble on Tai Sui's head.'"
"As for 'Mountain Tai Sui,' it grows in the vital nexus of a mountain's veins, absorbing either innate righteous energy or sinister energy. Over time, it may even evolve into divine righteousness, claiming the position of mountain god. To provoke it rashly is extremely dangerous."
At these words, a spark flashed in Li Yan's mind. He said gravely, "When we went to the Mass Grave to summon the Yin God, Daoist Wang said there should've been a mountain god commanding the Yin soldiers, but there was no sign of it. Could it be this thing?"
Zhao Donkey nodded. "Exactly."
"From news out of Xianyang City, the Mass Grave once had a mountain god, a place with excellent feng shui. But too many corpses were buried there, gathering vast sinister energies that tainted the mountain god's divine righteousness. With incense offerings ceasing, it stopped manifesting."
"According to leaked information, that Western Beggar leader, Lord Shan, was an outsider, a wandering sorcerer who seized the beggar leadership. He lingered at the Mass Grave for years, aiming to claim this treasure."
"The counter to it is the tattered sack passed down through generations of beggar leaders. In a few days, on the ninth day of the ninth month, the Double Ninth Festival, when the cycle returns to truth and a new origin begins, the Mountain Tai Sui will expel all its sinister energy, attempting to reclaim its divine position."
"If timed right, the treasure can be taken. Its greatest effect is healing—any injury, no matter how severe, will be fully restored."
"So miraculous?"
Li Yan's face showed surprise, but his interest waned.
The Mountain Tai Sui's effects, though impressive, couldn't compare to the Great Luo Dharma Body. While it could repair the Dharma Body by absorbing fortune, with so many experts vying for it, he doubted he'd get a share.
"Come, drink!"
With that thought, Li Yan pulled Zhao Donkey to drink.
Drinking and eating meat in the mountain god's temple was disrespectful, so they lit a bonfire on the hillside outside. Zhao Donkey roasted two wild rabbits he'd caught.
The moon had just risen. By the fire, the two clinked cups, chatting about various tales and experiences.
Knowing Li Yan's interest in treasure-hunting, Zhao Donkey shared everything—save his own lineage's secrets—about old stories, taboos, and ancient legends.
Li Yan, in turn, shared many Rivers and Lakes secrets.
Before they knew it, it was late at night, the bright moon high overhead.
On the dark mountain, the bonfire flickered alongside their laughter…
…
Outside Xianyang City, on another hillside, firelight also glimmered.
Two rows of fire basins lined the area, the night breeze carrying the pungent smell of burning oil as the flames swayed.
At the center stood a temporary altar.
Unlike the one Daoist Wang had set up, this altar held not only incense, candles, water, melons, and fruits as offerings but also an eight-trigram bucket with a command flag, a ritual seal, a peachwood sword, and talismans plastered around it.
Stranger still, a row of lifelike wooden puppets stood before the altar, each painted with opera masks—male, female, painted face, old man, and clown, all present.
Chen Fa'gui, dressed in a peculiar white Taoist robe resembling mourning clothes, wore a white headband. A large eight-trigram symbol was embroidered on the back of his robe.
In the distance, Yuan Qu, with several subordinates and Zhou Peide in a hooded cloak, watched silently.
Yuan Qu glanced at Zhou Peide's grim face and whispered, "Everything's arranged?"
Zhou Peide replied coldly, "Rest assured, I didn't reveal my name. I used Chang'an's Ge Xing, the sharpest pair under Butcher Er. By now, they've likely delivered the person to Menggu Village."
Yuan Qu sneered. "So cautious, Brother Zhou. Are you scared?"
Zhou Peide shot him a cold glance, saying nothing.
He wasn't a fool. After returning to the mansion, it didn't take long to realize Yuan Qu's ill intentions, trying to drag him into the mess.
Zhou Pan didn't care about him or Zhou Bai.
But behind them was the entire Zhou family.
Yuan Qu likely wanted leverage to threaten Zhou Pan into not betraying him if things went wrong.
Even so, Zhou Peide pressed on.
Because he, too, had learned of the heavenly treasure at the Mass Grave.
Chen Fa'gui was going to claim it, and by assisting, Zhou Peide could get a share.
This was Zhou Bai's only hope!
What was the Zhou family to him?
When Zhou Bai was abandoned, not one of the older generation spoke up for them!
Seeing Zhou Peide's expression, Yuan Qu smirked and said no more.
At that moment, Chen Fa'gui opened his eyes, glanced at the moon, and picked up the peachwood sword. He formed hand seals, chanted incantations, and stepped in a ritual pattern.
Pfft!
He lifted the eight-trigram water bowl from the altar and sprayed a mist.
This was "water spraying."
Water nurtures all things, akin to the Dao. The "water spraying" ritual could cleanse dust, purify filth, and dispel miasma, serving as a key step to activate the altar.
Instantly, wind and water surged, and the altar's righteous energy gathered.
Of course, Yuan Qu and the others couldn't see this; they only felt a sudden breeze that turned into a whirlwind around the altar, making the fire basins flicker.
And this was just the beginning.
Chen Fa'gui seemed transformed, standing tall, his gaze profound. He flourished the peachwood sword, picked up the ritual seal with his other hand, pointed it skyward, and shifted his steps as if dodging something…
After completing the ritual, he slammed the seal onto the table, threw out a command flag, and chanted, "Nine Origins Return to Truth, Three Nether Gods Command All Forces—Swiftly, as by Law!"
With that, he pointed the peachwood sword forward.
Whoosh~
A chilling wind roared.
On the altar, a flower-dan puppet, dressed as an opera actress, creaked and turned its head, as if pulled by invisible strings. Its limbs jerked stiffly as it stood.
The sight sent chills down Yuan Qu and the others' spines.
Chen Fa'gui glanced over. "Move out. As instructed, take the puppet to the outskirts of Shangyi Village. Once it returns, leave immediately."
Yuan Qu nodded and turned to a subordinate. "Zhu Tiedan, it's on you!"
This man, stout and fierce-looking, was the boldest in the White Ape Gang, once eating human liver with wine without flinching.
Yet now, his face was pale, sweat beading on his forehead. Under Yuan Qu's menacing gaze, he steeled himself, stepped forward, and cautiously reached for the puppet.
Clatter…
To his horror, the puppet crawled up his arm like a spider, settling on his back.
"Ah! Ah!"
Zhu Tiedan's skin crawled as he clawed at it.
Chen Fa'gui frowned. "Relax, don't move."
Yuan Qu snapped, "Zhu Tiedan, if you ruin this, I'll bury you alive in a grave tonight!"
Under their scolding, Zhu Tiedan, face ashen, quickened his pace, leapt onto a black horse nearby, shook the reins, and rode toward Shangyi Village.
On the way, his back grew colder, as if someone were blowing on his ear, making him tremble.
But his courage held. Adapting, he ignored it, muttering, "Roast meatballs, mutton offal, donkey meat pie…"
Riding swiftly, he soon reached the outskirts of Shangyi Village.
Suddenly, his back felt lighter. Swallowing hard, he cautiously looked over his shoulder.
The puppet on his back was gone…
*(End of Chapter)*