Chapter 259: BURN IT

"The house is talking?" Sha Lifei stood there holding the incense burner, his face full of disbelief. "How can a house talk? Daoist, are you sure you didn't hear wrong?"

By this point, Lu San had already gotten the rats to search the entire county town. This was the only place where anything unusual had been discovered, so all the rats had gathered here.

"It's not actually that strange." Another disciple of the Taixuan Orthodox Sect shook his head. "If an object becomes inhabited by a yin soul and enough time passes, it can develop into a spirit. The same applies to old houses, ruined temples, and ancient tombs. If someone dies inside and enough years pass, the building itself may become the spirit's body, eventually turning into an evil entity that causes trouble. Places like this are especially troublesome to deal with."

As he spoke, he glanced around. "The fengshui here is ordinary, and the area is full of human presence and yang energy. That old locust tree in the courtyard is suspicious as well. I suspect this arrangement was made a very long time ago."

Li Yan hurriedly asked, "Fellow Daoist, what exactly did you hear?"

The Daoist’s ears twitched again, his expression grim. "It's extremely chaotic. I can hear many people crying and shouting! Men, women, old people, children... but I can't make out what they're saying."

"Many people?" Li Yan looked thoughtful. "Is there a way to break the strange phenomenon?"

"This..." The Daoist looked somewhat embarrassed. "Fellow Daoist Li, please don't take offense. My fellow disciples and I mainly study ritual altars. We're truly not skilled in the arts of fengshui."

The two Zhushan Sect disciples also nodded. "When our sect encounters this kind of situation, we usually have a fengshui master identify the key nodes first, then perform rituals to seal the terrestrial qi and dismantle the evil site. Otherwise, its corruption may spread. Generally speaking, ritual workings are conducted with an altar, most notably the Thirty Assemblies of True Communion Altars. Places used for cultivation and refinement are called jing, of which there are the Sixty Jings of True Communion.

"All mystic path arrangements under heaven follow this basic framework. Even corpse-refining grounds are no exception. The arrangement here must be some kind of jing. We first need to identify its key mechanism and determine which type it is before we can devise a targeted countermeasure."

"I see." Li Yan turned to Wang Daoxuan and asked, "Daoist, can you identify it?"

Wang Daoxuan was skilled in fengshui. The western mystic lineage excelled at warding off calamities and praying for blessings, but Li Yan had no idea whether he could unravel this particular formation.

Wang Daoxuan stared at the old residence thoughtfully. "I can give it a try and see whether I can locate the critical points."

With that, he took a compass from his robes and first walked a full circuit around the residence, marking several locations. Then he climbed to a nearby vantage point and examined the layout of the surrounding streets and houses. Finally, he took out a large sheet of paper and began drawing and writing. He mapped out the Eight Trigrams and Nine Palaces, filling the page with winding lines that made everyone dizzy just looking at them.

Li Yan glanced at it once and quickly stopped trying to understand. Every art under heaven became more profound the deeper one delved into it. A person's lifespan was limited; no one could possibly master everything. Fengshui, in particular, encompassed an enormous range of knowledge.

Since Li Yan cultivated escape arts, he had to study Qimen Dunjia, and that alone was enough to squeeze his brain dry. When it came to fengshui, being able to understand the basics was already good enough.

Wang Daoxuan's diagram grew increasingly messy as his brows knitted tighter and tighter.

No one hurried him. This residence clearly had a long history. Whatever had been arranged here had been laid down ages ago. The fact that it had stood in Dangyang City for so many years without being discovered naturally meant there was something profound about it. Even stranger still, not a trace of abnormal aura leaked out. Truthfully, if not for Lu San's technique, they probably would never have found it.

Of course, Li Yan did not remain idle. He spoke to Head Constable Yang and asked him to return to the county courthouse and retrieve the old fish-scale registers, which acted as land-registration records. They depicted houses, forests, ponds, and fields arranged and connected in sequence, with the corresponding names marked beside them. Since the land plots on the maps resembled fish scales, the records had acquired that name. They originated in the Northern Song and had remained in use ever since.

Under the laws of the Great Xuan, anyone constructing a residence within a city had to register it with the courthouse. No matter how many times the property changed hands, the fish-scale register would record the details of both buyer and seller, and even the guarantors involved. Perhaps they could find some clues there.

Head Constable Yang did not dare delay. He immediately led men back to the courthouse and had the clerks search the archival storehouse for the old records.

When he hurried back with them, however, his expression was somewhat awkward. "Young Hero Li, there's a problem with them. The records for this residence are simply too old. They're not included in the newer registers. After several incidents of rain leaking in, along with worm damage and rats chewing through them, I'm afraid there may not be much left to investigate."

It was still before dawn. Li Yan examined the records by torchlight and immediately shook his head slightly. The fish-scale register had turned into a gray, battered mess. Insect damage had left countless holes and flakes of decayed paper, and the volume had also been soaked by water, causing many pages to stick together.

Li Yan carefully separated the fused pages. Sure enough, much of the writing had blurred beyond recognition, leaving only scattered fragments that could still be deciphered.

"Second year– Kai–, contracting party Yu–, by grace of the imperial court–, obtained residence, located in Dangyang City–, –, to display honor and distinction..."

Li Yan frowned as he read, then handed the register to Captain Zheng.

Captain Zheng examined it carefully and said thoughtfully, "This should refer to the second year of Kaiyuan, the year after the founding of Great Xuan. As far as I know, the wars had only just ended then, and many regions had been left with nine houses empty out of ten. The imperial court distributed rewards on a large scale, granting fields and property to everyone who had rendered service to the state.

"A family surnamed Yu that received an imperial grant... We should be able to find something in the county records."

Without another word, Head Constable Yang fetched the Dangyang County Records.

Sure enough, they found a lead. The name recorded there was Yu Shiqing.

"So it was him!" Captain Zheng suddenly understood, his expression turning solemn. "This man had some reputation. He was originally an official of the former Great Xing dynasty, but refused to serve under the new regime. To demonstrate benevolence, the imperial court did not purge people like him and even granted them land so they could live out their old age. But his son, Yu Wantong, later entered the mountains and became a general of the Rising Dragon Army. He rebelled and was executed along with anyone related to him!"

As he spoke, Captain Zheng hurriedly flipped through the fish-scale register again. Although the entries were badly blurred, they could still make out that the residence had changed hands several times. The most recent transfer had taken place fifty years ago.

Li Yan said thoughtfully, "An old residence that's stood for fifty years without anyone looking after it or occupying it almost certainly has a problem."

He then had Head Constable Yang summon some nearby residents.

An elderly man who lived nearby shook his head. "That house is rather evil. I remember a group of beggars occupied it when I was a child. Since the place was already dilapidated and no one knew where the owner had gone, nobody paid them much attention. Who would've thought that within a couple of days, those beggars would slaughter one another. Corpses were everywhere, and the stench of blood was overwhelming.

"After the authorities removed the bodies, another family that had just moved into the area spent some silver and tried to claim the place. They even had plans to renovate it. Within half a month, that family's business completely collapsed, and even the head of the household encountered mountain bandits and ended up dead in the wilderness.

"After that, everyone said the fengshui here was bad, so no one dared entertain the idea anymore. But once, when I got up in the middle of the night, I vaguely heard noises inside the residence. It sounded like someone was talking.

"I was frightened and assumed it was some wandering ghost, so I pretended I hadn't heard anything and went back to bed..."

After questioning the old man carefully and sending him away, Captain Zheng said solemnly, "It seems this place was prepared long ago. Although it changed hands several times, it has always remained under the control of wicked cultivators. The Rising Dragon Army has already joined forces with the Heavenly Saint Cult. They may well have been involved in this too..."

By then, the first glimmer of dawn had appeared. The sun rose over the eastern hills, morning light driving away the darkness. The thin mist shrouding the old residence seemed to lift beneath the sunlight as well.

Wang Daoxuan watched the shifting light and shadows around them. Suddenly, he shot to his feet, looked toward the surrounding city walls, and exclaimed in realization, "I understand now!"

Pointing westward, he said, "Dangyang County is higher in the west and lower in the east. It lies at the tail end of a dragon vein as the terrain transitions toward the Jianghan Plain, placing it directly on a boundary between yin and yang. The old county town has been rebuilt several times, destroying its original layout and allowing a trace of yin qi to leak out. Yet Guanling suppresses it, preventing the yin qi from dispersing and forcing it to linger here, thus naturally forming a yin furnace.

"With Guanling to the north and Mount Zigai to the south, the yin qi remains concealed. Add a formation that exploits the intervals created by the changing cycles of sun and moon, and the whole thing can be made to vanish from perception.

"Fellow Daoists, does anyone still have an Eight Trigram Mirror?"

"We do!"

As disciples of mystic sects, they naturally carried ritual mirrors with them. Following Wang Daoxuan's instructions, two disciples of the Taixuan Orthodox Sect took up positions on the north and south sides of the old residence and aimed their Eight Trigram Mirrors toward those respective directions.

Eight Trigram Mirrors could block and reflect energy. The moment the mirrors were hung in place, the old residence immediately began to change.

The eyes of Li Yan and the others widened in shock. To ordinary people, the old residence had simply become sinister all of a sudden. But for cultivators of the mystic arts, the sensation was exceptionally clear.

Li Yan said quietly, "I can smell it. The entire courtyard is filled with the stench of blood, and sinister yin qi is flowing around that old locust tree..."

The Taixuan Orthodox Sect disciple with yin yang eyes said coldly, "The entire courtyard is full of yin ghosts, all worshipping that old locust tree..."

The disciple who could hear the speech of ghosts and gods twitched his ears slightly, his expression turning ugly. "They're worshipping it. Dead ghosts are worshipping a yin deity!"

This was one of the reasons Li Yan had asked them to descend the mountain.

Ghosts and gods in this world were all formless. Among cultivators who awakened spirit roots, some could hear them, some could see them, while others could smell them. It was like blind men feeling an elephant. No single person could obtain the complete picture. If they wanted to find the tiger demon's hiding place, they would inevitably need the help of others.

Now that he had discerned the key mechanism, the Taixuan Orthodox Sect disciple immediately understood and explained, "This is a method of sacrificially refining a yin deity based on the Tongzhen Scripture. It uses human sacrifice to feed ghosts and has even been mixed with secret arts of the Ghost Sect. If we want to set up an altar and break it properly, we'll have to return to the mountain and ask several senior and junior brothers to come help."

Li Yan shook his head. "We don't have time. Is there another way?"

One of the Zhushan Sect disciples said, "A formation of countless ghosts worshipping a yin deity is an extremely ominous configuration. Fortunately, it's daytime now. If this had been activated at night, that yin deity would probably have already come to life and started killing people.

"Since its vessel is locust wood, we can perform a ritual and temporarily suppress it with peachwood arrows. But all these yin ghosts must be eliminated at the same time. Otherwise, they'll break the peachwood arrows and release the yin deity.

"But now that the yin deity has been disturbed, this place has already become a sinister yin ground. Ghosts can emerge even during the day. I'm afraid anyone who enters will be possessed."

"Leave that to me!" Li Yan turned and said solemnly, "Uncle Sha, go back to the county courthouse and bring my Thundercloud Divine Drum!"

No one wasted any words and immediately began preparing.

The Zhushan Sect had inherited traditions from the Han shamans and incorporated the shamanic arts of Chu into them. They were especially skilled at using various plants to ward off evil. The old locust tree inhabited by the yin deity just so happened to be something they had methods for dealing with. They all carried peachwood bows and arrows with them. Thus, they set up an altar right there and drew talismans, taking out twelve peachwood arrows and attaching a yellow talisman to each one.

The Thundercloud Divine Drum was also brought over.

Such a commotion naturally attracted the attention of many residents. Although Head Constable Yang and the others blocked people from getting too close, the area was still surrounded. People craned their necks to watch while whispering among themselves.

"So the monster was hiding here?"

"I knew there was something wrong with this house..."

Li Yan had no attention to spare for them. He went to the Thundercloud Divine Drum and hung the Three-Talents Demon Suppressing Coin tassel from the beast-shaped mouth, then nodded to the Zhushan Sect disciples.

The two disciples immediately leapt onto nearby rooftops. While forming hand-seals, they drew their peachwood bows.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Two peachwood arrows tore through the air and plunged directly into the old locust tree. Their action was like poking a hornet's nest. Sinister winds immediately howled inside the old residence. Fallen leaves mixed with black smoke, forming whirlwinds that darted chaotically up and down.

At the same time, shrill cries rang out. This time, even ordinary people could hear them. The surrounding residents instantly turned pale with fright and retreated one after another.

Li Yan focused his spirit, gathered his strength, and struck the divine drum.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The drumbeats thundered through the entire county town. The Thundercloud Divine Drum already possessed the power to drive away evil. Combined with the Three-Talents Demon Suppressing Coin tassel, its might became even more astonishing. The last time Li Yan had used it, a single strike had annihilated the surrounding yin souls. Now, it once again displayed its extraordinary power.

Sinister winds howled as those black whirlwinds wrapped in fallen leaves rushed directly out through the old residence's gate. At that moment, the Thundercloud Divine Drum sounded. The drumbeats reverberated, and the black whirlwinds immediately collapsed.

Watching him, the two Zhushan Sect disciples did not dare delay. They continued forming hand-seals while firing arrows.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

One peachwood arrow after another buried itself in the old locust tree. Li Yan kept striking the divine drum, dispersing every yin soul and vicious ghost that rushed out.

As the drumbeats continued, cold sweat appeared on his forehead. The Thundercloud Divine Drum was powerful, but its consumption was equally astonishing. Even though Li Yan's cultivation had improved, using such a powerful technique still strained him considerably.

Fortunately, the Zhushan Sect disciples moved quickly. With the assistance of the two Taixuan Orthodox Sect disciples and Wang Daoxuan, all the yin souls and vicious ghosts that rushed out were destroyed.

After roughly the time it took to smoke a pipe of tobacco, the old residence finally fell silent again. Twelve peachwood arrows were buried deep in the old locust tree, humming and trembling without pause. Every yin soul and vicious ghost in the courtyard had also been eliminated.

"Do it!" Captain Zheng, who had long been prepared, gave the order. Several soldiers of the Commandant's Office immediately lit Fire Caltrops and hurled them straight into the old courtyard.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Several explosions rang through the air. Buildings collapsed; roofs caved in; and dust billowed everywhere. The Fire Caltrops completely destroyed the entire geomantic formation of the old residence.

Ignoring the choking dust, Li Yan and the others rushed straight inside, poured lamp oil over the old locust tree, and set it ablaze. In an instant, flames roared and black smoke filled the air. A foul stench like that of a rotting corpse immediately spread through the surroundings.

The residents who caught the smell felt their chests tighten as they began vomiting one after another. Amid the crackling flames, they vaguely heard an ancient, venomous roar. Then the old locust tree collapsed with a thunderous crash. A gust of yin wind swept past, and the foul odor disappeared with it.

Li Yan and the others finally heaved a sigh of relief.

The evil entity in the courtyard had been worshipped for more than a hundred years and was already comparable to a ghost or deity. If it had managed to break free, they truly might not have been able to deal with it.

Once the flames died down and the old locust tree had been reduced completely to charcoal, everyone entered the courtyard again and searched carefully. Sure enough, they discovered a tomb beneath the old locust tree. It was not very large, containing only a single locust-wood coffin. The roots of the old locust tree were directly connected to it.

Li Yan kicked the coffin lid away and the moment he saw what lay inside, he sucked in a sharp breath and blurted out, "What the hell is this thing?"

A dried skeleton lay within. It had no head on its neck, but its spine and breastbone were covered in densely packed bony growths shaped like tiny skulls.

"XXXXXXXXX..."