10. Spirit Talisman

“Dead?”

Lin Guichen finally breathed a sigh of relief. He glanced at the remaining ashes in his hand and carefully put them back into his pocket.

This ash was truly effective, almost a nemesis for the monster.

Just then—

“Wow.”

The young Taoist suddenly poked her head out from behind him, eyeing the ashes on the ground with a cheerful smile. “Another demon vanquished, another righteous deed. Poor soul... The Master is going to reward you again.”

“The Master?” Lin Guichen felt a surge of joy.

Whenever he eradicated evil, he could meet the Master.

But what exactly counted as evil?

He wasn’t sure.

Yet the young Taoist said the Dao represented the righteous path, and anyone who opposed him counted as evil, provided they were on the path.

Even Chen Zhonghai was a defective version of evil.

And this human-faced, serpent-bodied monster certainly qualified.

He wondered, though, whether this time the reward would be another defective version.

Thunder rumbled—

Suddenly, Lin Guichen heard a sound like thunder, or perhaps like a stomach growling from hunger.

Then, a tall figure in Taoist robes appeared before him.

“Greetings, Master.”

Lin Guichen immediately took a few steps forward, preparing to kneel before the Master as a sign of respect.

A man's knees are as precious as gold—if not now, then when?

But after a few steps, he paused in confusion.

He had clearly moved to a different part of the room, yet the Master's figure still faced away from him. He couldn’t even reach the Master’s side.

“Hmm?”

Lin Guichen instinctively moved sideways, but the Master remained with his back to him.

He stepped back, and it was the same.

The Master’s feet never shifted.

Such strange and inexplicable behavior left him bewildered.

No matter how he repositioned himself, the Master always had his back to him?

“This…”

Lin Guichen couldn’t comprehend it.

“Stop turning,” the young Taoist shuffled quietly to his side, gave him a look, and whispered, “The Master doesn’t want you to see his face. Why are you still trying?”

The thunderous, growling noise grew more intense.

The young Taoist’s face went pale with fright; she fell silent, scarcely daring to breathe.

Lin Guichen glanced at her—she was truly afraid of the Master?

Suddenly, he saw the Master lower his head, as if inspecting the ashes of the monster.

A hissing sound followed, and Lin Guichen saw specks of light appear in the air, which the Master drew into his mouth.

Meanwhile, the thunderous, growling sound grew clearer.

Then the Master’s deep, pain-laced voice sounded:

“You have done well in defending the Dao and vanquishing evil. According to the cultivation of this demon, I have prepared three Daoist treasures for you. You may choose one.”

Apparently, this time the reward was not defective…

Lin Guichen responded respectfully, “Thank you, Master.”

The Master continued, still facing away:

“First, a talisman called the Spirit Command Talisman. It can command and enslave a ghost, provided the ghost cannot walk in daylight. It is ineffective against ghosts formed through spiritual burial. You need only open one spiritual aperture to activate it with your own spiritual energy, consuming very little.

“Second, a century-old peach wood sword. This weapon is highly effective against ghosts. Any ghost unable to walk in daylight will suffer grave injury from its strike. Similarly, it requires only one spiritual aperture to use, with minimal energy consumption.

“Third, a warm jade pendant. When your yang energy is depleted, it provides true yang. If you encounter another demon that absorbs yang energy, even if you cannot resist, this pendant can save your life. It does not require a spiritual aperture for use.”

After listing the choices, the Master said, “Choose.”

One out of three?

Lin Guichen mused—the treasures were precisely what he needed now.

Except, perhaps, for the last one.

Who did they take him for, as if he’d be easily drained… Lin Guichen cleared his throat and asked, “Can the warm jade pendant repel evil?”

“No.”

The Master replied, “It only restores your yang energy when depleted.”

Lin Guichen pondered and said, “I’ll take the Spirit Command Talisman.”

“Good.”

With a wave of the Master’s sleeve, a gust of wind swept through, and the imposing figure vanished.

At the same time, Lin Guichen found a small talisman in his hand, yellow paper painted with cinnabar, about two inches long.

So this was the Spirit Command Talisman?

Lin Guichen examined it curiously and said, “The Master said I need to open one spiritual aperture to use it. Are there treasures that require two, three, or even more apertures?”

“Of course.”

The young Taoist squatted nearby, speaking as if it were obvious. “These are Daoist treasures, not for just anyone to use.”

Lin Guichen considered this, then asked, “Now that the monster is dead, how long until you bring me another pill?”

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The young Taoist tilted her head in thought. “The interval is three days now, but since it’s been half a day since the last pill, you just need to wait two and a half days.”

“Three days?” Lin Guichen asked, “The monster is dead, why is there still danger?”

He’d already deduced some rules about the Taoist’s pill deliveries.

Eight words: fewer pills with danger, more pills with safety.

The young Taoist could apparently assess his current crisis level to decide the interval.

In other words, the interval was a measure of the threat he faced.

“Three days is quick enough.”

The young Taoist cutely wagged a finger and snorted, “You’re still plagued by human calamity, not so peaceful. Three days for a pill is already generous.”

“Human calamity?” Lin Guichen frowned, confused.

She’d said the same before. Every time he thought he was safe, she mentioned human calamity.

This so-called human calamity had appeared since he pretended to agree with Chen Zhonghai.

Lin Guichen probed, “You always mention three-day intervals. Is the human calamity caused by people?”

“Don’t ask me. It’s a heavenly secret—don’t make me reveal it…” The young Taoist covered her ears, repeating, “I didn’t say ghost calamity, divine calamity, or lust calamity…”

Lin Guichen’s eyes brightened at her words. He understood.

So.

This human calamity was truly man-made…

Lin Guichen glanced at the ashes left by the monster and suddenly felt something odd.

The monster had screamed so miserably and loudly before dying—why hadn’t anyone come?

Even if this was a separate courtyard, the neighbors should have heard something, especially the servant in the adjacent room.

Something was wrong.

Lin Guichen looked around, then paused, finally noticing what was off.

It was too quiet.

Before sleeping, he remembered the wind blowing outside, and as it was late spring, there should have been the sounds of insects at night.

Yet now, not a whisper of wind or chirping insects.

Lin Guichen frowned, carefully tucked away the Spirit Command Talisman, and headed for the door.

Upon opening it, there was dead silence—no sound at all.

He stepped outside.

Suddenly—

Wind and insects sounded almost simultaneously outside.

Lin Guichen stared, then stepped back two paces, and the sounds vanished again.

After experimenting for a while, he confirmed it.

Within a certain range, sound was blocked by some force—no sound in or out.

He mapped the edges of this boundary and identified the center.

Returning inside, Lin Guichen grabbed a stiff old book from the table, more suited for wiping than reading, and began to investigate the ashes with the power of knowledge.

Soon, he uncovered a small flute amid the ashes.

He brushed off the dust and realized the flute was pale, seemingly made of—

Bone?

He examined it and determined it was crafted from a human arm bone.

Was this the source of the sound barrier?

Clearly, the monster had brought it, specifically to conceal any noise.

Not wanting to be discovered, it needed to mask its actions.

Thus, the monster hadn’t wandered into the ancestral mansion by accident.

It had come for him.

“The young Taoist says I’m still plagued by human calamity…”

Lin Guichen quickly deduced:

“Someone wants me dead?”

He cursed inwardly. “Damn it, I’m already so miserable, and someone still wants me gone sooner?”

Reviewing his past, nothing stood out.

After following his remarried mother to Kangle County, he’d hardly left Chen Zhonghai’s house; it was hard to offend anyone.

Only this ghost marriage, and killing Chen Zhonghai—these two events were unique.

“Two possibilities,” Lin Guichen mused.

“First, someone wants revenge for Chen Zhonghai’s death within the ancestral mansion.”

“But that’s unlikely. If Chen Zhonghai had powerful backers, his death wouldn’t have been so easily resolved.”

“Not to mention whether the ancestral god counts as a person—since Third Uncle could resolve the conflict, either he felt confident, or Chen Zhonghai’s death didn’t matter.”

“The most likely cause is the ghost marriage.”

Lin Guichen frowned deeply.

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He still didn’t know the truth behind the ghost marriage.

Usually, such a match was for the peace of the departed, but if that was the only goal, a dead woman could be paired with a dead man.

Yet Third Uncle insisted on matching birth dates and demanded a living groom—highly unusual.

There must be secrets hidden within this ghost marriage.

“Fortunately, I have the Spirit Command Talisman…”

Lin Guichen felt relieved. “Since Chen Linyu passed away some time ago, and Third Uncle wants me to see her, it’s probably her ghost I’ll meet. If I can activate the talisman, I may enslave her ghost.”

That was why he chose the talisman.

If he had to go through with the ghost marriage, enslaving Chen Linyu’s ghost could at least let her plead to Third Uncle on his behalf.

Perhaps he wouldn’t have to be buried alive.

Clearly, there was more to this marriage than met the eye.

He could use the Spirit Command Talisman to force Chen Linyu to confess everything.

That was his reasoning.

As for the peach wood sword and warm jade, they weren’t as crucial.

He could always get the ghost-repelling ash from Third Uncle—no need for the sword.

And the sword was only effective against ghosts, not monsters like the snake-faced creature.

The warm jade was even less useful for now.

“Moreover…”

Lin Guichen had a sudden idea. “There must be plenty of wandering spirits and monsters in the ancestral mansion. With the ancestor god’s rib, the monsters in the eastern wing leave me alone…”

He glanced at the rib in his hand. “But if I leave it behind, those monsters will come for me, right?”

“Then, with Third Uncle’s ash, I can kill more monsters!”

“In that case, the Master will reward me again…”

The more he thought about it, the better the plan seemed.

Perhaps this could help him escape the mansion, or even deal with the ancestor god.

Of course, it was dangerous.

So he needed to plan carefully.

For example, open another spiritual aperture, heal his leg, restore his health…

“I need more ash…the more, the better.”

Lin Guichen looked at the half-filled pouch—barely enough.

He would need more.

“Alright…let’s do this.”

He put away the bone flute, grabbed a lantern, and went to the adjacent servant’s room.

The servant was a girl of eighteen or nineteen, named Little Jade, said to be a Chen family member but not closely related.

She was short and plain, suited only for chores. Tonight, despite all the commotion, she slept on—thanks to the bone flute’s barrier.

“Ah!!”

She shrieked when Lin Guichen woke her, then shrank back, pulling the blanket around herself.

“Sir, Third Uncle said you mustn’t…”

“Quiet.”

Lin Guichen’s lips twitched. “Listen, get dressed right now and go find Third Uncle. Tell him I was nearly killed. Got it?”

“You were nearly killed?” Little Jade blinked.

“Hurry.” Lin Guichen’s voice was stern.

“Oh, yes, I’ll go now.”

He set down the lantern and returned to his room.

He could only move within the eastern wing; Third Uncle was in the north, and he dared not venture there at night.

It made him all the more annoyed at the ancestor god—even a servant received the protection of the ancestral gods, but not him.

Just for killing one of their family—why hold a grudge against a dead man…

…

Soon, Third Uncle arrived, supported by Su Zichu.

He wore only a white undershirt and a coat, clearly rushed.

Third Uncle stood before the ashes, studied them for a while, then turned to Lin Guichen and asked, “You said the monster that tried to kill you had a beautiful woman’s face and a white serpent’s body?”

“Yes,” Lin Guichen nodded.

“That was the wandering monster known as Human-Faced Serpent.”

Third Uncle nodded gently. “Like snakes, human-faced serpents are lascivious and skilled at seduction. Did it try to drain your vital energy?”

Just asking if I’m still a virgin… Lin Guichen replied honestly, “I immediately used the ash you gave me and smeared it on her face. She struggled in agony for a moment, then turned to ash.”

“Such monsters cannot withstand ash from the depths of the sun furnace.”

Third Uncle was not surprised. He pondered, then said, “Little Jade said you woke her from sleep, but she lives next door and heard nothing of the serpent’s cries. How is that?”

You old fox… Lin Guichen praised Third Uncle inwardly, then cheerfully produced the bone flute:

“Third Uncle, you’re astute—I was about to mention this.”