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The cold moon cast an eerie glow, and paper money fluttered everywhere.
This was called scattering the road money.
In the funeral customs of the Divine State, during a burial procession, whenever one reached a crossroads, it was customary for a highly esteed elder to scatter paper money.
Firstly, it was to guide the deceased, as the saying goes, "The deceased travels west, and paper money paves the way."
Secondly, it was to divert wandering ghosts so they would not entangle the living.
Wu Laosi had used the Yin Skill, and at this mont, his Divine Soul had left his body. His physical form was like a wide-open door, attracting wandering ghosts and unclean things.
According to legend, wandering ghosts had not entered the Netherworld and were not free. They were tornted by pre-death mories and obsessions, and had to endure terrible solitude and cold.
When daylight ca, they would vanish in the sunlight.
To put it simply, it was like being on a planet where the dayti was akin to a lava hell and the night froze one’s soul.
Imagine the allure of a warm body to these creatures.
Sha Lifei, imrsed in the pugilistic world, during unfortunate tis, had helped wealthy families with weddings and funerals, so he was quite familiar with this ritual.
"Everyone, everyone, do not disturb, do not disturb!"
He spoke fawningly while energetically tossing paper money.
Whoosh!
The paper money swirled and rotated rapidly in the blowing Yin Wind, swirling up and down before returning to tranquility.
Li Yan sniffed, "They’ve already left!"
The Yin Wind dissipated, and the flickering oil lamp returned to calm.
Seeing this, Sha Lifei breathed a sigh of relief.
What was paper money, really?
Wu Laosi said they needed three pounds; he had bought eight pounds. It didn’t matter if he had to scatter a bit more as long as the task was completed.
Of course, that was the civilized way.
If scattering paper money didn’t drive them away, then Li Yan would have to use his blade.
Soon, a few more wandering ghosts arrived.
Naturally, they were spotted by Li Yan before they got close, and he sounded the alarm.
At that mont, a scent suddenly wafted from the distant riverbank.
It was cold and fishy.
Li Yan stood up abruptly, brandishing the Guan Mountain Blade and positioned himself in front of Sha Lifei, simultaneously attaching the Three Talents Demon Suppressing Coin Blade Tassel onto it.
Sha Lifei asked curiously, "What is it?"
With that, he leaned forward for a better look.
Under the moonlight by the riverbank, a serpent as thick as a bowl slithered ashore, coiling into a Snake Formation, hissing and flicking its tongue.
"Don’t look into its eyes!"
Li Yan cautioned softly, gripping the Guan Mountain Blade tightly.
The previously still blade tassel began to sway gently, exuding an icy Evil Qi.
Sensing the threat of the Three Talents Demon Suppression Coin, the serpent halted with a hesitant flick of its tongue.
Nevertheless, Li Yan dared not let his guard down.
He had once heard Wang Daoxuan say that wandering ghosts were the most pathetic existences between heaven and earth. Weak as they were, even possessing an ordinary night traveler took a stroke of fortune and sheer effort.
Occasionally, a re spit and few curses from humans were enough to scare them away.
A bag of road money was enough to make these things leave.
Fortunate was it that, due to the presence of the Society Order Army in Xianyang City, stronger entities dared not approach, and the City God Temple’s annual rituals of food offerings and river lanterns kept the water ghosts drowned nearby from causing trouble.
For thods where the Divine Soul leaves the body and the physical form is temporarily unguarded, the greatest fear aside from fierce ghosts was things with a cultivation level.
Once possessed, one’s actions and behavior would mimic animals.
When their Dao was weak, these creatures often took over human bodies to cultivate, sotis practicing on corpses, crawling into graves and coffins, perching atop corpses.
Sotis, people opening a coffin would find a snake coiled on or a fox lying atop a corpse, as these minor beings were in the midst of their cultivation.
Finally, the serpent sensed danger, twisted its body, and slithered back into the river.
Li Yan did not pursue it, understanding the priority of protection.
And so, they made it safely through midnight.
Li Yan exhaled in relief, casting a gaze at the Six Constellations Lantern.
Once midnight had passed, possession beca significantly more difficult.
This ti, the separation should prove successful.
Still unclear was the whereabouts of the Evil Cultivator.
...
Elsewhere, within Xianyang City, at the headquarters of the Iron Blade Gang.
Torches burned brightly, accompanied by the sounds of wailing and screaming.
Zheng Hebei’s face was grim as he watched his subordinates busy themselves.
Zhou Peide had been imprisoned, the White Ape Gang besieged, Yuan Qu had fled, and the Zhou Family now faced calamity. Zheng Hebei stayed at the Zhou Mansion to discuss strategies with everyone.
Who would have thought, the gang was attacked again.
"Gang Leader, it’s people from the Taixing Transportation Company!"
A subservient whose arms and legs had been broken gritted his teeth and said, "I know that head carter. Usually, he’s all ek and mild. When he saw , he’d be too afraid to even breathe. Who would have thought..."
"Who would have thought what!"
The middle-aged man in a blue robe behind Zheng Hebei angrily rebuked, "Told you all before. So people you shouldn’t provoke, especially those from the sa pugilistic world."
"The people from Taixing Transport—"
"You even want to take a cut from them? They’re big players even in Chang’an. They simply didn’t want to bother with you, and you thought you grew horns!"
The speaker, nad Liu Jincheng, was one of the Eight Vajras and also a head of Changshun Escort Agency in Xianyang, ordered to accompany and inspect.
Having traveled extensively with experience and acun, he tried multiple tis to warn Zheng Hebei and Yuan Qu, but both ignored him.
Given the current state of the Zhou family, a sinister anger rose in his heart.
Zheng Hebei, a stubborn man by nature, knew his peers looked down on him. Their sarcasm stung; his face darkened.
"Brother Liu, my subordinates aren’t yours to discipline!"
"Hahaha... incorrigible!"
Liu Jincheng chuckled angrily and turned to leave.
Regret washed over Zheng Hebei after his outburst, and watching Liu Jincheng’s departure filled him with uncertainty.
He hadn’t directly participated in the child kidnapping, but had lent so indirect support.
However, with Yuan Qu escaped and Zhou Peide unaware, the governnt hadn’t co for him yet, but so matters couldn’t be kept secret forever.
The most critical was Zhou Pan!
If they could sacrifice the younger generation, then what about one who dealt in dirtier deeds like him?
Moreover, Zhou Pan treated him unusually amicably tonight...
The thought sent a chill of fear creeping through Zheng Hebei’s heart, though his face remained a mask of anger and boldness.
"Brothers, fear not. I’ll see to your dical expenses!"
"n, take everyone to Anren Hall’s clinic."
"Brothers, rest assured and recover. We’ll certainly avenge this!"
"Gang Leader, you’re righteous!"
The mbers of the Iron Blade Gang were moved to tears.
Zheng Hebei nodded, instructing his n for appropriate arrangents before retreating to his room. He pushed aside a bookshelf, revealing a hidden compartnt in the floor.
When he opened the small chest inside, he was thunderstruck.
Initially packed with gold bars, representing his accumulation over the years, they were gone.
"Old Four Yu!"
It wasn’t hard to guess who had done it.
Despite the rage burning within him, Zheng knew it was ti to leave. He entered the secret passage inside the room, erging in a nearby courtyard, changed attire, and vanished into the night.
An hour later, the Vice Gang Leader found it odd that the candle had burned out but Zheng Hebei hadn’t erged, prompting an investigation.
Soon a furious shout echoed from within the room.
"The cowardly bastard, Gang Leader has fled!"
...
Unknowingly, it beca the third hour.
Autumn night lengthened as days shortened, and the break of dawn had yet to appear, but the rooster tied to a tree already paced back and forth, stretching its neck to issue a loud crow.
Sha Lifei and Li Yan quickly glanced up at the copper bell on the tree.
Wu Laosi had said that if he woke at the rooster’s crow and hadn’t pulled the bell, the ritual had failed, necessitating imdiate burning of both person and coffin.
However, the bell remained still.
Just as their anxiety mounted, the hemp rope protruding from the ground suddenly tightened, pulling the bell on the tree to jingle.
"Quick, take action!"
Li Yan and Sha Lifei quickly wielded their shovels, uncovering the loose earth and prying open the coffin lid.
The mont the lid lifted, Li Yan’s expression changed.
He slled an intense Yin Qi, pure and icy.
So strong that the naked eye could see white frost coating the coffin’s interior, chilling the air.
Wu Laosi was covered in frost, his skin iron blue and deathly pale. Under their calls, he slowly opened his eyes.
His gaze was hazy and bewildered, like just awakening from a dream.
Of course, after seeing the two of them, he quickly regained composure.
Supported by Li Yan and Sha Lifei, Wu Laosi struggled to rise and pointed southwest, his voice hoarse beyond belief.
"The person is there, a hundred miles away in an ancient tomb!"
"There are many children. If you want to save them, hurry!"
He seed to perceive sothing just then, breaking free from their grasp, kneeling respectfully to the south, trembling as he declared:
"Descendant Wu Laosi acknowledges his wrongdoing and accepts punishnt..."
Before the words finished, he slumped over, lifeless.
"Master!"
Amidst the pain and a hint of shock, Li Yan recalled.
Wang Daoxuan had told him that Divine Skills weren’t omnipotent; only when one’s Dao was high could they sense so powerful entities.
Yet just now, he hadn’t sensed anything!
"Brother Yan, look!"
Sha Lifei gently lifted Wu Laosi’s shirt as instructed earlier.
The hook paper and chain pattern ford by various blood bruises on his back had vanished without a trace!
The scene before them chilled the two’s hearts.
Gritting his teeth, Li Yan said, "We’ll proceed as planned."
"You report to the City God Temple and prepare the elder’s body for rest. I’ll go to keep watch to prevent the demon from escaping!"
With that, they worked together to place Wu Laosi back in his coffin, mounted their horses, and dashed into the impregnable night...
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