"That's right, it's shaped like a person." Jiao Yuhang explained, "This is called a Soul-Sealing Nail, used for making a 'Dry Bone Stake.'"
"Dry Bone Stake?" Di Junxiong frowned and looked at Xiao Feng next to him, only to see Xiao Feng's eyes showing a thoughtful expression, seemingly aware of what the Dry Bone Stake is.
Jiao Yuhang said solemnly, "You might have heard so legends about the Dry Bone Stake—each layout is different, and so is the effect.
What remains the sa is this thod, which is universally acknowledged as cruel and inhuman!
Based on the patterns carved on it, I can roughly determine that the nail is used for suppression."
Upon hearing "suppression," Xiao Feng's eyes flickered, thinking to himself that although Master Ninth was usually unreliable, this ti he seed quite dependable.
Jiao Yuhang paused before continuing, "There are many ways to make a Dry Bone Stake, and this one requires carving suppression talismans onto nails, which are mostly used on living people.
I once had the fortune to read the notes of a senior who recorded using living people for Dry Bone Stakes.
Two hundred years ago, during a year of disaster, a great drought stretched for miles, harvests were nonexistent, and most people fled with their families, leaving so elderly behind who could only await death.
However, no one is willing to wait for death willingly.
The senior passed by a village and couldn't bear seeing the villagers dying of thirst, so he taught them a thod.
The thod was..."
"Making a Dry Bone Stake." Di Junxiong chid in.
Jiao Yuhang nodded, "The specific thod involves driving Soul-Sealing Nails into a living person's hands, feet, Dantian, heart, and between the eyebrows.
Then you bury them in a place marked by great evil; this would cause a rain to fall."
"Isn't this ridiculous?" Di Junxiong looked skeptical.
Xiao Feng didn't make any comnt but remained a quiet listener.
Jiao Yuhang chuckled, "Believe it or not, the notes recorded that after the Dry Bone Stake was driven into the ground, the originally clear sky suddenly turned cloudy with thunder rumbling.
Halfway through the burial, the rain began to pour.
After the rain stopped, water started gushing from the village's wells.
In reality, the senior wasn't sure if the dry bone stake technique was genuinely effective but thought risking it was better than dying of thirst."
"Then what?" Xiao Feng urged.
Jiao Yuhang sighed, "Even though the rain fell and the villagers were saved, the senior who shared the thod felt uneasy.
Indeed, he saved many people, but did the person used for the Dry Bone Stake deserve to die?
Moreover, the thod was not foolproof: the Soul-Sealing Nails trapped the soul of the unjustly killed, as well as the resentnt, and if this resentnt erupted, it wouldn't be a joking matter!
Especially since the body used for the Dry Bone Stake wouldn't decompose, if it turned into a corpse monster one day, it would inevitably bring disaster to innocents.
Thus, before the senior left, he advised the villagers to honor and offer comfort to the person buried as a Dry Bone Stake, as a token form of compensation.
In his old age, the senior was still troubled and sent his disciples to the village to investigate, and the result..."
Jiao Yuhang deliberately paused at this point.
"Hurry up and tell us!" Di Junxiong slamd the table again.
Jiao Yuhang coughed a couple of tis and changed the subject, "I'm thirsty, how about an iced tea?"
Di Junxiong was amused by that, "Ha, iced tea?"
But Xiao Feng interjected, "Give it to him."
Xiao Feng's word was sothing Di Junxiong couldn't ignore, and he got up, pointing at Jiao Yuhang, "Alright, just wait, iced tea."
As Di Junxiong exited, Xiao Feng placed one hand on the table, lightly tapping with his fingers—his usual habit when pondering.
He naturally contemplated the matter of the seven nails.
If what Jiao Yuhang said was true, then why had he only seen seven nails and no corpse?
Could it be that Pang Tong's aim was to unearth the buried Dry Bone Stake?
"Can a Dry Bone Stake be controlled manually?" Xiao Feng suddenly asked.
"What?" Jiao Yuhang's eyes changed, clearly surprised by Xiao Feng's question.
Xiao Feng rolled his eyes and grinned, "I'm just curious, since it rains and the water erges, the people co to life—why not dig up the Dry Bone Stake and burn it?"
Jiao Yuhang nodded knowingly and replied, "Actually, when I first heard the story, I had the sa question.
My master told that in feng shui, a Dry Bone Stake is like a spring.
Once this spring appears, it cannot be artificially destroyed or altered, or else it will lead to greater chaos—the consequences of which, I haven't heard any account of anyone trying.
However, you ntioned manual control, and there are thods for that, though Dry Bone Stakes are rare, finding one is nearly impossible, akin to finding a needle in a haystack."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Feng silently nodded, pretty much confirming that Pang Tong had unearthed the Dry Bone Stake.
As for how Pang Tong knew a Dry Bone Stake was buried there, that was sothing he couldn't know.
Moreover, if Pang Tong had unearthed it, then he must have a thod to control it.
Thinking about this, Xiao Feng couldn't help asking, "Is the Dry Bone Stake powerful?"
Just as he asked, Di Junxiong returned with a bottle of iced tea, placing it forcefully on the table, "Here, drink up!"
Jiao Yuhang reached for the iced tea, scoffing, "Iced tea, iced tea—is this tea even cold?"
"Don't push your luck!" Di Junxiong snapped.
But Xiao Feng turned to him, with a tone full of impatience, "Go get a cold one."
"Master, he..."
"Stop the nonsense! Just go and get it!"
Jiao Yuhang laughed heartily, in a mocking tone, "Hear that? He said go get it!"
"Bang!"
Di Junxiong clenched his fist, slamd it down on the table, but said nothing further, obediently heading out to get "iced" tea.
Xiao Feng spoke up, "Let's continue. If the Dry Bone Stake fights, is it strong?"
Jiao Yuhang sensed sothing amiss and furrowed his brows, "Why are you suddenly interested in the Dry Bone Stake?
And, this Soul-Sealing Nail..."
"I want to write a novel and need to gather material." Xiao Feng lied casually.
Jiao Yuhang obviously didn't believe him, but mulled over the situation, "After I finish the story, you'll know whether the Dry Bone Stake is powerful or not.
Do you have any cigarettes?
Give one!"
Xiao Feng looked toward the guard at the door, asking, "Brother, got any cigarettes?"
The guard walked in with a resigned expression, pulling one from his pack, lighting it, and handing it to Jiao Yuhang.
Jiao Yuhang showed a clear look of disdain but accepted it and smoked it anyway.
Not long after, Di Junxiong returned, holding a bottle of iced tea with ice shards still clinging to it, placing it on the table, "Here, iced tea, may it freeze you!"
Jiao Yuhang chuckled lightly, shook his head, unscrewed the cap, and surprisingly took several big gulps.
Then, he let out a satisfying sigh, "Ah...refreshing!"
Xiao Feng and Di Junxiong were speechless.
Those in the know recognized it as iced tea.
Those who didn't might have thought he was doing sothing unspeakable.
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