Chapter 45 – Exposing the Truth

As soon as the old monk finished speaking, before Director Sun could respond, Elder Ye eagerly nodded: “Yes, yes, we should go back and take a look! Master, do you think you could take Xiao Wang with you? He, he needs to be treated as soon as possible…”

Having a crazed subordinate in the house was already nerve-wracking enough. Now, hearing that Chizhi was planning to go to the old mansion to deal with the evil spirits, Elder Ye was all for it. However, Wei Yang couldn’t help but curse in his heart. This was undeniably a place of great misfortune, and yet they were still planning to charge in. Couldn’t they find a way to bring the Iron Buddha out and destroy it?

Director Sun, on the other hand, seemed to have thought things through more carefully. After hesitating for a moment, he asked, “Can Xiao Wang be taken there? He’s in such a state now. Would bringing him along cause any problems? But if we don’t take him…”

With both experts going to the haunted mansion, leaving a possessed person at home would be disastrous. As if reading Director Sun’s thoughts, Chizhi smiled and said, “To untie the bell, you need the one who tied it. To remove the evil spirit from Mr. Wang, we must bring him back to the evil Buddha. However, not today. Master Zhang and I still need some preparation.”

As he spoke, the monk turned his head, his cloudy eyes looking at Zhang Xiuqi. “Master Zhang, will you need a human pillar for your ritual?”

The so-called human pillar refers to using a person as the foundation of a formation during a ritual, harnessing their energy to amplify the power of the formation. Humans, being the essence of all living things, when paired with the right birth charts, can produce extraordinary effects. Both Buddhist and Taoist traditions have many similar formations derived from this concept, but using a human pillar would naturally require more preparation time.

Zhang Xiuqi shook his head decisively. “No, the day after tomorrow will do.”

The old monk seemed to have anticipated this answer. He pinched his fingers together, calculating something, then nodded. “The Dark Moon is approaching, and the third lunar phase has not yet arrived. This is indeed a better time to harness the power of the celestial stars. We will make our preparations over the next two days and set out for the haunted mansion the day after tomorrow.”

With this exchange, the two quickly settled on a plan. Wei Yang, standing to the side, was so anxious he could hardly sit still. This was truly something profound and mysterious, with every sentence containing hidden meanings he couldn’t grasp. He knew about the Dark Moon—according to the lunar calendar, the day after tomorrow would be the end of the month. The beginning of the month is called the New Moon, the middle is the Full Moon, and the end is the Dark Moon. These three days are considered the peak of yin energy in each month. To go to a haunted mansion during such a time—wasn’t that just asking for trouble?

However, the old monk didn’t give him a chance to interject. He simply nodded to Director Sun and said, “Then, Director Sun, please arrange a quiet room for us to discuss the details.”

After hearing such a string of incomprehensible yet awe-inspiring dialogue, Director Sun naturally didn’t dare to delay. He immediately arranged for a private room and escorted the three masters there to rest. While Director Sun and Elder Ye felt reassured, Wei Yang was far from at ease. Being led around like a blind donkey was not a pleasant feeling. However, he knew better than anyone that once the Little Celestial Master had made a decision, there was no changing it. After some thought, he decided to focus his efforts on the old monk.

Once the others had left, Wei Yang quickly put on a smile and tried to persuade Chizhi: “Master, since there are no outsiders here now, I think we should still be cautious. That mansion has undoubtedly become a place of great misfortune. Isn’t it a bit early to go there the day after tomorrow…”

His tone couldn’t be more sincere, but the old monk merely sighed softly. “Mr. Wei, the reason I called you here was to ask you this: Do you really want to get involved in such a malevolent case? If I’m not mistaken, you don’t know any Taoist magic, do you?”

The old monk’s voice was hoarse and dry, but to Wei Yang, it felt like a thunderclap. How did he know? He hadn’t said anything revealing earlier. Where had he slipped up?

The old monk’s cloudy eyes closed slightly as he calmly continued, “Have you ever heard the saying ‘ghosts speak in tongues’? Ghosts do not differentiate between Tibetan, Mongolian, or Han languages. All ghosts speak the same tongue and utter the same words. In Taoism, this is called Extinction Script, while in Buddhism, it is known as the Burial Curse.”

Wei Yang opened his mouth but couldn’t find the words to respond. He had heard of Extinction Script before, but who would have thought that it actually had a spoken form—a real ghost language? No wonder the old monk had said he could communicate with the possessing spirit. Poor him, he didn’t even know such basic things, no wonder he was exposed so easily.

However, Master Chizhi didn’t seem to blame him. He simply asked again, “The demon sealed within the evil Buddha—Master Zhang and I will not allow it to escape. However, this creature is so fierce that when we activate the formation, it will likely be fraught with danger. Since you don’t know any Taoist magic and have no means of self-protection, getting involved in such a conflict could be very dangerous…”

Before Master Chizhi could finish, Zhang Xiuqi’s brow furrowed, and he showed a rare expression of hesitation. His fingers, resting on his knees, twitched unconsciously, as if he wanted to reach out and grab the person beside him but hesitated to do so. Was he worried about leaving him behind but didn’t want to take him into danger? Wei Yang’s throat tightened, and he reached out to grasp Zhang Xiuqi’s wrist. “Of course I’ll go. It’s just a ghost, right? It’s been sealed for over seven hundred years. What trouble could it cause? Brother Qi, don’t worry. I still have the Talisman Jade your father left me. I should be able to protect myself.”

Hearing this, Zhang Xiuqi’s expression calmed down, and he gripped Wei Yang’s wrist in return. “I will protect you.”

These few words were spoken with such seriousness and determination, carrying a youthful sense of stubbornness and solemnity that felt oddly familiar. Wei Yang’s nose tingled, and he quickly turned his face away, taking a deep breath before speaking to Master Chizhi. “Master, I’ll go. The way you phrased it earlier, you must have wanted me to come, right?”

Although Wei Yang didn’t understand the mystical and arcane aspects of Daoism, he was unparalleled in his ability to read people. If the old monk didn’t want him to go, he would have directly said that he would be a burden and shouldn’t go, rather than repeatedly emphasizing the danger and horror of the situation.

Master Chizhi smiled faintly. “Master Zhang has lost a soul. With you here, it helps stabilize his spirit. Therefore, if possible, it would be best for you to come along.”

This answer was far beyond Wei Yang’s expectations. Could the old monk really tell that Brother Qi was missing a soul? And how could he possibly help stabilize his spirit? Suddenly realizing something, Wei Yang reached up to remove the Talisman Jade from around his neck. “Is it because of this? If I give the Talisman Jade to Brother Qi, would that be more helpful…”

The old monk waved his hand. “It’s not because of the item from Longhu Mountain. It’s because of you. You and Master Zhang share a karmic connection, which is why it has such a unique effect.”

Wei Yang’s hand froze. Karmic connection? He had only met Zhang Xiuqi a month ago. How could they possibly have any karmic ties, especially one related to the Heavenly Soul that even Master Zeng couldn’t recover? But as the thought crossed his mind, he recalled another similarity between them—both had lost a portion of their memories, memories related to the deaths of their loved ones. His heart began to pound. Did that mean that if he could recover those memories, he could also help Brother Qi recover his lost Heavenly Soul?

However, this thought was fleeting and quickly pushed aside. Even if he wanted to recover those memories, it wouldn’t happen overnight. Rather than pinning his hopes on that, it was better to deal with the current situation first. Comfortingly, he squeezed Zhang Xiuqi’s arm and changed the subject. “Since we’re all going to that haunted mansion, and even taking the possessed Wang Ming with us, why not choose a different time? The Dark Moon is a time of strong yin energy. Why not wait until after the New Moon…”

Before Chizhi could respond, Zhang Xiuqi spoke up. “Dark Moon. Star power is strong.”

“Huh? Brother Qi, are you saying that without the moon, the power of the stars is stronger?” Wei Yang guessed.

Master Chizhi chuckled, taking on the role of a teacher. “Why do stars shine?”

“Because… stars are luminous?”

This was basic astronomy, and Wei Yang felt a bit embarrassed answering, but the old monk nodded approvingly. “Stars are celestial suns, but they are so far from Earth that they appear to twinkle and sway. However, the stars themselves are as yang as the sun we see during the day, and the yang energy they emit is no less powerful. It’s just that the stars are distant, and the moon’s power is overwhelming, making this true yang energy appear faint. Only during times when there is neither sun nor moon can the power of the celestial stars be fully harnessed for formations.”

He paused, then glanced at Zhang Xiuqi with his cloudy eyes. “Not to mention, Taoism speaks of binding the three souls and controlling the seven spirits. The Dark Moon can control the spirits, helping him refine his seven spirits and focus his mind. But on the third, thirteenth, and twenty-third days of the lunar month—days that bind the three souls—he, lacking one soul, would likely become distracted and experience problems.”

Wei Yang let out a soft “ah,” suddenly remembering the day a few days ago when the Little Celestial Master had been in tears. Could it have been because it was the twenty-third day of the lunar month, and his remaining two souls were unstable, causing some sort of anomaly? Damn it, even though he was by Brother Qi’s side, he had no idea that these days could affect him. As a caretaker, he had been terribly negligent.

Feeling a bit remorseful, Wei Yang finally made up his mind. It seemed that both Master Chizhi and his Brother Qi had some preparations in place for this venture. In such cases, it was better to act sooner rather than later. He might as well grit his teeth and charge forward. With this thought, Wei Yang took something out of his bag. “Master Chizhi, I acquired a ritual instrument earlier, but I haven’t been able to use it properly or unleash its full power. Since this malevolent spirit is so powerful, perhaps it would be better to give it to you…”

“A Scripture Fish.” Although his voice remained calm, Master Chizhi’s bushy white eyebrows shot up as he reached out to take the wooden fish Wei Yang handed him. The moment his fingers touched the bottom of the fish, he sighed in admiration. “A Shurangama Scripture Fish. Rare, rare.”

After carefully examining the wooden fish, the old monk finally composed himself and explained to Wei Yang, “In Buddhism, there has always been a tradition of scripture preservation, using prayer beads, wooden fish, or alms bowls as vessels to inscribe entire sutras. These scripture-preserving methods are performed by high monks or devout lay practitioners, and are filled with the power of their vows. They are most effective against fierce and malevolent spirits. However, this practice of inscribing sutras has been lost in modern times, and the remaining scripture-preserving artifacts are exceedingly rare, let alone a demon-subduing artifact like this one, fully inscribed with the Shurangama Mantra. This is truly a top-tier Buddhist treasure! Mr. Wei, you…”

Wei Yang smiled faintly and waved his hand. “A fine sword should be given to a hero, and a ritual instrument should be given to a high monk. Since you, Master, can make the best use of this item, it should be given to you. It’s far better than letting it go to waste in my hands.”

Wei Yang wasn’t particularly attached to the wooden fish. While it was powerful, the Shurangama Mantra wasn’t something one could memorize overnight. Did he have to bleed from his nose every time he used it? Rather than keeping it to himself, it was better to give it to this accomplished monk and earn some goodwill. Not to mention, they still needed the old monk’s help to deal with the evil spirits. The more prepared they were, the better.

Master Chizhi thought for a moment, then took the wooden fish and pulled a string of prayer beads from his worn monk’s robe, handing them back to Wei Yang. “These beads are a ritual instrument I have nurtured for thirty years, constantly reciting the Great Compassion Mantra over them. They also have the power to calm the spirit and ward off evil. If you don’t mind, Mr. Wei, please accept them.”

The old monk spoke sincerely, and Wei Yang wasn’t one to stand on ceremony. He smiled and took the prayer beads, slipping them onto his wrist. “Now I have both Buddhist and Taoist ritual instruments. I shouldn’t hold you back, right?”

Master Chizhi smiled but didn’t respond. Zhang Xiuqi, however, reached out to touch the prayer beads. After a moment, he nodded at Wei Yang, though his brows furrowed slightly, as if he wasn’t entirely comfortable with the person he was protecting wearing Buddhist artifacts. Seeing the Little Celestial Master’s expression, Wei Yang couldn’t help but laugh, though the laughter soon turned into a bitter smile. After hearing all this from the old monk, he had truly gained some insight. Even after living with a true cultivator from Longhu Mountain for so long, he was still just a charlatan, knowing only the tricks of the trade and harboring an inexplicable aversion to real Taoist magic and metaphysics.

Yet these things were intimately connected to Zhang Xiuqi himself, and even to their shared past. If he continued to avoid these matters or treated them merely as a way to make money, when would he ever be able to stand by Brother Qi’s side? Or when Master Zeng came to take him away, would he just have to watch helplessly as Brother Qi left, never to see him again?

With a long sigh, Wei Yang gently touched Zhang Xiuqi’s arm. “Brother Qi, does Longhu Mountain still take disciples? What do you think of someone like me? Could you make an exception and take me in…”

Zhang Xiuqi thought seriously for a moment, then said, “I will protect…”

“You’ll protect me?” Wei Yang rested his forehead lightly against the other man’s shoulder and whispered, “Actually, I’d like to protect you too.”

Faced with this whispered confession, Zhang Xiuqi fell silent again. This was beyond the scope of what he could answer. Wei Yang, however, lifted his head and smiled casually at the old monk. “Master, didn’t you say earlier that we need to prepare? What do we need to prepare? Let me know, and I’ll make a list for Director Sun to handle. As the head of the Provincial Public Security Department, he should be able to make himself useful.”

Zhang Xiuqi watched as Wei Yang chatted away with Master Chizhi. He didn’t interrupt, but he reached out and grasped Wei Yang’s wrist, as if only by doing so could he keep him firmly by his side.