Chapter 46 – Enlightenment

Director Sun’s efficiency was truly impressive. By the next day, the necessary items had started arriving one after another. The first thing that arrived was a detailed floor plan and actual photos of the old house.

This idea had come from Wei Yang. No matter the situation, it was always best to understand the terrain before going into battle. Entering an enemy camp without any preparation was far too risky. Moreover, the iron Buddha had initially only driven Wang Ming insane, but once it was moved to the old house, it began affecting the environment within a radius of several hundred meters. This indicated that the earth’s energy had been disrupted, forming an evil vortex. Although Wei Yang wasn’t a true Feng Shui master, he was still a professional charlatan. He had read classic works like the Qing Nang Jing, Han Long Jing, and Yu Chi Jing, so he had a basic understanding of Feng Shui concepts.

“Honestly, the Feng Shui of this house was originally quite good. It’s nestled by the mountains and water, with a dragon-protecting aura. No wonder the old man’s daughter was able to keep her husband under control,” Wei Yang commented as he looked over the house’s layout.

The house where Old Ye had lived was clearly chosen with care. It was located in a high-end villa district, with each villa standing alone. Not far away was a scenic mountain in the provincial capital, its ridges undulating like a dragon. The house was situated on the dragon’s spine, a selling point that the real estate agents had likely emphasized. However, while being close to mountains and water might seem auspicious, it wasn’t always a good sign. The most typical example was the “decaying death direction.”

If there was a mountain outside a house but it couldn’t be seen from inside, it was considered a “hidden spy.” When the homeowner’s fortune was in decline, a yin trigram would bring forth ghosts, a yang trigram would bring forth monsters, and a combination of both would bring forth spirits. According to the photos provided by Director Sun, the study where the iron Buddha was placed happened to be on the side of the house facing the mountain. With an evil object residing there and the hidden spy present, it was already an ominous sign. However, the house’s trigram was a balanced combination of yin and yang, which should have brought forth spirits. So why had it become an evil vortex?

Of course, Wei Yang was well aware that he was only a half-baked amateur and didn’t dare to speculate too much. He first shared his observations and thoughts with Master Chizhi. The old monk was blind and couldn’t see the map, but monks had a natural sensitivity to Feng Shui. After all, most monasteries were built in areas with the strongest earth energy in a city, gathering the city’s vitality to stabilize the monastery’s fortune. Thus, they had their own methods of detecting Feng Shui.

After hearing Wei Yang’s brief description, the old monk gently shook his head. “The decaying death direction isn’t the real issue. The problem likely lies with the mountain. The mountain directly opposite the old house’s main entrance is a branch of the North China dragon vein. However, the dragon’s den was damaged long ago, making it a sick dragon. If someone were to enlighten it, it might still be beneficial. But if it encounters evil, it could turn from sickness into calamity.”

Wei Yang had only heard about changes in dragon veins in folk tales, but he didn’t dare to doubt Master Chizhi’s words. After all, the Xuanzhao Temple was located in the mountains, and no one knew the mountain’s details better than these monks. Swallowing hard, he flipped through a few more photos and couldn’t help but feel a chill run down his spine. “Looking at these photos, all the trees in the house have withered, and the withering has spread radially, reaching the mountain’s base. Could the dragon vein be reacting?”

Master Chizhi pondered for a moment before nodding. “It’s possible. However, we’ll need to examine the house to be sure. If the sick dragon has turned into calamity, it may have already linked with the evil energy in the house, forming a natural grand formation. To destroy the evil Buddha, we must first disrupt the energy veins in the courtyard. I’m not entirely confident in this. Does Master Zhang know how to break formations?”

As he spoke, the old monk turned to Zhang Xiuqi, who was sitting nearby. At the moment, the Little Celestial Master wasn’t at the table but was instead sitting on the sofa, weaving a Copper Coin Formation. Since they needed to send Wang Ming back to the old house and block his connection to the evil Buddha, an ordinary Copper Coin Formation wouldn’t be effective. Thus, they had requested a number of Kaiyuan Tongbao and Hongwu Tongbao coins from Director Sun, stringing them together with cinnabar-red threads to create formations for later use. These preparations couldn’t be done by anyone else and were all handled by Zhang Xiuqi himself. However, his skill in weaving formations was beyond ordinary, his fingers moving as nimbly as a magician’s.

When he heard Master Chizhi call him, Zhang Xiuqi paused his work. “I know how.”

The old monk nodded without further questions. “Then the formation aspect will be left to Master Zhang. I’ll handle suppressing the evil energy within the iron Buddha.”

Zhang Xiuqi didn’t say much, simply nodding in response. He then raised his hand and lightly traced his middle finger over the Copper Coin Formation, leaving a faint bloodstain on the weathered coins. This technique, known as “Essence Blood Activation” in Longhu Mountain, used the true blood from one’s fingertip to enhance the formation’s power. It was a taxing method, but Zhang Xiuqi performed it as naturally as if it were a routine task.

While the Little Celestial Master didn’t seem to mind, someone else did. Watching the streaks of blood on the coins, Wei Yang felt a pang of anxiety. If he had known this would require so much energy, he wouldn’t have wanted Brother Qi to get involved in this mess. Forcing himself to look away, Wei Yang couldn’t help but ask Master Chizhi, “Master, wasn’t it said that Wang Ming encountered a soul possession? Shouldn’t the evil entity be attached to Wang Ming? Can’t we start with him?”

Master Chizhi shook his head. “Soul possession is a method of transforming the soul, but it’s not easy to execute.”

The old monk extended three fingers. “When it comes to spirit possession, there are three types: First, a living person may lose their soul due to fright or physical weakness, allowing an external entity to take over. This is usually done by wandering spirits or ordinary demons, which can occupy the body temporarily. However, once the original soul is recovered, the person can regain their senses. Most cases of spirit possession in rural areas fall into this category. The second type is the condition of multiple souls. A person has three souls and seven spirits. If some are missing, they may become confused and act abnormally. If there are too many, they may become restless and deranged. However, forcing one’s way into a living body requires immense effort, so only fierce ghosts or immortal beasts can achieve this. This condition is called ‘possession.’ As for the last type…”

Master Chizhi bent his last finger, his voice growing solemn. “The last type involves not only possession but also transforming the original soul for one’s own use, creating an external body. Few in the Central Plains use this method, but it was common in early Tibetan esoteric Buddhism, where it was called the ‘Soul Seizing Technique.’ Those who use this method can erase the soul of the possessed person and use them for their own purposes. If this technique is successfully executed, the victim doesn’t appear insane or foolish but behaves like a normal person, much like the reincarnated lamas in Tibetan Buddhism, making it nearly impossible to detect. However, transforming a living soul is no easy task. Right now, the evil entity is trapped in the iron Buddha, with only one soul—or even just a spirit—having escaped and invaded Mr. Wang’s body. This has triggered a fierce resistance from Mr. Wang’s soul, causing him to struggle and appear insane. But if that evil entity were to fully escape, Mr. Wang would likely lose his sanity and become a new vessel for the malevolent ghost.”

Master Chizhi’s explanation was thorough, but Wei Yang felt even more chilled. The thing sealed within the iron Buddha even knew the Soul Seizing Technique—what exactly was it? Could they really defeat it? For the sake of a provincial public security director, the sacrifice seemed too great…

As if reading Wei Yang’s thoughts, the old monk smiled. “Is Mr. Wei wondering if such a risk is worth taking?”

Wei Yang pursed his lips and finally nodded. “Brother Qi is missing a soul, after all…”

Master Chizhi, however, smiled faintly. “If I weren’t here, would Master Zhang still go to eliminate that evil entity?”

Wei Yang couldn’t answer that question because he knew deep down that even if Brother Qi were alone, he would probably still go to slay the demon. That soul-deficient brain of his seemed to prioritize killing monsters over protecting itself.

Without waiting for Wei Yang’s response, Master Chizhi asked another question: “If Master Zhang weren’t here, would I still go to eliminate that evil entity?”

Again, Wei Yang couldn’t answer. His judgment of people wasn’t infallible, but it was at least seventy to eighty percent accurate. This old monk was blind, his voice ruined, yet he had still stepped into this mess early on, unlike Master Guo, who had fled at the last moment. It was clear that he wasn’t doing this just for the sake of a tea-drinking companion.

“This is fate, this is karma,” Master Chizhi clasped his hands and uttered a Buddhist chant. “We who have received the blessings of heaven and earth, who have studied Buddhist and Taoist arts, cannot act solely for our own benefit. When encountering calamities, we must help others; when facing evil, we must sacrifice ourselves. This is what heaven and earth have given us, and it is how we repay all living beings. Only in this way can we attain true joy and great liberation.”

The old monk’s voice remained dry and hoarse, but strangely, there was a warmth and gentleness in its cadence, like the vigorous roots hidden beneath a withered branch, deep and resilient. Watching Zhang Xiuqi continue to smear his fingers with blood, Wei Yang closed his eyes briefly. He wasn’t a high monk from a temple, nor was he a Celestial Master from Longhu Mountain. He was just a little con artist who lied through his teeth and was obsessed with money. He was far from possessing such noble sentiments.

However, if that person was determined to walk this path, he wouldn’t stand idly by and let him face those terrifying unknowns alone. If he told him not to go, he wouldn’t go.

With a soft laugh, Wei Yang shook his head. “Master, don’t worry. You can be the Bodhisattva, and I’ll be the temple’s receptionist.”

Someone had to stand in front of the Buddha, opening the gates of wealth and turning people away with a smile. He wasn’t cut out for spiritual cultivation, but he could handle this small task. No matter what Brother Qi had lost or sacrificed, he would make sure to recover it bit by bit!

After a busy day of preparations, on the third day at noon, the three of them finally set off for the old house. Accompanying them was a team of armed police officers borrowed from Director Sun, all unmarried men with strong astrological charts, tasked with escorting Wang Ming and sealing off the old house. Only the head of the provincial public security department could muster such a force. Yet, even with this impressive setup, the seasoned officers couldn’t help but feel uneasy, as the man on the stretcher looked far too eerie.

Due to the bumpy journey and the need to enter the most evil-infested depths of the old house, Wang Ming’s body was now covered in small formations. Seven silver needles stained with cinnabar and rooster blood had been inserted into the seven passes of his body, and jade pieces sealed six of his orifices, leaving only his mouth free for breathing. His hands and feet were also bound with Hongwu coins arranged in a Seven Killers Formation.

It was worth noting that Emperor Hongwu was one of the most formidable emperors in history. Not only did he slay countless enemies and restore the Chinese homeland, but after founding the Ming Dynasty, he also implemented a series of harsh policies, strictly enforcing laws and punishing corruption with severe penalties like skinning and planting grass. During his reign, there were also infamous massacres like the extermination of ten clans, making him a figure feared by both gods and ghosts. However, to the common people, he was a savior, and they worshipped him. Thus, the coins from the Hongwu era carried a unique energy, capable of warding off evil and also summoning it. When arranged into formations, they could even rival ritual instruments.

These layers of formations indeed completely masked the evil aura around Wang Ming, but they also made him look even more sinister than the female corpse unearthed from the Mawangdui tombs. The officers barely managed to carry him into the old house before fleeing in terror, leaving the massive villa to the three real “masters.”

Standing at the entrance of the courtyard, Wei Yang took a deep breath and glanced at the desolate, eerie house, then followed Zhang Xiuqi inside.