Chapter 85 – Malevolent Evil

The moment Wei Yang saw the Bone Formation, the hairs on his back stood on end. How could it be this thing! Why was there a Bone Formation hidden in the Jiang family’s shrine dedicated to the Household Immortal? One of the reasons he had returned home this time was to uncover the origins of that Bone Formation. But before he could solve the mystery, how had he stumbled upon another one in the Jiang family?!

The moment of shock was fleeting. Wei Yang immediately turned to look at Zhang Xiuqi out of reflex. He hadn’t forgotten how the Little Celestial Master had reacted when he saw the Bone Formation at Treasure House. Brother Qi’s soul had already experienced a mishap yesterday, so Wei Yang couldn’t afford to take any risks this time.

However, this time Zhang Xiuqi didn’t react as violently. He only furrowed his brows tightly, as if lost in some memory. Without hesitation, Wei Yang swiftly used his fingertip to fish out the Bone Formation and then quickly reassembled the wooden lotus platform back into place. In less than half a minute, the shrine was restored to its original state. Wei Yang lowered his voice and asked, “Brother Qi, are you okay?”

As if waking from a dream, Zhang Xiuqi was stunned for a moment before nodding silently. He seemed to be fine. Wei Yang’s anxious heart relaxed slightly, but he gripped the Bone Formation in his palm even tighter. He wasn’t entirely clear about the relationship between the Bone Formation and Zhufang, but since they were made of mutually opposing peach wood and locust wood and were hidden so carefully, it was likely that they had some secret connection to the Jiang family’s legacy.

Was it this Bone Formation that had glowed that day? Why did it seem like the Jiang family was completely unaware of its existence? Thinking back to Master Chizhi’s evaluation of the Bone Formation, Wei Yang’s heart skipped a beat. Could it be that the two Bone Formations were originally a pair but had been separated for some unknown reason?

After a moment of hesitation, Wei Yang turned the Bone Formation over in his hand and slipped it into his pocket. It was indeed a Jiang family artifact, but rather than letting it gather dust in the shrine, he needed it to unravel the layers of mystery. Whether it was for Brother Qi or for himself.

He let out a soft sigh and patted Zhang Xiuqi’s arm. “Brother Qi, let’s deal with the Jiang family’s issues first before we tackle the rest. By the way, what exactly is causing the trouble this time? Can you tell?”

With the Bone Formation out of sight, Zhang Xiuqi completely returned to normal, and the furrow between his brows gradually eased. He replied, “It resembles Returning Evil.”

“How is that possible? Grandma passed away so long ago.” Wei Yang frowned instead. Having spent so much time with the Little Celestial Master, he was no longer the scammer who only knew how to talk big. He had picked up some basic knowledge about ghosts and spirits.

The so-called “Returning Evil” was actually a malevolent aura that only appeared around recently deceased individuals. Legend had it that in the days after burial, the soul of the deceased wouldn’t dissipate immediately. Instead, at a specific time, it would return home in spirit form. At this time, it would carry the unique evil aura of the soul. To avoid being tainted by this aura, all family members had to leave the house, a practice known as “Avoiding Evil.”

Dealing with this Returning Evil was actually quite simple. A feng shui master just needed to calculate the right time and place ashes and boiled eggs in the house. However, after the Republic of China era, as metaphysics declined, the tradition of Avoiding Evil gradually faded. Instead, the concept of the “Seventh Night Return” became popular and was used in many films and TV shows. But this was just for scaring people. Since the birth dates and times of the deceased varied, who could guarantee that the Returning Evil would always appear on the seventh day after burial?

However, whether it was the Seventh Night or Returning Evil, they were essentially malevolent forces unique to the recently deceased. There was no way they could appear during a bone-washing burial three years later. The Jiang family hadn’t had any recent deaths, so how could this problem have arisen?

Understanding Wei Yang’s confusion, Zhang Xiuqi glanced at the elderly man lying on the bed and answered calmly, “The evil comes from the tomb.”

“You mean the problem lies in the burial site? Was there really an issue with the bone-washing burial?” Wei Yang immediately guessed what was going on. Elderly people naturally had weak yang energy, and insisting on bone-washing could have invited a ghost to possess him.

But if that were the case, they would probably have to visit the burial site. Looking at the emaciated figure on the carved wooden bed, Wei Yang sighed inwardly. His grandmother had never allowed him to visit her grave during her lifetime. He never expected that his final visit would be to save her older brother’s life. He wondered what the old woman would think in the afterlife.

After just a short while, Jiang Nian hurried back with some people and set up a table of breakfast in the outer room. He politely invited the two to join the meal. The table was laden with stir-fried dishes and roasted chicken, a rather grand spread that didn’t seem like a typical breakfast. The Little Celestial Master wasn’t picky, so he sat upright and began eating.

Seeing that the Little Celestial Master was eating unhurriedly, Jiang Nian didn’t dare disturb him. Instead, he leaned over to Wei Yang and asked in a low voice, “Ah Yang, what did Master Zhang say?”

“We’ll probably need to visit the burial site. There might have been an issue with the bone-washing burial,” Wei Yang replied simply.

Jiang Nian frowned. “The bone-washing burial has been passed down through our family for generations. Every Jiang Han and Jiang Po had to go through it. How could there be a problem?”

“Uncle, it’s precisely because it’s been passed down for generations that it’s even more suspicious,” Wei Yang said with a bitter smile. “Most secondary burials are meant to remove evil auras from the corpse and prevent it from turning into a reanimated corpse. The Jiang family probably had this concern because of their dealings with the Immortal Beast. Now that there’s no more Household Immortal, it’s only natural that there would be some issues.”

His words were half-truths, and they struck a chord with Jiang Nian. Indeed, the family’s legacy had never been broken before. Perhaps the bone-washing was supposed to be performed by the next Household Immortal? Without one, his father had gone ahead with the bone-washing alone, which might have been inappropriate. Feeling uneasy, Jiang Nian found the meal tasteless. As soon as Zhang Xiuqi put down his chopsticks, Jiang Nian stood up. “Master Zhang, shall we go now?”

Zhang Xiuqi, however, shook his head. “Roof soil, stove ashes, spread on the ground.”

Jiang Nian was puzzled and was about to ask for clarification when Wei Yang explained, “Although the talisman has already been placed, to prevent the evil aura from returning, we need to spread soil from the roof and ashes from the stove on the ground. Only then can we safely go to the burial site.”

Just soil and ashes would do? Jiang Nian was clearly skeptical. His family’s ancestral methods usually involved chicken bones, cinnabar, or at least pomelo leaves and willow branches. He had never heard of using simple soil to solve a problem. But the effectiveness of the talisman earlier was undeniable. Despite his doubts, he didn’t dare delay and quickly had someone gather a large bowl of soil. Following Zhang Xiuqi’s instructions, he meticulously spread it around the carved wooden bed in the bedroom.

While Jiang Nian couldn’t understand the reasoning behind this, Wei Yang knew it well. This was a method to prevent Returning Evil. After spreading the ashes, Zhang Xiuqi took out a piece of Dead Jade and placed it in the old man’s mouth. Then, they set off for the burial site with Jiang Nian.

Wei Yang’s grandmother was buried near the public cemetery of the Wei Family Village. The grave mound wasn’t very high, nor was it located in any particularly auspicious feng shui spot. It was simply buried next to a small hill. Now, the grave had been opened, and a mourning tent had been erected. The white burial cloth covered a small area, and even in broad daylight, it felt eerily cold.

Facing the half-opened coffin, Wei Yang’s emotions were complex. The old woman who had hated him so fiercely was now just a pile of bones. Yet, the memories of the past were hard to let go of. If it hadn’t been for his grandfather acting as a buffer, his childhood might have been filled with nothing but nightmares. Was being a shamaness really that important? More important than her own grandson?

The image of the fox mask flashed through his mind again. Wei Yang shivered slightly. Had the Jiang family gone mad for the sake of this Household Immortal status? He exhaled and, without hesitation, followed closely behind Zhang Xiuqi as they approached the grave.

Since the grave was being relocated, the tomb hadn’t been built with a stone chamber. The burial mound had been dug up several days ago, and the soil inside had mostly dried out, making it look like an ordinary pit. Zhang Xiuqi surveyed the surroundings of the grave and then picked up a handful of soil from the entrance, sniffing it. His brows furrowed tightly, and with a glance, he quickly walked over to the coffin under the mourning tent.

“Is something wrong?” Wei Yang couldn’t help but feel nervous and hurried to follow.

Zhang Xiuqi, however, barked sharply, “Don’t move!”

Not only Wei Yang, but even the few people following behind them were startled and froze in place. Zhang Xiuqi had already drawn his Suihou Sword and thrust it into the Zhen position, seven inches in front of the coffin. With a crack, the thin coffin lid split open, and a putrid smell of decay wafted out.

The bone-washing burial wasn’t a task that could be completed quickly. It required opening the coffin, airing out the corpse, washing the bones with clean water, and then placing the skeleton into a pottery jar. However, Old Man Jiang had fallen into a coma halfway through the process, so now the coffin still contained the majority of the decomposed remains. Even though the coffin had been open for some time, the corpse of someone who had been buried for three years wasn’t something ordinary people could handle. The faces of the Jiang brothers turned pale, and some of the younger family members even covered their mouths, nearly vomiting.

A gust of cold wind swept through, and thin clouds obscured the sun. From the coffin came two crisp cracking sounds, like the clashing of teeth. Zhang Xiuqi waved his hand, and two talismans, as if held by an invisible hand, flew to the coffin lid. With a hiss, both talismans emitted black smoke. Jiang Nian, who had some knowledge of the family’s traditions, was now deathly pale, his legs trembling. Wasn’t this a sign of malevolent possession? But how could his aunt, who had been dead for three years, suddenly become active…

Beside him, Wei Yang’s eyes widened in shock. Just now, he had heard a crisp sound, distant and muffled. But as the sound echoed, the world before his eyes suddenly changed, as if a faded photograph had lost its color. In this eerie and sinister scene, there was a blurry, smoke-like figure—a gigantic bird, larger than a vulture, with wings spread wide, a hooked beak, and crimson-black claws fiercely gripping the skeleton. Its long tail feathers were like coiled chains, tightly binding the remains. Around it, there was a ring of gloomy black light, thick and viscous, like filth made of blood.

Wei Yang’s heart pounded. He could hardly believe what he was seeing. Ancient people often compared Returning Evil to birds, which was why they spread ashes and placed boiled eggs in their homes during the Avoiding Evil period, as well as drew talismans and hung protective charms. Could this be the legendary Evil God? But why had the Evil God remained on the corpse for three years? Shouldn’t it have flown to the Jiang family directly?!

Almost reflexively, Wei Yang’s gaze darted to the figure in front of him. He wanted to see if Zhang Xiuqi had also spotted the giant bird. However, this movement seemed to startle the Evil God. A gentle breeze swept past, and the bird took flight!

“Brother Qi!” Wei Yang shouted, but Zhang Xiuqi’s movements were faster than his voice. As the two yellow talismans ignited simultaneously, Zhang Xiuqi leaped forward, his Suihou Sword slashing toward the corpse like a chain of light. This action elicited two cries of alarm, but Zhang Xiuqi ignored the Jiang brothers’ shouts. He struck at the chest of the corpse, as if trying to split open the decomposed cavity.

However, though the strike was fierce, its direction was slightly off. The tail feathers wrapped around the corpse were severed, but the massive body of the bird collided with Zhang Xiuqi. A whirlwind erupted, and he lost his footing, sent flying backward.

Wei Yang’s eyes turned red. He hadn’t expected the Returning Evil, which had seemed harmless at home, to be so powerful in its true form! And why had Brother Qi aimed for the tail? Shouldn’t he have avoided the Evil God or aimed for its head instead?

Behind him, the Jiang brothers were also losing their composure. The sudden gust of cold wind had left Jiang Nian completely stunned. Jiang Yong, who still had some presence of mind, saw Zhang Xiuqi inexplicably being flung backward and grabbed Wei Yang’s arm. “Ah Yang, Ah Yang! Has Auntie turned into a reanimated corpse? Just two days ago, she was still…”

In that instant, Wei Yang suddenly realized something. Was he the only one who had seen this bizarre scene? Without thinking, he shook off Jiang Yong’s grip and rushed forward. “Brother Qi! It’s an Evil God! Be careful!”

Zhang Xiuqi had just steadied himself, a yellow talisman already clutched in his hand. He could tell that a curse had been placed on the corpse. He had thought that destroying the curse’s anchor would dispel the evil aura, but he hadn’t expected the curse to be so powerful. Even after the formation’s core was broken, it still generated such a strong backlash. He had just smeared his blood on the talisman, preparing to ignite it and trap the black shadow in front of him, when Wei Yang rushed out from the side.

An Evil God? The words made Zhang Xiuqi pause for a moment. But the black shadow, disturbed by the shout, hesitated for a moment before changing direction and lunging toward Wei Yang. Zhang Xiuqi’s back immediately tensed, like a wolf provoked, and he pounced forward with lightning speed.

The sound of a Thunder Summoning Talisman exploding echoed above the burial site, as if summoning a bolt of lightning from the heavens. The lightning struck the Evil God squarely on the head. Amid the thunderous roar, a shrill, malevolent screech rang out. The giant bird, instead of retreating, charged forward like an arrow loosed from a bow, heading straight for Wei Yang. At this moment, Zhang Xiuqi’s eyes widened in fury. Even the Suihou Sword, which never left his hand, was flung out, hurtling toward the black aura!

As the giant bird lunged at him, Wei Yang’s entire body froze. He hadn’t expected the creature to change its target. Dodging was clearly impossible. In an instant, the Evil God was upon him. The thick black aura had been dispersed by the lightning, its sparse wings like a mist of black fog trailing behind it. Even its small, crimson eyes were now clearly visible.

Wei Yang bit down hard on the tip of his tongue and spat out a mouthful of true saliva. He no longer had the Talisman Jade to protect him, and while the Three Talents Formation on his wrist might offer some protection, it was limited. Since there was no escape, he might as well give this damned bird a taste of its own medicine!

However, the moment the blood sprayed out, something unexpected happened! A faint white light suddenly burst forth from Wei Yang’s chest, like a wisp of mist, firmly blocking the path in front of him. When the Evil God, which had withstood lightning and sword strikes, encountered this thin white light, it dissolved like frost under the morning sun. Without even a cry, it turned into a wisp of black smoke and disappeared.

With a clang, the Suihou Sword fell to the ground, emitting a crisp sound. Immediately after, a figure rushed to Wei Yang’s side. Two hands, like iron clamps, gripped his arms. The pain made Wei Yang grimace, but he quickly regained his senses. “Brother Qi, that Evil God…”

Before he could finish, Zhang Xiuqi pulled him into a tight embrace. The heartbeat pressed against his chest was even more intense than his own, pounding like a drum. Wei Yang closed his eyes and patted the Little Celestial Master’s shoulder. “It’s okay, I’m fine. Brother Qi, let’s check Grandma’s coffin first…”

However, Zhang Xiuqi didn’t let go. Instead, he held Wei Yang even tighter. This time, Wei Yang didn’t resist. He slowly tightened his own arms and hugged back.

Beside them, the Jiang family members, who had been frightened by the Thunder Summoning Talisman and had fallen to the ground, finally recovered. Jiang Nian, still shaken, looked up and was momentarily stunned. His lips trembled before he managed to squeeze out a question. “Ah Yang, what just happened…”

No matter the emotions, they always dissipate faster when there are onlookers. Wei Yang regained his composure, struggled free from the embrace, and bent down to pick up the Suihou Sword from the ground. He handed it back to the Little Celestial Master before turning to Jiang Nian with a smile. “Uncle, call home quickly and check on grand uncle’s condition…”