CHAPTER 28: CHAPTER 19: MAIN QUEST

Yan Daozi suddenly stopped talking, picked up the tea cup, and slowly sipped it. A low pressure enveloped Sang Que, making her particularly nervous.

But Sang Que knew that showing nervousness would betray fear, so she did nothing, maintaining the persona of Yao Yuniang, quietly waiting for Yan Daozi to finish his tea.

It wasn’t until a full minute had passed that Yan Daozi put down the tea cup.

"You are very eager to learn, which greatly comforts me. For you, the most important thing right now is to strengthen your Heart Lamp and stabilize your soul in the Nine Netherworld. But... since you’re curious, it’s no problem for me to briefly talk about it with you."

"Yin Walkers are one in a million, and others all say that one must ’have great luck’ to encounter an Evil Spirit suitable for mastering to become a Yin Walker. This is true; ninety percent of Yin Walkers are formed by accident, and that’s how it was for me."

"In the Evil Suppression Bureau, there are two ways to master Evil Spirits for your use: treating them with reason and using force."

Yan Daozi paused, and Sang Que glanced at the seat next to Yan Daozi’s teacup, guessing that he was currently using the ’treat with reason’ method.

"Treating with reason naturally means acting with an attitude of asking for help, offering sacrificial blood food to satisfy the Evil Spirit, and then negotiating terms to ask it to act in times of danger. Fulfilling promises afterward and offering thanks can sustain the relationship."

"However, Evil Spirits won’t always behave. Their appetites grow, making them harder and harder to satisfy. If they become dissatisfied, they will take for themselves from the Yin Walker, leading to backlash, loss of reason, and ultimately loss of control."

Sang Que frowned slightly. In other words, this method requires first killing a person for the Evil Spirit, then promising it benefits when it acts, and afterwards fulfilling double? No wonder after the Corpse Nest incident, Yan Daozi used two people for the blood sacrifice.

Such a method is ruthless and inhumane!

"Most Yin Walkers in my dynasty, once discovered, are always under the control of the Evil Suppression Bureau. In the bureau, I had to use prisoners for blood sacrifices, an unfortunate necessity due to the impending summer harvest in Black Mountain Village. Don’t listen to the villagers’ nonsense."

Yan Daozi hypocritically explained, and Sang Que just listened. Any rule has loopholes, and the Evil Suppression Bureau probably can’t control much.

"Using force means suppressing the Evil Spirit with one’s own power or with strong external objects, forcing it to serve. Power refers to the Heart Lamp; if it is stronger than the Evil Spirit, the Spirit naturally won’t dare rebel and will obey your commands. But Evil Spirits grow easily, and strengthening the Heart Lamp is difficult. My dynasty does not allow citizens to privately build temples, spread teachings, or form factions."

Sang Que nodded, understanding that any path to fame and incense had been blocked by the court. Although it’s easy to gain gratitude and respect on a small scale, trying to expand would quickly lead to accusations of indulgent worship and suppression by the Evil Suppression Bureau.

As one’s Evil Spirit grows stronger than the Heart Lamp, it will no longer be controllable.

What if incense fame is obtained through the Evil Suppression Bureau?

Yan Daozi did not continue to elaborate, and Sang Que temporarily set aside the idea.

"As for objects... in this world, fewer than ten known objects can permanently suppress Evil Spirits. Each is enough to stir up bloody storms, and currently, only the Prime Minister has one. Ordinary folks shouldn’t dream of it."

Sang Que couldn’t help but clench her fist. To master the Yin Child, she must use force, but she cannot strengthen her Heart Lamp in the short term.

Even if all the villagers of Black Mountain Village were grateful to her, there are only about a hundred people.

Wait!

Is there a way from modern times to obtain incense and strengthen the Heart Lamp?

Sang Que’s eyes brightened, thinking there might be a way. She planned to try as soon as she returned.

Besides the Heart Lamp suppression, the Yansheng coin itself has the ability to suppress Evil Spirits; Yan Daozi and those behind him are definitely seeking this item.

But now, the power of the Yansheng coin is insufficient and needs replenishing, which requires mastering Yin Child to eliminate other Evil Spirits since only Evil Spirit can kill Evil Spirit.

Currently, she doesn’t have the strength to master the Yin Child, and she truly can’t use living humans for blood sacrifice.

So, once again, it’s a dead end!

"Actually, I have another method to master Evil Spirits without blood sacrifice, Heart Lamp, or external objects at a very small cost."

Upon hearing this, Sang Que almost gleamed with interest, but she remained cautious, her eyes and expression unchanged.

This method Yan Daozi mentioned is the Secret Technique from the Ming Zhang Notes, right? The high ranks of the Evil Suppression Bureau rely on this Secret Technique to ride Evil Spirit for over a decade and remain well.

Sang Que waited for Yan Daozi to speak, but he stopped, standing up from his seat.

"Alright, you’re not a Yin Walker. It’s pointless to discuss these with you. As I said, what’s most important for you now is to strengthen your Heart Lamp. Once it’s stable, and you reach the Second Floor of the Nine Netherworld, I will officially take you as a disciple."

"At that time, I will invite a few old friends to assist in finding a suitable Evil Spirit for you to master. If you have the fate and become a Yin Walker, I will teach you without delay. The knowledge within Yin Walkers is vast."

Sang Que gritted her teeth in frustration. If it weren’t for the fear of Yan Daozi’s Evil Spirit, she could easily break his bones with a single hand.

But she must! Must! Must! Maintain reason and patience. This was a trap Yan Daozi set for her, and she couldn’t bite the hook stupidly.

Inwardly cursing, Sang Que outwardly showed gratitude and respect.

"Thank you, Daoist, for your... your guidance."

Yan Daozi nodded and gently helped Sang Que up.

"In a few days, the wheat in Black Mountain Village will be ready for harvest. I need to focus on dealing with the Wheat Evil. However, there are still some strange occurrences in Black Mountain Village. I’ll leave the initial investigation to you, and then I’ll step in to resolve them."

Alright, yesterday was a teaching task, now it’s the main task. Completing it will unlock skills for allocation.

But what if she wants to take a different path and directly kill the NPC for rewards?

Sang Que mentally complained about her wild ideas and listened to Yan Daozi’s instructions.

"First, Skinny’s mother’s singing is very weird. You need to find out its origin. Second, the Li Family, who had twins, is entangled with an Earth Ghost. Investigate and see if there’s any clue of appeasing the ghost. If this issue isn’t resolved, it will be a disaster. Third, although the Liu Family is all deceased, there are strange noises in their yard, possibly caused by Wandering Souls."

"Coincidentally, your uncle said it’s inappropriate for you to stay here with me due to gender differences. You should stay in the Liu Family’s courtyard, where the yin energy is intense, suitable for your Yin practice, and to suppress the Wandering Soul there. Fulfill these three tasks, and the villagers will remember your kindness, strengthening your Heart Lamp."

Sang Que was speechless; she couldn’t tell if Skinny’s mother was human or ghost.

At the Li Family, who had twins, the chickens in their coop were shredded overnight.

At the Liu Family, someone disappeared into thin air with no memory left of them, and strange blood-stained books appear and disappear, one still hung under a tree in the yard.

These were all matters she wished to avoid; Yan Daozi was clearly pushing her into the fire pit.

"Alright."

Sang Que ’obediently’ agreed, scratching the itchy back of her hand.

"Wait here for a moment."

Yan Daozi returned to the bedroom on the right side of the hall. After a while, he came out with a yellow-bound book.

"Keep the Corpse Mud and soul lamp well. You’ll need them for practicing passing the Yin and meditating and visualization every night before midnight. The specific incantations and Magic Techniques, along with the production method of the Corpse Mud and soul candle, are here, as well as some basic Taoist Sect knowledge. Take a look first."

As Yan Daozi opened the book, a letter fell out, landing right at Sang Que’s feet.

Instinctively, Sang Que bent down to pick it up. Seeing the line of text, her pupils shrank in shock.

[The temple maiden has been found. Kill her as soon as she is unguarded!]

Though it was in traditional characters, Sang Que understood the meaning at a glance, a chill shooting straight up her spine, nearly making her hands tremble.

But she quickly remembered, she was illiterate Yao Yuniang!

With her years of martial arts training, she controlled her body effortlessly, dusting off the letter paper naturally before handing it back to Yan Daozi with both hands.

"So it was tucked in here," Yan Daozi mumbled, his sinister gaze lingering on Sang Que’s face for a moment, "Do you recognize the characters on there?"

Yan Daozi held the letter up to Sang Que’s face, the overwhelming pressure accompanied by the stench of corpses enveloping her, causing her heart to tighten and sweat to bead on her forehead.

Sang Que frowned, not avoiding his gaze on purpose, pointing to the letter.

"This is the character for temple; our Wa... Wa Guan Village has a temple. This is... is the character for woman, these two are like... like a snake, meaning ’of,’ this one is... not?"

Yan Daozi’s eyes narrowed slightly, the low pressure still swirling around Sang Que, a shadow in a vaguely human shape suddenly appearing in the empty seat behind her.

After a full ten seconds, with Sang Que barely able to breathe, Yan Daozi finally folded up the letter and handed her the book.

"Go find the old village chief and say I sent you. He will teach you to read. Alright, you may go about your business now, don’t disturb me without a reason."

Yan Daozi waved her off, and Sang Que turned to leave with the book, her legs weak, almost stumbling over the threshold.

The unexpected test caught her off guard, unprepared, uncertain if she’d given herself away.

But what if it wasn’t a test...

"Wait!"

Yan Daozi’s sudden call stopped Sang Que, an eerie wind brushing the back of her neck, making her catch her breath.

"Don’t forget to feed the donkey in the courtyard; its braying is annoying."

In the corner, the Black Donkey brayed and kicked, while cold sweat trickled down Sang Que’s temple, leaving a clear mark.