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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 141 Corpse Spirit
I held the Heavenly Emperor's Sword, while Cao Qilong held the County Magistrate Seal. Together with Bear Steward, we arrived at the front hall. As soon as we entered, the seven coffins began to make a loud "thump" sound continuously. The coffin lids, which originally had no nails on top, opened and closed in a terrifying manner. However, for some reason, the lids could not be pushed open; they would only rise an inch or two before heavily falling back down, as if the seven members of the magistrate's family were still alive, yet no matter what, the coffin lids could not be opened.
Seeing this, Bear Steward knelt in front of the coffins and said, “Lord, I know you are restless in death, harmed by that Paper Effigy Maker. Now that we finally have two Yin Yang Masters, your grievances can be avenged today!” After saying this, he repeatedly bowed his head to the coffins. Strangely enough, as soon as Bear Steward did this, all the coffins stopped making noise.
The Lantern under the eaves quietly emitted a red glow. Seven coffins were arranged in the hall, and the surrounding silence was eerie. Seeing this, I signaled to Cao Qilong to come forward to open a coffin.
The coffins were made of three-inch thick pine wood, and a white ribbon was tied around each coffin head. When Cao Qilong and I approached to take a look, we realized that it was not just a simple white ribbon; inside the ribbon were symbols drawn with Cinnabar. I tentatively flipped over the white ribbon and saw that it was inscribed with: Golden Eye Heavenly Thunder Binding Evil Zero Law Commanding Force. There were also three large seals on it: Exterminate Evil and Eliminate Darkness, the Seal of King Zhou, and Supreme Yang Xuanjun.
The symbol was a binding talisman used to trap various ghosts and monsters. The large seals were commonly found on talismans; generally, a properly drawn Spirit Talisman must be stamped with a Cinnabar seal to be effective. The purpose of the seal is to invoke the power corresponding to the words inscribed on it from deities or spirits. The seal of Exterminate Evil and Eliminate Darkness is one of the most common seals and is said to belong to Yama. My grandfather also used this seal. The Seal of King Zhou is from the Zhou Dynasty emperor's authority, while the last one, Supreme Yang Xuanjun, corresponds to the star Kaiyang among the seventy-two constellations. Typically, using just one seal is sufficient for a talisman to exhibit its power; seeing three large seals on one talisman was something I had never encountered before. It should be noted that while seals can enhance a talisman's power by borrowing from Ghosts, they cannot simply be stamped with any random seal without consequence. For instance, my grandfather's seal of Exterminate Evil and Eliminate Darkness was granted permission by Yama himself long ago; it’s akin to someone using your name to commit crimes outside without your consent—there are significant taboos involved. Seals are traditionally passed down through generations; for example, items used by my granduncle have been inherited over time.
I wondered where Yin Cheng had found these seals that greatly enhanced the binding talisman's power. According to Bear Steward's story, it seemed that Yin Cheng had trapped the souls of seven people in their coffins, causing them to suffer for millennia without escape. The talisman was powerful against spirits but posed no harm to humans. I pulled at the white ribbon with my Heavenly Emperor's Sword, causing it to fall onto the Ground.
Cao Qilong and I nodded at each other and lifted one end of the coffin lid, preparing to open it. Cao Qilong asked me, “What if we release a ghost that doesn’t recognize us? We have nothing right now.” I glanced at my Heavenly Emperor's Sword, then looked at Bear Steward, who was kneeling on the ground. I thought it should be impossible; just moments ago, what Bear Steward said had caused the spirits inside not to move at all, indicating they still had consciousness. So I instructed Cao Qilong to proceed with opening the coffin.
What I didn’t expect was how malicious Yin Cheng’s heart could be; both Cao Qilong and I nearly met our end in front of those coffins.
As we slowly moved aside the coffin lid under the illumination of a large red lantern overhead, the scene inside began to come into view. Inside lay a Corpse, not a ghost; this corpse was pitch black and dressed in a groom's outfit—it must belong to someone from Xiong County. Just as we completely removed the coffin lid, candlelight fully illuminated its interior. I then noticed that countless symbols were drawn with Cinnabar on both ends and sides of the coffin; innumerable large seals were inscribed within it—presumably even more covered both lid and base.
Seeing this made my heart tighten; I thought something terrible was about to happen. I quickly shouted, “Cover up the coffin lid! We’ve made a mistake!”
At the moment of speaking, Xiong County suddenly opened his eyes in the coffin, revealing a pair of white eyeballs, and leaped out of the coffin. Behind him, Bear Steward chuckled and said, “Lord, you finally came out!”
Xiong County was dressed in a groom's robe, with hair disheveled and bare feet. After landing on the Ground, upon hearing Bear Steward speak, he jumped over, extending his jet-black arms with fingers longer than his hands, and grabbed Bear Steward by the neck. It should be noted that Bear Steward was a ghost, not a human, but he could not escape Xiong County's grip. All he could do was shout, “Lord! It’s me, Lord!”
Xiong County inhaled deeply, and suddenly Bear Steward twisted and transformed into a wisp of blue smoke, which was sucked into Xiong County's nostrils! I looked at Xiong County and saw two black iron nails driven into his head, while the coffin lid was inscribed with a Gathering Yin Talisman. My heart sank in shock! This was not meant to trap Xiong County, but to turn him into a legendary monster, a Corpse Spirit!
After the massacre of Xiong County's family of seven, Yin Cheng must have used an Evil Technique on the Corpse. It is called an evil technique because it is extremely malicious; it not only prevents reincarnation but also turns the Corpse into an Evil Spirit, subject to heavenly punishment and unable to attain rebirth for eternity!
With iron needles piercing through the Baihui point on top of his head and the Jiexi point on the soles of his feet, since iron does not conduct Yin Yang, if the soul wants to leave the Corpse, it can only exit through these two points. The Yang Qi enters through the Baihui point at the top of the head while the Yin Qi exits through the Jiexi point at the feet. Sealing these three points can firmly trap the soul within the body.
The coffin is merely a medium to confine the corpse. Originally, having one's soul trapped is not too terrifying; what is truly frightening is Yin Cheng's heart. At the bottom of the coffin, he set up a Gathering Yin formation that continuously drew in Yin Qi. The soul within the coffin could only accept endless Yin Qi. As time passed, even though Xiong County's mind was somewhat clear at first, it gradually became overwhelmed by infinite Yin Qi, deepening his resentment. After thousands of years of being bombarded by Yin Qi, Xiong County’s consciousness had long been replaced by resentment. The corpse would not decay under massive amounts of Yin Qi, but instead transform into a terrifying Corpse. It is known that if a Corpse is buried in a Gathering Yin site due to Feng Shui issues, it will become a drought demon. In circumstances where the soul cannot escape, it gradually merges with the corpse to form a legendary monster known as a Corpse Spirit.
I once heard my Grandfather tell such a story about a paper-making patriarch named Zhang Lingzi during the Tang Dynasty. There was an incident at an iron mine in Shanxi. At the bottom of this mine lived a monster that drained anyone who entered of their Yang Qi, turning them into mummies. The mine was under government control; upon learning of this matter, officials sent soldiers to investigate, but none returned alive. In ancient times, iron mines were crucial resources because weapons and armor for the state had to be forged from iron. The governor had no choice but to invite Zhang Lingzi. He brought seven disciples equipped with spirit talismans and paper-making tools down into the mine for inspection. They found corpses everywhere—those who had been drained were reduced to mere skin and bones. At the end of the tunnel sat a pitch-black corpse absorbing Yin Qi. With his mastery in Taoism, Zhang Lingzi was unafraid and engaged in battle with it. Unfortunately, he and all seven disciples met a tragic end down there; ultimately, authorities had no choice but to blow up the mine. It is said that a miner had died inside and was fortuitously sealed by iron ore; unable to escape, he coincidentally unearthed an underworld vein during mining work, which transformed him into a Corpse Spirit.
I really wanted to take my Heavenly Emperor's Sword and end it all; I finally understood why Ox-Head and Horse-Face fled in panic when they saw me. During the Tang Dynasty, it was indeed a flourishing time for paper effigy makers; their techniques such as the Paper Control Technique, Soul Binding Technique, and array formations were far superior to those today. Moreover, even with seven disciples accompanying him, they all perished; yet here I was with just me and Cao Qilong, two inexperienced paper effigy makers who had released this creature—wasn’t this like looking for trouble?
I thought about many things; however, it all happened in an instant. The Corpse Spirit swiftly drained every last bit from Bear Steward, leaving no trace behind. Turning around, it looked at me and Cao Qilong. Not understanding what was happening, Cao Qilong raised his seal defensively against his chest and asked me, “What is that thing?”
I shouted loudly: “Even if a patriarch descended from heaven, it would be tough; as for Ox-Head and Horse-Face, they are just appetizers.”
Cao Qilong cursed: “Damn! Is that thing really that powerful?”
As we spoke, we had already run to the entrance of the Courtyard, climbed the steps, and could have crossed out of the yamen in just two steps. However, to our surprise, the corpse demon was extremely fast and suddenly appeared in front of us, blocking the doorway and reaching out to grab me.
I swung the Emperor's Sword to block it, and in that instant, I felt a tremendous force. The Emperor's Sword bent into an arc, and then I was flung backward by the impact, crashing into a coffin. A sweet taste filled my throat as I spat out a mouthful of blood. Fortunately, I was leaning against the coffin; otherwise, several of my ribs would have surely broken. Gritting my teeth, I stood up and saw that the sword in my hand was still intact—truly commendable quality for an ancient royal weapon.
The corpse demon knocked me aside and went straight for Cao Qilong. Cao Qilong only had a large seal in his hand; he threw it at the corpse demon. The demon caught the seal with one hand and casually tossed it aside before continuing to reach for Cao Qilong. Cao Qilong's face turned pale as he spat out a mouthful of Tongue Blood. The corpse demon was close enough to be splattered with it, but instead of being burned like the head-chopping ghost, it was absorbed directly.
Taking advantage of those few seconds, Cao Qilong had already rushed over to support me. I smiled bitterly at him; it seemed that both brothers were destined to die here today. The corpse demon had already closed in on us, so I could only lean against the wall with Cao Qilong. As the demon reached out to grab us, I pulled Cao Qilong back with all my might. My skills in the Iron Bridge stance were not perfected, and we both fell onto the ground, narrowly avoiding a strike from the corpse demon.
Cao Qilong and I huddled against the wall; he held me with his arms while blood continued to flow from my mouth. That last blow might have injured my internal organs. I had managed to hold on until now, but seeing no way out, we could only wait for death as the corpse demon leaped toward us.
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