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墨書 Inktalez
"What's the rush? Have you learned the Three Clear Fingers and Invoking the Gods I taught you?"
"I learned them a long time ago, it's quite easy," Wei Ning replied playfully, demonstrating the Three Clear Fingers by placing her ring and middle fingers against her palm while the other three fingers pointed upwards. "Master, let's go save her. I'm afraid if we wait too long..."
"We'll go when the time is right. I know what I'm doing. Have you finished drawing that Calming Talisman for me?"
"I've already drawn it," Wei Ning said, pulling out a stack of freshly drawn Calming Talismans. "Here you go, Master."
"Have you completed the binding?" Wang Tuozi asked. "Drawing the talisman is easy, but binding it is difficult. No matter how beautifully you draw it or how precisely you use your brush, if it isn't bound, it's just a blank piece of paper with no use at all. You understand that, right?"
"Yes, Razor Evil, Surging Qi, Elbow Ghost—according to your instructions, one talisman binds three evils. Master, is there any use in binding too many evils with one talisman?"
Seeing how perfectly Wei Ning had done it, Wang Tuozi couldn't find any faults and momentarily struggled to come up with a dismissive response. "Go sit in the corner and recite the Righteousness Song a hundred times."
It wasn't until the seventh recitation that Wang Tuozi called Wei Ning over. "I was initially reluctant to deal with that girl’s situation, but if it weren't for your persistent pleas, I wouldn't bother. The Corpse Ghost itself isn't terrifying; what's truly frightening is the Corpse Demon behind it."
"Cough cough, I'm not afraid of the Corpse Demon; I just think it's better to avoid trouble. You know how it is—I’m getting old and my bones don’t want to move much anymore."
"Therefore, we can't confront them head-on; we need to be strategic. That Zhuge Liang fellow had his ways... To deal with such people without resorting to ghostly means, we must use cunning. Let me demonstrate a clever tactic from Zhuge Liang's Thirty-Six Stratagems: Mistaken Identity."
Wei Ning was speechless.
Wang Tuozi waved his hand dismissively. "Such profound strategies are beyond your grasp; just wait and see my methods."
Unable to contain her curiosity, Wei Ning asked, "Master, what exactly is a Corpse Ghost? Is it powerful?"
"Well, strictly speaking, a Corpse Ghost isn't a ghost; ghosts lack shadows, but a Corpse Ghost has one."
Wei Ning recalled how the Corpse Ghost had appeared while combing its hair by the pond—it indeed had a shadow. Realizing her master wasn't just rambling this time, she nodded in agreement. "It’s a Jian; when a person dies they become a ghost, and when a ghost dies they turn into a Jian. In fact, ghosts fear Jians just as humans fear ghosts. Such entities shouldn't exist in the mortal realm unless under specific circumstances—namely when someone has suffered immense injustice in life and died wrongfully, especially if their head and body are separated. If their corpse isn't properly stitched together, it generates powerful resentment. Jians thrive on resentment; the greater the resentment and if the body is buried in Corpse Raising Ground, then when the Jian senses this resentment from the Underworld, it's like flies drawn to filth. If it manages to reach the Underworld—though such opportunities are rare since Yin and Yang are separated—the chances are slim like a carp leaping over the dragon gate. However, if it risks being obliterated to come to the Underworld for this kind of resentment over time, it will treat that corpse as its host and adopt its memories as its own—what you see as a Corpse Ghost is merely an empty corpse of someone who died unjustly without a soul. The true Jian is its shadow; this corpse is entirely controlled by its shadow. But unlike ghosts, Jians are almost immune to all spells in the Underworld and prefer to feast on human resentment."
"Feasting on human resentment? If people aren't dead, where does that resentment come from?"
Wang Tuozi rolled his eyes. "Well then they just have to die first before being eaten."
"Of course! It also enjoys consuming ghosts with heavy resentments—the heavier the resentment, the more it likes them."
"Eat a ghost?" Wei Ning swallowed hard; wasn't that Zhong Kui?
"That's right, it's Zhong Kui! Actually, there's been a misunderstanding in the human world. Zhong Kui is not a ghost but a spirit, which is why all ghosts fear him."
"That's impressive, but doesn't that mean we have no way to deal with him?"
"There are ways. If I can't handle a single spirit, how could I possibly be your master?"
"Aren't spirits immune to mortal spells? How do we deal with him?"
"Just kill that girl."
Wei Ning was startled and said, "Master, don't joke around."
Wang Tuozi replied, "Spirits are completely immune to our spells, so we can't confront him directly. There's only one method."
"What method?" Wei Ning asked.
"Deceive him."
Wang Tuozi continued, "At one o'clock tonight, you need to bring that girl here. I'll perform a soul borrowing trick on her. Remember, you must bring her before one o'clock; otherwise, if the Corpse Ghost finds her after that and consumes her soul, you can't blame me."
Wei Ning nodded in agreement.
"I'll go set up the formation. Along the way, I'll leave you some secret marks to keep in touch. This is crucial; if you don't want that girl to die, it's best not to make any mistakes."
With that, Wang Tuozi rummaged through a box for a moment and took out a red umbrella before leaving.
Wei Ning found Lin Lingsu and simply invited her out for some fun. The two wandered around Phoenix Ancient Town. As night fell, Wei Ning noticed it was almost time and followed the secret marks left by Wang Tuozi, leading Lin Lingsu to find him.
Lin Lingsu had no suspicions; it seemed that the more remote the place Wei Ning took her to, the more excited she became.
As they reached a dense forest, the secret mark left by Wang Tuozi suddenly disappeared. Wei Ning felt anxious and searched around repeatedly. At that moment, Wang Tuozi leisurely emerged from the woods, holding an ink fight with a string of monkeys tied behind it.
The monkey's thumb was tied with Ink Fight, but strangely, the usually active monkey appeared unusually quiet now, its eyes reflecting a sense of unease.
Ecological destruction had become severe, and wild monkeys were rarely seen in Xiangxi. It was unclear where Wang Tuozi had obtained them.
Lin Lingsu grabbed Wei Ning and whispered, "Mouse, who is this person? He looks so ugly."
Wei Ning replied softly, "Don't be reckless."
Hearing someone insult him, Wang Tuozi was about to retort when Lin Lingsu, hands on her hips, spoke first: "Who are you, old man? Where did you steal all these monkeys from? Are you some kind of performer? Show me something!"
Wang Tuozi felt a surge of anger. He had gone through great effort to steal these seven monkeys from the zoo. If it weren't for Wei Ning caring about this girl, he wouldn't bother with Lin Lingsu at all. Now, not only was she ungrateful, but she also dared to speak to him disrespectfully. Seeing that Wang Tuozi was about to explode, Wei Ning stepped forward and gently tugged at his sleeve, whispering, "Master."
Her eyes held a hint of pleading.
Sighing, Wang Tuozi said, "Girl, come here."
Lin Lingsu pouted and replied defiantly, "Just because you call me over doesn't mean I will! This place isn't fun anyway; let's go get some late-night snacks." With that, she grabbed Wei Ning and started to leave.
As Lin Lingsu turned around, Wang Tuozi struck her hard on the back of the head. She let out a soft sound and fainted.
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