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墨書 Inktalez
In the center of the cave lay a coffin, its presence unknown for how long. A beam of sunlight pierced through the cave's ceiling, striking the coffin at just the right angle.
Wang Tuozi stared at it for a long time before sighing, "What an impressive technique."
Wei Ning looked on in confusion and asked, "Master, I don't understand anything."
Wang Tuozi chuckled, "That's exactly it. Look at this coffin; it's surrounded by Ink Lines. Why would an ordinary coffin need to be sealed with Ink Lines? Without a doubt, something strange lies within. Look at that Dark Eight Immortals Diagram; it's all about controlling the dead. The one who built this tomb left a line on top of the coffin for a reason. On one hand, it allows the God of Joy inside to sense the yang energy outside but prevents it from breaking free from the Ink Lines' restraints. Over time, resentment will only grow stronger. If released, it would be terrifying. On the other hand, if someone were to release the God of Joy, it could immediately escape into the yang energy, and that tomb raider would be in serious trouble. Therefore, no matter how you look at it, the creator of this tomb deserves to be condemned."
He took out a bamboo tube from his pack and said lightly to Wei Ning, "Take off your clothes."
"What?"
"I said take off your clothes and cover yourself with this Glutinous Rice Water. You're still inexperienced; if the God of Joy escapes, this will prevent you from being infected by Corpse Poison."
Wei Ning hesitated but eventually removed his clothes and applied the Glutinous Rice Water all over his body, his cheeks flushed like they had been scorched by fire.
Wang Tuozi instructed, "I'm going to summon the God of Joy now. You need to hold up this Red Umbrella to block that line and prevent the God of Joy from escaping. Remember to block it; otherwise, if the God of Joy escapes, we might lose our lives here."
Wang Tuozi approached the coffin and lit three incense sticks as an offering to the God of Joy before instructing Wei Ning to prepare the Red Umbrella.
In ancient times, coffins were constructed using Mortise and Tenon Structure techniques, where wooden pieces fit together without nails. It was considered taboo to use Iron Nails as they could trap a person's soul and prevent them from reincarnating. Yet this coffin had eight large Iron Nails driven into its corners.
Wang Tuozi explained, "These nails have significance; they represent The Eight Sufferings of Life: birth, aging, illness, death, separation from loved ones, encounters with those we resent, unfulfilled desires—meaning that even in death, this person must endure these eight sufferings. One wonders what kind of person he offended in life to deserve such a fate."
He pointed at some symbols on the head of the coffin. "This is a Corpse Controlling Pattern designed to prevent this God of Joy from escaping."
Wei Ning recognized it from before and nodded eagerly.
Wang Tuozi pulled out tools from his pack and extracted one of the Iron Nails. Although he couldn't determine how old this coffin was, the nail gleamed brightly. Wang Tuozi brought it close to his nose and sniffed it. "It's been soaked in corpse oil."
Wang Tuozi carefully pulled out eight Iron Nails one by one and said to Wei Ning, "Pay attention, I'm about to open the coffin. Make sure no sunlight gets in." He then placed several talismans around the coffin. Wang Tuozi's expression was grave, for he understood what kind of entity the God of Joy truly was.
As he opened the coffin, there was no sign of the God of Joy inside, only a skeleton.
The skeleton was astonishingly perfect; both the skull and the bones of the hands showed almost no signs of damage. Wei Ning felt a weight lift from his heart, as it was only when a corpse remained intact that it could be terrifying. Once a body began to decay, it meant that the soul had already moved on and could not return to cause harm.
Just as Wei Ning was about to put away his umbrella, Wang Tuozi quickly called out, "Wait!"
Wang Tuozi shook his head and muttered, "No, no, something is wrong. Where exactly did it go wrong?" He rubbed his clean-shaven chin, furrowing his brow deeply.
He examined the skeleton closely and noticed a long needle, as fine as a hair, embedded in the third cervical vertebra. If he hadn't looked closely, he would have missed it entirely. Wang Tuozi then began to feel around and knock on the sides of the coffin. "It should be like this."
He flipped the bottom of the coffin over.
It turned out there was a hidden compartment at the bottom of the coffin. An elderly man in his fifties was bound with Ink Line to the bottom of the coffin board. Additionally, he was tied with five ropes made from an unknown material in various directions, opposite to the skeleton.
Wang Tuozi explained, "This is an ancient method of binding corpses known as 'Three Longs and Two Shorts.' Our common idiom 'three longs and two shorts' refers to this."
The old man had a shaved head with a yin-yang hairstyle and wore a court robe from the Qing Dynasty, indicating he held a significant rank. His hands were bound across his chest, his complexion rosy, but there was also a long needle at his throat.
Wang Tuozi took out a Peach Wood Sword and moved it over the corpse with a sigh. "What an exquisite technique! This is not just any method used by the Black Cult for dismembering corpses; it has been lost for ages. I can't believe I encountered it here."
Wei Ning looked puzzled and asked, "Master, what's wrong? Isn't this just an ordinary God of Joy?"
Wang Tuozi sighed again. "This is a technique used by the Black Cult for dismembering corpses. It separates a person's flesh from their bones, binding the flesh to the Yin Side while tying the bones to the Yang Side. Then they use Sophora Wood to connect at the throat. Just think about it: flesh represents Yin and bones represent Yang. If someone dies and their own body is separated like this, how tragic that must be for them—what immense torment they must endure."
Wei Ning finally understood: "So you mean... this skeleton and this person are... are... one and the same?" He couldn't help but shiver at the realization.
Wang Tuozi nodded and said, "Indeed, however, to separate such beautifully crafted flesh and bones, what an extraordinary skill in butchery this is. Especially the head; it is almost impossible to accomplish. This technique must belong to the Black Cult. I have only heard of it before, but seeing it today truly opens my eyes."
Wei Ning asked, "Master, what should we do?"
Wang Tuozi rolled his eyes and replied, "How would I know that what others entrusted to me would be such a sinister object? But I, Wang Tuozi, keep my word. If it can be done, we will do it; if not, we will create the conditions to make it happen!"
Wang Tuozi reached out to probe the throat of the God of Joy's corpse and said, "Wait a moment. I will remove this Sophora Wood nail, then seal the ears, nose, and mouth of this God of Joy with Cinnabar. You must not move. I will see if I can make him rise. He has no bones, so we can only try for now. If it doesn't work, we will think of another way."
At Wang Tuozi's repeated instructions, Wei Ning nodded eagerly, gripping the Red Umbrella even tighter.
Afterward, Wang Tuozi placed a talisman on the forehead of the corpse and carefully pulled out the Sophora Wood nail from the God of Joy's throat. He then sealed the ears, nose, mouth, and throat with Cinnabar. Seeing that the God of Joy showed no signs of malevolence, he breathed a sigh of relief. He then took out a bamboo tube from his bag and coated the entire body of the God of Joy with Glutinous Rice Water. This was a necessary method for Xiangxi Corpse Drivers; every God of Joy must be coated with Glutinous Rice Water before rising to extract Corpse Poison and prevent malevolence.
Having completed all this, Wang Tuozi began to look somewhat pleased and said, "Disciple, there are also rules for bringing the God of Joy down to earth. Beneath our feet, every three steps corresponds to a Yin Point. The God of Joy must step on these Yin Points with every move; this is why they usually bounce around."
He raised the Soul Banner in his hand and explained, "In our Four Schools of Exorcism, each Corpse Driver has different tools. Your Wei Family uses the Soul Bell; the Wu Family uses the Corpse Driving Stick; the Fang Family uses Yin Luo Kai Dao; while our Wang Family uses this Soul Banner to guide."
With a wave of his Soul Banner and a series of hand gestures, he shouted: "Life entrusted to me; my life entrusted to you. If you betray me, life shall not permit it. Soul Banner summon souls; illuminate your path ahead. Do not betray me; please rise."
Unfortunately, there were no signs of the God of Joy rising at all.
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