Chapter 1, The Return of the Evil Spirit

"Hurry, hurry, that kid can see us..." Eerie words echoed through the courtyard

"Jian Nan, my father has already passed away. I sent a Yin Shou Dan, and only then did the underworld allow my father to return for ten minutes. I have much to say to you, do not be afraid, my father will not harm you!" That snow-white face showed no change in expression, yet a chilling voice echoed from the room, creating a very eerie atmosphere.

In order to determine whether he was dreaming and whether his father had truly returned, Ye Jiannan decided to open the coffin, disregarding the principle of filial piety associated with disturbing a grave. Ye Jiannan had a very vivid intuition that his father was in the coffin, having never left him.

Ye Jiannan took a moment to calm his mind. When he looked at the ground of the mourning hall, he saw many shadows frantically scrambling for the yin coins on the floor. These shadows made no sound at all, as if a silent film was being played out before his eyes

Ye Jiannan rushed to the door in three large strides, only to see many disheveled figures with pale faces outside the gate. Upon noticing him chase after them, they immediately floated away into the night sky, leaving no trace behind.

The father's body lay peacefully in the coffin, completely still. Ye Jiannan even wondered why his father had not appeared. Where had his father gone?

No, I will fight them, no, I am a special forces soldier, I am a special forces soldier, I killed them..." Ye Jiannan replied

... ...

At this moment, Ye Jiannan felt an inexplicable fear in his heart, a chill running through his body, and goosebumps rising on his skin. He faintly sensed that there might truly be a ghost in the room, one that he simply could not see, and that feeling was very real

Ye Jiannan remained silent, his mind a blank, unable to recall anything. He walked woodenly into the room and knelt before his father's memorial, bowing three times with a loud thud: "Father, why didn't you wait for me, why..."

Ye Jiannan opened the box. Although the box was small, it was divided into two layers. The upper layer had three small characters written on it: "Biyin Pill," while the other layer appeared to be more exquisitely packaged, with small characters stating: "Yinshou Dan"

What is this thing? He closed the box with a question in mind and took out the book that was smaller than the palm of his hand

Ye Jiannan turned around once more, his gaze sweeping coldly behind him. It was silent behind him, not a sound to be heard, even the sinister wind had ceased, and the sound of the wind beating against the windows was gone. However, strange noises emanated from within the house, sometimes from the roof, sometimes from the walls, and at other times from the spirit platform.

The night quietly descended, and the mountain village was enveloped in an unusual silence, as if all beings were mourning, having gone to pay tribute to their revered father

Jian Nan, your father has limited time left, listen to me, I have long known that my lifespan is coming to an end, therefore, this is fate, and no one can change it... I have returned to tell you not to seek revenge, return to the army, and live well... That face moved slightly, the eerie words resonated throughout the entire room

They have arrived, Jian Nan, quickly lie down, just pretend that nothing has happened, quickly lie down... The eerie tone, however, carried a hint of warmth; it was a form of care, a kind of love, an indescribable bond of kinship.

How could the father have these things, and how has he been unaware of them all this time

The three characters "Mao Shan Shu" in brush calligraphy caught his eye. He had heard some rumors about the Taoist priests of Mao Shan, who were said to be mythical figures that exorcised demons, subdued evil spirits, and dispelled malevolent forces.

But at that moment, a gust of cold wind blew in, extinguishing the candles in the mourning hall, and no light could be seen in the room any longer

Ye Jiannan frowned slightly, perhaps all of this is a dream, an illusion. He had never believed in the existence of ghosts in this world. He slapped himself across the face, and the dwindling intuition he had left told him that all of this was real

He bolsters his own courage; how can the tales of ghosts and monsters be taken seriously

Father is Ye Jiannan's only relative. It is said that his mother left with another man when he was very young, so everything he has today is solely due to his father's upbringing.

"Father, why, why didn't you wait for me to come back?" Ye Jiannan shouted, showing no fear towards that most familiar face. Even though his father had become a ghost, he still held a deep respect for him in his heart

A row of Bu Yin pills was opened, displaying thirteen colored elixirs. A faint purple light emanated from the elixirs, giving them an eerie appearance

The death of his father was a tremendous blow to Ye Jiannan. That day, he was undergoing training with the special forces when he suddenly received a call from his father, who urged him to return home to see him for the last time

When Ye Jiannan appeared in the courtyard, he was completely taken aback, his mind buzzing, and he suddenly squatted down in the courtyard, unable to stand up again

... ...

"Father---" Ye Jiannan knelt on the ground, at that moment, tears streamed down uncontrollably, he did not know what to say, the pain of losing a loved one made it difficult for him to breathe

Ye Jiannan picked up the cloth bag, opened the sealing cloth strip, and some strange items appeared. Inside was a book, smaller than a palm, about the size of a miniature comic book. Additionally, there was a small box, on which the six characters "Bu Yin Wan, Yin Shou Dan" were written in bold brush strokes.

Ye Jiannan groped for a match from the spirit platform, but at that moment, the open door suddenly emitted a creaking sound, as if someone had pushed it open.

An hour had passed when Ye Jiannan slowly opened his eyes. The room was devoid of any light, silent as if he had just awakened from a dream, and now that the dream was over, nothing remained.

The mourning hall was quiet; it was not that the villagers were lacking in sentiment, but rather that the elderly in the village were very superstitious, which drove away the young people. Tonight marks the third day since Ye Jiannan's father passed away. According to custom, tonight, his father would return to the realm of the living.

"Father, Father..." Ye Jiannan began to call for his father, but there was no response from him

When he passed away, he was not by his side. The elder must have had many arrangements to make, so that night, the villagers all gave him the opportunity to be alone, allowing him to see his father one last time across the realms.

Then, he opened a row labeled "Yin Shou Dan," and suddenly it emitted a strange glow, illuminating the entire house with radiance.

Ye Jiannan hurriedly rushed into the room, found a match from the spirit altar, and lit the candle

"Hello, what are you doing?" Perhaps it was this overly realistic dream that made Ye Jiannan no longer fear ghosts and monsters. He harbored doubts in his heart that these were all apparitions, yet he felt no fear. He rushed towards the shadow.

Ye Jiannan suddenly recalled something. Back in the day, when the village experienced a series of deaths, it was his father who took the initiative to set up a ritual, which eventually brought peace to the community. However, at that time, he was still young and did not understand the significance of the events. As he grew older and the village became assimilated into modern civilization, not only did he forget, but even his father's generation had very few who remembered. Only the elder neighbor's generation would occasionally mention that incident. Of course, that had long become an old story, treated as a kind of legend, and no one bothered to verify its authenticity.

The father has already departed, and the courtyard is chilly. The autumn wind blows, causing the withered leaves to flutter past him. There is no longer a trace of warmth in his heart; the only tenderness has gone, along with the falling autumn leaves, heralding the arrival of winter.

The door rang, and faint footsteps could be heard approaching.

However, when he entered his own yard, many neighbors had already taken care of his father's funeral arrangements

Ye Jiannan slowly stood up. Could it really be a return of the evil spirit? He looked around but saw no signs of anything unusual. The only difference was that the room felt very eerie, with the cold wind slapping against the windows, making a "pata pata" sound, as if someone were running back and forth in the courtyard

In the dead of night, the hour of Zi had arrived. It is said that this is the time when the vengeful spirits return. Ye Jiannan felt a mix of anticipation and fear within him. Although he had previously dismissed tales of ghosts and monsters, standing alone before a coffin, under the dim candlelight, he could not help but feel a chill in his heart

Revenge? Ye Jiannan, during his time in the special forces camp, remained calm and composed in psychological training, immediately deducing that his father's death was not normal. He then asked, "Who is it? Who killed my father?"

Although Ye Jiannan did not believe in the existence of ghosts and monsters, he was nonetheless influenced by the village and had heard some stories about supernatural beings, including the notion of the dead returning to seek vengeance.

What is this? Ye Jiannan suddenly noticed a cloth bag resting on his father's chest. The bag was not large, only the size of a palm, and it was bulging, as if it contained many things. When his father was laid to rest, it was Ye Jiannan himself who placed it inside, and at that time, there was no such item.

He continued to search for matches, but at that moment, the coffin emitted a series of eerie creaking sounds. This phenomenon left him utterly stunned, as he hoped for his father's revival, pushing back the fear within him, and gazing longingly at the coffin. The sounds grew louder, and the bench supporting the coffin also creaked and groaned. Then, a small gap in the coffin opened, and a snow-white face, almost devoid of color, emerged from the crack in the coffin. The sounds intensified, and the bench supporting the coffin continued to creak and groan. Then, a small gap in the coffin opened, and a snow-white face, almost devoid of color, emerged from the crack in the coffin.

With a sense of curiosity, Ye Jiannan opened the book, yet no one could have anticipated that this moment of intrigue would alter the course of his entire life. From that point on, he embarked on a path of ethereal sorcery, becoming a practitioner of the yin-yang arts

Jian Nan, your father is an immortal. He knows that his lifespan is coming to an end, so when he went out to handle matters this time, he told us to ensure that you train well in the army to protect your home and country in the future! An elderly man stepped forward; this is Grandpa Yang from next door. If he is able to live and grow up, then Grandpa Yang can be considered the first contributor.

"Child, live well!" After saying this, a gigantic hand appeared behind the father's snow-white face and patted Ye Jiannan on the head. At that moment, he knew nothing, felt very tired, and wanted to take a nap, so he closed his eyes.

"Father, you are not dead, are you?" Ye Jiannan exclaimed

The coffin creaked open, and a piece of paper covered my father's face, obscuring his features.

"Jian Nan, try to let it go. Everyone has to face death eventually. Your father was a good man, and we all remember him fondly. We hope he is living better in another world!" An elderly woman stepped forward and helped the nearly deranged Ye Jian Nan to his feet.

Father's health had always been robust, and Ye Jiannan even suspected that his father was deceiving him into returning. Upon careful consideration, there seemed to be no need for such a ruse. Sending him to become a special forces soldier was indeed his father's intention. After much deliberation, he ultimately decided to go back.

But in that instant, those shadows suddenly vanished without a trace