Chapter Nine, Yin Chai

The dagger held aloft fell down, and Li Yuanshan took two steps back, having no intention of continuing. He turned and walked towards the altar. Over there, the mad old man, seeing that the opponent had stopped fighting, jumped out from the wall, still somewhat reluctant to part.

Behind the door, no sound emerged again, as the grayish-white long face above fixed its gaze intently on the young man who was speaking

Do not speak

Uh...

Why has it stopped fighting...

Oh no, it didn't work!

Over there, a long grayish-white face slightly opened its mouth and exhaled a breath, instantly causing a chill to sweep through the courtyard. The red satin tied around the gift box untied itself, and slender fingers gently fiddled with the edge of the box, eagerly opening the lid.

Chen Yuan carefully opened the courtyard door, picked up the wooden carving that had fallen on the ground. The fog on the street ahead was gradually dissipating, which made him feel much more at ease. He turned around and saw a group of people across from him looking at him in confusion

The gift box, along with the wooden carving, is not heavy. In Chen Yuan's hands, it is lightly tossed and leaps high, landing on the tiles at the entrance.

He kept staring at the other party, actually thinking of a way. What a twist of fate! Although it should belong to the City God Temple, it is not something Chen Yuan can afford. It is possible that the other party did not regard him, a person who has only half a foot in the path of cultivation, at all.

The young master of the Liu residence is not yet dead, and his lifespan is naturally not over. Even if the city god has arrived here, he should wait until the appointed time to take someone. It seems to me that you have been sent by others and have received benefits

Speaking, he took the gift box handed over from behind. The box measured one and a half feet in length, beautifully and luxuriously wrapped, indicating that Liu Yuanwai had a good understanding of such matters. Chen Yuan held the gift box and stepped forward, approaching the stone steps in front of the courtyard gate, getting closer to the elongated face above the door. His heart raced to his throat as he slightly lowered his head, respectfully presenting the gift box above his head.

The Soul-Calling Talisman, just by hearing its name, one can understand what it entails. Liu Yuanwai gritted his teeth and said, "I will go to Boyuan's room right now and find that talisman to burn it."

Son... I have taken care of the remaining matters, only then can I truly be worthy of you

The mortal Chen Yuan has encountered the emissary of the underworld

My lord, my lord... hurry and run

The door cannot be opened, and you cannot come in, right

Chen Yuan made an effort to suppress the fear within her, forcing a slight smile as she cupped her hands towards the doorman.

The shadowy figure covered its face and swayed in the mist, seemingly injured from the earlier incident. Upon hearing Chen Yuanzhong's words, it glanced back and quickly vanished into the fog, the sound of iron chains gradually fading away. The surrounding mist, which had been spreading everywhere, slowly began to retract, retreating behind the courtyard walls and through the cracks of the door.

He pulled a dagger from his sleeve, engraved with inscriptions, a gift from his master years ago, capable of easily tearing through ordinary swords and armor. He fixed his gaze on the mad old man who was haphazardly fiddling with the altar, slowly approaching him. At the moment he lunged, the old man, with his back turned, suddenly darted to the side, leaping to the table and brushing back his hair.

Li Yuanshan raised his sleeve to wipe away the blood at the corner of his mouth, leaning against the wall as he struggled to stand up. At this moment, he had little thought left in his mind; the spell he was maintaining had been interrupted, causing a backlash of his magical power. His already low cultivation level was further exacerbated, making it difficult for his body to endure the pain

Chen Yuan's heart raced. Since the other party was not responding to him, he decided to confront them directly, thinking that perhaps there would still be room for negotiation. He lowered his hands and continued, "If you truly followed the order of the City God, it would be impossible for you to enter the mortal realm's residence. You have been persistently knocking on the door and pressuring, yet you are in such a hurry to capture the souls of the people?"

The muffled sound is no longer a low growl as it was before

"You... you poke me... hiss..." The old man covered his wound, his face wrinkled tightly together, staggering against the wall. Li Yuanshan silently drew his magical tool, not even glancing at the mad old man on the ground, took the black talisman from the table, and turned to leave the alley. As he walked through the fog, he fished out a few pills and swallowed them hard.

Cannot be burned

The discrepancy at the entrance was pointed out by Chen Yuan, who quickly added: "The other party stands to gain, and I may not be without my own benefits. I hope you will accept this and temporarily spare the son of the Liu family."

In an instant, the mad old man leaned out from the wall and shook his head at Li Yuanshan across the way

I kindly ask for your acceptance with a smile.

The tall and slender figure covered his face, staggering backward. Chen Yuan clenched his palms tightly, but he still mustered his voice: "As a dignified underworld official under the City God, accepting bribes from the mortal realm and wrongfully taking the souls of mortals, do you really think I would not dare to write a petition and burn it before the City God to report this injustice?"

Before this, I was unable to determine whether it was a soul-binding talisman, but upon seeing it emerge, I was finally certain

I have seen your disciple

Seeing it without a word, Chen Yuan's heart was already in her throat. Hearing the stealthy footsteps approaching from behind, she took a deep breath and continued speaking

verbose

In the narrow alley, a figure collided with the wall and fell to the ground, blood dripping from the corner of the mouth, creating splattered red plum blossoms on the floor

As the mad old man spoke, the other party also began to speak. The old man suddenly stopped his words, his eyes widening in surprise.

Li Yuanshan slashed with the dagger in his hand, and the mad old man hurriedly dodged. At the moment he collided with the wall, his figure suddenly vanished into it, causing a burst of startled screams from within the house on the other side of the wall

Chen Yuan moved his fingers, recalling the story from the book, which surely could not be resolved so easily; otherwise, there would be no mention of the old monk. He quickly called out to Liu Yuanwai: "Do not burn it; if you burn that talisman, your son might die immediately. Moreover, the talisman may not be easy to find."

Throw it up

At that moment, Old Zhao and the three senior brothers realized that only Chen Yuan was still standing among the crowd. Liu Yuanwai was panting heavily, swallowing his saliva.

The crowd that had rushed over dispersed in a panic, leaving those remaining weak-legged and unable to move, all covering their eyes and crying out. Over there, more than thirty people, startled by the commotion, reacted and crawled towards the performer from the theater.

The servants, maids, and guards in the front yard heard the commotion and rushed over, then let out a scream of "Ah!" as they scattered in all directions, or sat down on the ground in fright, too scared to move.

The man holding the magical artifact was momentarily taken aback, and only then did he realize that the other party was a practitioner of the Dao, clearly possessing a level of cultivation far superior to his own. He became even more uncertain, wondering whether the other was feigning ignorance or truly insane

Brother, this is where you are mistaken

The long, gloomy face above the door did not open its mouth, yet a deep voice, akin to a roar, echoed from behind the door, showing no intention of speaking to Chen Yuan

What comes into view is a one-foot wooden carving dressed in a golden armor and green robe. The moment it senses the yin energy, the wooden carving's eyes burst forth with a blue light that shoots out, piercing the forehead of the yin officer. Instantly, the yin energy surges forth, emitting a crackling sound.

Ghost ... ... it's a ghost!

Ah ah

This madman

There is not much time left

Sir, find a way to get a box to put this inside

Little brother... how should we proceed now, and what about my son...

Liu Yuanwai and the others in front of the Feng Shui wall were so frightened that they collapsed onto the ground, feeling as if their legs no longer obeyed them, just staring at the large elongated face above the door, while the other party's lifeless gray eyes were fixed intently on them

Really? Do you know where my disciple is? Come, take me there... Ouch, something poked me.

It is often necessary to offer tributes to the Yin Chai, which are typically what ordinary people can provide, usually in the form of longevity. At present, the gift box contains a faint aura of incense, which brings a slight expression to the long face above the door.

The long street is shrouded in white mist, and the solitary figure moving forward can vaguely see the lanterns of the Liu residence glowing in the fog. The mist spreads, slowly creeping in through the gaps in the walls and the courtyard gate.

As she spoke, the wooden carving behind her fell to the ground. Chen Yuan shifted her heel slightly backward, gently kicking it to the old man's feet, and then took a few steps forward to conceal her earlier action.

"That family, no one should expect to have it easy."

Tightening the wooden carving of Guan Gong, she quietly concealed it behind her back. Chen Yuan gazed at the shadowy figure on the door and lowered her voice.

Yes

Open the door

Chen Yuan fixed his gaze on the face above the door, feeling a chill invade his body. He was not well himself, his body trembling slightly within his robe, but the dim light made it difficult for others to notice.

Mother also ... ...

The mad old man lowered his gaze, a dagger was embedded halfway into his abdomen, blood seeped through the fabric, dripping down rapidly.