Chapter 7: Thunder

The malevolent spirit encountered this time was indeed difficult to deal with for a novice like Xiang Que. Even with prior preparations of black dog blood, a butcher's knife, and copper coins, it was unable to contend with it. Ultimately, it had no choice but to resort to its most treasured items.

The fierce ghost watched as the piece of wood fell onto its head, instantly terrified to the point of losing its wits, shrieking sharply from its mouth, and turning around to reveal a pleading expression towards the gap.

It is unclear what it is that has evoked a deep-seated fear within it

According to the untidy old Taoist, this Thunderwood originated from the hands of Bao Qingtian during the Song Dynasty. It was originally used by him as a gavel for adjudicating cases, made from willow wood that had been struck by lightning thousands of times. Therefore, every time Bao Zheng struck the bench with the gavel in court, a tremendous sound would resonate, causing the criminals below to be utterly terrified and lose their composure.

The butcher swallowed and said, "That young man inside has quite a skill; that filthy thing is probably unable to hold on any longer"

Instead, it is oneself who is exhausted to the point of near death.

After lying on the ground for a while, Xiang Que slowly got up and opened the door. Chen Sanjin, still feeling a bit dizzy, was just about to speak when Xiang Que pointed behind him. He didn't want to utter a single word, utterly exhausted.

The vengeful spirit appears quite miserable, but this is its true form. In other words, the effort expended to force it out of Wang Linzhu's body was aimed at saving Chen Sanjin's wife, while the vengeful spirit remained completely unharmed

Click

Heaven and earth, the natural world, the foul energy disperses, the profound void within the cave, the bright and clear supreme origin, the deities of the eight directions, enable me to act naturally, swiftly and urgently as commanded. He threw out the wooden object and quickly formed seals with his hands, reciting the incantation.

After resting outside for a moment, I thanked the butcher and took out a porcelain bottle from my bag, retrieving two pills from inside and swallowing them to regain some energy

Inside the house, after the sound of thunder, the vengeful spirits scattered without even having the chance to cry out. The thick black mist gradually faded like a wisp of fog, and then slowly disappeared

The vengeful spirit that was forced back from within the door was still writhing, and Xiang Que took out a dark, square piece of wood from his backpack and tossed it over with a flick of his hand

Thunder is the nemesis of all dark and malevolent entities. Those struck by it are reduced to ashes, and no matter how profound the abilities of the spirits, there is no possibility of escape once they are hit by lightning

Nevertheless, Xiang Que did not let down his guard. These methods could injure it, but they certainly could not subdue the opponent. This fierce ghost was imbued with a great deal of malevolent energy, and it would not be easy to disperse its soul.

The old butcher, who had been listening to the commotion inside, immediately raised the slaughter knife in his hand upon hearing the call from the missing person, and without any hesitation, thrust it straight into the center of the door.

That unremarkable piece of black wood is one of the few rare items used for exorcism in Xiang Que's possession, known as Thunderwood.

"Hey, you run pretty fast. Do you think I have no means to catch up with you?" The window outside had long been smeared with black dog blood, which is the best remedy for driving away ghosts and dispelling evil. Most of the dirty things are afraid of it.

Chen Sanjin expressed his gratitude and then entered the bedroom. At this moment, Wang Linzhu was still lying on the ground with her eyes tightly closed, but her complexion had returned to normal, and her breathing was steady, clearly indicating that she was not seriously harmed.

The malevolent spirit let out a sinister laugh, and suddenly its arm floated up, extending a pale limb from the wide sleeve, covered in wriggling maggots, which looked quite disgusting: "You are doomed, utterly doomed..."

The doors of the Chen family are all made of solid wood, and the quality of the material is undoubtedly exceptional; not even a single knife could penetrate them. However, there is no need to penetrate the door, as ghosts do not walk through doors; they pass right through them. Therefore, the butcher's knife was firmly embedded in the door, and it just so happened that a malevolent spirit attempting to break through the door collided directly with it.

Regretful? It's too late. What were you doing earlier? You had the opportunity but chose not to use it, leaving me exhausted like a young calf, and now you want to go back on your word, treating me like a plaything!" With a gesture to form a seal, the dark wooden block flew towards the head of the fierce ghost. Outside the house, a thundercloud rapidly gathered from all directions above the small mountain where the Chen family resided, and then a thunderclap echoed out of nowhere, with lightning striking directly at the Chen family mansion. After the dark wooden block flew towards the fierce ghost's head, the thundercloud quickly converged from all sides above the small mountain where the Chen family was located, followed by a sudden thunderclap, and lightning struck the Chen family mansion.

Xiang Que, exhausted and lying on the ground like a dead dog, gasped for breath and then picked up the piece of black wood. A fine line suddenly appeared on the dark, smooth wood. Xiang Que cursed under his breath: "The expedition is not going well; I used this treasure on my very first attempt. It really pains me to part with it."

Jie, Jie, Jie ... ...

The vengeful spirit floated in mid-air, its bloodied stumps where its feet should have been. A long mane of hair cascaded down past its waist, obscuring most of its face, revealing only the right side of its cheek, which was covered in festering sores and blackened blood, in a state of utter decay

This time, he did not take the matter lightly. He stood up, placed his backpack in front of his chest, holding a Wanli Tongbao coin in each hand, and fixed his gaze on the elusive ghost.

Thank you, sir, for your hard work. Chen Sanjin said: "The family should be fine now, right? This time..."

The most abundant items in the bag are talisman papers, in addition to which there is a rusty iron piece, a rather absurd black square piece of wood, and a few small objects

The malevolent spirit dissipated, and the originally cold and gloomy room instantly returned to normal. Although the curtains were still drawn, it was no longer pitch dark, and the temperature gradually began to rise again

This wood, when worn on the body, wards off all evils, causing all malevolent spirits and ominous entities to take a detour upon encountering it. Had it not been for the concealment of the aura of the Thunder Wood by the techniques used by Que upon entering, it is likely that the malevolent spirits outside would have fled in terror, absolutely daring not to approach.

Therefore, it is quite painful to use the missing resources, and I am reluctant to use them easily. His current skills are not sufficient to perform the ritual with the Jing Tang Mu. Each use results in a loss, which is quite regrettable

Although forcing this thing out left Wang Linzhu unharmed, it made Xiang Que curse. He quickly bit his index finger and squeezed out a drop of fresh blood to draw a red line on Wang Linzhu's forehead. The man's blood was rich in Yang energy, and sealing the person's forehead could prevent malevolent spirits from possessing her again.

Unless he returns the Thunderwood to the Ancient Well Temple and allows the old priest to perform the ritual and inscribe the talisman again, it is unfortunate that when he descended the mountain earlier, the old priest had already told him to return only after he had resolved the calamities of his fate; otherwise, he would perish outside.

"Don't scare me anymore, it's just an illusion, what are you pretending for!" Xiang Que patted the backpack in front of his chest and said, "Scaring people? Then open your eyes wide and look over here, I'll show you who can scare whom."

A blinding light suddenly appeared in the pitch-black room, followed by a deafening thunderclap that shook the entire Chen family mansion. Outside, Chen Sanjin and the old butcher, caught off guard and standing too close together, were immediately thrown against the wall, their eyes tightly shut and their heads spinning.

This blow was far more severe than all the injuries suffered before. The butcher's knife, heavy with murderous intent, had undoubtedly drunk its fill of blood. The murderous aura was even more intense. The old butcher indeed had some experience; he could not see the vengeful spirit at all and was entirely relying on his instincts to make educated guesses. Remarkably, with a single strike, he managed to severely wound the vengeful spirit and force it back.

This piece of Jing Tang wood has transformed into a Taoist artifact, as it is inscribed with the Thunder Symbol, and is now referred to as Jing Lei Mu. Furthermore, this Jing Tang wood was carried by Bao Qingtian for decades while he adjudicated cases, thus it has accumulated the righteous aura of Bao Zheng. This seemingly unremarkable piece of wood can undoubtedly be regarded as a precious treasure of Taoism, capable of subduing all ghostly entities. Any ordinary Taoist who sees it would surely have their eyes widen in astonishment, and in certain Taoist sects, it might even be treated as a significant treasure of Taoism. It has indeed gathered the righteous aura of Bao Zheng, making this inconspicuous piece of wood a true treasure of Taoism, capable of overcoming all ghostly beings, and any typical Taoist would certainly be left in awe upon seeing it, with some sects even considering it a vital Taoist treasure.

After the vengeful spirit was bounced back, it swayed unsteadily as it floated up. The several Wanli Tongbao coins in Que's hand were scattered, all colliding with the vengeful spirit. Although the copper coins, imbued with the aura of emperors, could not disperse the spirit's soul, they could inflict considerable damage. The vengeful spirit tumbled endlessly in mid-air, its body resembling a deflated ball, crashing about in all directions.

Ah... the body of the fierce ghost was pierced by the knife, and it immediately appeared somewhat blurred

After the death of Judge Bao, the wooden tablet also disappeared. Some say it was buried with Bao Zheng, while others claim it was taken back by the emperor at that time. In fact, the wooden tablet fell into the hands of the ancestors of the Gujing Temple after Bao Zheng's death, and was later consecrated and practiced by a certain generation of patriarchs, who inscribed thunder talismans upon it

Indeed, the vengeful spirit was merely struggling in mid-air, yet its body remained intact. The piercing screams continued incessantly, sending a tingling sensation through the ears. The louder the sound grew, the more anxious he became, as the little ghost showed no signs of movement. The commotion of the vengeful spirit indicated that its powers had reached a considerable depth.

A pile of jumbled and chaotic items protruded from the yellowed, tattered canvas bag. Inside, everything was in disarray, but as the malevolent spirit followed his hand and took a look, it let out a piercing scream, its hair instantly flying and its white garments billowing, revealing an expression of fear.

When the Thunderwood is used in conjunction with the Thunder Talisman, most malevolent spirits in this world cannot withstand it; even if they do not perish, they will lose a significant portion of their ghostly essence. The reason Xiang Que did not use the Thunderwood right away is that each time it is used, the contained power of thunder diminishes. The Thunderwood, which has been nurtured for decades, can only maintain its efficacy for nine uses; after nine uses, it will transform into an object for warding off evil and will lose its original power.

The window was sealed shut, preventing any escape. The vengeful spirit then ran towards the door and shouted in a piercing voice: "Butcher, prepare yourself"

The two heaviest burdens in your family are no longer an issue. As for the problems faced by others, they stem from the influence of fate, much like your son. Once this matter is resolved, he will be fine. However, Xiang Que frowned and said, "Although the people are safe, the situation is far from over. Someone has expended great effort to disrupt your family's feng shui arrangement and has set up a new scheme to harm the Chen family. If you had not come to Gujingguan for assistance, within three months, all the direct descendants of the Chen family would have inexplicably died, with no cause that could be determined. Moreover, the wealth that your family has accumulated over the years would also be stolen, rendering your family's hard work over the past hundred years meaningless, as if you had made a wedding dress for someone else."

The vengeful spirit hurriedly floated towards the window, rushing into the curtains, but as soon as its body made contact with the curtains, it was violently bounced back, and a surge of murky black energy rose into the air