abnabooks Chapter 260: Lighting up lamps to attract the crowd
Chapter 260: Lighting up lamps to attract the crowd
Chapter 260: Lighting up lamps to attract the crowd (4200)
"Don't pull it out forcefully."
Lu Yuan looked around and said seriously, "Once this kind of pulse-suppressing nail is startled, the thing connected to it will backfire along the nail head."
"It's not nailed to the ground, it's nailed to the air."
"If we pull too hard, the pulse will turn upside down, and the yin energy will surge. We'll all suffer a fatal blow."
Zhou Heng swallowed hard: "Then what do we do?"
Lu Yuan folded the yellow talisman in his hand again and stuffed it back into his sleeve.
He then took out a small packet of cinnabar, two copper coins, and a handful of fine salt from his bag.
He gently rubbed the salt in his palm and said, "First, disperse the qi."
"Disperse the sticky gas around it, so that the nail head doesn't connect directly to the earth's veins."
After saying that, he squatted down and quickly tapped a few times along the outer edge of the area covered by the earthen niche, copper coins, and yellow talisman.
With each dot, a little cinnabar and salt were sprinkled out.
The cinnabar fell to the ground, like a speck of dust in the mortal world.
A sprinkle of salt leaves a fine white mark on the damp soil.
This method looks like an old-fashioned way of scattering ash to repel insects, but every dot is placed in accordance with the direction, so it is obviously not done randomly.
Zhou Heng stared blankly, feeling as if Lu Yuan's fingertips had just landed on something unseen.
The coolness that had been slowly rising from the ground was also slightly reduced by the suppression of cinnabar and salt.
Lu Yuan then stopped, stood up, and straightened his clothes.
"alright."
"You can move now."
Lin Zhaoxuan said, "Shall I do it?"
Lu Yuan shook his head: "This thing is bound to the old jar's energy; it won't be stable if any of you touch it."
"I'll do it."
After he finished speaking, he bent down in front of the stone nail, made a hand seal with his left hand, and put two fingers of his right hand together, the fingertips turning slightly white, and gently touched the top of the stone nail.
At the same time, he muttered a longer incantation for pressing nails: "Above is the Heavenly order, below is the Earthly discipline."
"There is a mountain spirit within, which remains unchanged throughout the four seasons."
"I now borrow the pure energy of the Three Pure Ones and the righteous mechanism of the Nine Earths to disperse their entanglements, untie their bonds, sever their connections, and destroy their dependence."
"If it is a pulse nail, then it shall be as I wish."
"If it is an evil influence, its root must be severed."
"Hurry, hurry, as the law commands! Disperse!"
As the word "scatter" fell, Lu Yuan flicked his fingertips sharply.
The stone nail seemed to be slowly pulled by some invisible force, first trembling slightly, and then slowly loosening.
Finally, with a "click," it emerged half an inch from the soil.
But at that very moment, the sound of the wooden fish came again from the depths of the mountain valley.
thump.
It was closer and heavier than the previous two times.
As the sound fell, the stone nail suddenly trembled, and a wisp of extremely thin and fast black energy shot out from the black line, rushing straight towards Lu Yuan's face!
"Be careful!"
Zhou Heng practically roared it out.
As if he had expected it, Lu Yuan advanced instead of retreating, flipped his left palm outward, and quickly made a "thunder seal" gesture with his right hand.
With fingers spread wide, thumb pressing down on the second joint of the middle finger, the palm edge makes a diagonal cut, and a short shout bursts from the mouth: "Thunder and fire protect the body, evil spirits retreat!"
The black energy struck his palm as if it had hit an invisible wall, and with a "whoosh," half of it dispersed.
The remaining half tried to crawl through, but Lu Yuan pressed it down with his other hand and shoved it back to the ground.
He didn't give the creature a chance to catch its breath; with a twist of his wrist, he forcefully pulled the stone nail out.
As soon as the stone nail was unearthed, a muffled "gurgling" sound immediately came from below, like bubbles rising from a deep well.
Immediately afterwards, the temperature in the entire valley suddenly dropped, and even the air seemed to freeze into thin ice.
Song Qinghe couldn't help but shiver: "It's so cold—"
Lu Yuan's expression, however, was extremely grim.
Because he saw that a small strand of hair was still wrapped around the stone nail.
It wasn't a whole head of human hair, but just a very fine strand of hair, grayish in color, with a little bit of solidified black grease at the end.
As soon as the hair emerged from the ground, the surrounding black lines twitched slightly, as if something was slowly retracting from underneath.
Lu Yuan held the strand of hair in his hand, his gaze as cold as a knife: "This is a hair-tethering tack."
"Use hair to draw out the yin energy, and use stone nails to press down on the pulse."
"He has powerful connections above him, and evil spirits below him."
"Once this thing is pulled out, that spot at the back should become unstable."
After he finished speaking, he looked up into the depths of the valley.
This time, he didn't even need to ask what was going on; he could feel the cold, oppressive aura that was being suppressed beneath him beginning to move outwards.
It was like something that had been sleeping in the mountains for many years, suddenly being poked by someone's foot.
I woke up halfway.
A mountain breeze rose again, white mist swirled, and suddenly a very light footstep came from the forest.
step.
Two steps.
Three steps.
It was as if someone was slowly walking this way through the fog.
Wang Cheng'an and Xu Erxiao's faces turned pale, their voices trembling: "Brother Lu—is someone here?"
Lu Yuan tucked the stone nail into his sleeve, slowly raised his head, and his eyes suddenly became extremely sharp.
"It's not like a human walking."
"It's something from the jar coming out to poke its feet."
He paused, then whispered to the three of them, "Remember, no matter what you see later, don't speak first."
"Things from the mountains are best at using people's mouths."
"Just guard your spirits and obey my commands."
"If anyone hears their name called, do not answer."
"If you answer, then there's a door."
Upon hearing these words, even Lin Zhaoxuan's expression turned serious.
Lu Yuan said no more, simply steadied himself, made a soul-suppressing hand gesture with his left hand, and quickly flipped his right hand three times in front of his chest.
Finally, fix the point an inch in front of the forehead and whisper, "The Heavenly Gate remains closed, the Earthly Gate remains unmoved."
"When the four seasons return to stillness, all evils vanish without a trace."
"My body is a lock, my breath is a bell."
"If anyone comes, he will first see the true sect."
As he finished reading, the mountain mist had already pressed in close.
Sure enough, a shadowy figure emerged from the fog.
The shadow was not tall, but thin and long, like a person wearing an old cotton-padded coat, with shoulders that were unusually hunched.
Head down, walking slowly, yet each step was extremely steady.
Zhou Heng's heart was pounding so hard he almost couldn't resist touching what was in his waist, but Lu Yuan stopped him with a single look.
The shadow drew closer and closer.
They finally stopped when they were only a dozen steps away from the crowd.
It stood in the fog, without a face.
Or rather, you can't see their faces clearly.
All I could see was a pale, paper-like object, flatly pasted in front of my head.
His facial features looked as if they had been burned off, with only two dark spots slightly sunken in his eye sockets.
The next moment, the shadow slowly raised its hand and bowed to the crowd.
Immediately afterwards, a very soft voice came from the mist: "May I pass by?"
The moment those two words were uttered, Lu Yuan's eyes turned completely cold.
Because he recognized it.
This is not about finding a way.
This is the ritual of exchanging gifts at the altar.
It's testing them, seeing if they'll give in.
That "May I pass?" sounded like it was being squeezed out from a crack in the fog, so faint it was almost inaudible, but once it reached your ears, it sent a shiver down your spine.
Xu Erxiao and Wang Chengan subconsciously took a half step back, but their feet felt like they were stepping into cold, wet mud, and they couldn't pull themselves out easily.
Lin Zhaoxuan's brows furrowed suddenly, and his hand was already on his waist, but he didn't dare to move first.
Song Qinghe's face turned pale, and she gripped the sealing disc tightly with both hands until her knuckles turned blue.
Lu Yuan did not back down.
He stood still, his eyes fixed on the shadow in the mist, his breathing held very steady.
Stepping back at this point means giving the door to the person who is leaving.
The old ways of life in the mountains outside the pass are all about appearances.
If you force your way through, something might not happen immediately.
But once you feel guilty first, your anger dissipates, giving the other person a way out.
That's like opening your own doorstep to let evil spirits cross; once you try to bring them back in, it's difficult.
The shadow still stood in the mist, neither tall nor short, with slumped shoulders, as if it had been weighed down by something heavy for a long time.
Yet it stood extremely steadily, its feet slightly turned inward, displaying a familiar and disciplined manner reminiscent of an elderly person bowing.
Its "face" is still that blank sheet of paper, flatly pasted on the front, as if it had just been pasted on not long ago, but the edges are already slightly curled.
Those two black hole-like eye sockets remained motionless, as if a deep well was pressed down inside.
Lu Yuan stared for a moment, then suddenly whispered, "Not a living person."
Zhou Heng almost gritted his teeth as he asked, "Th-what is that?"
Lu Yuan's gaze remained fixed on the subject, and he simply said, "A paper face borrows a body, a veiled mouth substitutes for a voice."
"This is a 'borrowing path' curse, not the true self."
Upon hearing this, Lin Zhaoxuan immediately realized what he meant and whispered, "Is it a 'doorman' raised in the jar'?"
Lu Yuan nodded and said, "More or less."
"In the old practices outside the Great Wall, some evil altars do not directly release evil spirits. Instead, they first raise paper figures, grass figures, and lamp shadows, and ask them to test people's hearts, their footsteps, and their courage on behalf of the main altar."
"If you make way, it will consider you to have accepted the door."
"If you argue back, it will hold a grudge."
As he spoke, his sleeve twitched slightly, and he had already pinched a yellow talisman between his fingers.
The yellow talisman wasn't the kind of protective talisman that had been drawn for the crew-cut guy before; it was a temporary "direction-asking talisman" for navigating the road.
Lu Yuan didn't rush to activate the talisman. Instead, he calmed himself down and slowly formed a hand seal in front of his chest.
Bring the three fingers of your right hand together, and press your thumb against the base of your ring finger.
Slightly hollow your left palm and gently tap your right wrist with your index finger.
His arms were neither solid nor empty, as if he were embracing an invisible round furnace.
This is not the usual street shaman's charade, but a Taoist technique that emphasizes "preserving vital energy and returning to the center."
When you are at a mountain pass, a fork in the road, or a place with a cold wind, first gather your energy, then use your hand seal to calm your mind and suppress your energy, and only then ask for directions.
Lu Yuan closed his eyes and began to recite softly, "Heaven has its gates, and earth has its doors."
"A person has three souls, and there are eight paths in life."
"Borrowers must have proof, and transgressors must exercise restraint."
"Those whose origins are unknown will not be opened the path to the underworld."
"I now seek the truth, not the heretics."
"I will only take the right path now."
"Hurry, hurry, as the law commands! Reveal your form!"
As the words "manifest" fell, Lu Yuan flicked his fingertips, and the yellow talisman trembled without fire, its edges shaking slightly, as if an invisible wind was passing under the talisman.
The paper-faced shadow in the fog also swayed.
Zhou Heng stared wide-eyed, almost blurting out a shout, but Lu Yuan stopped him with a look.
The shadow, which had been lying flat on its "face," slowly bulged up, as if something inside was propping it up.
Immediately afterwards, the black hole in the left eye socket shrank slightly, revealing an extremely thin slit, as if a real eye was hidden under the paper.
The moment that eye appeared, the surrounding fog seemed to come alive and shrink back.
Song Qinghe couldn't help but gasp: "It...it's watching us."
Lu Yuan slowly said, "It is recorded."
Having said that, he suddenly thrust the yellow talisman forward and shouted, "Go!"
The moment the talisman left his hand, the originally light yellow paper seemed to be supported by an invisible wind, steadily drifting into the mist.
The landing point was perfect, right on the chest of that paper-faced shadow.
A very soft "hiss" sound came from behind.
It's like hot iron being poured into cold water.
The shadowy figure's shoulder jerked violently, and a ring of grayish-white scorch marks instantly appeared on the paper in front of its chest.
The scorch mark wasn't large, but it looked like a hole had been made in that "face," revealing a dark layer underneath.
Immediately, a foul, sweet, and fishy smell burst out.
Lin Zhaoxuan's expression changed: "There's blood underneath!"
Lu Yuan said coldly, "It's the sesame oil that was offered that's mixed with the smell of corpses."
"This thing didn't grow on its own; it was nurtured by people using the energy of a jar and offerings of yin energy."
After he finished speaking, he suddenly took a step forward.
With that step, it was as if an invisible line had been drawn across the ravine beneath his feet.
The mist trembled slightly, and the paper-faced shadow also retreated half an inch.
Lu Yuan raised his head, his gaze cold and hard, and the second seal in his hand had already taken shape.
The left thumb presses down on the base of the middle finger, the index and middle fingers stand upright like a sword, the little finger is curled inward, and the palm is horizontal, like an invisible short blade held across the chest.
He recited in a low voice: "East is associated with Wood, South with Fire."
"The West is serene, the North is still."
"When the four directions issue an order, all evil will be rendered powerless."
"Lend me your seal, and I will expose your falsehood."
"If it is a paper spirit, it shall be punished by burning."
"If it is a spirit, it will be startled by thunder."
"By the decree of the law, execute!"
As he uttered the final word "slay," Lu Yuan pointed to everything in front of him.
In that instant, everyone felt as if an extremely short and sharp flash of cold light had swept through the air before their eyes.
Although you can't see it, it makes you subconsciously want to close your eyes.
The scorch marks on the paper-faced shadow's chest suddenly cracked open, and wisps of black energy leaked out, as if the skin had been ripped open by a knife.
The shadow suddenly swayed backward, raising its hands as if to cover its chest.
But when those two hands were halfway raised, they suddenly stiffened, as if paper arms were being held down by something.
The next moment, a very thin slit of mouth appeared on its paper face, which originally had no features.
His lips were initially pursed, then slowly parted to reveal a row of blackened teeth.
Zhou Heng exclaimed "Ah!" and almost jumped up: "It spoke!"
Lu Yuan's expression changed slightly, and he hissed, "Don't look at its mouth!"
But it was too late.
As soon as the mouth opened, a very faint hissing sound immediately echoed in the valley, like someone blowing cold air in the dark.
Immediately afterwards, more blurry figures began to appear in the surrounding mist.
Some were tall, some were short, some were thin, some were fat, all of them were like paper faces, their faces covered with a layer of white, standing in the depths of the fog, not moving, not walking, but slowly "turning" towards this side.
Lin Zhaoxuan's expression changed drastically: "There's more?"
Lu Yuan seemed to have expected this, his eyes growing even colder: "This is not just one."
"This is to light lamps to attract the crowd."
"That means it's not going out to test the waters alone."
"When it opens its mouth, the 'shadow figures' it has led behind it will also wake up."
"The main altar here is indeed more than one layer deep."
As Lu Yuan spoke, the paper-faced shadows in the mist slowly approached.
They don't actually walk, but rather seem to be carried by the fog and pushed by the wind, inching closer and closer.
Every face was eerily pale, with dark circles under their eyes, and their mouths slowly parted as if waiting for a command.
Wang Cheng'an and Xu Erxiao felt their scalps tingle and their teeth chatter: "Brother Lu, why are there so many of these things?"
Lu Yuan lowered his voice: "They're angry because of the smell."
"The fact that I just slashed that face tells everyone in the forum that the person who came from outside knows the way."
No sooner had he finished speaking than there was another loud "thump" at the other end of the mountain path.