Starting from the folklore forum, making up town objects

Chapter 404 The Day Traveler, the Iris Sword

Xu Zhiheng was not as hesitant as Chen Xin had imagined.

He remained silent for no more than five minutes before giving his choice.

"This is not a choice. I cannot give up the familiar faces in Zhouzhuang for people I don't know."

Chen Xin looked at Xu Zhiheng.

Even if their families are destroyed?

Instead of directly addressing the question, Xu Zhiheng said, "If the world is truly fair, then why did everyone in Zhouzhuang die overnight?"

"After I obtained this piece of paper and saw you, I knew that the deaths of everyone in Zhouzhuang were not due to a plague."

"If the people of Zhouzhuang can die, why can't others?"

Chen Xin remained silent as he looked at Xu Zhiheng.

Is Xu Zhiheng a good person?
Chen Xin thought so.

Is Xu Zhiheng a bad person?
Chen Xin agreed.

Good and evil are relative concepts.

In the eyes of Ya Ya, Tie Zhu, and Gou Sheng, Xu Zhiheng will always be a great philanthropist.

As for those who jumped to their deaths because of Wang Baolin, Xu Zhiheng was a damned devil.

Right and wrong, crime and punishment—no one can say for sure, and no one can judge.

However, Chen Xin now possesses the ability of a 'judge,' but above him, there is no 'supervisor.'

Therefore, the outcome of this case, which is being tried by Chen Xin, depends entirely on Chen Xin's wishes.

Looking at Xu Zhiheng, Chen Xin slowly said, "I don't care what happened before, but if I gave you a chance after this, would you choose to resolve the incidents caused by you, or would you choose to continue to ignore everything and only care about your own little corner of the world?"

Xu Zhiheng turned his head.

"I'm certainly not some cynical madman, but I don't have that ability right now, so I can only take care of what I want to take care of."

Chen Xin nodded.

"Whether you have the ability or not is irrelevant; the main thing is whether you are willing to do it."

Xu Zhiheng looked at the crow-beak mask and slowly nodded.

"If I could, I certainly would."

"That's fine."

Chen Xin raised his hand and put the notebook made of paper into his space under Xu Zhiheng's complicated gaze. Then, he took out three more items.

Similarly, it is a crow feather that can be transformed into a crow feather raincoat.

Similarly, it is an artemisia tiger woven from mugwort leaves.

The last item was a dark green, 60-centimeter-long sword-shaped object with a red rope wrapped around its bottom.

What Chen Xin wanted to do was naturally to recruit Xu Zhiheng into the ranks of the underworld's officials, so there was no need to say more about Ya Yu.

However, Ai Hu and the second talisman were another idea in Chen Xin's mind.

The underworld already has a chosen one as the inspector and underworld officials as the rewarders and punishers. If Xu Zhiheng were to be placed in the underworld, what would his position be?
Xu Zhiheng's certain qualities, and the ghosts he created using that piece of paper, made it impossible for Chen Xin to treat him as an ordinary underworld official.

Therefore, he had to arrange another position for Xu Zhiheng.

Based on Xu Zhiheng's situation, Chen Xin thought of a position: Day Wanderer, a messenger from the underworld who can appear in the mortal world during the day!
Xu Zhiheng's main purpose in appearing in the mortal world was not to deal with the existing ghosts and spirits there, but rather to deal with the ghosts and spirits he created using that piece of paper.

There are now fifteen people in Zhouzhuang. In the booklet that Xu Zhiheng bound himself, there are fourteen pages with the contents written on it.

Aside from the piece of paper Wang Baolin had already taken by Chen Xin, there are still thirteen pieces of paper still circulating outside.

Xu Zhiheng's task was to use his previously acquired senses to find the thirteen pieces of paper, recycle them, and deal with the ghosts they created.

After Xu Zhiheng retrieves all the ghosts and papers, Chen Xin will give the booklet back to Xu Zhiheng so that he can continue to 'revive' the people of Zhouzhuang.

Each time he is resurrected, Xu Zhiheng will go to the mortal world to resolve the crisis brought about by that piece of paper.

As for why he did this, Chen Xin naturally had his own selfish motives.

After all, he had never seen so many wise ghosts before!

That's right, the ghosts in Zhouzhuang that Xu Zhiheng "resurrected" were, in a sense, ghosts of wisdom!
They have their own way of thinking, their own logic of judgment, and they can react to new things.

Aside from the fact that they are ghosts, Chen Xin could not see any difference between them and the Wise Ghosts.

It is foreseeable that Xu Zhiheng will continue to create such intelligent ghosts in the future.

With these intelligent ghosts, Chen Xin was able to proceed with many of his plans.

However, Chen Xin did not know whether only the ghost of Zhouzhuang resurrected by Xu Zhiheng was like this.

We can observe this situation further later.

These are the main reasons why Chen Xin values ​​Xu Zhiheng.

Moreover, the tiger that Chen Xin brought out this time was not at the Yin Messenger level, but at the Yin Si level!
This tiger was one of the twenty that Bai Xue had thrown out the window earlier. After Chen Xin caught it, he threw them all into the Three Mountains camp, where the medicine for protecting the house nurtured them to the Yin Si level.

Besides Ai Hu, the other sword-shaped talisman is also a Yin Si level talisman, the Iris Sword!
The Calamus Sword was the talisman that Chen Xin had been preparing to use to exchange information with the Bureau of Investigation, but had failed to do so.

Currently, there are only two: one is the one Chen Xin is preparing to give to Xu Zhiheng, and the other is the original body in "The Complete Book of Town Objects".

Xu Zhiheng's was actually made by Chen Xin himself for testing purposes.

As for the effects of the calamus sword, they also match its name as a 'sword'.

……

"Evil-Suppressing Calamus Sword"

Uses: To ward off evil spirits, clear the mind, and open the senses.
Current strength: Underworld level
Current quantity: 1
Description of the talisman:

Sweet flag leaves are shaped like swords, and in folk belief, they can ward off evil spirits and eliminate epidemics.

Therefore, the ancients collected its leaves to make calamus swords to ward off disasters and evil spirits.

Its preparation method is as follows:

Select calamus with roots, take seven leaves of equal length, wash them clean to remove insects, and air dry them in the shade until half-dry.

Then, wheat flour was mixed with spring water, glue was added to make a paste, and the seven leaves were glued together as one.

Then wrap a palm-width of red string around the leaf stalk to secure it, and let it air dry in the shade.

Once made, it can be hung above the lintel or held in one's hand.

Those who wield this sword will not be misled by demons and evil spirits.

When wielded, yang energy is generated and transformed into sword energy that shoots forth.

Remember, the leaves are brittle and easily broken, so do not strike them directly. If you encounter evil spirits, use your yang energy to subdue them!
……

The calamus sword is a sword-shaped talisman made by gluing together seven equal-sized calamus leaves with a paste mixed with glue.

The sword energy unleashed by the Yin-level Acorus sword can shoot up to ten meters away. When this sword energy, composed of Yang energy, strikes a person, it will only cause a stinging pain similar to being pricked by a needle, and at the same time, the hit area will feel a burning sensation for about ten seconds.

Apart from that, there was nothing unusual.

However, if the strike is aimed at a ghost, a wandering ghost can be melted away with a single sword strike, while a fierce ghost will require several more strikes.

So it seems this calamus sword is not bad?
The problem is, while sword energy sounds impressive, its actual use isn't so straightforward. Within ten meters, hitting exactly where you aim isn't difficult, but striking a stealthy target is no easy feat.

The reason is that the sword energy emitted by the calamus sword is not fast, and the yang energy contained within it will subconsciously cause ghosts and spirits to avoid it.

Wandering spirits are one thing, but their senses aren't very sharp, so they can't escape even if they want to.

Once you reach the level of a fierce ghost, it becomes difficult to hit it with sword energy unless you let those ghosts get within five meters.

But if you fail within five meters, you will be met with an attack from a vengeful ghost.

Not to mention that after the rank was upgraded, the sword aura attack range of the Iris Sword directly exceeded 100 meters!
Although the speed of the sword energy also increased with the improvement of the Iris Sword, the ghosts still had room to dodge within a range of 100 meters, not to mention the malevolent spirits.

Therefore, the calamus sword, which seems capable of taking the head of a ghost from a hundred meters away, is actually only effective when the target is within ten meters in most cases.

However, the true form of the Iris Sword is not something that can 'cut' demons.

The calamus sword has a property of being 'easily broken'.

Even the calamus sword that Chen Xin condensed from the "Complete Collection of Town-Suppressing Objects" is not as sturdy as a chopstick.

With Chen Xin's strength, he couldn't swing the sword too hard, otherwise the sword would break before the sword energy could even be released.

So this is very awkward. The sword is easy to break and the sword energy can't hit. Every time the swordsman faces the ghost, it's like dancing on the edge of a knife. If he is not careful, he will die when the ghost is on him and he has no other means to deal with it.

However, the other effect of the Calamus Sword, [Enlightenment], is indeed quite good, as it can make the sword wielder immune to confusing forces such as being trapped in a maze.

Holding the calamus sword, even Chen Xin himself felt a sense of peace.

As for whether [Mingxin] can make people immune to being trapped in a maze, Chen Xin tried it, and the so-called immunity only applies within the level range corresponding to the talisman.

The Yin-level Iris Sword is only immune to illusions of the level of the vengeful ghost, while the Yin-level Sword of the general level is immune to evil spirits, and so on.

Although there are limitations, the effect is indeed quite good. At least you don't have to worry about being blinded by a ghost while you're already missing your target.

Putting aside sword energy, the [Enlightenment] effect is quite good for the Bureau of Investigation's specialists.

This is why Chen Xin kept it to exchange for information with the Bureau of Investigation, because he knew the Bureau of Investigation couldn't refuse it.

Unfortunately, Chen Xin's need for the Bureau of Investigation decreased after that, and the Changpu Sword just sat there gathering dust.

The above describes the situation of the Yin-Yang level calamus sword. However, the Yin-Yang level calamus sword that Chen Xin gave to Xu Zhiheng has an additional characteristic called [Opening the Aperture].

"Opening the apertures" is not a killer move, but rather a supportive effect similar to "Enlightenment".

For a ghost of the Yin-Yang level to strike a demon of the level above a fierce ghost with sword energy, the requirements for the user are very high.

Either you need quick reflexes or the ability to anticipate events; otherwise, you won't be able to accurately hit the ghost within the attack range.

However, the emergence of the "Tongqiao" technique compensated for this shortcoming.

After obtaining the [Opening of the Aperture], the sword wielder will be blessed with a special state. In this state, not only will the reaction speed be improved, but the sword wielder can also control the sword energy that is shot out with his own will and spirit!

In this way, it's not impossible to slay a demon from a hundred meters away.

That's why Chen Xin thought of giving the Calamus Sword to Xu Zhiheng, because the effect of this sword in Xu Zhiheng's hands would definitely be remarkable.

Of course, this is not the only reason why Chen Xin chose the Calamus Sword.

The Calamus Sword has another hidden characteristic, which Chen Xin discovered by chance recently after compiling the "Ai Hu" (a type of sword)!

Within Ai Hu's effective range, the sword energy of Changpu Sword will be enhanced to a certain extent.

Or rather, the sword energy of the calamus sword can draw upon the yang energy within the range of the mugwort tiger's effect!
This result means that after the sword energy is shot out, the area around the sword energy, which was originally only three fingers wide, will be surrounded by yang energy with a diameter of one meter!

In this way, even if the sword energy does not hit the ghost, the surging yang energy can still make the ghost stumble.

Furthermore, the sword energy of the Yin Si level calamus sword can be enhanced by the Yin Si level moxibustion's [Yang Moxibustion].

Under normal circumstances, the sword energy of the calamus sword will dissipate after it goes beyond its range or hits a certain location.

However, within the range of the Yin Si level Ai Hu, a Yang spot similar to [Yang Moxibustion] will appear at the point where the sword energy lands. Although the effect is not as strong as the Yang spot of [Yang Moxibustion], it can persist for a period of time.

In other words, as long as the calamus sword is swung fast enough, multiple yang spots will exist simultaneously within a radius of 100 meters, which is something that the Yin Si level Ai Hu cannot achieve.

Based on the synergy between the Calamus Sword and the Tiger, Chen Xin took them out together as standard protective charms for the Day Wanderer.

Chen Xin even decided that the Calamus Sword would only be a talisman for the Day Wanderer.

Upon seeing the calamus sword, one knows that the other party is a day-wandering messenger from the underworld!

This was something Chen Xin had always wanted to do, but he hadn't yet come up with a good one for the standard protective charms of the Rewards and Punishments Envoy and the Inspector.

Logically speaking, the reed, which is similar to a demon-slaying whip, is very suitable for rewarding good and punishing evil. However, now that so many people use the reed, it can no longer be used as a symbol.

After taking out the three items in his hand, Chen Xin said to Xu Zhiheng, "Since you're willing to do it, then do it."

As Xu Zhiheng stared at the three things, confused, he saw Chen Xin grab him and drag him into the Netherworld.

The Mirror of Inquiry was summoned again, and Xu Zhiheng's eyes once more fell into confusion.

When he regained consciousness, he already knew how to use the three items, as well as the existence of the underworld, ghosts, the Bureau of Investigation, and so on.

This time, Chen Xin used the Heart-Questioning Mirror to transmit information.

After a moment of stunned silence, the raven feather in Xu Zhiheng's hand transformed into a raven feather raincoat that enveloped him. He held an artemisia tiger in his left hand and calamus in his right.

Even shrouded in the black mist of the raven feather raincoat, the long, narrow blade of the sword protruding from its body could still be seen from its shape.

"Now that you're a day-tripper to the underworld, get to work."

"As for the people in Zhouzhuang, you have two choices: one is to stay in the mortal world, and the other is to move to the underworld."

Xu Zhiheng already knew about the location of the underworld.

Zhouzhuang is a secluded mountain village with little connection to the outside world.

Rather than being disturbed by entities like the Bureau of Investigation in the mortal world, it would be better to move them to the underworld and let the underworld protect the 'people' of Zhouzhuang.

After Xu Zhiheng made his choice, Chen Xin once again directed Xu Zhiheng to look at the Mirror of Inquiry.

The scene that appeared in the mirror this time was the image perceived by the people of Zhouzhuang that Xu Zhiheng had once 'revived'.

The Mirror of Inquiry reveals the images in Xu Zhiheng's mind.

After taking a look, Chen Xin immediately summoned the Nine Suns, using their ability to communicate with the spirits to take Xu Zhiheng to their destination.

After Xu Zhiheng left, Chen Xin returned to Zhouzhuang.

Just as Chen Xin was preparing to bring the ghost of Zhouzhuang into the ancient town, he thought of something.

Whether it's the Sanshan settlement or the ancient town, both are now guarded by Yama-level protective artifacts. If these ghosts were to enter, they would probably all be wiped out by the house-protecting medicine and the Ai Hu.

The tiger and the house-protecting medicine don't care whether they are intelligent ghosts or not.

"Are we going to put them into a new underworld region?"

Chen Xin thought about it and felt that this was not a good idea.

Seemingly remembering something, Chen Xin took out his phone and looked at it for a while before sitting down at a stone table on the school playground and opening "The Complete Book of Town Statues".

If the underworld is to accommodate intelligent ghosts, then the problem of the talismans suppressing these intelligent ghosts must be resolved.

Since the problem is caused by the talisman, let the talisman solve it!

……

(End of this chapter)