Yin Shou Shu

Chapter 408 A Series of Ghost Stories
The air in the dimly lit main room was stuffy and hot.

The memorial tablets of the ancestors of the spirit medium stand eerily in the center of the tablets of Heaven, Earth, Ruler, Parents, and Teacher, like a sinister gaze from the darkness, silently watching the two people in the hall.

Ran Qing, who was holding the Book of Death, had a pale face and bloodshot eyes.

Reading this strange parchment book left Ran Qing feeling exhausted.

Worried, Mo Li supported him and anxiously tried to persuade him.

But Ran Qing's dazed gaze was fixed on the first page of the Book of Longevity.

Those eerie, wriggling, maggot-like characters silently narrate terrifying words.

Mo Li is the Ghost King...

Is this book of posthumous birthdays actually written in the first-person style, like a diary after Ran Qing's death?

Did this book foresee Ran Qing's death long ago?
Did he even foresee that Mo Li was the Ghost King?
When Ran Qing obtained the Book of Death, Mo Li hadn't even returned to Moonlit City yet...

Her muddled brain struggled to process the massive amount of information, and the more Ran Qing pondered, the more her head throbbed with pain.

Seeing Ran Qing remain silent, Mo Li, who was supporting him, anxiously continued to persuade him.

Don't look!

Mo Li suddenly reached out and helped Ran Qing close the Yin Shou Book. She eagerly cupped Ran Qing's face and forced Ran Qing to look into her eyes.

The boy and girl looked at each other, and Ran Qing could clearly see the worry and concern on the girl's face through her intact left eye.

Mo Li's concern for him was genuine.

In his daze, he saw Mo Li's lips moving, constantly uttering words.

"...The Book of Yin Longevity is indeed like a trap for those who walk the path of the dead! What the old woman said makes a lot of sense."

"This Book of Death and Longevity is of absolutely no use to you!"

"It cannot help you set up an altar and perform spells, nor can it help you exorcise ghosts and slay evil spirits, nor can it help you communicate with evil lords. This thing is of no use to you; on the contrary, it is a burden."

"If the Book of Yin Life is taken away and its pages are lost, the person who travels to the underworld will suffer a severe loss of vital energy, and may even die suddenly."

"Although a person who walks the path of the dead can suddenly understand the ghostly script in the book, those ghostly scripts don't teach anything good!"

"Throughout history, those who have walked the path of the dead, those who have understood the ghostly script in the Book of the Dead and followed its instructions, all died tragically; none of them had a good end!"

"This looks like a trap! A trap set for the Yin-Yang practitioners."

"When you're summoning spirits, all you need is the magical artifact given by the evil lord. Why do you need an extra useless 'Book of Yin Life'?"

"In your spiritual state, you will delve into the ghost realm of Wujiang, traversing among all the evil lords of the ghost realm, and be watched by all the evil lords."

"Among them are evil lords who are willing to pay attention to you and give you magical artifacts, but there are certainly also evil lords who have ulterior motives and want to harm you!"

Mo Li spoke anxiously, fearing that Ran Qing might believe the nonsense in the Book of Death.

However, in a sense, this book of death and longevity is indeed full of ghost stories...

Ran Qing stared blankly at Mo Li before her, and after a long while in a daze, she suddenly said, "This Book of Yin Life is indeed no good..."

Ran Qing sighed, stuffed the strange book of death into his canvas bag, and as if nothing had happened, took out the unopened kitchen knife that the knife seller had given him earlier.

Staring at the kitchen knife in his hand, Ran Qing said, "The knife seller is here on credit, and I can suddenly understand the ghost script in the Book of Yin and Yang. It seems that my trip to find Li Hongye this time is indeed a matter of life and death."

The blood-soaked corpse that Li Hongye raised using a red coffin lid was indeed terrifying.

But it's not unmanageable.

Aunt Liu was confident she could handle Li Hongye's entire family before she died. Ran Qing was a little less capable than Aunt Liu, but she wasn't much less capable with two hundred sticks of incense.

The real danger in going to the Ghost Realm of Wujiang to find Li Hongye lies in the eerie and terrifying Ancient Luo Ghost City.

Ran Qing said, "But if she doesn't give us a way out, we have no choice but to fight her to the death."

Even if Ran Qing didn't go to Li Hongye, Li Hongye had no intention of letting them go.

This is something we had no choice about.

Ran Qing said, "Anyway, let's rest first. I need to dispel the death energy in my body, write enough talismans, and then go and fight Li Hongye to the death."

The Ghost Eye Sheep God gave him a total of ten Ghost Eyes. At this time, Ran Qing could boldly use the blood talismans of the Yin lineage, and he could also consider trying several forbidden evil spells in "Witchcraft and Ghostly Arts".

Ran Qing remained calm and prepared to proceed according to her original plan.

Mo Li looked at him with concern. Although Ran Qing had calmed down, Mo Li's worry had not lessened.

She hesitated for a moment, and finally said hesitantly, "Um... could you temporarily entrust the Yin Shou Book to me for safekeeping? I promise to keep it safe for you."

Mo Li's suggestion was extremely abrupt.

The Book of Yin Shou is the foundation for the life and livelihood of those who practice Yin-Yang cultivation, and it is closely related to their life and death.

Mo Li's words were almost the same as saying, "Can you entrust your life to me for now?"

Even though the two were life-and-death companions who had gone through thick and thin together, and even though they had been in contact for a long time, they had vaguely developed some ambiguous feelings for each other.

But making such a request at this moment is still too abrupt.

This is inconsistent with Mo Li's usual character of knowing how to conduct himself and when to advance or retreat.

She would never make such an abrupt request.

Ran Qing looked at her in surprise, then stared at Mo Li for two seconds.

He wasn't angry; instead, he felt relieved and a little warm inside.

At such a sensitive time, to make such a sensitive request, isn't she afraid that Ran Qing will suspect and be wary of her... Clearly, Mo Li's worries about Ran Qing have overshadowed everything else.

The two locked eyes, and Ran Qing grinned, saying...

"It's okay, it makes no difference whether I keep it or you keep it."

"I already have a kitchen knife from a knife seller, so I don't need to believe in any ghost stories or ghost texts."

"I witnessed my sixth aunt's situation firsthand, and I will not follow in her footsteps."

Ran Qing gently comforted the girl's emotions.

Even though he was the one who was being worried, he gently comforted Mo Li at this moment.

Ran Qing's appearance surprised Mo Li.

She sniffed and said softly, "...Alright, we have a deal. You absolutely must not believe the nonsense in the Book of Death."

And so, the commotion caused by Yin Shoushu's sudden ability to understand it subsided.

Ran Qing stopped trying to read the ghost text in the Book of Longevity and hid the book in her canvas bag, carrying it with her at all times.

He and Mo Li walked out of the main hall and discussed the arrangements for the next few days with Zong Shu and the corpse-driving Taoist Liu Fang.

Actually, there weren't any specific plans; Ran Qing was the one who was mainly busy.

He needed to perform a ritual to dispel his own death energy and personally write a talisman for the spirit medium in the main hall.

This takes a long time, and it's best not to get distracted or affect the progress of writing the symbols.

Mo Lizongshu and Liu Fang, the corpse-driving Taoist, needed to keep watch outside the door against the thick fog to prevent the pale, ghostly figures that were wandering and gathering from rushing in.

Although this is the ancestral altar for those who walk the spirit path, they shouldn't be able to rush in.

But along the way, Ran Qing and his companions had already witnessed many bizarre and illogical things. Now, at this critical moment of life and death, they dared not relax or be careless in the slightest.

However, Liu Fang, the corpse-driving Taoist, was filled with lamentation when she heard that Ran Qing was going into seclusion to find Li Hongye in the Wujiang Ghost Realm.

"...They're really asking for it!"

"You don't even have a living soul, what use would you be if you went there!"

"We'd be better off conserving our strength and finding an opportunity to break out together." "Maybe the knife the peddler gave you wasn't for dealing with Li Hongye? Maybe it was for you to use to watch out for those ancient evil spirits lurking outside?"

"The peddler only said it was a life-or-death sword, but didn't tell you how to use it..."

The corpse-driving Taoist priest was still trying to persuade Ran Qing to run away.

Since the phone line was cut off and he was unable to contact the outside world, he had given up hope on the reclusive masters that Bureau 769 had invited to help him.

If Ran Qing, the underworld traveler, cannot act as an inside agent, and Li Hongye knows in advance that reinforcements will arrive from outside, those reclusive masters invited by Bureau 769 will probably be overwhelmed by the ancient Luo ghost soldiers as soon as they step into the territory of Moonlit City...

The corpse-driving Taoist priest was once again filled with pessimism about the future, and only wanted to persuade Ran Qing to escape and survive.

But Ran Qing shook her head and said, "I have my own plans."

He firmly rejected the corpse-driving Taoist's suggestion to escape, and also complained that the corpse-driving Taoist was too noisy.

Ran Qing reminded him, "If Master Liu wants to escape, he should run now and not stay behind to affect us."

“We are very busy right now and don’t have time to give you psychological counseling.”

Ran Qing spoke tactfully with a smile, but a sinister light flickered in her single remaining eye.

The threat is self-evident.

If the corpse-driving Taoist continues to make a racket, throw him out.

Seeing Ran Qing's attitude, the talkative corpse-driving Taoist immediately shut up, forcing himself to stop talking with a pained and conflicted expression.

"Okay, okay, I understand."

"My three little devils, whatever you tell me to do, I'll do it..."

When you're under someone's roof, you have to bow your head. Although Master Liu Fang puts on a majestic and awe-inspiring act in front of others, she still has to bow her head.

But when faced with a life-or-death crisis, he still yielded to the three young men with a soft touch, without any sense of seniority.

Seeing that the corpse-driving Taoist priest had also calmed down, Ran Qing sighed and said, "...I'll take this out, please keep it safe."

"If things really don't go well, just throw it out."

Ran Qing carried a small wooden box out of the main room.

The moment the small wooden box appeared, the corpse-driving Taoist looked puzzled, but Mo Li and Long Zongshu were so frightened that they took two steps back.

The wooden box was very ordinary and had no special features.

But what's inside this box is a ritual artifact lost by spirit mediums for many years—a soul-guiding lamp!
Back when they were in the Huaga sinkhole, Ran Qing and the other two encountered this soul-guiding lamp and suffered terribly, almost being killed by this sinister and terrifying thing.

This thing is too evil and bizarre, and impossible to guard against.

Ran Qing originally planned to keep the Soul-Guiding Lamp at the bottom of his chest and wait until everything calmed down before taking the time to slowly suppress and transform the bronze lamp into his own.

But now there's nothing we can do.

Outside, ghosts gather and ancient demons roam, ready to burst in at any moment.

If all else fails, throwing this lamp out—this soul-guiding lamp that can't distinguish friend from foe—should still be of some help to Ran Qing and the other two.

Mo Li looked at Ran Qing with suspicion and asked, "...Are you sure you want to take this out and use it?"

The last trip to Huaga Tiankeng left a deep psychological scar on the three of them.

Ran Qing nodded helplessly and said, "You can throw it then... You have strong arms, so you can throw it farther."

Mo Li carefully walked over, gently picked up the wooden box containing the soul-guiding lamp, placed it at his feet, and said, "...You've really gone completely mad."

But she also had to admit that Ran Qing's bad idea might actually work.

Long Zongshu glanced at the corpse-driving Taoist with surprise, somewhat astonished: "...Taoist Master, why did you run so far?"

When the Soul-Guiding Lamp was taken out, Long Zongshu and Mo Li were both startled and subconsciously took two steps back, making way for the Corpse-Driving Taoist.

In the short time that Mo Li and Ran Qing were talking, the corpse-driving Taoist had already silently moved several meters away, far away from Mo Li and the box at Mo Li's feet.

The way this corpse-driving Taoist priest moved was so slippery; it was truly unexpected.

Long Zongshu asked curiously, only to see the corpse-driving Taoist staring at the three of them warily, saying, "I know the rules, don't go near this thing, right... Don't worry, even if you beg me to touch it, I won't touch it."

This Taoist priest, Liu Fang, practically has the word "fear of death" etched on her forehead.

Little Cotton, who was standing to the side, was speechless and couldn't help but say, "...Aren't you a senior? You were so arrogant when we met before, but now you're acting like this. You have no senior demeanor at all."

Little Cotton complained that Taoist Priest Liu Fang was shameless.

But the corpse-driving Taoist priest glared at her and said matter-of-factly, "...Face? Demeanor? What good are they!"

"In our line of work, if you want to survive long, you have to be afraid of death!"

"I've traveled all over the country for many years and have seen many cowardly and unorthodox practitioners, as well as many who live a long life. But those who are bold and can live a long life... I'm sorry, I haven't seen a single one."

The corpse-driving Taoist priest said confidently, "You little girl, you've been raised too well by the spirit mediums, you have no idea how dangerous this world is!"

"It's not just in Zangke that evil lords are everywhere, so sinister and terrifying. Although there are no evil lords everywhere outside Zangke, there are still plenty of dangers lurking in the mountains, rivers, city streets, and even in the bustling streets of the world."

"If we're not careful, even the Celestial Masters of Longhu Mountain could capsize in a ditch... I'm not saying this as a metaphor, but as a historical fact!"

"It was a real mishap; the Celestial Master went down the mountain to exorcise evil, only to be dragged away by an evil creature in the Xunyang River! His body has never been found."

The Corpse-Driving Taoist priest spoke eloquently about the principles of navigating the martial world, which Mo Li and Long Zongshu listened to with great interest.

Even Little Cotton was curious and kept asking, "When did that Taoist priest die? What dragged him away?"

The affairs of the Yin-Yang path outside are shrouded in mystery for the local people of Zangke.

After all, the ecology of Zangke is too isolated.

Ran Qing glanced at it and stopped talking. Although he was also curious about the Celestial Master, he had too many things to do and didn't have time to stay and listen to the story.

He went into the main room alone and locked the door from the inside.

Ran Qing stared directly at the altar, silently reciting incantations in his heart.

The next second, the space around him shifted and the scene distorted.

One by one, burning candles appeared faintly in the main room.

The main room, filled with the acrid smell of smoke, was now empty except for Ran Qing, who could no longer hear the sounds coming from outside.

This is the true altar for those who walk the netherworld, the place connected to the ghost realm of the Wujiang River.

The darkness just beyond the door lies the ghost realm of the Wujiang River.

Human sounds cannot affect this place.

The power of those who walk the path of the dead will be strongest here.

Looking at the familiar scene before her, Ran Qing took a deep breath and slowly sat down.

He sat cross-legged in the center of the altar, but did not immediately open the altar to perform a ritual to dispel the death aura on his body.

Amidst the incessant clamor of the evil lords, he expressionlessly opened the canvas bag and pulled out the tattered, old leather book.

Upon turning to the first page, the vibrant, wriggling words on the page immediately swarmed towards Ran Qing's brow like maggots.

But Ran Qing, who was sitting cross-legged in the Yin Altar, seemed to grow taller and more overlapping at this moment, with the faces of the evil lords writhing around him appearing and disappearing.

Those wriggling, maggot-like words burrowed into Ran Qing's brow, and he could clearly feel that the damage he had experienced was not as severe as before.

With a sinister expression, Ran Qing sat cross-legged in the center of a pile of candles on the floor. By the dim candlelight, he stared intently at the first page of the Book of Longevity with his single eye. He began to read carefully and painstakingly.

He doesn't necessarily have to listen to this nonsense.

But he at least needs to know what's written in this book of the dead!
(End of this chapter)