Tianjin, starting with unorthodox methods to achieve immortality

Chapter 264 Ten Thousand Soul Flags

The sewers were dark and smelly, and the Shadow Puppet dragged the lightning-struck wood through them at high speed.

After a dozen or so breaths, it emerged from a drainage outlet about two hundred paces away from the back of the ancestral hall.

The drain was hidden at the end of the alley, covered by a clump of withered vines, and usually no one would notice it.

Chen Mo silently descended from the treetop where he was hiding. Instead of immediately grabbing the piece of wood, he closed his eyes and sensed it for a moment.

In the direction of the ancestral hall, the energy fluctuations were still intense, and the sounds of bells and swords could be faintly heard, indicating that the battle between the two was still ongoing.

Further north of the city, a newly emerging aura is rapidly approaching, its power and energy astonishing.

The people from the Zhenyi Division have arrived.

"Looks like we need to get going."

Chen Mo strode to the end of the alley and grabbed the lightning-struck wood with one hand.

The charred wood grain pressed against my palm, and a slight tingling sensation crept up my arm.

He didn't pay any attention. With a thought, the piece of wood disappeared into thin air and quietly lay down in the storage space.

"Done."

Chen Mo's lips twitched slightly as he quickly crossed the alley.

The crimson moon hung low, pressing the alleyway into a dark red crack.

He walked briskly along the wall, his footsteps silent.

The towering firewalls on both sides squeezed the sky into a narrow slit, with the red moon nestled between the eaves.

The pebbles underfoot were slippery and shiny, with black water pooling in the crevices.

During this period, most of Ganzhou did not have electric lights, and the only light in the alleys came from the red moon overhead.

After walking for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, I saw the dim yellow light shining from the alleyway ahead.

Once you reach the main road, turn two more corners and you'll find the inn.

Chen Mo quickened his pace and leaped out of the shadows.

It was already past midnight, and the inn's main gate was locked tight, with even the lanterns under the eaves extinguished.

He waved his hand gently, and the window facing the street opened by itself without any wind.

He quietly leaped into the second-floor guest room, closed the wooden window behind him, and quickly pulled out a few copper coins from his pocket, tossing them into the four corners of the room.

The breath-holding formation was activated swiftly.

After waiting for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, there was still no movement outside, and the paper figure left at the street corner for warning did not notice anything unusual.

Chen Mo breathed a sigh of relief, took the lightning-struck wood out of his spatial storage, wiped it clean, and examined it carefully in his hand.

Three hundred years old, struck by lightning, peach wood.

Lightning-struck trees are rare enough, but those that retain their spiritual essence and continue to grow for another three hundred years after being struck by lightning are even more exceptional.

Extremely yang and strong, it naturally restrains yin and evil things, making it a top-grade material for both weapon crafting and talisman drawing.

"But does the Ten Thousand Souls Banner really need this?"

He found it a bit strange. Normally, the flagpoles of those demonic magical artifacts are made from the cold iron of the Nine Netherworlds or the thousand-year-old Yin Wood, right?

All the materials must be extremely yin and cold, the more yin the better, so that they can nourish the vengeful ghosts trapped in the banner.

But this lightning-struck peach wood is clearly an extremely yang and strong material.

The ultimate yang overcomes the ultimate yin; this is the natural order.

Is it really feasible to use lightning-struck wood to make a flagpole?

With these questions in mind, the next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Chen Mo summoned the Ghost Banner Taoist to his room.

"Master Chen, why have you summoned this old Taoist so early? What happened?" Ghost Banner Taoist asked in a low voice as he closed the door.

Chen Mo didn't rush to speak. He first activated the concealment array in the room before taking out the lightning-struck wood and placing it on the table.

Ghost Banner Taoist's eyes lit up. He leaned closer to take a look and finally couldn't resist reaching out to stroke the charred thunder patterns on the surface of the wood.

When my fingertips touched those dark gold patterns, I could clearly feel the burning heat.

He couldn't help but gasp.

"A century-old peach wood struck by lightning?"

"Mr. Chen, where did you get this?"

"You found it, so keep your mouth shut."

Chen Mo gave a perfunctory reply, not caring whether Gui Fan Daoist believed him or not, and went straight to the point.

"This lightning-struck wood is extremely yang and strong, but the method for making the Myriad Soul Banner that you brought from the Yinluo Sect specifically requires this kind of material to make the banner pole."

"Aren't normal Soul Banners made of Yin-attribute materials?"

Ghost Banner Taoist paused for a moment, withdrew his hand, and pondered for a long time before speaking.

"Master Chen is right. Before the Red Moon descends, the banner pole of the Ten Thousand Souls Banner must indeed be made of extremely yin and cold materials."

"But you've forgotten that the Red Moon descended a hundred years ago, and the Yinluo Sect was also destroyed a hundred years ago."

These two things are actually connected.

He pointed to the gray sky outside the window.

Although it was daytime, the red moon had simply disappeared from view; everyone knew it would rise again at night.

"Once the red moon appears, the spiritual energy between heaven and earth is polluted, and those evil spirits and ghosts become more than ten times more ferocious than before."

"In the past, the Ten Thousand Souls Banner was used to raise ghosts like dogs; once the master fed them, they would be at his beck and call."

"After the Red Moon, those monstrous things were like mad wolves, and they would turn on the cultivators if they weren't careful."

"As far as I know, in the last few decades alone, more demonic cultivators have died from the backlash of their own Yin weapons than from the hands of righteous cultivators."

Chen Mo frowned slightly. "So, before the Yinluo Sect was destroyed, it developed a new method?"

"Exactly."

Ghost Banner Taoist nodded. "The reason for adding extremely yang substances to the banner pole was initially to suppress those fierce ghosts."

"Although this will reduce the power of the Myriad Souls Banner, at least it will be safe."

"So, sacrificing power for safety?"

If that's the case, Chen Mo shouldn't use this lightning-struck wood as a flagpole; what he needs now is power.

"Not entirely."

Ghost Banner Taoist shook his head, his fingers gently stroking the lightning patterns. "Extreme yang is the bone, extreme yin is the body. When yin and yang complement each other, they can nurture something even more ferocious."

Chen Mo looked up at him with a suspicious expression. Was this old man just making things up?

This is raising ghosts, not raising pigs.

"Those lunatics from the Yinluo Sect tried it, and finally discovered that using an extremely yang object as a banner pole did initially suppress those vengeful ghosts."

Ghost Banner Taoist seemed to have guessed his thoughts, and pointed at the lightning-struck wood, his expression becoming more serious.

"But once they adapt, the resentment and yang energy clash repeatedly, and the ghosts that are eventually shaped are more violent than those raised simply with yin materials."

"To put it bluntly, before it was about raising dogs, then it was about taming wolves. The new method of the Yinluo Sect is about whipping wolves to bite people."

"Won't it easily get out of control?"

"That's true, but it also makes it easier to raise a Ghost King." He licked his lips, his expression filled with longing.

"Before the Yinluo Sect was destroyed, it is said that an elder used this method to refine a remnant soul banner, which contained only three thousand vengeful souls."

"But the ferocity of the ghosts in the banner is no less than that of the fifty thousand in an ordinary banner of ten thousand souls."

Chen Mo remained silent for a moment before his gaze returned to the lightning-struck wood.

"For a regular Ten Thousand Souls Banner, does it require at least ten thousand vengeful spirits and ghosts to be considered complete?"

"good."

Ghost Banner Taoist nodded, "But if the banner pole is made of lightning-struck wood of this quality, I'm afraid eight thousand... no, five thousand vengeful spirits could contend with an ordinary Ten Thousand Souls Banner."

"And the price?"

"The price is that the refining process is ten times more dangerous. If you are not careful, the ghosts in the banner will turn against you, and at best your cultivation will be completely ruined, and at worst your soul will be scattered."

Ghost Banner Taoist gave a wry smile. "Master Chen, if you want to be on the safe side, this old Taoist suggests you find another piece of yin material, like this piece of lightning-struck wood."

It's too hot to handle.

Chen Mo did not answer immediately. Danger?

He wasn't afraid.

The only concern is that the power of the magical artifact might not be sufficient.

Judging from the fight between the Soul-Seizing Demon and Zhang Jingxu last night, the weight of the magic weapon increased dramatically after the condensation of evil energy.

A good magical artifact can often directly determine the life or death of a cultivator who has mastered the art of condensing evil.

If the Soul-Seizing Demon hadn't relied on the Soul-Sweeping Bell last night, he probably wouldn't have lasted ten moves against Zhang Jingxu's Talisman based on his own cultivation alone.

Therefore, Chen Mo understood a principle: cultivation is the foundation, while magical artifacts are merely claws and teeth.

The sharper the claws and teeth, the wider the path to survival.

Chen Mo suddenly asked, "If we start the refining process now, how long will it take to complete the banner?"

The jade slip only recorded the materials and methods of making it, without specifying the exact time.

Ghost Banner Taoist was clearly taken aback for a moment, then looked troubled. "Master Chen, you don't mean to..."

"Let's talk about time."

"5

At least six months, assuming there are enough materials.

"In the early stages, seventy-two Yin talismans need to be engraved on the flagpole. Each one must be inscribed with the ink of a vengeful spirit. This step alone can take three or four months at the fastest, and five or six months at the slowest."

He counted on his fingers, "Only after the talisman is completed can we begin to guide the soul into the banner, which is the most dangerous stage."

'

,

Chen Mo pondered for a moment, then lightly tapped his knuckles on the table.

He wasn't afraid of danger, but time was running out.

"Six months is too long. I have something to do and need to go there first."

Chen Mo shook his head, put the lightning-struck wood back into his storage space, and took out a heavy cloth bag from his pocket and threw it on the table.

"Master Chen, this is..." Ghost Banner Taoist was stunned for a moment.

"Here are more than two thousand magic coins. Take Liu Qi and the other three to the Ghost Market to gather the materials needed to refine the Myriad Soul Banner."

As he spoke, he took out another slip of paper and placed it next to the cloth bag, "I've already bought some of the materials, you can take a look yourself later."

"Once you've spent all this money, go directly to Jinshi and find my apprentice."

"The note contained an address: No. 198 Liuye Lane. I stayed there when I arrived in Jinshi."

Ghost Banner Taoist picked up the note, unfolded it, glanced at it, then folded it up and stuffed it into a hidden pocket close to his body.

"Master Chen, your apprentice..." he cautiously probed, "What kind of person is he? How should I address him when we meet?"

'

"His surname is Chen, and his name is Chen Mo. You can call him Master Mo." Chen Mo said, his gaze falling lightly on the face of the Ghost Banner Taoist.

"Once we arrive in Jinshi, you will follow his orders."

"Do whatever he tells you to do, and stop when he tells you to stop."

"As for the banner-making, you just need to contribute your efforts. How and when to do it is entirely up to him to decide."

Ghost Banner Taoist's expression changed slightly, and his lips moved a few times, as if he wanted to say something.

But seeing the cold glint in Chen Mo's old eyes, he swallowed his words.

"Master Chen is right, I understand. Once we arrive in Tianjin, I will follow Master Mo's orders and will not dare to act on my own."

Chen Mo stared at him for a few moments, and seeing that the other party's expression did not seem to be fake, he softened his tone.

"Anyway, seeing him is the same as seeing me. If Liu Qi and the others dare to have any ideas, just deal with them directly."

"Don't worry, Master Chen," Ghost Banner Taoist quickly replied. "This old Taoist knows what's important."

He stood up, brushed off non-existent dust from his robes, walked to the window, opened it a crack, and glanced outside.

The sky was already bright, and the cries of street vendors echoed from the alleyway, mingled with the clatter of donkey hooves on the ground.

"I have to leave early today, so I won't be traveling with you."

Chen Mo withdrew his gaze and turned to look at Gui Fan Dao Ren, "You know the ins and outs of the Ghost Market better than I do. Choose the best quality materials and don't be greedy for cheap ones."

"Hurry up, my apprentice can't wait much longer."

"Yes, I understand." Guifan Daoist bowed.

"Go."

He bowed again, then carried the heavy cloth bag and pushed open the door to go out.

Chen Mo stood in the room for a while longer, making sure there was no further disturbance outside, before putting the rest of his luggage into his storage bag, leaving a rattan trunk in his hand to avoid attracting attention.

I opened the window, and the morning breeze, carrying the fishy smell of the river, rushed in.

In the distance, the Gan River shimmered with a leaden light under the hazy sky, and plumes of black smoke rose from the small steamboats at the dock.

It's time to head back to Tianjin.

Before he knew it, more than a month had passed since he left home, and he was starting to miss Old Zhao's tofu pudding at the alley entrance.

Funeral Street, Linhe County.

As dawn broke, a thin mist still hung over the streets, and the air was filled with the acrid smell of burning paper money.

Aunt Liu carried a basin of hot water and pushed open Chen Dachuan's door. There were still a few dried dark red stains on her apron.

"Raise your hands."

She placed the copper basin on the table beside the bed, wrung out a hot towel, and said, "At your age, you still insist on sticking your neck out. If those people from the Little Knife Society hadn't arrived in time, your old arms and legs would have been torn apart."

Chen Dachuan sat on the edge of the bed, his upper body bare, with bruises and purple marks on his left shoulder blade and elbow.

The area where the skin and flesh had rolled back had formed a dark red scab, and blood was still seeping from the edges.

He gritted his teeth and raised his hand, gasping in pain, but remained defiant: "If it's taken down, it's taken down. We can just buy a coffin from Old Zhao. We have our own paper figures."

Aunt Liu glared at him, but her hand was light. She gently placed the handkerchief on the bruise, and the warmth slowly seeped in, causing Chen Dachuan's tense muscles to relax slightly.

"Stop being stubborn."

"If your arm is ruined, you won't even be able to make paper figures anymore. Let's see if you'll still be so stubborn then."

"Widow Li is heartless. After causing trouble, she and her daughter ran off to Tianjin. What will we do if those Green Gang members come looking for us again?"

Aunt Liu complained, but her hands didn't stop. She wrung out another hot towel and applied it to the bleeding area, carefully wiping it clean.

Chen Dachuan snorted, whether from pain or anger, it was hard to tell: "There's nothing we can do about it."

"If you really let Widow Li stay, what good will she be? The shop has been smashed up, there's not even a place to step."

"That's true."

Aunt Liu sighed, picked up the medicine pot from the bedside, and used a bamboo stick to scoop out a dollop of dark ointment and smear it on the gauze.

"But who did you suffer all these injuries for? And she, without even a proper thank you, just walked away, leaving this mess behind."

"You said it, why didn't you?"

Chen Dachuan corrected, "When she was leaving, she stood at our door for a long time, wiping away tears and saying sorry, that I was the one who urged her to leave."

"To prevent those Green Gang members from causing trouble again."

"Should we send a letter to Xiao Mo...?"

'

Before she could finish speaking, Chen Dachuan waved his hand to interrupt her, saying, "Don't bother him with such a small matter."

"He's out there doing legitimate work, so it's fine if we can't help him, but let's not cause him any trouble."

"This is no small matter! You almost had your arm dislocated."

"Your arm is still there, isn't it?" Chen Dachuan raised his right hand and shook it twice, then grinned and put it down. "Don't tell him, do you hear me? You know his temper. If he finds out, he'll definitely rush back from Tianjin."

"He's finally established himself outside, don't let him get distracted."

Aunt Liu opened her mouth, but ultimately said nothing more.

She knew Chen Dachuan's temperament; he would never trouble others with things he could handle himself, and he was like that with everyone, especially his own son.

I always felt that Chen Mo was doing something of paramount importance outside, and that the little bumps and bruises at home were not worth his attention.