Chapter Forty-Six: Caught in an Ambush

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Chapter Forty-Six: Ambushed

"Paper, brush, ink, blood, and sword"—these five essentials have been indispensable for exorcising demons ever since Master Zhang founded the Maoshan Sect. The skills handed down by the ancestors have not only endured through generations but have often surpassed the originals.

No one ever questions why these particular items are effective in banishing evil or why black dog’s blood is preferred over that of a spotted or white dog, nor why peachwood is used for swords rather than locust or willow. It is as self-evident as why sheep eat grass while humans do not.

Are all things under heaven governed and destined by Heaven itself? I couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. Yueyue’s deduction was crucial; the supper organization’s research in this field could be called a world-changing revolution, and their results are impressive. Unfortunately, for various political reasons, these findings remain unpublished. What Yueyue shared was far beyond what Ren Tianxing and I had anticipated.

My heart softened for a moment, grateful that Yueyue was willing to reveal her organization’s results to us. I said, "By your reasoning, all natural forces stem from imbalances in spatial energies. Thus, the Maoshan Sect’s mystic arts, in your words, are methods to manipulate these forces, with the visible items—paper, brush, ink, blood, sword—serving as mediums, and the incantations as the methods."

Yueyue nodded vigorously, explaining that they had long studied these incantations but failed to grasp their essence, for Chinese culture is truly enigmatic. Volume Fifty of the Taiping Scripture states: "There are sacred heavenly words, bestowed upon mortals so that divine officials may respond and come and go." This means incantations are secrets given by deities, containing the power of divine officials, akin to passwords and signals connecting humans and spirits.

Spirits have various taboos and weaknesses, and the fear of human curses is one such vulnerability—incantations for slaying, commanding, or banishing ghosts exist in abundance.

In Yueyue’s conceptualization, a ghost is a magnetic field (also called a soul) generated after death. This field can influence human brainwaves, allowing ghosts to alter perception and appear to phase through walls or change forms. Their strength to move objects comes from their ability to control that energy.

Corresponding talismans and incantations can neutralize these forces, essentially restoring balance by manipulating the underlying energies.

Ren Tianxing remained silent, perhaps pondering Yueyue’s words, but when he spoke, he cut straight to the point: "If incantations could be fully analyzed by scholars, they wouldn’t be called incantations anymore—countries could teach them openly."

I nodded. According to Yueyue, the world is filled with countless energies, and finding a method to manipulate them is far from easy. However, Buddhist and Daoist powers are not solely based on incantations. I chose not to elaborate—not out of reluctance, but because Yueyue’s identity as a supper organization member meant our positions were not aligned.

Yueyue’s fascination with incantations was now clear to me, and I understood why she sought me out.

I took out two talismans from my person, handing one to Yueyue. They came from Old Jing, an exorcism talisman and a subduing demon talisman. Yueyue examined the talisman curiously; Ren Tianxing, not grasping my intent, leaned in as well.

The subduing demon talisman in Yueyue’s hand was drawn in wild, flowing strokes, with the character “kill” followed by “ghost,” the latter enclosed within a "#" sign, the script dark red on yellow paper, exuding mystery.

Yueyue grew excited but, after repeated scrutiny, found no clues, and looked to me for help.

"Our ancestral arts are many and varied, not something foreigners can decipher in a day," I said, holding the talisman between two fingers. With a focused thought, the talisman ignited—humans possess three flames, and the heart flame is one of them, used to ignite talismans.

As the talisman burned, blue smoke billowed from the four corners of the rooftop. The smoke was eerily blue, seemingly appearing out of nowhere, and emitted a faint stench.

Yueyue and Ren Tianxing were startled by my sudden action. Alarmed, I rushed to inspect the corner where the smoke arose.

The exorcism talisman only activates in the presence of evil spirits; my intent was mere demonstration, but unexpectedly, it responded.

They followed curiously, covering their noses and complaining of the foul stench, likening it to dead rats.

The smoke emanated from two flower pots. I approached cautiously, left thumb pressed against the first joint of my ring finger—a gesture called "Kunlun Peace Finger." If evil approached, the ring finger would tremble as a warning. I checked the area; nothing seemed amiss, but Yueyue noticed my gesture.

Ren Tianxing asked what was happening. I laughed, "Perhaps a 'noble guest' just passed by, but has left already."

The "noble guest" referred to wandering spirits or ghosts—a respectful term. Although Ren Tianxing had worked with me for days and believed in ghosts, this was his first direct encounter, and he couldn’t hide his unease. Curiously, Yueyue showed no fear, but was very interested in my hand gesture. I had noticed earlier that she clutched a cross on her chest—so she was a Christian, serving a different master than I.

A server pushed open our door, carrying beer and snacks. We returned to our seats, as if nothing had happened, but as we neared our table, I detected a much stronger scent of dead rat than before. Ren Tianxing shouted, "Changfeng, be careful!"

No sooner had he spoken than the server, face twisted in a snarl, slammed the tray aside and lunged for Yueyue’s eyes with both hands, faster than a bullet. I shoved Yueyue aside and kicked the server in the knee joint. There was a crunch—likely a fracture or dislocation—but the blow did nothing to slow his attack; it was as if I hadn’t kicked him at all.

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A gunshot thundered in my ear, the bullet whizzing past my neck. A hot spray hit my face—Ren Tianxing had shot him in the forehead, blood spurting onto me, and the server collapsed.

Ren Tianxing blew on the barrel, shot me a challenging look, then guarded the door, peering outside. Yueyue recovered from her fright.

I forced a smile and said wryly to Yueyue, "Your enemies are certainly unique!"

Yueyue sighed, "Believe it or not, I don’t know him."

Ren Tianxing closed the door, intent on kneeling to check the body. I stopped him, "Don’t touch him—something’s off."

Ren Tianxing laughed, "He’s dead, what could be off?"

As he rolled the body to inspect the face, the corpse sprang up like a coiled spring and lunged for Yueyue’s throat. Yueyue was caught off guard. I raised my foot, striking upward and locking his jaw, but he was so strong I was nearly overwhelmed. Still, the moment was enough to keep Yueyue safe, though my legs were weakening. I rolled aside, drawing him off balance, and he toppled to the side, only to leap up again.

Ren Tianxing fired five shots point-blank, the bullets tearing through him, two through his abdomen and shoulder. Ren Tianxing shouted, "Changfeng, what is he? He’s not afraid of bullets!"

"He’s not human," I replied grimly. From the moment he entered, I sensed something was wrong—the footsteps heavy as if carrying a hundred pounds, yet quick. I had prepared for trouble, but his target was not me, but Yueyue.

The corpse, riddled with six bullet holes and drenched in blood, looked like a fiend from hell. He leapt, arms stiff, chasing Yueyue like an ancient zombie.

I formed a heart seal and struck from afar, chanting, "Subdue the fierce spirit, break!" The force sent the corpse sprawling before Yueyue, and it was thrown up to the rooftop.

Ren Tianxing and I glanced at Yueyue in surprise as she raised her cross in a unique gesture before the corpse, the cross radiating power that hurled the body aside, sending it tumbling off the roof.

I breathed a sigh of relief—someone was controlling corpses.

There was no time to think. The three of us raced downstairs. The once bustling night eatery was now eerily silent. As we reached the ground floor, everyone in the hall was frozen in place, unmoving. The hallway lights flickered. Ren Tianxing sensed danger and nudged me. I too sensed trouble, though its source was unclear. We stopped, avoiding the hall—a necessary precaution. Ren Tianxing quietly reloaded his gun.

The hall and surrounding area were silent except for our breathing. Earlier, guests and staff had been present, but now, a diner with chopsticks poised halfway to his mouth was motionless, steam rising faintly from the dish. The scene was uncanny, the entire room shrouded in a gray mist, barely visible overhead.

Alarmed, I pulled them toward the rooftop, shut the door, and instructed them—men to the left, women to the right—to extend their palms. "Whether you believe it or not, we’re trapped here. If you want to escape, follow my instructions."

I bit my finger and drew the Universal No-Taboo Talisman on their palms, activating it with a heart seal. It wouldn’t do much, but something was better than nothing. Yueyue nervously wanted to use her cross as a talisman, but I said coldly, "Your cross’s power pales in comparison to the talisman in your hand—save it for later."

Yueyue’s expression changed, clearly unconvinced, but I had no time to argue; whether she believed or not, she eventually put the cross away.

The entire building was enveloped in gray mist, dense with yin energy and reeking foully. I cursed myself loudly—how could I have missed such an obvious trap?

Ren Tianxing tried his phone, but there was no signal. He anxiously asked, "Changfeng, what’s happening?"

I smiled wryly, "We’re caught in a formation. If I’m not mistaken, it’s the Black Sha Formation, surprisingly operated by a master."

Ancient texts record the Black Sha Formation as using corpse energy as its core, channeling that energy into the formation. Those trapped for too long will be gradually consumed by the corpse energy.

Ren Tianxing exclaimed, "This corpse energy is strange!"

Yueyue asked, "What is corpse energy? What happens if you’re consumed by it?"

"Corpse energy comes in two forms," I explained. "One is ordinary, formed from evaporated moisture of a corpse; the other is the breath left in the body after death."

"People must fight for their breath in life, but after death, any remaining breath spells disaster—at best, a corpse rises, at worst, it becomes a zombie. This Black Sha Formation uses the latter. If you don’t escape, your whole body will stiffen, turn black, and eventually rot and fester."

Yueyue shuddered, horrified at the prospect—women always care about appearances, even in death. The mention of rotting made her uncomfortable. I laughed, "Didn’t you want to study formations? Here’s your chance."

Jesting aside, what puzzled me most was who set this vicious trap. Clearly, it wasn’t aimed at Yueyue—such methods must be meant for me.

I dragged the rooftop table aside and had Ren Tianxing open all the beers. He wondered what use beer could be, but I had no time to explain—fortunately, half a dozen bottles remained. I poured them all into a bucket.

I retrieved the subduing demon talisman I’d given Yueyue, ignited it, and tossed it into the bucket. Yueyue looked disappointed—she’d wanted to study it further, hoping to find a method to manipulate spatial energies, but now it was used.

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Half a dozen beers filled half the bucket, and the talisman burned atop the beer, its last flicker sinking into the liquid.

I focused my intent, removed my jacket, twisted it, and dipped it into the bucket. At the door, I set up a barrier, then drew a Bagua array on the floor according to the nine palaces and eight trigrams.

Once the Bagua array was complete, I jumped outside and pointed to the formation’s core, chanting, "By command of the Emperor of Purple Star, manifest your divine power, let it be as decreed!"

A burst of yellow light streamed from the Bagua array, eight beams shooting skyward—a magnificent sight. Activated, the yellow light pierced the rooftop mist, which condensed into black ribbons and surged toward the Bagua array.

I reassured them, "Don’t underestimate this formation—the Bagua array is meant to absorb the corpse energy and break the Black Sha Formation. Breaking it is easy, but doing so is declaring war—there’s no turning back."

The corpse energy faded, the stench of dead rats dissipated—the Bagua array worked, but this was only the beginning. As expected, a sinister voice sounded below, heavily accented: "So, you’re indeed a master—no wonder you broke my junior’s corpse curse. Tonight, I, Nakamura Taro, will show you my own methods. Prepare to join my junior in death."

Hearing "corpse curse," I recalled Gangzi’s ordeal and grew angry, retorting, "Cowardly rat, hiding in the shadows—what else can you do?"

My taunt was met with a chilling laugh, then silence. Yueyue and Ren Tianxing asked who he was.

I replied, "If I’m right, his 'junior' is the one who cursed my friend Gangzi. If he’s the senior, they must be in league."

Ren Tianxing, alarmed, said, "Gangzi? Is that the famed Iron Wire King Gangzi?"

I nodded. That leprous Gangzi was well known—even Ren Tianxing had heard of him. Interpol’s intelligence is formidable, but compared to Gangzi’s network, it’s nothing. Not to boast, but Gangzi lives by selling information—even Interpol sometimes pays dearly for his tips.

His network is vast and well-managed, with strong ties to the Hongmen boss, Qu Weiye—anyone wanting to move against Gangzi must first consider Hongmen, and even then, may only reach minor underlings.

Ren Tianxing took a deep breath, "If that’s the case, are these people from the Nine Chrysanthemum Sect?" His intelligence was extensive; he knew all about Gangzi being cursed by the sect.

Clearly, Hongmen had eyes everywhere, and it struck me that Qu’s men—Gao Jian—were involved.

The supper organization was naturally familiar with the Nine Chrysanthemum Sect; their research likely targeted them early on. Yesterday’s confrontation with the Yamaguchi group also involved the sect.

The gray mist was completely dispelled by my Bagua array, but I felt no triumph. It seemed the people in the hall were doomed—dozens of ordinary folk, defenseless, slaughtered without warning. Fury welled up inside me.

Ren Tianxing asked what could be done for those diners. I replied somberly, "They’re beyond saving." The news made his face turn grim, his eyes fierce. He checked his gun and surveyed the surroundings—from rooftop to ground floor, four stories, all residential, with external windows and air-conditioner brackets.

Ren Tianxing suggested we escape from here, but I shook my head. "Since they set a trap below, how could they overlook this place?"

He looked at his gun, shook his head, and smiled bitterly, "Firearms are useless against these people. If only the Dragon Tooth team were here, we’d have more help."

I stayed not for lack of options—breaking out would be easy for me alone, but with Ren Tianxing and Yueyue to protect, any mistake could mean regret too late.

Anyone who could escape Hongmen’s grasp must be extraordinary.

A quarter hour later, footsteps echoed from below. I chuckled—finally, it begins.

Following my instructions, Ren Tianxing and Yueyue removed their jackets and pants, soaking them in the beer bucket. Don’t underestimate the beer—it was consecrated with the subduing demon talisman, more effective than holy water consecrated daily.

Ren Tianxing, a man, didn’t mind stripping, but Yueyue suffered—having to undress before two men, and it being summer, she wore little to begin with. When I told her to undress, she cursed me as a shameless pervert. I laughed, "If they so much as touch your face, it’ll rot and fester in a minute—no god can save you." Yueyue, terrified, touched her face and pouted, "You two perverts better close your eyes!"

Ren Tianxing and I exchanged a knowing smile—how can perverts close their eyes when a beauty undresses? Since she called us perverts, why bother closing our eyes?

Before we could close our eyes, footsteps reached the door. She had no time to check if we were looking; her clothes were quickly soaked and put back on. Only now did I realize that, when it comes to speed, women outstrip men at undressing.

Someone pushed the door, and a yellow flash appeared, followed by a howl fading away.

Ren Tianxing aimed his gun at the door, sweat beading on his forehead. I laughed, "The door is sealed with a barrier, and inside it, a subduing demon seal. The seal is a tantric hand gesture, more convenient than the talisman—an invisible mark activated by intent, making it impossible for them to approach."