Yuh Niang, the Grievous Spirit

The lingering souls in the courtyard were too weak to pique Zhou Yi's interest.

Based on his previous life's conjectures about ghosts, there was one place where true spirits were sure to exist.

The Heavenly Prison.

It was perpetually dark and sunless, and held many who had been unjustly imprisoned and tortured to death, perfectly fitting the conditions for wronged and vengeful spirits.

"The reason for the jailers' short lifespans is probably that they are constantly surrounded by yin spirits, which taints them and shortens their lives. In my twenty-odd years in the Heavenly Prison, I've never heard of vengeful spirits harming people, so they aren't anything too powerful."

"I'll draw another House-Protecting Talisman and try it out in the Heavenly Prison tomorrow."

Zhou Yi planned to stay in the mortal world for a few centuries, until his cultivation reached an impasse, and then find a way to contact the world of cultivation.

During this time, the Heavenly Prison was his base, so he had to clean up the hidden yin spirits, firstly to prevent the Longevity Dao Fruit from being exposed, and secondly because no one wanted to be spied on by ghosts.

After completing the first House-Protecting Talisman, Zhou Yi's brushstrokes became much smoother.

After ruining a dozen or so talismans, he finally succeeded in drawing another one.

"Entering the realm of talismans doesn't seem that difficult. Yu Jie has been guided for several years without success. Do I have a talent for making talismans?"

Zhou Yi was quite pleased with himself. Although making talismans wasn't as lucrative as alchemy, it was still a skill that could provide him with a livelihood when he went to the world of cultivation.

The next day.

Arriving at the Heavenly Prison early in the morning, Zhou Yi wasn't sure of the effective range of the House-Protecting Talisman, so he specifically found a central location to activate it.

Invisible fluctuations swept through the prison, stirring up gusts of yin wind out of nowhere.

The wind was mixed with faint cries and wails, and the chilling air brushed past his ears, as if someone was whispering.

"There really are many yin spirits!"

Zhou Yi looked around the Heavenly Prison, which could be said to be a nest of yin spirits.

Human-shaped shadows hung from the roof, like bats hanging upside down in a cave, pairs of crimson eyes staring at Zhou Yi in unison. Most were indifferent and emotionless, while some were filled with resentment and hatred, probably those who had died at Zhou Yi's hands in life.

There were even more in the prison cells, squatting in the corners, clinging to the walls, lying on the straw mats, in various poses.

The prisoners slept with yin spirits every day, and even without torture, they wouldn't live long due to the constant erosion of yin energy.

A shadow emerged from the ground, silently clinging to Zhou Yi's back, its misty arm reaching for his neck.

"Hmph!"

Zhou Yi's True Essence burst out, and the shadow melted into nothingness with a scream, like butter in a fire.

"I am merciful, and will send you to reincarnation!"

True Essence transformed into sword Qi, sweeping across the area with lightning speed, shattering the remaining souls before they could even escape.

"Senior, spare me..."

A woman's exclamation came from the roof, and a shadow slowly transformed, a human face appearing on its head, and misty green gauze clothes coalescing.

"A female ghost!"

Zhou Yi flashed and landed in front of the woman, examining her with interest. "You look somewhat familiar?"

The woman said, "Senior, this little one is Huang Yuniang, daughter of Huang Heng, the Vice Director of the Ministry of Rites. I was imprisoned a year ago, and you took care of me..."

"You're Old Huang's daughter?"

Zhou Yi quickly recalled Huang Heng, who had been unjustly imprisoned a year ago on charges of corruption.

A mere fifth-rank Vice Director of the Ministry of Rites, accused of embezzling three thousand taels of silver, originally wasn't qualified to enter the Heavenly Prison, let alone have his wife and daughter imprisoned with him.

The reason for this was simple. Duke Wei, a well-known lecher in Shenjing, had accidentally seen Huang Yuniang's beauty and, disregarding his status and the ridicule of the world, actually sent someone to the Huang family to propose marriage.

He claimed that he would take Huang Yuniang as a concubine and ensure Huang Heng's promotion and wealth in the future!

Huang Heng, who prided himself on being from a scholarly family, couldn't bear this insult and cursed Duke Wei as a shameless scoundrel.

A few days later, he was reported by a colleague for accepting three thousand taels of silver from a merchant while supervising the renovation of the Imperial College.

Duke Wei's original intention was to lock up the family of three in the Heavenly Prison to sober them up, and then continue to be in-laws. Who would have thought that Huang Heng's health was weak, and he died within a month or so.

His old wife also passed away in depression, and Huang Yuniang, to avoid being humiliated by Duke Wei, committed suicide in prison.

Zhou Yi pitied the Huang family's plight and would always give them a few extra spoonfuls of thick porridge when delivering meals.

"At that time, you were disheveled and covered in dirt. I wondered how desperate Duke Wei was to even find you attractive."

"My father said that many women in the Heavenly Prison were humiliated, so he told me to disfigure my face to avoid..."

Huang Yuniang changed her words, "Senior is different. You only punish bad people and villains, and never mistreat those who have been wronged."

"You saw all that?"

Zhou Yi's voice was calm and unwavering, his True Essence ready to transform into a sword at any moment.

After becoming a Grievous Spirit, Huang Yuniang was extremely sensitive to Qi, and quickly explained.

"This little one knows that Senior is an Innate Grandmaster, likes to drink, likes to listen to prisoners tell stories, secretly suppresses villains who try to escape, and turns a blind eye to those who have been wrongly accused..."

"Mm."

After Zhou Yi's Heaven Devouring Demon Art reached completion in the past two years, devouring inner Qi could no longer increase his True Essence, so he didn't reveal anything unusual.

The only thing that could be considered a flaw is probably his eternally unchanging appearance!

"Why are you different from those remnant souls?"

There were over a hundred Yin spirits in the Heavenly Prison, all of them were muddled remnant souls except for Huang Yuniang.

Huang Yuniang obediently replied, "Reporting to Senior, after my death, my soul was attached to a jade hairpin, and it was preserved with its intelligence and memories thanks to the nourishment of the jade hairpin."

Zhou Yi further asked, "After becoming a ghost, do you understand any supernatural powers or spells?"

"I can absorb people's essence to strengthen my ghost body, and I can also possess and disturb people's souls."

Huang Yuniang said, "However, I can only possess weak ordinary people. Those with strong bodies and vigorous Yang energy are too difficult to approach. Those accomplished Martial Path experts with thick and powerful Blood Essence feel like they're burning to the touch."

Zhou Yi nodded slightly, "So you plan to hide in the Heavenly Prison and not reincarnate?"

The Grievous Spirit was far worse than expected, but it was also in line with common sense, after all, she was just a new ghost of a year.

"The hatred for my parents is irreconcilable!"

Huang Yuniang knelt on the ground and pleaded, "I beg Senior to help me. After avenging my parents, I am willing to offer my natal jade hairpin and serve you night after night!"

"..."

Zhou Yi was stunned and quite embarrassed, "What are you talking about?"

Huang Yuniang murmured, "Hiding in the dark, I heard Senior and his colleagues talking about the Spring Breeze Pavilion, courtesans, and the like every day, so I thought you were naturally fond of romance."

After her whole family was unjustly killed, Huang Yuniang came to a realization after transforming into a vengeful ghost.

What bullshit secular etiquette, as long as she could avenge her parents, she would be willing to be a slave or servant.

"My name isn't Ning!"

Zhou Yi was not interested in undead knights and said, "There are many people in the Heavenly Prison who are more miserable than you. Relying solely on a jade hairpin is not enough to transform into a ghost. Is there any other reason?"

Huang Yuniang was silent for a moment, and said, "When I was alive, I liked to read ancient books, so my father specially collected some ancient books, including a volume of Daoist scriptures, which I recited day and night to clear my mind."

Zhou Yi's eyes lit up, "Recite it for me to hear!"

"The Daoist scripture is called Qingwei Perfected Being's Treatise on Nourishing the Spirit."

Huang Yuniang recited, "Man's birth receives the harmony of Yin and Yang... The method of nourishing the spirit is to keep the heart like a baby, inwardly at peace..."

After Zhou Yi memorized it, he silently recited it several times, and indeed felt refreshed, with a faint sense of clearer perception of the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.

"With such mysterious scriptures, didn't your father read them?"

Huang Yuniang murmured, "My father could have become a ghost, but he only had a jade hairpin as an attachment. Before his death, he told me not to do evil, so he chose to dissipate his soul."

"Old Huang's mind was a bit dead, but his character was unyielding."

Zhou Yi asked, "How can I help you get revenge? Slap Duke Wei to death?"

For an Innate Grandmaster to stoop to assassination, it would be difficult for anyone below that level to investigate. A wisp of true essence is attached to the target's body, and it will explode on its own when it is far away.

If you slowly wait for an opportunity, wait for the other party to accidentally fall and hit their head, and take the opportunity to stir it in their brain a few times.

The world would only think that Duke Wei had done too many bad things and accidentally fell and died.

This was the method Zhou Yi came up with in a short time. Normal Innate Grandmasters would not be so troublesome. In all likelihood, they would go to Duke Wei's mansion and beat him to death in front of everyone.

To say something chuuni like "Grandmasters cannot be humiliated" would be domineering!

"The hatred for my parents must be avenged with my own hands."

Huang Yuniang said, "My strength is low, and I cannot leave the ten-zhang range of the attached jade hairpin. Please help me, Senior, and put the jade hairpin under Duke Wei's bed."

"That's simple."

Zhou Yi said, "After you get your revenge, either find another place to go, or reincarnate. Just don't stay in the Heavenly Prison."

"Senior, may I go to the Imperial Prison?"

Seeing Zhou Yi's face darken, Huang Yuniang quickly said, "I will also have to trouble Senior to send me away from Shenjing and find a shady place."

Zhou Yi asked, "Why don't you want to reincarnate?"

Huang Yuniang said, "Even ants cling to life. I don't know if there is reincarnation in the world. Even if there is, that reincarnated body is not the same person."

Zhou Yi nodded in agreement, "Remember Old Huang's dying instructions."

Huang Yuniang kowtowed and bowed, then pointed to the sky and swore.

"I will remember my father's teachings and will never do anything harmful. If I violate this oath, may heaven and earth punish me!"

Duke Wei's mansion.

The back residence.

Sixty-two-year-old Wei Kang was still vigorous, and after messing around with his newly acquired concubine, Wan Yu, for half the night, he finally rested.

In his sleep, he saw boundless white mist rolling, hazy and dreamlike like a fairyland.

In the mist was a woman in green, born with a beautiful face, charming and affectionate.

"Master, come here!"

His voice was ethereal and illusory, his figure enchanting and graceful, and Wei Kang was immediately captivated.

"My beauty, wait for me..."

He rushed forward, only to grasp at air. The woman's voice came from behind him again.

"Master, I'm over here!"

Wei Kang only had eyes for the beautiful woman. No matter how many times he missed, he persisted relentlessly, completely unaware that his lower body was gradually becoming transparent.

At this moment.

The sky was already bright.

A concubine, not daring to disturb Wei Kang, carefully got out of bed to pay her respects to the Duke's wife.

At noon, Wei Kang was still fast asleep. The Duke's wife assumed Wan Yu had drained him dry and had someone beat her half to death.

Duke Wei had no fewer than eighty concubines, if not a hundred. Not to mention continuing the bloodline of the Duke's estate, very few even lived for a year, but Wei Kang didn't care about the life or death of his concubines.

It wasn't until evening that Duke Wei still hadn't woken up, as if he were a living corpse.

Only then did they realize something major had happened!

The Old Madam, upon learning of this, quickly summoned Imperial Physician Ge from the palace for a diagnosis.

Imperial Physician Ge carefully took his pulse and observed him, shaking his head, "The Duke's pulse is normal, only slightly weak and unable to handle tonics. He shouldn't be unconscious."

The Old Madam questioned him carefully and sent Imperial Physician Ge back to the palace.

Wei Chang, Duke Wei's eldest son, volunteered, saying he would consult Imperial Physician Ge about the illness, so he could seek out famous doctors for treatment based on the symptoms.

Once outside the gate, Wei Chang lowered his voice to ask.

"Doctor Ge, will my father be able to wake up? If he remains unconscious for a long time, is his life in danger?"

"My medical skills are lacking. The Young Lord should ask someone else to take a look."

Imperial Physician Ge dared not say any more and hurriedly got into his carriage.