Starting the Ritual

A few days passed.

Wei Kang's features were gaunt, his chest and abdomen sunken, looking like a skeletal corpse.

The palace physicians and famous doctors of Shenjing were summoned, but all were helpless, unable even to diagnose the illness.

Huang Yuniang floated above Wei Kang's head, opening her mouth to inhale, wisps of grayish-white mist merging into her soul form.

"The yin spirit devours the essence of the human body, seemingly an intangible substance, yet it can affect the physical body. So essence, qi, and spirit are what a person relies on..."

Zhou Yi hid in the shadows, observing the changes in Wei Kang's body.

In another three to five days, Wei Kang's soul would dissipate.

From this, it seems the efficiency of ordinary vengeful spirits killing people is rather slow, only excelling in being strange and hidden.

Zhou Yi was about to leave, to show his face at the Heavenly Prison to clock in, then find an excuse to slip out again. He had become a freeloader at the Heavenly Prison, and Zhu Xiaowei had even found a jailer to deliver his meals.

Back then, he had scoffed at and despised jailers who freeloaded, but when it was Zhou Yi's turn to eat, the taste was quite good!

Just then.

The gates of the Duke's mansion swung open, the Old Madam personally welcoming, the young master of the house standing respectfully to either side.

Zhou Yi's interest was piqued. Who had such a grand face?

The eunuch who had visited from the palace on behalf of the Hongchang Emperor a few days ago had only entered through a side door, and moreover, the Old Madam was the former Empress's younger sister, so even the current Emperor had to respectfully call her "Aunt."

The buzzing sound of chanting Buddhist scriptures came, and after a moment, two columns of eight yellow-robed monks led the way.

Clearing the path, striking bowls, scattering flowers, carrying banners.

Following them were eight muscular monks, their bare upper bodies painted with gold powder, carrying a lotus platform on their shoulders.

The lotus platform was covered with pennants, fluttering in the wind, half-revealing the plump Zen master sitting cross-legged within.

Zhou Yi's gaze swept over the martial monks, all of them experts who had achieved success in Bone Forging. The Zen master sitting cross-legged had faint spiritual energy fluctuations.

"Interesting, interesting! This Shenjing truly hides dragons and crouching tigers. Hiding in the Heavenly Prison has limited my experiences!"

The group of monks walked to the entrance of the Duke's mansion, and the Zen master slowly stood up from the lotus platform, looking at the sky above the Duke's mansion with a solemn gaze.

"Amitabha! What kind of evildoer dares to wreak havoc in Shenjing?"

Upon hearing this, the Old Madam quickly sent someone forward to invite the Zen master and his entourage into the mansion.

The plump Zen master's expression was grave as he told the Old Madam about the evildoer's strength, saying that he had to set up an altar and perform a ritual, expending decades of his cultivation, and so on.

The total cost for everything needed was over two hundred thousand taels of gold and silver!

The annual tax revenue of the Fengyang Kingdom did not exceed ten million taels, yet the Zen master needed two to three percent of the national tax for a single ritual.

"Everything will be done according to Master Miaojue's instructions!"

The Old Madam decisively agreed, taking the key to the vault and having people move the silver.

Inside were all large silver ingots, melted into the size of winter melons, requiring two people to carry each one together. It wasn't until nightfall that the weighing was finished.

"Abbot of the King Kong Temple, Miaojue, one of the national teachers appointed by the dog Emperor back then!"

Zhou Yi learned of the Zen master's background from the Duke's mansion's discussions. It was said that he had slept alongside Emperor Chongming, discussing the Dao of longevity, and was one of the leading figures in both Buddhism and Taoism in the Fengyang Kingdom.

"Over ninety years old, looking like he's in his fifties or sixties, he must have other tricks, otherwise he wouldn't be able to fool the dog Emperor!"

Emperor Chongming practiced immortality through sandalwood, but he wasn't truly foolish.

Back then, many Jianghu tricksters, believing their scams were so mysterious that no one could see through them, wanted to enter the Shangyang Palace to enjoy wealth and glory, but they were all thrown into the Imperial Prison to suffer torture and die.

"The dog Emperor would rather the country be in turmoil than give up his pursuit of the Dao, yet he doesn't fall for scams. Perhaps... he has seen a real immortal?"

At this time, the sky had already darkened.

In Wei Kang's courtyard, dozens of arm-thick whale oil candles were lit.

The martial monks had already set up a twelve-foot altar. Eight yellow-robed monks, each holding a Buddhist instrument, took turns ascending the altar to perform the ritual, looking quite solemn and respectful.

Upon seeing this, the people of the Duke's mansion would put their palms together and bow in respect whenever a monk stepped down from the altar.

Miaojue sat cross-legged on the lotus platform, his hands clasped together in silent meditation.

"What is this fellow doing?"

Zhou Yi frowned slightly. If it weren't for the spiritual energy fluctuations on Miaojue's body, he would have been too lazy to watch the monk perform his charade.

Until midnight.

"Amitabha!"

Miaojue suddenly proclaimed the Buddha's name loudly, his voice like thunder, instantly waking up the drowsy people of the Duke's mansion.

They saw Miaojue leap up, flying over everyone's heads, landing on the altar.

Zhou Yi thought the monk was about to display real magic, but he saw Miaojue start chanting scriptures and performing rituals again, wisps of true essence condensing at his fingertips: "If I wait another half an hour, and the bald donkey keeps acting, I'll eat him with a sword!"

Miaojue seemed to sense the danger, and after chanting for only two quarters of an hour, he took out a bronze mirror from his bosom.

The bronze mirror had an ancient design, one side polished and bright, the other engraved with cloud patterns.

"Amitabha! Evildoer, why don't you reveal yourself?"

As Miaojue's voice faded, an image appeared on the bronze mirror, the very likeness of Huang Yuniang.

"..."

Huang Yuniang, having heard during the day that a high monk had come to subdue demons, ceased absorbing essence and stood not far from the altar, watching the monkey show. As a result, under the bronze mirror's reflection, her yin spirit manifested on its own.

"Where did that woman come from?"

"That's a ghost!"

"A ghost!"

"..."

Some of the Duke's manor noticed Huang Yuniang's sudden appearance, causing a stir of exclamations and chaos, with people scrambling to hide behind the altar.

Miaojue used the bronze mirror to fix Huang Yuniang in place, shouting, "Burn my lifespan, grant me divine weapons! Disciples, heed my command, quickly subdue this demon!"

"Om!"

The eight martial monk disciples responded with shouts, rushing towards Huang Yuniang.

The blazing, virile blood energy forged through Martial Path body tempering was extremely effective against yin spirits. Merely approaching caused Huang Yuniang's soul body to become illusory and on the verge of dissipating.

"These monks..."

Zhou Yi flicked his finger, and a true essence sword swept across Miaojue's wrist, circling before his eyes, then severing several strands of his beard.

These past two years, his innate true essence had barely increased, but his control had improved daily. Within a radius of thirty feet, he could transform it into various shapes and manipulate it at will.

Condensing the sword tip was simply born from Zhou Yi's dream of becoming a sword immortal!

Miaojue's wrist stung, and the bronze mirror fell, no longer able to hold the yin spirit in place.

Huang Yuniang floated up, instantly becoming invisible and disappearing.

The martial monks turned to look at the altar, seeing Miaojue's expression blank and terrified. He then grabbed a bottle of pills from his robes, tilting his head back and pouring them into his mouth.

"Puh!"

Miaojue spat out a mouthful of blood, his face pale, and he tumbled headfirst from the altar.

"Zen Master!"

"Abbot!"

Cries of alarm rang out.

Miaojue, his breath weak, said, "Amitabha! This poor monk has failed the Old Madam. The fiend's magic power is formidable, it has broken the King Kong Demon Subduing Formation... puh!"

Before he could finish speaking, he spat out another mouthful of blood and fainted.

One of the monks said, "Old Madam, this humble monk will first take the Abbot back to the temple for quiet recuperation. The two hundred thousand taels will be sent back tomorrow."

"What are you saying, Master? The Zen Master was injured because of my family affairs, and his lifespan was damaged."

The Old Madam shook her head, saying, "A little gold and silver is to be offered as incense."

"Amitabha!"

The monk proclaimed a Buddhist title, had the martial monks carry the soft sedan, and hurried away.

In the shadows.

Zhou Yi, watching the farce come to an end, said to Huang Yuniang.

"You've seen it too. Yin spirits are formless and immaterial, but they cannot act recklessly. Remember to be cautious and careful in the future!"

"Thank you for saving me, Senior."

Huang Yuniang knelt on the ground, saying, "This humble woman has avenged her great hatred. In the future, if there is anything you need, Senior, you may command me. Even if my soul scatters, I will not regret it!"

Wei Kang had already lost sixty to seventy percent of his essence. Even if he woke up, he wouldn't live for more than a few days. His illness was like a lamp running out of oil, beyond the help of even the best doctors.

"It just so happens that I'm taking a trip out of Shenjing. I'll help you find a place along the way."

Zhou Yi put away the jade hairpin, and his figure flickered and disappeared.