Yin Copper Coin Sword

The afterglow of the setting sun faded, and the sky was gradually stained black.

The Lore World differed from the Main World; it was not filled with demons and ghosts everywhere.

It seemed the conditions for living people to become ghosts after death were rather stringent. In addition, there was little separation between humans and ghosts, making it far more dangerous than the Main World.

Before they knew it, Cailian Town had become completely deserted.

Every household had locked its doors and windows tight, not daring to make the slightest sound inside.

The yamen was equally silent. The wind blowing through the hall sent the yellow talismans swaying wildly as the officers stood ready, surrounding the courtyard three layers deep inside and out.

During his rest, Yang He secretly pondered the Qi Gazing Technique.

Even without any instructions for guiding Yin energy, the Qi Gazing Technique was still highly useful. Ghost Eye could actually see the Yang energy of living people.

More accurately, it could see the three Yang Fires of the living.

The three Yang Fires were manifestations of Yang energy, located on a living person's shoulders and crown. Once the Yang Fires were extinguished, it meant their life force was about to perish.

Yang He also realized just how vicious Nezha was toward the living.

Including the constables, his Yang Fires were the weakest of them all.

Once Nezha's Chaos Tunic wrapped around someone, even Ghost Eye could not easily break free. Though Yang He seemed to have escaped disaster, Yin energy had actually seeped deep into his bones.

The strangulation mark on Yang He's neck had not eased at all. Instead, it had grown deeper over the past half day.

He even had the illusion that his head might fall off at any moment.

Dong.

Suddenly, the coffin began to stir without warning.

Half the officers vomited blood. Their Yang energy drained away in an instant, and they nearly died, but the coffin soon returned to calm.

"General Li, the Third Young Master has awakened!!"

The courtyard fell into chaos, but Li Feng did not act rashly.

Yang He noticed that the wood of the coffin had somehow become slightly slicker.

As if it had been soaked in blood.

Yang He stared at the coffin. His Spiritual Vision, restored to 3 points, revealed part of the truth: crisscrossing blood vessels covered every side of the coffin.

A coffin? No, it looked more like a woman's womb containing an infant.

The disturbance just now had merely been Nezha turning in the womb.

"Continue standing guard. No one will die before Zi Shi."

Li Feng spoke indifferently, then closed his eyes and leaned against the doorway.

Everyone was too uneasy to sit still. Magistrate Qian had already left the courtyard early on.

The atmosphere was incomparably oppressive. Yang He left the courtyard to get some air and ate some of the dry rations prepared by the yamen, lest the wandering Daoist fail to last until Zi Shi.

Song Kuo hurried over under the cover of night, heading straight for Yang He.

"Daoist Yang, Wang the Carpenter is dead."

"How did he die?" Yang He stiffened and hurriedly asked.

"Hanged himself."

"They're currently making a new lid. As for repairing the old one, I'm afraid that'll be difficult."

The two fell silent. After a long while, Song Kuo spoke again. "I turned the yamen storeroom upside down and found a ritual sword made from copper coins. I don't know if it'll work."

"That will do. Let me see it."

Yang He raised a brow. The Qi Gazing Technique contained records concerning Copper-Coin Swords.

Such evil-repelling ritual implements were relatively rare. Every copper coin on the blade was highly particular: they had to be issued by a dynasty at the height of its power, with excellent condition and clear inscriptions.

Yang He accepted the Copper-Coin Sword wrapped in white cloth.

The moment it touched his hand, a chill shot straight to his head.

Song Kuo gave an awkward laugh. "It is indeed a little strange. The yamen records say it once caused many people to fall seriously ill. Daoist, please do not disdain it."

Yang He pulled back the white cloth. A hundred copper coins were strung together with red thread into a ritual sword. Though it had no edge, a biting chill still rushed toward him.

Yin Copper Coin Sword

An ordinary Yin implement made from burial coins. It had no evil-repelling effect. Wounding living people with it could weaken their Yang energy, and it was also somewhat effective against ghosts.

"Good heavens."

Copper-Coin Swords feared burial Yin coins the most, yet this ritual sword had gone against the grain.

Song Kuo asked uneasily, "Daoist Yang, how is it?"

"It can be put to use."

"That's good, then."

Yang He tucked the Yin Copper Coin Sword into his belt. It did not matter if it affected his Yang energy; the wandering Daoist identity was probably disposable anyway.

He was somewhat reluctant to use the Yin Copper Coin Sword, afraid it would be ruined in Nezha's hands.

In the Main World, this Yin implement would be excellent for self-defense. If a Martial Artist took several strikes from it, the Hungry Ghost inside them would likely backlash directly.

Its only drawback was that it could not withstand much chopping. If several coins were damaged, its power would be greatly reduced.

Satisfied, Yang He returned to the courtyard and waited for Zi Shi to arrive.

He put on a show of sitting cross-legged in meditation, but his damaged Yang energy soon left him exhausted. Before long, bursts of snoring came from his mouth.

Time slipped by quietly.

Half asleep, Yang He vaguely heard an infant crying beside his ear.

He jolted awake.

It was already deep into the night. Candles burned brightly throughout the yamen, but no matter how many lanterns were lit in the courtyard, they were not enough. The surroundings were terrifyingly gloomy.

Song Kuo's teeth chattered as he helped Yang He up and said hoarsely, "It is already Zi Shi. Daoist Yang, I was just about to wake you."

"How is the new lid coming along?"

"Following the General's Mansion's requirements, we found a section of century-old locust wood at the last minute. The coffin lid is nearly being delivered to the courtyard."

Song Kuo had completely treated Yang He as a lifeline.

He had figured it out: the General's Mansion did not care about Cailian Town at all. If they wanted to survive tonight's Zi Shi, they could only rely on Daoist Yang.

Li Feng shouted in a deep voice, "Zi Shi has arrived. Where is the coffin lid?!"

The many yellow talismans gave off a faint glow, drawing swarms of mosquitoes that buzzed through the air.

Song Kuo hurriedly answered Li Feng, "Lord Li, it will be here soon!"

Li Feng stood in the shadows, staring at the coffin, his expression impossible to see.

Yang He forced himself to stay alert. The rate at which his Spiritual Vision increased became more and more intense, as though he could see Nezha's corpse through the coffin itself.

Spiritual Vision: 5.6 points

Dense footsteps approached from afar. Four constables carried the coffin lid into the courtyard.

The locust wood lid was extremely thick, but its dark brown color looked utterly out of place.

Li Feng weighed the lid briefly, then directly motioned for the officers to step forward. "Third Young Master, do not leave so soon. Do not awaken again. On this journey, the General's Mansion will send you on your way."

He called out in a strange chanting tone, and the officers began pounding the ground with their fists.

The rhythm alternated between fast and slow.

Yang He felt his heart pound wildly. It was likely some Daoist rite for sending off the dead. The coffin ceased stirring, and the temperature in the courtyard plummeted.

In Spiritual Vision, the coffin's material became increasingly similar to flesh and blood.

Goosebumps rose all over Yang He's body as Song Kuo nervously gripped his right arm tightly.

"Open the coffin!"

The moment Li Feng finished speaking, he selected four officers.

"Ha!"

The officers' faces were full of terror, yet they did not defy Li Feng's command. The four stood at the coffin's corners and cautiously lifted the lid.

The moment a tiny gap appeared, the Yin energy pouring out was already almost tangible.

Yang He's temples throbbed. Blood dripped from his nose, and all kinds of noise echoed in his ears.

Spiritual Vision: 6.8 points

The threat Nezha posed was simply not something the Three Mountains Goddess could compare to. Of course, the gains also far exceeded the ordinary; Spiritual Vision was bought with his life.

Song Kuo asked in terror, "Daoist Yang, should we leave the courtyard?"

"No."

Yang He lowered his voice and explained, "Lord Li is guarding the courtyard. As long as things do not spiral out of control, we still have a chance of surviving."

Song Kuo's pupils lost focus, and he nearly collapsed to the ground.

Yin winds howled as an infant's crying, filled with resentment and venom, flooded out from the coffin.

The four officers froze in place. Their bodies had become skin and bones, while twenty-four ribs kept growing, forming a ring of bone across their chests.

"Continue."

Li Feng's words remained utterly calm as another four men took hold of the lid.

They wanted to push the corpses away, only to find that the corpses were still gripping the lid tightly.

Dong dong dong.

Nezha was knocking on the lid.

The officers' casualties worsened. In less than ten breaths, they became corpses. Their bodies connected with the lid, making it increasingly difficult for those behind them to lift the coffin.

Killing intent appeared on Li Feng's face as veins and tendons bulged across his body.

"Third Young Master, why do you insist on remaining in the world of the living?"

"Do not blame this general..."

At this moment.

Before Li Feng could finish, Yang He stepped forward on his own under everyone's terrified gazes. Ghost Eye opened in the center of his forehead, and he raised the lid with both hands before anyone else could.