Midnight Horror

This Iron Wolf Protector truly lives up to its reputation as a Fifth-Rank Martial Artist.

The Blood Essence and martial arts experience rewards are both very generous.

The selectable martial skills are also numerous and of excellent quality.

I just wonder how much participation I'll get from this funeral procession, and whether I'll be able to draw a reward.

In the center of the room, Daoist Lin Jiu performed a ritual, causing the temperature inside the mourning hall to rise quite a bit, at least no longer being chillingly cold.

The beautiful woman and many of the funeral guests finally felt relieved.

That night, Daoist Lin Jiu had everyone else leave, only keeping him and Bai Yu to keep watch over the mourning hall.

The Daoist gave Bai Yu two yellow talismans:

"Little Bai, your Blood Essence is vigorous, so in theory, you shouldn't be affected, but still, carry these two Evil-Suppressing Talismans with you, just in case."

Bai Yu took the yellow talismans and said:

"Okay, I understand."

"Speaking of which, Uncle Jiu, why was the yellow talisman you threw out earlier able to burn on its own?"

Daoist Lin Jiu is only a Third-Rank Martial Artist; he doesn't have inner force yet, so there's no way he could have ignited the talisman paper.

Could it be that Daoist Lin Jiu is actually a cultivator?

Daoist Lin Jiu said with a serious face:

"There are many reasons why a yellow talisman can burn on its own."

"The main reasons are a devout faith, exquisite skill, and persistent practice."

"And finally, a little bit of self-igniting white phosphorus."

Bai Yu almost bit his own tongue.

So he used white phosphorus, rubbing his hands together to generate heat.

Bai Yu felt that the Daoist's image as an expert was a bit shattered, and asked again:

"Then why did the temperature in the mourning hall rise when you performed that sword dance during the day?"

Daoist Lin Jiu slapped his thigh:

"Tch, that's all for show."

"If you don't put on a big show, will people willingly spend money?"

"What really works are those few Sha Qi-Suppressing Talismans."

He took out a handful of yellow talismans and handed them to Bai Yu, saying:

"Later, stick all these yellow talismans on the windows and doors, and stick nine on the coffin."

Bai Yu didn't know whether to laugh or cry, took the yellow talismans, and started busying himself.

Daoist Lin Jiu thought highly of Bai Yu, and said earnestly:

"Our line of work as Yin-Yang Practitioners mainly involves looking at feng shui and dispelling Sha Qi."

"Like martial artists, if they kill too many people, they'll carry a Sha Qi with them. When they're alive, it's suppressed by their Blood Essence, but after they die, the Sha Qi will backfire."

"Sha Qi is like poison to ordinary people, and sometimes the corpse is infused with Sha Qi, turning it into a Baleful Corpse that harms people."

"So, although our line of work isn't that glamorous, it's very important."

Bai Yu used rice paste to make a glue and stuck the yellow talismans on the doors, windows, and coffin.

"Uncle Jiu, the yellow talismans are all stuck on, will that dispel the Sha Qi?"

Daoist Lin Jiu nodded lightly:

"Generally speaking, sticking them on for three days, changing the Sha Qi-Suppressing Talismans every day, should dispel it."

"The main thing to watch is the first night. If it doesn't revert on the first night, there won't be any problems later."

"Little Bai, remember, after midnight tonight, no matter what you see, don't make a sound."

"No matter who calls you, you can't answer."

Bai Yu naturally nodded in agreement.

And so, the two began to take turns keeping watch.

In the first half of the night, Bai Yu rested while Daoist Lin Jiu sat cross-legged in meditation.

Bai Yu slept on a small bamboo bed, but always maintained a bit of awareness in his mind.

The night gradually deepened, and all sounds died down.

Only an occasional dog bark came from the distance.

Bai Yu gradually relaxed.

It seems that this line of work isn't anything special.

What he didn't notice was that a layer of mist was slowly forming on one of the yellow talismans stuck on the door.

The cinnabar on the yellow talisman slowly became soaked and gradually lost its original form.

After an unknown amount of time, the cinnabar patterns on the yellow talisman had become a mess.

"Creak—"

The door of the mourning hall opened for no apparent reason.

A gust of cold wind blew in, swirling within the hall, and the temperature inside plummeted.

Bai Yu jolted awake and leapt up from the bamboo mat.

He saw a string of wet footprints had appeared at the doorway at some point.

Although no figure could be seen at the door, the footprints on the ground approached step by step, Crossing the threshold and heading towards the coffin in the mourning hall.

Bai Yu was about to call Daoist Lin Jiu, but saw that he had already reacted.

He took out a handful of yellow talismans and threw them at the footprints.

Strangely enough, the yellow talismans seemed to have a life of their own, and began to fly around the foremost footprint.

Immediately afterwards, Daoist Lin, holding a Peach Wood Sword, seemed to be fighting someone in the air.

He didn't say a word, as if he were acting in a silent movie.

Bai Yu watched dumbfounded from the side, unable to figure out what was going on.

In the center of the room, yellow talismans fell and the wooden sword danced.

The water stains on the ground slowly dried up, and the cold wind in the room gradually dissipated.

Daoist Lin Jiu finally breathed a sigh of relief and said:

"Alright, the returning Sha Qi has been dealt with, there won't be any danger from now on."

Bai Yu nodded emphatically, thinking:

It seems this Yin-Yang Practitioner is something after all. Perhaps not as good as cultivators, but definitely has some unique magic.

Just as he was pondering this, another gust of cold wind blew in from outside.

This time the cold wind was even stronger, and the room felt like it had entered winter, with a bone-chilling cold.

On the ground, the water stain footprints reappeared.

Each time the cold wind blew, the footprints took another step forward.

Daoist Lin Jiu was shocked and took out another handful of yellow talismans, scattering them towards the cold wind.

He held the sword in his right hand and the talismans in his left, as if fighting someone again.

However, in the blink of an eye, the talismans in his hand were used up.

"Crack—"

A crisp sound came, and the Peach Wood Sword snapped in half.

The gust of cold wind blew towards the coffin in the mourning hall.

"Plop—"

"Plop—"

One after another, water stain footprints landed on the ground.

"Not good, Little Bai, stop it quickly! You must not let the Sha Qi enter the deceased's body, otherwise it will turn into a Baleful Corpse."

"Stall for me a moment!"

Bai Yu was also anxious.

Heaven knows what a Baleful Corpse is.

Moreover, if the deceased turned into a Baleful Corpse and ran away, his funeral reward would be gone.

He tore off the two Evil-Suppressing Talismans in front of his chest and threw them at the cold wind.

The yellow talismans hit the cold wind, and it really paused for a moment.

Bai Yu felt as if there were eyes in the cold wind, looking at him unkindly.

However, the cold wind only paused for a moment, and then continued to blow towards the deceased.

Bai Yu was very anxious, but he couldn't do anything.

He didn't even know what the enemy was, let alone have any means to deal with the so-called Sha Qi.

Watching the footprints on the ground, step by step approaching the coffin.

Bai Yu suddenly had an idea.

Perhaps he could try the Soul-Soothing and Baleful-Qi-Dispelling Suona.

He took out the Suona and began to play a funeral song.

"Whose land is this, gathering souls, wise or foolish?"

"The Ghost Earl urges on relentlessly, human lives brook no delay."

"Have you not seen? The heroes of a thousand ages worn away, all become dust beneath the Northern Mount of Tombs."

The suona wailed, and that feeling of being accustomed to birth, aging, sickness, and death, of everything returning to stillness, reappeared.

Unexpectedly, the gust of Yin wind actually paused, and the footprints on the ground ceased to spread.

Playing this tune left Bai Yu feeling more exhausted than ever before.

It was a melody he knew inside and out, yet playing it felt like carrying a thousand-pound burden.

As the tune ended, the Yin wind once again howled and swirled.