Top Doll

Chapter 25: Top Doll

"Soul, come back, soul, come back~"

In the dead of night, the lonely cries echoed in the darkness.

This personal maid was quite something.

At first, she was trembling all over with fear, but as she kept shouting, she got used to it and was no longer afraid. Remembering how well Madam treated her before she fainted, she was overcome with grief.

Her cries were mixed with sobs, sending chills down the spines of many servants.

Wang Dao Xuan's expression was solemn. He picked up several small oil lamps, lit them one by one, and arranged them from the courtyard gate, finally placing one in front of the unconscious woman's head...

Li Yan examined the surroundings, not daring to say a word.

The two had reached an agreement.

Wang Dao Xuan would help him preserve his spirit and build his tower, and in return, Li Yan would temporarily partner with the Taoist priest, using his own Spiritual Power to help the priest take on some big jobs and earn some money to escape his predicament.

He would also explain some of the Xuan Gate's ways.

Although the Xuan Gate's various practices seemed complex, they actually followed a set procedure.

In ancient times, natural disasters were constant, and evil creatures ran rampant.

Facing this mysterious and unknown world, people began to explore its patterns.

They observed lightning striking trees and discovered the use of fire...

They observed the cycle of seasons and the changes of the stars, summarizing them into a calendar...

The Xuan Gate was similar, but more mysterious. Ultimately, it was still about summarizing patterns and dealing with events that ordinary people could hardly perceive.

It was roughly divided into three steps: Omen, Taboo, and Exorcism.

Omen involved inferring and calculating based on certain phenomena and information detected by Spiritual Power to find the root of the problem.

Various divination methods were born from this.

Taboo referred to the characteristics of the event, and there were two ways to deal with it.

One was to abide by the principles of taboo to avoid disaster.

For example, one should not whistle late at night. Some people whistle without incident, but those who have awakened Tongue Mystical Power or ordinary people in Yin Fiend Land might attract evil spirits.

Other examples include not pointing at statues of gods, not looking back when someone calls you on a night journey, and the various rules during weddings and funerals.

Over time, these were passed down by word of mouth and became what are known as taboos.

As long as the taboos were not violated, disaster could generally be avoided.

If disaster could not be avoided, then rituals would be performed for exorcism.

These three were the basic procedures. All Xuan Gate techniques evolved from them, leading to the current flourishing state of the Xuan Gate.

Wang Dao Xuan's burning of hair ash earlier was a simple form of divination.

It was to calculate the location of the Living Soul and perform a soul-calling ritual.

The next step, after the Living Soul returned to the body, was to perform a ritual and recite the Soul-Soothing Scripture to prevent the Living Soul from leaving again.

Wang Dao Xuan had raised a Little Yin Soldier, which should have made it easy to find, but he was afraid of scattering the Living Soul, which would be almost like killing someone. Therefore, he had to choose this gentler method.

Li Yan's task was to use his Olfactory Mystical Power to sense any movement of the Living Soul and remind Wang Dao Xuan not to miss the opportune moment for soul-soothing, which would cause the ritual to fail.

The Yang Six Roots Spiritual Powers each had their own strengths.

In terms of directness, Yin Yang Eyes were the best, allowing one to see whatever came into view. Geomancers who awakened this Spiritual Power could observe Qi from a height, and sorcerers could deal with evil spirits more accurately...

In terms of mystique, Will Spirit Root was superior. Witches, Shamans, and Rice Women, and Underworld Messengers could communicate with ghosts and spirits just by staying at home...

In terms of searching, Nose Spiritual Root was the best. A powerful user could smell any anomalies within a radius of several miles with a single breath, far more sensitive than a dog's nose.

At this moment, Li Yan felt a bit displeased.

All idle people in the Lu Family mansion had been cleared out. He had used the guise of performing a ritual to drive away evil spirits, carrying a willow branch and walking through the entire mansion.

Unfortunately, he still couldn't smell that sweet scent from that night.

What treasure could it be?

Could it be hidden in Landlord Lu's treasury?

Just as he was pondering, there was movement in the distance.

The maid stood on the rooftop, waving a Soul-Calling Banner and shouting incessantly. For a full half hour, her throat had become hoarse.

Her fear had vanished, replaced by suspicion.

Could the Master have hired a swindler?

Just then, a gust of cold wind blew past. The maid suddenly felt a chill on her back, as if something had suddenly appeared behind her.

The feeling was so distinct.

The maid's hair stood on end, and goosebumps erupted all over her body.

She felt panic and was about to scream when she remembered Wang Dao Xuan's earlier instructions. She simply closed her eyes and continued shouting, her voice trembling slightly.

The deep night was silent, and the changing tone immediately caught the attention of the two people in the courtyard.

Li Yan took a deep breath, faintly smelling a scent.

It was somewhat cold, but unlike the Rampaging Soldiers, it didn't carry the smell of blood.

"They're here!"

He nodded at Wang Dao Xuan and whispered a reminder.

Wang Dao Xuan immediately picked up a bowl of water from the altar, chanted a spell, and moved his feet. He stepped forward, then back, then two steps to the right...

Li Yan watched intently, his eyes fixed.

This was called Firm Steps, which, combined with incantations and the altar, could be used to cast spells.

Each family's inheritance had its differences and levels. According to Wang Dao Xuan, highly skilled sorcerers could perform Pacing the Gang and Stepping the Dipper, communicate with Innate Star Gods, and draw upon Innate Firm Qi to use it for their own purposes, casting spells.

It sounded like something out of a myth.

As Wang Dao Xuan performed the ritual, Li Yan also sensed a difference.

Around the altar, a special scent arose, carrying a hint of warmth, enveloping the entire altar as if it were a single entity.

Firm Qi!

Li Yan immediately understood what it was.

Meanwhile, Wang Dao Xuan had entered the zone. Holding the bowl of water, he first chanted, then took a mouthful and sprayed it out forcefully.

Pfft!

Mist billowed and landed on the wooden fish.

It was as if wind stirred up water, and the Firm Qi around the altar began to swirl around the wooden fish.

Wang Dao Xuan then set down the water bowl and struck the wooden fish.

Dong! Dong! Dong!

The sound of the wooden fish echoed in the dark night, inexplicably bringing a sense of peace.

Li Yan could sense the Firm Qi encircling the altar, forming a cohesive whole, and then spreading outwards with the sound of the wooden fish.

The maid, hearing this, felt as if she had been granted a great pardon. She immediately stopped shouting, carried the Soul-Calling Banner, and tremblingly climbed down from the roof.

Although a ladder had been placed beforehand, the maid was flustered. Her eyes were narrowed, afraid to look around, and her body felt weak.

Thump!

Halfway down, her foot slipped, and she fell.

Fortunately, the maid was alert. Although her backside hurt from the fall, she still held the Soul-Calling Banner high, ensuring it wasn't damaged.

After getting up, she didn't bother to brush the dust off her clothes. With a mournful face and tear-filled eyes, she ran towards the backyard holding the Soul-Calling Banner.

Fortunately, no sounds came from behind her.

The courtyard was dark. The maid, aided by the faint moonlight and her familiarity with the terrain, quickly reached the backyard.

When she saw the oil lamp lit by Wang Dao Xuan beforehand, the maid finally relaxed, feeling as if this path through the underworld had finally come to an end.

Wang Dao Xuan and Li Yan also gasped.

On the Soul-Calling Banner the maid was holding, a figure was clearly standing!

In the Central Plains, during temple fairs, there was a custom called "Top Doll."

A strong man would stand below, wearing a specially made iron frame, while young boys and girls would stand on top, painted red and powdered, dressed in brocade robes, disguised as various gods and historical figures, moving with the parade.

It was a form of folk entertainment for the gods.

The situation before them was very similar to the Top Doll.

The difference was that the old woman on the Soul-Calling Banner was dressed entirely in black, exuding a chilling aura. Her face was terrifyingly pale, and her eyes were dark and vacant, making her look extremely eerie.

It was incredible that a Living Soul could be seen with the naked eye.

The maid had initially relaxed, but seeing their gazes, she immediately sensed something was wrong. She dared not look up and stammered with a trembling voice, "Dao... Dao... Daoist Priest..."

"Don't be afraid!"

Although he didn't know the reason, Wang Dao Xuan knew that no mistakes could be made at this moment.

Living Souls were like timid rabbits; they instinctively hid. During the day, they hid in the cracks between underground bricks, yet they were reluctant to leave their physical bodies and only appeared at specific times.

If startled, they would instantly disappear and flee to the wilderness, making them incredibly difficult to find again.

If they were scared to the point of their souls scattering, the First Wife inside would die.

Wang Dao Xuan dared not delay. He deliberately slowed his tone, lowered his voice, and instructed the maid, "It's alright, don't be afraid. Just walk back into the house slowly. Don't blow out the Soul Guiding Lamp next to you."

"Mhm."

The maid nodded, holding the Soul-Calling Banner, and walked tremblingly into the house.

The Living Soul of the First Wife on the Soul-Calling Banner grew more and more enveloped in a chilling aura. The Soul Guiding Lamp flickered unsteadily along the way, as if it might extinguish at any moment, making Wang Dao Xuan tremble with fear.

Seeing this, Li Yan also held his breath, not daring to exhale.

You see, smelling something and witnessing it with your own eyes are two entirely different matters.

Fortunately, this short distance was without incident.

The moment the maid entered the room, the oil lamp by the First Wife's bed suddenly flared, and her Living Soul vanished.

Wang Dao Xuan quickly looked at Li Yan.

Li Yan had been paying close attention. He could smell the cold, eerie scent the Living Soul had emitted earlier, which had now attached itself to the First Wife and was gradually fading.

This was a sign of Yin and Yang harmonizing, of balance and tranquility.

He didn't speak, nodding at Wang Dao Xuan.

Without a word, Wang Dao Xuan rushed into the room, a long Red Rope in his hand. He wrapped it around the First Wife, his movements changing, and quickly tied a strange knot.

During this process, the Soul Guiding Lamp by the bed flickered wildly.

Finally, after trapping the Living Soul, Wang Dao Xuan untied a Bell from his waist. After shaking it a few times, he began chanting a spell:

"Supreme Star, responding to change without pause, protecting life and body, wisdom clear and calm, heart and spirit at peace, three souls forever, souls without damage or qi, souls return to the palace, souls support the body..."

Although Wang Dao Xuan's cultivation was only at the first level, he had clearly put in a lot of effort. As soon as he recited the spell, he entered the state.

His voice carried a certain rhythm, long and resonant.

As the spell was chanted, the Soul Guiding Lamp gradually calmed down.

Li Yan breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing this.

Wang Dao Xuan had said this was a sign of successful soul stabilization.

With this task completed, Wang Dao Xuan could escape his current predicament and focus on helping him with Preserving the Spirit and Building the Tower, officially entering Xuan Gate cultivation.

Whoosh~

Just then, a gust of cold wind blew past.

Li Yan's eyes widened immediately, and he looked around.

That mysterious fragrance had reappeared!