Deceiving Ghosts!

Failed!

Though Li Yan was unwilling to accept it, there was nothing he could do.

While preparing the ritual yesterday during the day, he had already vaguely grasped the gist of it and roughly guessed the principle behind the method.

Put plainly, it was deceiving ghosts and gods.

This method had existed since ancient times and came in countless varieties.

The most common among the people was when a boy or girl was born and, due to some taboo, the family feared the child would not live to adulthood. They would then change the way they raised them—boys were raised as girls, while girls were raised as tomboys.

The method Widow Wang had taught him was just like that, only taken a step further. While the Cold Altar Rampaging Soldier was trapped within a chicken's belly, it would be burned at noon to dispel the calamity.

Li Yan did not know the deeper principles behind it.

But clearly, that thing had not been fooled.

Looking at the innards churned into mush inside the chicken's belly, Li Yan felt a chill in his heart.

After possessing someone, that thing could become so terrifying.

The Substitute Divine Statue probably would not be able to block it many more times.

He did not dare be careless. He directly burned and buried the rooster, then prepared everything once more according to that method.

According to Widow Wang, this method had to be performed for two consecutive nights.

Perhaps it would succeed tonight.

Waiting always felt a little long.

After enduring until nightfall, when all was silent, Li Yan tied another rooster outside the door, turned back into the room, and burrowed into the earth.

The moonlight that night was even brighter.

Unlike yesterday, as Zi Hour approached, a Yin Wind suddenly rose within Li Family Fortress.

The Yin Wind veered left and right, carrying dust, sand, and fallen leaves. It entered from the village entrance, bypassed the Land God Temple there, then spiraled toward Li Yan's home.

In Widow Wang's house, the candlelight was dim.

The Girl had already awakened, yet she remained inside the red circle. Holding up her whisk, she struck a strange pose, as though listening intently.

Suddenly, her eyes flew open. She stared fixedly outside the door and babbled nonstop.

Widow Wang's face instantly turned deathly pale.

"Not good! That child is in danger!"

The Yin Wind spun as it swiftly arrived before the Li Residence.

It whirled across level ground, wrapped in flying dust.

Ordinary folk would not have found it strange. When the weather suddenly changed and the wind rose, such tiny dust-filled whirlwinds were all too common.

But the large rooster tied at the door seemed to sense danger approaching. Its feathers stood on end as it flapped its wings and leaped wildly, trying to break free.

Yet when the Yin Wind struck it, it collapsed directly onto the ground.

Before long, the sturdy rooster suddenly floated up, as though held aloft by an invisible giant hand.

With a crack, its head and feet twisted grotesquely out of shape. Its corpse dropped to the ground along with chicken droppings, and the Yin Wind rose again from the flat earth around it.

Only, its aura was clearly weaker.

Perhaps because it had been deceived repeatedly, the Yin Wind was furious. It circled through the air, swept up fallen leaves, and flew toward the Li Residence from the side wall.

Yet before it could approach, it was flung back.

Thud!

The "Victorious in a Hundred Battles" plaque hanging above the entrance gave a muffled boom.

This disturbance was far louder than it had been the previous two nights.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

After three consecutive collisions, another crack appeared across the "Victorious in a Hundred Battles" plaque with a sharp snap.

This crack was deeper, and flakes of paint came raining down.

That Yin Wind also seemed to weaken considerably. It no longer tried to force its way in, instead circling back and forth around the Li Residence.

In the darkness, the Yin Wind howled.

Beneath the earth in the side room, Li Yan gripped his blade and stood alert.

He could not hear what was happening outside, but he could sense that the thing had arrived.

Because the icy feeling on his back was growing clearer and clearer.

What was going on tonight?

It seemed a little different...

Just as he was wondering, he suddenly heard a voice beside his ear.

"Child, where have you gone?"

It was hazy and slightly weathered—the voice of his grandfather, Li Gui!

This was bad!

Li Yan's hairs stood on end, panic surging through his heart.

He had not been entirely unprepared these past two nights. When cooking porridge, he had added calming, heart-nourishing medicinal herbs such as Fu Shen and Wu Wei Zi.

There had been a time when his grandfather was in poor health, plagued by insomnia and dreams. Following a physician's prescription, Li Yan had bought some medicine for him. Every time he took it, he could sleep straight through until dawn.

Though the old man had been a fierce soldier in his youth, his spirit had been wounded when Li Yan's father died. His health had worsened with every passing year, and he could not withstand fright at all.

Naturally, Li Yan had not dared tell him much about dealing with evil spirits.

He had never expected something to go wrong at such a moment.

Just as Li Yan was panicking, he suddenly recalled Widow Wang's warning.

This method had taboos. No matter what he heard or saw, he must not rashly reveal himself, or all his efforts would come to nothing.

Was it real or fake?

Li Yan forced himself to calm down and listened carefully.

At last, he noticed the suspicious circumstances.

The voice was hazy, endlessly echoing beside his ears.

Logically, if his grandfather had gotten up and found him missing, he would surely push open the door, enter the room, and search for him.

The pit he had dug was obvious, right in front of the bed. It could be seen at a glance.

Yet the voice echoed from side to side, while there was never any other movement.

It was fake!

Li Yan immediately reached that conclusion, while a chill rose in his heart.

The Cold Altar Rampaging Soldier actually had such an ability?

Not long after, the voice gradually faded away.

Rattle!

Suddenly, violent shaking erupted from the threshold again.

It sounded as though something was frantically shaking the door.

Then his grandfather's voice rang out again.

"Who is it?"

"Ahhh! Save me!"

The voice was miserable, as though it had encountered some misfortune.

Li Yan broke out in a cold sweat as he listened, still unable to tell for certain.

How could he dare gamble on something like this?!

Then an idea suddenly flashed through his mind. He puckered his lips upward and pushed the bamboo tube he used to breathe through against his nostrils.

Fortunately, oiled cloth covered the opening, so dirt did not fall into his mouth.

Li Yan took a deep breath through the bamboo tube.

His sense of smell was extraordinarily sharp. Not only could he smell those unusual things, he could also easily distinguish the scents of ordinary objects.

The earthy smell of soil, the rotten odor of old furniture, the scent of dry-fried meatballs on the table...

One scent after another was distinguished.

Blind Old Three's distinctive bloody, fishy stench was there too, but it was very faint. Clearly, it had not entered the courtyard.

And his grandfather's scent was not in the courtyard either.

Only then did Li Yan relax, cursing inwardly at the same time.

That thing could even confuse people. Its cunning was chilling.

If he had not awakened his Spiritual Root, he truly would have fallen for it!

All sorts of sounds came and went. Relying on his astonishing sense of smell to distinguish them, Li Yan never fell for the trick, but he was exhausted and mentally drained by the ordeal.

Finally, the sounds gradually vanished and did not return.

After an unknown amount of time, the faint crowing of a rooster drifted over.

Li Yan let out a breath and broke out of the earth.

But the moment his head emerged from the ground,

his heart went cold.

The room was pitch-black. Through the gaps in the paper-covered windows, he could vaguely make out the sky outside.

Though Zi Hour had passed, it was clearly nowhere near the time when roosters should crow.

He had been fooled!

Li Yan's heart was filled with regret.

He had never expected to be tricked at the very last moment.

Thud!

Just then, a tremendous crash sounded outside the courtyard gate.

This time, he heard it clearly. It was no illusion—something was striking the plaque.

Li Yan hesitated no longer. He burst from the earth, grabbed his blade, and rushed out the door.

According to Widow Wang, the thing would leave at the end of Chou Hour, at the start of Yin Hour, when the rooster crowed for the first time.

The time was nearly upon them. Perhaps the Substitute Divine Statue could hold out until then.

Thud!

Another impact came, even louder than before.

Even the courtyard's wooden gate rattled violently.

Li Yan stood with his saber held crosswise, killing intent continuously gathering in his eyes.

As the old saying went, ghosts and phantoms feared evil men. He had practiced martial arts for years; perhaps, with the baleful intent in his chest, he could harm this thing.

"Cock-a-doodle-doo—!"

At that moment, the large rooster in the house hopped onto its wooden perch, stretched out its neck, and let out a loud crow that echoed in all directions.

The crashing outside the door stopped abruptly.

At the same time, the neighbors' chickens began to crow as well.

Even through the crack in the door, Li Yan could smell Blind Old Three's scent rapidly receding.

Perhaps from clashing with the "Victorious in a Hundred Battles" plaque, Blind Old Three's scent had become exceedingly faint. Everywhere it passed, the village dogs bristled and barked wildly.

Even so, Li Yan did not act rashly.

Only when a sliver of fish-belly white appeared along the horizon did he push open the door and step outside.

As expected, the large rooster tied at the entrance had kicked the bucket again.

Its death was even more miserable than yesterday's. Clearly, that thing had been greatly angered after being deceived twice in a row.

Li Yan's face was grim, without the slightest joy at having escaped alive.

He had truly witnessed that thing's cunning and terror last night.

How was he supposed to deal with it next time?

Crack!

The "Victorious in a Hundred Battles" plaque finally could not hold on any longer. A long fissure split open from below, while that incense-like fragrance swiftly dissipated.

Li Yan sighed inwardly.

Even the treasure protecting the house had been destroyed. Truly, when the roof leaked, it rained without end.

Just then, something fell from the crack in the "Victorious in a Hundred Battles" plaque, clinking as it rolled across the ground. It was, astonishingly, three copper coins.

Li Yan picked them up one by one and examined them carefully.

The copper coins were round with square holes, but their patterns were entirely different from those used in daily life. On one side was a raised design depicting a divine general clad in armor, surrounded by tiny talismans.

On the other side were engraved the Sun, Moon, and Star...

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