Scatter Beans to Soldiers (Requesting Monthly Tickets)

Little Stream Village also had an ancestral hall.

It was the Zhang Family Ancestral Hall, called the Gushing Spring Hall.

Compared with Shu Village's ancestral hall, this one was much more modest. It could not hold a candle to the Wang Family Ancestral Hall in Heng Village; it probably could not even compare with an ordinary branch shrine of the Wang Family.

Still, this was where the ancestors of the Zhang Family of Little Stream Village lay at rest. The villagers believed their ancestors' spirits could bless their descendants. So after Zhang Da was injured, they worried that seeing him would frighten his elderly mother and decided not to carry him home. Their first thought was to bring him here to the ancestral hall.

But they had not expected someone else to already be here.

There were two young Daoists. From their robes and headpieces, they looked like members of the Talisman School their master had mentioned. One seemed to be in his twenties, while the other looked barely older than a teenager.

When they saw the group rush in in a panic, they hurriedly asked:

"What happened?"

"He was injured by Yin Ghosts."

"You three Daoist friends are..."

"Mount Yi, Floating Hill Temple. This poor Daoist is Li Miaolin." Third Senior Brother stepped forward. "These are my Junior Brother and Junior Sister. We came with the villagers to exterminate demons."

"Mount Qi Yun, Profound Heaven Temple. I'm Qing Xuan." The Daoist in his twenties stepped forward. "This is my Junior Brother, Ma Cunshu. The villagers came to ask for help, so our master sent us down the mountain to gain experience."

"Let's not talk about that now!"

The villagers hurriedly helped Zhang Da sit down.

The torchlight illuminated the ancestral hall, and the faded portraits of the ancestors gazed down at them with pained expressions.

Zhang Da's clothes had been torn open across his chest and soaked with blood. When they lifted the fabric, three shocking gashes came into view, arranged in a neat row.

"What injured him?"

The Daoist from Mount Qi Yun, Qing Xuan, asked.

"It seemed like some kind of bird?"

Third Senior Brother frowned as he spoke, though he was not sure.

Third Senior Brother mainly cultivated the art of Bean Soldiers, a simplified version of the legendary technique of scattering beans to summon soldiers. This spell might excel at marching to war, defending cities, and breaching enemy lines; it might also be good for Spell Combat. But it was not suited to fighting Yin Ghosts. On top of that, Zhang Da had walked ahead on his own and charged straight at the Yin Ghost. Even a highly skilled cultivator might not have reacted in time.

In the darkness, the thing had blended into the night. In the hurried confusion, they had only managed to get a rough look at it.

"A bird?"

Daoist Master Qing Xuan bent over to examine the wounds.

"Are you the brave man Zhang Da mentioned on the road—the one who led people to fight the Ghosts? You were far too reckless! If you'd already asked the villagers to invite us, why didn't you wait for us to arrive?"

It sounded like the two Daoist Masters had only arrived after dark as well.

"I really couldn't hold back... It was my fault for being careless, too. I didn't expect something else to be hiding in there!" Zhang Da said weakly, though he seemed clearheaded. "It's not too serious, is it?"

"The wounds aren't very deep. With your physique, you should be able to pull through if you rest and recover. But if you were hurt by a Yin entity, Yin Qi or Ghost Qi may have been left behind. That's harder to say." Daoist Master Qing Xuan replied.

"It's Death Qi," Third Senior Brother said.

"Death Qi?"

Daoist Master Qing Xuan's expression tightened.

He immediately took several talismans from his robe and picked one out. He joined his fingers in a sword sign, pinched the talisman between them, and muttered an incantation. After shaking it a few times, it burst into flame with a whoosh.

"Go!"

At once, he pressed the flame against Zhang Da's chest.

"Hiss..."

In the glow of the fire, wisps of Black Smoke visibly rose.

"This talisman of mine can summon pure spiritual energy. It should be able to suppress the Death Qi for now. Once it's daylight, we can ask someone to fetch a senior from my Profound Heaven Temple to treat him," Daoist Master Qing Xuan said.

Third Senior Brother leaned closer and breathed out as well.

"This poor Daoist cultivates the Yin Yang Spiritual Law. This breath of pure Yin Yang Spiritual Charm should also help suppress it somewhat," Third Senior Brother said. "My Junior Brother is skilled in medicine, too, and can remove the Death Qi."

"Then it depends on which temple is closer."

"Mount Qi Yun is closer," said one of the more experienced villagers.

Only then did they finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Lin Jue began sizing up the two Daoists.

He couldn't help it. They came from Mount Qi Yun, and when he had left the village to seek immortality and the Dao, Mount Qi Yun had been the first place he wanted to visit.

It seemed the people of Little Stream Village had not only gone to Mount Yi to seek help from Floating Hill Temple, but had also appealed to Profound Heaven Temple on Mount Qi Yun, the most famous temple around. Judging from what they said, however, they probably had not expected to actually persuade a Daoist Master from Profound Heaven Temple to come. Yet the people of Mount Qi Yun had really come.

It looked like one Senior Brother had brought along a Junior Brother.

From what had just happened, the Daoists of Mount Qi Yun clearly had no shortage of skills. It was just that their abilities seemed to lie entirely in their talismans, and they could not tell with the naked eye whether a wound contained Yin Qi or Ghost Qi.

They could only rely on experience and guesswork.

"Even if an ordinary bird becomes a spirit, it wouldn't carry Death Qi. And if it really had cultivated some kind of ability through Death Qi, it wouldn't have stopped after clawing him once. It was most likely some kind of evil creature that coexisted with Death Qi, either transformed into a bird or naturally shaped like one." Daoist Master Qing Xuan mused. He truly seemed to have plenty of experience exorcising demons and catching Ghosts.

"That's very likely," Third Senior Brother said. "I don't know whether the Death Qi here gave birth to it or whether it brought the Death Qi here. Judging by what happened today, it hasn't grown powerful yet and is still cultivating. Zhang Da forced it out, and it probably resents him for that."

As he spoke, he couldn't help turning to look outside.

Outside, the night lay thick and dark.

"If it realizes we've come to get rid of it and can't cultivate there anymore, something bad may happen tonight."

"You're right, Daoist friend."

"If it doesn't vent its anger by hurting someone and then leave, it'll kill us and keep cultivating here." Third Senior Brother's expression was calm, without a trace of his usual drunkenness.

But those words badly frightened the villagers in the ancestral hall and the young Daoist standing beside Daoist Master Qing Xuan.

"In that case, let us discuss how to drive out the Yin Qi and Death Qi here, and get rid of this evil creature as well." Daoist Master Qing Xuan remained calm and saluted. "I hope you'll join the two of us in lending a hand."

"We're here to rid the people of harm. No need for formalities."

Third Senior Brother, who had earlier said he would let Lin Jue make the decisions, had sobered up as soon as he saw that strange bird.

"To be honest, before leaving the mountain, I sought the Divine Lord's guidance at our temple. But I thought we were dealing only with some Yin Qi and lingering spirits, so I didn't take it seriously." Daoist Master Qing Xuan sounded troubled. "Most of the talismans I brought are for protection or to repel Yin Ghosts and lingering spirits."

"That's understandable. We thought it was only Yin Qi and lingering spirits, too. Otherwise, I wouldn't have brought my Junior Brother and Junior Sister." Third Senior Brother sighed. "The world's getting more and more chaotic. Things like this never happened before."

"Indeed..."

"Daoist Friend Qing Xuan, do you have any good way to drive out the Death Qi here?"

"We can only wait until tomorrow, set up an altar, and seek the Divine Lord's guidance. Then we can borrow the power of the Thunder General under the Divine Lord's command."

In other words, there was nothing they could do tonight.

Third Senior Brother nodded and said no more. "In that case, leave tonight's business to us!"

"Thank you, Daoist friend!"

"Why thank me? We each have our strengths, so let's each do our part. I'll trouble you tomorrow." Third Senior Brother returned his salute.

Lin Jue and Junior Sister followed suit.

From the looks of it, Mount Qi Yun seemed quite upright, too.

That made sense. Cultivators of the Talisman School worshiped deities, but their ultimate goal was to receive a register of their own and ascend to Heaven after death, taking their place among the immortals. So even as they worshiped the gods, they had to cultivate their own character and virtue.

"Let me think..."

The torchlight filled the ancestral hall as Third Senior Brother paced, deep in thought.

He thought for a while, but could come up with no good plan.

Then he turned to his Junior Brother.

He thought this Junior Brother was clever.

"The first thing it did after being forced out was risk getting hurt to injure Zhang Da. It must resent him for disrupting its cultivation, or perhaps Zhang Da cursed it badly. It seems like the vengeful sort." Though Lin Jue had not been cultivating at Floating Hill Temple for long, he already had some experience dealing with demons and Ghosts. "If we go into the village, it might come here to find Zhang Da. If we guard this place, it might cause trouble in the village!"

"Then what should we do?"

"We may have to split into two groups."

"Perfect! That's what I thought, too!" Third Senior Brother clapped his hands. "No big deal. I'll go outside and look for it. You can stay here and guard the place. How's that?"

"By yourself?"

Lin Jue's eyes flew open.

It wasn't just him. Everyone in the ancestral hall was taken aback and turned to look at Third Senior Brother.

"Don't worry about me. Can you handle it?"

"I'm not afraid."

Lin Jue's expression was resolute as well.

"Then that settles it!"

Third Senior Brother untied a Cloth Bag from his waist. By the light of the many torches, he picked out several Beans and tossed them onto the ground.

"Go!"

The moment the Beans left his hand, they grew. When they hit the ground, they became people.

In an instant, they transformed into several armored soldiers, each with a different appearance and build.

Two were broad and burly, clad in armor and wielding long halberds. Two others were short and stocky, also wearing armor, with a round shield in one hand and a long saber in the other. Four more were taller, each holding a powerful bow, with a quiver full of feathered arrows hanging at his waist.

Lin Jue couldn't help staring in astonishment.

So did the two men from Mount Qi Yun, while the villagers looked as if they had witnessed a miracle.

"Scatter Beans to Soldiers!"

The Daoists from Mount Qi Yun cried out in amazement.

"It's not quite like the legendary version." Third Senior Brother glanced at Lin Jue. "Don't be too surprised. There's something even better! I can lend these armored soldiers to others, so I'll leave two archers with you! Give them simple instructions and they'll understand. Don't say anything complicated!"

As he spoke, he pointed at the two archers, then at Lin Jue.

"You two heroes! Listen to him!"

"Hiss..."

The two archers immediately turned and strode over with heavy footsteps. Their armor clinked as they came to a halt in front of Lin Jue and stared straight at him.

"Are you regretting learning alchemy from Second Senior Brother? What's so fun about that stuff!"

"Third Senior Brother, be serious..."

"Haha! Then be careful, everyone!"

"You be careful too, Senior Brother."

"Right..."

Third Senior Brother took out his wine gourd and gave it a shake. There was still half a gourd of fruit wine inside, so he smiled in satisfaction and headed outside.

"Evil thing! Your grandpa's here to invite you for a drink!"

A few steps took him out of the ancestral hall and beyond the reach of the firelight. Lin Jue walked him to the entrance and faintly heard him chant:

"Heaven and earth stretch far and wide; spirits of this place, heed my command! Divine light, pure as water, shall pierce ten thousand ages of darkness! Demons and Ghosts, come forth—hide not your forms from the light! In the Three Realms of Yin and Yang, my curse shall reveal your shape!"

Then he saw him scatter a few more Beans. They transformed into armored soldiers and followed him, their ranks growing larger and larger, armor clanking and footsteps heavy.

Lin Jue was both amazed and worried.

By now, he had heard that their Grandmaster had lived a long life and died late, so by the time their master took over Floating Hill Temple, he was already quite old. He could only take disciples after becoming the temple's head, so the Senior Brothers hadn't spent all that long cultivating on the mountain. Even First Senior Brother had only been there a little over ten years, while Second Senior Brother and Third Senior Brother had been there for ten years at most.

So many of the Senior Brothers were not highly cultivated.

But from his conversation with Daoist Wang Ji Zi of Immortal Source Temple, Lin Jue had roughly guessed that their temple had another skill, one passed down only to the eldest disciple. It seemed that this skill helped Floating Hill Temple choose talented disciples.

Wang Ji Zi had always sounded bitter about it.

Yet Lin Jue hadn't expected Third Senior Brother to possess such an ability—and such courage.

Lin Jue looked away and turned to the two archers beside him. They seemed to have the texture of wood, yet their armor gleamed like metal. He had no idea how they had been made. They were broad and powerful, and every step they took seemed solid and weighty, giving him an inexplicable sense of security.

Could they be even more formidable than the elite soldiers in the imperial court?

Finding it all too fascinating, he pointed at Junior Sister, then thought for a moment about how Third Senior Brother had phrased things before saying:

"You two heroes! Stand on either side of her!"

"Hiss..."

The two Bean Soldiers immediately stepped forward and took their places on either side of Junior Sister, standing ready.

Magic was truly wondrous.