The Book of Spells (Thanks to Patron "Yidu Aah" for the Alliance Leader)

"Exhale Qi.

"A method commonly used by Demonic Spirits and Ghosts.

"Once anything in this world attains the Dao, Vital Energy naturally arises within it. When it exhales that energy, each has its own effects."

Holding the book, Lin Jue could not help reading aloud in a low voice.

"This method requires neither cultivation nor practice; one need only naturally exhale the Vital Energy within one's body. Thus, it is the spell most commonly used by Mountain Spirits and Wild Monsters, Demonic Spirits and Ghosts. Yet Mountain Spirits and Wild Monsters, Demonic Spirits and Ghosts differ in kind, in the ways they attain the Dao, and in their good or evil natures. The Vital Energy within them therefore differs as well, and so do its effects.

"Some exhale Yellow Qi, which can bewilder the mind; some exhale Black Qi, which can veil one's sight; some exhale Grey Qi, which can send one into slumber; some exhale White Qi, which can cure illness and save lives.

"When Great Powers exhale smoke, it becomes clouds that blot out the sky and cover the sun.

"If humans cultivate and attain the Dao, they too may Exhale Qi. Most exhale White Qi, which has countless wondrous uses. Those who do not cultivate may also forcibly Exhale Qi, but then they exhale Yang Qi. It can only burn Yin Ghosts, has no other use, and harms the body while shortening one's lifespan."

That was the final sentence.

Lin Jue was stunned inwardly.

Could this be a book that recorded spells?

Without thinking, he flipped further back.

"Rustle..."

The sound of pages turning echoed through the silent room.

The instant his fingers touched the page, an almost imperceptible glimmer surfaced upon the paper. At the same time, Lin Jue's gaze turned hazy. His continued turning of the page was merely inertia, and his final glance only saw that the next page was still blank.

Yet words appeared in his mind.

"The heavens possess Five Qi, from which all things transform...

"Monsters are those whose essence and Qi depend upon things..."

They seemed like words, yet not quite.

If they were words, they had no distinction of male or female, no sound at all. It was like silently reciting an ancient poem in his mind, like speaking to himself within his own thoughts.

Yet if they were not words, they formed clear sentences, almost like information transformed from someone's spoken account.

"When Demonic Ghosts Exhale Qi, it is usually Yin Qi or Ghost Qi. So long as their cultivation is not profound, ordinary people may fight them with their own Qi and Blood and their willpower, and there are often victors...

"When those with cultivation Exhale Qi, aside from exhaling Primordial Vital Energy, they may also study spells and alter that Primordial Vital Energy to achieve different effects...

"...

"When those without cultivation Exhale Qi, the method is rarely passed down in this world. Unless a person naturally exhales in the utmost fury, they must transform strength into Qi. The lower force starts from the toes, passes through the Gate of the Po, and enters the dantian; the upper force emerges from the crown of the head, passes through the Shanzhong point, and enters the abdomen. Merge the two into one, gather essence and focus the spirit, hold strength until it becomes Qi, transform Qi into Yang, and suddenly exhale it at the peak of scorching heat...

"..."

That voice explained the method of Exhale Qi in detail.

Aside from the fact that Demonic Spirits and Ghosts naturally knew how to Exhale Qi—which was not explained in detail here—it gave complete, specific methods both for cultivators and for ordinary people exhaling in emergencies. It even included certain insights and personal experience. For ordinary people in particular, it expressly warned that unless it was a critical moment and there was absolutely no other choice, they must not use it lightly.

Even though Lin Jue knew nothing about this path and understood few of the terms, he still grasped some of it.

Could one Exhale Qi without cultivating?

Only through the information imparted by the book did he learn that his grogginess and confusion were not merely due to having been tense all night. He had also been affected by the Monster's Exhale Qi, leaving his Qi and Blood temporarily weakened. He needed plenty of quiet rest.

This really was a book of spells!

He simply did not know where this book had come from.

Could there be some connection behind it?

Lin Jue thought for a while, but could not recall anything for now.

But why had this spell appeared?

Could it be because he had been struck by that Spirits and Monsters' Exhale Qi last night?

"..."

Lin Jue gradually came back to himself. He held the book and examined it over and over, but only this one page bore words.

And he only remembered this passage on "Exhale Qi."

There was nothing else.

Yet this book had no idea how many blank pages, and clearly contained more than this one method of Exhale Qi.

Lin Jue could not help continuing to ponder—

How could he make it reveal more?

Where could he find Daoist magic?

There was a Three Aunt Temple in the village, where the Three Aunt Goddess was worshipped. It was said to be quite efficacious. Lin Jue knew the temple keeper, however. She was merely an ordinary widow from the village who had gone to tend the temple after losing those she had depended on. She swept the temple and wiped down the Divine Statue each day. Whenever there was Incense money, she used it to buy rice and vegetables, meat and cloth. It was considered care from the elders of the Shu Family in the village. In truth, that Madam knew no spells and possessed no Divine Ability.

At least, that was how Lin Jue understood it.

As he thought, his mind drifted back to what had happened last night.

He still did not know what kind of creature that Monster had been. But after dealing with it all night, it had seemed no different from a person in many ways. On closer thought, it was even more interesting than many people Lin Jue knew in this village.

How many Demonic Spirits and Ghosts were there in this world?

Were they all like this?

Or were they strange and varied beyond measure?

How much of those tales of the strange was true, and how much false?

With all manner of scattered thoughts swirling through his mind, he eventually fell asleep.

Until Aunt woke him to eat.

For an ordinary household that had just suffered illness and hardship, the food was naturally exceedingly simple. But Aunt knew that Lin Jue had gone to the Wang Family Ancestral Hall in Heng Village last night and spent the night with a Demonic Ghost. When he returned today, he looked listless. Moreover, he had received thirty taels of patterned silver from the Wang Family, easing their most urgent need. So Aunt still cooked a pot of fish congee and boiled him one of the eggs meant for Uncle, so he could nourish his body.

"Aunt, there is no need to worry. Of these thirty taels today, twenty were the Wang Family's reward, while ten were medicine money given by Old Master Wang. Old Master Wang said that they would bear all the costs of Uncle's illness."

"They were only being polite. How can you take it seriously?"

Madam had already visibly aged. She had many wrinkles to begin with, and now her brow was drawn even tighter.

"Old Master Wang has always loved doing good deeds and cares greatly for his reputation. Besides, his descendants serve as officials in the capital. Since he promised, he will never break his word lightly."

"Mother is right. How can we place all our hopes in others?" Cousin said from beside them. He had a dark, thin face. "If this money is enough to cure the illness, that would be best."

"That is true..."

Lin Jue lowered his head and ate, agreeing with them.

The two of them then told him again that he must never do such a thing in the future. They spoke of how he bore the hopes of the Lin Family, how they needed to answer to his father, and so on. He merely listened in silence.

His head was still somewhat muddled...

But with trouble having befallen the household, where could he find time for quiet rest?

Cousin finished eating first. Afterward, he went to attend Uncle, while Lin Jue took his basket and sickle outside to cut grass.

The grass was for feeding cattle.

Naturally, they were not the Lin Family's cattle, but the village cattle.

Nor did they belong to any one household, because aside from Lin Jue's family upstream along Jiyang Stream, everyone else in the village was considered one family. Strict clan law, filial piety, and lineage ethics bound them together so tightly they could not be cut apart. Having the Lin Family cut grass and tend the cattle was like having that widow serve as the temple keeper of the Three Aunt Temple—it was the Shu Family's kindness, their care for them.

Lin Jue did not mind cutting grass.

He was idle anyway. What difference did it make what he did?

He was simply somewhat weak today, and thoughts kept drifting through his mind. He did not cut quickly. Only after his waist began to ache did he fill his basket and head back.

Someone spotted him on the road—a group of children.

"Hey! Scholar Lin!"

"Who? It really is Second Scholar Lin!"

"Scholar Lin, didn't you say you were going to the haunted Wang Family Ancestral Hall in Heng Village? Did you go?"

"What day are you going?"

Before Lin Jue could answer, he heard another voice from behind him:

"Lin Jue."

With his basket on his back, Lin Jue turned around and saw an old man standing behind him, leaning on a cane and looking at him worriedly. "I heard you did not come back last night. Did you really go to Heng Village?"

"I did."

Lin Jue had no choice but to answer truthfully.

"You went to the ancestral hall?"

"I did."

"How was it? Did you encounter anything?"

"Grandpa Shu..."

Lin Jue looked at this village elder. He was the one who had told him many tales of the strange, and the one who had directed him to the Wang Family Ancestral Hall yesterday. Lin Jue paused for a long while, not knowing what he was thinking. At last, he said with a sigh:

"There really are Demonic Ghosts in this world..."

That one sentence carried countless emotions. Concealed in his tone was an entirely new understanding of the world.

And it had all happened in the span of one night.

"You really encountered one?"

Seeing him like this, the old man also looked at him with deep feeling. "So you encountered one. The world is vast, and nothing is too strange. Do not be afraid—especially do not frighten yourself. Rest well. It is nothing!"

"Grandpa Shu..."

"What is it?"

"Since Demonic Ghosts truly exist in this world, do immortals exist too? Is there cultivation and magic?"

"Of course immortals exist! If there were no immortals, what have we been worshipping all these years?" the old man answered without even thinking. "As for the masters and magic you mentioned, once you leave this place and enough time passes, you will see some things, true and false alike. It all depends on how you discern them."

That meant they existed.

"Then where can one witness these masters and magic?"

"That depends on fate."

"Depends on fate..."

"Why are you thinking about such things? Do not think so much. At your age, studying properly is the proper path. In other places, many people wish to study yet do not even have the conditions you do."

"Yes..."

"Go back and rest. Do not wear yourself out."

The old man could clearly see the exhaustion on his face. He likely assumed Lin Jue had gone to Heng Village on a surge of hot-blooded courage, just like those drunken gamblers who sometimes went there when their courage rose. But once they discovered that Ghosts and Monsters truly haunted the ancestral hall, their courage drained away and they fled back in blind panic. So he reached out and patted Lin Jue's shoulder in comfort, then walked past him on his cane.

He also called away those curious children.

Lin Jue carried his grass and left as well.

By dinnertime, a group of people entered the village.

They were from Heng Village and all bore the surname Wang. Some carried stinky mandarin fish, some held cured meat, some had a jug of wine in one hand, some carried food boxes, and others held bolts of cloth. They passed Lower Bridge Pavilion at the village entrance, followed the stream past many homes and courtyards, crossed Upper Bridge Pavilion, and made their way to the Lin Family home.

Who knew how many people enjoying the evening cool they startled.

Had they not lacked lanterns, colorful ribbons, and red flowers, people might have thought they had come to propose marriage to some family in the village.

Only after asking carefully did they learn that the Lin Family boy had gone to Heng Village last night and spent the night in its ancestral hall. Not only had he remained there for an entire night, he had even persuaded away the Demonic Ghost that had caused trouble for days. The Wang Family had come to offer thanks.