The next morning's lesson went on as usual.
When it ended, everyone bowed and dispersed. Only then did Shen Hui step forward.
"Master."
Ji Chen opened his eyes and looked at him. "What is it?"
"Yesterday, I went to the back mountain and ran into someone."
The Old Daoist slowly sat upright from where he'd been leaning against the chair. His gaze lingered on Shen Hui's face for a moment. "Who?"
Shen Hui chose his words carefully, then recounted everything that had happened the day before.
He left out a few details, saying only that he'd encountered a White-headed Macaque while walking in the mountains, followed it, and come across an old man who manipulated a Soul Banner.
When he mentioned how the old man had used Black Wind to corrode things and sent ghosts to seize people, the Old Daoist's brows were already furrowed.
"You said he was offering up a Banner?"
The Old Daoist set down his teacup, his voice turning grave. "What kind of Banner?"
"A white Banner, with black qi swirling across its surface. I could faintly hear the wails of ghosts."
Shen Hui thought for a moment, then added, "He also released a great many Yin Souls and evil ghosts from a gourd. They were extremely vicious."
The Old Daoist's expression changed completely.
"Soul Banner, Yin Souls, ghosts..." The Old Daoist spoke slowly, his voice sinking. "That's the way of the Yin Soul Sect and the Hundred Ghosts Gate."
"The Yin Soul Sect?"
"A sect devoted to cultivating sinister arts of the Yin Soul. It's divided into several branches, and the Hundred Ghosts Gate is one of them."
Rarely, the Old Daoist's voice carried a note of solemnity. "Those in this sect mostly use Soul Banners as their life-bound magic weapons, raising their cultivation by imprisoning the souls of the dead. The more times a Soul Banner is refined, the more souls it absorbs, and the more powerful it becomes. At first, a Banner with a hundred souls can corrode flesh and blood. Then comes a thousand souls, enough to command a hundred ghosts and wreak havoc in broad daylight. As for ten thousand souls..."
He paused, his gaze darkening.
"Once a Ten Thousand Soul Banner is complete, it can create a domain of ghosts. It can even trap and kill a Golden Core True Person."
Shen Hui's heart tightened.
"You said you killed him?" the Old Daoist suddenly asked.
"Yes."
"How?"
Shen Hui briefly recounted the fight, leaving out the other spells he'd used.
The Old Daoist listened in silence for a long while, then suddenly raised his hand and rapped Shen Hui on the head.
"You've got some nerve!"
The blow wasn't light. Shen Hui winced and hunched his shoulders, but didn't dare dodge.
"You've been cultivating for less than a year, and you already dared to fight an Evil Cultivator from the Yin Soul Sect?"
The Old Daoist glared at him, his beard bristling. "If that man had been prepared, with his Soul Banner fully refined, your meager Dao Xing might not have been enough to get you home alive."
"This disciple knows he was wrong, but he truly had no choice."
Shen Hui admitted his mistake honestly. "At first, I was targeted by the White-headed Macaque he'd raised. Then I saw the bones in that clearing..."
He paused, his voice dropping. "There were at least ten sets. I meant to retreat, but the old man wouldn't let me leave. He said he wanted me to 'protect his ritual.' I had no choice but to strike first."
The Old Daoist's anger gradually subsided, replaced by a thoughtful look.
"Dark Yin Hermit..."
He repeated the name, then shook his head. "Never heard of him. But Evil Cultivators who refine Soul Banners like that have killed at least eighty innocent people, if not a hundred."
He stroked his beard, his tone softening. "If he's dead, he's dead. You did the people a service."
Shen Hui breathed a sigh of relief. Then he remembered something else, took the Jadeite Gourd from inside his robes, and held it out with both hands.
"Master, I also got this from him. I don't know where it came from."
The Old Daoist took it and examined it for a moment.
The gourd was emerald green all over, its sheen smooth and lustrous. It felt heavy in his hand.
He turned it over several times, then pulled out the stopper and peered inside. At last, he held the gourd in his palm, closed his eyes, and let a soft green glow rise from his hand.
A moment later, he spoke. "This item can contain a vast space within a tiny one. It can change size at will, and it can also hold Yin Souls and ghosts that have been refined."
He put the stopper back in and handed it to Shen Hui. "It's a useful treasure. I wonder where that man got it."
Shen Hui took the gourd and asked, "Can I use it?"
"Of course."
Ji Chen explained how to refine it.
It wasn't difficult. He only needed to nourish it daily with his own spiritual energy. In less than ten days, he'd be able to change its size and take things in and out at will.
Shen Hui happily put the gourd away, hesitated, then asked, "Master, it seemed that man had also cultivated a method called 'Corpse Condensation Sword Refinement.' Have you ever heard of it?"
The Old Daoist frowned and thought for a moment. "Corpse Condensation Sword Refinement?"
"Yes."
Shen Hui nodded. "I killed him before he could use it. I only caught the name, so I don't know what sort of method it is."
Ji Chen thought it over, then shook his head. "I haven't heard of it. There are as many methods in this world as hairs on an ox. I'm no immortal. How could I know them all?"
He looked at Shen Hui. "Why do you ask?"
Shen Hui sighed helplessly. "That man's methods seemed rather sinister. I'm worried he might have senior members of his sect. I wanted to find out more so I can be better prepared in the future."
"No need to worry."
At that, the Old Daoist waved a hand. "The Yin Soul Sect's lair is on East Sea Yingzhou, more than ten thousand miles from here."
As he spoke, his tone turned stern again. "But next time you run into something like this, think carefully about what you're capable of first. Some mistakes are ones you'll regret for the rest of your life."
Shen Hui dutifully answered, "Yes."
He'd meant to take his leave, but as he reached the door, he remembered something else.
"Master, does the Temple have any books about cultivation sects? I know too little about them, and I'd like to read up. If I run into another Evil Cultivator, I'll be able to recognize where they come from and know their strengths and weaknesses."
Ji Chen looked at him. "There are no books like that."
Shen Hui was taken aback.
"Which sect would write down its secret methods and let anyone read them?"
Ji Chen stood and walked to the window, turning his back to Shen Hui. "Come down the mountain with me in a few days. When we have time on the road, I'll tell you about them."
Shen Hui was delighted and was just about to thank him when Ji Chen continued, "But before we leave the mountain, there's something else you need to do."
"What?"
"Learn a few Talisman Arts."
The Old Daoist turned around. "Forget the Medicine Art for now, but you should at least learn a few simple talismans for treating illnesses and driving away evil. They'll come in handy once we're down the mountain."
A hint of displeasure crept into his voice. "Our Clear Wind Temple is, after all, a proper Daoist temple. You can't just go around fighting and killing. When you're traveling the world, you can't set every possessed patient you meet on fire, can you?"
"...This disciple understands."
"The book on talismans..." The Old Daoist thought for a moment. "Jinghui borrowed it. If you want to read it, go ask her."