"The Ten Thousand Souls Banner gathers ten thousand souls into an artifact and commands a thousand spirits as soldiers."
"On the day the banner is completed, all living things within a hundred li will flee, while ghosts and gods alike will be shaken—"
The opening lines certainly talked big, but Chen Mo paid them no mind. Things like this always had to begin with some intimidating nonsense.
He continued reading.
..The method of refinement places materials above all else. Take thunderstruck wood over a hundred years old for the shaft, three chi and three cun in length, as thick as a thumb.
"Tempered by heavenly lightning, thunderstruck wood contains a fierce yang energy, yet it is especially effective at suppressing yin souls. Using it for the shaft can prevent the evil ghosts within the banner from backlashing against its wielder."
Chen Mo nodded slightly. Though thunderstruck wood was difficult to find, it was not entirely unavailable on the market.
"The banner itself is woven from black silkworm silk, three chi and six cun long, two chi and four cun wide."
"Then mix corpse oil with cinnabar and draw seventy-two ghost patterns upon the banner—"
"If black silkworm silk is unavailable, black satin over a hundred years old may be used instead, but it must first be buried atop a grave for seven days and allowed to absorb sufficient yin energy before use...
When Chen Mo saw the words "corpse oil," he frowned, but said nothing.
Corpse oil was certainly inauspicious, but at least it was rendered from a corpse rather than taken from a living person. Barely acceptable, one might say.
Compared to skinning people alive, this was practically refined.
"After the banner and shaft have been joined as one, seventy-two ghost patterns must be drawn upon the banner...
Chen