When Men Light Candles, Ghosts Blow Them Out

The Plum-for-Peach Substitution Technique was called a spell, but in truth, it was a whole series of techniques.

Among them were specialized methods such as paper-folding and wood-carving.

As Chen Shaojun received the spell, he naturally came to understand these techniques as well.

Paper-folding looked simple, but it required special talisman paper. Using the three-fold, three-part method, one had to fashion the talisman paper into a paper effigy, then use yin water to dot its eyes and yang water to paint its shell.

Though so-called yin water and yang water were, in fact, simply stagnant water and running water—water without a source and water with a source.

Of course, if one was wealthy, one could directly melt gold and silver into water.

Gold and silver were the root of all evil; with money paving the way, nothing was impossible, and the results would naturally be better.

But Chen Shaojun was poor.

For the moment, he could not gather all the necessary materials, so he chose the wood-carving method.

A piece of wood and a carving knife.

After spending less than half an hour, the image of a black dog appeared before him.

Then, he took out some dog fur, tied it onto the wooden carving with black cloth, and only then began casting the spell.

Without Dao Essence, he likewise used his spiritual power as the guide.

Yet the Plum-for-Peach Substitution Technique involved things even more profound than the Divine Gaze Technique and Spirit Eye Technique. It required him to draw talismans with spiritual power and imprint them onto the wooden carving in the form of runes.

The rune structures themselves were not complicated.

This spell involved only three runes in total.

But the difficulty lay in using spiritual power to trace the runes and carve them into the wood.

Chen Shaojun's spiritual power had already been more than half depleted from repeatedly using the Divine Gaze Technique to appraise treasures, leaving him utterly exhausted.

Now, after inscribing the three runes, he was almost completely drained.

He only felt mentally exhausted and bloodless, as though he had not slept for three days and three nights. There was also a hollow feeling in his mind, occasional spasms, and a headache as though someone were hammering his skull with a heavy mallet.

"This is what it looks like when one's energy has run dry and can no longer continue."

Chen Shaojun shook his head. He felt that if he closed his eyes, he would likely fall asleep the very next moment.

He had not experienced this feeling of overtaxing his mind in a long time.

Not daring to hesitate, he hurriedly took out a spiritual pill.

It was one of the seven treasures previously rewarded by the Spirit-Seeking Treasure Mirror: a Spirit-Nurturing Pill.

It could restore energy and nourish the soul.

It was also one of Chen Shaojun's sources of confidence when facing the ghost within the Jade Ruyi.

He swallowed the Spirit-Nurturing Pill in one gulp.

Almost instantly, a cool sensation rapidly rose within his mind.

His originally depleted spiritual power seemed to be watered and nourished, swiftly beginning to recover.

At the same time, Chen Shaojun felt his entire body and mind sink into a warm, comfortable state, as though he were lying in a heated bed or resting within a mother's womb. It was so pleasant that he nearly became immersed in it.

Yet the effects of a spiritual pill would eventually come to an end.

Before even the time it took for an incense stick to burn, Chen Shaojun emerged from that unusual state.

"As expected of a Spirit-Nurturing Pill.

Just one pill completely restored my depleted spiritual power.

In fact, I feel that my spiritual power is much stronger than before?"

Chen Shaojun opened his eyes. Feeling his active spiritual power, faintly radiating through his body, he compared it inwardly and naturally understood that his spiritual power had recovered—and had become far stronger than before.

This improvement was an unexpected delight to him.

His spiritual power had recovered.

The preparations for the Plum-for-Peach Substitution Technique were also complete.

Chen Shaojun finally turned his gaze toward the Jade Ruyi.

The Jade Ruyi was somewhat yellowed and dim overall. From afar, it even looked ink-black, the result of yin energy gathering and accumulating over a long period.

It had to be said that its appearance was not particularly impressive.

He did not know how the scarred man had spotted this Jade Ruyi at a glance and insisted on buying it no matter what.

Chen Shaojun gave a cold laugh and reached out to grab the Jade Ruyi. The icy sensation made his hand tremble involuntarily.

He hurriedly placed the Jade Ruyi on the table, then began lighting candles and burning incense.

The moment he lit the candle, a light breeze swept past, causing the flame to flicker as though it might go out at any moment.

Shielding it from the breeze, Chen Shaojun placed the candle in the southwest corner.

Then he took out three sticks of bamboo incense, lit them one by one, and placed them before the Jade Ruyi.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

A gust of yin wind suddenly swept through the sealed room.

The candle in the southwest corner was snuffed out instantly.

Chen Shaojun looked at the lit bamboo incense again.

Though they were still burning, changes had gradually appeared. The two incense sticks at the sides were clearly burning faster and had already burned down by a third, while the one in the middle had barely begun.

"When men light candles, ghosts blow them out.

It really has appeared."

A chill ran through Chen Shaojun's heart.

After hesitating for a moment, he rose and lit the candle again.

But just as he turned around, a gust of yin wind swept past.

The candle went out again.

He could not light it a third time.

He knew that things should never happen more than three times; even ghosts would grow impatient.

If he lit it a third time, the ghost would think he was mocking it, appear directly, and come looking for trouble.

Looking at the other side, all three sticks of bamboo incense had now gone out.

They had formed the exact pattern of two short and one long.

"People fear three longs and two shorts; incense fears two shorts and one long.

Both omens have come true."

Chen Shaojun took a deep breath.

Though he had known this already, he still gritted his teeth and began the appraisal.

Fortunately, the rewards from his previous consecutive treasure appraisals had given him confidence, ensuring that he would not be left helpless.

But before beginning the appraisal, he still glanced around.

To his surprise, he discovered that the originally milky-white White-Cut Stones placed throughout the room had begun turning black.

That truly caught him off guard.

He had not expected Ayong's Four-Square Formation to be simple yet genuinely effective.

It was only a pity that what he faced this time was not ordinary Killing Intent, but a true ghost.

The Four-Square Formation could only exert limited effect.

"Let's begin!"

Chen Shaojun took out the black dog wooden carving and held it before himself, then calmed his breath and focused his mind.

However, the first technique he used was not the Divine Gaze Technique.

It was the Spirit Eye Technique.

He needed to see more clearly how the yin energy would change and how the ghost hidden within it would attack.

The Spirit Eye Technique was activated.

Changes immediately appeared upon the Jade Ruyi.

Yin energy covered the top, while a ghost dwelled within.

Because Chen Shaojun was closer to the Jade Ruyi this time.

The dense yin energy and the ghost lingering within it became even clearer to see.

"There are at least a hundred strands of yin Baleful Intent.

Once yin energy reaches a hundred strands, will it condense together and form a canopy?

That ghost's soul body is somewhat illusory and not particularly stable. Though it occasionally bares its fangs and brandishes its claws, it also feels weak.

This ghost should not be all that powerful, right?"

Chen Shaojun widened his eyes, yet his heart had no certainty.

Even the weakest ghost was still a ghost.

The unknown was the most terrifying thing of all.

The only thing that gave him some comfort was that he had recognized the ghost's appearance. It was Zhao Quan, who had died at the hands of the scarred man.

That made him secretly loosen his breath.

A grievance had its source, and a debt had its owner.

No matter how one counted it, this yin soul's enemy should not be him.