Lost-Trace Forest

As Xu Feng watched Master open it, gust after gust of fierce wind swirled from the broken blade.

The moment the wind rose, Xu Feng noticed the trees nearby seemed to stir!

Even Xu Feng could not help grabbing what lay at his side. He gripped the shovel tight and touched the Protective Talisman around his neck with his other hand.

An imposing aura radiated from the Protective Talisman. Xu Feng opened the map, and after Master spoke the place's name, he saw a line of text appear on it.

[Lost-Trace Forest].

Xu Feng asked, "Master, what is this?"

Master held the broken blade. "This is what I borrowed from your Uncle Liu. A broken blade used by the previous generation.

"An Executioner's blade isn't like a geomancer's compass. An Executioner's blade is meant to pass from one generation to the next."

"But there's another rule: once the blade breaks, it can't be passed on. You can melt it down and forge a new blade, or bury it with the previous owner.

"At the very least, send it away with a Soul Bottle."

"Whatever you do, you can't keep it!

"This time, I'm borrowing this blade and its Killing Intent to make a trip through Lost-Trace Forest."

"Keep hold of your shovel and stay by my side. No matter what you hear or see, don't panic. Understand?

"Remember these words: gods and ghosts fear the wicked. Got it?"

Xu Feng took out his shovel and looked at the bizarre trees ahead, their twisted branches tangled like wild beards. He nodded slowly. "I understand, Master!"

Master went on, "You should know that what we're doing this time is still saving 'people.'"

"Beneath Lost-Trace Forest lie the bodies of those who died over the years. Their souls were imprisoned among these trees, too. Left there long enough, they'll become a scourge. This time, you're going to dig them all out."

"I'll be right beside you, holding the line! If you run into trouble—"

He took several paper packets from his side and handed them to Xu Feng. Xu Feng saw no game prompt, so he asked, "Master, what's this?"

Master said, "This is ash from the incense at the Earth God Shrine. If you encounter anything evil, don't stop to think. Muster your courage, shout from the pit of your stomach, and throw this in the ghost's face. Remember that!"

Xu Feng put the packets away. "I'll remember, Master!"

Master nodded and took his place in front, blade in hand. Then he asked Xu Feng, "Are you afraid?"

Xu Feng let out a long breath. "Not too afraid, but I'm a little nervous."

Master replied, "Nervous? All the more reason to go. The first time is strange; the second is familiar. Once you've seen enough, you'll know there's nothing more to it."

"The first step in facing gods and ghosts is not being afraid.

"If fear takes hold, the fire in your heart goes out! Your spirit crumbles! Whatever happens, don't let your spirit crumble."

Then he added softly, "Besides, your Master is still here. With me here, what have you got to fear?"

With that, he led Xu Feng forward. "Dig them up and bury or burn them, and the Yin Virtue will all be yours. If you want to keep working as a Corpse Sewer, the more Yin Virtue you have, the better. There's a saying in this trade, too.

"Yin Virtue shelters you, and Heaven won't fail you."

In Luoyin County.

The Householder Daoist the tall, thin Master had seen—Daoist Zhou—was still inside the Qian Family residence.

Now, however, he had donned his ritual robes and the Three Purities and Five Buddhas Crown. He stood solemnly!

All around him was chaos. Daoist Zhou's disciples and Qian Dayou's servants were busy moving things.

Master Qian stood behind the Daoist, looking at his robes.

They were stitched together from scraps of cloth. Each scrap bore a name and a handprint—a sight to make anyone covet them!

The robes themselves were a rare treasure!

As for the Three Purities and Five Buddhas Crown, it was, naturally, a crown.

Six plaques stood upright upon it.

The first bore the words "Supreme Venerable of the Three Purities."

Of the remaining five, three were inscribed "Past," "Present," and "Future" for the three Buddhas. The other two were blank, their purpose unknown.

Only Daoist Zhou knew that he had not invited those two Buddhas.

Xu Feng was not there, so he did not know how sharp his Master's eye was. Most matters concerning the three teachings and nine schools of society needed only to pass before his Master's eyes once for him to judge them correctly.

Daoist Zhou was one example.

Though Daoist Zhou was nominally a Householder Daoist, he studied anything he could, with neither a master nor a lineage to pass on its teachings. For a Householder Daoist like him, finding a systematic method was difficult. Wealth, companions, teachings, and a suitable place to practice were all hard to come by.

Advancing beyond that was harder still.

Yet now, Daoist Zhou carefully removed a cast-bronze ritual seal from his waist and held it in one hand, palm up as though supporting a pagoda. Turning to Qian Dayou, he asked, "Master Qian, have you prepared the sacrificial offerings as I instructed?"

Qian Dayou immediately tore his gaze from Daoist Zhou's robes. "Yes, yes. The altar's been set up too, not far from here."

Daoist Zhou nodded. "Take me there."

Master Qian, Qian Dayou, hurried ahead to lead the way. Daoist Zhou followed, his long sleeves billowing, then suddenly asked, "Master Qian, I fear what happened to your mother isn't a case of a lost soul."

"I suspect someone is making mischief behind the scenes, and that you, Master Qian, are the target!"

"Have you offended anyone lately? Perhaps some craftsman?"

At this, Qian Dayou cried out as if wronged before heaven. "I wouldn't dare hide anything from you, sir. Nothing of the sort has happened—"

"Nothing of the sort?"

When Daoist Zhou saw he would get nothing from him, he asked no more.

They turned past walls, crossed alleys, passed through doors, and unlocked gates.

A few steps later, Daoist Zhou arrived before the prepared altar.

The altar was a large table brought from who knew where. Everything required had been arranged on it beneath a large tree. The courtyard was quiet, and Daoist Zhou's two disciples, already dressed in ritual robes, stood waiting nearby.

Daoist Zhou made a circuit of the place. "Good. Not bad."

He turned to Master Qian, who had followed him. "Master Qian, I'm about to perform a rite to summon a soul back and question it."

"Have your men nail shut the coffins containing the bodies that appeared over the past few days, and leave them outside the gate.

"When you hear the bell ring in here, send someone to check which coffin outside is making a sound!

"Whichever one it is, have that coffin carried in. Make no mistake."

Qian Dayou answered at once, "Of course, of course. I'll see to it."

Daoist Zhou said, "Good. You may leave!"

Qian Dayou respectfully left the courtyard. Once he had closed its gate, the elder of Daoist Zhou's two disciples asked, "Master, what's going on? Weren't we here to summon the old lady's soul? Why are we summoning a soul to question it now?"

Daoist Zhou glared at his disciple. "You deserve a beating!"

But he only said it. He had no intention of actually striking his disciple.

The question brought back the fleeting, terrifying glimpse he had caught of the corpse atop the wall while summoning the old lady's soul last night. "I'm afraid things aren't so simple.

"Who knows what we might bring back when we summon the old lady's soul!"

After all, when he had performed the summoning last night, he had brought back a ghost!