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Beneath the golden light, that hulking, coppery-skinned figure in coarse cloth looked as if he were swathed in holy radiance.
This was none other than Yuan Heng.
To the children who mere moments ago had been fleeing for their lives, he looked no different from a god.
Clang!
Yuan Heng reached out, and that streak of gold landed in his palm. Upon closer inspection, it was a glittering golden dagger.
He opened his mouth and gulped, and the dagger blurred into a streak of misty light and entered his body.
Su Yi then emerged from the distant darkness, playing with a damaged, pale gray pearl.
It was the lowest grade of yin spirit pearl.
Just now, Su Yi killed the crawling, vine-line ghost as soon as he saw it, and the yin spirit pearl fell from its body.
It wasn’t all that rare, but it wasn’t common, either.
Generally speaking, only those ghosts that understood a bit about cultivation could produce such an object.
It was highly unusual to encounter a ghost capable of cultivating haunting a remote place like this.
“Master.” Yuan Heng approached and bowed.
Did he just say ‘master’? Both siblings were stunned. The young man with the dagger seemed like a deity from the heavens, but he was actually just a servant!
Su Yi nodded at Yuan Heng, then looked at the children. “Everything is okay. You don’t have to be nervous.”
The girl climbed to her feet and chirped, “Thank you for saving us, immortal big brothers!”
Her face was covered in dirt, but it shone with gratitude.
Immortals? Yuan Heng laughed. “Master and I aren’t immortals. We’re cultivators, and we just happened to be passing through.”
“Cultivators?” the little girl looked bewildered.
Her older brother, however, rushed up and bowed. “Your Excellencies, thank you for saving our lives.”
“No need for such courtesy,” said Su Yi. He walked up to the girl and pointed to the black jade, red string pendant hanging around her neck. “Little girl, who gave you that?”
The girl said timidly, “My big brother.”
Su Yi was stunned. He looked at the boy and asked, “Where did you find that trinket?”
The boy said hurriedly, “Your Excellency, a little while ago, I visited the Mountain God’s temple on Floating Immortal Ridge. I received the protective talisman from the old man living there, the acolyte in charge of incense. He said that if a small child wore it, it would scare away evil spirits and protect their safety. He told me to bring it home and give it to my little sister.”
The acolyte in charge of the temple’s incense? Su Yi paused, looking thoughtful.
Yuan Heng could tell that something was fishy here too, and his brow furrowed.
The boy asked, “Your Excellency, is there something wrong with the protective talisman?”
“It’s not all that big an issue,” said Su Yi casually. “It’s already late. Mind if we rest our legs at your place tonight?”
The boy hurriedly agreed. “Of course that’s alright. Please, follow me.”
As he spoke, he took the girl’s hand and led the way.
……
The village the siblings lived in was built near the riverbank, at the foot of Floating Immortal Ridge. It was called Grassy Creek Village.
On the way, Su Yi learned that the boy was called Cao Ping, while his little sister was called Cao An. Together, their names formed the word “peace.”
The siblings’ parents died when they were young, and the villagers of Grassy Creek village had supported them materially and looked after them ever since. They’d grown up relying on others’ charity.
It was only a few years ago that Cao Ping grew old enough to fend for himself, and he’d looked after his sister Cao An on his own ever since.
Grassy Creek Village wasn’t at all large, and the siblings still lived in the house their parents had left them, a dilapidated courtyard on the western edge of the village. There were three thatched huts inside, as well as a cowshed and a vegetable garden. Despite its disrepair, everything was neat and organized.
It was already late, and since this was the night of the Ghost Festival, the villages returned after releasing their lanterns onto the river. The village was still and quiet; even the dogs and chickens were silent.
When they entered a thatched hut, Cao Ping lit an oil lamp and boiled water for tea.
Little Cao An sat timidly on a bench, blinking as she evaluated Su Yi and Yuan Heng curiously.
The hut’s interior was simple and crude, with an air of poverty, but it was clear that the siblings' lives weren’t bad, either.
Su Yi casually sat in the only chair with a back, then said to Yuan Heng, “Go outside and stand guard. If I’m not mistaken, we aren’t in for a peaceful night.”
“Got it.” Yuan Heng hurried outside.
Su Yi then glanced at Cao An and said gently, “Little one, can you show me your protective talisman?”
“Of course you can see it, immortal big brother,” said the girl chipperly.
She then rose, took off the black jade stone, and passed it to Su Yi.
“‘Immortal big brother?’” Su Yi was briefly at a loss for words. He reached out, tousled the girl’s hair, and laughed. “Since you called me that, I’ll have to ensure you and your brother’s safety.”
As he spoke, his gaze landed on the black jade.
It was only about the size of a longan, and it was perfectly round. It felt smooth and slightly cold in his palm, and upon closer inspection, its surface was naturally patterned like the veins of a leaf.
“It really is Gathering Yin Jade.” Su Yi recognized it at a glance.
This was a spirit jade born of underground yin qi. Cultivators could use it to craft jade talismans and other trinkets.
However, if a girl of the mundane wore it, the yin qi within the jade would gradually infiltrate and linger within her body. Over time, her body temperature would drop, until finally, the yin qi corroded her heart, killing her.
Theft is never good, try looking at bit.ly/3iBfjkV.
It seems there’s a problem with this acolyte of the Mountain God’s temple. I’m afraid that the apparitions we encountered tonight are acting on his orders, thought Su Yi.
Before long, Cao Ping carried a steaming teapot and two coarse clay cups over to the table. He was just about to brew tea when Su Yi took the teapot and said, “Allow me.”
As he spoke, he took out a chunk of Snow Jade Ginseng, plucked several root hairs, and immersed them in the hot water. Then, he poured two big cups.
He set them on the table and said, “Here, one for you and one for your sister.”
After the root hairs infused the water, a clear fragrance drifted into the air. The smell alone soothed the mind and senses.
Cao Ping and Cao An did as they were told, draining their cups.
Mere moments later, little Cao An’s sallow, waxy face turned rosy, and her whole body heated up.
Cao Ping felt rejuvenated, as if all of his exhaustion had washed away. Every inch of his skin and muscles felt warm and comfortable.
“Immortal big brother, what kind of tea is this? It’s really yummy!” Cao An’s eyes sparkled, and she stared at the teapot. It seemed she wanted more.
Su Yi laughed. “You can only drink the ginseng tea inside the teapot once a day. Do you understand?”
“Mm!” Cao An nodded firmly.
Before long, she started to get sleepy. After all, she was only about six years old. Soon, she crawled into bed and fell fast asleep.
“Your little sister’s body is heavily contaminated with yin qi,” said Su Yi, looking directly at Cao Ping. “Bear this in mind: she must drink a cup of ginseng tea every day for a week. That should be enough to neutralize the accumulated yin energies.”
Cao Ping’s heart trembled, and he bowed in gratitude. “Many thanks, Your Excellency. I, Cao Ping, will never forget your benevolence. Should I one day make something of myself, I’ll be sure to repay you.”
Su Yi laughed. “Don’t worry about repaying me. Just take good care of your sister.”
The moment he first saw them, Su Yi couldn’t help but recall the Feng Siblings. They had no parents and relied on each other for survival too. These siblings’ love for each other moved him.
Suddenly, he heard violent rumbling mixed with the clear, impassioned hum of a dagger outside.
The commotion only lasted a moment before everything returned to its former tranquility.
Every door in Grassy Greek Village was tightly shut. No one went out to investigate.
This was the Ghost Festival, a night when apparitions emerged to haunt the world. The villagers all remembered the mayor’s instructions; none of them dared go outside.
“Your Excellency, outside…”
Cao Ping was alarmed too, but just as he was about to say something, Yuan Heng walked into the hut.
He carried a decaying human head in one hand. When she saw this, Cao Ping was so startled that his scalp went numb.
“Master, this evil spirit was skulking outside earlier. When it tried to get closer, I grabbed it. Surprisingly, it had a bit of a cultivation. Although it was inferior to a Grain Avoidance ghost cultivator, it was a good deal stronger than the Xiantian Martial Ancestors of the mundane world,” reported Yuan Heng.
“It seems we’ll have to visit Floating Immortal Ridge tonight,” said Su Yi. As he spoke, he glanced at the tense, uncertain Cao Ping and sleeping Cao An.
He thought for a moment, then said, “Yuan Heng, set out some writing implements.”
Yuan Heng was curious about Su Yi’s plans, but he didn’t stop to ask. He deftly took out and arranged brushes, paper, ink, and inkwells.
“Do you have red paper?” asked Su Yi.
“I do.” Yuan Heng took out a big sheet and laid it out on the table, alongside brushes and ink.
Su Yi walked up and, as Yuan Heng and Cao Ping watched curiously, he picked up the brush, dipped it in the ink, and waved it across the paper. He wrote four characters—
Peace is a blessing.
Each character was vigorous, with old-fashioned charm, and they contained the power of an Edict.
When Cao Ping looked at them, his heart felt calm and tranquil. The longer he looked, the better he felt.
However, in Yuan Heng’s eyes, the four characters contained a vast, limitless momentum. They were brimming with vast, auspicious charm. His heart and soul shook inexplicably, as if he weren’t looking at a line of text at all, but rather, another world!
However, when he looked more closely, he realized that his initial sensation had disappeared. He could no longer sense that vast power or divine charm.
He couldn’t help but feel bewildered. Just what mysteries hide within those four characters?
“Hah…” Su Yi set down his brush and let out a breath of turbid air.
The four characters he’d written were a common sight in the mundane world, yet each was emblazoned with the power of a Daoist Edict, the Five Sacred Mountains House Protection Talisman.
This was an Edict originally designed for maintaining the fortune of an immortal cave. It was highly miraculous, and it could connect with the traces of the auspicious power of destiny spread throughout heaven and earth.
Yet now, Su Yi had written the Edict’s power and charm into a line of calligraphy, “Peace is a blessing.”
Although its profundities were less than a ten-thousandth of the complete Five Sacred Mountains House Protection Talisman, this was an ordinary home of the mundane world. The talisman was more than enough to ensure their safety and beckon auspicious energies and good fortune!
The blessing was only four characters, yet writing it had drained close to thirty percent of Su Yi’s energy!
Were Su Yi to attempt the complete Five Sacred Mountains House Protection Talisman, he would have failed. He couldn’t possibly do so at his current cultivation.
“Cao Ping, tomorrow, nail this above the doorway. Consider it a present for you and your sister. It’s already late, and we ought to leave. Farewell,” said Su Yi. With that, he turned and left the thatched hut.
Yuan Heng hurried after him.
“Your Excellency, might I request your honorable name?” Cao Ping hurriedly chased after them, but when he looked outside, he saw nothing but darkness. Su Yi and Yuan Heng had already disappeared.