Chapter 108: The Exchange Meeting—Sister Is Back, and She Killed Someone!

“Not exactly. It’s the tomb of my master. But it’s somewhat related to the tomb of that Grand Martial Master.”

Qi Jichuan, standing beside him, replied.

“What kind of relation?”

Chen Yushu first breathed a sigh of relief, then his heart tightened again.

“The two tombs shouldn’t be far apart.”

Qi Jichuan began packing up, picking up the torn net from earlier. Chen Yushu noticed the net was made of a silk-like thread—tough and resilient enough to resist the evil corpse’s brute force. Although it was torn quickly, the materials used were clearly no ordinary kind.

After all, the evil corpse possessed immense strength.

With a single stomp, it could collapse the ground beneath it. Several wandering corpses were even crushed to death under its feet.

“I don’t know much about that place, but I do know it’s extremely sinister. It gathers yin and malevolent energy, attracting ghosts to build nests. Plus, it’s surrounded by rivers, where the yin energy is at its peak. If the Grand Martial Master’s corpse from that century-old tomb were to rise, it might be even more terrifying than this evil corpse.”

Chen Yushu nodded, his face growing serious.

This evil corpse was already formidable; the Grand Martial Master’s reanimated corpse would surely be even more dreadful.

However, his panic was not as intense as before.

Fear often stems from the unknown.

Previously, he had no contact with zombies and naturally overestimated their power.

Now, though he knew he wouldn’t be a match if he encountered such an evil corpse again, he also realized he wasn’t entirely defenseless.

Because he knew his talismans were indeed effective against such creatures.

As long as he made as many talismans as possible, he should be able to smash and kill it.

“Don’t worry. We probably won’t encounter that thing,” Qi Jichuan waved his hand.

“That’s for the best. That place is a hotly contested territory now, very chaotic,” Chen Yushu said with a nod, having already decided to accept.

It was unavoidable.

As Qi Jichuan said before, bringing that zombie into the sect was against the rules and even highly disrespectful. Since they helped him take care of it, he owed both of them a favor.

He was a man of principle.

If not for Zhao Yufeng’s strong reputation in corpse cultivation, he wouldn’t have informed them just before the incident to give them a heads-up.

Although they hadn’t immediately agreed, they still took on the danger for him, eliminated the evil corpse, and resolved the trouble. Provided their request wasn’t immoral, he had to comply.

“When do we set off?”

Once the decision was made, Chen Yushu was straightforward and quickly asked.

“It’ll take a few more days. We’ll notify you of the exact time,” Zhao Yufeng said, then looked at the evil corpse on the ground. “This evil corpse is of the evil grade. Besides the corpse pill in its head, it must have an evil spirit essence. That’s valuable. The corpse pill is quite useful for my corpse refining. I’ll take it. As for the evil spirit essence…”

“You guys keep it. You helped me this time. Without your intervention, I’d be in real danger. Taking anything else wouldn’t be proper,” Chen Yushu waved his hand.

“Then it goes to my junior brother. I just hope you focus more on soul cultivation. Martial arts is not the orthodox path,” Zhao Yufeng said without hesitation. They themselves lacked such good items.

“In that case, I won’t disturb you any longer,” Chen Yushu said with a polite bow.

“No rush. You put in a lot of effort this time. I won’t be stingy with the benefits. With the evil corpse dead, we have the corpse pill and the evil spirit essence. We can’t let you lose out. This corpse-catching net was made by me. The materials are better than your junior brother’s. Of course, it can’t trap this evil corpse, but it’s an excellent tool against zombies. Once tangled, even the strongest force can’t break free.”

Zhao Yufeng’s expression was cold, but his heart was warm. They had gained an advantage this time.

The corpse pill of an evil corpse was definitely a precious item, especially for someone like him who cultivated corpses.

One corpse pill could restore his little black companion and greatly enhance its power.

As for the evil spirit essence, it was widely recognized in the sect as a good aid for cultivators at the incense stick level three to breakthrough.

If he valued the corpse pill more, he wouldn’t give it to his junior brother.

In comparison, Chen Yushu had no such treasure, yet he’d spent many talismans, which was quite a consumption. He felt somewhat embarrassed.

So he went straight to his room, took out a net, and handed it to Chen Yushu.

This was the corpse-catching net.

A treasured tool passed down in their sect, specifically for capturing corpses.

Its value couldn’t compare with the corpse pill or evil spirit essence, but it was very practical.

“Thank you, senior,” Chen Yushu accepted with a bow.

Holding it, he found the net surprisingly light, made from a special thread of fiery red, yet incredibly tough.

He also sensed a unique, scorching energy on the net, as if baked by flames—an ultimate yang element, highly suppressing to yin-type zombies.

“This corpse-catching net is made from flame spider silk. During its forging, special materials were added so it’s impervious to water and fire, and can’t be cut by blades,” Qi Jichuan explained nearby.

“Truly a fine item. Thank you again, senior,” Chen Yushu said before taking his leave.

Back home, the sight was chaotic.

Fortunately, the evil corpse had only damaged the front and back gates while chasing him, leaving the rest of the house mostly intact. After tidying up a bit, he returned to his room.

“Finally, this crisis is over,” Chen Yushu sighed with relief.

His nerves had been tense for days.

He had trained desperately to improve, even raising his yin-walking skill to incense stick level two before tonight, hoping to be stronger when the creature came.

Though ultimately, he relied on his neighbors’ help.

But with the problem resolved, he felt a sense of survival against the odds.

“My strength is still too weak. My key techniques are severely lacking.”

This event revealed his shortcomings.

His cultivation level wasn’t the issue—reaching incense stick level two in his short time was commendable—but his limited methods were.

The Yin Concealment Technique, Demon Dispelling Technique, Seven-Star Step were good, but none were decisive killer moves.

Zhao Yufeng’s wooden sword strike and the final black donkey hoof attack left a deep impression.

***

The next morning, Chen Yushu woke from cultivation and resumed his daily martial practice in the courtyard.

However, the broken gates caused some disturbance.

A neighbor passing by glanced over and asked, “Brother Chen, what happened to your gate?”

Chen Yushu looked over. It was the father and son from next door, the street performers. He casually explained, “Accidentally damaged it. I’ll ask my master to fix it later.”

But they didn’t leave immediately, their curiosity piqued. They walked closer and said, “Did something happen last night? I heard noises, seemed like from Old Zhao’s house at the back.”

“What could have happened?” Chen Yushu waved off the question, not wanting to discuss it. Instead, he asked if they knew a good carpenter.

They didn’t press further. Having lived there long, they knew a reliable carpenter and called him over.

Soon, the carpenter arrived, examined the gates, and asked, “Did you encounter a fierce beast? This damage couldn’t have been caused without great force.”

“No, I think you’re cursed. Is there such a dangerous thing in town?”

The carpenter’s face changed as he looked at the deep footprint on the ground and the withered grass nearby.

“Old sir, you know about this?”

Chen Yushu looked at the older man.

He was short, about fifty, with a wooden measuring board at his waist and planing tools in hand. His backpack revealed a chalk line, adze, chisels...

“Just from experience. I’ve come across it once. See these scorched grasses? They were burned to death. And this footprint…”

The old carpenter pointed at the ground marks one by one.

“Do you want me to help set up a beam or a warding formation?”

Soon he offered.

“Luban’s secret art?”

Chen Yushu’s eyes flashed. He glanced at the old man.

Qiang Sight!

But judging by appearances, the old man seemed ordinary, with no visible cultivation or concealment.

The chalk line in his backpack belonged to ancient tools with some warding properties, containing a trace of special energy.

“No need. Just help me fix the gate,” Chen Yushu said, losing interest.

As for the old tool, if he hadn’t entered the sect, he might have been intrigued. But now, it was at best equivalent to a talisman, less convenient than his own.

Of course, such ancient tools were valued because they could continuously recharge their energy over days, unlike talismans.

That was why beginners or uninitiated valued them.

But for Chen Yushu, who could constantly draw talismans, they were of little use.

After arranging this, Chen Yushu left.

Not long after, he saw someone approaching.

Shi Hao!

Though it felt like ages, it had only been a few days.

His appearance hadn’t changed much, but his aura was different—more composed and calm.

His keen nose also detected a faint scent of mischief about him.

“Brother Chen,” Shi Hao greeted eagerly.

“What’s up?” Chen Yushu didn’t turn back but stepped forward to meet him.

“I’ve come with money,” Shi Hao said. “I sold all the talismans you gave me last time, so I want to order more.”

“No problem. But not today. I’m out of stock too. Come in a couple of days,” Chen Yushu nodded.

This was a steady source of income he wasn’t willing to give up.

Judging by Shi Hao’s demeanor, he had made a name for himself in Jianghuan Town and had more customers, explaining why he sold all the talismans last time.

“I have enough for two days. But this time, the order is large. If there are better talismans, that’d be great.”

Shi Hao smiled and lowered his voice. “Remember Water Curtain Gorge? It’s been all the talk lately. There’s a century-old tomb inside. Even the authorities want to investigate. That’s why those wanderers came again, ordering lots of talismans. But they’re squeezing the price—six taels for a basic house protection talisman, seven for an exorcism talisman. If you had something better, like that ghost-slaying talisman you mentioned, I could easily sell it for ten taels a piece.”

“I’ll give you the ghost-slaying talisman at ten taels each. How many you sell is your business,” Chen Yushu waved his hand.

He was now producing quality talismans with far greater power than before and felt anything less than ten taels was a loss.

Though the actual cost was minimal, he preferred to keep some for himself.

“Alright, no problem,” Shi Hao agreed after a moment’s hesitation. Then he hesitated again. “Also, you know a lot of people have come to Jianghuan Town recently, including many from various sects. So someone’s organizing a trade meeting—mainly for exchange and intelligence sharing. Interested?”

“A trade meeting? An exchange?” Chen Yushu was surprised but intrigued.

His line of work was secretive and closed-off. A fixed place for exchange and trade would be very convenient.

Especially since he was about to go with Zhao Yufeng and Qi Jichuan to ‘reanimate a corpse.’ Finding a few defensive items at the meeting would be excellent.

“Yes. It’s set for three nights from now.”

“In the evening?”

Chen Yushu raised an eyebrow.

“Yes! Since it’s all insiders, they’re not afraid of ghosts,” Shi Hao joked.

“Fair enough,” Chen Yushu nodded, agreeing.

***

At the pharmacy, Qian Qian stood anxiously at the door. Seeing Chen Yushu approaching, he asked in surprise, “You’re okay?”

“I’m fine,” Chen Yushu shot him a glance.

“That thing didn’t come for you?”

Qian Qian asked hurriedly.

“What do you think?” Chen Yushu knew what he meant but couldn’t explain everything.

“It didn’t come for me either… Or maybe that temple is really effective, and that thing dares not come near?”

He looked puzzled yet somewhat relieved.

Chen Yushu went inside and upstairs.

His master wasn’t home.

He felt relieved.

When his master was around, he had to practice martial arts—the Eight-Step Cicada Chase, Eighteen Consecutive Blades, Gale Blade Technique—rotating between the three.

But without his master, he could focus on the Yin Concealment Technique, Demon Dispelling Technique, Seven-Star Step, alternating practice and seeing progress every moment.

“Demon Dispelling Technique and Seven-Star Step are close to completion,” Chen Yushu checked his stats with satisfaction.

His diligent practice was paying off.

As for the Yin Concealment Technique, it had been completed long ago, with the next stage—perfection—not far off.

***

In the afternoon, Chen Yushu went again to the Quiet Academy to study.

Yesterday was spent resolving the evil corpse crisis.

Now that was over, improving his scholarly realm became his priority.

“Thankfully, my reading realm has reached the Enlightenment stage (721/800). Breaking through to the next level should take just a day or two.”

Chen Yushu checked his attributes, excited and hopeful.

Breaking through increased his comprehension, wisdom, learning speed—all aspects.

Most importantly, his meditative realm would also rise.

From shallow meditation to small, big, and finally constant meditation...

He was now at big meditation and could clearly feel the difference.

Constant meditation would be extraordinary.

Returning home, both front and back gates were repaired.

He inspected them: tightly sealed yet aesthetically pleasing. The master carpenter’s skill was impressive.

Then he cooked, brewed medicine, practiced martial arts...

After an hour, he returned to his study to draw talismans.

The recent evil corpse attack had drained his talismans again.

He needed to replenish them.

Along with Shi Hao’s order, Chen Yushu decided to start with house protection talismans.

Worth noting, he had long mastered house protection and exorcism talismans. This time, he optimized the talisman structures, simplifying them.

Thus, his drawing speed was even faster.

One incense stick’s worth, two, three...

Soon, he had over twenty house protection talismans.

Then he began drawing exorcism, calming spirit, and ghost-slaying talismans.

Though occasional pauses came from mental exhaustion, his recovery was very fast under constant meditation.

Unconsciously, nearly a hundred talismans piled up, their presence awe-inspiring.

If unleashed, even an evil-grade being would retreat.

At that moment, he sensed a surge of yin energy around.

Xiaoyin peeked her head from the door, cautiously stepping forward.

Chen Yushu immediately stopped and walked out.

He knew Xiaoyin never dared approach this room because of the talisman power, which frightened her.

Now, since she dared to come near, something must have happened. He hurried outside.

Sure enough, Xiaoyin eagerly reached out and touched his hand, her voice carrying over: “Brother Yushu, sister’s here, sister’s here...”

“Sister Qiao’er is here? Where?”

Chen Yushu was surprised and pleased, quickly asking.

“I don’t know. But I can feel she’s nearby, not far,” Xiaoyin said excitedly, hopping about.

“Brother Yushu, shall we go find her?”

She asked quickly.

Chen Yushu paused, suddenly realizing that with Sister Qiao’er’s return, Xiaoyin would be leaving too. He felt an inexplicable reluctance.

But he quickly composed himself.

Xiaoyin was Sister Qiao’er’s spirit messenger, only temporarily staying with him. It was natural for her to return; it would be strange if she stayed.

He nodded.

At night, for someone like him at incense stick level two of yin walking, it was no problem.

Besides, ghosts were even more afraid of encountering him.

Moreover, Xiaoyin was no pushover; anger her, and she’d really beat up ghosts.

Once, he saw her in the courtyard fiercely thrashing a malevolent ghost from afar.

Then Chen Yushu followed Xiaoyin out.

She led, he followed, and soon they stopped.

“Why are we at Xiao Hong’s house? Did sister also come to visit her?”

Xiaoyin whispered, about to call out, when the long-closed gate of the Zuo family mansion silently opened.

Chen Yushu saw a girl in white stepping out.

It was Liu Qiao’er, absent for many days.

Behind her followed a little ghost girl dressed in red, who seemed to respect Liu Qiao’er, standing respectfully about ten feet away, as if seeing her off.

“Sister, sister...”

Xiaoyin excitedly ran over.

Chen Yushu stepped forward, a flash of divine light in his eyes, feeling astonished.

No cultivation!

She looked like an ordinary little girl, with weak vitality.

But that was impossible.

He knew well how high Qiao’er’s cultivation was. Though uncertain if she had formally entered the sect, she was definitely no weaker than Zhao Yufeng, Qi Jichuan, Master Ma, or Lü Yizhi.

Even his modest Qiang Sight couldn’t penetrate her aura.

There was only one explanation.

She possessed some artifact or technique preventing detection.

Just the thought made sense.

Otherwise, how could she have maintained such secrecy that for years, Zhong Bo of Beijiao Village hadn’t discovered her, nor had Wu Hong, the Lord of the Yin Suppression Division, known her name or methods?

“Why have you come?” Liu Qiao’er looked surprised to see Chen Yushu and Xiaoyin.

“Xiaoyin sensed your aura and called me,” Chen Yushu explained quickly.

“You’re mischievous,” Liu Qiao’er smiled and patted Xiaoyin.

“Maybe she sensed me when I was just doing yin walking. I mainly came to return something. Now that’s done, I don’t know where to go, so I’ll rest at your place tonight.”

“Of course, no problem,” Chen Yushu nodded, naturally agreeing.

“Has Xiaoyin been naughty recently?” Liu Qiao’er asked.

“She’s been good and taught me a lot,” Chen Yushu smiled.

For example, hand gestures for communication and some sect rules. When he didn’t understand, he asked Xiaoyin, who always answered. She had taught him quite a bit.

“That’s good. I couldn’t bring him along this time. Leaving her at home made me uneasy, so I thought of leaving her with you. Seems like a good choice.”

Liu Qiao’er explained.

“Sister Qiao’er, may I ask where you went?”

Chen Yushu was curious.

“I went to the prefecture city. Killed someone,” Liu Qiao’er replied softly.

“Ah?”

Chen Yushu stopped in his tracks.