Chapter 119: The Edict, the False God, and Little Red the Spirit-Believer

"But before that..."

While lost in thought, he noticed movement outside the gate once again, his face instantly tightening with extreme vigilance. Fortunately, through the still-open gate, he quickly identified the newcomer.

It was the sword-bearer, Qi Jichuan.

"What happened just now? How could you be so reckless as to provoke that thing in town?" Seeing that Chen Yushu was unharmed, Qi Jichuan let out a sigh of relief before speaking urgently.

Behind him, another figure soon appeared: the corpse-raiser, Zhao Yufeng. To Chen Yushu’s surprise, the man had actually brought his raised corpse along. Judging by the aura radiating from the creature, its previous injuries had almost entirely healed, and its presence felt even more formidable than before. It seemed that the corpse pill had been of immense help.

"Do you two seniors know its true identity?" Chen Yushu asked, feeling a warmth in his heart knowing they had come out of concern for him.

"That thing is far stronger than the evil jiangshi from last time. On my first night in town, I couldn't help but scout it out, and I barely made it back alive. Only later did I learn from my senior brother that this creature is likely one that has reached the pinnacle of the 'Evil' level, teetering right on the edge of the Prohibition," Qi Jichuan said, shaking his head as he entered. He suddenly stopped, noticing Xiao Hong standing not far behind the door, and exclaimed, "Why is she still here?"

編排 someone in front of their granddaughter made him feel quite awkward. The crux of the matter was that he knew that creature was truly ferocious. If he were to offend it and it decided to pay him a visit for a 'chat' in the middle of the night, that would be terrifying. He wanted no part of that.

"You two go play," Chen Yushu said, patting Xiao Yin on the head.

"Okay, Brother Yushu!" Xiao Yin nodded repeatedly, quickly pulling the still-sorrowful Xiao Hong away.

"Senior, what is this 'Prohibition'?" Chen Yushu then quickly asked.

"Heaven is divided into light and dark. Yin and Yang are kept apart. Among the demons, ghosts, and monsters, terrifying entities are categorized as Evil, Sui, Calamity, and Disaster... Naturally, there are powerful figures among humans as well. Thus, in ancient times, human powerhouses and the elite among demons signed a Prohibition. One of these rules dictates that entities at or above the 'Sui' level are forbidden from entering human towns. Once detected, the Yin-Measuring Dharma Disk in the imperial court will sense it and alert the Yin-Suppression Bureau. The top experts from the Bureau would then step in to capture or eradicate these evil spirits.

"However, it must be said that the human world holds immense benefits for many evil spirits. Even those at the 'Sui' level covet the incense resources found in towns. Consequently, some evil spirits choose to 'self-sever' their power, keeping themselves at the 'Evil' level just to linger in human settlements. Others go so far as to develop influence among humans to help maintain order. For instance, if they find a troublemaking spirit, they will volunteer to drive it out or eradicate it. If they do well, they can even receive an imperial title.

"Once titled, they can openly appear in human towns because their status has been officially recognized. For example, many Earth Gods or General Temples are essentially evil spirits that received imperial titles, granting them the status of 'pseudo-gods' and allowing them to enjoy incense offerings. Things are better now, but the previous emperor reportedly bestowed titles upon over a thousand such pseudo-gods, leaving them everywhere. In more remote areas, there are even 'mongrel gods'—private, self-appointed deities accepting offerings. The local officials often have no idea how many pseudo-gods or mongrel gods are in their jurisdiction, let alone other spirits or evil entities."

Qi Jichuan shook his head as he spoke. An overabundance of such things was certainly not a good sign. Yet, the 'gods' titled by the previous dynasty were recognized, and the current court could not easily abolish them. To do so would cause the court’s foundations to crumble and invite a catastrophe of rampant evil spirits and pseudo-gods.

Chen Yushu understood now, reflecting on similar phenomena. In his own Beijiao Village, Uncle Zhong worshipped the Earth God—a normal practice for a Yin-walker borrowing divine power. But the Song family next door worshipped a 'Two-Faced God.' They burned incense and prayed not only on festivals but also on the first and fifteenth of every month. The Songs claimed it was highly effective. But now, Chen Yushu understood the nuances; that 'Two-Faced God' was likely not even a pseudo-god—it was, at best, a mongrel god, self-proclaimed. It hadn't caused trouble yet, but it would be purged eventually. Luckily, his own family didn't believe in such things; they only worshipped their ancestors in the ancestral hall or the orthodox gods worshipped by the state. As for whether those were effective? Of course not. Otherwise, he wouldn't have encountered ghosts. Firstly, he knew the ancestral hall had no 'spirit' left, and secondly, the 'orthodox gods' were too busy to pay him any mind.

"I see. So, the Old Ancestor of the Zuo family is actually a 'Sui'-level entity?" Chen Yushu asked.

"Most likely. It’s only because he kept a low profile and never used that level of power, nor did he exert influence to lure villagers into burning incense, that he wasn't driven out by the pseudo-gods in town long ago," Zhao Yufeng added.

"So, there are 'Sui' in town? But they are all those pseudo-gods? Like the one in the General's Temple?" Chen Yushu asked in surprise.

"There are definitely 'Sui' here. But the one in the General's Temple hasn't reached that level yet. Fifty years ago, its temple was destroyed, and it suffered heavy damage, losing much of its incense. It isn't easy for it to grow back into a 'Sui.' Currently, the one with the most incense in Jianghuan Town is Granny Jiang. She is a 'Sui'-level entity, but because she is an imperial-titled deity, she carries the duty of protecting the region and can reside in town without being affected by the Prohibition," Zhao Yufeng explained. Having stayed here for over half a year, he had naturally investigated the situation thoroughly. He even knew that Granny Jiang had a hand in the destruction of the General's Temple.

"I understand now!" Chen Yushu finally realized why the Zuo family ancestor had been so desperate, acting as if he were entrusting his legacy to someone. It was because he had exposed his 'Sui'-level power during that battle. Fearing the Yin-Suppression Bureau and Granny Jiang, he had rushed to entrust Xiao Hong to him.

"By the way, why did that creature come over?" Qi Jichuan asked.

"Nothing much, just asking me to look after his granddaughter for a while," Chen Yushu replied after a moment of silence.

"Ah?" Qi Jichuan was stunned, assuming Chen Yushu didn't want to elaborate.

Zhao Yufeng then spoke up, "Since there is no trouble, that is for the best. Get some rest and don't let it delay your journey tomorrow morning."

"Don't worry, Senior Zhao. Everything is prepared," Chen Yushu replied with a bow. The two men nodded and headed toward their own lodgings.

Watching them leave, Chen Yushu felt a sense of gratitude. Not only had they shown concern, but their words had given him a detailed understanding of the 'gods' in this world. The court seals them as pseudo-gods; every town has several. In Jianghuan Town, there is Granny Jiang, the General in the General's Temple, the local Earth God Xu Huang, as well as the Kitchen God and the House God. Though they exist in town, ordinary people never touch them. Even Yin-walkers like him rarely have contact with them.

Then there are the 'mongrel gods'—self-proclaimed deities in remote villages. Some are strong, reaching the level of evil spirits; others are as weak as malevolent ghosts. It is also worth noting that the 'Immortal Families' summoned by people like Shi Hao are, by orthodox standards, a type of mongrel god. However, as a large, vengeful, and united clan, they have produced several powerful 'Great Summoners,' making them a unique existence between the orthodox and the unorthodox.

"So, this is why some people find opening an altar relatively easy, while others find it extremely difficult," Chen Yushu mused, connecting this to the practice of Yin-walking. 'Summoning a spirit' likely didn't mean summoning an evil spirit, but a 'divine spirit' to serve as a deterrent to suppress ghosts and demons. That was how one could successfully conduct rituals and judge evil. Other Yin-walkers 'pay their dues' by worshipping these spirits, so as long as the offerings are sufficient and the 'spirit' is in a good mood, it will assist them. He, however, had never followed the path of 'worshipping gods,' so he had to rely entirely on himself.

"Sister Qiaoer must be the same as me—she never walked the path of god-worshipping, which is why her altars are just as difficult to open. She has to catch a 'spirit' to suppress the area herself. If she can't catch one, she just has to fight it out."

Chen Yushu muttered to himself, finally seeing through some of the mysteries. He then turned his gaze to the black cloth bundle in the courtyard—the 'custody fee' the Zuo family ancestor had left. He picked up the bundle and squeezed it. "This pouch seems to be a treasure itself. It feels incredibly delicate, yet it can isolate spiritual power. Even with my spiritual strength, I can't 'see' what's inside?"

He tugged at it. Even though he didn't use his full strength, his physical training was nearly perfected; he could easily lift hundreds of pounds. Yet, even with thirty percent of his power, he couldn't even leave a crease on the cloth.

He opened the bundle. Inside, at the very top, was a white jade pendant. He recognized it immediately—it was the longevity jade the Taoist Guangyi had carried during the gathering, which supposedly contained an ancient cultivation method called the 'Everlasting Spring Technique.'

He probed it with his spiritual sense. *Hum!* Instantly, rows of ancient characters appeared before his eyes—the cultivation method for the Everlasting Spring Technique.

"It really is the longevity jade. And it does contain a secret, a method of ancient cultivation," Chen Yushu thought, startled. But since Taoist Guangyi had gone to the Zuo family estate to provoke the ancestor, it was only natural the ancestor had killed him and taken his belongings. Still, having the item turn up in his own hands was a bit thorny.

He looked at his attribute panel. The 'Everlasting Spring Technique' had indeed appeared, marked as 'Not Initiated.' This meant the technique was intact.

"However, this technique relies on 'spiritual energy,' which has become incredibly scarce since the Great Change of the World. To practice it, one would need 'spirit stones.' Given their value, pushing this to the 'Qi Refining' stage would cost a fortune—over ten thousand taels of silver. I’m not that extravagant."

He looked at the other items: an ancient sword, a spirit tablet, a bronze mirror, a compass, and five copper coins.

"These are all magical artifacts," he murmured. The ancient sword was a mid-grade artifact; he could feel over a hundred ancient seals within it. Artifacts were either naturally formed or artificially crafted. This sword was crafted, its quality determined by the number of seals it contained. Ten to a hundred meant low-grade, a hundred to a thousand was mid-grade. This sword had one hundred and thirty-two, making it significantly more powerful than his Soul-Severing Ruler, which only had about eighty.

"And this spirit tablet... 'Spirit Tablet of Bai Qiu-ju'..."

As he spoke, a pale, white-clad female ghost with disheveled hair appeared silently before him. He nearly unleashed a talisman in reflex, but realized this was merely the spirit tablet's function—it was the dwelling place of the ghost. Controlling the tablet meant controlling the ghost. He realized this ghost was a 'pure' spirit, devoid of thought, acting only on instinct.

"A true Earth-Bound Spirit. This tablet keeps her trapped, turning it into an artifact over time," Chen Yushu realized.

He inspected the other items. The bronze mirror was the Yin-Yang mirror Taoist Guangyi had showcased earlier, and the compass was a tool for tracking ghosts. The five copper coins were 'Five Emperor Coins,' both for divination and as a low-grade attack artifact.

He was satisfied. These artifacts were a perfect supplement to his strength. As he packed them into the black pouch, he realized the bag possessed a spatial quality—it could hold the sword without being pierced.

Just then, Xiao Yin and Xiao Hong ran back, hand in hand. Xiao Hong seemed much brighter, though she grew shy upon seeing Chen Yushu.

"You heard what your grandfather said," Chen Yushu said directly. "He asked me to take care of you. But humans and ghosts are different. I cannot have you stay by my side indefinitely. I will place a thread of my spiritual sense in you, making you my 'spirit messenger,' just like Xiao Yin is to Sister Qiaoer. You may refuse if you wish."

He had taken the 'custody fee,' so he would take responsibility. However, keeping her around long-term would drain his vitality, and his growing blood energy would, in turn, scorch her. She was a 'fearsome ghost' level entity; if she reached three years of 'ghost age' and her mind matured, her intense baleful aura would inevitably influence her to harm people. He didn't want that.

"Big Brother, what must I do?" Xiao Hong asked innocently, agreeing to the proposal.

"Just don't resist while I perform the technique."

Chen Yushu recalled the technique for binding a spirit messenger. He formed a seal with his hands, his spiritual energy flowing to weave the complex runic structure.

"Go!"

He pointed. The seal transformed into a streak of light and entered Xiao Hong's head, merging with her instantly. He felt an inexplicable, closer connection between them.