Chapter 19: Encountering Zhang Beauty Part 1

The “Yellow Springs Road-Opening Talisman” drawn using various materials differed somewhat from the Blood Talisman condensed with essence blood as the catalyst. The former used external materials as a medium to draw in the surrounding Yin Qi and gather power to open the Yellow Springs. Although the materials were hard to find, it was less taxing to use. The latter relied on one’s own essence blood and cultivation to forcibly tear open the Yellow Springs. While it was extremely convenient in terms of sourcing “local” materials, it consumed one’s own essence blood and demanded even greater skill.

Wang Ya was poor and had never enjoyed the luxury of using materials to draw a “Yellow Springs Road-Opening Talisman.” She had always painted Blood Talismans with her own essence blood to open the path, and she had done so more than once or twice, so she was quite familiar with the process. She suppressed her body with the Big Dipper Seven Stars Formation formed from the Seven Ancient Copper Coins, stepped in the pattern of the Tai Chi Array, and wandered according to the predetermined sequence of positions. She gathered the innate astral Qi of the formation positions onto herself, her hands flying as she formed seals—not the Four Symbols of Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Black Tortoise, or Vermilion Bird, but rather like the petals of a flower in an inverted lanceolate shape. She softly chanted from her mouth, “Burn my essence blood, condense it into the Soul-Guiding Flower to open the path. Living beings avoid, Yin Spirits return—Yin Spirits return, Yin Spirits return…” She chanted these three soft verses in succession, and the surrounding Yin Qi seemed to heed her call as it condensed between her palms, forming an extremely powerful field of Yin energy. As the seal in her hands completed, her palms pressed root-to-root with fingers spread apart, thumbs and middle fingers hooked together, and the remaining six fingers splayed at different angles. The talisman patterns condensed from blood flowed between her palms, manifesting as a Manjusaka in full bloom, wings spread wide and defiantly facing the wind. She suddenly shouted, “Yin Spirits, take the road; living humans, stay away. Soul-Guiding Flower, break open the Yellow Springs—break!” With the shout of “break,” she fiercely slapped the Other Shore Flower, blooming at the roadside of the Three Ways Yellow Springs Road, into the circle defined by the Incense Boundary ahead.

That slapped-out “Yellow Springs Path-Guiding Talisman” erupted with a burst of energy, blooming into a field of fiery red talisman light. The incense boundary and everything in sight turned a blazing crimson, where fiery red flowers unfurled their wings like burning flames, blooming furiously. Amid this field of fiery red blossoms stretched a shadowy path leading straight to the unseen distance.

Wang Ya untied the red rope wrapped around the Ghost Pen and released the seal on it.

A ghost drifted out from the brush pen in the form of a humanoid mass of black Qi. It paused briefly before turning and fleeing in the direction opposite the Yellow Springs Road bounded by the incense. With a flick and roll of the Ghost Collecting Bell in Wang Ya’s hand, the red rope steadily bound and yanked the ghost back. Wang Ya said, “You are already dead. Lingering in the mortal world will only harm yourself and others. Be on your way!”

The ghost still struggled, futilely even against the powerful Ghost Collecting Bell, but it struggled nonetheless.

Wang Ya said gravely, “If you were so attached to the world, you shouldn’t have killed yourself. Since you did, you have no reason to stay. Go!”

The ghost still refused and kept struggling.

Wang Ya grew angry. She yanked the red rope in her hand and flung the ghost—wrapped around the bell’s rope—directly into the shadowy Yellow Springs path lined with fiery red flowers at the roadside. Wang Ya reeled in the red rope and stowed the Ghost Collecting Bell. Seeing the ghost get up as if to turn back, she bellowed, “No looking back!” She shouted loudly, “Don’t you know not to look back on the Yellow Springs Road? Once you step onto this path, you can only go forward. If you turn back, you’ll immediately be seized by the ghosts wandering the Yellow Springs Road, unable to reincarnate. From then on, you’ll become one of them—unable to return to the Yang Realm or ever reincarnate.” Seeing the ghost still hesitate, Wang Ya flew into a rage. She formed a seal with her hands, silently recited the incantation at high speed, then bellowed, “Yellow Springs Road opens, Lotus Seal guides the path. Yin Soul, return—scram!” With the word “scram,” the Lotus Seal slapped out fiercely, smashing heavily into the ghost’s body and enveloping it. The ghost seemed pushed by a tremendous force, rolling roundly as it was sent deep into the Yellow Springs path! After sending the ghost off, Wang Ya fumed and cursed, “Won’t take the easy way, have to take the hard one! Had to force you with a kick. Rolling all nice and plump to report to the Underworld Courts—nice!” She walked to the pile of incense, candles, paper money, and wax that hadn’t fully burned yet and heaped the rest in.

To prevent any living person from seeing the firelight and rushing over out of curiosity, only to blunder in, Wang Ya sat cross-legged in the Big Dipper Seven Stars Formation, admiring the Other Shore Flowers blooming to their utmost along the Yellow Springs Road until the incense of the Incense Boundary burned out and the Yellow Springs closed. Only then did she collect her ancient bronze coins, burn a Vermilion Bird Burns Evil Talisman to disperse the gathered Yin Qi, and return to the large truck parked at the roadside. To the Landlord couple fidgeting anxiously in the vehicle, she said, “Done! Let’s head back!” Still somewhat angry, she told the Landlord couple, “Your brother-in-law is really ungrateful. Went through all that trouble to open the Yellow Springs and send him on his way, but he flat-out refused. Had to force him with a shove!”

The Landlord couple exchanged glances and didn’t dare utter a word to the furious Wang Ya. After several seconds, Landlord Sir said with a fawning smile, “My brother-in-law is thoughtless, stubborn as a mule, single-minded. Master Wang, please be magnanimous and don’t hold it against him!”

Wang Ya waved it off. “Fine, just remember to pay up! Opening the Yellow Springs to send him off cost my essence blood and burned my lifespan!” Burning essence blood did affect lifespan, but only if a massive amount damaged one’s vitality. The bit Wang Ya had shed would recover with some rest; it was nothing serious. Opening the Yellow Springs was truly exhausting, though. After all that work, she felt drained and weak. After venting her temper, she didn’t want to talk anymore and leaned back in her seat with eyes closed to rest.

Seeing Wang Ya’s pale face and sweaty forehead, looking utterly spent, the Landlord couple immediately felt she had expended great effort. They thought the 20,000 kuai was well worth it and grew even more deferential toward her. They didn’t dare disturb her as she rested with eyes closed.

Though Landlord Sir had accompanied Wang Ya out in the middle of the night, since she had given him a talisman, he wasn’t afraid of picking up anything unclean. Instead, with this major issue resolved, he felt greatly relieved and drove back in high spirits.

The truck hadn’t gone far when Landlord Sir suddenly slammed on the brakes and yelled, “Master Wang, we’ve seen a ghost!” His howl was completely off-pitch!