Chapter 011: Fierce Battle

Chawen Bin dared not relax. The enemy was in the dark, while he was in the open. That old cat surely wouldn't give up so easily. After all, he had destroyed its lair, and now it was just waiting for a chance—a moment of weakness. Chawen Bin decided to draw it out, pretending to focus on the people nearby as if he was about to examine them. He called out, "Hei Zi, come here." The big black dog reluctantly wagged its tail and walked over to his side. As expected, with a "meow," a large black shadow shot out from the beams above, pouncing directly at Chawen Bin's head.

Prepared for this, Chawen Bin dodged, but a scratch still appeared on his face. The black cat turned and struck again, leaving another wound. Then, it provocatively stood before him, its tail raised high. Hei Zi was about to charge, but Chawen Bin stopped it, saying, "Go guard the door." Obeying, the dog ignored the cat's taunts and swaggered to the entrance, occupying the only way out with an imposing stance. Its mouth wide open, tongue lolling red, Hei Zi stared intently at the black cat.

Chawen Bin raised his seal and began chanting. Before long, the beans he had scattered on the floor began to jump. The sound of their movement made the black cat shrink its neck in caution. As the beans continued to jump, they gradually formed a circle around the cat. Trapped within, the black cat didn't dare to move, instead hissing at Chawen Bin. Outside, Hei Zi, seeing the cat trapped, shook its head in satisfaction, even turning to wiggle its backside in a display of smug triumph. Chawen Bin, however, had no time for that. Taking advantage of the moment, he pulled out a black talisman, drew a complex pattern on it with a vermilion brush, and slammed his seal down onto it. With a flick of his sword, a blue flame flashed. He muttered, "In my name, bestow true thunder, by the decree of the Supreme Lord, urgent as the law commands!"

The black cat, seemingly understanding his words, went berserk at the sound of the incantation, repeatedly attempting to escape the circle, ignoring the beans. As the bean formation began to falter, the cat almost broke free. Just then, Chawen Bin hurled the talisman, which was about to burn out.

With a crackling roar, a massive bolt of lightning tore through the sky, striking directly through the ancient General's Temple, hitting the black cat squarely. Sparks flew everywhere, and even Chawen Bin was thrown to the ground by the force. The thunder was truly earth-shattering. This was the first time Chawen Bin had summoned true thunder, and the shock left him spitting blood, his internal organs churned. As he was about to lose consciousness, he saw that the black cat, though badly scorched, was still struggling to rise and was now advancing toward him. With little strength left to fight, Chawen Bin braced himself for death, knowing he would soon meet his ancestors. The candles in the corners of the room flickered out. He realized he might not leave the General's Temple alive today.

Just as the black cat was closing in, Chawen Bin noticed a painting of the Supreme Lord hanging in the temple. Gathering his last ounce of strength, he crawled over to the image and spat blood onto it.

Strangely, after the blood hit the painting, the incense in the Seven-Star formation burned even brighter, filling the entire temple with a righteous aura. Hei Zi, seizing the moment, charged at the black cat, biting and tearing at it furiously. All that could be heard were the cat's pitiful cries and Hei Zi's furious growls.

By dawn the next day, the villagers awoke to find a scene of carnage: the shredded remains of the black cat, and Chawen Bin unconscious beneath the painting. Lao Wang checked his pulse and, finding he was still alive, rushed him to the hospital.

Chawen Bin awoke three days later. Though his life was not in danger, the doctor said he had suffered severe internal injuries and would need a long period of recuperation. After all, Chawen Bin was a mortal, and such an ordeal had taken a toll on his body. Lao Wang was instructed to return and burn the cat's remains, burying the ashes under a peach tree, which he did as instructed.

A month later, Chawen Bin was discharged from the hospital. Meanwhile, the museum reported that the coffin was from the late Tang dynasty, made from golden nanmu wood. However, inside was the body of a person from the Qing dynasty, dressed in a Daoist robe adorned with dark blue lotus flowers, still perfectly preserved. This was one of the major archaeological discoveries of the province in recent years. The archaeologists speculated that the body might belong to a figure from the legendary Qinglian Sect. Strangely, they also found the remains of a black cat inside the coffin.

Upon hearing this, Chawen Bin pieced together most of the puzzle. He immediately suggested to Lao Wang that they excavate the underground palace beneath the General's Temple, saying that the answers they sought were likely hidden there. Having witnessed Chawen Bin's abilities, Lao Wang dared not hesitate. He organized a team of experienced archaeologists to begin the exploration.

Ancient temples and pagodas often had underground palaces where scriptures, offerings, and sometimes relics were buried. Though the General's Temple was now confirmed to be of Daoist origin, local folklore had long speculated that treasures were buried beneath it. Several years earlier, some local thugs had tried to dig for riches but found only limestone. One unlucky soul even lost a hand when explosives they used misfired, and after that, no one dared to touch the temple again.

Lao Wang's team was seasoned in finding ancient tombs and opening underground palaces. After the dangers they had faced before, Lao Wang had grown cautious, insisting on only working during daylight hours. Because the temple had been largely destroyed by fire, it took the team two weeks just to locate the original foundations.

During this time, Chawen Bin conducted a ritual to appease the spirit of the old black cat. Three days later, he planted seven new peach trees in the shape of the Big Dipper around the peach tree, saying it was to ensure that the cat's spirit would be bound there, preventing it from causing future harm. The area soon became a peach grove, though strangely, the trees never bore fruit, only flowers, and no one could explain why.

After another week passed with no progress on the underground palace, Lao Wang returned to Chawen Bin for advice. Initially reluctant to get involved, as it was an official matter and he had his own farmwork to tend to, Chawen Bin eventually gave in to Lao Wang's pleas and agreed to help.

Everyone knows that in ancient times, feng shui was crucial in the construction of important structures, and this practice has deep ties to Daoism, which draws heavily on the I Ching. A place with excellent feng shui, like the General's Temple, would have been chosen by a master. In fact, the temple sat on the meeting point of two "dragons," a highly auspicious location.

I remember when I was a child, there was a terrible drought, and people would come here to pray for rain. I once followed the procession and witnessed the ritual: the group, carrying drums and offerings, went to a place known as the Dragon Pool, where they sacrificed a large white rooster and lit incense. They placed a gourd on the ground, chanting continuously, and slowly, water began to fill the gourd. Once it was full, they selected the strongest young man in the village to carry it back without stopping. It was said that the gourd grew unbearably heavy as if it contained a mountain. By the time they reached the village, most carriers were left barely alive.

That rain-making ritual was something I saw with my own eyes. According to the elders, the water in that gourd weighed as much as a mountain. Many who carried it died from exhaustion by the time they returned. That sacred site, where they performed the ritual, was on a mountain near the General's Temple, underscoring the temple's status as a place of incredible feng shui, a true treasure land with a "dragon" beneath it.