Chapter 34: What Is the Heavenly Way? (2/2)

Back to the matter at hand. After Ox-Head and Horse-Face left, Liu Changsheng stood by the gate, eyes fixed on us coldly. "Impressive—you fooled netherworld messengers. What tricks do you have left?"

His child ghost grinned wickedly. I felt defenseless—my Five Emperors Coins were broken, and the kylin windchime was my only defense. As a feng shui master, my only offensive tool was the Wutong Sword, now lost. Unless I could lay a fiend formation quickly, but the temple was already saturated with malevolence.

Old Wang called to Liu, "Revenge knows no end. You saw my rapport with Ox-Head and Horse-Face. My apprentice's lifespan is tied to yours—let's talk." He whispered to me, "Take my Seven-Star Sword. If all else fails, strike him down. You have nothing to lose. Use Soul - Suppressing Talismans on the ghost."

"Got it, Master." I addressed him as "Master" sincerely now, not just for his teachings but for his selflessness. How many would risk everything for a stranger?

Gripping the sword and talismans, I approached Liu. His forehead runes resembled 南疆 (southern border) incantations, popular among Southeast Asian sorcerers for protection. Tattooed on his 灵台 (third eye), they shielded him from malevolence.

"Brother Liu," I said respectfully, realizing something vital in those dozen meters.

"Zhang Dabao." He smiled.

Up close, his corpse ghost had protruding fangs, vampire - like, wearing a red bellyband. Its pallor surpassed any yin corpse I'd seen—only the green eyeballs and fangs betrayed its nature.

"When I read your fortune, you asked about your parents—was that a test?"

"Correct. I needed a Qi Men Dun Jia practitioner to defuse Zhoujiazhuang's curse—someone capable but not too powerful. I chose you, but this old Taoist hid his strength." He 哼 (snorted) as the ghost lunged, only to calm at his touch.

"Why save the village then? I felt your sincerity."

"None of your concern."

"None of my concern? You stole my lifespan! The life - swapping effigy—you didn't need it." I took a breath. "The messengers said my lifespan was forfeited for breaking the Twelve Child Coffins, not your effigy. As a dying man, why swap fates with me?"

Liu fell silent. I'd misunderstood—the effigy wasn't to shift karma. As a predestined scourge, he faced no retribution.

"Only when my yang fires died could you swap our fates, giving me your lifespan. The tattoo on your forehead is a curse eye—your death would unleash it, killing all in Zhoujiazhuang. You knew Old Wang's Heavenly Master Talisman would protect him. The ghost hates me because my birth chart is carved on its back—you'd offer it to the messengers. Am I right, Brother Liu?"

Liu burst into laughter. Old Wang asked, shocked, "What's happening?"

I turned. "The living funeral was both curse and salvation. Once we 'died,' the effigies would perish in our place. With our living souls, his yin - yang formation could annihilate Zhou ancestors in the netherworld. We'd wake thinking it a dream—he never meant to kill us, but dared not speak, lest the ghost 反噬 (backlash)!"

As if on cue, the ghost's green eyes flared, wailing with blood - trickling eyes. It lunged at Liu. "You promised! You swore! Tell me he lies!"