Chapter 51: Greed Unleashed (1/2)

The villagers were in chaos, ignoring Ma Li entirely. Ma Hong approached timidly: "Master, what's wrong with the root cellar?"

Instead of yin coldness, the doghouse area exuded warmth, like an oxygen vent. I realized the flying corpse had sucked energy through this hole.

"Chief, I need your help," I said.

"Anything, Master."

I asked him to collect boy's urine from every house and ordered men to ready picks and shovels. After the Ma family incident, they trusted me. As they scrambled, I arranged stones into a Breaking Earth Talisman.

Maoshan sorcery states: "Yin - gathering lands with water are 'corpse lands.' Heaven is yang, earth yin; fire is yang, water yin. When water overcomes fire, it forms a 'bow'—a great malevolence. Drain yin with yang fire." The talisman harnessed earth and water to 泄阴 (drain yin energy), using yang to counteract it.

Talismans borrow yang energy. Scientifically, materials like cinnabar, chicken blood, human blood, and boy's urine carry "yang charge," forming magnetic fields when arranged in patterns—talismans—with incantations as switches to activate them.

When the chief and his son arrived panting with two buckets of urine, I'd prepared: chicken blood, boy's urine, glutinous rice, and index finger blood from all men (causing much yelling). Mixed with 锅底灰 (stove ash), it formed a sticky paste, which I sealed over the air hole.

With fifty men holding torches, we stood in the talisman's shape. My plan: lock the flying corpse with soul - nailing stakes, seal its weak point with "fiery mud," and use iron tools (non - elemental) to dig, guided by men forming the talisman—for men's yang energy is potent.

Humans are "earth immortals," born with 500 years of cultivation, protected by 三昧真火 (three - flavor true fire). Harnessing their qi via talismans unleashes terrifying power. Blood talismans—especially from boys—are strongest; animal blood (chicken, dog) works on ghosts, while cinnabar talismans subdue earth spirits.

"Stay in position!" I shouted, hoeing the ground. Behind me, men regretted coming, praying silently. Dadan and Er Gou wept:

"I want to go home—I'm 打工 (migrating for work) tomorrow!"

"Uncle, I'm scared!"

"Stop whining! We're Genghis Khan's descendants—fearless Mongol blood runs in our veins!" the chief barked.

"But I'm Han..." Er Gou sobbed.

"Han heroes exist too!" The chief seethed, though I sensed his own dread. I alone knew the stakes—confronting a flying corpse, not just a zombie.