Chapter 59: Lord Guan (1 / 1)

The Thunder Pool Formation wasn't meant to harm—it simply served to trap. Since copper coins embody yang energy, the formation mimics the aura of divine thunder, giving the ghost the illusion that it cannot cross the boundary. Of course, this wouldn't work on highly intelligent ghosts—but the Muffled Ghost hadn't even been born properly; it was pure resentment incarnate, and clearly not very bright.

Once everything was ready, I raised the Seven-Star Sword and activated the talismans. As the spell symbols within the Thunder Pool ignited, the glow of the eternal lamp dimmed, as if something heavy had descended upon the room. Faint footsteps echoed from somewhere.

I took a deep breath, pointed the sword toward the center, and commanded:

"Reveal!"

The very next moment, the Muffled Ghost materialized in the heart of the Thunder Pool. Whether from fear or excitement, it trembled like a human child, its body flickering between visible and invisible. Seeing this, Zhao Na fainted on the spot, her eyes rolling back in terror.

The ghost's featureless face turned toward me, exuding a cold aura that pierced my lungs. Beyond the ever-burning lamp in our room, the entire surrounding five miles had lost power—a complete blackout. The world seemed to freeze, the room's temperature plummeting so low that even my breath fogged in the air.

Then, in a voice neither male nor female, the ghost asked me:

"Why are you stopping me? Why?! Do you know how long I've waited? How much I've suffered? I endured seventeen lifetimes just to become human. But the moment I was born, I was trapped in this fate—neither alive nor dead. I must take revenge. I must kill them all!"

Its voice grew increasingly hysterical.

I asked calmly,

"How many have you killed?"

"Seventeen before her," it replied.

Hearing that, I was actually relieved. Since the Spiritual Blood Guards had already bound it within the Thunder Pool, it couldn't harm anyone now.

I stepped in front of the statue of Lord Guan, and immediately, the ghost's killing aura vanished. Lord Guan (also known as Guan Yu) is no ordinary god. Though worshipped as a God of Wealth, his true nature is that of a fierce deity. Just think: how many men did he kill during the Three Kingdoms era? The ghost's petty malice was no match for his divine aura.

Having achieved my goal, I said,

"You've taken seventeen lives. According to karmic law, you must now wait another seventeen lifetimes before you can become human again. I walk the path of Yin and Yang, and I cannot ignore your actions. But Heaven has compassion. Even though you're neither dead nor alive, I can help you return to the underworld."

Instead of calming down, the ghost grinned eerily and began to speak:

"In my last life, I was a rich young master. I once molested a nun and was punished with six lifetimes in the Blade Mountain Hell. Later, I burned our family's servant alive and served eight lifetimes in the Iron Pillar Hell. Skin flayed, bones broken, burning seas and fiery torture—I finally survived all that. Then, I was reincarnated as a pig, a horse, a chicken… I suffered slaughter, loss of children, dismemberment, being ridden, hauling cargo, and waking at dawn to crow. Finally, finally, I became human again—but she ruined everything!"

"Now, I'm trapped in limbo once more. How can I not seek revenge?! Why should I endure another seventeen lifetimes? I REFUSE! I REFUSE! I REFUSE!!!"

Its final scream erupted like a thunderclap. A dark mist surged from the top of its head straight into the sky. I sighed.

I had wanted to use Lord Guan's image to subdue the spirit and have it willingly listen to the Rebirth Mantra, so I could send it peacefully to the underworld to repay its debts and reincarnate.

But this ghost was consumed by hatred—it now wanted to fight me head-on.

As I mentioned before, the Thunder Pool only traps; it cannot kill. The ghost's black mist represented seventeen lifetimes of resentment, and if it touched me, I'd suffer ten years of bad luck at best, or instant death at worst. Zhao Na would also be dragged into the afterlife.

I had no choice. I had come to redeem, but now I had to eliminate.

My blood was still fresh on my finger. I used it to draw one last talisman—a powerful Maoshan "Summon the Shrine" Seal.

As the name implies, this spell summons the divine spirit within a shrine, allowing the deity's power to descend into the world.

Once the talisman was complete, I lit the candle in front of Lord Guan's statue and poured a bowl of wine. I bowed deeply, raised both hands in respect, and solemnly chanted:

"I pray to the Loyal and Brave Prince of Peace,The peerless brother from the Peach Garden,Defender of Liu Bei through storm and war,Protector of the righteous in ages to come.Slayer of foes at every pass,Who beheaded Cai Yang beneath the old city tree.Who drowned seven armies in divine might,And captured Zhou with virtue, not force.Who awed Sun Quan and Cao Cao,A paragon of the Han with unmatched honor.Mounted on Red Hare, sword gleaming in hand,Peach blossoms in bloom, thunder roaring at command.Revered across heavens and the Three Realms,Eternal in sun, moon, and legend.I, your humble disciple, plead with devotion—Great Emperor Guan, please descend!"

The moment my words ended, a bright light flashed from the two-meter-tall shrine. The icy chill in the room vanished instantly.

I looked up—Lord Guan in the painting opened his eyes!

I immediately bowed lower, not daring to move. In the blink of an eye, the room returned to normal.

When I finally dared to raise my head, the only visible change was that the bowl of wine had been emptied. Everything else was in place.

As for the ghost who moments ago was preparing to fight me—it had completely vanished.

The fridge's hum returned. The eternal lamp slowly flickered out.

It all felt like a dream.

The ghost simply couldn't withstand the killing aura of Lord Guan. I approached the Thunder Pool formation and saw a willow leaf in its center. With a sigh, I picked it up and stored it in my green medicine pouch—it was a remnant of the spirit, a dangerous object in its own right.

Looking at the unconscious Zhao Na, I sighed again. She felt much lighter now as I lifted her in my arms.

I carried her to the bedroom and laid her down gently. I knew this was the end of our story.

Just as I turned to leave, she grabbed my sleeve.

Her cold hand pierced through my robes, sending chills to my heart. I looked back to see her wide eyes glistening, lips quivering in a mix of sadness and temptation.

"Don't go… please, Dabao. I was wrong. Just give me one more chance…"

Her voice was soft, pleading, full of vulnerability.

I took a deep breath. Sure, beautiful women are captivating—but love must be rooted in principle. Once it's over, it's over.

In Old Zhang's world, there's no such thing as "one last time." After everything that happened, what man could endure such betrayal?

Time doesn't rewind. Adults must face the consequences of their actions.

I said,

"Take care of yourself."

I gently patted her hand and left without looking back.

Unlike the first time I left her, this time I felt a deep bitterness. I knew then—she was still immature, treating love like a child's game. Today she likes me, tomorrow she likes someone else.

But life isn't kindergarten. Some people, once missed, are missed for life.

Let me offer a word of advice to all who read this:

"Never forget the one who stood by you in your youth."

Well, that's the end of the story with Zhao Na.

Last year, we met once more. We exchanged WeChat contacts, chatted briefly. I learned that she'd been divorced twice, and now lives in Australia, dating some foreign guy named Jimmy or Jim, I'm not even sure.

But once, my wife saw her photo, and to avoid any "misunderstandings," I deleted her.

Back to the main story—after leaving Zhao Na's house, I returned alone to my tiny 50-square-meter apartment in the Tiexi District.

I was still worried about Grandpa. He'd been gone so long. Always coughing, knees stiff with arthritis—what kind of catastrophe would make him disappear like this? Even Wang Yi remained cryptic and mysterious.

Before I left, I used copper coins to open the "life position" in my room's feng shui layout, so the place didn't feel cold.

After a good night's sleep, I woke before dawn and carried the two evil objects to Shisheng Temple.

Shisheng Temple, located on Huangsi Road in Heping District of Shenyang, is officially known as Lianhua Pure Land Shisheng Temple. It was founded in the first year of Ming Chongzhen (1636) and completed in the third year on the eighth day of the eighth lunar month. It took three years to build and was the first formal Tibetan Buddhist temple established by the Qing government in the northeast, and the largest Lama temple in Shengjing before the Qing army entered the Central Plains.

That morning was not a weekend, so few people were around. But the moment I stepped through the temple gate, I saw a lama in red robes standing in front of the main hall, smiling at me—as if he had been waiting for me all along.