Chapter 7: The Yang Six Roots and Divine Abilities

Chapter 7: The Yang Six Roots and Divine Abilities

The room was dimly lit, the drumbeat urgent.

The candles on either side of the incense burner seemed to have come to life, dancing to the rhythm of the drum.

Wang Guaifu narrowed her eyes, swaying her head, her expression gradually changing.

At first, she was solemn, then frenzied, beads of sweat forming on her forehead.

Her head shook continuously, and the divine chant grew faster and faster.

"Bind with the Immortal Lock, tie with the Immortal Rope, carry the Soul Bottle behind the horse. Throw the three treasures onto your disciple, kick if the grip is weak, step if the bind is loose, a bright lamp in the heart and eyes..."

The little girl on the ground began to tremble more violently.

With the drumbeat, her body bent, she yawned, stretched, and stood up in an unnatural posture, straight as a board.

When she rose, her eyes remained tightly shut, her head shaking rhythmically.

Li Yan's pupils dilated, his hand instinctively gripping the hilt of his knife.

In the past, he would have thought the mother and daughter were just putting on a show.

But times had changed.

Now, he could clearly smell the pungent scent of incense mingling with the air, converging into the little girl's body.

Her aura changed as the two forces merged.

Bang!

Finally, the drum stopped.

The little girl's eyes snapped open.

She shook her head, picked up the duster beside her, and swung it from side to side, as if driving something away.

Then, she crossed her right leg over her left, resting on the tip of her foot, leaning back as if sitting on an invisible chair.

Li Yan's face was calm, but his heart was filled with disbelief.

He had trained in martial arts since childhood, using the Substitute God Statue to develop a strong control over his body. He could perform those movements himself.

But a four-year-old girl should have been impossible.

Her expression, eyes half-closed, seemed both lazy and cold—nothing like the innocence of a child.

She gave off an eerie fox-like vibe.

Unfazed by Li Yan's caution, the little girl swung her duster.

Swish!

The wine jar on the Ancestral Offering Table was instantly wrapped and lifted into her hand.

Li Yan's eyes widened in surprise.

Using a duster as a weapon was not uncommon.

The handle could serve as a short stick or dagger, capable of striking, blocking, poking, and slashing. The horsehair could act as a flexible whip, entangling and sweeping. It combined hardness and softness, much like the interplay of yin and yang.

Those who could wield it were all experts.

The wine jar, at least five pounds, could be lifted with the horsehair, without spilling a drop. The force was perfectly controlled.

For a moment, he was at a loss.

If an immortal could possess a four-year-old girl and perform such feats, what was the point of their hard-earned martial arts training...

The little girl, oblivious to his thoughts, wrapped the wine jar with her duster, lifted it with her left elbow, and tilted her head back, drinking deeply.

Burp!

After finishing the jar, she let out a loud burp, tossed it aside, wiped her mouth, and then squinted at Li Yan.

Her eyes glinted, as if scrutinizing him.

Then she spoke, a string of gibberish.

Her voice was sharp and carried a sense of age.

Stranger still, not a word was intelligible, sounding more like the roar of a wild beast or someone mumbling to themselves, rapid and urgent.

Hearing this, Li Yan felt slightly relieved.

He had heard of this phenomenon, called Upper Tongue.

In essence, it was the language used by spirits, akin to a native tongue.

But if she spoke human language, that would be a different story.

It would mean the immortal's powers were limited.

Wang Guaifu, who appeared to be in a daze, listened intently and then turned to Li Yan.

"The immortal says you've brought a great calamity upon yourself. You've attracted the attention of the Cold Altar Rampage Soldiers. Last night was just a test. Once the protective charms in your home are broken, disaster will follow!"

They certainly knew a lot!

Li Yan narrowed his eyes. "What are the Cold Altar Rampage Soldiers?"

The little girl chuckled, then spoke more gibberish.

Wang Guaifu continued translating. "You're not yet a member of the Mystic Gate, so you wouldn't understand. When you do, you'll know. The immortal asks which root you have activated."

Which root?

Li Yan was more confused than ever.

Wang Guaifu seemed to sense his confusion and explained, "Humans have six roots: eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind, corresponding to the six senses: sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch, and thought."

"The six roots are divided into yin and yang. Most people have the yin roots, but some can awaken the yang roots, allowing them to perceive the spirit world. This is the key to entering the Mystic Gate."

Li Yan's interest was piqued. "Like the Yin-Yang Eyes?"

Wang Guaifu nodded. "Exactly. Some people only see spirits when they are near death, encounter malevolent forces, or are under a curse. Those who have activated the yang roots can sense them directly. Some call these abilities Divine Abilities."

"But possessing Divine Abilities can be both a blessing and a curse."

"For example, some children with the Yin-Yang Eyes are often terrified, losing their souls. Others with Ear Communication hear ghostly whispers, driving them mad..."

"Worse yet, those with yang roots are watched by malevolent spirits. Without guidance and protection, they rarely find peace."

So that was it.

His unusual sense of smell had nothing to do with the Substitute God Statue.

Li Yan realized this and didn't hide it. "I can smell different scents."

Wang Guaifu's face turned grave, looking at the little girl with a mix of love and concern. "You needn't be wary. We mean you no harm. We're telling you this for a reason."

"My ancestors founded an incense hall, but I was born with shallow luck. Though I activated the Spirit Root, I couldn't join the Mystic Gate. My mother sealed it, and I lived an ordinary life."

"Later, my enemies came, and I was the only one to escape. I was kidnapped and sold to Guanzhong, and my life was a living hell."

"Poor this little one, she suffered because of me. When her father died, she was traumatized, activating the Mind Root. She was targeted by the Lonely Spirits and Wild Ghosts on the mountain."

"To save her, I had to resume my practice. Fortunately, my aunt always stayed with us, protecting the child. But she's too young. She must survive the twenty-four solar terms, a full year, to escape the calamity."

"The thing that possessed the Blind Third Elder Wolf is the Cold Altar Rampage Soldier. Once free, it becomes extremely bloodthirsty. We can't fight it, let alone provoke it."

"If you were just a normal person, destroying its physical form would scatter it, and it would find another host. But you've activated the Spirit Root, so it's targeted you and cursed you."

"It won't stop until it consumes your Three Souls and Seven Shadows and takes your body for itself!"

Hearing Wang Guaifu's explanation, Li Yan felt a chill, but he remained calm. "Why are you telling me all this?"

The little girl spoke again, sounding frustrated.

Wang Guaifu sighed. "My powers are limited, and my protective spells are weak. If you're possessed, that thing will notice the child, and we won't be able to escape."

So that was it.

Li Yan's voice was grave. "Is there a solution?"

Wang Guaifu replied, "Chang'an City has countless temples and observatories, many with members of the Mystic Gate. If you can reach there before nightfall and find a powerful practitioner for protection, you might escape the calamity."

"But your grandfather will be targeted in retaliation."

Li Yan shook his head. "That won't work."

With the current transportation, reaching Chang'an City was impossible, and even if he could, he wouldn't leave his grandfather behind.

Wang Guaifu seemed to understand and discussed with the little girl before continuing, "There's another method, but it requires courage!"

Li Yan nodded. "Please tell me."

At this point, he had no choice.

Though Wang Guaifu and the immortal might be hiding something, their goals aligned—to eliminate the calamity. He had to trust them.

Wang Guaifu explained, "Prepare two roosters, soak rice in your blood, and mix it with peach wood shavings and your hair ash. Feed the roosters this mixture."

"The Cold Altar Rampage Soldier will act at midnight. Tie the roosters to a tree outside your door with a red rope, then dig a three-foot pit and bury yourself inside."

"If it can't find you, it will take the roosters for you. The next morning, check if the dead roosters' insides have turned black water."

"If they have, burn them with willow wood at noon."

"What if they haven't?"

"Repeat the process the next night."

"Remember, this method has strict rules. No matter what you hear or see, you must remain hidden and not emerge from the ground."

The little girl yawned, her nose and eyes watering, and she collapsed, falling into a deep sleep.

It was clear that speaking had exhausted her.

Li Yan bid his farewells and returned home to prepare.

As he stepped out, the foul smell hit him again.

Li Yan covered his nose, looking at the stinking jars and asked, "Can these ward off spirits and evil?"

Wang Guaifu's expression turned grim. "They can't ward off spirits, but they can keep even more terrifying things at bay."

"And they can keep nosy people away..."

...

Finding roosters in the village was easy.

Li Yan's family raised a few, but to avoid his grandfather's suspicions, he bought two from a neighbor.

The roosters had bright red combs and colorful feathers, known to ward off evil and bring good luck.

But Li Yan couldn't detect any special scent from them, and the method Wang Guaifu provided didn't involve any magical tools.

He didn't understand the principles, but he followed the instructions meticulously.

He crushed peach wood, burned his hair to ash, and mixed it with rice and blood. He starved the roosters for a day and fed them the mixture just before sunset.

He had already dug a pit in the house while his grandfather was out in the sun, covered it with oilcloth, and concealed it with soil.

Night fell soon after.

It was almost the full moon, and the moonlight illuminated the ground like frost.

Li Yan dressed in short clothes, wrapped his legs, and tied the roosters to a tree outside with a blood-soaked red rope.

He closed the door and returned to his room.

He had piled the soil from the pit on either side, and when he pulled out the oilcloth, it collapsed, burying him.

Holding the Guan Mountain Blade, he used a bamboo tube to breathe.

Being buried alive was a terrible feeling. Even with a thin layer of soil, it felt like drowning, darkness, helplessness, and fear overwhelming him.

Especially with the unknown Cold Altar Rampage Soldier looming.

Fortunately, Li Yan's martial training had honed his mind, and he remained calm, waiting.

Being buried also affected his hearing, making it impossible to detect the subtle sounds from the night before.

All he could do was wait.

Before he knew it, the night had passed.

In the early hours, hearing the roosters crow, Li Yan pushed the oilcloth aside, broke free from the ground, and rushed outside with his blade.

The sky was still dark, but the scene outside was clear.

As Wang Guaifu had said, the rooster tied to the tree was dead, its body twisted in an unnatural position, and its droppings scattered on the ground.

Without hesitation, Li Yan slit open the rooster's belly, and his face darkened.

The rooster's insides were a mangled mess, but no black water flowed...

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end