Volume Three - The Fox Spirit's Tomb Chapter Eighteen - Matters Here Concluded

The Taoist Ghost Lantern smiled and said, “I knew you wouldn’t want to part with it. I was just saying it casually; there’s no way you’d give it to me.”

The Taoist Thousand Poisons rolled his eyes, then turned to look at me as I stood up and said, “This kid is done for. Let’s move on.”

With that, the two elders rose and came to stand beside me.

The Taoist Thousand Poisons patted my shoulder and said, “Alright, this guy’s spirit has been completely shattered by you. That’s about enough. Leave the rest of these little ghosts to us. If you keep fighting them one by one, you’ll wear yourself out.”

I gasped for breath and scratched my head without saying anything, while Li Kun stepped up beside me and asked, “Old Liu, did that Zhong Teng Gaoxiong really lose his soul after you hit him?”

I nodded and said softly, “That’s how it seems. There’s not even a trace left now.”

At that moment, Li Kun and I turned to the two elders standing at the front of the ancestral hall. The Taoist Thousand Poisons nodded to the Taoist Ghost Lantern, who then raised a kerosene lamp and shouted loudly. Suddenly, from the tablets in the ancestral hall emerged thick, intense red vapors.

Amidst the red vapors came sharp, piercing screams. Looking closer, I saw that these red gases were actually ghostly shadows, each no bigger than a palm.

At the sight of these ghostly shadows, I thought to myself that they were far smaller than that Zhong Teng Gaoxiong. Their power must be less than a tenth of his; otherwise, they wouldn’t be so tiny.

Now, the entire third floor was filled with these dense clusters of ghostly shadows—probably numbering in the hundreds. Though small, their sheer numbers were terrifying. The surrounding shrieks and wails rattled my ears with a deafening roar.

Many lesser ghosts circled around Li Kun and me, baring their teeth at me from time to time, looking utterly terrifying.

Though the scene was frightful beyond words, the two elders found it quite amusing.

Fortunately, Li Kun hadn’t opened his Heavenly Eye; otherwise, even he, a burly man, would have been scared half to death. Besides, Li Kun was especially afraid of ghosts.

I hastily shut my eyes, refusing to look at the scene inside the hall any longer. The Taoist Ghost Lantern then nodded at the Taoist Thousand Poisons, signaling that all the spirits within the ancestral tablets had been completely driven out.

The Taoist Thousand Poisons nodded in return, then lifted the earthen jar in his hand and released the seal at its mouth. He then bellowed, “Gather!”

The moment his voice fell, the howls around me intensified. I quickly opened my eyes and saw that all the ghostly shadows were being sucked into the small earthen jar held by the Taoist Thousand Poisons.

Witnessing this amazed me utterly. I never imagined such a tiny vessel could hold so many ghostly shadows.

After all the spirits were sealed inside the jar, the Taoist Thousand Poisons resealed its opening. The wailing and shrieking then completely ceased within the room.

Hearing the sounds finally disappear, I breathed a long sigh of relief and looked at the small jar in the elder’s hand. “Elder, is this jar specially made to contain these ghostly shadows?”

The Taoist Thousand Poisons nodded, then shook his head and said, “Yes and no.”

I scratched my head and asked, “I don’t quite understand. Please enlighten me, elder.”

He smiled and said, “This Soul-Gathering Altar is indeed used to collect these spirits, but it serves another purpose. Any soul sealed within the altar will, within three days, completely dissolve into a pure, clear vapor—just like a soul utterly scattered to the winds. The difference is that these spirits vanish without any awareness, without feeling any pain.”

Upon hearing this, Li Kun and I felt a pang of bitterness. Whether the soul was scattered or not, pain no longer mattered. The real tragedy was that these spirits would never be able to reincarnate.

The Taoist Thousand Poisons must have sensed our thoughts, for he said, “These little pests have caused much harm. Allowing them to quietly vanish into the void is the greatest mercy I grant them. If this were twenty years ago, I would have used the Death Bamboo to torment each and every one of them until their souls were torn apart.”

Hearing this, Li Kun and I shuddered. Now I understood the true power of that Death Bamboo. Each lash inflicted unbearable pain on the ghostly shadows—more agonizing than even the torments of the Eighteen Hells.

Each strike targeted the very soul itself, causing its gradual dissipation. No living creature could endure such torment. I wondered who had created such a weapon.

The Taoist Ghost Lantern then turned to me and said, “Kid, now that this matter is settled, us old fellows will take our leave. After all, without our watchful eyes, the Ghost Market might fall into chaos. Should anything go wrong, we’d not be able to explain ourselves.”

We all nodded and bowed to the two elders. I said, “Thank you both for your help on this journey.”

The Taoist Thousand Poisons waved his hand dismissively and said, “No need for thanks. These guys have crossed paths with us before, so there’s some grudge between us. Besides, Japanese onmyoji who dare trespass on our land must never be allowed to return alive, as true descendants of China.”

He then stepped over to Li Kun and me, patting our shoulders. “You two are fine young men. Next time you meet such villains, don’t hesitate. Take them down immediately. Never show mercy to these little pests. If anything happens, I’ll have your back.”

Turning to me, he said, “Kid, I can’t give you the Death Bamboo in your hand. It’s my spiritual weapon and has become part of me. If you want one like it, go to the Ghost Market next time and find that old fellow there—he can make one for you.”

At this, the Taoist Ghost Lantern suddenly coughed and then said to the Taoist Thousand Poisons, “You...”