Chapter Seven: The Spirits and Demons of Qiyuan

I don't know how much time had passed before my master shook me awake. Stretching lazily, I reached out an arm, but he immediately pulled it back. Dazed, I mumbled, “Master, what are you doing? Can’t I even stretch...”

Before the words left my mouth, he covered it with his hand and whispered, “Quiet, you rascal! Look ahead—see what’s in front of us.” He pointed toward the mortuary.

Peering over a stone, I looked toward the mortuary, and the sight startled me so much I collapsed onto the ground. “Mas—master, there are so many ghosts! Why are there so many ghosts?”

“They’re all drawn here by the Soul Gathering Wood. That’s why I told you to keep quiet. If we’re discovered by the one inside, everything will go wrong,” my master explained.

I nodded, still bewildered, and glanced around. There were all sorts of ghosts: men, women, old, young—even children. They drifted aimlessly across the open ground, as if devoid of thought. These must be the wandering spirits my master mentioned. Looking back toward the mortuary, I saw two ghosts wielding steel forks.

Calling my master over, I pointed to the entrance and asked, “Master, what are those two ghosts with forks doing by the gate?”

“They’re underworld soldiers—ghost guards. Any ghost god or ghost king usually has their own force. Think of them as bodyguards, like those in the world of the living,” he explained.

Enlightened, I nodded. “With so many wandering spirits around, how are we supposed to get inside? And there are guards at the door.”

My master glanced forward, a faint smile touching his lips. “I have my ways.” He muttered a spell and flicked his fingers toward the sky. After a moment, a black-and-white bird appeared out of thin air, beating its wings as it flew into the distance.

The bird’s appearance drew most of the wandering spirits away. I looked to my master for explanation, and he smiled, “That’s a Spirit-Sending Bird, a pet kept by certain underworld officials. I went to great lengths to get it from a high-ranking official. Its purpose is to guide lost souls to report to the underworld—consider it a good deed.”

I watched as the spirits followed the bird, drifting away. Once they were gone, my master led me forward. The two guards at the gate were sharp-eyed; spotting us, they immediately grew alert, exchanging glances before floating in front of us. Brandishing their steel forks, they shrieked, “Humans! This is no place for you. Leave now, or be skewered and sent to hell.”

My master was unfazed. He slowly drew a cigarette from his case, and before lighting it, in a flash, he was in front of the two ghost soldiers. He grabbed them effortlessly. Behind him, two golden swords appeared, glowing with ethereal light. The ghost soldiers were terrified by his sudden action, dropping their forks with a clang. Trembling, they pleaded, “Great Immortal, spare us! We didn’t recognize you. Please, don’t destroy us.”

With cold eyes, my master said, “If you wish to live, answer me honestly: Who is inside? Whoever speaks first, I’ll spare.”

The two ghosts exchanged nervous glances, hesitating. My master grew impatient, the golden swords behind him inching closer to them. Seeing this, the ghost soldiers grew even more frantic, but still stammered, unable to answer.

My master’s voice turned icy. “Well, you two are stubborn—still thinking about protecting your master, are you? I don’t have time to waste on you. This is your last chance. I’ll count to three. Try your luck if you want to die.”

He began to count—

“One...”

“Two...”

Just as he was about to say “three,” one of the ghost soldiers finally broke, crying out, “Wait, great immortal! I’ll talk, I’ll talk, I’ll tell you everything!” He glanced at his companion. Watching my master’s back, I felt like a starstruck admirer—his dominance was mesmerizing. Truly, age brings experience.

My master said nothing, merely snorting and tossing the right ghost soldier to the ground.

The fallen ghost trembled, stammering, “I’ll tell you everything. Inside the mortuary is the Ghost God Qiyuan.”

My master frowned at the name, questioning, “Qiyuan? How could it be him? Why would he come to the world of the living? Be specific.”

The ghost soldier hesitated, his eyes darting about before he finally explained, “The underworld is restless now. Major powers are stirring. Five days ago, Lord Qiyuan provoked a powerful figure in the underworld and was severely wounded. So he brought us here to the world of the living to recuperate and prepare for a counterattack.”

Hearing this, my master nodded, murmuring, “So he really is wounded. Qiyuan... What are you planning?”

With that, he destroyed the ghost soldier he was holding. The one on the ground scrambled backward in terror, but my master spared him. I stepped forward, watching the retreating ghost and asked, “Master, you really keep your word—said you wouldn’t destroy him, and you didn’t. But who exactly is Qiyuan?”

My master sighed, rubbing my head. “He’s a local power in the underworld, with over a millennium of cultivation. Not weak, and an old acquaintance of mine. We’ve fought side by side before. Come, let’s go inside and see.”

We entered the mortuary together. I still felt uneasy, remembering how yesterday I nearly had my throat bitten by a zombie here. As soon as we stepped inside, the door slammed shut behind us. Startled, I moved closer to my master, who shielded me and called out, “Old fellow, don’t you recognize me?”

He stood with hands behind his back, saying nothing more. I peered ahead, and after a moment, a weak voice echoed from within the mortuary, “Tan Boqing? Ha, so it’s you. I thought it was King Qingchen coming for me.” As the voice faded, a dark mist drifted out from within, stopping before us.

I looked closely. A ghost god in a black cloak stood before us, with a hole the size of a bowl in his chest, his soul unstable. My master stepped forward and asked, “What happened to your wounds? Who did this? Speak.”

Qiyuan Ghost God gave a bitter laugh. “You heard it yourself—King Qingchen did this. The underworld is in turmoil. Qingchen seeks to gather all ghosts under his command and came for me. Naturally, I refused. We fought fiercely, but I lost the upper hand and fled to the world of the living to recover. By the way, did you just destroy one of my men?”

My master frowned, “Just a disobedient ghost. Besides, he was full of resentment—I did you a favor by getting rid of him. What, are you displeased?”

Qiyuan Ghost God didn’t blame my master, instead smiling and shaking his head. My master smiled back and continued, “I’ve heard those ten old fellows have been troubled by the underworld’s unrest lately. And Qingchen—wasn’t he supposed to be staying put in the Abyss of Ten Thousand Ghosts? Why is he involved now? And when I came here yesterday, why didn’t I sense your presence?”

Qiyuan Ghost God hesitated. “Yesterday? You were here yesterday?”

My master nodded silently, hands behind his back.

Qiyuan Ghost God stroked his chin, thinking for a moment. “Yesterday I did sense a powerful energy here. I assumed it was a master from one of the major sects in the world of the living, so I hid my presence. The ghost guards at the gate were dispatched to the underworld to gather information, so naturally you didn’t notice me. But the child behind you looks familiar—he must be one of those reckless kids from last night. If it weren’t for me, those children would have become zombies.”

My master took out a lighter, lit his cigarette, glanced at me, then turned to Qiyuan Ghost God. “He’s my apprentice, watch your words. And what do you mean ‘if not for you’? Explain clearly—are you addled? Now’s not the time for riddles. By the way, I just remembered: did you see any evil objects from the altar or altar ghosts here?”

Qiyuan Ghost God tilted his head, studying me for a while before answering, “I thought so. If this child didn’t have something special, you, Tan Boqing, wouldn’t have taken him as your apprentice. The twin fish on his arm are impressive. And you, his master, are formidable. I remember last time, you went alone to the underworld to stir up trouble with King Taishan…”

My master shook his head, cutting him off. “Enough. You’ve lived a thousand years and still haven’t shaken your habit of rambling. Just tell me what happened last night.”

Qiyuan Ghost God chuckled, clutching his wound. “Ask your apprentice—he’ll tell you. When those kids came in last night, the occupants of the coffins were already awake. If I hadn’t shut the ground floor door and sent them upstairs, then wrapped them in ghostly energy, they’d have been drained by the zombies. Pity, they were too timid—especially one child, crying nonstop, utterly useless. In the end, the zombies found them anyway. I was gravely wounded, so if you hadn’t shown up, those kids would have died here. As for the altar, there are indeed a few here. One was even smashed by a chubby kid last night. I suspect whatever was inside has escaped.”

My master nodded, tossing a bottle to Qiyuan Ghost God. “The altar ghost is already destroyed. Take this—ghost pill—it’ll help heal your wounds. Though I’m human and you’re ghost, we’re old comrades. I’ll help you out. You should lay low for a while. I’ll set up a Mirror Domain Array here so Qingchen won’t find you for now. As for the remaining altars, once you’ve recovered, deal with them for me. I’m leaving now.”

With that, my master strode out, taking me with him. As we left, I heard Qiyuan Ghost God call after us, “You’re still the same as ever. Times are urgent—thanks for the ghost pill.”

My master said nothing, only waved his hand without turning. I looked at him, puzzled. “Master, what’s your connection with him? He mentioned you went looking for trouble with King Taishan—I’d love to hear about it.”

Hands in his pockets, my master smiled slightly. “Didn’t I tell you? We’re old friends. Enough questions—let’s go. If we’re late, your grandfather will worry.”

He answered my first question but not the second.

Feeling a bit disappointed, I pouted and followed him home. Later, I learned that the relationship between Qiyuan Ghost God and my master was profound. When my master needed help most, Qiyuan was the first to lend a hand, forging a bond that transcended life and death between a man and a ghost. But that, of course, is a story for another time.