Volume Three: The Fox Immortal's Tomb - Chapter Seventeen: Execution

Seeing Daoist Ghost Lamp and Daoist Thousand Poisons staring fixedly at the space in front of us, Li Kun and I were filled with confusion. Li Kun turned his head and whispered to me, "Old Liu, do you think they are looking at a ghost?"

I nodded, feeling somewhat uncertain as I replied, "It certainly looks like it."

After saying this, I turned to Daoist Thousand Poisons beside me and asked, "Senior, is this the person you were talking about—Chuteng Gaoxiong?"

Daoist Thousand Poisons nodded. I continued, "Senior, is there any way for us to see him as well?"

Hearing this, Daoist Thousand Poisons smiled slightly and said, "Of course there is. Do you remember the small golden bell you obtained earlier?"

Li Kun and I exchanged a look. I nodded, reached into my chest pocket, and took out the small golden bell I had been keeping there.

Holding the Soul-Suppressing Bell, I asked, "Senior, can this bell really allow us to see spirits?"

Daoist Ghost Lamp chimed in from the side, "That’s right. This Soul-Suppressing Bell is not as simple as you imagine."

As he spoke, Daoist Ghost Lamp, holding his kerosene lamp, shouted the word "Quell" in a booming voice. No sooner had the sound faded than we heard a series of miserable wails coming from behind us.

After shouting that word, Daoist Ghost Lamp turned back to me and said, "Hold the Soul-Suppressing Bell before your eyes. I will teach you the incantation: 'The Yin and Yang flow in cycles, profound and inexhaustible. From the solstices to the Nine Palaces, all return to home. If one can comprehend the principles of Yin and Yang, the heavens and earth are held within the palm. Heavenly Eye, open!'"

He continued, "Memorize this incantation. Whenever you wish to open your Heavenly Eye, recite it, then gently shake the bell in front of your eyes. The Heavenly Eye will open, and you will be able to see those soul forms—what you call ghosts."

Li Kun and I looked at each other. Li Kun said with astonishment, "Is it really that metaphysical?"

I spread my hands and said, "I think so, too."

Without further ado, I decided to give it a try. I held the bell before my eyes, closed them, and recited: "The Yin and Yang flow in cycles, profound and inexhaustible. From the solstices to the Nine Palaces, all return to home. If one can comprehend the principles of Yin and Yang, the heavens and earth are held within the palm. Heavenly Eye, open!"

As the last word fell, I gave the bell a slight shake. At first, I felt nothing, but the moment I opened my eyes, a shocking sight appeared before me.

I stared in horror at the space ahead. A bizarre figure was sprawled on the ground. It looked incredibly grotesque, its entire body translucent; if one looked closely, the black floor beneath it was visible through its form.

The figure lacked a lower body. From the waist down, there were no limbs at all—only the upper torso remained.

Seeing this, my eyes widened in shock. I quickly turned away, unable to bear the sight, and dry-heaved against the wall. At the waist of the figure, small intestines and internal organs were spilling out, churning on the floor, as if its lower half had been obliterated by a missile.

Li Kun, seeing my reaction, immediately lost any desire to see what the ghost looked like. He stared at the ceiling and said, "I’m not looking. I definitely won't look. You couldn't pay me to look."

Having served in the military for so many years, I considered myself experienced; I had seen all sorts of corpses during missions and had even visited crematoriums a few times. But the bodies I had seen were at least whole. This thing didn't even have a complete body left—only the upper half remained.

Seeing my reaction, Daoist Thousand Poisons and Daoist Ghost Lamp laughed out loud. Daoist Thousand Poisons said, "Look at you, such a weakling. It’s just a soul form; to be like this after one glance? You’ll get used to it once you open your Heavenly Eye more often."

I leaned against the wall, waving a hand at the two elders without speaking, merely wiping my mouth.

I never wanted to look at Chuteng Gaoxiong again. He must have been blown to pieces by something when he died, otherwise he wouldn't have been left in such a state.

However, I couldn't help but wonder: wasn't it said that after death, people go to the underworld to be reincarnated? Why was this guy still in the human realm instead of going to the underworld?

At this thought, it dawned on me. Could it be that Chuteng Gaoxiong had remained in the human realm all this time, refusing reincarnation, just to wait for the Japanese onmyoji to return and resurrect him and his soldiers?

At this moment, Daoist Ghost Lamp said to Daoist Thousand Poisons, "Old man, I’ve tortured this guy enough. He no longer has the strength to resist. Take him; I’ll scatter his soul completely later. As for them..."

He looked at the other memorial tablets in the ancestral hall, pondered for a moment, and added, "We should take them all as well. After all, these people are criminals against our race. Having their souls scattered is getting off easy."

As they spoke, I walked over, though I avoided looking at the figure on the ground. I turned to Daoist Ghost Lamp and asked, "Senior, you said they are criminals against our race? What do you mean by that?"

Daoist Ghost Lamp looked at the figure on the ground with disgust and said in a low, measured voice, "They came from Nanjing."

My brow tightened immediately. I understood the nature of the atrocities Chuteng Gaoxiong had committed; no wonder the two Daoists had tortured him so relentlessly.

I looked down at the cowering Chuteng Gaoxiong and said to Daoist Ghost Lamp, "Senior, is there any way I can use him as a sacrifice to the heavens?"

Both Daoists looked at me and nodded. Daoist Thousand Poisons walked to my side, pulled a bamboo stick about half a meter long from behind his back, and said, "This bamboo stick is specially used for whipping soul forms. Many charms have been carved onto it."

"This object is called a 'Sinister Bamboo.' If used to lash a soul form, the soul will suffer grievous injury, with every strike inflicting agony upon the spirit itself." With that, he handed the bamboo to me.

I took the stick respectfully with both hands. It was as thin as a chopstick but pitch black, covered in dense, tiny inscriptions.

Grasping the Sinister Bamboo, I turned sharply toward Chuteng Gaoxiong, my eyes filled with fury. This time, as I looked at the figure, the urge to vomit was gone, replaced entirely by rage.

I stepped in front of him. Chuteng Gaoxiong looked up at me, muttering something unintelligible, though I clearly caught the word "Baka" several times.

My eyes blazed with anger as I gripped the stick tightly with both hands, raised them high, and lashed down hard onto the figure's chest.

With a dull *thwack*, a shrill, miserable scream erupted from Chuteng Gaoxiong. His face twisted in pain, and black gas spewed from his mouth.

Watching the black mist dissipate, I realized this must be the last of his spectral energy.

I didn't feel satisfied with just one strike. I raised my hands again and lashed down at his body once more.

Soon, the room was filled with continuous, piercing screams. The two elders and Li Kun were shocked by my actions.

Daoist Thousand Poisons walked over to Daoist Ghost Lamp and whispered, "I didn't expect this kid to be so ruthless. It looks like we won't be able to bring this guy back."

Daoist Ghost Lamp nodded. "Indeed. At this rate, he’ll have his soul scattered in less than ten minutes."

The two elders looked around, walked a few steps to the side, and sat down on two chairs. Their expressions became animated.

One moment they were frowning, the next they were sucking in breaths of cold air, then whispering to each other. Daoist Thousand Poisons said, "Look, that hit was satisfying. That single lash dissipated about seven or eight percent of the soul's energy."

Daoist Ghost Lamp replied, "True, but the next one wasn't as effective—it only dissipated about three percent. Old man, how long do you think it will take for him to shatter the soul completely? Let’s make a bet."

"Oh? You’re in such a mood today? Fine, I’ll take that bet. What are we wagering?"

Time ticked by. Li Kun stood by the elders, watching me lash away. Each time the bamboo fell, he heard those heart-wrenching screams, and he finally understood what kind of person Chuteng Gaoxiong had been.

Three minutes later, the figure of Chuteng Gaoxiong was no longer visible. I wiped the sweat from my forehead. Daoist Thousand Poisons sighed, "Alright, you win, you old geezer. It looks like my beloved car is changing owners."

Daoist Ghost Lamp grinned, "Even if you’re reluctant to part with it, it's mine now. But I don't really like driving it much. Why don't you trade it for that treasure of yours?"

Daoist Thousand Poisons waved his hand. "Stop, stop, stop! Don't you dare touch my treasure. It took me over ten years to find it. Just stick with the car!"