Chapter 33: Blow This Scoundrel to Kingdom Come

After dealing with the two intruders, Lin Bei and his group turned their attention to the Taiji diagram.

The black and white yin-yang fish were intertwined, covering an area with a diameter of three to four meters. The white fish-eye was hollow, perfectly sized for a person to pass through. In the film, the protagonists entered through the fish-eye and accidentally triggered the mechanisms inside. The man with the mustache had even smashed the seal during the full moon, sparing the Qin corpse the trouble of breaking through on its own. Lin Bei and his team, however, could not risk such a method; if the four female ghosts were to ambush them just as they crawled inside, it would be a disaster.

Lin Bei had one of his bodyguards insert the camel pearl provided by Old Yang into the gap of the yin-yang fish. After a few twists, the ground centered on the diagram began to shake violently. Moments later, the entire area collapsed inward, revealing a massive pit. The perimeter of the pit was lined with stone, and at its center sat an ancient well, only half a meter in diameter and sealed by two intersecting stones inscribed with runes.

Uncle Feng’s expression tightened upon seeing the seals. "Those are Maoshan suppression talismans!" he exclaimed. Initially, they had been skeptical of Lin Bei's claims, but seeing the evidence in person, they were completely convinced.

Without a word, Lin Bei pushed off the ground and drifted downward as if he were a weightless feather. Even though they had already seen Lin Bei use the Cloud-Stepping Technique, the group still felt a sense of astonishment. Most practitioners of the Dao knew some light-body skills, but none could match Lin Bei’s grace. Unable to fly, Ma Xiaoling and the others had to rely on a rope ladder to descend.

Once they gathered around the well, they inspected the two seals. Lin Bei wandered around the perimeter, recalling that the Qin corpse was guarded by four female ghosts who would regain their mobility once the moon appeared. Since it was daytime, it was the perfect opportunity to eliminate them. After searching for a while, Lin Bei finally found the four ghosts hiding among the vines. They were so well-hidden that, without prior knowledge of the plot, one might never have discovered them.

Lin Bei waved his hand, and his bodyguards stepped forward, dragging the four ghosts out. While their faces had been obscured by hair, as soon as it parted, it revealed features that looked as if they had been doused in sulfuric acid; "hideous" was an understatement for their terrifying appearance. Lin Bei took one look and, with a gesture of disgust, ordered his bodyguards to dispose of them.

The four female ghosts had existed for quite some time, but they remained ordinary spirits. All that was required was to pierce their hearts with peach-wood swords and burn them. Led by Wang Jianjun, the four bodyguards counted to three and simultaneously thrust their swords into the ghosts' chests. Suffering lethal damage, the ghosts shrieked as they were jolted into consciousness. However, under the scorching sun, they didn't even require fire to be ignited; they instantly turned to ash.

At the same time, the two talismans on the well entrance began to glow. Uncle Feng said in a deep voice, "The Qin corpse inside has likely sensed that its minions have been destroyed. These two seals won't hold for much longer. If we hadn't come, it would have broken free in half a month at most."

With that, Uncle Feng looked to Lin Bei, clearly awaiting his orders. Lin Bei tapped his exorcism sword with his left hand, producing a crisp, clear ring. "Uncle Feng, these seals were set by your Maoshan sect. You are more familiar with them—please, proceed with the arrangements."

Uncle Feng breathed a sigh of relief. Despite being older than Lin Bei and a senior in the path of Dao, he always felt a sense of pressure when dealing with this tycoon. Had he followed his own instincts, he would have taken charge immediately. While Uncle Feng studied the seals, Lin Bei ordered his men to bring over the Katyusha rocket launcher. He was reluctant to use such drastic measures unless absolutely necessary, as the bronze sword held by the Qin corpse—capable of clashing with the Zhong Kui sword without yielding—was surely a treasure. If the corpse were truly of the Qin royal lineage, the sword might well be a legendary blade like the Juque or the Tai'e. The exorcism sword in Lin Bei's hand had already developed minor cracks and would likely shatter after a few more uses, so he needed a replacement; the Zhong Kui sword was one option, but having a backup would be even better.

Soon, the rocket launcher was brought over, and Uncle Feng and the others had devised a plan. Waiting until nightfall was out of the question; once the Qin corpse emerged and absorbed the moonlight, its power would surge, making it nearly impossible to handle. Uncle Feng proposed breaking the seal proactively and blowing the well wide open to expose the Qin corpse to the sun. Lin Bei frowned at this; he knew the layout below, a labyrinthine structure with an underground river. Unless they completely overturned the earth for miles around, exposing the corpse to direct sunlight would be nearly impossible. Still, he did not intervene—after all, how else was he to obtain the Zhong Kui sword if the seal wasn't broken?

The electric net previously used against the blue-faced demon was put to use once more. Furthermore, Lin Bei had Old Yang slaughter the village’s black dogs and roosters, collecting two buckets of their blood. Unless dealing with highly cultivated spirits, these substances provided a certain level of restraint. These were traditional methods, but for unconventional measures, Lin Bei had prepared Gatling guns and RPGs. He had long wanted to test whether these evil spirits were truly immune to physical attacks. He had even spent a fortune preparing silver bullets; they were highly effective against vampires, though he wondered if they would work on Chinese spirits.

When Uncle Feng, Ma Xiaoling, and the others saw what Lin Bei and his bodyguards were armed with, they fell silent. The weaponry they carried was enough to wage a small war. However, considering Lin Bei had even arranged a rocket launcher, these items seemed trivial by comparison. It was fine; with such teammates, their sense of security was absolute. Even the heads of the Yang, Li, and Qian clans felt a great deal more at ease seeing this display of force.

Once everything was ready, Lin Bei turned to Wang Jianjun, who nodded. Carrying an RPG launcher, Wang Jianjun pulled the trigger upon receiving the order. The grenade, trailing a long plume of smoke, slammed into the ancient well. With a deafening roar, the massive explosion shattered the well, sending stone fragments flying in every direction.

As the dust settled, a burst of red light erupted from where the well had been. An ancient corpse, wearing a crown and red robes, with a black face and fangs, slowly appeared before them. Before it could steady itself, Lin Bei shouted, "Take him down!"