The Iron Wolf Protector truly lives up to being a Stage Five Martial Artist.
The rewards in Qi and Blood and martial arts experience are quite generous.
There are also many martial arts to choose from, and their quality is not bad.
However, it's uncertain how much participation this funeral procession will garner and whether any rewards can be drawn.
In the hall, Daoist Lin performed some rituals, raising the temperature inside the spirit hall considerably, at least making it no longer bone-chillingly cold.
The beautiful woman and many funeral guests finally felt relieved.
That night, Daoist Lin Jiu asked everyone to leave, leaving only him and Bai Yu to keep vigil in the spirit hall.
The Daoist handed Bai Yu two yellow talismans:
"Xiao Bai, your Qi and Blood are strong, so theoretically, there shouldn't be any issues, but keep these two Sha-Subduing Talismans just in case."
Bai Yu took the yellow talismans and said:
"Alright, I understand."
"By the way, Uncle Jiu, earlier you threw a yellow talisman, and it burned by itself. How did that happen?"
Daoist Lin Jiu is merely a Stage Three Martial Artist, without any internal energy, so it's impossible for him to ignite talisman paper.
Could it be that Daoist Lin Jiu is actually a cultivator?
Daoist Lin Jiu looked serious:
"There are many reasons why a yellow talisman can burn on its own."
"The main reasons are sincere faith, exquisite skill, and persistent practice."
"And finally, a bit of self-igniting white phosphorus."
Bai Yu nearly bit his tongue.
So it was white phosphorus, rubbing hands together to generate heat.
Bai Yu felt the image of the Daoist as a master was somewhat shattered and asked:
"Then what about your sword dance during the day, which raised the temperature in the spirit hall? What's the reason behind that?"
Daoist Lin slapped his thigh:
"Ah, that's just to fool people."
"If you just throw a couple of talismans, people feel their money wasn't well spent, so you have to put on a full show."
Bai Yu understood.
This is quite similar to locksmiths in the past life, taking ten minutes to put on a show and unlocking the lock in five seconds.
If it's opened too quickly, customers feel they wasted their money.
It seems the principles of various professions are interconnected.
Uncle Jiu took out a bunch of yellow talismans and handed them to Bai Yu, saying:
"Later, stick these yellow talismans on the windows and doors, and nine on the coffin."
Bai Yu took the yellow talismans and got to work.
Daoist Lin valued Bai Yu highly and spoke earnestly:
"In our Yin-Yang Master profession, we mainly deal with Feng Shui and resolving Sha energy."
"For martial artists, killing too much brings Sha energy. In life, Qi and Blood suppress it, but after death, Sha energy backfires."
"To ordinary people, Sha energy is as potent as poison. Sometimes, a corpse filled with Sha energy becomes a Sha Corpse, harming others."
"So, although our profession isn't glamorous, it's very important."
Bai Yu used paste made from rice to stick the yellow talismans on the doors, windows, and coffin.
"Uncle Jiu, the yellow talismans are all up. Will this resolve the Sha energy?"
Daoist Lin Jiu nodded slightly:
"Generally, if you stick them for three days and change a batch of Sha-Transforming Talismans daily, it will resolve."
"The main concern is the first night. If there's no Sha return the first night, there won't be any problems later."
"Xiao Bai, remember, after midnight tonight, no matter what you see, don't make a sound; no matter who calls you, do not respond."
Bai Yu naturally nodded in agreement.
And so, the two began to take turns keeping vigil.
The first half of the night was the most dangerous, so Daoist Lin kept watch, sitting cross-legged nearby.
Bai Yu lay on a small bamboo bed, but his mind remained partially alert.
The night deepened, and all was silent.
Only occasionally, a distant dog barked.
Bai Yu gradually relaxed.
It seemed there was nothing particularly special about this line of work.
He didn't notice the yellow talisman on the door slowly becoming covered with a layer of mist.
The cinnabar on the yellow talisman gradually became damp, losing its original form.
After some time, the cinnabar pattern on the yellow talisman had become a mess.
"Creak—"
The spirit hall door opened for no reason.
A gust of Yin wind blew in, swirling inside the hall, causing the temperature to plummet.
Bai Yu jolted awake from the bamboo mat.
At the doorway, a series of wet footprints appeared out of nowhere.
Though no figure was visible at the door, the footprints on the ground advanced step by step.
Crossing the threshold, they headed toward the coffin in the spirit hall.
Bai Yu was about to call Daoist Lin Jiu when he noticed that Daoist Lin Jiu had already reacted.
He pulled out a bunch of yellow talismans and threw them toward the footprints.
Strangely, those yellow talismans seemed to have a life of their own, swirling around the foremost footprints.
Then, Daoist Lin wielded a peachwood sword, as if engaging in combat with an unseen opponent.
It can be hard to make great work when its stolen from "pawread.com".
He remained silent, like acting in a silent film.
Bai Yu watched in astonishment, unable to comprehend the situation.
In the hall, yellow talismans floated down, and the wooden sword danced.
The wet footprints on the ground slowly dried, and the Yin wind inside gradually dissipated.
Only then did Daoist Lin Jiu exhale deeply, saying:
"Alright, the Sha return has been resolved. There will be no more danger."
Bai Yu nodded heavily, thinking:
"It seems this Yin-Yang Master has some skills. Perhaps not as powerful as a cultivator, but certainly with some mystical aspects."
As he pondered, another gust of Yin wind blew in from outside.
This time, the Yin wind was even stronger, making the room feel like winter, the cold penetrating to the bone.
On the ground, the wet footprints reappeared.
With each gust of Yin wind, the footprints advanced another step.
Daoist Lin Jiu was shocked, pulling out another bunch of yellow talismans and scattering them toward the Yin wind.
With a sword in his right hand and talismans in his left, he seemed to be fighting an invisible foe again.
However, in just a few blinks, the yellow talismans in his hand were exhausted.
"Crack—"
A crisp sound echoed as the peachwood sword snapped in half.
The Yin wind blew toward the coffin in the spirit hall.
"Pa—"
"Pa—"
On the ground, waterlogged footprints fell one by one.
"This is bad, Xiao Bai, stop it quickly. We can't let the Sha energy enter the deceased's body, or it will become a Sha Corpse."
"Buy me some time!"
Bai Yu was also anxious.
Who knew what a Sha Corpse was?
Moreover, if the deceased turned into a Sha Corpse and escaped, his funeral reward would be lost.
He quickly took off the two Sha-Subduing Talismans from his chest and threw them at the Yin wind.
The yellow talismans hit the Yin wind, causing it to pause momentarily.
Bai Yu felt as if there were eyes within the Yin wind, giving him a malicious glance.
However, the Yin wind only paused briefly before continuing toward the deceased.
Bai Yu was in a panic but had no solution.
He couldn't even figure out what the enemy was, let alone how to deal with the so-called Sha energy.
As the footprints on the ground approached the coffin step by step, Bai Yu suddenly had an idea.
Perhaps the Suona could be used to subdue the spirit and transform the Sha.
He took out the Suona and began to play a funeral dirge.
"Whose land is this in Hao Li, gathering souls regardless of virtue."
"The ghost messenger urges relentlessly, human life cannot linger."
"Do you not see, how many graceful figures have become the soil beneath Mount Beiwang."
...
The sound of the Suona carried a sense of having seen life and death, bringing everything to peace once more.
Unexpectedly, the Yin wind actually stopped, and the footprints on the ground ceased to spread.
As he played the piece, Bai Yu felt an unprecedented strain.
Though it was a well-practiced tune, playing it felt like bearing a thousand-pound burden.
When the piece ended, the Yin wind began to swirl and howl once more.