Chapter 23: The Eerie Qingyuan Village

Li Yunfei was unwilling to waste even a moment and prepared to begin immediately.

He formed a hand seal with his left hand, pressed the index and middle fingers of his right hand together like a sword and held them upright between his brows, reciting an incantation: “Supreme Lord, separate the Three Pure Ones; Lingbao Celestial, fix the three souls; Heaven, Earth, and Man combine with three fires; grant me the Dharma Eye to see yin and yang; let it be done at once, according to the law.”

This was the so-called “Eye Opening Spell.” There are four methods of opening the spiritual eye: the Yin-Yang Eye, the Dharma Eye, the Wisdom Eye, and the Celestial Eye.

The Yin-Yang Eye is opened with the help of external objects such as willow leaves or ox tears, used by practitioners to perceive spirits. However, aside from being able to see ghosts, the Yin-Yang Eye offers little use and is also limited in duration. Naturally, those born with the Yin-Yang Eye are an exception.

Next is the Dharma Eye, a fundamental Daoist technique. To open the Dharma Eye requires a certain level of spiritual cultivation. Not only does the Dharma Eye reveal spirits, but it also allows one to observe the rise and fall of all kinds of energies in the world. For oneself, it helps to find places rich in spiritual energy, enhancing one’s cultivation. For others, it can aid in discerning geomantic patterns and selecting auspicious sites for houses and tombs.

As for the Wisdom Eye, it belongs to the realm of immortals. It possesses all the powers of the Dharma Eye, but can also perceive the true nature of things, see through illusions and deceptions, and unravel all falsehoods. Neither the transformations of immortals nor the enchantments of demons can escape its gaze. Sun Wukong’s Fiery Golden Eyes are an example of the Wisdom Eye.

Finally, there is the Celestial Eye. Beyond the powers of the Wisdom Eye, it can unleash powerful spells—splitting mountains, cleaving waves, shattering stone. Even those with indestructible bodies would not dare withstand its force. Representative figures include Erlang Shen Yang Jian and the Grand Preceptor Wen Zhong of the Shang Dynasty, both known for their third eyes.

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Having finished the incantation, Li Yunfei moved his sword fingers horizontally from left to right across his eyes. A yellow light briefly flashed in his eyes.

Instantly, the world before him changed: no longer void, but awash with vibrant streams of energy in countless colors, making the scene dazzling and kaleidoscopic.

White signified the spiritual aura of heaven and earth, generally floating ten zhang above the ground. Black was the miasma—containing yin energy, death energy, and ill fortune. Red marked baleful energy: hostility, killing intent, and malice. Bright green was the energy of life, present everywhere—wherever there was life, whether animal or plant, it radiated vitality. Dark green indicated demonic energy; in the whole village, only the little fox emitted this spectral green aura.

As for himself, Li Yunfei found a faint yellow glow enveloping him—a sign of Daoist spiritual power.

What shocked Li Yunfei was that black miasma was roiling and surging throughout Qingyuan Village, almost enshrouding the entire settlement. Even the graveyard outside the village did not have such a dense concentration.

No wonder Qingyuan Village was considered a level 51 to 55 dungeon, while the graveyard only rated level 31 to 35. If he entered the dungeon, the whole village might instantly transform into a ghost town.

“But why is this? I’ve never heard of any great disaster here with massive loss of life!” Li Yunfei frowned deeply, unable to understand why his ancestral home had become a place of specters.

His family had lived here since his great-grandfather’s generation, and nothing untoward had ever happened. Quite the contrary—blessed with mountains and clear waters, most villagers lived long lives.

By all reason, a location like this should have been plagued by misfortune and unrest. Could it be related to the recent surge in supernatural phenomena? Perhaps before, lacking certain conditions, the village’s abnormalities remained dormant, but now, with these conditions met, the curse had awakened.

Though Li Yunfei had no proof, he sensed this was likely the case.

He resolved not to spend the night in the village. Even if he didn’t enter the dungeon, the overwhelming miasma posed too great a risk. Better to leave before dusk and stay near the hydroelectric station. He could also seek out his Fourth Great-Uncle to ask if anything significant ever happened in the village’s past.

There was still some time before nightfall, so he decided to draw talismans to ward off evil. With those and the Maoshan Daoist attire awarded by the system, he would at least have some means of self-defense should he encounter anything sinister.

In summer, night comes late, not until after seven o’clock. He had plenty of time.

With these thoughts, Li Yunfei calmed himself and set to work.

He produced an empty bottle, poured in chicken blood, and stowed it in his system inventory, ensuring it would keep without congealing. He washed the bowl that had held the blood, took out another, and filled both with half a bowl of clear water, placing them to the left and right on the table.

Next, he laid out cinnabar, boy’s urine, talisman paper, and a wolf-hair brush in order.

Once everything was ready, Li Yunfei stood before the table, took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly.

As he worked, the little fox, now back in its true form, sat quietly aside, watching in silence.

Li Yunfei closed his eyes, mentally rehearsed the process of drawing talismans, then suddenly opened his eyes and formed a hand seal before his chest. He pointed both index fingers at the bowl on the right, channeled his spiritual energy, and recited: “This water is no ordinary water—one drop in the inkstone, and clouds and rain soon gather. The sick who drink are cured of all ailments; ghosts touched by it are obliterated. Let it be done at once, according to the law.”

Reciting the incantation was not like rote recitation; it carried a unique rhythm and cadence, spoken quickly and softly. To an outsider, it would sound vague and indistinct, a string of mumbled syllables, with only the final phrase—“let it be done at once, according to the law”—clearly audible.

When he finished, a yellow light shot from his fingertip into the bowl, briefly swirling on the water’s surface before vanishing within.

This yellow light was a manifestation of Daoist spiritual power, visible only to those who had opened the Dharma Eye. Yin-Yang masters with the Yin-Yang Eye might sense a hint of it, but ordinary people would see nothing at all.

Having imbued the water with spiritual energy, Li Yunfei added ten grams of cinnabar, twenty milliliters of boy’s urine, and thirty milliliters of chicken blood. Instantly, faint golden vapors rose from the bowl—this was pure yang energy. Cinnabar, boy’s urine, and rooster’s blood were all potent sources of yang; combined, they produced a radiant, evil-banishing force.

He took up the wolf-hair brush and stirred the mixture, turning the water a vivid red. With spiritual energy infused, the chicken blood would not coagulate but remain fluid.

Without setting down the brush, he gripped it between his thumbs and index fingers, and recited another incantation: “Five Thunder Generals, gather and protect; lightning’s brilliance, come forth. First to shield life; second to bind and subdue spirits. Life and death obey the Heavenly Way, granting me longevity. Let it be done at once, according to the law.”

As the incantation ended, a bright yellow glow enveloped the brush for a breath before fading into its body.

Li Yunfei then balanced the brush across the bowl, took up a stack of talisman papers with both hands, and recited: “Northern Emperor, command these papers—let them capture and repel evil spirits. Any who resist shall be escorted to the City of Fengdu. Let it be done at once, according to the law.”

A yellow flash flickered across the talisman papers as well. With this, all preliminary preparations for drawing the talismans were complete.

These were the three sacred Maoshan incantations required before drawing talismans: to purify the water, the brush, and the paper, commonly known as “opening the light.” Only after reciting these incantations to consecrate the tools could the talismans take effect; otherwise, they would be mere mundane objects, entirely useless.