Chapter Eighty-Four: Five Meters to See the Gods (Fifth Watch—Let’s Go)

On the stage, Ouyang Cuo was utterly absorbed, chanting incantations as he pointed at a bowl of clear water on the table.

"This is no ordinary water; a drop in the inkstone, in a moment, let the sick drink it, all ailments vanish, evil spirits are shattered, swift as the law commands."

Then, holding a purple talisman between his fingers, he pressed it to his brow, closed his eyes, and intoned:

"By the decree of the Northern Emperor, I command this paper; writing talismans to strike down evil spirits. Should any resist, they will be escorted to Fengdu at once, as the law commands."

He then held a brush in his right hand, poised above his forefinger, the shaft resting horizontally.

"I invite the Five Thunder Generals, their electric brilliance gathers: to protect life and bind demons, all matters of life and death, I, in accordance with the heavenly way, pursue longevity, swift as the law commands."

Ouyang Cuo’s movements were deft and relaxed, the ritual preceding the drawing of the talisman requiring invocation of water, talisman, and brush. The incantations he recited were for the water, the talisman, and the brush respectively.

After finishing the incantations, Ouyang Cuo gripped the brush, steadied his breath, and spoke loudly:

"Heaven and earth, the nine chapters of the law, as I now set brush to paper, all spirits are subdued, swift as the law commands."

He then bowed three times, drank a mouthful of water, sprayed it eastward, and focused his spirit. As he drew the talisman, Ouyang Cuo chanted:

"Brilliant is the harmony of yin and yang, the sun rises in the east, I command this talisman to sweep away misfortune, with water from my mouth and light from my eyes, transforming all into auspiciousness, swift as the law commands."

With the final incantation, the talisman was complete. He held the purple talisman between two fingers, waving it through the air as if writing.

I understood that Ouyang Cuo was now forming hand seals—also known as magical seals, combat seals, or divine seals—commonly used in ritual practice to augment the power of spiritual talismans.

Hand seals are divided into single and double forms, performed with one hand or both, totaling over seventy types. Ouyang Cuo was using a single seal now.

His process was extraordinarily proficient: his fingers nimble, wrist relaxed, arm held at chest height, movements intricate and tightly coordinated, his mind guiding the seal, unleashing boundless power.

He began by lifting his left foot, stepping forward and back, alternating yin and yang, synchronizing beginning and end, his feet forming a T-shape, horizontally and vertically aligned.

With preparations complete, Ouyang Cuo gripped a peachwood sword in his right hand, threading the purple talisman onto it. As he pointed with his hand seal, the talisman ignited on the blade.

He aimed the sword at a red-threaded puppet atop the altar and shouted:

"Wind, arise!"

Instantly, the trees and flowers in the courtyard bent and swayed under a sudden gust, so fierce that Yue Qianling covered her head, and the others could barely open their eyes.

"Clouds, gather!" Ouyang Cuo called at the second threaded puppet.

The once cloudless sky was abruptly shrouded in dense black clouds, pressing down like a net over the courtyard.

"Lightning, strike!"

A sudden bolt split the sky, illuminating the gloom.

"Thunder, roar!"

Thunder rolled overhead like the furious bellow of giants. In moments, the bright day was now a tempest of thunder and lightning.

Finally, Ouyang Cuo raised his sword skyward and shouted with great authority:

"Rain, descend!"

The five red-threaded puppets on the altar, as if pulled by some force from the heavens, stood upright, facing the sky. At first, a few drops fell, then the rain soon poured in torrents, like strings of pearls broken and tumbling from above. No one in the courtyard sought shelter, all stunned by this rare spectacle.

Ouyang Cuo stepped down from the altar, his face alight with pride. He showed no intention of stopping the rain, appearing entirely confident and composed; clearly, such magic was second nature to him.

Nearly every gaze landed on me. Earlier, Teng Guoyuan summoned wind and clouds for five minutes, bringing coolness, but Ouyang Cuo had brought forth this prolonged rain, ensuring no one felt the heat. Yet, the feats of summoning wind and rain had already been performed by the others. I guessed everyone was curious what I could possibly do next.

Wiping rain from my face, I looked up at the stormy sky, stepped before the altar, grabbed a handful of rice from the bowl, and stepped back, my feet aligned in the Qimen Bagua formation.

My thumb bent over my middle finger, pressing a grain of rice onto my nail. I tore off the bandage Yue Qianling had wrapped around my brow, reopening the unhealed scar, fresh blood welling up. I pressed my hand to my brow, letting the rice grain touch the blood, closed my eyes briefly, then chanted loudly:

"Nine Heavens of Yang, the Flying Sword King, break the Three Stars, command the Four Directions, the Yellow God hooks the sky, Yide subdues spirits, heaven collapses, earth shatters, seas split at the word, summon the Thunder God, let thunder obey."

Finishing the incantation, I flipped my wrist, flicked my middle finger, and sent the rice grain shooting towards the five red-threaded puppets on Ouyang Cuo’s altar, severing the thread of the leftmost puppet.

I pointed skyward and cried:

"Thunder Lord, retreat!"

The relentless thunder quieted instantly. From the corner of my eye, I saw Ouyang Cuo’s mouth twitch; he looked up, dumbstruck.

Wei Yu began to smile slowly. Though he could not speak, his expression betrayed his astonishment and excitement.

I pressed another grain of rice onto my finger, repeating the motion, and chanted:

"Fiery sky, flashing meteors, flying flames and lightning, illuminate the defeat of demons, spiritual light shines everywhere, jade talisman returns brightness, spirit maiden aids, heaven and earth purified, swift as the law commands."

I flicked the rice grain, snapping the thread of Ouyang Cuo’s second puppet.

"Lightning Maiden, submit!"

As soon as I spoke, the lightning that had repeatedly split the sky vanished utterly.

The third grain of rice was already on my finger, my movements fluid and unhesitating, my steps shifting beneath me, astonishing everyone in the courtyard.

"I command auspicious clouds, summon the cloud dragon, mountains and seas bow, myriad spirits follow, Rain Master and Wind Lord come and go, defy the order and be burned, black clouds disperse, the cycle unending, swift as the law commands."

The thread of Ouyang Cuo’s third puppet was again snapped by my rice grain.

"Cloud dragon, descend!"

I shouted, and thick clouds scattered like frightened sheep, sunlight once again flooding the courtyard, the sky clear and blue, not a cloud in sight.

The fourth grain, stained with blood from my brow, was pressed to my finger as I stepped lightly and chanted:

"Nine Heavens of Mystery, call forth the wind, the void stirs, power spreads, mountains crumble, stones fly, the true king commands, return swiftly to Xun Palace, swift as the law commands."

As the fourth puppet’s thread snapped, I raised two fingers skyward and shouted:

"Wind, return to Xun Palace!"

The fierce wind halted abruptly, the trees and flowers regaining their usual calm, standing perfectly still, not a breath stirring.

The final grain of rice was pressed to my finger as I stood at the very center of the Qimen Bagua formation Ouyang Cuo had laid.

"Great Yuan’s mighty thunder and fire spirits, gather yin and guard yang at Thunder City, Guan Lord brings wind and fire to the abyss, conjures wind and lightning to raise spirits, all summoned to Taihua, the Clear Emperor commands, let it be swift, gather yang and dismiss rain in an instant, drive dragons and lightning from the dark depths, I now invoke the command, swift in action, this is the Jade Emperor’s decree, defiance brings dire punishment, swift as the law commands."

The thread of Ouyang Cuo’s final puppet snapped, and I looked up and shouted:

"Rain Master, depart!"

The torrential rain ceased instantly, the courtyard returned to its former state, the scorching sun turning the lingering rainwater to steam, the heat even more oppressive than before. If not for the damp ground, no one would believe moments ago rain had poured.

Ouyang Cuo’s command of wind and rain had already earned everyone’s awe and respect. Yet with just five grains of rice, I had dispelled clouds, stilled wind, banished lightning and thunder, leaving everyone speechless in amazement.

Scattered applause broke the silence, starting from Wei Yu, then swelling until even Gu Xiaotian stood up.

"Excellent! Today has truly opened my eyes. Young man, you are remarkable—indeed, there is always someone greater out there. The young must not be underestimated; I am truly convinced," Master Kong said, nodding and laughing.

Lan Qing stood, breathing deeply in surprise as she addressed me:

"Just five grains of rice, and you could make a name for yourself throughout the world of metaphysics!"