The ritual wasn't finished yet. Lu Yuan had no idea how shocked Shen Shulan's group behind him had become because of him.
At this moment, a clay doll had already appeared in Lu Yuan's hand.
This was made from Five Grains Soil.
The so-called Five Grains Soil consisted of three liang of grave dirt, symbolizing final resting place.
A pinch of rice from each of a hundred families, rice requested from every household in the village, symbolizing "mortal sustenance."
Aged glutinous rice flour for binding.
Rootless water for mixing.
Finally, add three drops of blood from one's own middle finger to inject a trace of "living qi" into the figurine. However, today was a cloudy day without sun. Lu Yuan's yang qi was depleted, and his essence blood's efficacy was greatly reduced.
So Lu Yuan didn't prick himself. He pricked Liang Juemin instead.
That is, the person who had been muttering behind Lu Yuan's back about him showing off earlier.
Lu Yuan had personally pricked him, and quite viciously at that.
At this moment, Lu Yuan held the clay doll in his palm, facing the headless corpse of the "Grave Youth," rapidly chanting an incantation, "Soil for flesh, rice for bone, blood for veins, water for fluids; now I sculpt your form, temporarily replacing that body—Form!"
In the blink of an eye, a clay sculpture about seven inches tall, identical in appearance to "He San" when alive, instantly took shape.
Lu Yuan placed it steadily in the center of the Three Powers Upside-Down Rice and took out a thin, long "Food-Crossing Hairpin."
One end of the hairpin was inserted into the clay sculpture's mouth, while the other end lightly tapped three times in each of the three bowls of rice.
"He Sanlang, with this body as proof, partake of this feast!"
As soon as the words fell, the clay sculpture began to violently shake!
The three bowls of rice, at a speed visible to the naked eye, quickly turned black and shriveled from bottom to top. All their essence was drained by an invisible force, pouring entirely into the clay sculpture.
The clay sculpture itself gradually took on the warm luster of living human skin. Its abdomen even slightly bulged, showing a satisfied, full-bellied appearance.
When the essence of the rice was completely absorbed, Lu Yuan carefully lifted the clay sculpture with one hand, facing it toward the waning moon rising in the east.
It was now around the end of the chou hour. The yin qi hadn't dispersed, and yang qi was about to rise—the perfect time to send off yin spirits.
At this moment, Lu Yuan turned and gave Shen Shulan's group behind him a look.
The Wuqing Temple crowd's hearts trembled. They forcibly suppressed their inner shock and quickly brought up the Three Lives that Lu Yuan had asked the village chief to prepare earlier.
One black-feathered rooster, one green-backed grass carp, one spotted suckling pig.
All three creatures were unbound yet lay quietly on the ground, motionless.
Lu Yuan had previously used talismans to suppress their spirits so they wouldn't feel pain.
Shen Shulan and the others' movements at this moment carried some stiffness and dullness.
Clearly, even while in the midst of the ritual, they couldn't fully recover from that earlier shock.
A half-step Celestial Master...
A seventeen, eighteen, or nineteen-year-old half-step Celestial Master!!!
Even setting aside the age, based on cultivation alone, Lu Yuan was already the undisputed highest authority here besides Shen Shulan herself.
For a moment, the Wuqing Temple crowd was speechless.
That earlier address of "Martial Uncle"...
Truly, aside from Lu Yuan being younger than them in age, whether looking at seniority or cultivation, calling him that really wasn't a loss at all...
At this moment, Lu Yuan had already come to the Three Lives' side.
Using a ritual knife, he lightly cut each of the three creatures, taking one drop of "spirit blood" from each, dropping them on the clay sculpture's crown, chest, and dantian.
With each drop, he recited a line, "Blood sacrifice not for killing, compassion relieves your hunger."
"After one satisfying meal, depart and never look back."
Then Lu Yuan removed the talismans from the Three Lives and signaled for the Wuqing Temple crowd to release them.
The black rooster spread its wings and flew into the mountain forest, the grass carp swished its tail and swam into the stream, and the suckling pig stumbled and ran toward the fields.
This was called "Living Sacrifice to Send Off Yin." The living creatures didn't die, but their "sacrificial" significance and one drop of spirit blood had been accepted by the "Grave Youth" through the ritual.
The final step.
Lu Yuan brought the satiated clay sculpture to the base of the mulberry tree and took out the "Bondage-Breaking Talisman" he had prepared.
He pasted the talisman on the clay sculpture's back and recited the "Earth-Bound Grudge Release Sutra," "Your body is not yours, the earth veins are your shackles."
"Your hunger is not hunger, obsession became scars."
"Now that you've eaten your fill, you should return below the springs."
"With the mulberry tree as witness, resentment dissolves and karmic debt scatters."
"Release!!"
As the last word was uttered, the talisman paper ignited without fire!
The clay sculpture simultaneously turned into a pool of fertile soil emitting the fresh fragrance of five grains, slowly seeping into the mulberry tree's roots.
Almost at the same moment, that eerie wild mulberry tree, starting from the crown, had its leaves turn from dark red to withered yellow, rustling down.
A series of fine, sigh-like "crack crack" sounds came from inside the trunk.
In less than half an incense stick's time, the entire tree had completely died but in the faint morning light, the dead trunk actually glowed with a warm, jade-like luster.
This was an auspicious sign of obsession completely dissolving and spiritual qi feeding back into the earth veins.
The seven black qi streams coiled underground also dissipated into smoke.
Job done.
After completing all this, Lu Yuan turned to look at Xu Erxiao behind him, "Go call Chen Fushun and the others up from the mountain. I have some things to tell them."
Xu Erxiao loudly acknowledged and turned to run huffing and puffing down the mountain.
Before long, a dragon of torches wound its way up, and the villagers all arrived.
"Daoist Master, is it finished??"
As soon as Chen Fushun came up, he approached with a face full of tension and anticipation.
Lu Yuan nodded and pointed at the jade-transformed dead mulberry's location.
"At this spot, erect a cenotaph. Inside the tomb, there's no need for bones, only bury three old items: one old garment, one pair of straw sandals, one clay bowl."
"Before the tomb, erect a wooden marker inscribed 'Tomb of He San.'"
Chen Fushun listened and nodded excitedly and repeatedly.
"Good, good, good! I'll arrange for people to do it right away! Right away!"
"No rush." Lu Yuan waved his hand and continued, "For the next three years, every year on Qingming, Zhongyuan, and Hanyi festivals, each family will take turns making offerings here."
"One bowl of hot rice, one plate of pickled vegetables, one cup of clear wine will suffice."
"No need for delicacies. Just simple, warm home cooking."
"After three years, this tomb can be leveled, and this land can be cultivated again."
...
Six-thirty in the morning.
The first ray of dawn shone on the jade-transformed dead mulberry trunk.
Everyone in the village who had dreamed of the short old man begging for food simultaneously felt their bellies lighten.
That invisible burden was finally lifted and Lu Yuan was sitting in the ancestral hall's courtyard, waiting for breakfast while... shivering like crazy.
Why not go inside to the heated kang?
Useless.
Lu Yuan's yang qi was completely exhausted, with cold qi arising from within. The heated kang's warmth simply couldn't penetrate.
Only this rising sun could give Lu Yuan a trace of vitality.
"Daoist Master, Daoist Master!!"
"All better! Everyone's better! Those whose bellies were swollen before are all comfortable now!"
Chen Fushun shouted at the top of his lungs while rushing into the courtyard.
Lu Yuan just lightly nodded, too weak to speak.
Seeing Lu Yuan's face turning blue from cold and his whole body trembling, Chen Fushun's voice involuntarily lowered.
He approached Lu Yuan and carefully asked, "Daoist Master, the food's all ready. Should I... bring it to you, and we'll all eat in the courtyard?"
Lu Yuan nodded.
"Good!"
After hearing this, Chen Fushun quickly turned to call people to move tables.
At the same time, Shen Shulan's group shouldered the wooden boxes and bundles, came before Lu Yuan, and bowed slightly asking, "Martial Uncle Lu, do you have more jobs ahead?"
Lu Yuan was startled, then shook his head, "No more. After finishing this trip, I should return to the temple."
Then Shen Shulan asked again, "After returning to the temple, do you have anything else to do?"
Although Lu Yuan didn't know why Shen Shulan was asking this, he still thought about it and said, "Then there's nothing much. Heavy snow will seal the mountain soon, so we can't go out anyway."
"I'll probably just stay at the temple, help Master tidy things up, and receive some worshippers."
"Why, is there something?"
Hearing Lu Yuan's affirmative response, a trace of clear anticipation actually appeared on Shen Shulan's unworldly, exquisitely beautiful face.
"In that case, Martial Uncle Lu, why not... return with me to Wuqing Temple?"
Hmm?
Hearing this, Lu Yuan couldn't help but be startled.
Seeing this, Shen Shulan, afraid he would refuse, quickly added, "Master Uncle, you helped our Wuqing Temple so much. Naturally, my father should personally come forward to thank you."
Hearing Shen Shulan's words, Lu Yuan blinked.
Lu Yuan still refused and before Shen Shulan could show disappointment, Lu Yuan smiled and waved his hand.
"It was just a small favor, no need to take it to heart. We can talk about it when there's time in the future."
"Although this job is finished, I still have some urgent matters to handle."
After finishing this breakfast... he should return to Ningyuan Town.
Time to face that... twenty-star danger level super evil spirit.