Deep in the night, the zi hour.
Inside the main room, Lu Yuan stood alone before the soft couch.
Outside the room, Xu Erxiao, Wang Cheng'an, Wang Fu and others were busily constructing a high ritual platform in the back courtyard.
Before the soft couch, a charcoal fire burned vigorously.
Beside the fire basin sat a basin of "zi hour well water" just drawn from the deep well, its water clear, never having seen the light of day.
Lu Yuan placed the clay jar between fire and water, slowly opening the jar opening.
Inside the jar, the quicklime had already reacted violently with the "disease source," dissolving most of it, leaving only a small mass of black-red, foul-smelling gelatinous residue.
Lu Yuan took out a section of three-year-old willow branch with scars.
Willow could connect with yin and also guide flow.
One end was inserted into the jar's residue, the other end suspended above the charcoal fire then Lu Yuan took out silver needles and precisely pierced Zhao Qiao'er's Shixuan acupoints, that is, her fingertips.
He gently squeezed, ten drops of slightly dark-colored blood accurately dripped into that basin of zi hour well water.
"Heaven and earth as furnace, creation as craftsman."
"Yin and yang as charcoal, all things as bronze."
Lu Yuan recited ancient incantations, suspending the Awakening of Insects Bell above the willow branch, fully activating his magical power.
"This disease, this ailment, trace to the source—Go!"
The willow branch trembled violently, the residue in the jar suddenly released a plume of black smoke.
The black smoke didn't scatter but instead followed the willow branch, like a living snake winding upward, plunging headfirst into the charcoal fire!
The charcoal fire went "boom," flames shooting up three feet high.
The flames were actually a ghastly green color, emitting crackling explosions. Vaguely, twisted, agonized human faces could be seen flashing through the fire.
At the same time, Zhao Qiao'er on the soft couch let out a muffled groan.
Several wisps of extremely faint gray qi escaped from her mouth and nose, quickly absorbed by the green flames of the surrounding Seven Star Lamps.
The ten drops of blood in the basin changed color from dark to red, finally returning to bright freshness.
The green flames in the charcoal fire continued burning for about one incense stick's duration before gradually turning back to red and finally extinguishing.
Only leaving behind a small pinch of ash white as bone, the willow branch completely withered, scorched and broken then Lu Yuan poured all the charcoal fire ashes and the residue from the clay jar into the zi hour well water.
He also tossed in three Daguan Tongbao coins, reciting a prayer:
"Dust to dust, earth to earth, disease to nothingness."
Then, Lu Yuan carried this basin of water to the room doorway and handed it to Wang Fu, "Tomorrow at noon, pour this basin of water at a crossroads and let carriages, horses and pedestrians trample it away."
Wang Fu nodded repeatedly, personally taking the basin of water away.
When Lu Yuan returned to the room, the green flames in the Seven Star Lamps also gradually turned back to normal orange-yellow.
He collected the lamp flowers remaining after the seven lamps' oil was exhausted, that is, the wick lumps.
Together with that broken "Disease-Drawing Talisman," he wrapped them in clean mulberry bark paper then Lu Yuan came to the doorway again and handed this wrapped "Disease-Drawing Talisman" to Wang Fu who had just taken the water down and returned:
"Bury this object on the south mountain's sunny slope, three feet deep or more, and plant a mugwort plant on top. Only then will this matter be concluded."
Wang Fu immediately nodded, respectfully receiving it with both hands.
Finally, Lu Yuan took out a small packet of "Five-Color Filth-Dispelling Powder," made from ground and mixed realgar, cinnabar, calamus root, angelica, and patchouli.
He had the Zhao household carefully sprinkle it throughout the room's four corners, threshold, windows, especially the kun position on the beam, and open the windows for ventilation for three days.
After doing all this, Lu Yuan turned back to the room and undid the Soul-Stabilizing Circle on Zhao Qiao'er's body.
Her pale face had recovered a trace of color, her breathing stable and long, sleeping deeply.
The violent coughing and wheezing that had plagued her for days and been immune to medicine had completely disappeared.
What remained was seven days of quiet rest, drinking water boiled with red dates, longan, and dried tangerine peel every afternoon but these things didn't need to be entrusted to others. Lu Yuan would personally handle it.
Looking at Auntie Qiao'er sleeping on the soft couch, Lu Yuan placed a "Soul-Calming Talisman" under her pillow, then tiptoed out of the room.
Outside, the night was deep. On the ritual platform nine feet high, candle flames swayed.
The high ritual platform had been constructed.
Lu Yuan opened his right hand. In his palm was a corner of the "Disease-Drawing Talisman."
The source-tracing ritual had already been sent out. Now it was time to ascend the high platform to find the Life-Severing Wang Family's location!
"All set?"
Lu Yuan looked at Xu Erxiao and Wang Cheng'an below the three-meter-high platform and asked.
Both nodded repeatedly, "Don't worry, Brother Lu, absolutely foolproof!"
Lu Yuan didn't waste more words. Light as a swallow, with a few leaps he climbed this nine-foot-high ritual platform!
Standing atop the high platform, the night wind howled.
The platform surface was laid with eight-foot yellow silk according to the bagua positions. In the center was an incense table with a bowl of clear water and three plain candles.
There was also a dragon-seeking ruler, ancient coin compass, and a section of tung oil-soaked peach wood root.
He stood before the table and placed that corner of "Disease-Drawing Talisman" in the center of the compass's heaven pool.
Closing his eyes, regulating his breath, right hand forming the "Trace-Seeking Incantation" pressing against his chest's Tanzhong point, left hand's three fingers held in the air, silently reciting the "Source-Tracing Curse":
"Heaven clear, earth calm, all things have spirits.
One point of disease pestilence as guide, three wisps of vengeful malevolence as proof.
Five directional ghost emperors lend passage, nine springs yin officials grant passage—
Where the broken talisman points is where you hide!"
After finishing the recitation, he suddenly opened his eyes.
His right index finger quickly swept over the candle flame without touching the fire, only gathering a wisp of pure yang fire force at his fingertip.
In the air, he traced a complex ancient seal script "trace" character over that corner of broken talisman.
The broken talisman moved without wind, its edges turning scorched yellow and curling, as if roasted by invisible fire.
Lu Yuan tossed it into the clear water bowl.
The talisman paper didn't sink but floated on the water surface, slowly rotating.
He took that section of peach wood root, this was "divination wood."
Best at sensing yin evil directions, suspended vertically three inches above the bowl.
"Quick!"
The peach wood root suddenly trembled on its own, its root pointing due south.
The talisman paper in the bowl stopped rotating accordingly, its scorched corner pointing firmly in the same direction but this wasn't enough.
Lu Yuan took seven Hongwu Tongbao coins and arranged a small "Seven Stars Path-Asking Array" on the table.
Using the direction the peach wood root pointed as the "Tianshu" position, he arranged them in sequence then he bit his tongue tip and sprayed a mouthful of true yang saliva blood mist, evenly sprinkling it on the seven copper coins.
The copper coins hummed and rang!
Three of them actually stood upright, trembling slightly on the table surface.
They were respectively located at the "Tianquan," "Yuheng," and "Kaiyang" star positions.
Corresponding to south, southwest, and west directions but the coin at the "Yuheng" position trembled most violently, its surface showing a sinister blue glow.
"Three talents manifest form, the primary position is at 'Yuheng'..."
Lu Yuan's gaze was like lightning, fixed on that copper coin:
"Southwest direction, kun position belongs to yin, malevolent qi converges... distance..."
He reached out and pressed that "Yuheng" copper coin, the touch ice-cold and bone-chilling.
Closing his eyes to sense, blurred images floated up in his mind...
Southwest direction, a desolate hilly area.
Graves piled in disorder, crows crying mournfully, several crooked-necked locust trees clawing at the night wind.
Among them, the two largest old locusts had strangely intertwined canopies.
Behind the locust trees, a low, dilapidated mountain god temple could vaguely be seen, temple walls half-collapsed, rubble everywhere.
Before the temple door were not ordinary stone steps but seven tombstone fragments of dark color and irregular shape scattered in placement.
Seemingly unintentional, yet secretly conforming to the vicious "Seven Malevolence Soul-Severing" layout.
Lu Yuan wanted to see more clearly but from below came bursts of gunfire and various chaotic sounds.
The sudden change disturbed Lu Yuan's concentration. He immediately withdrew from the mental vision.
Opening his eyes, Lu Yuan looked down with a bewildered expression.
Below had already fallen into chaos.
Not chaos inside the courtyard, but chaos outside the Zhao residence!!
Lu Yuan standing on the platform over three meters high could see clearly. Around the Zhao residence, soldiers had appeared at some point forming a circle.
These people must be the ones Auntie Qin said she'd get from the Public Safety Corps to help.
Only... who knew what madness these soldiers were experiencing now!
Running around frantically in the surrounding alleys while firing their guns in the air.
Mouths constantly shouting:
"We're not doing this anymore!"
"We're not doing this anymore!"
"We're not doing this anymore!"
Damn it!!
Old Kuai is here, huh!!
Coming back to his senses, Lu Yuan immediately shouted down at Wang Fu who didn't know what was happening, "Steward Wang!!"
"Quickly go ask and see what happened!"
...
1:30 AM.
Zhao residence, front courtyard main room, brightly lit.
A group of Public Safety Corps soldiers, panting heavily with pale faces, trembling in fear.
According to what they said, during the midnight guard change, in street corners and hallway shadows, they glimpsed another "themselves" and that "themselves" had bluish-black faces, venomous eyes, silently kowtowing toward the Zhao residence...