In the year since Lu Yuan had transmigrated to this world, the strongest evil spirit he'd encountered was ten stars.
That had been a hanged ghost.
At the time, he'd gone deep into the mountains to search for ginseng and was nearly strangled to death by that thing. If the old man hadn't arrived in time, he would have long been a withered corpse in the forest.
Since then, whenever Lu Yuan saw rope loops and similar objects, his calves would instinctively tense up.
It had become a shadow over him for life but it must be understood that the star rating displayed by his [Subdue Demons and Eliminate Evil] system fluctuated based on his own strength!
As his cultivation deepened, that ten-star hanged ghost from back then, looking at it now, would be at most six stars but this "Human-Faced Two-Legged Sheep" before him...
Eight stars!
This was absolutely the most terrifying evil spirit Lu Yuan had encountered so far!
Moreover, the Human-Faced Two-Legged Sheep wasn't a ghost creature, but rather a spirit monster.
Such evil spirits were often even more ferocious and troublesome than ghost creatures of the same cultivation level.
An eight-star spirit monster...
Lu Yuan secretly estimated that this thing's strength could probably rival a three-star Celestial Master!
Tsk!!
What on earth was Zhao Qiao'er up to!!
Even summoning an eight-star evil spirit...
...
About an hour later, Wang Cheng'an led a group of people hurrying back from the foot of the mountain.
Leading them was a white-haired old man, the employer for this job.
When the employer staggered to the grave and glanced into the pit just once, he collapsed to the ground with a "thump," instantly bursting into tears, his crying hoarse.
"Father!!"
Behind him, a crowd of filial sons and virtuous grandchildren also knelt down en masse.
Wailing sounds mixed with the smoky atmosphere of burning paper money, permeating the cold mountain wind.
The three from Lu Yuan's group stood quietly to the side, eyes on nose, nose on heart, like three emotionless stone statues.
After a stick of incense burned out and the crying gradually subsided, Lu Yuan stepped forward and together with Wang Cheng'an helped the old employer up.
It was time to settle accounts.
Ten yuan each in labor fees for the three of them.
In addition, there was fifty yuan as incense money for True Dragon Temple.
"Daoist Master..."
The old employer paid the money, his red and swollen eyes from crying staring fixedly at Lu Yuan, his voice trembling as he asked, "My ancestor... from now on, will he truly be at peace?"
Lu Yuan shook his head slightly.
As the employer's family's faces suddenly turned deathly pale, he drew from his sleeve a folded, yellowed talisman paper and unhurriedly unfolded it.
"Though the corpse is destroyed, the resentful obsession has not fully dispersed."
Lu Yuan's voice wasn't loud, but it clearly overpowered the howling mountain wind.
"What Old Master Xu transformed into was no ordinary corpse demon, but one born from “stagnant earth-vein qi” combined with the obsessive thoughts of blood relatives. Ordinary worship will instead nourish the residual resentment, causing it to revive from the ashes."
At these words, everyone in the Xu family changed color in shock, and the old employer's lips trembled, almost kneeling again.
Lu Yuan immediately supported the old employer and got straight to the point without keeping them in suspense, "For future worship, you must follow the 'Three Aversions Four Seasons Refinement Method.'"
"This method offers no incense, burns no paper money. What you worship is actually 'transforming resentment into peace, turning malevolence into blessing.'"
What was the 'Three Aversions Four Seasons Refinement Method'?
Generally speaking, ordinary Daoist priests would deliberately pause here and say nothing more.
The meaning was obvious, reaching out to ask the employer for more money but Lu Yuan was different from other Daoist priests. He didn't reach out for money, but directly said, "Every year at the third quarter of the zi hour during Frost Descent, when heaven and earth's deadly qi is most abundant, it can suppress the restless movements of yin souls."
"The worship location should be set at the 'Injury Gate' position in the northwest of the residence. Jiangshi arise from earth, so you need to borrow the inauspicious position to drain its residual malevolence. It must not be near the ancestral hall."
The employer's group listened dumbfounded, yet didn't dare miss a single detail, desperately nodding to remember it all.
Lu Yuan continued slowly, "Three offerings: one sheng of aged glutinous rice, measured with a copper dipper, seven rusty iron nails, which must come from a coffin, and unopened bamboo tube of clear water."
"Glutinous rice suppresses corpse qi, iron nails lock the soul's steps, bamboo water connects to the nine underworlds."
"After the worship, scatter the glutinous rice into a dry well, bury the iron nails three feet under a locust tree, the bamboo water should be half drunk by the eldest son, and the remainder splashed in the four directions of the altar."
Lu Yuan paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone.
"When performing the rites, recite the 'Dissolution Incantation.' Great Yin opens the way, Earth Official pardons transgressions, corpse dust returns to earth, obsession transforms to clear wind. Recite only three times. One more recitation will cause yin resonance, one less and the incantation's power won't continue. During worship, if you see ice dew seeping from the offering table or iron nails trembling on their own, this is a sign the malevolent qi is dispersing. You must immediately burn this talisman paper."
Speaking to this point, Lu Yuan placed the talisman paper in his hand into the old employer's trembling hand.
"But if the bamboo tube bursts or the glutinous rice turns black... it means the resentment has backfired. The entire family must avoid to the 'Life Gate' in the true east for seven days, keeping doors and windows tightly closed, not lighting lamps at night."
Lu Yuan looked at the Xu family members before him, filled with fear and alarm, and slowly made his conclusion, "After worshiping for twenty-four years, the residual resentment can be completely transformed into ancestral blessing. At that time, move the memorial tablet into the ancestral hall, and that will be true peace."
After Lu Yuan finished speaking, the employer's group was filled with gratitude and immediately wanted to kneel in great thanks.
To be honest, though they had heard of True Dragon Temple's "White-Robed Young Daoist" reputation.
Seeing three seventeen or eighteen-year-old youngsters like Lu Yuan come to their door today, they still had some doubts in their hearts.
After all, they were really too young. No hair on their lips, unreliable in their work but looking at it now, where were these Daoist priests? They were clearly living immortals!!
The old employer trembled with excitement all over and was about to lead everyone in kowtowing, but was supported by Lu Yuan.
"Hereafter, if any Xu family descendants have birthdays that fall on 'Double Mourning Days,' you must add an offering of a peachwood button during worship. Old Master was born in the Year of the Tiger and transformed into a corpse in the Tiger Year and Tiger Month. Tigers fear peachwood. This is called 'using life to overcome death, using kinship to bind resentment.'"
With this, this job was perfectly completed and as Lu Yuan's final words finished, the old employer excitedly presented another thirty yuan in incense money.
"Daoist Master, your mercy! This is a token of the Xu family's heart. Please, Daoist Master must accept it!"
This money, Lu Yuan accepted with a clear conscience.
Ever since Lu Yuan followed the old man and became a Daoist priest, he had been this way.
Lu Yuan felt that since he took people's money, he must help them handle everything completely.
He couldn't deliberately leave the final tail unfinished and then extort another sum before doing it.
If he encountered someone with no money who couldn't pay for the final tail, how would that be any different from not handling it at all?
Lu Yuan always explained everything first. If you had money and were willing to give more, naturally Lu Yuan would accept. In this world, no one had a problem with money but if you didn't have it, that was fine too. Lu Yuan wouldn't hide or conceal things, deliberately leaving a disaster for your family.
It was precisely this forthrightness that, in just one short year, made Lu Yuan's reputation soar in the Fengtian City area.
At this time, Xu Erxiao and Wang Cheng'an had finished packing up the magical tools and such, stuffing them into the chest.
Now the three could go down the mountain to eat a bowl of hot wontons, then find a place to sleep. Early tomorrow morning, they'd continue on their way.
Before leaving, Lu Yuan looked back in Zhao Qiao'er's direction.
Hm?
He didn't know when it had started, but at the distant mountain peak, a kongming lantern had risen.
Just like the kongming lantern that Xu Erxiao had lit earlier.
Kongming lanterns actually didn't have much use against evil spirits. Their main purpose was as a warning.
That is, at night, telling ordinary people from afar that there was something unusual here, a ritual was being performed, and the living should not approach.
Ordinary people seeing this lit kongming lantern from afar would take a detour.
It was the same as corpse drivers at night constantly calling out "Yin people on the road, living people avoid."
Besides warning, the kongming lantern had another function.
That was...
A distress call.
Not all Daoist priests had Lu Yuan's [Subdue Demons and Eliminate Evil] system.
Not all Daoist priests had the ability to estimate an evil spirit's strength in advance.
Moreover, even Lu Yuan, who possessed [Subdue Demons and Eliminate Evil], couldn't guarantee every job would be safe and sound because no one could guarantee there wouldn't be accidents in between.
When people of the Daoist sects encountered dangers they couldn't resolve themselves, they would change the color of the kongming lantern.
They would change the kongming lantern's light from that warm yellow to blood red!
Just like... right now!!
The originally warm orange-yellow glow of that distant kongming lantern was, without warning, instantly saturated by a rich blood color!
Whoosh!
A blood-colored lamp hung high in the night sky, emitting a heart-palpitating ominous light!
They were calling for help!!
Requesting all Daoist sect members who could see the blood-red kongming lantern in the vicinity to come to their aid!!
Sure enough, something major had happened!