Chapter 18: A Skeleton Under Clothing 11; Releasing the Souls of the Dead
Translated by Shiya of Exiled Rebels Scanlations
Editor: Addis
Wei Changping and Feng Yuan pushed each other to knock on the door. During their back and forth, the door opened from inside. They looked up to see Fang Wenwen in front of them with her back to the lights.
Fang Wenwen, “Come in.”
They don’t know whether it was the light or the psychological effect. They thought Fang Wenwen’s smile was very odd. She stood at the door, staring at them. At this time, they did not dare to push each other any more, they walked inside together. When passing by Fang Wenwen, they deliberately stayed away from her.
Standing on the roof of the villa opposite to them, Kou Xuanling shook his head helplessly. With such bad acting skills, no matter how stupid the ghost was, they could still sense something was amiss, let alone Fang Wenwen. After they entered, Fang Wenwen closed the two doors slowly. As she was closing the door, she looked up, the corners of her mouth rising to form a creepy smile, her eyes lined up with Kou Xuanling’s sight.
Kou Xuanling frowned. When the front door of the villa was closed, his expression changed, “This is bad.”
Jumping off the roof, he fell onto the villa courtyard, the scene in front of him instantly changed into a vast locust tree forest. There were several ancient locust trees in the forest that had head-sized tumors growing on it. Their facial features were already formed, and they were sleeping with their eyes closed. Their mouths were chewing, he could hear crackling sounds, as if they were chewing on bones. The tumor suddenly opened their eyes and stared at Kou Xuanling coldly.
“Flesh!” they all screeched in unison.
Their voices were sharp, much like when the wind went through the gaps between rocks, just hearing it made people feel disgusted. Dozens of roots sprang up from the ground, fighting for human flesh. “Legs! I want his legs!”, “The head is mine,” “I want his internal organs.”
“Beings with only an insatiable appetite, without intelligence. There is no excuse for killing countless lives. I will punish you on behalf of Fengdu and beat you to death.” Kou Xuanling pulled out his peach wood sword and led Heavenly Thunders to strike the ancient locust tree with the help of the five thunder talismans.
Trees attract thunder, then thunder struck the trees. The five thunder talismans performed best in the ancient locust forest. After a while, the ghosts in the ghost locust trees were all scattered to death, and the tree trunk was struck down by the thunder and burned with hidden sparks.
“Evil ways and factions.”
The ghost locusts in front of him depended on evil ways to grow, its own strength was not very strong. Plus, they were entangled in people’s hatred, so the heavenly thunder would chop their souls into pieces immediately 1.
Kou Xuanling walked forward and reached the edge of the courtyard. Several rotting arms burst out of the ground, grabbed his ankles and tried to break his legs. With a frown on his face, he waved his peach wood sword, and easily cut off the arms.
But whenever he took another step forward, more rotten arms came out and pulled at his ankle, which was very annoying. Kou Xuanling, jumped backwards to an open space, thrusting his peach wood sword into the ground with his hands, he chanted, “Sky tilts and earth rumbles!”
In an instant, the ground cracked, and the whole yard moved as if it was lifted up by something. Exposed under the soil were countless white bones, half rotten corpses, and many not yet rotten corpses. The scene was bloodcurdling.
Kou Xuanling was shocked and angry at the same time, “So many people were brutally murdered because of your own selfish goal!?”
At the same time, many corpses appeared outside the Miyun ghost house as well. Chen Yang took a few steps back, he frowned and was confused.
Just now when he was summoning the 72 Ghostly ministers of Fengdu, the three Fangs were frightened and wanted to run away, but Chen Yang blocked their way. After a long fight, they found that the Hell servitor who should have been summoned did not arrive. The three members of the Fang family thought Chen Yang was a weak Tianshi that was just bluffing.
They got angry, and called out all the Yinshi buried in the ground and ordered them to attack Chen Yang. The so-called Yinshi(Yin corpses) were corpses that were about to become a Jiangshi(zombie) 2.
Chen Yang flung out all the Yinshis that were closing in on him. Although the Yinshi could not get near him, Chen Yang could not hold for long against such a large number. He looked back, “Brother Du, none of your colleagues are working nearby?”
“No,” Du Shuo stood in the middle of the Yinshis, and was completely ignored by them, as he as a Hell servitor had no Yang aura. As such, he was in the middle of the Yinshis, but could stroll around like he was in a peaceful park.
Chen Yang said, “There are so many Yinshis here, don’t tell me that no Hell servitors noticed?”
“I’m here.” The sentence was concise.
Chen Yang quickly realized something, he kicked the Yinshi in front of him, then jumped behind Du Shuo and pushed him out, “Brother Du, I’ll leave this to you. Take them all away with the Soul-binding loop.”
Du Shuo pinched Chen Yang’s neck and pulled him back, “Clean up after yourself. Don’t always rely on Hell servitors for everything.”
“I am not relying on Hell servitors.” Chen Yang tried to break away from Du Shuo’s hold, “I am relying on you.”
Du Shuo changed from holding the back of his neck to gently caressing, “There’s no use sweet talking.”
“I’m describing the facts.”
“Don’t be coquettish.”
“……” Chen Yang wanted to turn his head to look at Du Shuo, but he was held by his neck and couldn’t turn back, “Brother Du?”
Du Shuo blinked his eyes and coughed softly, “The Yinshi are corpses that do not rot even after death. Resentment gathers in their throat and they slowly become a Jiangshi. Jiangshis are extremely Yin and dirty beings. The formation process of a Jiangshi requires more than a hundred years.”
“I think the clothes they are wearing are the styles of recent years, they don’t look like people from a century ago.”
“So,” Du Shuo walked behind Chen Yang and continued, “there’s another possibility.”
“What is it?”
“Corpse cultivation yard.”
A Corpse cultivation yard was a special location that was naturally filled with Yin and evil auras. If it was human-made and facilitated by special methods of raising corpses, it could indeed create Yinshis in a short period of time. It was just that although raising corpses and keeping ghosts were of the same evil path, they were not of the same study. Does Fang Wenwen have a partner?
Chen Yang wiped his foot on the ground to reveal the soil below, it was black. It really was a corpse cultivation yard. 3
The best way to deal with a location that was extremely Yin was with the most Yang of all things. It would be best to cut off the ancient locust trees in the yard and expose them to the sun for three days. Then burn the Yinshis in the yard and chant sutras to release the souls of the dead. But now there was no sun, not until tomorrow.
Du Shuo questioned, “What do you think you should do now?”
Chen Yang put away his red string, “Set the house ablaze.”
Fire was also one of the most Yang things, and a fire could burn the Yin beings clean.
“When I burn the house, I will also release the Yinshis souls with mantras. Those three JingGuai must hate me to death and want to eat my flesh. I have to concentrate on chanting. So the three JingGuais are up to you, brother Du.”
After Du Shuo agreed, Chen Yang pulled the red string on his wrist out and searched for a piece of level land in the forest. He looked up at the cold moonlight and shook his head, “This was already a naturally suitable place for cultivating corpses, it also happened to have a forest of ancient locust trees, blocking the sun and storing the shadows. Within less than twenty years, this place could easily cultivate fierce corpses, then some people even cultivate them on purpose. Fortunately, they were found early on.”
In a few more years, they might be able to cultivate a whole army of fierce corpses. He circled each end of the red string around his two middle fingers. After walking several circles around a few trees, he hung one end of the string to a tree branch. He held the remaining end of the string with his left hand and pressed the red string with his right hand to form a formation with the string. With that a protection circle was formed with the red string.
The most taboo thing during the soul releasing ceremony was disruption. If a person was not careful, instead of releasing the souls of the dead, it might disturb them and cause them to riot. Therefore, one should always prepare a protection array to prevent external disturbances.
Chen Yang sat down in the array and crossed his legs. Just as he was making gestures with his hands, he heard a buzzing sound. It sounded like water waves spreading into all directions, and all the Yinshis could not smell Chen Yang’s Yang aura anymore. Overhead, the copper coin that was strung on the red string vibrated constantly, forming a moving shadow on Chen Yang. That was where the buzzing came from.
The ancient locust forest was the place where the Tianda Leihuo mantra (Big sky thunder fire mantra) worked the best. Wood formed fire, and the power of the thunder fire mantra increased. The forest was scorched by the Yang fire, burning all the way to the ancient ghost villa. It was worth mentioning that the fire spread rapidly, as the villa had a long history, so the building materials used were generally flammable.
Therefore, in the blink of an eye, the ghost villa was in a sea of flames. The souls and corpses wailed as they were burned by the fire. Chen Yang began chanting the Wangsheng mantra 5.
On the other side, Feng Yuan and Wei Changping were calling for help inside Fang Wenwen’s villa. Kou Xuanling seeing that there were countless corpses under the ground, he wanted to burn them all to crisps with the thunder fire talisman. Just as soon as he made a move though, he saw that the Yinshis’ movements turn sluggish, as if they were restrained by something.
He remembered that there was a Fire Array of Karma in the villa, and he realized that the Miyun ghost house should have the remains of these Yinshis buried there. Chen Yang and Du Shuo must be sending the Yinshis to the other shore at their end.
Kou Xuanling ran forward without any more obstacles, he kicked open the door and saw Feng Yuan and Wei Changping strapped to a chair. In front of them was a white skeleton with visible viscera, limbs and face. The skin on the skeleton was broken and tattered, and parts were falling off one by one.
On the other side, Fang Wenwen, became very old-looking. Kou Xuanling held up his peach wood sword and threw it across the hall, stabbing straight through the demon’s mouth, making it scream in pain. Kou Xuanling took the opportunity to hold the peach wood sword and thrust it downwards to the demon’s throat.
The evil spirit screamed, and were reduced to a pile of white bones.
Fang Wenwen yelled hoarsely, “Brother.” She looked up at Kou Xuanling, her eyes full of hatred, “I will not forgive you!”
Kou Xuanling sneered, “Your life has been taken away by the heavens, and you won’t be alive for long. What can you do to us?”
Fang Wenwen made a strange gesture. She put her own hands through her chest and died from loss of blood.
“A blood debt will be paid with blood, I will never let you go!”
Dong!
Kou Xuanling looked up and the ring signified that it just hit twelve o’clock.
Fang Wenwen’s breath stopped at that exact moment.
“She died at exactly twelve, with deep hatred, and in an extremely Yin place where corpses were cultivated. She also chose to commit suicide in such a painful way, she will definitely become a fierce ghost after death.”
Feng Yuan untied the rope on Wei Changping. When they heard his words, they both raised their heads together and looked frightened, “Will she come to kill us?”
“What she hates is us Tianshis, who did her harm, she didn’t even look at you guys when she died.”
“Oh, that’s good.”
“……”
On Mao Xiaoli’s side, Ma Qiqi and Ge Qing were holding each other’s hands and huddling on the sofa, they were shivering. From time to time, there was laughter outside the door, and things were pounding on the door and knocking on the window.
Ge Qing had a few glimpses of the pale, twisted faces staring at them through the window. The lights flickered from time to time, adding to the atmosphere of horror.
Mao Xiaoli was watching anime with full attention.
Holding back their fear, Ge Qing asked, “Mao, Mao Xiaoli Tianshi, won’t you clean up the things outside?”
“What things outside?” Mao Xiaoli looked dazed and suddenly realized, “Oh, it’s okay. They can’t get in.”
There were door Gods statues inside and talismans outside. As long as they wait until dawn, the ghost would leave naturally.
“You, you won’t drive them away?”
“…Are you guys afraid?”
Ge Qing and Ma Qiqi nodded, so Mao Xiaoli said, “Okay then.”
She took out a microphone and connected it to the stereo. Mao Xiaoli tested the microphone and chanted a Taoist exorcism mantra. Soon, the little ghosts outside the villa gradually disappeared.
Ge Qing and Ma Qiqi thought this was like a child playing around, but somehow they felt relieved from listening to Mao Xiaoli’s Taoist exorcism mantra.
Light re-appeared in the sky, and the thunder fire in the forest died out. There were only burnt locust tree barks left in the forest, but once spring came they would grow again. The trapped ghosts in Miyun ghost house recovered their senses and entered into reincarnation in an orderly fashion.
Before stepping into reincarnation, they bowed to Chen Yang, who was sitting in the forest, protected by the red string protective circle, to express their gratitude. The first ray of sunlight fell onto Chen Yang, as if a layer of golden light of merit was covering him. Chen Yang opened his eyes and saw Du Shuo standing in front of him. He pulled the red string off and stood up. His legs turned to jello and he fell towards the ground.
Du Shuo caught him, hugged and lifted him up like he was a child, he asked in a low voice, “Tired?”
“Mn,” Chen Yang replied meekly. He released so many souls in one night, the fact that he didn’t collapse halfway showed that he was very powerful.
“Sleep.”
Hearing that, Chen Yang leaned against Du Shuo’s neck and fell asleep.
The author has something to say:
Next arc: Gilded Infant Corpse
Would it be that easy for the Emperor to fuck up and reveal his true identity?
Emperor: I need face too!
Shiya:
Me visiting a ghost house: I’d never do that.
Them visiting a ghost house: Constant flirting.
I swear they weren’t going to a ghost house but on a date lol. Also, I was listening to the cardcaptor sakura opening while translating this, because this arc lacks horror.
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Translator Notes:
- I know that it’s weird to have thunder struck down trees as opposed to lightning, but that’s what the Taoist talismans are called in ancient times, and what the author wrote, so…
- Shiya: Because there is just one word for zombie in English that I know of, but there will be a lot of tiers of zombies in the future chapters of this novel. So, I will again use Pinyin for them. There will be Yinshi(Yin corpse), Jiangshi(Stiff corpse), Maojiang(hairy corpse), Feijiang(flying corpse). Ranked from lower tier to higher tier zombies.
- Shiya: There was a beach next to a BBQ site I frequented when I was a kid, and the beach sand is black, now I know why little me thought it was creepy and didn’t want to walk on it lol.
- Wangsheng mantra(To the other shore mantra)往生咒: A mantra that helps send spirits to the other shore. Also, finally a mantra that I know how to chant and have heard of, mainly because this is a Buddhist thing lol. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amitabha_Pure_Land_Rebirth_Mantra[/efn_note] as they howled and struggled in the sea of flames.
Du Shuo watched him from a distance. When Chen Yang began to chant the mantra, he opened the gates of the underworld and threw all the ghosts in. When they arrived at the underworld, they would first register for trial. According to their sins before and after death, they would either be reincarnated or sent to Fengdu to continue the trial, then they would be sent to the eighteen levels of hell accordingly.
Seeing that their territory had been burned down, the three JingGuais of the Fang family were furious and rushed out of the villa. Du Shuo quickly appeared in front of them, blocking their way.
“You don’t have a Yang aura? What are you?”
Du Shuo ignored JingGuai’s inquiry and waved his sleeve, and it quickly turned into a wide black sleeve with dazzling bronze colored patterns. When the evil incarnates took a closer look, it was still just an ordinary sleeve. Soul-binding chains came flying out from his sleeves at high speed, they were so fast that they could barely see them, the chains pursued the JingGuais relentlessly.
The three skeletons exclaimed, “Fengdu Hell servitor!!”
Frightened, they all fled. Unfortunately, they couldn’t escape the Soul-binding chains. They were entangled from their feet to their heads. The more they struggled the more entangled they became, their bones were crushed by the constricting chains, and finally their souls were extracted and detained.
Judging from the amount of people they had killed, they would most likely enter the eighteen levels of hell, and be punished for hundreds of years. Then they would be reincarnated into poultry.
“Come out.”
From the darkness, the Northern Ghost emperor walked out slowly and bowed to Du Shuo with respect. Du Shuo threw the soul in his hand to the newly emerged figure, “Take it back, no need for a trial, they can be sent to hell directly.”
The Northern Ghost emperor agreed but stood still.
Du Shuo questioned, “What?”
The Northern ghost emperor forced himself to ask, “Emperor, my Soul-binding chains… When will you give them back to your subordinate?”
The little ghost mourned outside the six palaces of Luofeng every day. He did not have the Soul-binding chains, so he could not catch evil spirits. As such, he could not accumulate merits and virtues and had no hope for a promotion. He did not dare to ask for the Soul-binding chains from the Fengdu emperor, so he cried outside the Luofeng Palace gates every day, disturbing other ghost’s peace.
Du Shuo was silent.
The Northern ghost emperor was more and more nervous in his silence.
After a long time, Du Shuo said, “You are still there?” In other words, he was asking ‘Why are you still there?’
“……” The Northern ghost emperor bowed, turned around and left immediately. He decided that if it comes to it, he could give that ghost a Kusang stick(Sobbing stick) 4Kusang Bang 哭喪棒: Looks like a very long, white dust bat lol. https://img.mp.itc.cn/upload/20170125/19c02da5f1554355aea49598795ab1f6_th.jpeg
https://hbimg.huabanimg.com/cccf5db1c6248dbd458ace6758569c59df5139444f566-SqRNOG_fw658
MX’s calm in a house surrounded.by ghosts is so funny! So we should expect to see Fang Wenwen’s fierce ghost later?
DS needing to borrow the soul-binding chains 😂
Thanks for the chapter!