Chapter 67: The Summoning Writ
“A Summoning Writ?” Sha Lifei swallowed hard, his gaze toward Wu Laosi filled with reverence. “I heard those things belong to underworld officials. Don’t tell me you actually robbed a ghost messenger? Impressive, truly impressive!”
Wu Laosi froze for a moment before hurriedly waving his hands. “Shut up, don’t talk nonsense! My cultivation is barely at the second level. I don’t have that kind of ability, nor the courage for it.”
As he spoke, he quickly shut the box, as though even looking at it for too long might invite disaster.
Li Yan frowned. “This thing... Is it connected to the trouble you’re facing, Senior?”
“It’s not trouble,” Wu Laosi sighed, his face turning pale. “It’s a debt. A debt owed to the underworld.”
Sha Lifei grew even more curious. “The underworld lends money too?”
Wu Laosi stared at him in disbelief, seemingly astonished by the bald, bearded man’s train of thought.
“Stop interrupting!” Li Yan tugged Sha Lifei back before nodding toward Wu Laosi. “Please continue, Senior.”
Wu Laosi shook his head. “This Summoning Writ is tied to our lineage. Those of us who cultivate the art of Yin Crossing mostly worship underworld deities. My lineage inherited this Summoning Writ from our ancestors, generation after generation. We serve the Great Emperor of the Northern Fengdu Underworld. Occasionally, we receive orders to assist underworld officials in capturing fugitives.”
Li Yan frowned. “What is the underworld actually like?”
“I don’t know.” Wu Laosi gave a bitter smile. “How can mortals possibly comprehend the affairs of the underworld? Every time I return, aside from the task I was ordered to complete, I remember nothing else.”
Even Sha Lifei couldn’t help but interject again, “Underworld officials still need human help?”
Wu Laosi nodded. “My master once said that throughout the lands of the Divine Continent, deities are worshipped and divine astral qi gather wherever people dwell. But there are places even underworld officials cannot enter, like those blessed lands formed from concentrated innate astral qi.
“Possessing a Summoning Writ grants certain benefits. For example, there’s no need to raise ghost soldiers yourself, you can directly command underworld ghost armies. But naturally, obligations come with it as well. One must capture underworld criminals.
“Some of them are already dead, yet refuse to leave the mortal world, becoming vengeful ghosts that wreak havoc. Others are cultivators who used heaven-defying arts to return to life or those who hide within blessed lands as living corpses.
“Our task is to locate them. Once the Summoning Writ is issued, they can be cast back into the underworld. Because of this, even the Taixuan Orthodox Sect treats holders of the Summoning Writ with respect.”
Sha Lifei frowned and couldn’t help but ask, “With so many advantages, why are you hiding here?”
Wu Laosi laughed bitterly. “Because I messed up an assignment. Once, the underworld delivered an order to me through a dream, instructing me to capture someone who had escaped the underworld and returned to life. But it turned out to be an old family friend of mine.
“I acted selfishly and used a method to fake his death. But ghosts and gods are not so easily deceived. In the end, the truth came out. And worse still, I misjudged his character. That old friend’s resentment refused to disperse, and he became a vicious ghost that slaughtered my entire family. Though he was eventually dragged back into the underworld, I too violated a taboo.
“To protect myself, I sealed my spiritual senses and divine abilities, hiding here ever since. The moment I enter the underworld again, I will definitely die.”
“So that’s how it is.” Li Yan’s heart sank. “If that’s the case, then we won’t trouble you further, Senior.”
Helping them would cost Wu Laosi his life. The man had hidden in the opera troupe for years, clearly unwilling to throw away his life for others. Li Yan could not force him into such a thing.
“You misunderstand, little brother.” Wu Laosi shook his head and continued, “The fact that I’ve told you all this means I intend to help.”
As he spoke, he removed his upper garments and slowly revealed his back.
Li Yan and Sha Lifei both sucked in a sharp breath. His back was covered in dense bluish-purple markings, like tattoos burned deep into the flesh. Together, they vaguely formed a massive image. At the center was the Summoning Writ from earlier. Chains coiled around it from every direction.
Wu Laosi put his clothes back on and sighed. “The hearts of men may be deceived, but ghosts and gods cannot. Some debts can never truly be escaped. This day was always destined to come eventually. I don’t have much time left anyway.
“This time, I will help you. But I have two conditions.”
Li Yan nodded solemnly. “Please speak.”
Wu Laosi took out a jade pendant carved with fish playing among lotus flowers. His eyes reddened slightly as his voice trembled. “I was originally from Fengyang County and once had some modest wealth. After the incident back then, fear consumed me, and I fled in panic. Even my dead wife and daughter were buried carelessly without so much as a gravestone.
“That guilt has tormented me day and night all these years. After I die, I hope you can return my body to my homeland so I may rest where my roots began. And for my wife and daughter, please give them a proper funeral as well.”
As he spoke, he laid a hand atop the lacquered box. “As for this Summoning Writ, the ancestral temple of my lineage lies deep within the Qinling Mountain Range. The descendants have dwindled, and the incense offerings are weak. I ask that you return this writ to the altar of the Great Emperor of the Northern Fengdu Underworld.
“If you agree, I can leave this world without regrets.”
Li Yan fell silent for a moment before cupping his fists solemnly. “I will not fail your trust.”
Wu Laosi nodded. “The Yin Crossing ritual can be performed tonight. However, if the living soul has truly been imprisoned within a Wandering Soul Jar, I won’t be able to bring it back. I can only help determine its location.”
Sha Lifei immediately brightened. “As long as we know the location, that’s enough!”
Shopkeeper Wan had already said that once they identified the place, they could seek aid from the City God Temple. No matter how powerful Chen Fakui’s ability was, it would be useless. The Enforcement Hall would practically be tripping over themselves to arrest him and earn merit for themselves.
Wu Laosi rose to his feet. “In that case, let us prepare. Xianyang has too many temples and too much incense worship. There are even Yin soldiers stationed under the authority of the City God Temple. All of that could interfere with the ritual. We’ll need to perform it outside the city.
“Additionally, I’ll need a coffin, a rooster, a bell, five-colored soil, yellow wine, and three jin of spirit money and paper ingots...”
Li Yan and Sha Lifei carefully memorized the list. Fortunately, they were all ordinary items rather than spiritual artifacts. Once preparations were complete, the group left the room. Before departing, Wu Laosi even tidied up the room thoroughly, organizing everything neatly and locking the door behind him.
By the time they arrived at the main courtyard, the servant was already waiting there with a smile. “Fellow brothers, Troupe Master Luo has prepared food and wine.”
Wu Laosi shook his head. “Zhuzi, take me to see the troupe master.”
The servant replied immediately, “Yes, Uncle Wu. Please follow me.”
He did not dare delay and quickly led the way. Passing through a corridor, they entered another courtyard. This one was even more extravagant. A small building stood at the rear, while artificial hills and ponds decorated the grounds. In the middle of the pond stood a small private stage.
Clearly, that was a place reserved for entertaining honored guests. One could easily imagine the scene: a bright moon overhead, mist drifting across the pond, and actors on the stage performing tales of sorrow and joy while guests below drank and sang in delight.
Before they even entered, Luo Shihai’s laughter rang through the air. “Hahaha!”
He strode forward with large steps and clasped his fists with a smile. “This old man truly failed to see Mount Tai. To think Brother Wu hid among my opera troupe all these years, yet I never realized what kind of extraordinary person you were. If I’ve shown any neglect in the past, I ask for your forgiveness.”
Some matters in jianghu were not exactly secret. Youngsters like Zhuzi might not understand, but Luo Shihai knew full well that Shopkeeper Wan of the Artisan Guild was a genuine practitioner of the mystic path.
The Zhou Family’s recent downfall was also connected to him. Since Li Yan had come carrying that man’s recommendation letter, then the obscure Wu Laosi in his troupe was obviously another mystic path practitioner.
Wu Laosi fell silent for a moment before suddenly clasping his fists and kneeling.
Luo Shihai panicked and hurriedly stepped forward to help him up. “Brother Wu, what are you doing?!”
Yet Wu Laosi insisted on kneeling, speaking in a deep voice. “I hid within your troupe for all these years. My abilities were mediocre, and at most I could only help with odd jobs. It was only thanks to Troupe Master Luo’s kindness that I was given food to eat instead of being driven away. I have no way to repay such grace. I can only offer this bow of thanks.”
Then he slowly stood up, his expression turning serious. “The Longchang Opera Troupe has prospered all these years largely because of that century-old ancestral statue. It suppresses and stabilizes the troupe’s fortune, allowing talented performers to emerge endlessly.
“But after so many years, a treasure has begun to gestate within the statue itself. I fear evil men have already set their sights on it. Some time ago, someone secretly infiltrated the grounds, though I managed to scare them away. After I’m gone, Troupe Master Luo, you must remain vigilant.”
“What?!” Luo Shihai was both shocked and delighted. “Brother Wu, did you see who it was?”
Born into generations of wealth, he naturally knew about heavenly treasures and spiritual artifacts. He had never imagined such a thing existed within his own opera garden.
Wu Laosi lowered his voice before speaking again. “It was a ritualist of the evil path. He usually stays hidden within the Iron Blade Gang and has helped Zheng Heibei kill several people. Troupe Master Luo, you must be careful.”
After speaking, he clasped his fists and departed with Li Yan.
Luo Shihai stood frozen in place, no longer in the mood for food. His expression shifted unpredictably before he finally gritted his teeth. “Zhuzi, take me to the Taixing Carriage and Horse Company. Tonight, this old man will also make a move! They actually dare covet my treasure? They’re going too far!”
Before they knew it, night had fallen.
Outside Xianyang, beneath an ancient locust tree within the riverside woods along the Wei River, Li Yan and Sha Lifei continuously swung their shovels, piling dirt to either side as they gradually dug a deep pit.
