Chapter 13: A Gift of Lightning-Struck Peach Wood
Elder Aqing approached Li Xuan, extending his withered hand and gripping Li Xuan’s firmly between his middle and index fingers. He pressed hard, as if trying to sense or extract something from Li Xuan’s hand...
He pressed for a long while.
A slight awkwardness flickered across Elder Aqing’s face; he sensed nothing at all. He decided to speak plainly, “Young man, which deity do you follow? What mountain sect or school do you practice under?”
Li Xuan roughly guessed what Elder Aqing was attempting.
He had not begun formal cultivation yet—there was no way to sense anything.
He replied, “Not long ago, I pledged myself to the Northern Yin Temple, whose principal deity is the Northern Yin Fengdu Great Emperor. I can barely be counted as part of the Fengdu lineage. Currently, I am practicing the ‘Tianpeng Curse,’ but I am not yet registered, with no rank or grade.”
Upon hearing the name of the Northern Yin Great Emperor, Elder Aqing instinctively released Li Xuan’s hand, astonished: “You follow the Fengdu lineage of the Northern Yin? You…”
Only the Fengyue Sect officially venerates the Fengdu Great Emperor as their primary deity. Their sect is strictly regulated, making it rare for common folk to encounter high-level practitioners of the Fengyue Sect in society.
When Elder Aqing was younger, he had met a few such disciples. He knew that once one entered the Fengdu lineage and reached the third stage, sixth rank, one must abide by the “Black Code,” a set of laws specifically enacted for Fengdu judges.
Below the third stage, sixth rank, practitioners are not bound by the Black Code but must not commit evil deeds, and under no circumstances should they retreat when confronting malevolent spirits!
So that explains it...
No wonder he followed.
Though the Fengdu lineage’s cultivation laws aren’t exactly supreme, they are backed by the Northern Pole Ziwei Great Emperor. With fortune and talent, one’s future achievements can be significant.
Though Elder Aqing and Li Xuan hail from different sects, this did not diminish his admiration for the young man.
The matter regarding Chen Letong was urgent. Elder Aqing and Granny A conducted rites at the Zhou Cang Palace altar. After two and a half hours of ceremonies and incantations, the suffering Chen Letong gradually quieted.
Li Ruonan looked at her daughter lying on the incense table, her expression complex. She reached out to pick her up.
Granny A grabbed her wrist firmly, saying, “The ritual is complete. From now on, your child must be fully entrusted to this young man beside you, until this time on the seventh day.”
Li Ruonan was anxious, “But he’s just my neighbor. We’ve only known each other a few days.”
Granny A’s face hardened. “I’ve already told you, our lives are linked to this ritual. Performing rites for your child is like staking our lives on it! Now that the ritual is done, do you intend to go back on your word?”
Li Ruonan wanted to argue.
Xie Qiming pulled her gently, “Don’t worry. I will watch over Duoduo with him until the time is up.”
As dusk fell, the group prepared to leave. Elder Aqing reached out and tugged Li Xuan aside, handing him a reddish-brown wooden stick.
Li Xuan looked puzzled.
Elder Aqing said gravely, “I speak plainly: your joining the Fengdu lineage was likely accidental, or a desperate act to save your life. This path forbids lacking a proper master. You began practicing the ‘Tianpeng Curse’ without the appropriate talisman. If you face malevolent spirits and the incantation fails, your life energy will drain rapidly—you would surely die!”
He pointed to the stick. “The ‘Dao Scripture of Divine Contracts’ records: ‘In ancient times, peach branches were used to ward off misfortune. Hou Yi died by a peach staff, so later generations use it to chase ghosts.’”
“This is a piece of old lightning-struck peach wood, well-preserved and sturdy. Even if not made into a formal talisman, a single strike will hurt a ghost for a long time.”
“I recall the ‘Tianpeng Curse’ is paired with the Tianpeng ruler for casting spells—it can expel evil, seal ghosts, and bring blessings, with countless wonders!”
“Tomorrow, the fifteenth day of the tenth lunar month is the Lower Yuan Festival. At nine in the morning, set up your altar facing north, establish the shrines to the Northern Yin Great Emperor and Marshal Tianpeng, bathe and change clothes, offer incense and candles to the gods, then craft this lightning-struck peach wood into a Tianpeng ruler for emergencies.”
Li Xuan had seen the Tianpeng ruler in the accessory section of the ‘Tianpeng Curse’ manual and knew how to make it. Now, having this ancient material from an elder was like a godsend.
He gave Elder Aqing a slightly awkward Taoist salute, saying, “The source of this malevolence is the Great Black Buddha Mother. I cannot reveal her true name; please forgive me, Master. My surname is Li.”
Elder Aqing chuckled heartily. “An old man like me is delighted to see a young soul brave enough to confront ghosts and spirits. Go now. Call me if you need anything. There’s a card in your bag.”
Li Xuan hurried down the mountain.
He could not let Chen Letong leave his sight for too long.
After all, Li Ruonan was the kind of woman who agreed one moment and acted foolishly the next—that was too normal.
In front of Zhou Cang Palace, Elder Aqing watched Li Xuan’s figure fade into the distance. Stroking his stubbled chin, he recalled the Fengyue disciples he had met in his youth and sighed deeply.
Granny A approached, draping a coat over him. Her eyes held concern. “When Li Ruonan came to us six years ago, that video recorder had already caused the deaths of several people... This time, her daughter’s possession has deepened. It’s likely she came into contact with the recorder!”
She sighed heavily. “After this ritual, I regret it somewhat. I fear this woman might bring harm to our lives.”
Elder Aqing was silent for a moment, then said, “I know. But the child is innocent. We cannot abandon her because of her mother’s ignorance.”
Cultivation itself is fraught with tribulations; the human heart is the greatest of these trials.
Granny A rested her head gently on Elder Aqing’s shoulder, leaning close. The old couple turned slowly, returning to the unlit Zhou Cang Palace, their forms gradually swallowed by the darkness...
On the way back.
---
Xie Qiming drove the van.
Chen Letong had awakened. She was quite well-behaved, sensing Li Xuan was no villain, even giving him a sweet smile.
In a gentle tone, Xie Qiming said, “Duoduo, Daddy knows you were harassed by bad things. We found a master to perform protection rites for you. As long as you don’t eat or drink for seven days, you’ll never be frightened by those bad things again. But it will be tough—you must persevere.”
Chen Letong nodded. She had been seeing strange dark shadows flickering around recently, her nerves constantly on edge. Despite her young age, her eyes were sunken and dark. Hearing she could be free of these shadows, she was naturally willing.
Xie Qiming added, “Uncle Li Chegan will help you, and Daddy will stay with you. You won’t be lonely.”
Chen Letong asked, “What about Mommy?”
Xie Qiming glanced at Li Ruonan and replied, “The ritual requires your mother to avoid contact with you for seven days. After that, everything will be fine...”
Chen Letong missed Li Ruonan but understood she wouldn’t want the shadows to scare her own mother. She nodded obediently.
The vehicle arrived at its destination.
Xie Qiming carried Chen Letong down. Li Ruonan intended to take over, but Li Xuan blocked her with his body.
Pointing to a third-floor apartment, Li Xuan said, “That’s where I live. Mr. Xie, please take Duoduo to choose a room first.”
Li Ruonan tried to follow.
Li Xuan stopped her, waiting until Xie Qiming and Chen Letong had walked far away.
Night was deep and the surroundings deserted. Li Xuan grabbed Li Ruonan’s neck roughly, slamming her against the courtyard wall with a muffled thud at the back of her head.
He raised his knee and struck her abdomen fiercely.
Li Ruonan felt as if her insides were about to turn inside out. She couldn’t stop dry-heaving, tears and mucus streaming down her face. “What are you doing?!”
Li Xuan’s voice was cold. “At Zhou Cang Palace, the master made it perfectly clear: this ritual ties their lives. The child cannot eat or drink at all. Yet you keep doubting and questioning everything, acting suspiciously! Let me tell you now—if something goes wrong with the ritual, and Elder Aqing and his wife’s lives are in danger, you will be the first sacrifice!”