CHAPTER 11: CHAPTER 7: MING ZHANG NOTES

[March 9th]

The population of Black Mountain Village is one hundred and twelve, with three black dogs and twenty-one morning roosters.

Recording these numbers daily is truly troublesome!

With spring plowing imminent, Master wishes to set up the altar and paint talismans today.

Prepare the shen kan, incense burner, offerings, magic artifact, talisman paper, vermillion, morning rooster, black dog blood, glutinous rice, etc., don’t forget!

The task of painting talismans requires a genuine talismanic Taoist; I wished to observe but was refused by Master. Is invoking the Power of the Daoist Lord to draw talismans truly more terrifying than the hunt of evil spirits?

Today, I was again instructed to handle villagers’ requests wholeheartedly, without negligence, stating that opening the Ghost Gate and passing the Yin is an essential task.

Skinny came by today for the second time, claiming that his old mother heard singing at midnight again, while no one else in the house heard it. This has persisted for five days, and previous methods have been useless.

This morning, the old woman was muddle-headed, humming a strange tune, like lamentation in front of a grave, fluctuating in pitch, extremely eerie.

Skinny, unfamiliar with music, said he remembered it all after just one listen, and the bizarre melody echoed in his mind all day, unable to shake it off.

Accompanied Skinny to his home for further investigation, but still found nothing; Eye-opening Talismans didn’t improve clarity beyond the opened Ghost Gate.

Situations without known origins are not difficult to handle.

Mix glutinous rice with coarse salt, sprinkle a circle along the corners of the house, and at night tie a broom with red string, placing it upside down behind the main door.

If no evil spirits are in the house, this method will fortify the house like a fortress, keeping evil spirits at bay for seven days; even the three-layered evil from the upper layers of Nine Netherworld cannot breach it.

If evil spirits indeed lurk within, they will flee at the sight, and the next day, where the glutinous rice turns black, is where the evil spirit lingered but was trapped. Sweep the glutinous rice and coarse salt out the front door with the broom to expel them.

However, glutinous rice is produced only in the south, with 90% supplied to the court. In this northwest region, even with money, one may not be able to purchase it. Master only manages to stock half a dou throughout the year.

Informed Skinny of the method. Whether he can acquire glutinous rice depends on his filial piety and capability.

...

[March 12th]

The population of Black Mountain Village is one hundred and nine, with two black dogs and twenty morning roosters.

That bastard Kou Yushan dared to raise a hand against me. So what if I let him die? Isn’t it a common outcome when driving away evil spirits?

Did they think the Corpse Mud Evil was easy to deal with? Merely losing three lives is already fortunate!

If it weren’t for this young master holding the line today, Kou Yushan wouldn’t have returned, and Black Mountain Village wouldn’t have any land to cultivate this year.

An heirless widower dares to provoke this young master!

If he weren’t the village Guard Team captain, respected by the villagers, I’d have killed him!

Yet, after being attacked by the Corpse Mud Evil, my Ghost Gate opened wide. Upon entering meditation, I saw only a chaotic burial mound in the dream, empty of people and evil spirits, with a blood moon overhead and thick mist all around.

Where is the Nine Netherworld? I didn’t see any cliffs, abysses, or stairs.

I consulted Master, who said I have extraordinary talent and need not rush for quick success; continuing to pass the Yin at night suffices.

Back when Master first opened the Ghost Gate, it took him five days and two months to touch the first layer of the Nine Netherworld. That I achieved formal Ghost Gate opening from initial passing the Yin in just three days is remarkable. Without this talent, he wouldn’t have accepted me as a disciple back then.

Master also said that starting today, I may begin noticing the evil spirits formed after people die. With fortune, I might encounter one suitable for me, and once I descend to the Second Floor of Nine Netherworld, I can directly perform the rite to tame it, officially becoming a Yin Walker.

Ordinary people live in constant fear, avoiding evil spirits to prolong their wretched lives, powerless against them. Regular weapons cannot kill evil spirits.

Even genuine talismanic Daoists and renounced monks, relying on external means, can only temporarily drive away and confine three-layered evil spirits; direct elimination is impossible.

Lucky individuals may discern rules upon encountering evil spirits, thus grasping a slim chance of survival, but such individuals are rare.

Most face inevitable death and become blood food for evil spirits.

Only during bright, sunny days can one move freely outside, but caution is still necessary against terrors lurking in the shadows.

Upon entering night or overcast, rainy weather devoid of sunlight, one can only hide within a house, guarding the lamp while hoping for dawn.

Yin Walkers tame evil spirits, facing desperate odds, and selecting a suitable spirit is extremely demanding.

Once tamed successfully, one can utilize the evil spirit’s power to kill other evil spirits, absorbing their strength to enhance personal cultivation.

At that point, even under cloudy skies or night, one can contend with evil spirits or, at the very least, maintain life and escape.

Facing ordinary people, one has the power of life and death, becoming akin to, or even superior to, evil spirits.

However, Yin Walkers are often exhaustively dedicated, living short lives with few lasting beyond six months. After death, they may become even stronger and more bizarre evil spirits.