Chapter 63: White Bone Hairpin 18: Yin Yang Formation

The Wei family always wakes up later than other households in Ningyuan Village.

There were no elders in the house, so Wei Wulang and his wives did not like to get up early. They would sleep until noon every day. Even the servants who got up early had to tiptoe and dared not make any noise. But today was a little different.

Just after the hour of Chen, the birds in the trees began to chirp incessantly, like a mysterious omen.

In a room in the corner of the east wing, the doors and windows were tightly shut, but smoke seeped out from the cracks. A servant noticed the smoke and hurriedly opened the door, only to find the room swirling with smoke. All he could see was a white haze, obscuring everything. The smoke smelled like burning wood; there must have been a fire.

The room contained some gunpowder for making fireworks. Although the amount was small, it would still be extremely dangerous if it caught fire. The servant, feeling timid, did not dare to rush into the room alone to investigate. Instead, he quickly left and called for help.

"There's a fire! There's a fire in the powder room! Put it out!"

The shouting woke up the sleeping house, and the people in the house woke up one after another. Without time to dress properly, they hurriedly picked up buckets and wooden basins, fetched water from the water tank, and then ran to the gunpowder room. In just a moment, the east wing was packed.

It was at this time that Wei Wulang was awakened by the noise.

Because of the Saint's blessing, he'd placed extra gunpowder in the fireworks room these past few days. If there were a fire or explosion, half the house would likely be destroyed. Although the altar was on the other side of the house, the distance between the two courtyards was not far, so it was very likely to be affected.

Nothing can happen to the altar.

Wei Wulang put on a coat and walked quickly towards the fireworks room.

When he arrived, the courtyard was completely packed. The firefighters didn't dare get too close, mostly standing outside the eaves, a few steps away. They pulled their legs back as far as they could, leaning slightly forward as they poured buckets of water into the open room, their fear evident.

Everyone knew there was gunpowder inside, so no one dared to step forward.

Wei Wulang stared at the room filled with white smoke and asked the people around him, "How long has it been burning?"

The servant who had noticed the white smoke stepped forward and explained the whole story in a halting manner. The more Wei Wulang listened, the more he felt something was wrong. He stepped forward and stood by the door, not noticing any heat. He opened all the windows nearby, and soon the smoke and dust in the room had mostly dissipated, and everything inside finally became clear.

Everything in the house was intact. Boxes of gunpowder were piled in the corner, showing no signs of being burned. Wei Wulang walked into the house, took a look around, and found a pile of burning firewood under the window.

The firewood was about to die out, but it was still emitting a lot of smoke and dust. Wei Wulang touched the firewood and found it was damp to the touch.

He turned to look at the person at the door, and suddenly realized something. His sight extended across the layers of roofs to the west, and he vaguely saw a swaying figure on the altar in the distance.

What a good trick to lure the tiger away from the mountain!

He ignored the others, pushed through the crowd and ran towards the altar. The wind whistled in his ears, making it so noisy that it made people feel annoyed. When he arrived at the altar, he saw that the lock on the door had been pried open, and the stairs leading to the altar were unobstructed.

It's still too late.

Wei Wulang had a gloomy face and clenched his fists. After he went up to the altar, he saw the people he had seen yesterday.

"What grudge do I have against you? Why are you trying to ruin my plans like this?!"

Xun Shu was squatting in the corner of the altar. Hearing his words, he stood up, pointed at the black pottery jar at his feet, and answered irrelevantly: "Isn't that the heart in there?"

Wei Wulang was startled and hurried to check the black pottery jar. Seeing that the seal on the jar was intact and had not been opened, he breathed a sigh of relief. His eyes moved away from the jar and fell on Xun Shu again, and a strong sense of vigilance and precaution rose in his heart.

Xun Shu didn't notice his expression, but turned to look at the center of the altar.

At the center of the altar, within an empty circular depression, sat an ill-sized white jade sphere, roughly the size of a human head. Strange red patterns painted around the sphere sent a chill down one's spine, creating a sense of discomfort at the mere sight of it. Further out, intricately carved recesses resembled the altar in the backyard of the Sitian Pavilion. Two black pottery jars sat on either side of the carvings, their weight so heavy that even the layer of earth couldn't mask the rich, fishy odor.

Whether it is the painted patterns or the carved lines, the traces are very clear and do not look like they have been there for decades.

There are thousands of altars, but this is the first time she has seen one that looks so much like the abandoned one in the Sitian Pavilion.

She could no longer convince herself that this matter had nothing to do with Sitian Pavilion.

Xun Shu's face was devoid of smiles. Her gaze was like ice on a mountain, clear yet piercingly cold. She turned to look at Wei Wulang, her voice filled with disapproval: "Yin Yang Reversal Formation, five lives for one, you really have the heart to do it."

Wei Wulang stared at Xun Shu, his lips trembling slightly, but he didn't say anything.

Li Xuanhe, standing by, asked curiously, "Yin Yang Reversal Formation? What is this?"

"It's a formation rumored to be able to revive the dead. According to records, to activate the formation, in addition to drawing a specific formation diagram in the center with the blood of the person who created the formation mixed with cinnabar, the hearts corresponding to the eight characters of the eight characters must be placed at the positions of the five corners and five elements of the formation. Moreover, the heart must be soaked in blood circulation." As if realizing that blood circulation was difficult to understand, Xun Shu gestured with his hands to explain, "Blood circulation means that blood must be taken from a living person's heart. Once a jar of blood circulation is filled, the person's heart is removed and soaked in blood plasma. Only then will the formation take effect."

Li Xuanhe and Yu Chang had never heard of such an evil formation, and this was their first time learning how to set one. They thought the rituals performed on the altar were nothing more than singing, dancing, and ringing bells, praying for rain and wind, for a good year, and for the end of epidemics and disasters. They had never imagined it could be so sinister and cruel.

Li Xuanhe's mind moved, and he couldn't help but ask, "Can this formation... really bring the dead back to life?"

Xun Shu looked at him strangely. He couldn't understand how a person who dared to pretend to be a fortune teller from Sitian Pavilion to cheat people out of money could believe in such weird and superstitious beliefs.

"Of course it's fake. This formation isn't a secret; records of it can be found in many places. If it were real, the first to use it would have been an emperor, right? But throughout history, dynasties have come and gone, and not only have emperors been resurrected or achieved immortality, but even those who lived long lives are few."

Everyone was silent, accepting Xun Shu's explanation. Only Wei Wulang, with a frantic expression, spoke in a sharp voice, "Nonsense! This formation was taught to me by the immortal from the Hall of Eternal Life. How could it be fake?!" Realizing his loss of composure, he took a deep breath, softened his tone, and stopped arguing. Instead, he pleaded, "Everyone, I have no grudge against you. If you have any requests, please ask, and I will do my best to meet them. But can you please forget what you saw today? Just pretend it never happened, and don't tell anyone else?"

It turned out to be the Palace of Eternal Life? Xun Shu and the others were silent for a moment, as if waiting for him to throw out a bigger bait.

Even the most dull-witted person would realize that something was wrong at this moment, not to mention that Wei Wulang was not a stupid person.

How could the three men across from him be simple characters? Li Xuanhe stood tall and straight, his demeanor extraordinary; he held a high position, possessing a commanding presence. The guards beside him possessed sharp eyes and exceptional martial arts skills, their swords dangling from their waists exquisitely crafted, like belongings of an official. And the most inconspicuous girl in the corner recognized the formation instantly; she must possess exceptional skills.

These people probably have some connection with the government, but I don't know whether they came to Ningyuan Village intentionally or unintentionally.

Wei Wulang clenched his fists and glanced under the altar.

His wives had heard the news and rushed over, looking up at the altar with concern.

Wei Wulang turned his gaze away and said through gritted teeth, "Can you wait three more days? No, two days will be enough. Come back here at this time the day after tomorrow, and I will give you an explanation."

Xun Shu looked at him, frowning slightly. "I just told you that this formation is fake. Why would you rather believe the words of a liar Taoist priest than me? Why do you think you can accomplish something that so many powerful people can't do?"

"Whether they succeed or not is none of my business! Perhaps they don't have the opportunity I have to meet the immortals of the Hall of Eternal Life!"

"The Hall of Eternal Life?" Li Xuanhe chuckled, a look of pity in his eyes. "Did you know that the head of the Hall of Eternal Life is the current Imperial Preceptor?"

Who in Daliang didn't know about this? Wei Wulang's chest rose and fell, and he nodded cautiously. I wondered what his intention was in mentioning this matter.

Li Xuanhe continued, "Last spring, the Imperial Concubine passed away. His Majesty was deeply grieving, and after handing over court affairs to the Crown Prince, he has not attended court since. His Majesty's connection with the Hall of Eternal Life must be deeper than yours. He hasn't been able to revive the Imperial Concubine yet, so why do you think you can do it?"

Wei Wulang was wavering, but he persisted. "Things have come to this. What difference does it make if I give up or continue? Even if this formation is truly ineffective, I won't give up until I give up!" He swept his gaze over the people in front of him. "I know you're skilled, but the passage here is blocked, and reinforcements are hard to come by. It will take at least a day to restore it. Although my Wei Mansion is a small family, we have many skilled guards and a large amount of gunpowder. You may not be able to gain any advantage. How about we both take a step back and don't try to stop me. Once I complete this formation and revive my family, I will explain the whole story to you. How about that?"

"Nothing." Xun Shu answered bluntly, "We know everything, and we don't need you to explain. We don't want to stop you from setting up the formation, we just want to stop you from killing people."

...How is this different from stopping him from setting up his formation? Wei Wulang snorted coldly, hiding the smile on his face: "I killed someone? What evidence do you have to accuse me of killing someone?"

Xun Shu blinked. "Could those two pottery jars on the altar be filled with pig hearts? I remember the ancient texts I read said human hearts were needed. Did you find a fake Taoist priest? If they were human hearts, how could these two people still be alive without them? How could such miraculous medical skills exist in this world?"

Xun Shu looked serious, as if she really believed it. Wei Wulang gritted his teeth, refusing to admit it, and kept repeating, "You have no evidence."

Xun Shu was about to speak when Li Xuanhe, standing beside him, couldn't help but laugh. "How interesting! We're actually going to solve the case right here." He walked to the side of the altar and looked out. He saw Ge Qi escorting a man in Taoist robes, almost reaching the altar. He said, "Everyone's almost here. Why don't we wait for the Taoist priest to come up to the stage, and then I'll tell you the story from the beginning." He turned to look at Wei Wulang, his smile not reaching his eyes. "If I'm wrong, please correct me, Brother Wei."