Chapter 255 The days of these lonely souls in the wilderness are bitter and desolate, beyond your comprehension.
Under that old banyan tree, a natural little space has been formed, and a quiet seating area has been set up next to it.
Beneath the tree trunk, there was a tattered straw mat that had somehow gotten its hands on, with several old newspapers laid on top of it.
A slightly crooked but barely recognizable soul-locking array pattern was drawn with white chalk.
At the center of the formation, floated the ethereal soul of a young man, none other than Sun Yunle's living soul. His eyes were closed, as if he were asleep.
The scene next to the formation was rather strange.
Zhang Qingyuan sat upright on an overturned, tattered basket, holding a notebook and a pen in his hands.
His expression was more serious and focused than ever before, as he wrote furiously.
Opposite him floated an elderly male ghost dressed in a grey long gown from the Republican era, wearing round-framed glasses, and looking refined and cultured.
He floated there, waving a tattered palm-leaf fan in his hand, and said to Zhang Qingyuan:
“Young friend, please listen to what I have to say! The Yin Fu Jing says: The way of heaven and earth is permeated with yin and yang. My capture of this living soul is by no means for personal grudges.”
"It was this boy's recklessness that caused the sacrificial ceremony to be interrupted, disrupting the balance of Yin and Yang in this place and causing my incense offerings to cease! My actions are acting on behalf of Heaven, a slight punishment to serve as a warning to others!"
"You see, did I harm his soul in the slightest? I merely left him here temporarily to reflect on his actions!"
Zhang Qingyuan nodded repeatedly, quickly taking notes in his notebook: "Mr. Wang means that Sun Yunle was at fault first, and you are acting on behalf of Heaven to punish and educate the stubborn."
He nodded as he took notes, saying, "The old gentleman is right."
In a nearby corner, Lin Yanxin was slumped on an overturned, broken wooden barrel, propping her chin up with one hand, her face showing utter despair.
He waved his other hand weakly, seemingly trying to drive something away.
His Taoist robe was covered in dust, and his hair was disheveled. He looked as if he had endured three days and three nights of mental torture.
The old ghost continued to ramble on: "Fellow Daoist Zhang, you see, I am not unreasonable."
"If you agree to my three small conditions, not only will I release this soul, but I will also impart to you all the knowledge I have gained in my life's study of Yin-Yang Feng Shui!"
Upon hearing this, Zhang Qingyuan's eyes lit up, clearly very interested in the idea. "Please speak, Mr. Wang!"
Old Ghost cleared his throat and held up three fingers. "First, you need three catties of top-quality pre-Qingming Longjing tea, preferably Lion Peak! I loved tea when I was alive, but after I die, I can't even have a decent cup of tea. Every time I think about it, it pains me to the core!"
Zhang Qingyuan paused, "...And the second one?"
"Secondly, a complete set of the Four Treasures of the Study. Duan inkstone, Huizhou ink, Xuan paper, and Huzhou brush—not one can be missing! This old man wants to revive the literary style and write books!"
Sweat beaded on Zhang Qingyuan's forehead as he wrote "The Four Treasures of the Study" in his notebook, followed by a large question mark: "...The third?"
The old ghost stroked his non-existent beard, squinted, and said, "Thirdly... burn down a house for me. It doesn't have to be too big, just a courtyard with three entrances and exits."
"I will burn two more clever paper figures, one skilled in tea ceremony and the other knowledgeable in literature, to keep me company and relieve my loneliness."
"Alas, the life of a lonely soul in the wilderness is bitter and desolate, something you can never understand!"
Zhang Qingyuan: "..."
Hearing this, Lin Yanxin finally lost her temper, jumped up from the broken wooden barrel, and pointed at the old ghost:
"Hey! Old ghost! That's enough! Do you want me to burn down your TV and give you a game console too?! And this courtyard with three entrances and exits!"
"I've been standing here in this cold wind for three hours, listening to your endless ramblings! The point is, this idiot..."
Lin Yanxin pointed at Zhang Qingyuan and roared, "He even took three whole pages of notes!!"
The old man trembled at his shout, forgetting to even fan himself with his palm-leaf fan, and looked at Zhang Qingyuan with a wronged expression:
“Fellow Daoist Zhang, look at him… so impetuous, how can he pursue scholarship? How can he comprehend the profound principles of Yin and Yang and cultivate the Great Dao?”
Caught in the middle, Zhang Qingyuan was in a dilemma and could only try his best to appease both sides with earnest words:
"Mr. Wang, please calm down. Fellow Daoist Lin is just... just straightforward by nature, and may also have a bit of low blood sugar..."
"Fellow Daoist Lin, you should say less. Old Master Wang's words, upon careful consideration, are quite profound..."
Lin Yanxin rolled her eyes so hard she almost fainted.
Shen Yuepo finally understood.
Zhang Qingyuan, being an honest man, probably started by adhering to the principle of "courtesy before force, and reasoning with the devil."
As a result, they were led astray by this old devil with his own set of twisted logic, becoming so engrossed in academic discussions that they completely forgot they were there to take people away.
Meanwhile, his senior brother was clearly exhausted from the long and pointless negotiation.
Feng Jin, holding her hand, raised an eyebrow and said, "This old ghost... is quite interesting."
Shen Yuepo instantly understood his intention to bring this old ghost under his command.
She suppressed a laugh, stepped forward, and coughed softly.
The moment Lin Yanxin saw Shen Yuepo and Feng Jin's figures, her lifeless eyes suddenly burst into light.
He almost lunged at her, shouting, "Little Moon, please save me! I'm going crazy!!"
Upon hearing this, Zhang Qingyuan stood up, turned around, and saw Shen Yuepo and Feng Jin. A hint of embarrassment appeared on his face.
"Fellow Daoist Shen! Emperor! You've arrived!"
He quickly introduced, "This is Scholar Wang, Mr. Wang, a long-time resident of this place."
"We are currently engaged in friendly and in-depth academic exchanges regarding the matter of Sun Yunle's spirit."
Wang Xiucai also floated over, pushed up his glasses, and first nodded kindly to Shen Yuepo.
When his gaze fell on Feng Jin, he instantly floated several steps away, trying to find a place to hide.
Shen Yuepo quickly spoke up to stop him, "Old sir, wait, we mean no harm."
Old Ghost paused, stopping in his tracks.
Shen Yuepo stepped forward, her tone gentle, "Mr. Wang, we understand your scholarship and your needs."
"However, forcibly confining a living soul and delaying its return to the body is against the laws of the underworld and will also damage your own virtue, which may hinder your future."
"This child has been disrespectful, and his punishment is sufficient. Why not return his soul? As for you…"
She glanced at Feng Jin and said, "We can recommend you to the Fengdu Archives Bureau. They need someone like you, who is well-versed in the classics and has a meticulous mind, to organize the Yin-style documents."
"It would be a win-win situation to avoid the hardship of living in the wilderness, to make use of one's talents, and to accumulate good karma."
Upon hearing this, Lao Gui adjusted his glasses, seemingly somewhat tempted.
Go to the Archives Department to organize books? That seems...much more appealing than staying here starving and waiting for some uncertain sacrificial ceremony!
He was a book lover during his lifetime.
Seeing that Wang Xiucai remained silent, Feng Jin, who had been silent all along, clearly lost his patience. A ghostly flame condensed at his fingertips. "Either I'll perform a ritual to send you to the afterlife now, or..."
Before he could finish speaking, Wang Xiucai shuddered violently, all thoughts of bargaining vanished, leaving only instinctive awe.
"Cough...cough cough!" Wang Xiucai coughed twice, stopped fanning himself, and unconsciously bent his back a little.
“This…this young lady…no, this fellow Daoist is right! I was being old-fashioned! I am willing! As for this soul, I will release it now, I will release it now!”
He dared not make any more demands and hurriedly unleashed a burst of ghostly energy.
The array flashed, and the binding force was released.
Sun Yunle's soul floated up unsteadily, his eyes somewhat dazed, but his soul body was noticeably more solidified.
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