Chapter 49: The Desolate Well's Fright (Part 1)

  It's said that on days when mother is not at home, apart from the maid, it's all old men in the house. Father spends most of his time in the study, holding a stack of ancient books to research the heavenly rituals. Tie Yi, that iron lump, occasionally flashes with inspiration and transforms into a chatterbox, but for the most part, he is dull like a sculpture, making me feel that this grand mansion almost has no vitality, only during meal times does it seem like a family.

  That day, my father came to my room alone. I was holding an Apple phone and browsing Weibo, so I quickly stood up. My father said slowly: "Yesterday, our ancestors appeared in my dream and told me that what's destined is destined, even if you don't want it to happen, it won't be stopped. So, it's also time for you to see the world, and by the way, take out your things." This inexplicable sentence made a big question mark in my mind.

  "See you around? Take my stuff?" I was left somewhat perplexed by this sudden remark.

  Is it express? Why so serious?

  "Ah, Ming'er, with the Blood of Xuanwu, the Blood River Dan Pill, the Read Soul Technique, the Xuanwu Fire Pattern, and the Devouring Nether Capture Hand, your path to unsealing is only one brush stroke away! The one who has been constantly rewriting the Ghost Sealing List is none other than Wujin's judge pen."

  "Are you kidding me?" I stared at my father in shock. Did he really think that I had nothing better to do every day, and that I should just pick up a pen and write something to pass the time, so as not to waste my exceptional literary talent?

  His father nodded affirmatively and emphasized again: "A stroke of ink that can rewrite the Ghost List!"

  In the past, an ancestor of the Iron Clothes clan single-handedly dominated the world, challenging both the yin and yang realms with no equal. This person was Tie Yi's ancestor, Gui Bu Tie Ning, and this brush stroke was the hidden treasure within the thousand-year-old Wujin Stone, the Fengdu Wujin Judgement Brush Stroke.

  Because the Cui family has always had no one to ignite this Blood Fiery Black Tortoise, so this stroke cannot be obtained. If an ordinary person touches it, they will either have their soul congealed or their spirit sealed!

  "I said in great puzzlement, 'Father, since the ancestral judge's pen is hidden within the thousand-year-old black gold stone, what object does our ancestor use while residing in the ghost realm?' This thing that sounds so important to our ancestor, why would it be left behind in the human world?"

  "My father said mysteriously, 'Firstly, the technological level of this underworld is also advancing. Nowadays, case reviews are all electronic operations, which are very efficient. Secondly, due to the matter of the Ten Thousand Soul Curse, if we rewrite the Ghost List, we can only use this pen. The Netherworld Pen requires absorbing the energy from the mortal world to the netherworld in order to exert its maximum effect. Therefore, this Fengdu Ghost Pen was left in the mortal world by our ancestors.'"

  A bewildered me asked: "Where is the Ghost Brush of Fengdu now? Why can it be retrieved only now?"

  The father smiled awkwardly and said, "Because a selfish father wants his children to accompany him more!"

  I was instantly moved, full of emotion!

  But after being cooped up at home for a long time, I was thrilled to hear that I could go out. I was afraid that my father would say something disappointing, such as "turn left when you go out" and it would only take five minutes.

  It's just a matter of picking up things for this job with no technical content, and there won't be any risk at all.

  "Wu Jin's judgment was made in the same place where Emperor Taizong of Tang had gathered his forces, Pingzhou Taiyuan."

  As for this place, I happen to know a thing or two. The national title "Tang" of the Tang Dynasty was actually an ancient name for Jin, and because the ruler's surname was Li, it was also called Li Tang, or "Dragon City". It was praised by people as controlling mountains and rivers, straddling the shoulders and back of the world, being the key pass of the four borders, and controlling the capital cities of the five plateaus.

  "This hidden pen is located in Pingzhou Taiyuan Prefecture's Yangquan City, under a dry well called Kao Shan Tun Mine."

  My father's words directly hit my profession, I remember that in order to fulfill a year's appointment with Zhou Cheng, I worked in a small coal mine on the outskirts of Xiangbei for a year because of a friend's introduction, so I'm not unfamiliar with this coal mining industry.

  It seems that unraveling the origin of this curse is the starting point for everything, and Taiyuan Prefecture in Shanxi Province is the first stop on this journey.

  I saw Father's serious look, it's just going down the well, what's so great about it? Although it wasn't as exciting as I imagined, being able to go out and walk around was also very good. I happily agreed.

  Father, who was about to say something but stopped, said: "Tie Yi will accompany you on this trip." As soon as I heard Tie Yi's name, I felt a bit disappointed. If Father had arranged for me to travel with Secretary Xiao, the journey would have been so much more enjoyable.

  But thinking about that guy's skills and that bronze sword, it seems this trip will be quite safe, with no risk.

  At this time, I always feel that something is wrong today. Suddenly, I thought of it, "Father, why are you alone today? Where's Uncle Xu? Even if Uncle Xu wasn't awake, he would usually accompany you, wouldn't he?" Thinking about the unusual appearance of the walking corpse made me curious.

  Father looked at me and said, "Nothing, the ancestors said in a dream that during this period, Xu Bo was busy deducing the whereabouts of the four divine instruments needed to open the Heavenly Ceremony, and overexerted himself, resulting in neurasthenia. He has now entered a state of deep sleep, it should be fine, he'll recover in a few days, don't worry!"

  "Oh."

  "I see, so I can rest assured now. It feels like something's missing when I don't see Director Xu." I said thoughtfully.

  Father Chui Mu-bai paused for a moment before saying, "In order not to worry your mother, I told her that you would be going out on a trip for a while. It's been many years since I've seen your mother so happy; she has worried too much already."

  Who would have thought that at this moment, the door was pushed open, and I looked up to see my mother standing there.

  "I, Liu Yu, am not such a petty-minded person. You can doubt my age, but you cannot insult my intelligence." Although Mother was smiling, I could clearly see the tears in her eyes reflected in the light.

  "Yú Liǔ's mother stopped her father with her hand."

  "Ming'er, you go ahead, mom won't hold you back. Go and break the curse of our Cui family, don't suffer from this loneliness anymore. After all these years in Jing Si An, I've come to realize that if the Wan Huan Curse isn't lifted, our Cui family will never be at peace!"

  I've waited for 27 years, I believe you can do it!" As I spoke, I tightly hugged my mother. I gently patted her shoulder, trying to control the choking in my throat, saying:

  "Mom, don't worry, I'll be fine, I promise you, we will live a happy life like ordinary people, with children and grandchildren, sharing the joys of family." My mother didn't say anything, but from the sensation on my shoulder, I knew her tears were falling.

  The next morning, I got up and saw that my mother had already started preparing breakfast without making a sound. It was unprecedented for her not to return to the Quiet Reflection Nunnery. Looking at her busy figure, the scene that had been secretly stored in my memory made me feel like I had endless strength throughout my body.

  At the dinner table, I leaned against the chair and muttered: "Mom, your craftsmanship is too good, look at me eating until I'm full, but can only roll around on the ground like a worm."

  My mother smiled and said, "If you like to eat, have a little more. In the future, Mom will make it for you every day." The relaxed atmosphere made people feel happy and content. To be honest, at this moment my mood was just like that of a child carrying a school bag away from parents on the first day of school, with a mix of reluctance and small excitement.

  After having breakfast, I puffed up my belly and followed my father to the Cui family ancestral temple to worship our ancestors and pray for blessings.

  I pushed my father out of the gate and headed west towards the Cui family villa, about a kilometer away, into the Ling District. Thinking of what our ancestors and Tie Yi said, I realized that below us were all Iron Family ghost capturers from the Fengdu branch team, and suddenly became solemn and respectful, paying attention with reverence.

  Among the cypress and fir trees, I pushed my father's wheelchair along the cobblestone path. Looking ahead, I saw several large black characters on the front of the Cui family ancestral temple. The signature was astonishingly that of Tang Wang Shumin.

  I was thinking, how come I didn't notice this place had such a building before? Maybe it's because of the numerous tombs outside the Cui family gate that made me lose interest in exploring. It's not that I'm timid, but rather, I just wasn't interested.

  "Cui Ming, this is the Cui family ancestral temple. From here on out, you must follow my instructions and walk along the path of my wheelchair. Outside the temple, there are hidden soldiers and ghostly formations, which were designed by Li Chunfeng to provide a safe haven in case the Iron Family Army's Yin Soldiers cannot hold their ground."

  When my father said that, I immediately became cautious and careful. According to my usual habit of being vigilant, I would be caught off guard if I relaxed even slightly. So I was really taking it one step at a time, proceeding with caution.

  The father continued: "The Yinbing Ghost Array is set up according to the Qimen Dunjia technique, and it's actually the opposite. The calculated Shengmen is actually a dead door, and the dead door is also a dead door. The real Shengmen is actually left at the Pianmen."

  "Alright, I admit I didn't understand what Father said at all, 'Qimen Dunjia'?"

  "Qimen Dunjia is divided into three parts: Qi, Men and Dunjia. Qi refers to the three Qi of Yi, Bing and Ding. Men refers to the eight doors of Xiū, Shēng, Shāng, Dù, Jǐng, Sǐ, Jīng and Kāi. Dun means hidden, and Jia refers to the six Jia, namely Jiǎzǐ, Jiǎxū, Jiǎshēn, Jiǎwǔ, Jiǎchén and Jiǎyín. Dunjia is the most noble of the ten stems, it hides without showing itself, and is hidden under the six instruments."

  Listening to Father's words, I nodded seriously and honestly said I didn't understand.

  "It doesn't matter, just remember the trajectory we're taking and you'll be fine. If you take a wrong step and trigger the formation, it will unleash hellish illusions until you collapse, and you won't be able to leave this realm. The one step you see is actually 108,000 miles within the formation."

  This thing is really cool, I closely followed my father's wheelchair and slowly moved forward.

  A distance of over ten meters took nearly an hour to walk, standing at the door, I wiped away a forehead full of sweat beads, looking back, there was a feeling of having just stepped out of a minefield.

  I pushed my father's wheelchair and stood in front of the gate, looking at a pair of dragon-and-phoenix couplets on the pillars, which read: "The ancestral temple was built with red wood, and the doorposts were carved with auspicious beasts. The whole temple is roughly the size of a basketball court."

  As soon as I entered, the candles in the room suddenly ignited, illuminating the world before my eyes. The first thing that caught my attention was a huge ancestral portrait. This style, with obvious signs of having been Photoshopped.

  Around the wooden stage, there were rows of tablets standing upright, starting from ancestor Cui Ke, followed by Cui Zhen, Cui Mu, Cui Xi... As I looked at these unfamiliar names in front of me, a sense of reverence arose spontaneously.

  One by one, souls suffered the curse of ten thousand spirits, enduring a lifetime of loneliness and suffering.

  According to my father's request, I moved him to the mat in front of the ancestral tablet. Due to his legless condition, he couldn't kowtow and could only sit there. My father inserted three incense sticks into the incense burner, and the fragrance wafted through the air, giving me a feeling as if we were smoking incense with our ancestors in the underworld.

  "Because of the special circumstances, we'll dispense with burning incense, lighting candles, burning paper money, and setting off firecrackers. As our ancestor Cui Ke required, the underworld is now strict and solemn, so let's just keep things simple for now." It seems that this ancestor really thought of everything, I'm deeply impressed.

  "Respectful ancestors and descendants, carefully prepare rituals. Offer sacrifices at the ancestral tomb, with utmost filial piety and sincerity."

  Chui Zu Gao Feng is a man of noble character and integrity. He serves the country with loyalty and prioritizes filial piety and brotherly love.

  Excel in both martial and literary pursuits, strictly observe laws and regulations. Remember the teachings of ancestors, set an example for others to follow.

  Even a tiny blade of grass can show gratitude for the warmth of spring. Loyalty, filial piety, integrity and righteousness are all deeply rooted in one's heart.

  The ancestors of the Cui family are above, and the descendants of the Cui family, Cui Mubai and Cui Ming, offer sacrifices here. May the ancestors of the Cui family protect and bless us, may they dispel the curse of the ten thousand souls, and may the Cui family flourish once again.

  Then, my father threw a yellow paper into the air, and with a loud "whooshing" sound, it burst into flames. In an instant, I saw that the numerous ancestral tablets on the altar had transformed into faces of my own, all smiling at me.