The leader of the ghostly enforcers, Old Qin, had dispatched hundreds of ghostly officers to invite various ghost kings to oppose the old ancestor of the Yellow Springs Sect. He himself went to the nearby city god for reinforcements. In an instant, all sorts of ghosts, monsters, and evil spirits gathered, causing a clear sky to become gloomy. In front of the Ghost Gate, ghosts swarmed like a bustling ghost market.
Shui Miao and Old Cai went ahead and passed through the Ghost Gate.
The ghost commander, Old Qin, dispatched hundreds of ghost envoys to invite various ghost kings to the Yellow Spring Sect to deal with the Yellow Spring Patriarch. Meanwhile, he himself went to seek reinforcements from the nearby City God. For a time, ghosts, monsters, and evil spirits of all sizes began to stir, turning a clear, sunny day gloomy in an instant. The area before the Gate of Ghosts was teeming with spectral activity, bustling like a ghost market.
Shui Miao and Old Cai went ahead, passing through the Gate of Ghosts.
The Gate of Ghosts was a fortress of the underworld, built between two peaks. It stood over thirty meters tall, with no sunlight in sight. The surroundings were shrouded in white mist, and atop the gate, crows cawed mournfully. Everything in sight appeared decayed and dilapidated, creating a desolate atmosphere. The temperature here was extremely high, unbearably hot, with toxic fumes permeating the air. Even spirits were reluctant to linger here for long. On the gate, a group of skeletal soldiers, clad in rusted armor and holding spears and broadswords, stood motionless like statues. Three relatively normal-looking ghost generals exchanged a few words with Old Cai and immediately ordered the skeletal soldiers to allow a large group of ghost kings and evil spirits to pass through.
Once through the Gate of Ghosts, Shui Miao saw the legendary Road to the Yellow Springs.
This was no modern highway but a muddy path about three meters wide. As far as the eye could see, there was still no sunlight. The sides of the road were densely lined with large, blood-red flowers—the legendary Bianhua flowers, or “flowers of the other shore.” The Bianhua flowers stretched three to four meters wide on either side, beyond which lay the Forgotten River, shrouded in gray mist. The river’s vapors carried a bloody scent that could muddle souls into a daze, leaving them only aware enough to follow the direction guided by the Bianhua flowers until they reached the Naihe Bridge.
It had to be said that the Road to the Yellow Springs was incredibly lively, with all souls moving in the same direction.
The road had many branches, gathering souls from various Gates of Ghosts onto the main path. The further one went, the wider the road became, and the more souls there were.
Within just over ten minutes, the road ahead expanded to several hundred meters wide.
Walking along the right side, one would eventually spot an inn nestled within a patch of withered gray weeds. The Bianhua flowers were sparser in this section, allowing stronger souls to regain some clarity. The inn’s gate was even brighter red than the Bianhua flowers, attracting many spirits to stop and enter the Yellow Spring Inn.
Shui Miao had been feeling dizzy and disoriented from the bloody vapors of the Forgotten River along the way. As soon as he entered the Yellow Spring Inn, he was hit by a strong earthy smell that immediately refreshed and cleared his mind. Looking around, the inn resembled a large, dilapidated wooden shack more than a proper lodging. The entire structure was haphazardly built from old wood, appearing messy and disorganized. Inside, the inn was crowded with souls who, like Shui Miao, were gradually regaining clarity from the earthy scent.
Many souls recovered their memories and, fearing the underworld, chose to stay.
Shui Miao followed Old Cai to a group of over a dozen shirtless, fierce-looking spirits. Old Cai addressed the most formidable among them: “Call your manager out. Tell him I have a batch of medicinal herbs.”
“Wait here!”
The fierce spirit turned and went behind a wooden door.
Seeing this, Old Cai suddenly whispered, “Now!” His dozen elite ghost envoys sprang into action. Well-trained, they swiftly bound the more than ten spirits with iron chains. Meanwhile, Old Cai, gripping his curved blade, barged through the door. By the time Shui Miao reached the doorway, Old Cai had already succeeded—five spirits inside the room were tightly bound with black chains.
“Old Cai, you’re amazing!”
Shui Miao exclaimed in awe, never expecting Old Cai to be so skilled and efficient in dealing with minor spirits.
“Piece of cake.”
Old Cai smiled slightly, turned back to the doorway, and ordered the ghost envoys, “Men, drive out all these unruly spirits immediately. Replace the door panels with blue ones. Don’t let any more disorderly spirits in.”
“Yes, sir!”
The ghost envoys responded in unison and began expelling the spirits.
Most of the souls were unwilling to leave. As the ghost envoys drove them out, cries and wails filled the air, creating a chaotic uproar. However, when they saw the ghost envoys execute the bound spirits, they fell silent in fear. Old Cai swung his blade, dispersing the souls of several spirits, leaving only the innkeeper—a sharp-faced, narrow-eyed man wearing a black mandarin jacket and a skullcap, his eyes darting around shiftily.
“Which group of ghost envoys do you belong to? How dare you! Even the King of Hell wouldn’t dare touch us, yet you have the audacity to cause trouble? Do you know who I work for?” The innkeeper was arrogant, showing no fear and even threatening Old Cai loudly.
Old Cai grinned and said, “You old fool, do you really think the Yellow Spring Patriarch left you a life talisman? Let me tell you, this blade of mine is a treasure capable of killing even immortals. Even if the Yellow Spring Patriarch did leave you a life talisman, I can slice through your fate with one strike, shattering your talisman and dispersing your soul, ensuring you vanish from this world forever.”
A life talisman is a charm infused with a fraction of one’s primordial spirit, allowing a ghost to resurrect. However, the resurrected ghost would be significantly weakened and vulnerable.
Old Cai wasn’t bluffing. His treasured blade was a gift from a King of Hell and truly had the power to sever life souls. Without such capabilities, Old Cai wouldn’t have dared to confront the Yellow Spring Patriarch.
He rested the blade on the innkeeper’s shoulder, its cold gleam threatening imminent action.
“Spare me, sir! Have mercy!” The innkeeper, clearly recognizing the blade’s power, grew fearful and pleaded pitifully, “Sir, I’m just a lackey. I’ve never done anything heinous! Please spare my life. I’m willing to… to atone for my crimes by helping you! I’ll help you!”
“Smart move!”
With a flick of his blade, Old Cai sliced off one of the innkeeper’s ears, causing him to grimace in pain. “Staying alive is easy. Open your warehouse immediately. I’m confiscating all your ill-gotten gains. Then, activate the Illusory Gateway to the Yellow Spring Sect. Today, we’re upholding justice by taking down your master.”
The innkeeper had initially thought these people were only after wealth, but hearing they were targeting the Yellow Spring Patriarch shocked him. He hurriedly triggered mechanisms, opening three warehouse doors filled with spirit money and various common medicinal herbs, followed by a dark, eerie gateway.
The inn secretly housed two hidden doors.
The dark gateway led to the Yellow Spring Swamp, home to countless ghosts and monsters—a perilous and unpredictable place where those who entered faced almost certain death.
The greenish gateway was the direct passage to the Yellow Spring Sect.
Old Qin hadn’t arrived yet. He had investigated this place and knew the secrets of the passages.
Unaware of the details, Old Cai grew eager upon seeing the open gateway. With a swift backward strike of his blade, he killed the innkeeper and led six ghost envoys charging through the gateway.
Unaware of the situation, Shui Miao followed them in.
After entering the Ghost Gate, Shui Miao saw the legendary Yellow Springs Road.
This Yellow Springs Road was no modern highway, but a muddy path more than three meters wide. As far as the eye could see, there was no sunlight. However, the roadside was densely covered with bright red flowers, as red as blood. These were the legendary Manjusaka flowers. On both sides, the Manjusaka flowers stretched for three or four meters, and beyond them flowed the Wangchuan River, emitting gray mist. The river’s vapor was filled with a bloody smell, which could make souls feel dazed and confused, only knowing to follow the direction pointed by the Manjusaka flowers forward until they reached the Naihe Bridge.
It must be said that the Yellow Springs Road was very bustling, with all souls moving in one direction.
The Yellow Springs Road had many branches, gathering souls from various Ghost Gates into the main path. As one walked further, the road became wider, and the number of souls increased.
In no more than ten or so minutes, the road ahead widened to hundreds of meters.
Following the right side, as they walked, they saw a roadside inn hidden in a patch of withered gray grass. The Manjusaka flowers in this section were thinner, and stronger souls would regain some clarity here. Moreover, the inn’s door was even redder than the Manjusaka flowers, attracting many ghost souls to stop and enter the Yellow Springs Inn.
Shui Miao had been dizzy from the bloody vapor of the Wangchuan River all the way. Upon entering the Yellow Springs Inn, he suddenly smelled a strong earthy scent, which immediately refreshed his mind and cleared his head. Looking around, this Yellow Springs Inn, more accurately described as a large dilapidated wooden hut, was built entirely from old wood, appearing messy and chaotic. Inside the inn, it was even more crowded with many souls who gradually regained consciousness after smelling the earthy scent.
Many souls recovered their memories and, out of fear of the underworld, chose to stay.
Following Old Cai, Shui Miao approached more than ten bare-chested, extremely fierce-looking ghosts and told one of the fiercest, “Call out your boss. Say I have a batch of medicinal herbs.”
“Wait!”
The fierce ghost turned and went behind a wooden door.
Seeing this, Old Cai suddenly whispered, “Act now!” Immediately, the dozen elite ghost enforcers sprang into action. Trained and swift, in the blink of an eye, they had bound the ten or so ghosts with iron chains. Then, holding a curved knife, Old Cai directly rushed into that wooden door. Shui Miao had just reached the door when he saw Old Cai had already succeeded. Inside the room, five ghosts were all tied up tightly with black chains.
“Old Cai, you’re amazing!”
Shui Miao exclaimed in admiration, never expecting Old Cai to be so skilled, handling these small ghosts so efficiently.
“Just a small matter.”
Old Cai smiled slightly, turned back to the door, and gave orders to the ghost enforcers, “You lot, immediately drive out all the disorderly ghosts, replace the door panels with green ones, and don’t let any more disorderly ghosts come in.”
“Yes!”
The group of ghost enforcers loudly obeyed and immediately began driving away the ghosts.
Most of these souls were unwilling to leave and cried out in despair as they were driven away. However, when they saw the ghost enforcers kill the bound ghosts, they were all frightened into silence. Old Cai swung his knife, dispersing the souls of a few ghosts, leaving only the innkeeper, a guy with a beak-like mouth, monkey-like face, wearing a black vest, a melon-shaped cap, and darting small eyes.
“Exactly which ghost enforcers are you? How dare you act so boldly? Even the King of Hell dares not touch us. Do you know who I work for?” The innkeeper was very arrogant, not afraid at all, and instead loudly threatened Old Cai.
Old Cai grinned and said, “Old bastard, you really think the old ancestor of Yellow Springs left you a life talisman? Let me tell you, this knife of mine is a treasure capable of killing even immortals. Even if the old ancestor of Yellow Springs gave you a life talisman, I can still cut through your fate, causing your talisman to shatter, and your soul to dissipate forever into oblivion.”
A life talisman was a kind of charm. By infusing some spiritual essence into it, ghosts could be reborn.
However, the reborn ghosts would suffer a great reduction in power and be very weak.
Old Cai wasn’t bluffing. The treasure knife in his hand was a gift from a King of Hell and could truly sever one’s soul fate.
Without some real skills, Old Cai wouldn’t dare to confront the old ancestor of Yellow Springs.
Old Cai rested the knife on the innkeeper’s shoulder, the blade gleaming coldly, ready to strike at any moment.
“Officer, spare my life, spare my life!” The innkeeper was clearly someone who recognized the value of the knife. Upon sensing its power, he became frightened and quickly showed a pitiful expression, begging, “Officer, I’m just a lowly errand runner. I haven’t done anything evil! Please spare my life. I’m willing… willing to atone by making contributions!”
“Smart choice!”
Old Cai flicked his knife and cut off one of the innkeeper’s ears, causing him to grimace in pain. “Want to live? Easy. Immediately open your warehouse for me. I’m going to confiscate all the ill-gotten wealth you’ve hoarded. Then open the secret passage leading to the Yellow Springs Sect. We’re here today to uphold justice and eliminate your master.”
The innkeeper originally thought these people were just here for money, but he was shocked to learn they were actually targeting the Yellow Springs Ancestor. Startled, he quickly activated a hidden mechanism, opening three warehouse doors filled with ghost coins and various ordinary medicinal herbs, and then opened a pitch-black door.
Inside the inn, there were two hidden doors.
The pitch-black door led to the Yellow Springs Swamp, filled with countless ghosts and monsters, a perilous place where anyone entering would face almost certain death.
The emerald-black door was the direct path to the Yellow Springs Sect.
Old Qin hadn’t arrived yet. He had investigated this place and understood the secrets of the passage.
Old Cai, unaware of the situation, saw the door open and, his heart racing with excitement, immediately turned and killed the innkeeper with a single stroke of his knife. Then, together with six ghost enforcers, he rushed through the door.
Shui Miao, unaware of the circumstances, also followed inside.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage