Inside the special space constructed by the ritual, Li Qi and the ghost faced off.
Although the ghost wasn't overtly menacing, it insisted on the complete annihilation of the Wang family before it would relent.
Li Qi remained firm but refused to agree to the ghost's demands.
After several rounds of back-and-forth, the ghost seemed to lose patience. It expanded its form and emitted a cold voice: "Wu Zhu... do you wish to be buried with the Wang family?"
Li Qi bowed: "Deceased, one should be merciful when possible. Since the Wang family has promised not to disturb your tomb again and is willing to pay a hefty sum for Yin wood to carve a new body for you, using millet and glutinous rice sacrifices, adding five offerings and clear water to honor yin energy, even if your grave was moved, it should compensate for that."
"But it was just a matter of a few plows. Deceased, you seem rather petty," Li Qi said, his tone now carrying some irritation.
Then the ghost became enraged: "They dug up my grave! Yet you accuse me of being petty! They didn't dig up your grave! You, Wu Zhu, are biased. I will kill you too—!"
But before it could finish, a thunderous sound echoed through the air!
Boom! A deafening thunderclap shook the heavens!
In the chaos, stars appeared, supporting the sky as lightning flashed, frightening the ghost into retreating four or five steps, looking around nervously, unsure where the thunder came from.
Upon closer inspection, it realized that the so-called thunder and lightning were actually produced by the long whip in the Wu Zhu's hand!
The Wu Zhu, within this space formed by the ritual connecting spiritual essences, swung the whip forcefully. The sound of the whip crackled like thunder, and its shadow flashed like lightning, echoing across the starry sky. When the whip struck the void, countless light fragments scattered like stars, resembling a falling Milky Way.
Li Qi swung the willow branch as if it were a whip.
The sound was terrifying, startling even himself.
The ghost opposite him was even more startled, frozen in place.
Seizing the moment, Li Qi stepped forward two paces, gripping the willow branch tightly: "You, greedy dead soul! Carving a wooden body with Yin wood, even the Grand Tutor didn't receive such treatment! You occupy this blessed land, and I have offered sacrifices to honor yin energy. Not only can you reincarnate, but you can also continue your cultivation as a spirit if you desire!"
Here, Li Qi raised his hands to the sky, speaking with conviction: "As a Wu Zhu, my duty is to mediate between humans, ghosts, and deities. I came here to resolve your conflict with the Wang family because they acted improperly first. Now, their wealth is depleted, which should satisfy you. But you, deceased, are pressing hard and demanding the Wang family's lives, even threatening mine. Do you think those from Wu Deity Mountain have no temper?"
After finishing, he swung the willow branch again, producing another thunderous sound, causing the ghost to shrink back.
"To resolve conflicts, fairness and impartiality are essential. Deceased, you keep pressuring me. Do you intend to threaten me with force to make me abandon fairness and side with the spirits!?"
Li Qi shouted loudly!
He stood tall, holding the willow branch firmly, berating the ghost mercilessly.
Afterwards, he tied the willow branch back to his waist and returned to his calm demeanor: "Deceased, I am here as a Wu Zhu, impartial to both sides. Please don't harbor resentment; otherwise, neither of us will be happy."
The ghost trembled in place, finally speaking hesitantly: "... Wu Zhu, your fairness impresses me, but my anger stems from hidden truths. There's more to the story than what the Wang family told you..."
Seeing the ghost soften, Li Qi knew his outburst had worked and calmed down: "If that's true, please tell me the full story. I will remain impartial and find a suitable resolution for both sides."
"Then I shall rely on you... This all began with the geomantic pattern of the mountains..."
The ghost then began to tell its story.
This ghost, Old Li, was once a Miscellaneous Cultivator from the Great Deer Kingdom.
Miscellaneous Cultivators piece together various incomplete or even fake cultivation methods to create their own flawed techniques.
Back then, many sects spread their teachings far and wide, leaving behind fragments among the people. Occasionally, someone would stumble upon these fragments and embark on the path of cultivation.
Old Li was one such person, gifted and lucky enough to combine Martial Dao, Wu Dao, and Daoist practices into a hodgepodge technique.
Such a technique, internally contradictory, limited him to Rank 8, the lowest rank, despite his talent. His internal energies were mixed, leading to an imbalance in his personal microcosm, causing him to die prematurely at around fifty or sixty years old.
A normal Rank 8 cultivator:
- Pure Martial Dao practitioners live up to 160 years with abundant vitality.
- Pure Daoist practitioners learn to harmonize dragon and tiger energies, living up to 270 years.
- Pure Wu Dao practitioners cultivate inner gods, living up to 300 years.
But due to his imbalance, he died early.
However, he wasn't content.
Combining Wu Dao and Daoist techniques, he devised a plan to find a geomantically auspicious location, creating a 'hidden eight winds, secret five elements' layout. With this layout, the tomb's four cardinal points and four corners would be complete and without gaps, allowing the five elemental energies to naturally condense within.
With this energy, his intact corpse could quietly form a yin spirit, potentially achieving ghosthood. Though not the same person, he could retain consciousness and live another life.
But the Wang family's plowing disrupted the completeness of the tomb.
"My hidden five-element pattern was destroyed. With external mountain roots and water veins, water flooded the tomb, disrupting the balance of the five elements and filling it with excessive water energy. My centuries-long plan crumbled. How could I not be angry? Earlier, I didn't reveal the truth, which was impolite, but please understand..."
"As for carving a wooden body, since my physical form is intact, I don't need it. I was arrogant earlier, unaware of your intentions. My words were disrespectful, and I apologize."
The ghost, intimidated by Li Qi, spoke much more softly.
Li Qi, upon hearing this, suddenly understood and felt a surge of excitement!
"So that's it!" He suppressed his joy and continued in the same tone: "Suggesting carving a wooden body was presumptuous of me. Since your body is intact, you don't need it."
"However, I do have a solution to restore your five-element pattern. Perhaps I can handle the excess water energy. What do you think?"
Joking aside! Carp Flow Intent cultivation desperately needed water energy. This was a windfall!