Blade - Unbound

Chapter 7: Yang Roots, Mystic Path

The dim light flickered as the drumbeat quickened. The candle flames on either side of the incense burner seemed to come alive, dancing in rhythm with the drum.

Widow Wang’s eyes narrowed. Her head swayed back and forth, her expression shifting. It was solemn at first, but it then turned to one of frenzy.

Beads of sweat formed on her forehead. Her head shook faster as her chanting accelerated.

“Bind the immortal with locks; tie it up with cords; carry the soul-binding flask behind the horse! Cast the Three Treasures upon this disciple. If the grip is weak, kick it tight. If the binding is loose, stamp it firm! Let the heart be clear, the eyes bright, a single lamp to guide...”

On the ground, the young girl trembled more violently. She bent unnaturally, following the rhythm of the drum. After yawning and stretching lazily, she suddenly rose to her feet and slowly straightened, seemingly stiff.

Her eyes were still shut, but her head twitched with each beat.

Li Yan’s pupils shrank slightly. His hand pressed harder against the hilt of his blade. In the past, he would have thought this was just an act put on by the mother and daughter.

Not anymore.

He could now smell it for himself. The incense-laced stench was gathering from all directions and flowing into the girl’s body. As the two merged, her presence changed.

Widow Wang stopped thumping her drum, and the girl’s eyes snapped open. She shook her head once and grabbed the horsetail whisk from the side. Flicking her wrist, she waved it from side to side, as if brushing something away.

When she was done, she crossed one leg over the other, balanced on her toes, and leaned back to take a seat on an invisible chair.

Li Yan looked calm, but he was completely shaken. With his level of body control, he could replicate those movements. But a four-year-old child?

Impossible.

She also had a strange expression. Her eyes were narrowed, and she had a smile that didn’t really seem like one. There was no trace of childish innocence on her face. Rather, she looked like a crafty fox.

The girl paid no attention to Li Yan’s wariness. With a flick of her whisk, the jar on the offering table flew straight into her hand.

Li Yan’s eyelid twitched.

Using a whisk as a weapon wasn’t unusual. The handle could be used like a short staff or a dagger to deflect, block, strike, lift, and thrust. The horsehair could act like a soft whip for wrapping, sweeping, and binding opponents.

It was a combination of soft and hard, a sign of yin and yang in harmony. Anyone skilled in using a horsetail whisk was no ordinary fighter.

Also, the jar of alcohol weighed at least five jin, yet she had lifted it with the whisk, spilling not even a single drop. Her control was perfect.

For a moment, Li Yan didn’t know how to react. If a possessed child could exert such effortless control, what had all his years of training been for?

Unaware of what was going on in his mind, the girl tilted her head back. With the whisk wrapped around the jar, she supported the jar with her elbow and took a huge swig.

Gulp, gulp, gulp...

After draining the entire jar, she burped loudly. Wiping her mouth with one hand, she tossed the jar away in the other. Only then did she turn to Li Yan.

A faint glow flickered in her squinted eyes. She looked like she was assessing him.

After some time, she finally spoke, but all that came out was a string of incomprehensible sounds. They were sharp, yet ancient. Strangely enough, not a single word made sense. She sounded like a beast growling or as though she were muttering rapidly under her breath.

Li Yan actually relaxed slightly. He had heard such speech before. It was called the Upper Tongue—the language used between spirits and their spirit mediums.

If she had spoken human language... That would be another matter altogether!

It also meant that the spirit wasn’t particularly powerful.

Beside him, Widow Wang looked dazed, her expression respectful as she listened. Only when the young girl was done did she turn to Li Yan. “The Immortal says that you’ve stirred up serious trouble, and Cold Altar Soldiers are now targeting you. Last night was just a test. Once your household's protection breaks... disaster will follow.”

So they do know something about it.

Li Yan narrowed his eyes. “What are Cold Altar Soldiers?”

The girl chuckled softly and spoke again in that strange tongue. fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm

Widow Wang interpreted, “You’re not part of the path. You wouldn’t understand even if we told you. When the time comes, you’ll know. The Immortal asks, ‘what root have you opened?’”

What root?

Li Yan started to grow confused again.

Seeing his expression, Widow Wang explained, “Humans have six roots: the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind. These correspond to six perceptions: sight, sound, smell, taste, touch, and thought.”

“The six roots are divided into yin and yang. Most people have yin roots, but some awaken yang roots, allowing them to perceive the spirit world. That is the true threshold of entering the mystic path.”

Li Yan’s interest was piqued. “Like the yin-yang eye?”

Widow Wang nodded. “Exactly. Ordinary people can only see some things when they’re about to die, or when misfortune has struck them. However, those who awaken their yang roots can sense spirits. Some call it a divine ability, but in truth, it is both a blessing and a curse.”

“Some children with yin-yang eyes are frightened out of their wits. Some hear ghostly whispers and go mad. Worse, evil entities also notice those with awakened yang roots. Without guidance or protection, it’s hard to survive.”

So that was it. His enhanced sense of smell had nothing to do with the statue.

Li Yan finally understood, and he didn’t hide it from Widow Wang. “I can smell things others can’t.”

Widow Wang’s expression soured. She glanced at the young girl with deep affection before she continued, “You don’t need to be wary of us; we mean you no harm. There’s a reason we’re telling you this. My family once ran a spirit hall, but my fate was shallow. Though I awakened some of my roots, I could never truly enter the mystic path. My mother sealed it, and I lived as an ordinary person.

“Later, our enemies came, and I was the only one who escaped. Afterward, I was kidnapped and brought to the Guanzhong Plains. I even married poorly. I’ve lived a miserable life ever since. My daughter... She has suffered alongside me. When her father died, she was so frightened that she awakened her mind root. That drew the attention of wandering spirits in the mountains. To save her, I had no choice but to resume the old practice.

“Thankfully, our Third Aunt has always watched over us. However, my daughter is still too young. She has to endure the full cycle of the twenty-four solar terms before she can escape this calamity.[1]

“As for Third Blindy, the thing attached to it was a Cold Altar Soldier. Once it lost its host, it became extremely bloodthirsty. We can’t fight it, and we don’t dare provoke it. If you were an ordinary person, destroying its host would’ve just dispersed it. It would’ve just found another host. But you... you awakened your root. That is why it laid its gaze and placed a curse on you! It won’t stop until it has devoured your three immortal souls and seven mortal forms, and then taken your body.”

Li Yan felt a chill run down his spine, but he remained calm. “Then why tell me all this?”

The girl immediately burst into another string of irritated chatter.

Widow Wang sighed. “My cultivation isn’t strong enough, and my protection methods are limited. If it takes your body, it will notice my daughter as well. We won’t escape either.”

So that’s it...

Li Yan asked softly, “Is there a way to deal with it?”

Widow Wang nodded. “There are many temples in Chang’an. True practitioners of the mystic path guard some of them. If you can reach the city before nightfall and find protection, you might survive. However, your grandfather... will likely suffer retaliation.”

Li Yan shook his head without hesitation. “That won’t work.”

With the current state of the roads, he wouldn’t reach Chang’an in time. Even if he would, he wouldn’t abandon his grandfather!

Widow Wang seemed to have expected his answer. After conversing with the little girl, she revealed, “There is another way. Whether it works will depend on your courage.”

“Tell me.”

Li Yan had no other choice. Widow Wang and the Immortal could be hiding something, but their goals were aligned. In order to survive, Li Yan could only choose to believe.

Widow Wang explained, “Prepare two roosters. Soak rice in your blood, grind peachwood, and burn your hair to ash. Mix everything together, and feed it to the chickens. That thing will act at midnight. Tie the chickens outside your door with a red string, then dig a pit three chi deep. Bury yourself inside. If the Cold Altar Soldier can’t find you, it will mistake the chickens for you. At dawn, cut the chickens open and check their organs. If black fluid seeps out, burn their bodies at noon using willow wood.”

Li Yan asked, “What if it doesn’t work?”

“Do it again the next night. Remember, no matter what you see or hear, you have to stay hidden. Do not come out!”

After Widow Wang’s warning, the girl yawned. Tears and mucus streamed down her face as she collapsed like a deflated sack. She yawned again the moment she hit the ground.

Li Yan could tell she was exhausted after the short warning. Regardless, he had no time to waste. He bid his farewell and prepared to leave.

The moment he stepped out of the inner room, the stench hit him again. He quickly covered his nose. Looking at the jars along the wall, he couldn’t help but ask, “Can these things block spirits?”

Widow Wang looked helpless. “They can’t block spirits, but they can block something worse. Also... they keep people away.”

***

It wasn’t difficult to find roosters in the village.

Li Yan had some at home, but to avoid suspicion from his grandfather, he bought two from other households. Both were strong, with bright combs and vibrant feathers.

Roosters signaled at dawn, warded off evil, and drove away poison... or so the saying went. Yet, no matter how Li Yan looked at them, he couldn’t sense anything special. Also, Widow Wang’s method didn’t require any artifacts.

What can be the reason behind it?

Though he didn’t understand, he followed the instructions precisely. He ground peachwood, burned his hair to ash, and mixed it with millet and his blood. He then starved the chickens for a day, then fed the blood to them before sunset.

He had already dug the pit during the day while his grandfather was out. He lined it with oilcloth and covered it with loose soil. By the time his preparations were complete, night had fallen.

The Li Clan’s Fort was shrouded in darkness and silence by midnight.

With the fifteenth day of the lunar calendar approaching, the moon was nearly full. Its light spread across the land, painting a peaceful picture.

Clad in light clothing and properly tied pants, Li Yan tied the chickens to a small tree outside his room. He then leaped into the pit he dug. The loose soil he dug out was beside the pit. With a tug on the oilcloth he laid out, the dirt collapsed over him, burying him completely.

Down in the earth, Li Yan held his Guanshan blade tightly. All he had was his blade in hand, and a thin bamboo tube to breathe through. The feeling of being buried alive felt terrible. Even though it was just a thin layer of soil, he felt like he was drowning. Not only was he in complete darkness, but he was also powerless as to what would come next. He couldn’t help but be afraid.

This time, he had to face the Cold Altar Soldier, or whatever Widow Wang called it. Fortunately, years of training had tempered his mind. He steadied his breath and waited. There was one more problem when it came to being buried. His hearing was dulled. Unable to even hear the knocks from the previous night, all he could do was wait. freewёbn૦νeɭ.com

Before he knew it, the night had passed.

When the faint rooster crows from other parts of the village reached him, Li Yan pushed with all his might and shoved the soil free. He rushed out with his blade.

The sky was still dim, and the first rays of the sun had barely warmed the land. However, the fate of the roosters were clear.

They were dead.

Like Widow Wang had said, the roosters couldn’t be more dead. Their droppings littered the ground, and their necks were twisted at an unnatural angle.

Without hesitation, Li Yan cut open their bellies with his Guanshan blade.

His face darkened instantly.

Inside, their organs were twisted into a mess. Their blood and flesh were mangled together.

But... there was no black fluid.

1. Which means she has to endure an entire year. ☜