Chapter Sixty-Three: Commencing the Ritual

"It's fine, that's just how he is," I replied, feigning calm and brushing off her concerns.

"Well... if it's going to be troublesome, you don't have to do it. You've already done so much for me, I don't even know how to repay you..." I gently set my bowl on the table and, after thinking for a moment, said, "Aren't you my sister? It's what I should do."

As soon as the words left my mouth, I could almost feel Nangong Xi about to cry, her tears ready to spill over.

...

Suddenly, everything felt strangely dull, and I wasn't used to it. The weather was beautiful today, and I wanted to go out, but remembering what Second Uncle had said, I stayed inside.

Each time I passed my parents' room, I was filled with emotion. Now, I was truly a cultivator—a kind of person ordinary folks could never imagine. Yet I still endured the torment of the Ghost King and faced a host of enemies.

Thinking about it all, I couldn't help but sigh.

With nothing else to do, I once again pulled out the Skywalker Finger Technique. I'd seen its effects with my own eyes—it was truly useful. The first two techniques I had already mastered, so it was time to move on.

As I pondered, I opened the third page. It, too, was titled "Eight Trigrams Formation." I followed the diagrams and practiced, understanding it as a defensive technique for now. I noticed, too, that each subsequent page increased in difficulty exponentially. The Eight Trigrams Formation alone had more than twenty moves, accompanied by hundreds of lines of mental cultivation.

Taking a deep breath, I buried myself in the work.

At the bottom of the page, I unintentionally spotted a small line: "Master of the Finger Technique—Zhang Ling."

I scratched my head, then laughed quietly to myself. Who would have thought the book would even offer a bit of trivia?

Whenever I grew weary, I'd pause to massage my fingers, smoke a cigarette, then return to practice.

The sun climbed high, and without wind, even with the window open I felt unbearably hot. Focused on my training, I was soon drenched in sweat.

"What's wrong? You're sweating all over," Nangong Xi's voice broke my concentration, and I slowly set down the book.

I shook my head, saying nothing.

...

The entire day was spent practicing finger techniques or shadowboxing—utterly bored to death.

Meanwhile, Nangong Xi seemed restless and uncomfortable; I presumed she was just nervous.

Finally, we made it to eleven o'clock at night. Second Uncle called.

"Hello, Second Uncle, how's it coming along?" I asked.

"I've got it. Wait at home," he replied, and hung up.

I looked out at the night view: tonight's moon was full, and paired with the city's brilliant lights, it was stunning. Yet my thoughts lingered on Nangong Xi.

This girl who happened to wander into my life had, without me realizing, kept me company for quite some time. Every time I returned home and saw her, I felt much more at ease.

I just hoped she could safely make it through tonight's ordeal...

Before midnight, Second Uncle arrived. He looked travel-worn, as if he'd rushed a great distance. As expected, my suspicions were right.

"Kid, I had to run all over town to get this thing," he said, pulling a small porcelain bottle from his ring and removing the wooden stopper.

A fragrant scent immediately wafted out, and he quickly plugged the bottle again.

"This is the Soul-Returning Pill!"

I nodded heavily.

Second Uncle glanced at the time, then busied himself in the living room.

I couldn't be of much help, so I asked, "Why must her soul return tonight? Can't it be done another day?"

I was only curious, but this time, Second Uncle provided a clear answer.

"Tonight is the full moon—you saw it yourself. The full moon brings the heaviest yin energy, making it ideal for soul restoration."

I uttered an "Oh," realizing how much I still didn't know.

Second Uncle took out from his ring a red cord, yellow papers, talismans, an oil lamp, and some animal blood, arranging them neatly on the table.

Later, he explained it was black dog blood, as this, too, belongs to the yin.

He then picked up an ordinary brush, soaked it in black dog blood, and drew a talisman resembling the Eight Trigrams on the floor. With his calloused hands, he began braiding the red cord.

To give me something to do, Second Uncle had me light the oil lamp.

I fetched a lighter, but no matter how I tried, it wouldn't ignite. Confused, I pinched the wick—just ordinary hemp rope, so why wouldn't it light?

Just as I was at a loss, Second Uncle noticed and chuckled, saying, "Are you daft? This is a product of the cultivation world—you can't light it with a regular lighter. Here, use this."

He handed me a small vial of liquid. Its smell was harsh and acrid, reminiscent of gas—I suspected it was toxic.

"This is called Fire Primer. Drip it onto the lamp wick and it'll ignite without a flame. It's useful for other things too—very convenient."

Suddenly enlightened, I felt like a child before Second Uncle.

Just a drop, and the lamp wick lit itself.

Had this happened before, I would have thought it was mere trickery.

"Consider it a gift," I said, crouching on the floor as Second Uncle shook the Fire Primer in his hand.

"Never mind, it's not worth much," he replied.

By then, Second Uncle had finished braiding the red cord. He attached one end to the oil lamp and gave the other to Nangong Xi to hold.

He then walked out to the balcony, picked up a handful of talismans, and what followed was a scene so dazzling I would never forget.

Second Uncle flicked the talismans outward, and they ignited instantly, without a flame.

Muttering under his breath as he tossed them, his words were unintelligible. The talismans flew like fireballs, illuminating the sky brilliantly.

Within minutes, a large stack of talismans was burned to ashes. Second Uncle took a deep breath and strode back inside.

He turned to Nangong Xi, his expression solemn.

"In a moment, I will seal your yin spirit. You must not move, nor speak," he said.

"Along the way, you will encounter many strange things, but don't worry—the soul-guiding cord will pull you back."

"Most importantly, whatever you hear, pretend you didn't. They're all illusions."

Nangong Xi nodded earnestly, committing his words to memory.

At last, Second Uncle glanced at the time and said softly, "It's almost time. Take this Soul-Returning Pill."

Once Nangong Xi had swallowed it, Second Uncle whispered to me, "Go to the balcony and stand guard. If you see a ghost, kill it."

Now I was tense, but followed his instructions, taking up the Snow Blade and heading to the balcony.

Before I could reach it, Second Uncle's long robe billowed as if stirred by wind, and with commanding presence he intoned,

"Humans and spirits, spirits and humans, the paths diverge. Soul restoration defies fate! Begin!"

(Family, this is the final chapter. It's a little rambling, heh.)