Chapter 56: The Home of the Imp Siblings

What caused Yun Hua to lose her composure was nothing other than several pieces of crystal-clear jade, appearing as if filled with trapped white mist. As Yun Lingzi loudly boasted about how she had pried these beautiful stones from the sinkhole, Liao Chen wished he could slap himself, weeping silently in his heart. Why hadn't he just stayed put and waited for Yun Lingzi to finish speaking?

"What is gained is my fortune; what is lost is my fate." It is easy to say, but how thick-skinned must one be to discover, after missing out on the Nine Tripods, that one had also brushed past a rare treasure—a spirit stone searched for in vain for so long—without feeling a trace of sorrow? Liao Chen remained listless and dejected for the entire day. Monastics are indeed supposed to be detached and inactive, but that only applies if they haven't encountered something they truly care about!

Back at the dilapidated temple, Liao Chen shamelessly confiscated Yun Lingzi's treasures under the guise of "safekeeping." He then returned the copper coins to Yun Hua. After a moment's thought, he pulled out a volume titled *Record of Spiritual Objects*, found among the three thousand Daoist canons, and handed it to Yun Lingzi, hoping she would keep up the good work. He remained completely oblivious to the "I don't know him" expressions worn by his two disciples and the fox.

By the time things were settled, dawn was approaching. Yun Lingzi returned to her doll to sleep. Liao Chen bid Yun Hua farewell and stepped out of the temple, feeling quite pleased. The morning breeze brushed his face, and the sun was about to rise. Suddenly, Liao Chen froze as if hit by a paralyzing spell. Only then did he snap out of the sudden obsession with gain and loss, breaking into a cold sweat. What had happened to him lately? Frequent loss of composure—could this be a sign of an unstable Daoist heart? While silently reciting the Heart-Cleansing Incantation, he grew inwardly vigilant. He sat on a rock in front of the temple and began to meditate, seeking to calm his mind. Between gain and loss, one should be moved neither by joy nor sorrow. A flaw in the Daoist heart would naturally allow inner demons to take advantage. Daring not to be careless, Liao Chen sat in motionless meditation until the moon rose. His inner unease was finally quelled, but the rift in his Daoist heart would require a long time to heal.

The Nine-Child Ghost Mother and the Maoshan priest had vanished without a trace, but Liao Chen believed they would meet again. This was a form of intuition, a vague enlightenment about the path ahead. Although the yin energy in this valley had receded, countless lonely ghosts and wandering spirits remained. If not addressed, the emergence of a few malevolent spirits would be troublesome. Since the valley was tainted by yin energy, it needed to be sealed off; it would be best for neither man nor beast to set foot here. Liao Chen called over Yun Hua and Yun Lingzi, who were also meditating. He decided that once this matter was fully resolved, he would return to the mountain immediately. One lapse in state of mind could be dismissed, but repeated occurrences made it impossible for him not to be vigilant.

Liao Chen took out eight formation flags and handed them to Yun Lingzi. "Yun Ling, go and plant these eight flags at the eight cardinal points. I must seal this valley so no living creature of flesh and blood wanders in and becomes tainted by the yin energy." Yun Lingzi nodded and went to carry out the order.

"Yun Hua, take these two puppets and pay their home a visit. You can let this poor brother and sister enter their parents' dreams to bid them farewell, and remind their parents not to forget to burn offerings for them during holidays. Their bond as parents and children in this life is finished; do not let them linger in the mortal realm, as it is harmful to both them and their parents." Liao Chen handed the puppets to Yun Hua. She nodded, then looked at him and asked, "Master, can you not accompany me?"

Liao Chen sighed. "Meeting this brother and sister is a bond between you and them. This is your trial, your karma. Why should I interfere?" He shook his head and added, "Oh, and don't help for nothing. When you go to their home, see if you can receive two small bowls, a liter of rice, and a bowl of water as an offering for the two spirits. This can resolve their resentment and bless the household with prosperity. If they refuse, then so be it; a household without fortune cannot enjoy such blessings. Find their burial site yourself and perform the rites to liberate them."

Yun Hua had no choice but to leave with the fox in her arms. Her journey was not yet over, and her master and Yun Lingzi would surely return to the mountain once finished. It was a pity she couldn't even say goodbye to Yun Lingzi. "It's better to have the fox; it can accompany me as I roam the world." Yun Hua stroked the fox's white fur, unaware that the fox had no desire to roam with her at all! It missed the fire fox; although the fire fox was always fierce, she was much prettier than Yun Hua—at least she had a beautiful, fluffy tail.

"Life, Death, Surprise, Open, Deliberation, Scenery, Square, Rest—the eight directions and eight gates." Yun Lingzi observed the mountain's topography and energy flow as she went, searching for the earth-vein nodes to bury the flags. She needed to borrow the earth's energy to activate the formation. When the final "Rest" flag was buried, Yun Lingzi leaped into the air and landed at the center of the eight flags, hovering above the valley. Seeing Liao Chen smile and nod at her, she quickly moved her hands in a complex series of mudras and shouted, "Eight directions, eight positions, the Eight-Gate Golden Lock! Formation, rise!" As her voice fell, a great surge of mist erupted from the valley, shrouding it within a few breaths. The eight flags hummed in the ground, and after a slight tremor of the earth, the valley before Yun Hua vanished into a sea of mist. Seeing the task complete, Yun Lingzi clapped her hands, flew to Liao Chen's side in delight, and held her head high, secretly proud. *At least Yun Hua hasn't learned how to do this yet! I'm much better than her!* Yun Lingzi grew even happier at the thought. Liao Chen, unaware of her internal monologue, simply patted her head, satisfied with her aptitude. "Well done! With this formation, we need not worry about living creatures stumbling in. Anyone who enters will lose their way and be repelled by the formation. After a few lessons, no one will want to trespass here again."

With the matter concluded, Liao Chen took Yun Lingzi on his flying sword and headed southwest. Meanwhile, Yun Hua, carrying the fox and the two puppets, followed the memories of the ghost siblings and traveled through the night toward a village dozens of miles away.

By the time the sun was high in the sky, Yun Hua finally stood at the entrance of the village where the ghost siblings were born. Like most villages, it consisted of thatched cottages and yellow earth walls, with the occasional blue-brick tile house standing out like a crane among chickens. Dressed in her Daoist robe and cap, with a golden coin sword on her back, the little Daoist girl attracted much attention. A crowd of children skipped breakfast to follow her, watching in curiosity. Even many adults peered out from their courtyards, surprised that such a pretty young girl had become a Daoist. Unfazed, Yun Hua walked to the east end of the village and knocked on the gate of the "ghost siblings'" home.

"Creak." The gate opened, revealing a woman in typical farm attire, a headscarf wrapped around her hair, holding a winnowing basket and feeding chickens and ducks. She was startled to see Yun Hua, wondering what a little Daoist girl would want at her home.

"Boundless Longevity, Heavenly Venerable," Yun Hua greeted with a formal bow, then glanced into the courtyard. Seeing several children's clothes drying on a line, she sighed inwardly, *Time has passed, and I wonder if the parents still remember those two poor children.*

The farm woman, seeing the formal salute, didn't know how to respond and flushed deep red, clutching the basket in confusion. Just as she was at a loss, an older woman walked out from the house. This woman was dressed much better, her clothes clean and without patches. Seeing Yun Hua, she immediately wore a beaming smile. "Oh, a little immortal! Come, come in and sit! Second sister-in-law, hurry and boil some tea!" The farm woman hurriedly ran back into the house, set down the basket, and went to boil water. The older woman, clearly the eldest daughter-in-law, enthusiastically ushered Yun Hua inside and offered her a chair.

"I don't know what brings a little immortal to our home? Our men have all gone to the fields with my father-in-law, and my mother-in-law is away too. If there is anything you need, you can tell me." The ease with which the eldest sister-in-law ordered the younger one around made it clear that she held a position of greater authority in the household.