20. Suspicion

The Daoist stood before the ashes that had once been the spider-headed fiend. As a hissing sound filled the air, motes of light shimmered above the remains, then were drawn into the Daoist’s mouth with a deep inhalation. At that very moment, the sound that had resembled rumbling innards or distant thunder grew clearer.

Then, the Daoist’s low voice, thick with suppressed pain, spoke:
“You have done well in exorcising evil and upholding the Dao. According to the cultivation of this heretic demon, I have prepared three Daoist treasures suited for you. You may choose one.”

Lin Guichen immediately offered his humble thanks.
“Thank you, Master.”

The Daoist continued solemnly,
“The first is the century-old peachwood sword I mentioned before. When wielded with spiritual intent, it delivers devastating blows to ghosts that cannot walk in daylight.
The second is the warm jade pendant, also mentioned previously. It can provide you with pure yang energy when your own vitality wanes.
The third is a Spirit-Transforming Talisman. Place it in water and activate it with spiritual intent; ordinary water thus becomes talismanic water. Objects soaked in this water absorb a trace of magical power, gaining spiritual qualities. You may also dissolve other spiritual items into the talismanic water to enhance its potency.”

Lin Guichen pondered.
The peachwood sword was too conspicuous; he would have trouble explaining its origin. He dismissed that for now.

The warm jade pendant was also unnecessary at this moment; he could stabilize Chen Linyu’s soul with his mysterious fire and resolve her resentment, so she had no need to draw on his yang energy.

“The Spirit-Transforming Talisman…”
Suddenly, an idea formed in Lin Guichen’s mind, and he asked, “If an object soaked in the talismanic water dries out, does it retain the effect?”

“Of course. The essence is that the item absorbs a trace of magic from the talismanic water during soaking,” the Daoist replied.

“Then I choose the Spirit-Transforming Talisman,” Lin Guichen said.

The Daoist did not depart immediately. Instead, he went on, “As for the ghost under your control that has also assisted you in exorcising evil, I have prepared three Daoist treasures for it as well. You may choose one more.”

Lin Guichen’s eyes lit up.
It seemed Chen Linyu had either dealt with the vengeful spirit or the headless corpse. The former seemed more likely. Still, was the credit really his?

“The first two are again the peachwood sword and the warm jade pendant.”
The Daoist’s voice deepened, “The third is a Heart-Hiding Talisman. Activate it with spiritual intent to fully conceal your spiritual power and openings. As long as the talisman’s magic persists, no one will be able to discern your true cultivation, but the stronger the probing you face, the faster the talisman is consumed.”

Without hesitation, Lin Guichen said, “I’ll take the Heart-Hiding Talisman.”

“Very well.”

When the Daoist vanished with a wave of his sleeve, Lin Guichen found two yellow talismans inked in cinnabar in his hand. One was larger, one smaller.

“…Which is which?”
Lin Guichen was momentarily bewildered. “Which is the Heart-Hiding Talisman, and which is the Spirit-Transforming Talisman?”
Both were drawn in the cryptic, almost illegible characters typical of ghost talismans; who could tell them apart?

“Fool.”
The young Daoist acolyte suddenly appeared at his side, pointing at the longer of the two. “That’s the Spirit-Transforming Talisman.”

“Oh.” Lin Guichen promptly stowed away the Spirit-Transforming Talisman and activated the Heart-Hiding Talisman.

In the next instant, the Heart-Hiding Talisman ignited without flame, dissolving into a wisp of black smoke that swelled into a grinning ghostly mask and stamped itself onto his face.

“Hm?”
Startled, Lin Guichen instinctively stepped back. Then he noticed the change in himself.

“Is this a Daoist technique?” Lin Guichen glanced wordlessly at the acolyte.

What kind of Daoist methods involved black flames and ghostly visages?

“Where there’s yin, there’s yang. This merely uses a trace of yin energy to lock away the heart,” the acolyte coughed lightly. “That’s how Daoist methods are.”

Could you sound a bit more convincing? Lin Guichen thought, but now was not the time to argue. He had more pressing matters.

Ignoring his injuries, Lin Guichen hobbled cautiously around the house, keeping to hard ground to avoid leaving footprints, and stopped by another window. Here, he had earlier discarded the white bone token.

“Spider silk—just what I needed.”
He pulled off a strand of spider silk from himself, leaving a trace on the window ledge and affixing a few more threads to the white bone.

Then, moving quickly, he retraced his steps and limped toward the courtyard, wondering how Chen Linyu was faring.

“Lin Guichen.”

He had not gone far when a gust of wind swept past, and a small figure leapt down from the wall to land before him—Su Zichu.

“Did the Third Master send you?” Lin Guichen sighed in relief. “I’m fine now. Go help Chen Linyu—I don’t know how she’s doing.”

“It’s just a headless corpse. The lady will be fine.”
Su Zichu’s expression was calm as she looked him over, noting his many injuries and his disheveled state. “Where is the spider-headed fiend?”

“It died in a puff of ash,” Lin Guichen replied. “But my token is missing. More wandering spirits may be drawn here.”

“Stand still.”

Su Zichu glanced at him, took out a small porcelain bottle, uncorked it, and circled him, sprinkling black powder on the ground to form a ring that completely enclosed him.

“There. So long as you stay inside this circle until I return your token or until dawn, you’ll be safe.”

She put away the bottle and left without another word.

“It seems it’s over.”
Lin Guichen let out a breath and sat down. This plan had gone even better than he’d imagined—worth a few injuries.

…

Half an hour later, Su Zichu returned, handing him a pale rib bone.
“Keep your token safe. Come with me to see the Third Master.”

“I can leave the circle?” Lin Guichen asked excitedly, accepting the token. “Where did you find it?”

“Nearby,” Su Zichu replied, saying no more as she led him along the covered walkway into the house.

Inside, the scene was chaotic and messy, but the candles had been relit. The Third Master sat at the table, squinting at a silken thread between his fingers, while Chen Linyu sat quietly upon the ancestral altar.

“Third Master,” Lin Guichen burst out as soon as he entered, “Didn’t you promise me a peaceful month? I nearly died today! Last time there was a human-faced snake, this time a whole swarm! Is it really safe for me to stay in the Chen ancestral home?”

The Third Master looked at him and shook his head. “Don’t be hasty.”

“How can I not be hasty when it’s so dangerous?” Lin Guichen protested.

“But you’re still alive, aren’t you?” the Third Master countered. “Besides, this time the danger didn’t come from the ancestral home, but from elsewhere.”

He raised a finger, displaying a tuft of white spider silk.

“Spider silk?” Lin Guichen was taken aback.

“Do you know what Su Zichu found when she recovered your token?” the Third Master asked.

Lin Guichen furrowed his brow in realization. “You mean, spider silk?”

“Exactly. There were strands of spider silk on your token,” the Third Master nodded, pointing to the nearby window. “There were also traces of silk on that window ledge; your token was found nearby.”

“So, I deduce…”
He tapped the table, “The spider-headed fiend must have been sent by the Old Drumstick, just like the human-faced snake. It didn’t care about your protective token, but couldn’t be sure it could kill you. So, it used spider silk to steal your token, hoping to draw other wandering fiends in the ancestral home to kill you.”

Lin Guichen secretly admired the Third Master’s intelligence; only such a clever man could piece together the intended story from the clues he had left behind. To deceive such a man, one must let him reach the conclusion himself; otherwise, suspicion only grows.

Still, that wasn’t enough.

Lin Guichen frowned, “The spider-headed fiend stole my token? But wasn’t Chen Linyu guarding me? How did she not notice?”

This was the inescapable flaw, so he brought it up himself.

“I’m curious as well.”
The Third Master looked at his granddaughter. “Linyu, what happened?”

Chen Linyu, dressed in a plain white cheongsam, sat serenely at the altar. She glanced at Lin Guichen, replying coolly, “I didn’t notice.”

“Didn’t notice?” Lin Guichen sneered, “Who would believe that?”

“Linyu?” The Third Master’s brows knit.

Chen Linyu hesitated, then, recalling Lin Guichen’s earlier instructions, said lightly, “Yes, I did it on purpose. So what?”

The Third Master’s frown deepened.

“I knew it,” Lin Guichen scoffed. “You dislike me so much—why would you ever agree to this marriage?”

Chen Linyu remained silent, her demeanor cold and dismissive.

“Linyu!”
The Third Master said sternly, “I went to great lengths to find you a suitable husband. Why make things difficult for yourself?”

“Grandfather, I never said I needed a husband. You don’t have to worry about me,” Chen Linyu replied.

“I am your grandfather,” he said, frowning again before turning to Lin Guichen. “Guichen, step outside. Let me talk to her.”

Lin Guichen snorted and left.

As he waited in the courtyard, he felt a weight lift from his shoulders. With all these preparations, things should proceed smoothly now.

The night air was cool and crisp.

“Hm?”

He noticed the headless corpse lying just outside the gate. Approaching under the moonlight, he examined it closely.

All four limbs had been removed, and a massive tear split the body from the pelvis, as if the corpse had nearly been ripped in half.

“What tremendous strength…”
Lin Guichen was secretly shocked. “Who did this? Was it Su Zichu?”

He couldn’t understand how a person could possess such power; not even the strangest techniques should yield such a result. Moreover, despite having opened two spiritual channels and sharpened his spiritual senses, he still couldn’t sense Su Zichu’s presence. Even when she appeared suddenly before, he hadn’t detected her approach—a most peculiar thing.

“No wonder the Third Master keeps her close…”
Lin Guichen mused.
To kill the Third Master, he would first have to deal with Su Zichu.

After a long while, Su Zichu summoned him back inside.

“Guichen, rest assured this time,”
The Third Master greeted him with a gentle smile, “From now on, Linyu will look after you well. You have nothing to fear.”

“Is that so?” Lin Guichen glanced at Chen Linyu’s perpetually indifferent face. “She doesn’t look the part.”

He said quietly, “Your granddaughter has too much of a temper, Third Master. I’m not sure I can trust her.”

The Third Master sighed. “Nothing will happen this time.”

“If such an incident happens again, she wouldn’t be able to help me anyway,”
Lin Guichen frowned. “This time she could barely handle things herself, let alone help me. And the sun-ash powder was useless against that headless corpse. What am I supposed to do if I encounter another monster like that?”

The Third Master frowned too. He knew well the sun-ash powder’s limits. He’d assumed the threats would be the Old Drumstick’s creations—monsters made through black arts, which the powder could counter. The headless corpse, though, had shaken him.

“Grandfather, I truly can’t handle such troublesome creatures alone,”
Chen Linyu suddenly spoke coldly. “If you don’t trust anyone else, go to the Black Lantern Temple and obtain a talisman from the Black Lantern Mother. After all, the one trying to kill him—the Old Drumstick—is also a follower of the Black Lantern Mother.”

“Talisman…” The Third Master fell silent.

A man like him would surely have considered that option. In the Chen clan, power struggles were constant, and he trusted few of his own kin. Donating at the Black Lantern Temple for a talisman imbued with the Black Lantern Mother’s will was indeed a good solution—but it was costly. Moreover, Black Lantern Temple was in the Old Drumstick’s territory in Kangle County. Even if the Old Drumstick was gone, it was risky.

Besides…
He hadn’t expected the Old Drumstick’s underlings to accomplish so much in his absence. Something felt off.

The Third Master glanced at Lin Guichen, then at Chen Linyu, and smiled after a moment’s thought. “Guichen, what do you think?”

“I don’t know much about the supernatural,” Lin Guichen replied, frowning. “But tonight, I nearly died. Next time, the Old Drumstick’s people will be even more ruthless. If I encounter another monster like that headless corpse, I want to rely on myself.”

“Oh?” The Third Master’s smile didn’t fade. “Do tell.”

“I’ve heard that even top martial artists can’t withstand a bullet. I want a gun,” Lin Guichen said, looking straight at the Third Master.

Chen Linyu’s eyes flickered—this was bad. Her grandfather was already suspicious, and now Lin Guichen’s request for a gun would surely make him suspect he’d inherited her father’s marksmanship.

“Oh?”
The Third Master narrowed his eyes, studying Lin Guichen before suddenly smiling. “Linyu’s father knew firearms and taught Linyu as well. You can ask her for guidance; it’s a good idea.”

He’s definitely suspicious now… Chen Linyu could only reply coldly, “I know nothing about it.”

“No problem,” Lin Guichen said. “I used to shoot slingshots—I’m a good shot.”

The Third Master chuckled. “Very well. Tomorrow, I’ll take you to the Black Lantern Temple to make an offering for your safety. When we return, I’ll get you a gun.”

With that, he said no more, only adding, “Rest well,” before leaving with Su Zichu’s support.

After he left, Lin Guichen didn’t spare Chen Linyu a glance but went straight to bed. Chen Linyu, wary of further suspicion, also returned to her ancestral altar.

…

“Zichu.”

Under the cool moonlight, the Third Master walked the cobbled path and spoke softly,
“I suspect that during his last conversation with my wayward son, Lin Guichen secretly inherited his marksmanship.”

Su Zichu replied in a low voice, “Do you think Lin Guichen has opened his spiritual channels?”

“I fear he’s opened more than one. Otherwise, my son would never have passed on his skills to an outsider,”
The Third Master narrowed his eyes. “My son always distrusted me. For the sake of Linyu, he might have done such a thing… And now Lin Guichen has used this chance to ask me for a gun. That’s even more suspicious…”

He suddenly chuckled. “Tomorrow, we’ll have that gentleman take a look. Then we’ll know whether or not he’s opened his spiritual channels.”