Soul of the Revered Banner
Chapter 57: A Visit

Meanwhile, elsewhere…

Far from the treasury, Tu Shanjun did not flee but instead circled back and once again stuffed the Soul Banner into Shizhu’s chest.

Now that Shizhu was awake, Tu Shanjun no longer paid him any attention.

Instead, he turned his gaze toward Zhou Liang’s remnant soul inside the banner.

“Soul Inquiry.”

[Extracting:]

[Nightmare Pattern Spirit-Affixing Technique]

[Talisman Crafting (Imitation)]

[Blood Spirit Technique (Incomplete)]

The Nightmare Pattern Spirit-Affixing Technique was an art of extracting ghostly blood, treating the skin, grinding it down, and refining it into spiritual ink. This ink would then be inscribed onto one’s skin with a specific method and used to activate forbidden spells.

The caster could use this technique to affix a spirit and gain a portion of the ghost’s weakened abilities.

The drawn patterns had to closely resemble the original ghostly form and form a complete circuit.

The closer the resemblance, the greater the power one could obtain.

However, this technique also had a flaw, the nightmare patterns possessed a spirit of their own and could erode one’s mind.

Qi Refining cultivators could still suppress it, but if used on an ordinary person, unless their willpower was especially strong, they would easily fall prey to the pattern’s spirit and be tormented into a state that was neither human nor ghost.

That said, it was undeniably a technique that could rapidly increase power.

All in all, as long as the burden on one’s soul wasn’t too great, the technique could be used effectively.

Although it was a heretical technique, Tu Shanjun actually rated it quite highly.

“Talisman Crafting (Imitation)? So he had some skill with talismans,” Tu Shanjun wasn’t too surprised.

The Spirit-Affixing Technique required decent artistry and also involved gathering ghost blood, so it made sense Zhou Liang would develop talisman-making skills. However, Zhou Liang could only talismans that were not even of proper rank, still a crooked path.

Talisman crafting was extremely resource-intensive. Without abundant resources, it was hard to nurture a true talisman master.

For loose cultivators, it was even worse, without materials for practice, nor guidance from masters, Zhou Liang’s craftsmanship was naturally crude.

As for the Blood Spirit Technique, it was an incomplete cultivation method, with only the Qi Refining third-layer incantations, breathing methods, and circulation routes.

He had reached Qi Refining fifth layer only because he switched to another method later.

Though Old Daoist Lu had a technique that reached Qi Refining sixth layer, he wouldn't easily hand it over.

That method also had compatibility issues.

The Blood Spirit Technique was a blood-attribute technique, so once one switched to it, they could only further switch to neutral or blood-attribute methods. Other types couldn’t be cultivated anymore.

The Blood Fiend Grand Method was a neutral technique, capable of reaching Qi Refining sixth layer, which is why Zhou Liang received it when he gave up competing for the mid-grade spirit sword.

Only now did Tu Shanjun realize he had already collected five Qi Refining methods.

But the most complete was still the Blood Fiend Grand Method, it even came with two spells, enough to support a cultivator up to the sixth layer.

The rest were mostly early-stage or incomplete methods.

As for Old Xiang’s living soul,

Tu Shanjun didn’t interrogate it. The techniques Old Xiang knew were all ones he himself had taught. Even if he used Soul Inquiry, he would only get what he already knew.

Qi Refining foundational methods weren’t difficult at all and required no enlightenment.

As long as one followed the breathing techniques, assumed specific postures, and practiced consistently, they could sense qi.

Once someone became a Qi Refining cultivator, circulating their power according to the energy routes would be straightforward with no challenge at all.

His attitude toward Old Xiang was actually quite ordinary, there was no deep emotional bond.

The two had never fought side by side, and Old Xiang had always been reserved during their time on the cultivation cliff. He had cultivated in haste, with only one thought in mind, vengeance.

So regarding Old Xiang’s death, Tu Shanjun only felt a sense of regret.

A soul banner host he’d finally cultivated had died just like that.

Now he had to find another.

Through the soul banner, Tu Shanjun looked at Shizhu.

Shizhu was currently undergoing the skin-to-bone tempering stage.

Having been injured, this process would now take much longer.

The three martial stages, Tempering the Skin, Strengthening the Bones, Refining the Organs were all thresholds and bottlenecks that blocked countless aspirants like fish trying to cross the river.

Among them, fewer than one in a hundred ever reach the Innate stage.

Thankfully, the Yin Soul Pill could greatly shorten this process.

Otherwise, Tu Shanjun didn’t have the patience to wait ten or even several decades.

Shizhu’s current strength was still too weak.

With internal energy supporting him and medicine taken, Shizhu had already recovered from his severe wounds.

Not to the point of fighting, but he could move freely again.

He didn’t stay at the medical hall any longer and left with his medicine.

He quietly buried the bodies of Xiang Hu’s wife and child, which had been entrusted to him.

The coffin was modest, not good or bad. There were no valuable grave goods to avoid tempting others.

The gravestone was made of a full slab of marble, not expensive.

Near Liang City, many ravines and mass graves surrounded the cemetery. Unidentified corpses were often simply dragged and tossed into the gullies.

Families of modest means would still buy a coffin for dignity’s sake, one often saw people borrowing money to bury their parents.

Poorer folk just wrapped the bodies in straw mats and made do.

Because of the presence of ancestral worship, those places had minor spirits but nothing malicious and certainly not strong enough to harm anyone.

After handling everything, Shizhu headed to the Southern Office of the Embroidered Guards.

There, he ran into Tietou and several fellow guards head-on.

Their faces were full of sorrow, spirits low.

A bad feeling welled up in Shizhu’s heart. He hurried forward and asked, “What happened?”

“Brother Zhu!”

“Brother Zhu, why are you only getting here now?”

“Tietou?” Shizhu looked at the silent Tietou.

Tietou opened his mouth, then closed his eyes and muttered sorrowfully, “The Old Baihu… is gone.”

Shizhu stumbled two steps backward, eyes wide, voice trembling, “Impossible! Boos was an Innate Grandmaster. Aside from the cultivators at the Offering Hall, no one could be his match!”

An Innate Grandmaster, how could such a figure die?

They were legends in the martial world, people who could suppress the entire jianghu.

“He took his own life… at the Marquis Jing'an’s estate.”

Within the banner, Tu Shanjun heard the news, his face momentarily stunned, shocked and surprised.

He hadn’t expected this outcome.

“Sigh… People… sometimes are really hard to understand.” Tu Shanjun gave a bitter smile and gently shook his head.

Then again…

That day, Xiang Hu had already died.

His great vengeance had been exacted, and he was content to die.

Once a man loses the motivation and belief to live, it’s as if his spine has been torn out, he can never stand tall again.

Perhaps this was for the best.

“…Forget it.” Tu Shanjun let out a long sigh.

Looking back, Xiang Hu’s soul had already begun transforming under the baleful aura, slowly taking ghostly form, solemn and still.

Shizhu, lifeless and dazed, turned away. From his companions’ words, he had already learned the full story.

At the root of everything, it was the power struggle among the elites.

They were nothing more than victims in the struggle.

In the eyes of the elite, even second-rate martial artists were no different from the mud beneath their feet.

A fellow Embroidered Guard wanted to go after Shizhu, but Tietou stopped him.

“Let him go.”

“The Boss is dead. We’re all grieving. But the Boss treated him like a nephew. He must feel even worse than we do.”

…

Dong dong.

The lacquer-red door knocker resounded.

Suddenly, the doors opened.

A man in a long robe, looking like a steward, poked out half his body. He scrutinized Shizhu up and down and asked, “Who are you here for?”

“I’m looking for Wen Yue.”

“Insolence! How dare a lowly Embroidered Guard call the young master by name!” the steward shouted.

But Shizhu didn’t bother talking. He grabbed the steward by the collar, pulled him aside, and pushed through the doorway.

Shizhu shouted loudly, “Where is Wen Yue?!”

At the same time, he headed straight for the rear courtyard.

Injured guards and servants wielded weapons and blocked his way, but they were hesitant to strike.

Earlier that afternoon, an Innate Grandmaster had come and wounded them.

And now, another man barging in and shouting?

Just how many people had the Marquis’ estate offended?

They were scared too.

They all exchanged looks, tightly gripping their weapons.

Huddled close, trying to draw some sense of security from each other, whispering:

“Don’t tell me he’s another grandmaster?”

“You think grandmasters are cabbages or something?”

“Well, if you think he’s not, why don’t you go up?”

“Why don’t you go first?”

Hearing Shizhu shouting, Chu Jiu arrived in a hurry: “Who’s making a ruckus at the Marquis’ estate?”

“Shizhu of the Embroidered Guard, entrusted by Baihu Commander Xiang Hu, here to see Wen Yue.”

Chu Jiu paused slightly. No wonder the man looked a little familiar, they had met once before.

“You all leave.”

Chu Jiu dismissed the already-injured guards and servants, then said to Shizhu, “Come with me.”

He did not pursue the matter of Shizhu calling Wen Yue by name and instead led the way.

(Chapter End)