Soul of the Revered Banner
Chapter 80: Fusion

Though it must be said, even without Tu Shanjun’s prompting, Wen Yue would have invited Sanhu to the Marquis estate as a guest.

But now, seated in the carriage, his thoughts had already drifted far away.

That afternoon, the soul banner had quivered slightly.

Wen Yue had seized an opportunity to retrieve and inspect it. On it were these simple characters: “Let Sanhu try it.”

The moment he saw those words, Wen Yue immediately understood the teacher’s intention.

He wanted Sanhu to try controlling the Ghost Hand and thereby obtain its power.

Wen Yue had indeed noticed that Sanhu was a Organ-Refining expert, but at the time, he hadn’t thought too deeply about it.

Besides, the Ghost Hand had been sealed in a storage talisman ever since it was thrown in. For Wen Yue, who had already reached the fourth layer of Qi Refinement, the Ghost Hand was of little help. Keeping such a sinister object on his own hand offered no tangible boost in combat strength.

Most days were filled with cultivation and lectures, and it was only natural that the Ghost Hand had faded from his thoughts.

So when he saw Sanhu again, the thought never occurred to him.

Who would’ve expected that the teacher in the soul banner had already considered it?

Still, Wen Yue couldn’t help but harbor doubts. With Sanhu’s current mental faculties, could he even recognize that power?

And who knew how the Ghost Hand might affect him?

These thoughts churned restlessly in his mind. Wen Yue silently recited two sutras to dispel the clutter of stray ideas.

In the end, thinking too much was of no use. Better to let Sanhu try, it wasn’t a loss either way.

The Ghost Hand had always been under Wen Yue’s control, and his own cultivation was sufficient to suppress it. Even if something went awry, he could protect Sanhu, just as he had protected Xue Yi that day.

The three carriages were lavishly appointed. In Tu Shanjun’s eyes, they far surpassed the luxury of modern RVs, with every convenience and furnishing one could desire.

Horses were scarce in Great Liang, so most people traveled by ox-cart. Even the Marquis estate had ox-carts for daily use.

Today’s return visit, however, had warranted the use of three parallel horse-drawn carriages.

Truly, it was the grandest display the Marquis estate could muster, unquestionably opulent.

Upon returning to the Marquis estate, two more days passed.

Wen Yue discussed the matter of Sanhu with his wife.

Though he spoke with some caution, he still revealed his desire to let Sanhu give it a try.

Song Ran only cared about one thing, would it harm Sanhu’s body?

Wen Yue swore it would not.

Tu Shanjun had long assured him, with Sanhu’s robust qi and blood, even if the fusion succeeded, it would still be sufficient to nourish the Ghost Hand.

Only then did Song Ran relent, agreeing to let her husband try.

Wen Yue repeated his old trick.

He lured Sanhu out to the manor beyond the city.

It couldn’t be helped. Minor fluctuations of spiritual or baleful energy wouldn’t catch the attention of the Offering Pavilion’s Immortals but if the disturbance was too large, it could draw them in.

Possession by sinister forces often leaked spiritual energy. If Sanhu lost control, Wen Yue would need to use his own cultivation to intervene. Hence, such precautions were necessary.

All in all, better to be cautious.

This time, both Xue Yi and Chu Jiu were present as well.

After the dark period where Wen Yue couldn't stand up, Xue Yi as head of the guards, had grown rather idle. No more petty thieves dared to infiltrate the Jing'an Estate.

The Marquis estate maintained tight security. Noble houses placed great emphasis on training household guards and personal retainers.

Some were selected from the clan, others were orphans taken in, provided with food, clothing, and martial training to become loyal household guards.

Thus, most noble households had no ordinary guards. And for a Marquis estate, even a Innate master from the martial world would find it hard to breach their defenses.

Xue Yi had come this time because he felt he ought to try again. Though the invasive will of the Ghost Hand had been terrifying, he had truly experienced a surge in power.

In that state, he had been tenfold- no, dozens of times stronger than his current self.

“Master Xue, are you sure you want to try again?” Wen Yue asked uncertainly.

If his mindset remained flawed, no number of attempts would help him control the Ghost Hand with his current body.

Could Master Xue truly overcome his inner demons so quickly?

Wen Yue had his doubts but he also hoped Xue Yi would succeed.

If so, the Marquis estate would gain a demonic path expert capable of slaying a Innate Grandmaster.

He would try once more.

Xue Yi steadied his breath and cut open his palm.

As expected, it ended in failure.

Wen Yue hadn’t held much hope to begin with. At first, he’d thought Xue Yi could control the Ghost Hand but who’d have guessed inner demons would get in the way?

Maybe it was a lingering trauma from war or something else entirely. Since Master Xue didn’t want to say, Wen Yue had no intention of prying.

Being overly curious about others’ secrets was a poor habit, especially when such secrets ran deep.

Xue Yi showed no disappointment, merely sighed.

He knew this wasn’t something that could be forced. The root of the issue lay within himself.

“Sanhu, come here.”

Sanhu was simple-minded and illiterate. He couldn’t read the incantations or perform the hand seals.

So for the past two days since bringing him to the Marquis estate, Wen Yue had been drilling Sanhu daily, he was memorizing the chants and mastering the hand signs.

Tu Shanjun observed closely. He estimated that Sanhu did possess some intelligence, just limited. Perhaps his mental development was no more than that of an eight- or nine-year-old child.

With hands-on instruction, two full days had finally instilled the process into Sanhu.

Understanding wasn’t necessary. As long as he could recite the incantation and perform the hand seals correctly, that would suffice.

Wen Yue pulled Sanhu over and, drawing a dagger, made a small cut on his finger.

Sanhu yelped and tried to pull his hand away but he was facing a fourth-layer Qi Refining cultivator.

“What strength…” Wen Yue couldn’t help but exclaim.

His own body had undergone cleansing and refinement. Even without using spiritual power, he could slay a Innate Grandmaster barehanded, yet he had nearly failed to hold Sanhu back.

One could only imagine how powerful Sanhu’s raw strength was.

There was no time to marvel. Wen Yue pressed the wound, letting blood drip onto the Ghost Hand inside the jade box. The severed hand visibly regained fullness and sheen.

Wen Yue quickly began chanting the incantation.

Sanhu, now familiar with the process, joined in reciting the spell.

The hand seals followed, and the Ghost Hand leapt up, latching onto Sanhu’s broad, fan-like palm.

The greenish-black hand merged instantly with the back of Sanhu’s hand. His fingertips grew a layer of blackened keratin, and even his nails extended. Wisps of black mist snaked into his body, racing through his meridians toward his limbs and bones.

Wen Yue stood at full alert, eyes fixed intently on Sanhu.

After all, Sanhu was his wife’s younger brother and he had promised Song Ran that he wouldn’t let anything happen to him.

Sanhu’s whites of the eyes were suddenly stained pitch black, his pupils swallowed by the darkness.

But soon after, the black veil faded.

Sanhu stood in place, seemingly more robust than before.

Wen Yue wasn’t sure whether this meant success or failure. He hurried to Sanhu’s side and channeled spiritual power to examine his meridians. “Sanhu, how do you feel?”

“Any discomfort?”

“Does anything hurt?”

After a thorough check, nothing was amiss.

“Brother-in-law… hungry.”

Sanhu rubbed his belly, opened his mouth, and pointed inside with a finger.

A rumble like thunder. His five viscera temple was already singing the opera.

Wen Yue chuckled. “Alright, your brother-in-law will take you to eat something delicious.”

“That Ghost Hand just now, where did it go?”

Wen Yue couldn’t help but worry. When Master Xue had been possessed, the reaction was loud and fierce. But Sanhu’s case had gone so smoothly it was almost too perfect.

“Glove.”

Sanhu scratched his head and opened his hands.

The Ghost Hand slowly reappeared, like a massive glove encasing his hands.

Within the soul banner, Tu Shanjun observed Sanhu carefully. The fusion had gone remarkably well. His qi and blood were stable, with no increase in baleful aura. It truly seemed like he had merely donned a protective glove.

But Sanhu’s strength appeared unchanged, still that of a top-tier Organ-Refining practitioner.

Tu Shanjun narrowed his eyes. It seemed Sanhu had not yet tapped into the Ghost Hand’s power. There were no visible signs. He had simply housed the hand within his body.

(Chapter End)