Chapter 73: Ghostly Qi

After eating, Li Qi and Wang Yuanwai set off.

Along the way, Wang Yuanwai looked at Li Qi, trembling and not daring to speak, merely carrying the items Li Qi requested and leading the way.

But Li Qi wasn't planning to spend the whole journey in silence.

“Wang Yuanwai.” He greeted him proactively.

“Master Li!” Wang Yuanwai jolted, his fat jiggled, and he wiped away cold sweat, quickly standing still and looking at Li Qi.

“I see you're sweating so much, carrying these things must be very tiring. Let me take them.” Li Qi reached out, wanting to take the basket from behind the other party.

Wang Yuanwai subconsciously tried to dodge, saying, “No need, no need…”

But he wasn't a cultivator, how could he possibly dodge? Li Qi deftly grabbed the basket, put it on his own back, and said with a smile, “I'm strong and healthy, carrying dozens of catties feels like nothing. Why are you fighting me for it?”

“That's… that's right, thank you, Master Li.” Wang Yuanwai smiled fawningly, still very nervous.

Are you kidding? This was a Great Master even his mother respected.

In Wang Yuanwai's eyes, his mother was already like a celestial being, capable of predicting the future, yet she still called this young man, who was even younger than himself, “Senior Brother.”

How could Wang Yuanwai not be nervous?

At that time, holding onto the other party and not letting him leave was already his greatest courage.

“By the way, Wang Yuanwai, what's the area around that tomb like?” Li Qi asked.

When it came to this matter, Wang Yuanwai dared not keep silent, for he knew it concerned the lives of his whole family. He quickly said, “Mother said that place has a 'mountains come, water returns, noble longevity and wealth' layout, with a 'lustrous earth color, lush vegetation, complete and perfect hall and formation, and a concentrated shape and point' situation. It can be called a superior land, with the power to nurture.”

“Hmm… According to that, the person should have already reincarnated. Why is his soul still imprisoned in the tomb, unable to go through Reincarnation?” Li Qi counter-questioned.

Logically, after a person dies, they would reincarnate within seven days. Even if you don't want to go, the underworld officials would still take you.

Unless there's immense resentment, wanting to stay, the underworld officials might pity your injustice and give you some time to seek revenge.

Or, if one's cultivation is profound, even if the body dies, when the underworld officials come to seize them, they would definitely take one look at you and turn and run. Let alone capturing you, they'd be burning incense if you didn't capture them.

But according to Wang Laofu, the person buried inside had an eighth-rank cultivation.

Eighth-rank is strong, but far from enough to resist the underworld officials.

Yet the tomb has an excellent layout, capable of dispelling resentment. What kind of immense resentment could he have that it couldn't be dispelled? Or is there something else sinister in the tomb?

“This, this I don't know. Unlike Master Li and Mother, who possess Divine Power, I am merely a Mortal…” Wang Yuanwai said with a bitter smile.

Li Qi nodded, acknowledging this statement, and began to ponder and think to himself.

First, he touched the willow branch tied around his waist like a belt, always carried with him, never leaving his side—a Sharp Weapon against ghosts.

Then he weighed the long saber wrapped in cloth in his hand, which had Evil Qi and military Qi, truly fierce and unparalleled.

Finally, he took a deep breath, a breath that lasted a full minute before he stopped.

Because his lungs had been tempered by water Qi, his breath was now long, his physical strength abundant, and he wouldn't be short of breath or gasping.

He had also reviewed how to deal with ghosts last night. Shen Shuibi had said he was fine, so he must be fine.

Chatting about some details along the way, the group soon arrived outside the city. After passing through a village with terraced fields, they entered a mountainous area.

Baiyue is mountainous, known as the “Shiwan Mountains,” with hardly any flat land. Even fields can only be made into terraced or sloped fields, so this mountain range didn't look particularly unusual.

However, upon closer inspection, one could see that the mountains gathered, though steep, the great mountains soared and descended, reaching flat ground, with converging waters ahead, called descending mountain water.

It's just that Li Qi didn't know what use this had.

However, when Li Qi viewed it from the perspective of “Qi,” some things became apparent.

Lustrous earth color and lush vegetation signify the beauty of the land, giving rise to a harmonious and vital Qi. Great undulations and small depressions, like a lotus root broken but with fibers still connected, indicate abundant Qi, signifying the fullness of auspicious Qi.

Like a vessel holding things, full to overflowing, it speaks of the concentration of Qi.

The Qi of the mountain roots and the Qi of the water veins converge here, giving birth to a surge of vitality.

It must be said that even if Li Qi didn't know how to read mountains and waters, he could sense that this was a geomantic treasure land.

“Mother said that this area of mountains and waters conforms to the Five Elements, is a prosperous official position, and has a long source, signifying wealth and prosperity, which is why it was chosen here…” Wang Yuanwai explained at this point.

“Understood. However, let's set up the altar first. You stand further away. If anything unexpected happens, you'll have an easier time running.” Li Qi said.

Wang Yuanwai immediately ran off. He had truly witnessed unexpected events, so he was extremely afraid.

As for Li Qi, he began to set up the altar.

Ancient texts say: The Yue people worship ghosts, and their sacrifices often see ghosts, and this method is often effective.

This means that the Yue people customarily worship ghosts and spirits, and they often see ghosts during their sacrifices, and this method is often effective.

And what are ghosts?

As a Invoker, Li Qi knew very well that ghosts are actually a type of Qi.

The Book of Zhu records: “Now, seeing a falling star as if it were still in the sky, at that time it is a falling star; if not a star, then Qi forms it. People see ghosts like the form of a dead person, but in reality, it is the gathering of Qi, not a true dead person.”

This means that when one sees a falling star leaving a trail in the sky, it is not actually a star, but Qi forming it, just as when people see ghosts, they appear like dead people, but in reality, it is Qi making them appear like dead people, not truly dead people.

That is to say, “A dead person cannot assume the form of a living person to appear, just as a living person cannot assume the soul of a dead person to disappear.”

Now, when a person dies, their flesh and skin decay. Even if their essence and Qi still exist, how can their spirit use this decayed form to move and manifest? A dead person cannot borrow the form of a living person to appear, just as a living person cannot borrow the soul of a dead person to make their own form disappear.

There is also a saying: Man is a thing; a thing is also a thing. If a thing dies and does not become a ghost, why should a person alone be able to become a ghost when they die?

It is said: “When the essence and Qi are exhausted and extinguished, and the form decays, it turns into dust and earth. When the essence and Qi leave a person, how is it merely like being without ears and eyes? When it decays, it vanishes and becomes something vague and unseen, hence it is called 'ghosts and spirits.'”

The meaning of this passage is that ghosts are actually a type of Qi. The reason why a person lives is due to their essence and Qi. When they die, their essence and Qi are extinguished, but there will be other remnants. When the essence and Qi leave the human body, how is it merely like a person without ears and eyes? When it decays, it vanishes and becomes something vague and unseen, hence it is called “ghosts and spirits.”

Ghosts and people are not equivalent. When a person dies and becomes a ghost, they are no longer the original person. A ghost is just a remnant, a pile of ashes.

Therefore, even if it is a Great Master with profound cultivation, who still exists after death and maintains consciousness and memory, they are no longer the same entity as their original existence.

Dead means dead. A ghost is no longer the original person.