In front of a Buddhist temple, Wraithshade stood quietly in place. He had been waiting for many days, but the temple's abbot still refused to see him and told him to leave.
"Those damn monks, why don't we just storm in?"
Wraithshade shook his head with a smile in his eyes.
"There's no need."
At last, with a creak, the temple doors opened and an old monk stepped out.
"Amitabha. Benefactor, the yin energy on you is heavy. This is a place of Buddhist purity. I ask you to do me a favor and leave this place."
"I will leave. But tell me, what exactly is the Master Mason?"
"Indeed, I did receive a strangely dressed Taoist who called himself Master Mason. He only stayed a few days before leaving, and did not say where he was going."
Wraithshade burst out laughing, sending a gust of cold wind toward the old monk as he stared at him coldly.
"The Buddha teaches: What is the punishment for lying?"
For a moment, the old monk sighed and sat down cross-legged.
"Zhanjiaji."
On the way down the mountain, Poison Dreadstar looked at Wraithshade with confusion.
"How did you know the monk was lying?"
"People's hearts have changed. I didn't know he was lying—I simply spoke of the great Buddhist precept. Those with faith would never violate their beliefs. Even if, out of desperation, they did so for some reason, when confronted with the strictures of faith, they would eventually tell the truth."
Poison Dreadstar nodded thoughtfully.
"Why did the monk try to deceive us?"
"We carry heavy yin energy, and you heard before that the Master Mason came to the Buddhist temple to escape and recover after being pursued by a vicious ghost. So the monk, weighing his options, naturally feared we might be accomplices of that ghost."
After several months of searching, they finally found traces of the Master Mason, and by chance, discovered one in this very place.
Zhanjiaji was only twenty li from this mountain forest. Wraithshade and Poison Dreadstar moved quickly. The Taoist had gone to Zhanjiaji a few days earlier and should still be there. Even if he had left, someone would have seen him.
As dusk approached, Wraithshade and Poison Dreadstar arrived at Zhanjiaji.
The market had dispersed, and only a few pedestrians remained. Poison Dreadstar began asking around and finally learned the whereabouts: on the outskirts of Zhanjiaji, there was a ruined temple, and the Taoist was there.
The sky darkened. Wraithshade and Poison Dreadstar reached the woods outside the ruined temple, both completely concealing their presence. In the woods was a wraith, seemingly waiting for nightfall to cause trouble for the Taoist.
The walls of the ruined temple were covered with spirit charms. Wraithshade took one down to examine it.
"A very strange way of drawing charms. I've never seen it before."
Poison Dreadstar spoke, and Wraithshade nodded.
"But you can sense a power that restrains ghosts on them. Still, this little bit of power isn't enough to deal with the wraith in the woods."
As night just fell, a mass of black mist swept past the two. Wraithshade watched with a smile in his eyes as crackling sounds erupted—the spirit charms on the wall ignited and exploded.
The wraith crouched atop the wall, laughing wildly.
"Taoist, I told you before: if you mind your own business, I mind mine. You practice your Dao, I eat my humans, and we don't interfere with each other. But since you dared provoke me, don't blame me for showing no mercy."
"Hey, you wraith! Taoists like me can't stand the likes of you!"
With a bang, a young Taoist in a tattered pale yellow robe stepped out of the ruined temple. He looked barely over thirty, his face stern and upright, holding a wooden sword in his hand.
"Wooden sword?"
Wraithshade watched quietly while Poison Dreadstar leaned comfortably against a tree trunk.
"Aren't you going to help? That Taoist is no match for the wraith."
"Let's watch first. I've never seen this kind of spell before—it's fascinating."
Suddenly, flames erupted. The Taoist used all sorts of strange hand seals to fight the wraith, which had turned into mist. He swung his wooden sword through the air, occasionally biting his finger and smearing fresh blood on the blade, instantly increasing its power. The fight became a tangled struggle.
Suddenly, the Taoist pulled out a string of sanctified prayer beads and threw them, trapping the wraith in a circle.
"May the sword be sharpened, may the divine weapon act swiftly by decree..."
With a hiss, and a mournful wail, the wraith was pierced through the chest by a sword. The Taoist immediately used two broken fingers to draw a charm on the wraith's cheek, then pressed both fingers to its forehead.
"He subdued the wraith's crown chakra, but unfortunately, his power isn't enough."
Just as Wraithshade finished speaking, the wraith let out a piercing howl. A fierce wind rose, sand and stones flying. The ruined temple collapsed with a thunderous crash, and the Taoist spat blood as he was hurled through the air.
"The power was connected to the Buddha effigy inside the ruined temple, but the statue was destroyed."
The Taoist lay on the ground, unable to move. Part of the wraith's face had been burned away. The wraith raised a hand menacingly, while the Taoist hung in the air, clearly in agony.
"You dared hurt me! I'll feed you to the wandering wraiths!"
"Hmph, my death means little, but you, wraith, will surely get what you deserve."
With a whoosh, a dazzling golden light shot out from the Taoist's sleeve, flying swiftly into the distance.
"That must be some kind of calligraphy used to contact his fellow disciples. Fascinating."
Poison Dreadstar watched anxiously from the side.
"If we don't intervene now, we'll lose the lead."
With a whoosh, his robe billowed—Wraithshade had already flown over, standing behind the wraith in an instant. The Taoist stared at Wraithshade in disbelief.
"Who..."
The wraith turned its head, only to freeze in terror at the sight of Wraithshade. Black streams of energy burst forth—each one a human face.
With a chorus of whimpers, the wraith was devoured by the black faces. The Taoist collapsed to the ground.
"Thank you, fellow Taoist. That ghost-controlling technique of yours—what exactly is it...?"
Wraithshade reached out a hand to the Taoist lying on the ground. I watched quietly. Now that I was closer, I realized the Taoist looked familiar.
"I am Elder Peach of the Mount Mason Order. May I ask your name?"
So it really was Elder Peach in his youth. Wraithshade pondered for a moment.
"Just call me Mr. Wood."
With a sudden snort, Poison Dreadstar burst out laughing behind him.
"And this is?"
"Liuliu. Just call me that."
After Poison Dreadstar finished treating Elder Peach's wounds, Elder Peach thanked him profusely. At that moment, Wraithshade produced the Spirit Crystal.
"Elder Peach, I came here to investigate this item. I hope you can tell me something about it."
Elder Peach gazed quietly at the Spirit Crystal in Wraithshade's hand. After pondering for a while, he spoke.
"It is indeed a ghost-sealing method unique to our Mount Mason Order, but I fear it was crafted by a senior master. I've only been initiated for a little over ten years, so I don't know the details. Please forgive me, Mr. Wood."
As he spoke, Elder Peach looked uncomfortable and clasped his fists in apology.
"Then who would know?"
Poison Dreadstar asked.
"If you don't mind, please come back to the mountain with me. My master, Songmuzi, might know something."
Along the way, Wraithshade asked many questions, and Elder Peach answered each one. But when it came to matters of sorcery, he said nothing.
There were ways to make Elder Peach confess everything, but they were too dangerous. If this connection broke, things would get complicated.
Wraithshade gradually understood: the Mount Mason Order was originally part of the Daoist sect, but a Daoist named Mao broke away after a major dispute, founded a new sect, and blended Buddhist powers with Daoist traditions, creating the Mount Mason Order.
This sect had a unique trait: disciples were extremely rare, and teachings passed only from master to apprentice—sometimes the bond was stronger than father and son. A master could take at most three disciples. Elder Peach's master had lost two disciples already. The Mount Mason Order's creed was to draw the sword against evil spirits without hesitation.
They made their living by performing rituals to bring luck, bury souls, and alter fate, but never kept money overnight and always wore tattered clothes.
They also used ghosts to help with tasks, so Elder Peach wasn't surprised when he saw Wraithshade use ghost sorcery.
A lush mountain covered with pine trees—Elder Peach led Wraithshade and Poison Dreadstar up the slope. In an old temple, filled with statues of Daoist and Buddhist gods, Songmuzi, aged and frail, gazed at Elder Peach with mixed emotions.
"Disciple, I received news of your death some days ago, but when I calculated your fate, I saw you still had life left. After all, I deciphered your destiny years ago—your lifespan should exceed a hundred years."
"Master, this fellow practitioner saved my life."
Songmuzi hurriedly thanked Wraithshade, but his gaze soon froze on the Spirit Crystal in Wraithshade's hand.
"Fellow practitioner, I know why you've come. But forgive me—this technique is a secret of our sect and cannot be shared."
"What would it take for you to tell me?"
Wraithshade asked quietly. Songmuzi shook his head.
"Our sect's rule: no techniques are ever taught to outsiders."
"Then what if I become your disciple?"
Wraithshade suggested, but Songmuzi chuckled and shook his head.
"Fellow practitioner, our sect only accepts those destined for it. Please leave. But to thank you for saving my disciple, let me offer you a rare vintage wine as a token of gratitude."
Just as Wraithshade was about to speak, Poison Dreadstar grabbed his arm.
"Sure, but we've had a long journey. We just hope to rest for ten days or so."
In a shabby guest room, Poison Dreadstar shook his head helplessly.
"Sir, even if he doesn't tell you, with your skills, you can find a chance to investigate over the next ten days. Don't be so stubborn."
"That's a good idea, but that guy is especially wary of us—like he's seen the plague god himself."