Having uncovered the cause of Lu Yuzhu's death, Qi Zhiyong's assigned task was considered complete.
But Wu Xian did not leave.
Driven by his detective instincts, he carefully searched the room. Finally, behind a hanging painting on the wall, he discovered a hidden compartment. Inside the secret compartment was something unexpected.
A deity statue!
The statue had the head of an eagle and the body of a man, seated cross-legged on a divine pedestal. Its body was entwined with countless snakes of varying lengths and thicknesses, each carved with exquisite detail, lifelike as if ready to strike at anyone's throat.
On the desk in front of the statue lay two red candles and an incense burner. Beneath the statue was a brass base, the edge inscribed with the deity's name:
Water Official — Lord Xuanming, Supreme God!
"A statue of the god!"
Wu Xian's breath hitched. After burning the red-clad malevolent spirit, he had obtained a stick of "Evil Spirit Incense." The description of this incense was recorded in the miscellaneous items section of his talisman booklet:
Evil Spirit Incense: Originating from strangling spirits, an object to dispel malevolent energies and obsessive spirits, condensed from yin essence. When burned, it increases yin virtue and can be used to honor deities.
Outside, Qi Zhiyong was still waiting. Without hesitation, Wu Xian inserted the incense into the burner.
Instead of smoke, the incense emitted a pale blue, misty vapor that hovered above the desk, forming three shapes resembling objects.
Demon-Detecting Mirror: A polished bronze ancient mirror. Rubbing the Taoist patterns on its back reveals the true form of ghosts and demons, breaking through their illusions and tricks. Each use consumes spiritual energy; when depleted, it becomes an ordinary object.
Bronze Coin Sword: Forged from the coins of the Five Emperors of the prosperous era, one foot and three inches long. It heats up in the presence of ghosts and can wound malevolent spirits.
Purifying Whisk: Made of peachwood and spiritual horsehair, it cleanses the body and purifies the environment, sweeping away darkness.
Wu Xian glanced over the effects of these three magical tools and reached into the mist, pulling out a wet bronze coin sword.
Having made his choice, the statue dissolved into a pool of clear water before rapidly evaporating into mist and disappearing.
It seemed these statues could only be worshipped once.
The bronze coin sword was short and stout, with a blade composed of ten layers of coins stacked in five coins per layer: Banliang coins from the Qin dynasty, Wuzhu coins from the Han dynasty, Kaiyuan Tongbao, Song and Yuan dynasty coins, and Yongle Tongbao from the Ming dynasty.
Each time the sword was used to wound a malevolent spirit, one layer of coins would vanish from the blade. When all ten layers were gone, the sword could no longer be used.
Wu Xian chuckled softly and tucked the sword behind his waist.
Searching the scene had only been a habit, but unexpectedly, he had gained a valuable tool. With the bronze coin sword and the True Fire Curse, he at least had some means of self-defense in this cursed place.
Just as he was feeling pleased, a sudden chill washed over him.
An inexplicable coldness spread from deep within, covering his body with goosebumps. A body colder than ice pressed against him. The bone-chilling cold rendered Wu Xian immobile.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a man's head resting on his shoulder. The man's face was cracked with icy blue frost, and his broken skin was dotted with delicate ice crystals.
"I… I'm so cold…"
"Find me. Hurry and find me."
"This coffin is full of ice, narrow and cramped. I can't lie straight or sleep well. Please come set me free. I'll be waiting here for you."
"I'll be waiting forever."
The man's voice faded, and he vanished, leaving only a puddle of icy water on the ground behind Wu Xian.
It took a long moment for Wu Xian to recover. Shivering uncontrollably, his limbs numb, fingers and toes tingling. A layer of frost had formed on his left ear. He hurriedly rubbed it with his left hand, while clumsily opening the talisman booklet with his right to check for new information.
Two new entries had appeared. One was about the bronze coin sword, which he had expected. The other was…
A curse!
[Water Official's Curse]: "The Uncomfortable Coffin"
A coffin is the home of the dead. But Mr. Wang dislikes the home his wife gave him. Find Mr. Wang and free him from this uncomfortable home. Until you do, your body temperature will continue to drop.
"Damn!"
Wu Xian cursed under his breath.
He had just worshipped the Water Official's statue, and now he was cursed. Clearly, this curse was the price of worshipping the god. This trip hadn't been a lucky break; it was a sugar-coated bomb!
Anger aside, a chill ran down his spine.
The malevolent spirits in this blessed land could not be fought off by mere talismans and magical tools. That presence clinging to him earlier? If it had wanted to kill him, Wu Xian wouldn't even have had time to draw his bronze coin sword.
His earlier confidence in self-protection was downright foolish!
As Wu Xian blamed himself, Qi Zhiyong's voice came from outside: "Why aren't you coming out? Are you dead in there?"
Wu Xian's temper flared. He was about to curse when he remembered his role.
He tousled his hair, took a deep breath until his vision blurred, and staggered out, clutching Qi Zhiyong's arm with a terrified expression.
"Th-there's a ghost inside! And a woman…"
At the mention of a ghost, a flicker of relief flashed in Qi Zhiyong's eyes. He quickly soothed Wu Xian, "Calm down and tell me what you found."
Wu Xian stammered out the fabricated story he had prepared long ago.
He said nothing of worshipping the god, hiding some of his discoveries. He emphasized the terror of the curse, which made Qi Zhiyong nod repeatedly.
"Don't worry, nothing will happen," Qi Zhiyong said dismissively, then sent Wu Xian off to gather supplies. He had what he wanted and didn't want to waste any more time on him.
In his eyes, Wu Xian was already a dead man.
…
"Just wait. I'll give you a surprise."
After parting ways with Qi Zhiyong, Wu Xian muttered curses under his breath.
Though it was his own decision to play it low-key, Qi Zhiyong's attitude still rubbed him the wrong way. He resolved that once the curse was lifted, he'd make Qi Zhiyong pay for this.
During his act of self-pity, his body temperature gradually rose, settling just below his normal baseline. At this rate, he reckoned he had at least a few hours before hypothermia would sap his ability to move.
But the real problem was: how to find this "Mr. Wang"?
If he were outside, tracking down one person wouldn't be difficult. If Mr. Wang lived nearby, the few clues left behind would be enough.
His surname was Wang, he was in the ice coffin, married and deceased…
Yet this blessed land was unfamiliar, and the time Wu Xian had was limited. His mind buzzed with ideas.
Then, rounding the stairwell corner, inspiration struck.
"Heh heh heh, looks like he's more anxious than me."
When Wu Xian turned, he noticed the cold that had gripped his left cheek now shifted to the right. He turned back and forth several times, eventually pinpointing the exact direction the chill came from.
This was Mr. Wang, giving him a sign!
"Since he's in such a hurry, I'm in no rush."
Wu Xian stopped rushing downstairs. Instead, he ambled leisurely, hands clasped behind his back, wandering floor by floor like an old man out for a stroll.
The building had four floors in total. Floors two, three, and four each held eight guest rooms. The first floor housed the front desk and the innkeeper's living quarters. The doors on the second and third floors—like Room 405—were all violently broken down. The furniture inside, like old photographs left out too long, had faded and weathered with time.
But beyond that, the second and third floors were surprisingly clean.
No severed limbs, no bloodstains on the floor—just thick layers of plaster, bizarre human-shaped cement sculptures out of place in this inn's grim setting, and… the omnipresent stench of rotting corpses.
Holding his breath against the foul odor, Wu Xian made his rounds—and actually found something useful.
A Buddha statue.
Its lotus throne piled high with treasures and artifacts, a Buddha head placed neatly atop the hoard, its face twisted into a strange, avaricious smile.
Engraved on the throne was the deity's name:
Outer God — Statue of Many Treasures Tathagata!