I was wiping down the peachwood sword. At his words, I looked up with a smile. “When we get there, we’ll scout the area first. The ancient texts should have a way to break the central node. Don’t you remember? The formation points of the ‘Yin Sha Spirit-Gathering Formation’ are all sinister, but each has a counter. The Stagnant Qi Talismans are yin in nature, so we can break them with something of pure yang.”
“Something of pure yang?” Su Wan’er’s eyes lit up. “Like that coin of yours tempered with yang fire, or the old doctor’s peachwood sword?”
“Exactly.” I nodded. “Sunlight, cinnabar, and Bagua mirrors are all things of pure yang, and can dispel yin sha energy. But the runes at the central node are more powerful. One object of pure yang probably won’t be enough. We’ll have to combine it with the directions of Qimen Dunjia and use talismans as well to break it completely.”
As we spoke, the carriage had traveled more than forty li. The landscape around us gradually grew desolate. The woods along both sides of the main road thinned out, replaced by low shrubs and exposed rocks. According to the divination, the ruined temple should be in a hollow among the hills just ahead.
“Customers, look up ahead!” the driver suddenly called, pointing forward.
We followed his gaze and saw that, sure enough, a ruined temple stood in the hollow ahead. Most of its roof had collapsed, exposing blackened beams. The courtyard walls had caved in at several points, and weeds as tall as a person grew in front of the entrance, giving the place a desolate, dilapidated air. Even more striking, the doorframe, the corners of the walls, and even the broken window lattice were covered in Stagnant Qi Talismans with double hooks. The runes were a deep, dark red, and gleamed eerily in the setting sun.
