Seeing the situation, Yi Chen bent down, picked up the recently deceased spotted deer, and threw it towards the front yard of the red mansion. He performed a respectful bow and said, “I have inadvertently entered this place and may have disturbed the sanctum of a great immortal. May I ask for your forgiveness?”

Minutes ticked by, and after two and a half minutes, there was no change.

Yi Chen: “…..” The negotiation failed.

Observing the rising fog, Yi Chen fell silent for a moment, then silently added the Origin Points he had painstakingly accumulated to the spiritual attribute within his four attributes. Subsequently, he drew the Dragon-Slaying Sword from his back.

Even a clay figure has a temper. Since a battle was inevitable, he decided to face it head-on, determined to fight valiantly, even if it meant getting blood on himself. Yi Chen was a tough character, not lacking in the courage to stake his life.

However, before going all out, he needed to make a little preparation.

It wasn’t time to hide his abilities. He hadn’t added the Origin Points earlier because he wanted to maintain flexibility, ready to adapt to different situations.

This eerie red mansion was surely of a ghostly nature, making it most appropriate to add to his spiritual attribute.

“One trains soldiers for a thousand days to use them for a moment.”

“Origin Points, activate!”

With a thought, a refreshing sensation suddenly appeared in Yi Chen’s mind, and instantly, he felt his ‘spirit’ strengthen slightly, his spiritual attribute jumping from 27 to 28.

A flash of brilliance crossed Yi Chen’s eyes, feeling his thoughts becoming more agile.

Perhaps because of his experiences across two lifetimes, his spiritual power was inherently high, now leading his four attributes.

Looking again at the mist-shrouded eerie red mansion, he felt a bit clearer, and the cool sensation in his mind made him more composed.

Clang!

The Dragon-Slaying Sword was unsheathed!

The hot aura that spread with the sword’s release dissipated the cold mist, and Yi Chen’s pale purple Pure Yang Internal Energy flowed into it, making the dragon engravings on the sword’s eight surfaces more vivid, as if about to take flight.

A three-foot-long pale purple sword light flickered, turning the grass and trees on the ground to ash.

“Indeed, befitting of the law sword maintained by successive leaders of Hidden Dragon Temple, this aura of pure yang is truly rich.” Seeing this, Yi Chen’s face brightened.

Even the fierce tiger in Yi Chen’s hands calmed a bit due to the unsheathing of the Dragon-Slaying Sword.

There was no escaping now; it was time to go inside.

Yi Chen lifted the tiger, meeting its gaze.

“Brother Tiger, could you do me a favor and scout ahead?”

Hearing this, the tiger widened its eyes in an almost human expression of disbelief, trembling even more vigorously.

Whoosh!

With a powerful thrust from Yi Chen, the tiger’s massive body flew over the wall and into the front yard of the eerie red mansion.

Puff!

Dust rose as it landed.

Upon entering the yard, the tiger trembled uncontrollably, not daring to move.

Yi Chen observed from outside for another two and a half minutes without any unusual incidents.

The fog outside grew colder, and apart from the pure yang aura around him dispelling the cold mist, droplets of water from the sudden drop in temperature could be seen on the leaves elsewhere.

“It can’t go on like this; it’s time to explore the situation inside.” With a thought, Yi Chen leaped powerfully, following the tiger’s path into the yard.

As for why not enter through the front door…

The tiger had already scouted the way without any incidents.

There’s a computing principle that says, if it works, don’t fix it.

Applying this here seems fitting; since entering this way caused no problems, there’s no need for unnecessary complications.

Puff!

Yi Chen landed, stirring up dust.

A strong musty smell invaded his nostrils.

Looking around, the scene inside the mansion was vastly different from the outside world, as if stepping into another realm.

Beneath his feet, the ground was marked with many dried bloodstains, clearly visible despite years of drying, indicating the blood had seeped into the soil in great amounts, resembling a web spread across the ground.

Like scars on the earth or patterns of some malevolent ritual.

In the corner of the yard lay many bloodied iron hooks, hand hooks, shackles, and sharp knives.

At the mansion’s main gate hung a blood-red plaque — “Yin Mansion.”

Evilness pervaded the atmosphere!

Upon entering the yard, Yi Chen’s brow twitched uncontrollably, his senses screaming warnings.

“Is anyone there?”

“Anyone?”

Yi Chen tried calling out but received no response.

This eerie place was like a giant black hole abducting its victims, swallowing even echoes.

“Brother Tiger, could you do me a favor once again and check inside?”

Yi Chen once again met the tiger’s gaze.

The tiger’s eyes widened in disbelief, looking at the tall Taoist in front of it, continuing to tremble.

Silence meant consent!

Whoosh!

Once again, Yi Chen threw the tiger through a window of the red mansion, its large body smashing the carved rosewood window to pieces.

After observing for a while, Yi Chen saw a hole in the fence and jumped in.

Elegant, never out of fashion!

What he didn’t know was, ever since he entered the room, the blood-colored plaque hanging at the door – Underworld, started dripping a line of black and red blood, falling on the doorstep.

Drip, drip.

The black blood gathered together, unexpectedly forming a sinister ‘one’ character.

…

…

Upon entering this room, Yi Chen couldn’t help but squint his eyes.

The room in the front courtyard mansion was empty, with nothing but three small mahogany boxes placed on the shelf.

These three small wooden boxes were brightly colored, as if they were dyed with fresh blood.

Yi Chen once again met eyes with Brother Tiger, who was lying prostrate on the ground.

“Brother Tiger, please…”

Hearing this familiar start, the marbled tiger’s big ears drooped, covering its eyes, burying its head in its embrace, and just sprawled out.

Destroy it, hurry up, I’m tired.

Yi Chen: “……”

Brother Tiger, you are the king of beasts, you need to perk up…

This time, Yi Chen ultimately softened his heart and spared the marbled tiger.

Dragging the marbled tiger’s paw to open the wooden box, this scene was too bizarre, but it was still safer than using the Dragon Slaying Sword to pry it open.

The Dragon Slaying Sword was about one meter and twenty-three centimeters long, much longer than the marbled tiger’s legs.

“Ah, I’m always too soft-hearted, too soft-hearted…”

“Again, I’m a person silently bearing everything…”

Yi Chen sighed in his heart, took the Dragon Slaying Sword, and focused on prying open the first small mahogany box.

Click, the box opened, and nothing strange happened. Quietly lying inside the box was a jade tablet, the front engraved with three seal characters for “Dragon Tiger Mountain”. Yi Chen flipped it over with the tip of his sword, and the back was engraved with three big characters, “Zhang Ji Shi”.

“I know of Dragon Tiger Mountain, as it’s the leading Daoist sect of the Yue country, but who is this Zhang Ji Shi? Not familiar with this…” Yi Chen, after all, was not Qingyunzi. Although he wasn’t completely ignorant of culture, he was far from being widely read. After pondering with no result, he gave up.

Prying open the second box, click, the box opened, and inside quietly lay a jade book titled “Yin Yang Cave Divine Iris Technique”.

Opening the third box, it contained a simple letter. Yi Chen picked it up with the tip of his sword, and it had only a few short sentences:

With the world changing, what lies ahead?

My name is Zhang Ji Shi, a Daoist from Dragon Tiger Mountain. Enlightened at three, overflowing with Spiritual Awareness at eight, awakened after seeing the nature of mind, witnessing demons and ghosts causing havoc, especially the evil spirits. I was determined to create a Daoist method that everyone could practice, to break through illusions, recognize dangers and avoid them.

I searched the world, read through Daoist scriptures, spent half my life’s effort, and finally created the “Yin Yang Cave Divine Pupil Technique”, which can discern the six energies, manage yin and yang, distinguish between humans and ghosts. Regardless of talent, anyone can practice it. Under this technique, illusions and ghosts cannot hide, but ultimately, it was a failure close to success.

Not because of flaws in the technique, but because those without spiritual wisdom take too long to practice. Easy to begin, hard to advance, requiring decades or even a century, a long time for just one technique, ending up as a chicken rib – tasteless but a pity to discard. Left here for someone destined.

Regrettably, with the emergence of the Yin Mansion, time does not wait for me.

This journey to suppress the Yin Mansion is uncertain in whether it’s a fortune or disaster, fearing it’s difficulty to perfect this technique, I least this technique here and I hope the destined person can spread this technique to the world, gather the wisdom of all beings to perfect it, which would bring me great comfort.

If my journey is unfavorable, please deliver my jade tablet to Dragon Tiger Mountain, there will be a generous reward.

The letter’s writing became more chaotic towards the end, as if the writer was in a great hurry, ending abruptly here.

Yi Chen: “…..” Big guy, what exactly is the Yin Mansiom? Could you clarify a bit, why did it end here, how am I supposed to leave this ghostly place?

But this “Yin Yang Cave Divine Iris Technique” indeed matches his profession.

This is fated for him.

After pondering, Yi Chen still brought over the marbled tiger, letting it roll over the jade tablet, jade book, and letter a couple of times, observing no abnormalities before finally picking up the letter, jade book, and jade tablet to keep close to his body.

Not long after, a cool sensation came from the jade tablet he kept close, with Deep Red Points flashing, unexpectedly increasing by thirty points, now reaching a total of 46 points.

Yi Chen couldn’t help but be overjoyed, although he still didn’t know what items have Deep Red Points and how they are determined, but getting thirty Deep Red Points for nothing was a pleasant surprise.

Unfortunately, breaking through to the seventh layer of the Minor Pure Yang Technique requires a hundred deep red points, so Yi Chen couldn’t break through this situation.

“Taoist Master Zhang Ji Shi, I will surely deliver your jade tablet to Dragon Tiger Mountain in the future.” Yi Chen, not wanting to owe favors, decided to visit Dragon Tiger Mountain in his free time to fulfill today’s cause and effect.

…

…

The marbled tiger was already listless by now, lying on the ground showing its belly, with a look that seemed to say, just kill me.

Yi Chen approached again, smiling as he stroked the tiger’s head:

“Brother Tiger, what’s wrong?”

“Don’t worry, together we can fight through this damn Yin Mansion.”

“If we’re lucky enough to survive this time, I’ll forgive you for knocking down my candied haws.”

“I should at least reserve a spot for you in my Hidden Dragon Temple, how about that?”

The marbled tiger: “…” The marbled tiger couldn’t understand human speech, but it already had a bad feeling.

(End of the chapter)