EFB Chapter 181 Xiu'e's Resurrection
Chapter 181 Xiu'e's Resurrection
Chapter 181 Xiu'e's Return to Life (4600)
Lu Yuan did not respond to Hu Huhu immediately. He simply stood quietly at the entrance of the stone chamber, his gaze slowly sweeping across the entire space once more.
The air was filled with the aroma of medicine, the scent of damp earth, and the faint smell of lamp oil, all mixed together to create an atmosphere that was oppressive to the mind.
He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled, forcibly suppressing the restlessness in his chest caused by the rubbing of the tiger and the strange arrangement of the place.
When he opened his eyes again, they were filled with a calm and focused gaze, the kind of clarity that Taoist masters possessed, a clarity that allowed them to see through the yin and yang.
"Stand in the corner. No matter what you see or hear, you are not allowed to make a sound, and you are not allowed to come within three steps of the stone bed."
Lu Yuan's voice was not loud, but it carried an unquestionable tone of command, and he was speaking to Hu Huhu.
Hu Huhu nodded silently and retreated to the shadows in the southeast corner of the stone chamber, almost blending himself into the wall.
Only those cloudy eyes were fixed on Lu Yuan and the stone bed.
Lu Yuan then took a step and walked towards the stone bed.
His steps were steady, each step landing in a specific direction, not randomly.
He first walked to the bedside, his gaze falling on the tiny "Life-Sustaining Lamp".
The lamp flame flickered weakly, as if it would be blown out by an unknown gust of wind at any moment.
"I'll lend you a ray of light to guide her home."
Lu Yuan muttered to himself, raised his right hand, and joined his thumb, index finger, and middle finger together to form the "Gathering Spirit Finger Technique".
It was gently suspended three inches above the flame without touching it.
Extremely faint, pale golden essence flowed from her fingertips, like silk threads, slowly probing into the tiny flame.
"The mysteries of heaven and earth are the roots of all things."
"By enduring countless calamities, I will prove my divine powers."
Lu Yuan began to recite, his voice deep and rhythmic, not shouting, but each word clear.
It reverberated through the sealed stone chamber with a strange penetrating power.
This is part of the basic Taoist mantra for calming the mind.
Its use here is to borrow the power of the incantation to stabilize this life-giving lamp that holds onto the last vestiges of "life".
At the same time, using his own true self as a guide, he sensed the faint, elusive aura of a remnant soul connected to the lamp flame.
As the incantation was chanted, Lu Yuan's left hand was also busy, quickly forming several complex hand seals, starting with the "Tongyou Seal" to communicate between Yin and Yang.
Next is "tracing the imprint," which locates the energy flow.
Finally, there is the "Tracing Mark," in preparation for guidance.
With each hand seal completed, a faint golden light flashed from his fingertips and disappeared into the surrounding void.
The flames of the "Four Directions Soul-Stabilizing Lamps" at the four corners of the stone chamber seemed to have brightened slightly.
The cold white candlelight of the "Seven Star Soul-Locking Lamp" in the passageway seemed to resonate subtly with Lu Yuan's handprint, its light flowing slightly faster.
After doing all this, Lu Yuan stepped back and left the bedside.
He walked to about three steps in front of the stone bed, facing the woman on the bed, and stood with his feet slightly apart, focusing his energy in his lower abdomen.
He reached his right hand into his robe, and when he pulled it out, a dark yellow talisman was between his fingers.
The talisman paper is not ordinary yellow paper; it has a unique texture and a subtle, restrained luster.
The surface is decorated with intricate cloud and thunder patterns, created using cinnabar mixed with a special material.
This is an authentic "Soul-summoning talisman," which cannot be drawn without the true teachings of the Taoist school and cannot be activated by anyone other than a legitimate Celestial Master.
"Tiger Hu Hu".
Without turning his head, Lu Yuan said in a deep voice, "Call her name."
"Just call her whatever you normally call her."
"Call out only three times, with genuine emotion, without hesitation."
Hu Huhu, who was in the corner, shuddered, his lips trembling. Looking at his wife on the bed, who seemed to be sleeping soundly, his eyes instantly reddened.
He opened his mouth and tried several times.
Only then did he manage to squeeze out that name, which had been sealed away for so long, which he had longed for day and night but dared not utter easily.
Her voice was hoarse and trembling, filled with endless longing and pain: "Xiu'e—"
"Xiu'e----"
"Xiu-e-e-e-e"
Each of the three calls was more difficult and more sorrowful than the last.
Wandering through this silent and cold stone chamber, it felt as if I wanted to penetrate the stone walls and reach some unknown, dark corner.
The moment the third call fell, Lu Yuan moved!
His eyes flashed with a sharp light, and he raised his right hand, which was holding a talisman, with lightning speed, while simultaneously raising his left hand with fingers pointing like a sword.
The fingertips were surrounded by pale golden lightning, not the offensive palm lightning, but a more subtle "soul-guiding lightning".
The incantation he uttered suddenly changed, his tone rising to a powerful and solemn tone: "Wandering souls, where do you linger!"
"The three souls have already departed, and the seven spirits have arrived!"
"A false alarm, a strange occurrence; a lost soul!"
"Now, I invite the five generals, the General of the Route!"
"Be the owner of the land and be the master of the kitchen!"
"Search for the true soul, withdraw the possessing body!"
"Raise your spirits! Heaven's gates open, earth's gates open, a thousand-mile-long child brings the soul!"
"I obey the command of the Supreme Lord Laozi, may it be done immediately!"
This is the orthodox Taoist "Soul Summoning Incantation"!
When combined with specific hand gestures and footwork, its power is far beyond that of ordinary folk shamans and sorcerers.
Amidst the chanting, the talisman in Lu Yuan's right hand spontaneously combusted without fire, turning into a wisp of green smoke that did not dissipate.
Instead, it was drawn by the Soul-Guiding Thunder Qi in Lu Yuan's left hand, like a nimble green snake, circling around his body once.
Then it suddenly shot towards the woman on the stone bed!
The wisp of smoke suddenly dispersed when it touched the woman's body about a foot above her!
It transformed into a faint, almost invisible cyan light curtain, enveloping the entire stone bed.
At the same time, Lu Yuan used his feet to perform a series of rapid footwork movements, moving swiftly.
They walked seven steps around the stone bed in a specific direction and order, which corresponded to the positions of the Big Dipper in the sky!
With each step he took, the ground shone slightly where his feet landed, as if he were drawing upon starlight.
When he took his last step back to his original position, completing a full "Seven Star Steps", the atmosphere in the entire stone chamber suddenly changed!
The eerie blue flame of the "Four Directions Soul-Stabilizing Lamp" suddenly shot up an inch, its light intensifying and illuminating the stone chamber in a deep blue hue.
A faint, resonant humming sound emanated from the direction of the "Seven Star Soul-Locking Lamp" passageway.
The tiny flame of the "Life-Sustaining Lamp" by the bedside began to shake violently.
The color changed from a dim yellow to a darker and darker shade, as if it might go out at any moment, but it was held back by an invisible force.
Lu Yuan's expression was solemn; he knew the most crucial moment had arrived.
That remnant soul was forcibly bound outside for many years by the "Soul-Locking Reversal Array" and the arrangements made here.
Having long been "accustomed" to that state of being adrift and forcibly pulled along, they may not be willing or able to easily return to their place.
Lu Yuan rapidly formed hand seals again, this time with the more complex and profound "Soul-Soothing and Spirit-Calming Seal" and "Yin-Yang Bridge Seal".
Her ten fingers flew like butterflies flitting among flowers, leaving behind trails of afterimages and subtle golden streaks.
The incantation changed again, becoming low and drawn-out, filled with a sense of soothing and guidance: "O soul, return! Go back to your home!"
"The world is full of treacherous and wicked people!"
"Like setting up a royal chamber, where there is peace and tranquility!"
"Lofty halls and deep chambers, with layered thresholds and elegant pavilions!"
"Layered terraces and pavilions stand overlooking high mountains!"
""
"The net is adorned with vermilion, and the carvings are connected!"
"A sheltered room is provided in winter, and a cool room is provided in summer!"
"The valley path winds and turns, the stream flows gently!"
"The gentle breeze turns the orchids white, and the fragrant orchids flourish!"
"The sutra hall has entered its inner sanctum, and the vermilion dust has settled upon the feast!"
This is a passage from "Summoning the Soul" in the Chu Ci (Songs of Chu), which was absorbed and improved by the Taoist school and became one of the highest-level secret incantations for calming the soul and guiding the spirit.
It has a remarkable effect on calming lost and wounded souls.
As the incantation and hand seals were completed, Lu Yuan pointed his fingers like a sword at the center of the cyan light screen above the stone bed and pointed it in mid-air!
"The spirit finds peace in its form, and the soul returns to its abode!"
"If not now, when?"
"Return!"
The word "return" resounded like a thunderclap in the stone chamber!
Om-!
The walls of the stone chamber seemed to tremble.
The flame of the "Life-Sustaining Lamp" on the bedside table suddenly shot upwards, bursting out a fist-sized halo of dim yellow light with a hint of blood.
It quickly dimmed, becoming even fainter than before, and the lamp oil was about to burn out.
On the stone bed, the woman's body seemed to tremble very slightly.
Immediately afterwards, the blue light curtain covering the stone bed, like a whale sucking in water, rapidly converged and disappeared towards the woman's brow!
In the air, it seemed as if countless faint, mournful, yet wistful and longing sobs of wind were rising.
That was the friction and resonance that occurred when the remnant soul was forcibly pulled back from its wandering state and interacted with the outside world!
The wind gradually subsided.
Silence returned to the stone chamber, with only the four eerie blue "Four Directions Soul-Stabilizing Lamps" in the corners and the dying "Life-Sustaining Lamp" by the bedside still burning.
Lu Yuan slowly stopped his stance, straightened his body, sweat was already on his forehead, and his breathing was slightly rapid.
This action, though seemingly devoid of any earth-shattering combat, was in fact extremely mentally and physically demanding.
This requires a profound understanding of the Way of the Soul and a mastery of the subtle and refined application of incantations, talismans, seals, and protective techniques.
Lu Yuan looked at the stone bed.
The woman on the bed remained lying quietly, her face serene, as if nothing had happened.
But Lu Yuan could sense that the pure, lifeless "emptiness" that had existed within that body had disappeared.
Instead, there was a faint, chaotic, yet real fluctuation of "spirit".
Like a candle flickering in the wind, though weak and broken, though perhaps no longer lucid, it has indeed "returned."
A fundamental connection was re-established with this carefully preserved body.
The soul has returned to its original form.
Although it was a remnant soul that returned, it had returned nonetheless.
With this "settlement," the next steps of the rituals for the deceased and the final burial have a foundation.
Lu Yuan turned his head and looked at Hu Huhu in the corner, his voice slightly hoarse from exhaustion: "That's enough."
"The soul has returned to its rightful place, though—it is only a wisp of a lingering memory."
"Prepare for her funeral, let her be laid to rest."
As soon as Lu Yuan finished saying "may he rest in peace," the hunched figure in the corner, almost blending into the darkness, suddenly trembled.
Immediately, Hu Huhu seemed to have his last supporting spine removed, and he staggered out of the shadows.
He was no longer the silent, shrewd, and calculating head of the Xu Deng Hu family.
He was just a poor man who had lost his wife years ago and was now finally getting some kind of "confirmation".
He practically scrambled to the stone bed, his knees slamming heavily against the cold ground with a dull thud, but he seemed oblivious.
"Xiu'e—Xiu'e, oh Xiu'e—"
Hu Huhu trembled as he reached out his rough hands, covered in black mud and bearing the marks of years of labor, wanting to touch his wife's cheek on the bed.
Just as his fingertips were about to touch her, they suddenly stopped, hovering in mid-air, trembling violently.
He dared not touch it, as if afraid of shattering this last vestige of false tranquility, or as if afraid of disturbing the one who had just returned.
A fragile, broken soul.
In the end, he simply placed his hand loosely over the back of his wife's hand.
Through that coarse cloth garment, one could almost feel a faint warmth, different from before, belonging to the "spirit."
Perhaps it was just his illusion, but for him, that illusion was enough.
"Xiu'e—my Xiu'e—"
Tiger Hu Hu let out a wild, beast-like wail that had been suppressed for countless years.
The voice was hoarse and broken, mixed with a heavy accent from beyond the Great Wall, no longer the deep, calculating tone of before.
Instead, it was filled with heart-wrenching pain and endless regret.
"It's my fault—it's my fault—I couldn't keep you—I let you suffer outside for so many years."
"————It's my fault————It's all my fault————"
Tears, murky and large, rolled down his face from eyes that had been dry for many years.
The water trickled down his rough, wrinkled face, dripping onto the edge of the stone bed and spreading into a small, dark stain.
He cried like a child who had been lost for years and finally found his home only to discover it was in ruins.
His shoulders heaved violently, and his drab gray cotton-padded coat trembled uncontrollably with his sobs.
"I'm sorry to you—I'm sorry to the sheep and the rabbit—I'm a good-for-nothing—"
"We can't even let you leave peacefully—we can only resort to these crooked and evil methods—to keep you here by force—"
"I'll make you suffer—I'm not human—I—"
He spoke incoherently, repeating self-reproach in a jumbled manner.
It was as if all the guilt, pain, and despair that had been building up in his heart over the years were being poured out through these tears and incoherent words.
He bent down, his forehead pressed against the edge of the cold stone bed, making a dull thud.
It wasn't kowtowing; it was more like an unconscious, self-punishing impact.
Lu Yuan stood aside, watching quietly.
He offered no words of comfort, nor did he urge him on.
He knew that any words would be inadequate at this moment.
Hu Huhu needed this cathartic outpouring, this cathartic release that was eight or nine years overdue.
It was not only a mourning for his deceased wife, but also a reflection on his own twisted obsessions and hopeless struggles over the years.
And the complete release of the pain deep in one's heart—knowing it's wrong but being unable to let go.
After an unknown amount of time, Hu Huhu's crying gradually subsided, turning into intermittent sobs.
He remained kneeling by the bed, his forehead pressed against the edge, his shoulders trembling slightly.
Then, very slowly, he used his arms to support himself on the ground and stood up unsteadily.
He turned around to face Lu Yuan.
That round face, which usually had little expression, was now a mess of tears and dust, and her eyes were so swollen that they were barely slits.
But his eyes looked completely different from before.
The previous numbness, lifelessness, defensiveness, and deep-seated despair.
It was replaced by a near-exhausted clarity and an overwhelming sense of gratitude.
He looked at Lu Yuan, this Taoist master who was excessively young, had a volatile temper, yet possessed abilities and decisiveness that he could not even imagine.
His lips trembled, as if he wanted to say something, but for a moment he couldn't say anything.
Finally, Hu Huhu took a half step back.
Then, this man, who held a high position among the ten families outside the Great Wall and was known for his stubbornness and obstinacy, slowly and deeply bowed to Lu Yuan.
This bow was very low, almost at a ninety-degree angle.
He remained in that position, his hoarse, choked voice echoing in the silent stone chamber, each word carrying immense weight: "Master Lu—Master Lu—"
"Great kindness—great virtue—"
"Tiger Hu Hu — Unforgettable —"
"I—I thank you on behalf of Xiu'e—for giving her—a true resolution—"
As he spoke, he straightened up and wiped his face hard with his dirty sleeve, even though tears welled up uncontrollably again.
His gaze toward Lu Yuan was filled with extremely complex emotions.
There was gratitude, awe, the exhaustion of finally being relieved of a heavy burden, and a trace of shame for the previous distrust and procrastination.
"Don't worry—"
Hu Huhu took a deep breath, trying to steady his voice, although it still had a heavy nasal tone.
"About your master—I—I'll take you there!"
"Even if I break the oath of the ten families, even if I suffer retribution, I accept it! This is what I owe you!"
He paused, glanced back at his wife who was peacefully "sleeping" on the bed, a flash of pain crossed his eyes, which then turned into determination.
"After we properly send Xiu'e off, let Yangyang and Tutu see their mother one last time."
"I'll take you to the Liu family!"
"I'll tell you everything I know on the way!"
This time, his promise was firm and resolute, without the slightest hesitation or evasion.