C41 Preparation

I exclaimed with delight, "Is this the Evil Taoist's hair? Mr. Ergou, where did you find it?"

"It was left to me by my master. During his battle with the Evil Taoist, he managed to snatch a few strands of hair. He sought out the Great Immortal Huang of Long White Mountain, and my master was willing to sacrifice his own life in exchange for the Evil Taoist's. Unfortunately, not only did the plan fail, but it also led to my master's premature death," Deaf Zhang said, gazing at the brocade bag in his hands with a heavy sigh.

"Don't worry, Mr. Ergou, we're bound to succeed this time," I reassured him, reaching for the hair in the bag. However, Deaf Zhang clenched it tightly, unwilling to hand it over.

"Mr. Ergou... what's wrong?" I inquired, confused.

Deaf Zhang expressed his concern, "Changsheng, you've only recently learned the Desire Sutra. I'm afraid you might be harmed by its backlash and lose your life. Maybe we should confront the Evil Taoist head-on instead."

I sighed deeply and shook my head, replying, "Mr. Ergou, if even your master couldn't handle the Evil Taoist, what chance do we stand? Our only edge is the element of surprise; he's out in the open, and we should exploit that with cunning tactics."

"But deceit... I've never engaged in such acts," Deaf Zhang admitted, scratching his head with an awkward grin.

"Just leave it to me. I excel at blinding with lime powder and catching people off guard," I said confidently.

Time flew, and soon it was deep into the night. With time pressing on us, we couldn't afford to sleep and began preparing our strategy against the Evil Taoist.

Following the instructions in the book, I collected used yellow paper from a grave on the hillside, cut it into a human shape, wrapped it with the copper coin and the Evil Taoist's hair, and then placed it all beneath the house's beams.

Yet, after pondering the situation, I realized that even if the Desire Technique worked, I couldn't be certain it would affect the Evil Taoist. I needed to have a backup plan in place.

I suddenly recalled a statement the Corpse Devil had once made. She mentioned that the Evil Taoist wasn't afraid of her, but rather, he feared the uproar their battle might cause, which could draw the attention of the Underworld's ferryman.

This ferryman must be the Ghost Messenger from the Underworld. Indeed, on the night before my foster father died, he was sought out by the Ghost Messenger.

Neither my foster father nor the Evil Taoist bore shackles, indicating that both were fugitives, pursued by the Underworld's Ghost Messengers.

Maybe I could craft a paper effigy in the likeness of a Ghost Messenger, complete with an iron chain, to generate enough noise to intimidate the Evil Taoist. This could force him to keep a low profile, preventing him from unleashing his full power.

Having delved deeper into the Heaven Connecting Secret Technique, I've acquired more advanced paper-crafting skills. While I may not be as adept as my foster father in manipulating these paper creations, I can certainly maintain one for a short period.

The real issue, however, is that I have no idea what a Ghost Messenger actually looks like, nor can I infuse the paper figure with the potent Yin Qi characteristic of one. The clever and astute Evil Taoist would surely see through such a ruse.

I shared this dilemma with Deaf Zhang, wearing a worried expression. He simply smiled and reassured me, "What's there to fret about? I once caught a glimpse of a Ghost Messenger while collecting at the Chaotic Tomb Mound. I still have a rough idea of its appearance. Plus, I can employ the Pond Collecting Man's Secret Technique to transfer the spirits from my wine jar into the paper figure. That way, it will exude a strong presence of Yin Qi, albeit not as intense as a true Ghost Messenger's."

"That'll do," I replied, my excitement palpable. "The longer someone lives, the more they fear death. It's just like how the wealthier people get, the stingier they become. These makeshift Ghost Messengers will surely terrify him."

Indeed, I had come to understand this principle through my foster father, who, like the Evil Taoist, dreaded the pursuit of the Ghost Messengers. Years of fear had turned them into skittish creatures, always on edge.

The next morning, Deaf Zhang and I took separate paths. He planned to stealthily enter the Evil Taoist's room while the latter was busy conducting rituals at his dojo during daylight, and place the cursed object beneath the room's beam. Meanwhile, I headed to the county town to procure materials for the paper dolls, special dyes, and items akin to the iron chains wielded by the Ghost Messenger.

Everything progressed more smoothly than anticipated. Within a few days, my Aversion Technique and the Yin Messenger Paperman were both complete and ready for use. The stage was set for the ultimate showdown with the Evil Taoist!