It is rumored that hundreds or even thousands of years ago, before the current Dao Ancestor attained enlightenment, he once used black dog’s blood to subdue spirits and monsters... There are even rumors that the black dog’s blood’s power to ward off evil might have originated from a single pronouncement by the Dao Ancestor, fulfilling the will of Heaven and thus bestowing it with supernatural properties.

……

“William Green has already left.”

Elder Woods spread out the talisman paper, took up his brush, and as he walked, said, “I use cinnabar, a pure yang substance, as ink to write thunder talismans, which restrain those who practice the Gu path. With the extraordinary nature of this temple, in theory, we should be able to barely resist. But we still don’t know how high the cultivation of the opponent is, so you must be careful later.”

Henry Sutton nodded and said, “I understand, elder.”

Elder Woods said, “You should hide beneath that statue. With the statue’s protection, you won’t be affected. At a critical moment, you can use incense ash to ward off evil... If I ask for your help, pull out the incense stick from the censer and use it as a dagger.”

Henry Sutton was slightly taken aback and said, “Incense stick? As a dagger?”

Worshippers always offer incense and candles.

Incense ash is the residue left after the fragrant incense has burned away, imbued with the power of wishes and further blessed by divine power, so it must have miraculous effects.

As for the incense stick, it’s actually just the leftover twig after burning, as thin as a toothpick, soft and easy to break.

Use this twig as a weapon?

Why does that feel so absurd?

“It’s useless against ordinary people, but it can restrain those of the demonic path.”

Elder Woods waved his hand slightly and said, “You must remember everything I’ve told you.”

Henry Sutton dared not be careless and said, “I understand, elder.”

Elder Woods continued, “I still need to make some arrangements here, listen to my instructions…”

Henry Sutton listened carefully and followed Elder Woods’s directions, setting things up one by one.

According to Elder Woods, this was a kind of formation, though compared to a true formation, it seemed rather shallow—perhaps “feng shui” would be a better description.

The temple was Elder Woods’s domain, and he could arrange it as he pleased.

This could be considered an advantage of location.

……

“All preparations are more or less complete.”

There was a trace of fatigue on Elder Woods’s face as he exhaled and said, “We’re still missing a catalyst.”

Henry Sutton asked in surprise, “What kind of catalyst?”

Elder Woods’s expression didn’t change as he calmly said, “The blood of a virgin boy or girl.”

Henry Sutton was stunned upon hearing this.

“Your cousin, her brows are clear, her waist straight, her posture upright, her expression and bearing without any hint of seduction—she’s still a maiden. As for you…” Elder Woods paused and asked, “Are you still a virgin boy?”

Henry Sutton was dazed for a while, not knowing how to answer, and couldn’t help but feel a bit of sorrow.

In this life, Henry Sutton was frail and weak, bedridden since childhood, even nodding his head would make him dizzy—how could he have the energy for romantic pursuits?

As for his previous life, the memories were too painful to recall; he was killed by a falling gourd before he’d even held someone’s hand.

A virgin boy in his previous life, and a virgin boy in this one.

Adding up both lives, by any calculation, he was still a virgin boy.

But if he answered so bluntly, wouldn’t that be a bit embarrassing?

“No need to answer.”

Elder Woods shook his head slightly and said, “Judging by your unsteady steps, pale face, dark circles around your eyes, and weak movements, it’s clear your qi and blood are deficient—either chronically ill or overindulgent.”

“…” Henry Sutton opened his mouth, speechless. Why did it seem like he could sense a hint of disdain in Elder Woods’s cloudy eyes?

“At first, seeing that girl was still a maiden, I thought you must be chronically ill. But now, hearing you speak clearly, with bright eyes and no sign of illness, you don’t seem sick—most likely you’ve been overindulgent. So young, and already…”

“Wait…”

Henry Sutton coughed, touched his cheek, and said awkwardly, “I’ve been frail since childhood, only recently recovered after drinking talisman water from the temple. In fact, I’ve never experienced anything between a man and a woman, so I should still be…”

Elder Woods glanced over sideways and said, “Should?”

Henry Sutton felt that look was full of oddity, pursed his lips, took a deep breath, and said helplessly, “Definitely still.”

After speaking, Henry Sutton slowly exhaled, covered his forehead, and sighed in frustration. He realized that in front of Elder Woods, things like privacy, dignity, and face simply didn’t exist.

“Very good, saves me the trouble of drawing blood myself.” Elder Woods waved his hand and said, “At my age, losing some blood makes me dizzy. Facing a great enemy tonight, I wouldn’t be at my best.”

“You’re the one drawing the blood?”

Henry Sutton seemed to realize something, stroked his chin, and his expression grew even stranger.

Elder Woods seemed not to notice and continued fiddling with his things.

Talisman paper, talisman brush, cinnabar, incense ash, dog’s blood, ink, and so on—everything was ready.

Night gradually fell.

In this ancient temple filled with the scent of incense, a dim yellow light flickered on.

Henry Sutton had been busy all day. With his frail body, he was inevitably tired. He walked a few steps outside, tilted his head slightly to look at the sky, and saw the moon high above, its light gentle.

Yet within the ancient temple, everything still seemed shrouded in mystery.

No matter how clear the moonlight, it seemed unable to illuminate the temple’s mysteries.

……

“What time is it?”

Elder Woods suddenly asked.

Henry Sutton paused, glanced at the moonlight, and estimated that it was about ten o’clock at night.