Chapter 60 Tomb Raiders, Tiger Fangs, Ox Tears, and Water Techniques

Having established his direction and goals, Louis let out a yawn. He felt a bit tired, likely a side effect of using the Willow Leaf Gold Blade, which had taken a toll on his mental energy.

Regarding mental exhaustion, aside from strengthening through special cultivation techniques, the best way to recover was a deep, sound sleep. It would be even better if he could enter a state of deep sleep.

However, Louis could not sleep just yet; he had not yet examined his newly acquired spells, especially the newly unlocked Miao and Dai witchcraft. Sorcery and Gu-poison magic were renowned, and from ancient times to the present, their traces could be found everywhere—among the common folk, in the martial world, within imperial courts, and inside royal palaces.

Just at that moment, the screech of brakes sounded from the road in front of the house.

Another van stopped in front of the building, and several burly men dragged an old man out of the vehicle.

"Ah, right, that mayor."

The mayor of Eden Lake town—the very person whose expression had turned abnormal upon hearing the news about the golden arm—was someone Louis had specifically ordered his men to bring back.

A moment later.

Inside the warehouse, twenty fierce dogs of various breeds and coat colors patrolled the perimeter, all glaring fiercely at the center of the room.

The old man’s face was pale. Over seventy years of age, he had witnessed many grand scenes and could tell at a glance that these dogs were genuinely capable of killing people!

Coupled with the men in black standing nearby, whose waist holsters clearly held actual firearms rather than mere decorations, and who had so arrogantly snatched him away from the town, he realized the gravity of the situation.

So, which faction does this belong to?

Why target me? Could it be a vendetta from my younger days?

Tap, tap.

Footsteps echoed from behind.

Holding Coal Ball, Louis walked in with a blank expression. Ignoring the old man’s look of shock, he sat down on the chair at the front.

Clack!

The warehouse door shut, and the lighting instantly dimmed.

Stroking the dog head of the "Black Bear Spirit," Louis asked, "Let's talk. What is your relationship with that golden arm?"

"What are you talking about? I don't understand, but bringing me here like this, the people in town..."

Before he could finish his sentence,

"Awoo!!"

With a fierce roar, a large pit bull lunged forward, pinning the old man to the ground. Thick saliva dripped onto the old man’s face, carrying a foul, fishy stench.

The surrounding space was also occupied by a flurry of furry legs. A quick glance revealed that all the fierce dogs had closed in, eyeing him with hostility. Judging by their posture, they could tear him apart alive right then and there!

A puddle of water uncontrollably spread beneath him. The old man was no tough guy; he spilled everything.

It turned out that he was born in a northern state of America. Due to World War II, his family of painters could no longer make ends meet, forcing him into grave robbing, and from that point on, he embarked on a path of no return.

Later, in his middle age, he accepted a commission. The client was a hot-tempered, black-haired woman named Ellie. The task was to steal a female corpse rumored to have a golden arm from a small town and transport it to California.

However, halfway through the journey, the client suddenly lost contact. Most importantly, people from the Church began searching for the golden arm. Panicking, he could only flee all the way to Florida with the female corpse, slowly settling down in Eden Lake town, and eventually becoming the mayor simply due to his worldly experience.

After listening to the old man's account, Louis ordered him to sketch a portrait of that Ellie.

This Ellie was likely the person connected to Mammon.

Furthermore, the influence of the Church in this world should not be underestimated; he would need to find some holy water to study when time permitted.

With these plans in mind, Louis saw the old man shivering on the ground and waved his hand.

Two burly men in black immediately stepped forward and hauled the old man out.

With this matter dealt with, Louis returned to his room, opened the Folk Canon, and began reviewing the newly appeared nine pages of heritage.

Earthly Spells: Sha Fang Technique, Ghost-Seeing Technique (Ox Tears), All-Disease Water Technique.
Mystic Arts: Beast-Transforming Art, Disaster-Transferring Art, Toxic Fire Art.
Gu-Poison Arts: Pest-Harm Gu, Blood Gu, Corpse Gu.

Examined closely, these nine pages of heritage were exceptionally valuable, and even the three spells in the Earthly Spells chapter proved quite useful.

① Sha Fang Technique: Originating from folk legends about the baleful aura of *sha* terrifying ghosts, it shares the same underlying principle as the protective power of a killing blade.
Its root is tied to the mountain lord—the tiger. As the king of beasts, its fierce baleful aura is extraordinary and can even reduce souls to *chang* ghosts, enslaving them eternally. Out of fear, ancients worshipped it as the lord of the mountains, offering flesh and blood to pray for protection. Over time, the concept of baleful aura terrifying ghosts evolved, and thus, tiger teeth are considered the most suitable medium for this technique.
Take a tiger's sharp teeth, immerse them in human blood for fully eighteen days, and use them to kill eighteen winged birds and eighteen quadrupeds—this process cultivates the baleful energy. Afterward, the teeth are polished, wrapped in gold, and fashioned into pendants, creating a top-tier baleful artifact.
Note 1: Do not offer it on a true deity's incense altar, or the baleful energy will be shattered.
Note 2: Teeth of other animals may be used, though the effect is slightly weaker. Children with unstable souls should not carry it, as it can easily shock their spirits.

② Ghost-Seeing Technique (Ox Tears): Yin and Yang are separated; unless spirits willingly manifest themselves, mortal eyes cannot see souls most of the time. Consequently, many folk lineages simplified and transmitted certain Daoist spells, forming various similar yet distinct ghost-seeing methods.
The method described here is one of them: the Ox Tear technique. In the agricultural era, oxen held an extraordinary status as the most vital household laborers. "Rather lose a person than an ox"—over time, the status of the ox was mythologized, giving rise to legends of Laozi riding an ox, Ox-Head and Horse-Face, and so on. People believed that the tears shed by an ox at the moment of its death could bridge the realms of Yin and Yang and pierce through the traces of ghosts.
Note 1: Ox tears must be boiled over a fire and then cooled before being applied to the eyelids.
Note 2: The ox must not see that its owner is the one killing it, or it will lose its spiritual efficacy.

③ All-Disease Water Technique: Originating from the Zhuyou School—Water Arts, this is a minor technique entwined with Daoism, with roots traceable back to the talisman-water healing rumors of the Eastern Han Dynasty.
Because this technique was exceptionally effective at winning the hearts of the people, rulers of various dynasties subsequently banned it to varying degrees. This All-Disease Water Technique is merely one branch of the water arts: talismans are drawn and placed before a deity's incense altar, absorbing the ambient incense smoke. The duration of fumigation depends on the deity's level of favor toward the practitioner. Once the talisman is prepared, it is burned and dissolved in water to cure illnesses.
Note: This technique can only treat ordinary ailments, stop bleeding, alleviate symptoms, and preserve life; it cannot save those with terminal conditions.

"As for the Sha Fang Technique, since I have my godfather's protective divine statue, I am not in urgent need of it, but I can keep it as a backup—first, to add a layer of defense, and second, to serve as an offensive method."
"Coincidentally, there are quite a few tigers around here. With a little care, raising a few won't cause anyone to bat an eye."

The population of captive and wild tigers in America far exceeds that of any other country globally.

As for the ox tears, this resolved Louis's pressing need for a lack of Yin-Yang eyes or spiritual medium abilities. In horror films, the most terrifying aspect of evil spirits is often their unpredictability; if one can pierce through their disguises, the terror factor drops significantly.

And the final All-Disease Water Technique was currently the only spell among the lot dedicated to healing and preserving life. For this reason alone, it could not be underestimated and deserved careful practice.