Jiang Ye deduced that the reason for the rolling black water and the frightened water ghosts was the arrival of a more powerful malevolent spirit. However, within this clear river, such a spectacle and Yin Sha energy could only mean the malevolent spirit that had taken the water ghost's Black Head River Mansion and occupied this stretch of river, the same evil spirit I encountered during the day.
Thinking of this, my expression turned grave. Feeling the chilling wind and watching the rolling, ink-like black water continuously encroaching upon our position, I immediately spoke, "Lao Mo, get the gear!"
Lao Mo was also stunned, but upon hearing my words, he quickly reacted. "Right!" he exclaimed, swiftly opening his backpack. As per our initial plan, we had prepared two magical artifacts for this evil spirit: the Ghost Locking Hook and the Demon Suppressing Net.
The Demon Suppressing Net was woven from specially treated hemp ropes and dog hair, making it not only sturdy but also highly effective in restraining Yin spirits and even zombies. As for the Ghost Locking Hook, it was also a potent magical artifact, as the hook was inscribed with special talismans. Once a Yin spirit was hooked, it would be difficult to escape.
Our original plan was to treat the evil spirit in the water like a large fish, ensnare it with the Demon Suppressing Net, and hook it with the Ghost Locking Hook. As long as we could control its movements or drag it ashore, we would have a high probability of eliminating it.
At this moment, Lao Mo handed the Ghost Locking Hook to me, while he held the Demon Suppressing Net. Jiang Ye, standing at the bow of the boat, also had a grim expression. Watching the approaching black water, he narrowed his eyes and said, "You two must stand firm on the boat. Once the black water arrives, the river may become turbulent. If you fall into the water, it could be very dangerous!"
This was not the first time Jiang Ye had said this. Hearing it again, I replied to Jiang Ye, "Don't worry, Jiang Ye. Lao Mo and I will take care of ourselves. We've got the Demon Suppressing Net and the Ghost Locking Hook ready. If that thing dares to come close, we'll give it a taste of our power."
Jiang Ye glanced at the magical artifacts in our hands, but he subtly shook his head. "If it were an ordinary water ghost, these two artifacts you have would be sufficient. But this evil spirit is very cunning. These two artifacts may not be enough to deal with it. When the fight starts, you two listen to my commands. I have a way to handle it."
Jiang Ye's cultivation was not weak. As far as we could tell, his cultivation was slightly higher than both of ours, likely in the early stage of the Profound Core realm. Furthermore, having navigated the river for decades, his experience in dealing with water ghosts and Yin Sha was naturally richer than Lao Mo's and mine. Listening to Jiang Ye's commands here was indeed reasonable.
Lao Mo and I did not hesitate, nodding in unison, "No problem, Jiang Ye!" "Jiang Ye, as long as we can eliminate that evil spirit, we'll do as you say, Brother Qin."
Jiang Ye nodded repeatedly upon hearing our responses. "Very well! Take out the black cloth bag from the box. We will lure this thing into the eddy!" Saying this, he hung the white lantern in his hand on the bow of the boat. The moment he hung it, Jiang Ye bit his finger and used his bloody index finger to draw a talisman we didn't recognize on the paper of the white lantern. Finally, he brought his hands together, forming a sword finger, and chanted towards the hanging white lantern: "Spirit of the river, waters of the great river. Facing the underworld, ghost fish pave the way..."
Jiang Ye chanted very quickly, and Lao Mo and I couldn't hear clearly. We only caught the general meaning of the first few sentences; the rest was inaudible. After about ten seconds, Jiang Ye's hand seals changed again. Finally, he pointed at the bloody talisman on the white lantern, "Heaven spirit, earth spirit, River Lord True Monarch, manifest divine power. Ench!" With a command, the blood-drawn talisman instantly flashed a red light, as if the bloody talisman had seeped into the lamplight within the lantern. In an instant, it disappeared from the lantern's surface.
The white lantern, which had been glowing purple, instantly changed color. It turned red, a faint, eerie red. The entire small boat was enveloped in the red light. Lao Mo and I were unsure what this talisman was or what its purpose was. However, one thing was certain: Jiang Ye's white paper lantern was a magical artifact used by his kind, the corpse retrievers. The internal candlelight could expel evil spirits. Jiang Ye's use of this spell undoubtedly had its own intentions.
Lao Mo and I didn't waste any time. After a quick glance, we found a wooden box in the middle of the boat. Inside the box were some miscellaneous items, and among them, there was indeed a small black cloth bag. "Old Qin, found it!" Lao Mo exclaimed, pulling out the cloth bag. I nodded, looking at Jiang Ye at the bow, "Jiang Ye, we've got the item. What do we do next?" As I spoke, I glanced at the rolling black water. It was about ten meters away from us, continuously encroaching from downstream.
Jiang Ye stood at the bow with his hands still clasped in a mudra, muttering to himself, his hand seals trembling, likely performing a ritual. However, Lao Mo and I couldn't understand what he was doing. Jiang Ye looked at us and said, "Once the boat moves, you two scatter a handful of the Bai Ming Ash from inside into the river. That evil spirit will follow us..."
As soon as Jiang Ye finished speaking, my heart skipped a beat. With a look of horror, I stared at the black cloth bag in my hand. "Bai, Bai Ming Ash? Jiang Ye, you're saying this, this bag contains, it's Bai Ming Ash?"