Chapter 41: Black-tailed snake

Yes, everyone present couldn’t believe their eyes. Had the house turned into a nest of bugs?

In a short while, more than a dozen centipedes and 7 or 8 large spiders crawled out, and even two bats flew out!

My sister-in-law was so scared that she screamed. Brother Sheng quickly held her and hurriedly poured a circle of insect repellent around them. The others did the same. These big bugs were annoying to look at. I was especially afraid of spiders, especially the ones that crawled out of this house. They were all no smaller than Ling Ruyue’s Hua Feifei.

In fact, Hua Feifei is okay. It is colorful and can be used as a palette when looking at it. The black and white lines on these spiders are intertwined, and it is only when you look at them that you feel truly terrified.

I quickly took out my bamboo tube and decided to sprinkle some powder out, but just happened to be seen by the master who came out of the house, scolding me for wasting it. I quickly put it away and put it away like a treasure. The master said it was a waste, so this thing must be a treasure.

There were still bugs crawling out of the house intermittently, but unlike the beginning, when a large number of bugs came out, it was like a flood. However, the bugs that came out later were getting bigger and bigger. I even saw a centipede that was probably 40 cm long, a spider as big as Hua Feifei, and a giant water bug the size of a palm.

The Sichuanese call this insect a “grasshopper,” but its scientific name is “millipede.” It has feet all over its body and looks very similar to a centipede. People who find it ugly think it looks even more terrifying than a centipede 锟斤拷 even more terrifying, but it is not as poisonous as a centipede. When I was a child, I was not afraid at all and often reached out to grab it. This bug was very fun. When I grabbed it, it would curl up into a ball, and I often had fun with it. However, I wouldn’t dare to have fun with the grasshopper that crawls out here. The real reason is that it has a lot of small white spots on its body, which look like a row of eyes from a distance. “Master Jiang, what have you done in there? It looks like you’ve been poking around a nest of bugs!” Qin Huai’s face turned pale. This “little official” from Beijing had never seen such a scene before. He probably hadn’t even seen many bugs. “Nothing. I just sprinkled a handful of powder in each room. It’s already 5 or 6 in the afternoon. It’s not a good idea to travel at night in this place with a heavy aura. We’ll stay here tonight. We always need a clean place to stay.” My master said calmly. Qin Huai let out a “sobbing” sound. He didn’t expect to stay here. It seems that going on a mission with this department is really not an easy thing. “Feeling sad?” My master turned and looked at Qin Huai and said with a smile. “I’m afraid of bugs biting me at night.” Qin Huai was really afraid. “But what’s the big deal? It’s good enough to have a place to stay. When I was on a mission before, there were corpses next to me, and I had to sleep quickly to regain my strength.” The master said indifferently. Qinhuai shut up. Compared to corpses, he would rather sleep with the bugs. Gradually, there were no more bugs crawling out of the room because the yard was almost completely covered in pesticide, so all the bugs crawled out. People were about to enter the room, but the master shouted, “Wait, there’s one more problem. Wait in the courtyard and don’t move if you see anything. Sanwa, come in with me.” Well, there’s trouble. It’s always best to use the apprentice, right? I was just kicked, and I was about to break off my relationship with my master. I was uncomfortable, but I had no choice but to obey my master’s orders and quickly walked over to the house with my master. It was bright and sunny outside, but as soon as I entered the house, it was dark and cool. I took a look around and saw that all the furniture was still there, but it was a bit rotten. I guessed that when the villagers moved, they only took some clothes and money with them. How desolate must it be? “Still angry?” The master stood in the middle of the room and, without saying anything about the trouble, started talking about this first. “Who wouldn’t be angry?” I whispered to myself. “In fact, Yuan Yi is not a bad person. He just wants to prove that he is better than others. It’s not his fault. He just has a very capable grandfather. He doesn’t want to tarnish his grandfather’s reputation, so he acts like this. His grandfather is a respectable and admirable person. Do you know that?” Master patiently explained to me. I felt a little warm in my heart. My master has more or less the character of a master. I have been with him for so many years. He never explains too much about the things he wants me to do, but lets me figure it out myself. I think he is worried about me and feels that I have been wronged. When I thought of this, my anger was reduced by half, but I still said, “Master, you didn’t tell me who his grandfather was, so I’m sure I’m angry with him. “Sanwa, his grandfather is certainly the reason I don’t want to argue with him, but the more important reason is that our academic method of cultivating power is not used to fight with others. It doesn’t matter who he wants to put pressure on. Simply put, if you care, you will feel angry, and if he really puts pressure on you, what if you don’t care?” The master looked at me and said calmly. I thought about it seriously. Yes, what if I don’t care? If I fight with someone who is not even worthy of the fame, I’m afraid I’m a fool. When I thought about it, I felt relieved. It turned out that this was not a sign of weakness, but an attitude. No matter what others do, I will remain calm! I figured it out, but with my hot temper and sensitive personality, it may not be easy to do in the years to come. It’s just that I easily care about others. As soon as I care about them, my emotions will be affected. But that’s something for later. I don’t have that much experience right now. I felt relieved, and then I remembered what the master had said about trouble. I couldn’t help but ask, “Master, where is the trouble you were talking about?” The Master laughed and said, “It’s right above your head!” I was shocked, looked up, and suddenly felt a chill down my neck, because on the large beam of the roof, there was a large snake! I had been standing right under this thing and talking to Master for a long time! I have seen snake spirits before, so I’m not afraid of snakes. But it’s not true that I’m calm when I suddenly see one. And I was born in the countryside, so I know the habits of snakes very well. Don’t look at it lounging around during the day, motionless. But at night, this guy will be active. No wonder Master said this was a problem. “It’s just a black-tailed snake, but it’s grown so big. It seems that the yin energy really nourishes them. It also has white marks on its body. It was originally a non-venomous snake, but now that the yin energy has entered its body, it’s enough to bite someone.” The master said simply. I have of course seen black-tailed snakes. There are many in the rural areas of Sichuan. The big ones can be as long as two meters. During the famine years, people did not eat black-tailed snakes. However, because this snake also had pale white lines on its body, I didn’t recognize it for a while. “Master, you said it was so powerful. What’s the point of me coming in? I can’t fight snakes. I can’t even fight ordinary black-tailed snakes.” I said with a look of apology. “Cut the crap.” The master grabbed me and took the bamboo tube out of my body, then poured out a handful of powder and threw it hard at the beam with all his strength. The powder of course scattered in the middle of the way, but the room was suddenly filled with the special smell of the powder. The black-tailed snake that was originally calmly coiled on the beam suddenly looked up and suddenly raised its head, as terrifying as it could be. Now it’s all over. I glared at the master in anger, but he just handed me the bamboo tube and said, “Don’t underestimate Master Wu’s snake repellent.” Sure enough, after a short while, the snake fell down with a weak sound. I jumped back in horror, almost falling on top of it. Then the snake struggled for a while and began to panic and flee outside the house. I heard people outside exclaiming, “A three-meter-long snake!” Then I heard my sister-in-law scream. Haha, women are really timid, I thought to myself. My master looked at me with a faint smile and said, “What are you laughing at? It’s a big spider that’s crawling on the beam!” I didn’t say anything. What kind of a rotten master is this? Does he take pleasure in bullying his apprentices? But, the house was finally cleaned up, and we were going to spend our first night in the deserted village. Chapter 42: A night in the deserted village A simple stove was built in the room, and the warm firelight jumped in the stove, warming everyone. It was clearly summer, but it was cold in the house, and we even needed the warmth of the fire. There was a pot on the stove, and in it were some compressed biscuits. They weren’t very tasty, but they were better when you added some water and cooked them into a paste. Qin Huai and the other person were tearing meat jerky apart, adding water to the pot while occasionally throwing in some meat jerky. “This stuff should be delicious, right?” Qin Huai spoke loudly. But there was nothing to be done about it. Somehow, in this village, at night, a strange wind would blow, sounding eerie, like someone crying. The so-called “eerie wind” refers to this, right? So Qin Huai had to speak loudly so that people could hear him clearly. “Stop yelling. Someone go close the door,” the master said. But when everyone looked at me and I looked at everyone, no one moved. There was nothing I could do. This desolate village gave off a really scary vibe. Even though some of the people in the group were battle-hardened “agents” and some were genuine “taoists,” they were still scared. After all, fear is human nature, it is something that is in the bones. No matter how brave a person is, there is a limit. Beyond this limit, he will still be afraid. “There are no ghosts, so what are you afraid of? It’s just that the atmosphere is too heavy.” Seeing this situation, Yuan Yi said a sentence, got up and closed the door, then sat back in the corner and began to meditate, think, and practice qigong. This person is very diligent. When I heard him practice, his breath was long, and he could breathe in and out for more than a minute at a time. I suddenly felt that this person really had some skills. Qigong could be practiced to such a level, much better than me. It seems that he is not arrogant without any capital. When I think of this, I feel a little less contempt for him. The door closed, and the room suddenly became much quieter. The meat and dried meat were almost ready, and someone stood up and scooped some into everyone’s lunch box. It was a bit cold in the room, but after eating the warm food, I felt much better. Actually, to be honest, the paste was quite fragrant. The dried meat had been cooked in it, so it wasn’t so dry and hard to swallow, and the fragrance had also spread out. “I thought I could eat fresh roast meat. I longed for this kind of life in the wild.” Qin Huai sat next to me, eating the paste in the lunch box while complaining. “Come on, do you want to eat grilled rat? My master said that there are probably no animals in this area, except for snakes and rats, and there are also insects that like the shade.” I mercilessly criticized Qinhuai. However, this is also true. This area is infested with negative energy, and most animals have long since left, except for those that are naturally attracted to the dark, such as centipedes, spiders, and millipedes. As for animals, I guess it’s just snakes and rats, and this place doesn’t affect them much. “No way! I don’t believe it. There are so many mountains, and there’s no animal here. Who are you trying to fool?” Qin Huai didn’t believe this. “Don’t believe it.” I don’t bother to argue with him. In fact, in the next few days, Qin Huai will have an experience of the abnormal horror. The master ignored Qin Huai and I and was talking to a few other people, including Sun Qiang’s grandfather, Old Sun. He said, “Fortunately, this place is surrounded by mountains, and the road to the village where the accident happened is not open, so it hasn’t damaged the mountain terrain. If it weren’t for the layers of mountains blocking the evil spirits, I think if it had spread, things would have gotten worse.” “Yes, but if that were the case, the state would have dealt with this long ago, and it wouldn’t have waited until now.” Old Sun Tou said in response. “Wasn’t there something bigger going on at the time? Here, try my tobacco leaves.” My master said as he rolled up a tobacco leaf and gave Lao Sun a roll as well. The two old men smoked their pipes comfortably, but the tobacco leaves had a strange fragrance that was not too pungent in the closed room. “However, the most fortunate thing is that the mountain that enters this area is large enough to completely block the negative energy here, although it has weakened a lot of negative energy! This is the arrangement of heaven! It is said that heaven and earth are not benevolent, but in fact, the benevolence of heaven and earth is great benevolence, but it does not fall on ordinary people, and ordinary people cannot feel it.” My master took a puff of tobacco and said leisurely. “Yes, although the laws of heaven are ruthless, the word “benevolence” is also engraved in the laws, otherwise there would be no good deeds that bring good fortune, and no evil deeds that bring evil retribution.” Another person added, “This person is also a Taoist priest. “Haha, there is a saying that killing one person is evil, but killing hundreds of people and gods and ghosts will not come near, causing many people to misunderstand that small evils will be unlucky, but great evils will be transcendent. They cannot see that some people will suffer in this life and in future lives. Even if they are forced to be human again, they will be bound by karma and cannot be liberated! I always feel that the world is becoming more and more biased, and some selfish and indifferent views are easily accepted by people.” The master was a bit emotional. “What can be done about this? People always have to go through a lot of twists and turns, and even fall and hit their heads until they understand some truths. They only look at the person’s former glory, regardless of the consequences of the next life, and don’t think about the consequences for their descendants. What can be done about this? People’s hearts are impetuous, and they only care about me for a few decades. “Let’s not talk about this anymore. Master Jiang, is this wind caused by the blocked yin qi?” Someone simply changed the subject, thinking that the topic was too heavy. After all, there was nothing to be done about it. “Yes, at night, the yin energy is strong, and it can’t get out, so naturally it forms a wind.” The master simply replied. As he spoke, the wind grew stronger, blowing the decaying gate in the courtyard and the windows in the house, ‘bang bang bang,’ as if there were many people knocking on the door. Qin Huai, who had experienced this before, could not help but lean closer to me and said, “Chengyi, this joke is too big. Is the angry ghost here?” I didn’t even look up and said, “It’s just the wind. The angry ghost didn’t come, but I guess there are a lot of angry ghosts in the village where the accident happened!” “I’m not going to that village!” Qin Huai shouted. My master gave him a sideways glance and said, “We never intended for you to go. We’re going to set up a command headquarters in the neighboring village of that village, so you can stay there and don’t have to go to that village.” “No, I have to go. I feel safe when I’m with Master Jiang.” Qin Huai refused. “Security? That village has been closed off for decades, and I don’t know what it’s like inside. I won’t be able to take care of you.” My master said in an unmistakable tone, and then he added, “Not only you, Yang Sheng, Jingyi also has to stay in the headquarters. Every time I’ll leave two soldiers there, and there’s also a Taoist… backbone from our department there. That’s it.” “Master Jiang, since the situation is so serious, are a dozen of us enough?” A soldier who had been polishing his gun couldn’t help but ask. Although he didn’t know any Taoist magic, he had followed through on dangerous missions several times and had seen many miraculous things. He wasn’t afraid, but this time, before they even reached their destination, the situation made him feel uneasy. “Why isn’t it enough? Are you looking down on us?” Yuan Yi, who had been very quiet, suddenly spoke up. My master said, “After all, this place has been abandoned for decades, and it’s hard to judge what the situation is. If it’s within our capabilities, of course it’s best if we can solve it without making a sound. If it’s really difficult, I’ll notify the higher-ups.” This time, we were equipped with a radio telegraph to notify the higher authorities at any time, but… we really didn’t expect the situation after that. Yuan Yi snorted at my master’s statement, saying, “It’s just a bluff. There’s a way to counter everything. If you let it get too arrogant, there’s always someone who can fix it!” “Oh, what about the Drought Spirit?” I suddenly asked. Actually, I don’t know much about zombies, but I’ve been studying up on them recently and I’ve heard some legends. I know that the Drought Demon is the most powerful zombie, but I think the legends about the demon horse are nonsense! I wasn’t trying to be a smart-ass. He said that everything has its counterpoint. I was just curious. Anyway, I haven’t seen any good way to deal with the drought demon. The records are also vague and cannot be verified. Yuan Yi was furious and said, “Did you do it on purpose? Does that kind of thing still exist in society?” Chapter 43: The same dream Facing Yuan Yi’s anger, I of course would not care. I didn’t mean to ask in the first place, and my master had explained it to me patiently, so I said calmly, “I just wanted to ask what methods the Drought Demon has to deal with it?” Yuan Yi’s face turned pale, and he said, “In the records of the countryside, whenever there was a drought, people would dig up graves everywhere, looking for corpses with signs of corpse transformation to burn, in order to eliminate the drought demon. However, as you know, this kind of record is not reliable. When a corpse reaches the level of a drought demon, it is already not afraid of mortal fire, and it is not even afraid of sunlight. My family is a family of Daoist scholars, and what we have learned is passed down from generation to generation. In my family…” At this point, Yuan Yi paused, as if hesitating about something. But he finally said, “In my family’s record book, an ancestor once encountered a vampire that was about to evolve into a drought demon during the early Qing Dynasty. At that time, he gathered help from various Taoist friends to try to destroy it. As a result, 26 people went, 17 died, including my ancestor! Those who survived said that they were lucky, and when both sides were injured, the thunder from heaven fell and killed the vampire. This incident was recorded by another ancestor of mine. If it really was a drought demon, more than a dozen of us wouldn’t have been enough to see it.” My master squinted, took a puff of smoke, and said, “It can’t be the Drought Demon. The most basic characteristic of the Drought Demon is that it causes a drought. Look, the water is still wet here! Don’t listen to my disciple’s nonsense! Besides, you also know the situation of the old village chief…” Yuan Yi frowned and said, “Yes, this old village chief is a special case. There have been very few recorded cases throughout history, and even the few cases that have been recorded are all about the magpie taking the magpie’s nest. The only case that can be referred to is actually…” Yuan Yi seemed to be in a lot of pain as he spoke, unable to continue, and instead completely lost in thought. “What is the only example that can be referred to?” I asked anxiously. “It was in the Ming Dynasty. A man came back to life to take revenge. After he was done, he disappeared. Later, a capable person in the Ming Dynasty found the monster and killed him with great magical power.” Yuan Yi didn’t say anything, but the master said, “They all referred to more reliable information. It seems that they have all referred to more reliable information. No wonder they have a headache. What does it mean to kill with great magical power? Isn’t it the same as saying nothing? “But no matter what, it is still a zombie, and as long as it is a zombie, there is a way to deal with it! Of course, the Drought Demon does not count! Because the old village chief could not be the Drought Demon, the Drought Demon is a self-cultivating 7 spirits, has already cultivated a complete set, and has begun to have wisdom, and its own soul is also faintly cultivated. The old village chief’s three souls and seven spirits are not scattered, so it cannot be the Drought Demon.” Yuan Yi looked up and suddenly said firmly, of course he was afraid that I would mention the drought again, so he simply explained it once. At this point, everyone had finished eating, and surrounded by the warm glow of the fire, everyone was starting to feel sleepy, after all, it had been a long day. After Yuan Yi finished speaking, no one said anything else, everyone assigned their own room, and everyone went to sleep in their sleeping bags. The wind, which had been so frightening, was also ignored by everyone. After all, they were tired… I slept surprisingly well, at least I slept very well, so I was late for work in the morning. When I opened my eyes, the sun was already shining brightly. I was afraid that my master would be angry, so I quickly got up, washed up, and hurriedly began my morning exercises. But at this time I realized that besides me, only Yuan Yi and my master were up. “Master, I…” I saw that my master’s face was rather serious, so I hurriedly explained. But my master asked me, “Did you sleep well last night? You should have slept well.” What does this mean? I said in a daze, “I slept very well, until dawn. Master, what do you mean? Did someone not sleep well?” “I think no one slept well except the three of us.” Yuan Yi said this, and my master just frowned and didn’t say anything. “How do you know?” I was surprised. How can you tell if someone sleeps well or not? “Look at them!” my master said. I turned my head and sure enough, everyone was frowning and struggling to sleep. Some were so serious that they had sweat on their foreheads. Sure enough, even a fool could tell that they weren’t sleeping well. I saw Qin Huai, who seemed to be the one struggling the most, and couldn’t help but walk over to him. I touched his forehead and it was a little cool. “Master, why don’t you wake them up?” I was a little worried. I didn’t think Qinhuai had a cold or anything. This was obviously a manifestation of yin energy entering the body. “I originally wanted them to rest a little longer, but it seems that they are still in a nightmare in the morning. Wake them up! It’s not good to sleep for too long in a place with too much negative energy.” Master sighed. Then I started to wake everyone up one by one. Everyone looked relieved when they woke up. Especially Qin Huai, after feeling a little better, said loudly, “I was very upset last night. I heard someone telling me to go back all night. I opened my eyes wide and tried to see, but I couldn’t see clearly!” Qin Huai shouted, and Sun Qiang, who was sleeping next to him, suddenly asked with a surprised look on his face: “Brother, did you dream about this?” Under Qin Huai’s ‘power of seduction’, Sun Qiang was ‘forced’ to call him brother. Of course, I am a good person, and Sun Qiang called me brother of his own free will. When Sun Qiang shouted, everyone noticed, even my master and Yuan Yi. Sun Qiang said, “Brother, I also dreamed that someone told us to leave. Was the person in a very vague environment, and was the figure unclear?” “Fuck, you didn’t have the same dream as me, did you? Can brothers have the same dream?” Qin Huai thought this was too fucking amazing. But before Qin Huai could finish his sigh, the people in the room said that they had also had the same dream. including my sister-in-law and Brother Sheng. However, Brother Sheng immediately began to think about why people would have the same dream, and how this could be explained biologically. It was his wife who suddenly became very frightened and said, “Master Jiang, I’m afraid we’ve come to the right place this time. It’s here, it’s definitely here!” “Sister-in-law, what is absolutely there?” Qin Huai had not yet reacted. “Jingyi is talking about the old village chief. Don’t you remember that story?” The master suddenly interrupted, and this sentence made everyone in the room quiet down. This story is at least familiar to everyone here. This silence represents a kind of fear. Even I couldn’t help but shiver. In that story, dreams were the beginning of all tragedies. Could it happen to us? After so many years, what has the old village chief become? “Well, since we’re going to find it, of course we’re not afraid to face it. I thought this thing would only be used when we entered the village.” As he spoke, the master took out a stack of paper charms and said, “Everyone take one and fold it into a triangle. Carry it with you, but don’t let it get wet with sweat, okay?” I glanced at the talisman. Although it was just an ordinary yellow paper talisman, it was definitely not simple, because it was a peace talisman. Peace talismans originally had the effect of blocking evil spirits and the yin, but my master had drawn something on it to strengthen this effect. This was an extremely difficult compound talisman. My master had actually prepared this? Yuan Yi also glanced at the talisman in my master’s hand, and a feeling of defeat suddenly appeared on his face. I stood next to him and heard him mutter, “All the apprentices of this branch of the Li family are geniuses?” I was secretly pleased, but I still kept my composure. Qinhuai was the first to stand up and took my master’s talisman. He said in a trembling voice, “Master Jiang, I’m not joking. I really don’t want to have the same dream anymore. Can this talisman help me with that?” It seems that the phenomenon of the same dream in the story has left a deep shadow on Qin Huai. “Don’t worry, once the evil spirits are blocked, there will be no more such phenomena. Keep it well,” said the master calmly. Qin Huai immediately put the talisman away like a treasure. I was quite proud, because I didn’t have such dreams. Here, only Master and Yuan Yi could do this, which meant that I was still a master. Master seemed to read my thoughts and said calmly, “You don’t need to be proud. No one with a tiger claw like yours hanging around their neck would have this dream.” Chapter 44: The Yin Qi takes shape Continuing to walk on the overgrown path, the atmosphere was unusually silent. Even Qin Huai lost his interest in talking. Most people didn’t get a good night’s rest last night, and today they were rushing along in such a hurry that no one had the energy to talk anymore. These villages are built next to each other, so they are not too far apart, but after passing through one village after another, the master did not give any indication that he would let everyone rest. Even lunch was eaten in a hurry, with compressed biscuits and a little water. In fact, we only had a half-hour break for lunch. Except for Qin Huai, who was a playboy, everyone’s physical fitness was not bad, but mental exhaustion was often more tiring than physical exhaustion. Finally, someone couldn’t help but say, “Master Jiang, I really can’t take it anymore. Let’s take a break?” The master said almost without hesitation, “Rest when we get there.” People were a little dissatisfied, but after all, my master was the mainstay of this operation. Although this department was superficially loose, it was actually managed like an army. Even Yuan Yi could vent his dissatisfaction and show his desire to be the “big boss,” but he would never dare disobey orders. But at this time, I was holding Qinhuai’s hand as we walked along the road, and I also felt that my master was a bit inhumane. Sichuan is already very hot in the summer, and the mid-summer sun is so fierce. The road has been abandoned for decades and is not even a road. It is overgrown with weeds and thorns, and every step is difficult. Why didn’t Master give us a break? In particular, we had brought some water, but the master told us not to drink it, and told us to save it. When we drank water, he would go find some water, then use water purification tablets to treat it, boil it, and then throw in a talisman before letting us drink it. It was so bitter. On such a hot day, we had to drink boiled water, or water with the ashes of the talisman thrown in. Especially when we were thirsty and wanted to drink… The master didn’t explain anything, just gave his orders. I was a bit dissatisfied, so I thought Yuan Yi would say something, but Yuan Yi didn’t have any opinions this time, silently carrying out every decision of the master. Qinhuai couldn’t stand it anymore. He whispered in my ear, “Chengyi, I don’t think these legs are even mine anymore. They’re burning with pain.” I looked down and sure enough, Qinhuai’s pants were all ripped, with a series of cuts and bloodstains on his legs. The road was really difficult to walk on. I didn’t want to cause trouble for the master, but I was also concerned about Qinhuai. I couldn’t help but shout, “Master, can you take a break? Qinhuai can’t hold on anymore.” The master was still the same, walking at the front without looking back, and only said to me, “No.” I was helpless, so I simply picked Qinhuai up on my back and said, “Buddy, take a break. We’re almost there.” The people around me saw this situation and were silent. Even the apprentice directly refused. They had nothing to hope for. The master also knew that I had carried Qinhuai on my back, but he didn’t even pause for a moment, just kept walking. Fortunately, I have been practicing since I was young and have a good physique. Although I was tired carrying Qinhuai, I could still persevere with my teeth clenched. He is my friend, and I couldn’t just leave him behind. After all, many things people do are not supported by physical strength, but by a will. So we walked in silence, and in order to get to our destination sooner, we didn’t even eat dinner. Finally, in the evening, we arrived at our destination鈥攖he village next to the village where the accident occurred! It was the place where the four people who had escaped from the village had settled down, and it was also the village closest to the village where the accident had happened. However, as soon as we entered the village, we noticed a strange phenomenon. On summer evenings, the village was shrouded in a misty haze. If you say it exists, you can’t feel it in front of you. If you say it doesn’t exist, the entire village is shrouded in a haze, as if covered by a veil. What’s more depressing is that it’s summer, but as soon as you walk into the village, you feel cold. My bare arms actually got goosebumps, and standing here is just like standing in the autumn wilderness. The master looked up with a heavy expression. In this situation, I would usually look at the master habitually because I was unsure of what to do, so I wanted to see the master’s expression. I saw that the Master’s face was heavy, and my heart followed suit. In particular, where his gaze fell was the mountain that separated the village. I followed his gaze and saw that the mountain was actually shrouded in white mist. The foot of the mountain was fine, but the mist at the top of the mountain was so thick that it seemed impossible to see through. This? I was shocked. This mist has appeared many times in the story, but according to the clues, it was deliberately done by the old village chief. What is going on now that it is shrouding the mountain? I had an answer, but I didn’t dare to say it. Yuan Yi stood in front of me at some point and stared at the mountain, saying, “The evil spirits have taken shape. How fierce is this ghost? It’s worse than I expected yesterday.” I heard most of what Yuan Yi said, and everyone’s heart sank. I originally thought that a dozen people were enough, but I didn’t expect to face this situation and find that we were like being abandoned on a deserted island, with danger everywhere. I really wanted to ask the master to quickly go and ask for help. The master looked at the mountain for a long time and finally said, “Let’s go and find a place to stay.” At this point, the role of the mainstay finally came into play. Although Master was very heavy, he was not the least bit panicked, and he clearly knew what to do next, which somewhat comforted everyone. My heart also felt relieved. The fact that the master didn’t tell us to retreat quickly meant that there was at least a chance of turning things around. Carrying Qin Huai, I followed the master’s footsteps. In the end, the place we found to stay was the former village chief’s office, which Master insisted on choosing. Compared to residential buildings, the office was indeed not convenient. There was no stove, no bed, no household utensils, only chairs and tables. I have followed Master for so many years, so I know what he is doing. The three places with the most yang energy are always office buildings, police stations, and schools. After all, the first two places are state institutions, so they are imbued with some national fortune, which can also be used to suppress evil! As for schools, after all, children are purer than adults, and yang fire is also exceptionally pure, which can also suppress evil! Master is taking advantage of all the advantages! When we arrived at the site, Master told us to clean up the place, at least get rid of the snakes, insects, rodents, and weeds. Actually, I didn’t say anything. I just saw a white-bellied grasshopper in the grass! You know, we all have insect repellent powder on us, but this bug didn’t even move away! It can be seen that the environment has nourished them so much that they are so reliant! “Sanwa, use your powder to mix with everyone’s powder to repel insects. Try not to kill them, especially snakes. I don’t want to cause trouble,” the master told me. Then he looked at Yuan Yi and said, “You and I will set up a formation together.” I collected the powder and carefully poured some out of the bamboo tube. Poor me, I had kept the powder in the bamboo tube for more than ten years, but after arriving here, I had used almost one sixth of it. After mixing the powder, I gave it to someone who wasn’t afraid of bugs to sprinkle it around. Because of the powder I added, a little bit was enough to work. Then, we witnessed the scene of the insects swarming out again. Unlike the insects in the village, the insects here were almost half-white. When the master saw this scene, his face was unusually heavy. I heard him mutter, “These insects cannot be left.” But there were thousands of them, so how could they all be dealt with? I had a headache just thinking about it, but then a spider crawled past my feet and scared me so much that I couldn’t speak. Slowly, a snake crawled out. At this point, I realized that this house was not just any house. There were two poisonous snakes mixed in with it. The silver-ringed snake was not to be mentioned. It already had pale white stripes on its body. At worst, these stripes would become larger, almost turning it into a white snake. But the golden rings of the golden ring snake were also mixed with pale white, which was enough to scare people. At this time, a scream sounded, and I called the person who came to get rid of the insects. He held his hand tightly and ran out, jumping. Chapter 45: The King of Insects The master stared at the man’s wound, his face turning extremely ugly. No one expected that someone would be injured here before they officially entered the village. The one who bit him was a small gray spider. Compared to the “insect tide” that had just emerged, this spider was not big at all, just the size of an ordinary spider. And now the body of the culprit is lying quietly on the ground, because the master rushed over as soon as he discovered it, flicked the spider with two fingers, and then pinched the man’s acupuncture points to prevent the poisonous blood from flowing through his body with the pulse. But at this moment, looking at the man’s wound, Master’s face was so ugly! Because the wound had swollen up in the first place, turning a strange pale purple. “Knife.” The master simply ordered. Someone quickly handed him a knife. The master looked at the bitten man and said, “Bear with it.” Then he started, without hesitation, to make a cross-shaped incision in the swollen wound of the man, and then poked many small holes around the wound. In an instant, the man’s wound began to gush out a large amount of blood, but the color of the blood made me stare in disbelief. It was a deep pink mixed with a little black, and the two colors together were quite disgusting. How could it be this color? But now is obviously not the time to ask more questions! “It’s cold, Master Jiang, I’m cold…” After releasing the poisonous blood, the man finally spoke. I didn’t expect that in the middle of summer, someone would say cold as soon as they opened their mouth, although this village is not exactly hot. “In the end, not all the blood was sealed, and some of the poison still flowed in the body.” The master said one sentence, and then whispered another: “If Ling Qing were here, it would be great.” “Then Master Jiang, will I die?” The man looked at the master and suddenly tears fell from his eyes. Such a big man, he suddenly cried like a child. In fact, if it were me, I would cry too. It doesn’t matter if you were killed by a zombie or bitten to death by a spider. “You won’t die. You can rest here for a few days, and when we’ve finished, we’ll take you out of the village.” The master said. When the master said this, the man gradually stopped crying. It was very simple. My master would not easily make a definite conclusion. If he said it would not happen, it would be very convincing that it would not happen. After finding a clean place, the master asked the man to sit down. After seeing the blood was bright red, he grabbed the man’s hand and forcibly made a hand gesture that was not too complicated. This hand technique is known to almost everyone in the Shanzi school. It is a very effective technique that has been used since ancient times to stop bleeding. After stopping the bleeding, I saw the master use a “magic wand” for the first time. He burned two talismans, one of which he made into a talisman water for the man to drink, and the other he sprinkled the ashes of the talisman on the man’s wound. I recognized the talisman. It was a talisman that enhances one’s own yang energy and resists yin energy. To put it plainly, it is a talisman that wards off ghosts. If you wear it, ordinary ghosts won’t come near you. When you encounter a powerful opponent, you can also use it to attack. I didn’t expect my master to use the talisman like this. Although we have been drinking the talisman water all day, my master once said, “The talisman’s effect is almost worn, pasted, and will be activated. If you are sick, you still have to go to the hospital. Drinking the talisman water is nonsense.” I patiently watched the master finish all this. In the end, the master let him sleep in a sleeping bag, covered him with a special layer, built a fire next to him, and then ordered someone to boil a bowl of ginger soup for him. Fortunately, we had some ginger with us, after all, it was a village in the mountains, so we had to protect ourselves from dampness! Otherwise, who would bring ginger in the middle of summer? After drinking the ginger soup, the man fell asleep in a daze, and the master then left, telling everyone to quickly clean up the place. An hour later, we had cleaned up a large office because the master decided that everyone should sleep in one room. He said, “There are many people, and the yang energy is strong, which is better for those who are injured.” After tidying up the room, everyone set up a small stove in the room, put in the same amount of anthracite, lit a fire, and carried the man to the fire. But Master and Yuan Yi could not rest yet. At this time, they were busy setting up the formation outside. This time, I found that Yuan Yi and Master were discussing things. When the formation was set up and the final item was placed in the center, I felt a burst of clarity. When I thought about the reason, it turned out that the mist that seemed to be there but not there had disappeared. However, if you look a little farther, the entire village is still shrouded in this mist. The master came in and said, “The yin energy has been temporarily blocked here, so you can finally rest with peace of mind.” Seeing the master come in, Shengge, who was originally busy with another person installing the equipment, came over and handed a transparent plastic bag to the master to look at, then said, “Master Jiang, this is a very common white-bellied spider, it’s just a little scary looking, but it’s almost non-toxic, and it’s timid by nature, so how could it have the courage to bite people?” Master said, “Because it is the ‘king of insects’ here! It absorbs the most negative energy! Haven’t you seen that it is gray all over? In a few decades, I’m afraid that a natural ‘yin gu’ will be bred here, which is the white bug I mentioned. It will be a disaster. Negative energy is not that simple. It also contains a lot of negative emotions. If you absorb too much, you will be affected. People will change their temperament drastically, not to mention a bug.” “Contains negative emotions?” Brother Sheng scratched his head and said, “I really can’t understand what this yin energy is. Can it also contain emotions?” “You don’t need to understand, and you don’t need to imagine that you can capture a piece of yin energy, put it under a microscope, and then analyze the composition with various chemical reagents.” The master said calmly. Brother Sheng adjusted his glasses and looked at the master in surprise, saying, “Master Jiang, you’re amazing. How did you know what I was thinking?” The master was speechless. Does this kid really think that way? 鈥烩€烩€� Everyone was exhausted that night. When the food was cooked and the aroma filled the room, everyone had a moment of relaxation. Some people enjoyed smoking, some people whispered to each other, and some people were picking at the blisters on their feet. After all, it was normal to get a few blisters after walking for a day. The wind outside began to blow, and faint cries of distress could be heard. Fortunately, we were inside the formation set up by Master and Yuan Yi, so the wind didn’t blow towards us at all, as if it was deliberately avoiding us. Although I didn’t feel like it was summer, it was much better than the cold outside. Qinhuai also recovered. He lit a cigarette, put it in my mouth, lit one for himself, and looked at me with concern. After all, I had never smoked in front of him before, but he just looked at me and said nothing. I also relaxed. After all, in this tense and exhausting environment, a cigarette is a good source of support. “Chengyi, there really isn’t any game here. I’m desperate. Today, we marched in a hurry, passing the foot of several mountains, but I didn’t hear a single bird chirp.” After relaxing, Qinhuai started to talk more. I leaned against the wall, squinting, holding a cigarette, and said wearily, “I told you so, but you didn’t believe me.” “Speaking of which, Master Jiang was really ruthless today. I never thought that Master Jiang had such a manly side.” Qin Huai chuckled. I actually understood what the boy was thinking. He was complaining, but he was afraid of my master and dared only to complain in a small way by praising him. Of course, my master, who was sitting not far away, heard this. He glared at Qin Huai and said, “I’ve always been a man. Don’t you dare praise me in a subtle way. Do you think I can’t tell?” Qin Huai was afraid of offending my master, so he immediately smiled and said, “That’s right, Master Jiang, you have always been a role model for men! When you stand there, in comparison, there are no men around, and all of them become big girls in front of you. Especially today, that man’s style is like the King of Western Chu. I thought Master Jiang was possessed by him.” I was smoking, laughing with my eyes closed. Qin Huai was so full of shit that even I found it funny. When my master stood there, there were no men around. I have been following my master for so many years, haven’t I been a ‘girl’ for so many years? If I weren’t so tired now, I could get up and beat Qin Huai up. The people in the room all laughed when they heard Qin Huai’s nonsense. The master also laughed and said, “Don’t beat around the bush. I don’t buy it. Do you want to know why I did that today? Right?” Qin Huai nodded and said with a thumbs up, “Master Jiang is smart…” Not only him, but everyone in the room looked at my master. To be honest, my master is not a soft-hearted person, but he is definitely not a domineering and unreasonable person who does not care about others. Everyone was curious as to why he suddenly acted like this today. Except for Yuan Yi, he wasn’t curious at all. I guess this guy knows the reason. Chapter 46: Departure But Master didn’t say anything himself, only saying, “Yuan Yi, you can speak too.” This was an invisible encouragement to Yuan Yi, and also established a certain amount of prestige for him. After all, Yuan Yi’s personality had offended almost everyone along the way. Master didn’t want to see this. While helping Yuan Yi to ease his relationship with everyone, he also thought that Yuan Yi was a capable person who deserved a corresponding status. This is my master. He never says anything nice, and he doesn’t like to make things obvious. His thoughtfulness and care are always silent, but they make people feel warm. Yuan Yi looked at my master gratefully. After all, he didn’t want to ruin his grandfather’s reputation. The helpless thing was that the more he cared, the worse he did. This time, my master helped him, and he could feel it. Yuan Yi said with a hint of embarrassment, “This area is full of negative energy, and when people sit down to rest or lie down, it is easy for the negative energy to enter the body without them realizing it! Yesterday, we stayed in the village overnight and already suffered this kind of harm. So, Master Jiang made everyone keep moving today because of this reason. After all, when people are walking, the blood and qi are flowing, and it is not easy for negative energy to invade.” Yuan Yi explained it very simply, but it was also very clear. Everyone finally understood my master’s intentions, but at the same time they sighed. It really takes a capable person to think so thoroughly. Yuan Yi really has two brushes, otherwise he wouldn’t be able to think with Master Jiang, and Master Jiang wouldn’t be able to find him to set up the formation. Seeing everyone’s admiring looks, Yuan Yi felt a little uncomfortable and coughed lightly. He had been in the company for six years, and he had always wanted to get such looks, but he had never been able to get them. He never thought that he would get them tonight, and Yuan Yi suddenly realized something. It turns out that human pride is never gained by saying anything or by adopting an aloof attitude. Instead, it is gained by doing real work. After a short moment of silence, Yuan Yi continued, “Water must be conserved because the water in this area is definitely contaminated with a lot of negative energy. Drinking it would not be a good thing in combination with the environment here. Boiling it to drink can slightly dispel some of the negative energy. As for the talisman, you all know why it is placed here, right? In this area, it is too late to replenish yang and positive energy, so how can it be contaminated with something that has a little bit of negative energy?” This also explains why the master told us to drink the water with the talisman along the way. The night was getting darker and darker. After dinner, everyone went to bed. I couldn’t sleep, thinking about what the master had said: only five people could go into the village at a time. I don’t know what my character is like. I’m obviously scared, but my curiosity always outweighs my fear. This was the case when I was a child at the Hungry Ghost Tomb. I was thinking about it when I heard the Master say to the person on night watch, “Pay attention to any movement at night. The fire cannot be extinguished, and the injured cannot be separated from the fire. Also, move over there a little. Use the anthracite sparingly. Add firewood at night. There is smoke, and it will smoke everyone.” I don’t know why, but when I heard the master’s voice, I felt extraordinarily at ease. I couldn’t sleep at first, but suddenly I felt sleepy and slept very peacefully. 鈥烩€烩€� The next day, when I opened my eyes, the sun was just right, and even the mist-shrouded village was unusually clear. After getting up, I found that everyone had already gotten up, and no one was complaining about having the same dream. I felt a little sad. If my master had been there when the tragedy happened in the village, it would have been great, wouldn’t it? At least he could have prevented a lot of things from happening. I began to wash up, and Qin Huai said to me, “Buddy, I think my glasses are broken. I keep seeing the mist on the mountain as a purple-red color.” What? I was surprised. I looked at it with my toothbrush in my mouth, and sure enough, the mist on the mountain was a strange purple-red color. It was very faint, but I could see it. I quickly spit out the toothpaste foam in my mouth, gargled, and then shouted, “Master!” I turned around and saw that my master was right in front of me. He said, “What’s the big deal? This isn’t real fog. It’s the result of the transformation of negative energy. The purple-red color is caused by the fact that the red is too strong, which makes it purple. It’s all about red and purple, you know?” “Master, what does this have to do with red and purple?” I was puzzled. “You’re really cooperative when I say you’re stupid. Didn’t I explain it already? The red is too heavy, so it turns purple. That’s blood, understand? So many people have died, and there’s blood in the air.” The master calmly explained. I listened, looked at the fog with some trepidation, and found that my heart inexplicably beat a little faster! A hundred people is a lot, but they must have died a very cruel death for the blood to rise so high. From the description of the master, it is difficult for me to understand what the scene was like, but from the fog I can understand a little. After breakfast, the master began to speak. He said, “We will climb the mountain in the morning and climb over before 12 noon. Then we will survey the village for three hours and return before 6 p.m. The task is to describe the terrain of the village in detail, leaving no corner unchecked.” The master is giving out assignments. After the assignments are given out, he starts to call the names of the people. Those who are good at drawing maps must be brought along. This time, the master chose a few agents who were good at this, so he called two agents. Then, the master called on a Taoist, after all, he needed someone to help him. There was still one vacancy left, and many people didn’t want to go, but many people also wanted to go. The master hadn’t even had time to speak. I, Yuan Yi, Sheng Ge, and Qin Huai all shouted at the same time, “I want to go.” Master said, “Yuan Yi, it’s not necessarily peaceful here. You and I must leave one of us to guard the place during the survey. Qin Huai, Yang Sheng, you don’t have to go. Are you going to die?” The only one left was me, and I immediately became smug. Master looked at me and said, “The situation inside is complicated. Remember to protect yourself and don’t rely on me for everything.” I pounded my chest and said loudly, “Don’t worry, Master.” Having just learned the art of summoning spirits, I felt that I still had some ability. The master nodded, which was tacit approval. Soon, the five of us had packed our bags. The two special forces soldiers, both armed with machine guns and pistols, looked very imposing. They were carrying some tools on their backs, presumably for surveying the terrain. As for the three of us Taoist priests, it was much simpler. Each of us had a yellow cloth bag, but the contents were complicated, so I won’t go into detail. The people who stayed behind were relieved, but some were still dissatisfied. Qin Huai was still muttering, “You can’t look at me with old eyes. I’m making progress. I’m definitely not a rich kid. I’m a working person with a simple temperament. I…” The master kicked Qin Huai in the butt and said, “Let’s go.” As soon as we stepped out of the formation, I felt a cold breeze blowing. Fortunately, it was a sunny morning, so the cold breeze wasn’t too bad. We followed the same path as yesterday, and it was a smooth ride. Master walked in front and said, “When we get to the foot of the mountain, Sanwa will separate your medicine powder into five packets. At this place, we must also guard against those poisonous insects. After being affected by the yin for too long, they are irrational. Fortunately, this medicine powder can still restrain them.” I remembered the white bugs from yesterday, and quickly nodded in agreement, not daring to be reluctant to the powder in the bamboo tube, thinking that I would be going back to Sichuan anyway, and after the task was completed, I would have to ask Master to find Old Wu and ask for more. After only ten minutes, we reached the foot of the mountain. This road was not the one we took yesterday, so it was still overgrown with weeds. The master was not in a hurry to move on, however. He looked at the mountain in front of him, and the fog was so thick that it was impossible to see through it. He turned around and said, “You all know that this fog is even worse than a ghost wall, and it has a confusing effect. Even if you are careful, it will still make people lose their way. The postman in the story is a good example. So many villagers lost their way while walking.” We all knew about this, but we weren’t panicking. The master must have a solution. Sure enough, the master took out a bundle of thin red string from the yellow cloth bag he was carrying. Chapter 47: Resentment enters the body The red rope was very long. Master first tied a knot in his own pulse gate, then left a gap, and tied a knot in the second person’s pulse gate. In this way, the pulse gates of the five of us were all tied with a knot by Master. The pulse points are connected to the heartbeat and represent anger. The anger of the five of us is locked in a line, which can also resist the gathering of negative energy. In addition, this will also keep us from getting lost, because the heartbeat is the strongest pulse, and I can feel you at any time. The master simply explained this and walked forward. We also hurried to keep up. We couldn’t not keep up. There was a 2-meter gap in the middle of the red rope. The first person had to walk, and we had to walk with them, or the rope would break. I thought, not without malice, that this was quite similar to the practice of carrying a corpse, dressed in a row. But I didn’t dare to say it. If I did, the other four would beat me up! To think of yourself as a corpse in such a scary place. We didn’t say a word the whole way, and soon we reached the foot of the mountain. The master stopped, looked at the mist-covered mountains, and then walked in without hesitation. We quickly followed. As soon as we set foot on the path up the mountain, the mist came rushing up like a stream, enveloping us. There was an indescribable chill in the mist, and I couldn’t help but shiver. Originally, the fog at the foot of the mountain was light, but I didn’t expect that once I entered, the fog was so thick that I could barely see the path under my feet, and even the people in front of me could only see a general picture. “Stop. Take out your things,” the master commanded. Then, we stopped immediately. One of the agents took out some clothes from his bag and gave us one each. Because of the rope knots on our hands, we could only put the clothes on, but at least they could keep us warm. Then he gave me a thing I didn’t see clearly. My master put a talisman on it and lit it. I could see it was a torch, but it was probably high-tech. Once the torch was lit, the fog dispersed a little, and the road became clearer. At least I, who was standing in the middle, could see the back of my master, who was walking in front of me. So, with my master holding the torch, we followed behind him, walking silently up the mountain. It was smooth, except that the mountain was really too quiet, and the whole journey was depressing. Not even a bird chirping, not even a breeze blowing, what kind of mountain road is this? This mountain is so full of negative energy, it can’t be that there’s no cargo at all, right? Just as I was thinking this, a centipede crawled past my feet, making me cry out in surprise. What the hell is this? A centipede that’s all white? The kind of insect that Master said, there are natural ones on this mountain? As soon as I shouted, everyone stopped walking. After all, everyone’s nerves were on edge walking on this mountain. Master asked, “Sanwa, what are you screaming about?” “Master, you said that miserable white bug, there it is.” I pointed to the centipede, which was now trying to burrow into the ground between the rocks. My master came over and took a look, and said, “Not yet. It’s just covered in white. That kind of white. If you ever have the chance to go to Miaojiang, you’ll never forget it. If we raise those kind of bugs here, we won’t have to climb this mountain. We won’t be able to get through! We’ll have to stay here! The best way is to burn the mountain down and throw a few bombs to flatten it.” The master’s words made me feel a little uneasy. I suddenly remembered what the master had said. If all these bugs had to be destroyed, did he have any plans to do so? I glanced at the master and was about to ask, but the master said, “Let’s go. If the bugs haven’t bitten you, don’t make a fuss.” In fact, in order to prevent bugs, we all tightened our pants and sleeves, and each of us had a bag of Lao Wu’s special snake repellent medicine, so we shouldn’t be bitten by bugs. The mountain road is difficult to traverse because it is, after all, uphill. Moreover, the mountain road is shrouded in mist, visibility is low, and it is overgrown with weeds! It is difficult to walk on a flat road with overgrown grass, let alone on a mountain road. So, after walking for nearly half an hour, we only reached the middle of the mountain. When we reached the halfway point, the fog was even thicker, and even the torches could not help much. It seemed that this was a dividing point. After arriving here, the concentration of negative energy increased by another level. Staying here gave one a feeling of being irritable. I knew very well that it was not just the evil spirits that were here, but only the resentment that could make people react like this. The master said, “It’s not good for anyone to stay here for too long. Follow me and get out of here as soon as possible.” Yes, it was very uncomfortable to stay here. Even if the master didn’t say it, we had to walk faster. So the five of us hurried along, picking up the pace a bit. I don’t know how long we walked for, but I could hear the heavy breathing of the two people in front and behind us. I heard the two agents in front and behind me. Master said that they didn’t understand metaphysics and Taoism, so the three of us Taoists were to surround them, so that if anything happened, we could protect them. At this time, I heard their breathing, and I felt that something was very wrong. Even if the mountain road is difficult to walk, the mountain is really not particularly high. Is it that tiring? I was thinking about it when I just wanted to look back, but I didn’t want the person behind me to pounce on me. I didn’t have time to defend myself and was suddenly knocked to the ground. When I struggled to look back, I saw the person raise his fist and punched me in the face. Fuck, I’m pissed off too. What is this? Suddenly hitting someone? But in the blink of an eye, I could only use my arms to protect my face. His fist hit my arm, and it hurt. He was a real agent, and his fist was really powerful. After taking a punch, I almost didn’t think about it, grabbed the man’s collar, and used my head to hit him. When it comes to fighting, when have I ever been the one to take the beating? With a muffled thud, the man took a blow to the head from me and fell backwards. I was also knocked unconscious by the blow, but after the dizziness passed, a wave of anger rushed to my head. I bit my teeth and rode on top of the man, raising my fist to beat him. Naturally, the man was also struggling desperately. At that moment, the two of us, both with bloodshot eyes, didn’t notice that the red rope had already been broken by us. At that moment, I was suddenly pulled away by a strong force. I roared with red eyes, “Fuck, which one is it? “Which one are you saying I am?” A loud shout came from my ear, like thunder rolling over the ground, which made my eardrums ache! This was the voice of the master. I felt my mind suddenly clear, and the impulse I had just felt was gone. I looked up, feeling a little guilty, but the master ignored me and grabbed another person, shouting, “Wake up.” This shout was even louder than the previous one, shaking people’s hearts. The man did indeed tremble, and suddenly looked at the master with some confusion, as if he didn’t know what he had just done. This is a unique Taoist metaphysical skill. Master mentioned it when telling the story of the founder of Taoism, and he also told me about it on ordinary days. Taoist yelling has different effects. It can wake people up from a confused state, and it is also one of the effects. However, it requires a high level of skill. The man came to his senses, and the master breathed a sigh of relief. At this point, I saw that the situation was really chaotic. The Taoist priest who was walking last was now holding the agent tightly, while the agent who had fought with me was sitting on the ground stupidly, and my master was helplessly watching all of this. I had already figured out what was going on. The two agents had accidentally absorbed the negative energy, which was why they had acted so violently. The one in front of me was definitely going to attack my master, but he was restrained. As for the one behind me, the target of his attack was of course me. I am young and hot-tempered, and the first thing that came to my mind was to fight back. But the way I fought back was to head-butt someone, which was tantamount to destroying my own spiritual platform. Then I also got it. This struggle, the red rope was naturally broken free! I felt a chill down my spine. I had only just started walking, and already I was so powerful? What would it be like if we walked to the other side of the mountain near the village? Would we ever get out? Chapter 48: Sealing and descending the mountain The master calmly re-tied the rope knots for everyone. Only the master was able to remain calm, while the rest of us, including me, were still in shock. Who could have expected that in the fog, we would be attacked without knowing it? “Wait a minute. It’s even more troublesome. Ma Le and Ma Xiao, you two just don’t understand metaphysics, you don’t know how to protect yourself, and you don’t know how to keep your spiritual awareness. So I’m going to seal your five senses. We’ll lead you down the mountain.” Master Bai said. I understand what my master means. In fact, whether it is resentment or negative energy, it all enters the human consciousness through human perception, with the goal of disturbing the human mind. As for the harm to the body, it is actually extremely slow. In other words, it is only when you stay in a place with a lot of negative energy and resentment for a long time that various diseases will appear in the body. “Okay, Master Jiang, we two brothers will listen to you.” Hearing my master’s decision, one of the agents said, it seems that they have great trust in my master. “You are brothers?” I thought they looked alike when I first saw them, but I didn’t realize it until I heard their names. This is not something I should be surprised about. The main reason is that this department is already relatively mysterious, and the probability of two brothers working for this department as agents at the same time is the same as winning the lottery many years later. “I’m Ma Le, and Ma Xiao is my cousin.” The agent who fought with me was a little embarrassed, but he said with a hint of pride. After all, anyone who heard about the two brothers would be surprised. It turns out that they are cousins. This is really not easy. As I was feeling sorry for them, my master already picked up the cinnabar pen and said, “Relax your whole body. I’m going to seal your five senses.” The two brothers trusted my master very much, so they closed their eyes and relaxed their bodies, allowing my master to write and draw on them with the cinnabar pen. I looked at the master curiously. First, he drew a strange symbol on the foreheads of the two brothers, then on the back of their heads, and then on the palms of their hands… I thought it was strange, and looked at the method. It was not at all a Taoist method. “Don’t be surprised. I learned this from the corpse-carriers. The best of them can temporarily turn a living person into a living corpse.” My master was busy working while he said this. The corpse-carrying people are that powerful? And they have this ability? When I have time, I’ll ask that kid Sun Qiang. Soon, the master finished working on the two brothers, Ma Le and Ma Xiao, and when the two brothers opened their eyes again, they looked confused. The master didn’t say much, took out two black cloths and wrapped them around Ma Le and Ma Xiao’s eyes and ears, and then took them on their way. At this point, it seemed that the two brothers’ footsteps were stiff, and they only knew to follow their master, just like corpses being driven. I never thought that before I went up the mountain, I thought that we were like a group of corpses that had risen up, but here, it actually turned out to be true. Life is really amazing. “Master, why are you walking so fast?” After sealing the five senses of the two brothers, I noticed that Master’s pace had obviously quickened, leaving me and the Taoist priest behind unable to keep up. But Master said, “You can’t block the five senses for too long. If you do, they’ll become vegetative.” I felt a little scared. Imagine if someone used these methods to harm people, what would be the consequences? And even if they wanted to investigate, they would be sure to find no evidence… So, how important is the heart of a cultivator! It’s no wonder that the people in the Xiangxi region are so fierce. These strange methods really make people have to be on guard. After walking for a while, the color of the fog changed again. From the beginning, it was white, but now it was mixed with a hint of purple. As I walked in the fog, I heard a lot of crying. I didn’t know where it was coming from, but I felt it coming from all directions. The sound of crying was so frightening that it was a good thing that Ma Le and Ma Xiao had their five senses sealed, so they couldn’t hear it at all. The remaining three people were all cultivators, so they weren’t too scared of these “ghost cries,” although they didn’t sound very pleasant. “Sanwa, Gao Ning (the name of another cultivator), the mantra of tranquility.” The master said in a deep voice. Since the master had given such an order, I naturally dared not neglect it. I immediately recited the mantra for calming the mind in my heart, once, twice, and gradually, I could no longer hear the sound of the ghostly cries that surrounded me. I just followed the figure in front of me and silently moved forward. I knew that we were almost at the top of the mountain. After walking for another ten minutes, the uphill trend slowed down, and in front of us was a vague, indistinct flat road. At this time, a gust of wind suddenly blew. The wind was not very strong, but when it blew across people’s cheeks, it made them unable to open their eyes, and it was cold to the core. especially the fog in front of me, which was actually stirred up by the wind, making it even more difficult to see. “Tie the red rope, calm your mind, say goodbye, and go.” The master’s voice came from the front. I quickly held the thin red rope in my hand, silently reciting the mantra of calmness in my heart, carefully feeling the movement of the red rope to determine the direction, and walking step by step. There was no way. When I got to this place, my eyes were already very weak, and I couldn’t see the figure in front of me clearly, even if it was less than a meter away. I couldn’t help but suspect that if I took even one step around a corner or slowed down, I would get lost in the vast fog. This feeling was extraordinarily helpless and lonely. If an ordinary person were in this environment, not to mention calmly and carefully finding the way, even the sound of the ghost crying could scare people to collapse. When the road leveled out, I knew we had reached the top of the mountain. I felt the red rope calm down, and I knew that the master had stopped. I quickly walked a few steps and found that the master had indeed stopped at the top of the mountain. Standing next to the master, I suddenly saw a magical scene. There was no fog below, or rather, there was no fog from the top of the mountain to the lower part of the mountain. There was only a thin layer of fog at the foot of the mountain. What was going on? Half the mountain is foggy? Half the mountain isn’t? This is completely different from what I expected. I thought the mountain on this side would be more difficult to walk. The master was silent for nearly a minute, and then said, “Is this a trap?” I heard this sentence and felt a little scared. Could it be that the old village chief was provoking us? Was he trying to make us feel that he had us in his grasp? Were our every move under his surveillance and his control? But then Master suddenly said with great pride, “I’ll see what’s going on in here. Let’s go!” He said, “I’ll see what’s inside. Let’s go!” He took a few big steps down the mountain path, and I hurried to keep up. I was puzzled, though. Where was the village? There was only a thin layer of mist at the foot of the mountain. I couldn’t see the village. I was about to ask Master a question, but he said, “The mist at the foot of the mountain is the natural resentment of the entire village. It is not the old village chief’s doing. The resentment is not simple. Be careful when entering. You are all cultivators. You know what to do when you see it. Don’t I need to say it?” I and Gao Ning both nodded solemnly. Needless to say, what can be seen in the resentment? But for ordinary people, these things are terrifying. For us, we can still cope. Of course, if ordinary people can overcome their fear, they can also cope. As long as they can get out of the area covered by the resentment as soon as possible, go home, boil some mugwort, calamus leaves for a bath, and then use angelica and Atractylodes to fumigate themselves, they can get rid of the resentment and yin energy. The road down the mountain was exceptionally smooth. I don’t know if it was because of Master’s words about inviting you into the pot, but there were no accidents, let alone anything like “ghosts hitting walls.” I suspect that even on the way up the mountain, the old village chief didn’t deliberately make things difficult for us. It was just that the negative energy was leaking out and turning into fog, a natural phenomenon that he didn’t deliberately control. It was only 20 minutes before we reached the foot of the mountain and were about to enter the area where the resentment was concentrated. Master shouted, “Remember, guard the purity of the spirit altar! Remember, it’s just resentment, not the spirits of the wronged. You are the strongest.” While he was talking, the master entered the area of resentment. Gao Ning and I looked at each other and followed him in. What will we see? Haha, it doesn’t matter what we see. Chapter 49: The method of breaking resentment Entering the fog of resentment that permeates the entire village, the first feeling is one of extreme irritability, panic, fear, and a desperate desire to escape. The spirit of resentment is generally the will of a person before death, and it is different for each person. To put it simply, if the person before death is deeply resentful, then the most experienced feeling in that spirit of resentment is depression and complaining. If the person before death is unwilling and angry, then the most experienced feeling in that spirit of resentment is irritability and boredom… This resentment was formed when the villagers were killed. If you understand this, it is not difficult to deal with it. I silently recited the mantra of tranquility, and the negative emotions naturally drifted away from me. If you are an ordinary person, you can concentrate on thinking about happy things at this time, and those negative emotions can also be successfully eliminated. The most important thing is to ‘forget’ that you are in an environment full of resentment. Often, you don’t care, and the impact is minimal. But the resentment of a village where the villagers were killed is indeed extraordinary. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have felt such a strong negative emotion just by walking into this mist. This reminds me of something Master once said: the resentment of a city! It took ten years of hard work and every possible method to purify it, but it still couldn’t be completely eliminated. “As long as it doesn’t affect people too much, that’s the best result. Although there are still sensitive people who feel that the city is a bit gloomy.” This was Master’s final conclusion. Of course, a village is not comparable to a city, but judging from the situation, the resentment in this village is not easy to dispel. Fortunately, it is only a road that passes through here, not turning this place into a human settlement again. I assert that even if the old village chief is eliminated, it will not be suitable for anyone to live here within ten years. Just as I was deep in thought, a cold wind suddenly blew. I looked up and the scenery in front of me changed. The mountains and forests that were originally shrouded in mist had now become hazy, and I felt that there were countless shadows looming, as if many people were gathered. Is it here? I wasn’t at all panicked, knowing that this was just a burst of resentment. “Sanwa, Gaoning, keep your wits about you. If you can’t find your way, open your eyes. If you get lost, use the ‘Immortal’s Guide’ I gave you.” The master’s voice came, deep and powerful like a wild beast roaring. Obviously, the three of us had separated without realizing it. I raised my hand and saw that the red string had indeed broken. After all, when reciting the mantra of meditation, one must be single-minded, and it is impossible for me to pay attention to the movements of the red rope. I know that the mantra of meditation is a mantra that I have recited since childhood. I can think of something while reciting the mantra of meditation, but it is absolutely impossible to pay attention to something else and concentrate on it. I think that Master and Gao Ning were probably in a similar situation to me, so Master used his power to use a technique similar to the “lion’s roar” to tell us what to do? Should I open my eyes? I have a headache. Every time I open my eyes, I always feel very tired and have a headache. If you want to avoid this, you must not be affected by resentment and have a strong aura. In short, you must suppress resentment! I took a deep breath and, without thinking, I walked forward, while shouting at the top of my lungs, “How to face the days we’ve spent together…” I didn’t even think about what kind of environment I was in, but instead thought bitterly in my heart, Qinhuai, isn’t that Cantonese? I can sing it too. “I’m willing to brave any storm, because of the unwavering gaze of each other, you and I have feelings, life and death, and righteousness…” I sang very enthusiastically, as if I was also immersed in the friendship expressed in the song. I thought of the crisp meat, the Qinhuai, the girl Ru Yue, Brother Sheng… and many other buddies who had walked together, completely ignoring whether my singing was “ghostly and wailing.” At that moment, I heard in my ear: “Don’t go into the village, the old village chief is going to kill someone.” Oh, is it here already? The voice came from the right, so I quietly clenched my fist and glared at the right, and sure enough, it quieted down. But then I heard a lot of voices shouting, “Don’t go into the village, the old village chief is going to kill people…” “Don’t go into the village, the old village chief eats people…” “Help me, I don’t want to die…” What is this? Are they calling for reinforcements? Is this a one-on-one fight or a group fight? Who am I afraid of in a fight? This is the kind of mentality I want. I clenched my fists and shouted, “Shut up!” When I shouted, I didn’t stop walking, but my expression was very angry, not at all afraid. At times like this, you must not show any signs of weakness. I can do this, and so can ordinary people. Sometimes when dealing with these guys, including the pent-up resentment, there is no need to be superstitious and start with amulets and talismans. Sure enough, after this shout, the surroundings became much clearer. The road was originally so unclear that I had even stepped on a few stones. I hurriedly walked a few steps, but who knows when the fog will gather again? In this way, I hurriedly walked for less than two minutes, and I saw a person coming towards me with his head down. I knew very clearly that this was the effect of resentment on the brain. What I saw was not a person at all! but it was not a ghost either. It was just a will contained in the resentment. Ordinary people often cannot tell the difference between resentment and a real ghost. If it is the influence of resentment, then the surrounding situation is ever-changing, and what you see is ever-changing. A ghost is single. If it has a grudge against you, it will always haunt you. The difference between a ghost and resentment is that a ghost is more deceptive, has a greater impact on the brain, and is more powerful. Some ghosts will even possess you and even squeeze out your three souls and seven spirits! If I know what it is, I won’t be afraid. Yes, even if I am a descendant of Taoism, I will still be affected by resentment. I see what resentment wants me to see because I have not closed my five senses. I am also a human being! But the important thing is that you understand what it is, and then you won’t be afraid. To put it simply, which is more terrifying, a tiger or a stream of resentment? I would definitely say a tiger without hesitation. When faced with a tiger, we may not be able to resist because it has absolute power compared to us. What if it is resentment? It is just using our instinctive fear to make us collapse. In fact, in a short period of time, it cannot harm us at all, not even a punch. So, I also walked towards that person without fear. It was only a moment, and that person suddenly raised his head. His face was bloody and bloody, as if that was not enough, he also ripped open his clothes, and inside was the tragic sight of a ripped belly! I admit that I was shocked for a moment. No one can remain calm in the face of such bloodshed, but my master had told me to keep my spirit clear, and I immediately regained my composure. In such a situation, panic is not allowed, it is self-disruptive. “The old village chief is going to kill someone, and I’m the one he’s going to kill…” The man looked at me, as if he was going to speak, but then he didn’t. However, I heard the words clearly in my ear. “Get out of here!” I yelled at the man, and walked towards him in big strides, glaring at him fiercely. At the same time, my tongue pressed against the roof of my mouth, and saliva began to flow. If he insisted on following me, then… then… spit. No kidding, human saliva has a very good effect against evil spirits, and it is completely enough for ordinary evil spirits. But I was worried for nothing. As I walked over, the man disappeared. The area in front of me became clearer. I hurried over, confident that I would not get lost in the fog. After a dozen minutes, I stood at the so-called village entrance and found that Master and Gao Ning were already standing there waiting for me. looking at me, the master asked, “Did you open your eyes?” “No, I walked out on my own.” I don’t need to say anything about the rest of the story. I believe that Master must have encountered it as well. At the end of the journey, I saw a group of people, all looking miserable and dead. It was real and unreal! It could confuse people to such an extent, showing the intensity of the resentment! Master looked at me with a look of praise in his eyes and said, “Not bad. Let’s go into the village.” Chapter 50: Entering the Village This village had been visited by the Master before, so he was familiar with the way into the village. However, before entering the village, he first removed the black cloth covering the eyes and ears of the two brothers, Ma Le and Ma Xiao, then took some water from his bag and used the cloth to moisten it, thereby washing off the cinnabar symbols on their faces and bodies. After about half a minute, the two brothers opened their eyes, a little dazed. The master said, “Don’t say anything, just drink some water and rest.” The two brothers did as they were told. After about five minutes, Ma Le said, “Master Jiang, this is amazing. I feel like I was sleeping, and when I woke up, I was here. It’s like I was dreaming when I woke up. I can’t see anything real. I feel dizzy.” “This is also a last resort. Blocking the five senses is very harmful to the body, but it’s better than you being scared to collapse.” The master explained responsibly. Ma Xiao quickly said, “Well, Master Jiang, it’s better to seal it up. I’d rather do that than see things I shouldn’t.” “What shouldn’t be seen?” The master glanced at the village in front of him and said, “I’m afraid I can’t avoid it.” 鈥烩€烩€� I really admire my master’s memory sometimes. It’s been decades since he came to the village, but he remembers the road so clearly that he takes us into the village very familiar. Unlike other villages, this one was not shrouded in the white mist we had imagined. Everything was exceptionally clear, but it was also very unreal. Why is it unreal? First of all, it was a clear summer day, but the sky in this village was gloomy. It wasn’t the kind of overcast sky that was about to rain, but a kind of oppressive, gloomy sky. You couldn’t see the sun, as if someone had put a lid on top of the village. Second, walking on the edge of the village, looking at everything, it was like everything was covered in a layer of yellow gauze. I looked at it for a long time, trying to describe the feeling, but I couldn’t. It wasn’t until the two brothers, Ma Le and Ma Xiao, set up surveying equipment and took pictures of it that I had a flash of inspiration and found the right word. Yes, looking at this village is like looking at a worn-out old photo. Needless to say, these two points alone make the entire village seem unreal. The two brothers, Ma Le and Ma Xiao, were busy surveying the village, measuring something while writing and drawing. After all, they were professionals, and they were drawing topographical maps, not simple topographical maps, but topographical maps that met military standards. This is the habit of secret agents. watching them busy, Gao Ning said to my master, “Master Jiang, are we going into the village today?” Gao Ning’s expression didn’t seem to want to go in. My master looked at his watch and said, “Don’t call me Master Jiang, just call me Master Jiang. We’re going to enter the village, but we can’t go too far. We left at 8 a.m. and it’s almost 12 noon now. We can’t enter the village between 12 noon and 12:30 p.m., and we have to leave before 2 p.m.” Gao Ning heard my master say that we were going to enter the village, and his face changed. He stammered for a long time before saying, “I’ll call you Master Jiang. Your skills are worthy of my calling you Master Jiang. Master Jiang, what I want to say is that I’m not a coward. I’ve seen a lot since I started learning Taoism. It’s just that… this village really gives me a feeling of being… very dangerous and very… oppressive. And my feelings also tell me that… we won’t be of any help in this village, and we will…” Master patted Gao Ning on the shoulder and said, “I know, we won’t go deep. We just need a map.” I don’t care about these things. I took a sip of water and asked the master, “Master, why do you say we have to leave before 2 o’clock?” Between 12 o’clock and 12 o’clock, I know that it is too dark for us to go in, so why do we have to leave before 2 o’clock? I don’t understand. The master said, “Do you think we will have a chance of survival after 6 o’clock? After 6 o’clock, the yang energy will gradually weaken, and the activity of those insects will also begin to increase frequently. Even your insect repellent powder will not be able to stop them. Moreover, we left at 8 o’clock and it took us more than three hours to get here. When we go back, who knows if there will be any other changes, so it’s better to leave plenty of time.” The master’s words were very cryptic. He might have been worried about something. I understood what he meant. The old village chief let us in. Who knows if he will play tricks on the way back? Or, will he leave us here in the village? This thought made me uneasy, but the master said, “Do you know why I feel safe letting five people come here to survey the terrain? Because the time is not yet ripe, there are not enough people, and nothing will happen to us in the village.” What time is it not yet? There are not enough people? I was very confused! Master’s words were inexplicable. But the master had no intention of explaining, and sat alone smoking a pipe. I took out a cigarette from my bag and lit it, leaning against a large rock and puffing away. I had originally intended to relax comfortably, but the cold feeling of the rock against my back was uncomfortable. After a while, around 12 o’clock, the two brothers, Ma Le and Ma Xiao, finished their work, packed up their drawings, and came over to sit down next to the master. “How long will it take to complete the map?” the master asked. “If we continue to measure, it will take three more days, and we must go deep into the village to draw a map that meets the requirements,” Ma Le replied after taking a sip of water. “Three days? Go deep into the village?” The master thought for a while, then fumbled around in his yellow cloth bag and took out a stick of incense wrapped in yellow paper. “It seems that this ‘Immortal’s Guide’ cannot be saved.” I know this stuff. It’s a kind of incense made from special materials. The smoke from it doesn’t disperse easily, even in strong winds. Combined with the road-finding talisman wrapped around the incense, it really lives up to its name. It is not easy to draw the road-signing talisman. Even my master does not know how to draw it. According to my master, this road-signing talisman has almost been lost. Now, only two or three people can draw it. As for where my master got this road-signing talisman, I really don’t know. However, looking at my master’s face, he is also more distressed. Actually, if you get lost, you can let me open your eyes! My master will also open his eyes, but after thinking about the after-effects of opening his eyes, I’d rather use this “Immortal’s Guide.” After a while of chatting, we had a simple meal and were ready to enter the village. Of course, we entered the village according to the wishes of the two brothers, Ma Le and Ma Xiao. into the village that looked just like the photos? I suddenly felt a sudden wave of panic, but there was no choice, so I followed. Soon, we arrived at the first building in the village. It looked like a residential house on the edge of the village. The house gave off a sense of decay, which was indescribably strange. This is different from other villages. Houses in other villages are not inhabited for a long time, and some have fallen into disrepair and even collapsed. But this house, it didn’t look worn out or broken, but there was a sense of decay in it, like something that had been in the refrigerator for a long time, shriveled and black, and the inside had already rotted. Has this house been locked in the photo for a long time? I suddenly had this thought, which was very strange! I have a keen sense of intuition, and I can probably sense that something is wrong. My master can certainly sense it too. He patted the house and said something that I couldn’t understand: “Another unsolved mystery.” Oh, so this house has risen to the level of an unsolved mystery in the eyes of the master? The other people didn’t dare to say much. They didn’t feel anything wrong with the house, but the village instinctively made them feel uncomfortable. I also discovered a problem, that the plants under my feet seemed to grow differently on either side of the village boundary. Their leaves were still green, but it was as if white had been added to the green, making the green look pale. This kind of thing is no longer worth mentioning in this village. Even if I see something strange in this village, I don’t think it’s strange. We walked past the house and headed into the village, but then we heard a squeak, the sound of the gate opening. The wind? But when I turned around, I saw a scene of horror that I will never forget in my life. Chapter 51 Silent Movie The door was not blown open by the wind, but pushed open by someone. But was it a person? It should not have been, because his body looked very unreal, but much more real than the ghosts I had seen since I was a child. In my understanding, ghosts could not push doors, and they could not open them either. My master and I have discussed the existence of ghosts. We believe that ghosts are another form of life, like electricity, radio waves, and various other waves that exist in the air. Current technology actually demonstrates this point from the side. For example, a radio receives a wave band, decodes it, and then we hear a sound. The existence of ghosts is similar to this, but humans do not yet have an effective means to capture it. The magic of ghosts is that they directly affect the human brain, allowing us to ‘see it,’ ‘hear it,’ and ‘feel it.’ Of course, there are many limitations. The result of my discussion with my master is that the brain’s wave band and the ghost’s wave band happen to coincide. I will not discuss what ghosts are, but what I saw was beyond my understanding. Without opening my eyes, I could see a ghost so clearly, and I saw it push open the door. I turned my head with some difficulty and looked at the master, who was also looking at me with a surprised expression on his face for the first time. I wanted to say something, but the master made a “shush” expression at me, so I didn’t say much. That’s it. The three of us just stared at the ghost as it came out of the house, still with a lively, anxious expression, walking towards a place. Throughout the entire process, it didn’t even look at us once, as if the several of us standing outside the courtyard didn’t exist. I was about to speak when I saw it walking away. I didn’t expect three more to come out of the room. This time it was a woman, accompanied by two children. She was talking in a low voice and walking in the same direction as the man who had just left. This time, I didn’t speak easily. After waiting for a while, I was just about to speak when I heard a “plop” sound. It was Ma Xiaoyi who sat down on the ground. He said in a daze, “I’m sorry, my leg is a little weak.” Ma Le leaned against the wall, took a deep breath, and said, “Master Jiang, did we just see a ghost?” My master didn’t answer. He had been a Taoist priest for so many years, and I guess this was the first time he had seen such a strange scene! Is there such a ghost? The master couldn’t answer either. The master didn’t reply, but Ma Xiao picked up the conversation after he got up from the ground: “Brother, we’ve followed you on several missions, and we’ve seen monsters in the mountains and ghosts in the ground. I don’t think this thing looks like a ghost, but I think it’s even scarier than a ghost. I’m so scared that my legs are weak.” After hearing this, the master looked at Ma Xiao very seriously and said, “What did you just say?” Ma Xiao was stunned and couldn’t understand why my master was suddenly so serious. He said, “I said I was scared and my legs were shaking.” “The first sentence.” The master asked seriously. “I said that I felt more scared than a ghost…” Ma Xiao was completely confused. The master took a deep breath and turned to Ma Le and asked, “You’ve seen a lot too. What do you think?” “I think it’s terrifying!” Ma Le said bluntly. “Master, I also feel very scared from the bottom of my heart. It’s that feeling… It’s the most terrifying thing I’ve ever seen, even more terrifying than the Hungry Ghost Tomb.” I knew that my master would ask me, so I simply answered directly. Master looked at Gao Ning, who had a very bad expression on his face. After a long silence, he said in a low voice, “Once I heard my master tell a legend. Those who die and cannot be reborn will always repeat the moment of death, which is very painful.” This remark seemed to be Gao Ning speaking to himself, and also to my master. But obviously, this is not true. Gao Ning meant that these are ghosts, repeating the moment of death. But they died in the ancestral hall. What did you see just now? What does it mean? The master sighed and said, “It’s a coincidence that it matches the calculations of the eldest brother. Gao Ning, do you see anything?” Gao Ning shook his head and refused to say anything more, only his face looked even more unpleasant. The master touched his chin and said to himself, “Why is it so scary? Why?” Yes, I also want to know why. At worst, it’s just ghosts. Can ghosts make us feel so scared? Because of a tragedy in this village, there are so many puzzles that are hard to understand. “Let’s go.” The master was deep in thought and said, “Let’s go.” Ma Le asked in a trembling voice, “Master Jiang, are we going to continue?” Master looked at Ma Le and said, “Being afraid is one thing, but doing what you need to do is another. You can’t just give up because you’re afraid, can you? Don’t forget, even ordinary people can’t do that, let alone you, a soldier of the Ministry of XX, that is, an agent.” Master’s words seemed to give the Ma brothers infinite courage. He suddenly stood up straight and said, “Master Jiang, we are going there. That location is more convenient for surveying.” “Then go,” the master said calmly. We walked in silence to the location designated by the two brothers. Along the way, we passed three residential buildings, and we saw ghosts! Some came out of the room, and some were busy in the room. They all looked like they didn’t see us, and everything was going on silently, to the extreme. In fact, I clearly saw the ghosts’ vivid expressions and heard them talking, but I couldn’t hear the sound. I had a feeling that we were walking in a silent movie, and that the movie was a horror movie. Ma Le and Ma Xiao were busy surveying, and we were sitting around waiting. In my boredom, I looked around and found an even more bizarre scene. It was clearly a field full of weeds, but someone was laboring in it like a real worker! What is this? Master obviously saw this scene as well. His expression was even more strange than mine. He touched his face, looked at his watch again, and his expression was like a mixture of crying and laughing. There was also a trace of fanaticism in his eyes. What was wrong with Master? What did he think of? I think he realized I was staring at him, and his expression immediately returned to normal, but there was a hint of sadness in his eyes, very faint, and if I hadn’t lived with him for more than ten years, I wouldn’t have noticed at all. Master, something is wrong! I immediately asked, “Master, what are you thinking? I feel that something is wrong with you.” The master pondered for a while and said, “Gao Ning’s words make sense. Here… the villagers here are living their lives in a repetitive way. Perhaps their deaths cannot quell his anger, or perhaps the anger has already taken control of him. If hatred of this kind cannot be resolved, it will become a poisonous seed that grows into a towering tree.” What? I didn’t quite understand what the master was saying, but I had a feeling that he must have thought of something else and was only telling me part of it. I wanted to ask him more, but I didn’t want to start a conversation with Gao Ning, who had been silent since we arrived. “There is a kind of resentment that even the heavens are afraid of. Everything that lives in this resentment cannot be relieved until death. My master said that in our lineage, an extremely powerful ancestor encountered it and almost died in it.” “Brother Gao, what kind of resentment is it? Tell me about it.” I have always been very curious about legendary stories. “What kind of resentment? Isn’t what you see what you see?” Gao Ning’s voice wavered and said something. For some reason, I suddenly got a big patch of goose bumps on my back. “Gao Ge, don’t scare me like that. Do you mean we can’t get out?” I suddenly raised my voice. Gao Ning did not answer my question directly, but said, “Have you noticed which direction the ghosts here are heading in?” I’m not familiar with this village, so how would I know which direction they were heading in? But after Gao Ning said that, I paid special attention to it. There are many small roads in this village, and there are many forks. At a glance, I recalled that they were all heading in the same direction. Is there something over there? Is the old village chief directing them? I suddenly felt very scared. I had the feeling that I was very close to the old village chief. We were supposed to lure him out, but suddenly I had the feeling that he was luring us in. I was thinking, when Gao Ning suddenly said, “How many days has it been?” I was shocked. What day was it? How did we get to this village, where everyone was acting so strange? But then, something happened to Ma Xiao. Chapter 52: Return of the Soul We were all deep in thought about the village when we suddenly heard a loud clatter. The three of us turned around at the same time, startled. It turned out that Ma Xiao had dropped the surveying equipment in front of him, making a loud noise. Ma Le also saw this situation and couldn’t help but say, “How careless! The equipment has been knocked over. Hurry up and pick it up. Master Jiang said we can’t stay in this village for too long.” Unexpectedly, Ma Xiaos ignored Ma Le and walked in another direction with an anxious look on his face. Ma Le was stunned and reached out to pull Ma Xiaos, asking, “What are you going to do?” Ma Xiao didn’t even pay attention to Ma Le, but instead unconsciously pushed him, causing him to take several big steps backwards and almost fall. “Oh no.” The master shouted, immediately ran up and grabbed Ma Xiao, shouting, “Who are you?” Ma Xiao’s expression cleared up for a moment, and he muttered, “Who am I?” Then he regained his anxious expression and said, “Who are you? Our village is not a place for people to stay. Hurry up and leave.” Gao Ning and I knew what was going on. Ma Xiao had been possessed without knowing it. This was not the work of a ghost. It was like two people walking with their heads down, bumping into each other. The stronger one would knock the weaker one into the ground. It was not uncommon for a powerful ghost to bump into a human and knock the soul out of the body. This kind of thing must be handled properly, otherwise if the ghost is driven away, the person becomes an idiot, which is the best outcome, because the soul is lost. If it is the three spirits and seven souls of the ghost, the three spirits are especially powerful. The only way to deal with this situation is to deal with it quickly, very quickly! My master reacted very quickly. After hearing Ma Xiao’s answer, he shouted again, “Who are you?” Ma Xiao’s face showed signs of impatience, and he said, “Everyone in the village knows that I am Zhao Jun. What’s the matter?” Zhao Jun! Gao Ning and I both looked at each other in surprise. If we remember correctly, Zhao Jun was the one who escaped last time. How could he appear in the village again? Master’s expression did not change, but he shouted, “Look at you. Are you Zhao Jun? Zhao Jun is dead.” The sound continued to reverberate. I knew that Master had used his power to shout again, or perhaps it was the “Shout of Terror,” because I heard it and my heart suddenly tightened. Sure enough, Ma Xiao looked at his body in confusion. He was wearing a strange camouflage suit, and his hands were not his own. He was obviously panicked and shouted, “Who am I? Am I dead? Did the old village chief kill me?” Master’s eyes flashed, and he quickly formed a hand gesture with his left hand. I recognized it as the Iron Fork Finger, which is used to pierce ghosts, especially upper body ghosts. Under normal circumstances, Master would not use this hand gesture, because if he is not careful, he will not only pierce the ghost, but also pierce the soul of the living person. However, in the face of this situation, he had no choice but to do it. As the iron fork finger fell, Ma Xiao let out a cry of “Ah!” She hadn’t even finished playing, but her body shook and she rolled her eyes, fainting. Then I saw a very strange scene: a person who was still in shock and somewhat blurred stumbled out of Ma Xiao’s body. This is Zhao Jun? I widened my eyes, but I didn’t want Zhao Jun to look at his body in surprise, and then he said a few words in a silent “mumble,” and then turned and ran. “There are anomalies?” Gao Ning pinched her fingers, but the more she pinched, the more confused she looked. What does it mean to say that there are anomalies? I had no intention of pursuing Gao Ning’s words. I always felt that after entering this village, Gao Ning, who had originally seemed very ordinary, had become mysterious. I just couldn’t believe that all of this was happening before my eyes, and it was even more clear than what I saw with my eyes open. I can be sure that the entire village is full of ghosts, otherwise there would be no such thing as a ghost possessing a person. But why can I see ghosts so easily? Why did the two brothers, Ma Le and Ma Xiao, see it so easily? Ma Le certainly saw this scene. I believe he saw a ghost stumble out of his brother’s body with his own eyes. I saw his expression change to one of panic in an instant. It wasn’t until he saw Ma Xiao faint that he reacted, quickly running to Ma Xiao’s side, supporting him and anxiously asking my master, “Master Jiang, what’s wrong with my brother?” My master said, “Quickly call your brother’s name. The soul of your brother, who was knocked out, must still be nearby.” Then my master shouted at me, “Sanwa, open your eyes and see Ma Xiao. The guiding hand signal.” The guiding hand signal is a simple hand signal that communicates between the yin and the yang. It does not require much effort to support it. Generally, when the soul of a person who has died sees the guiding hand signal, it will find the road to the underworld. However, in special circumstances, when the soul of a person who has been frightened out of his body sees the guidance of the guiding hand signal, it will find its own body. I knew that time was of the essence, so I quickly concentrated, opened my eyes, and then the surrounding scenery became clear again… No, it wasn’t the familiar blurriness, but an extraordinary clarity. What kind of village did I see? The village I saw had broken walls and crumbling foundations. The walls were clearly about to collapse, but a layer of black mist tightly connected them, and the entire village was enveloped in this layer of black mist. The original vegetation was all dead, and many red dots were trembling and struggling. However, I couldn’t see the specific appearance of those red dots at all. Is this the true face of this village? I was too shocked to react, because I saw Ma Xiao standing under a broken wall, looking around in a panic, his face full of fear. The black mist seemed to have turned into a net, trying to trap him, and he began to struggle. No, I can’t let Ma Xiao die here. I quickly turned to Ma Xiao and chanted the incantation. At the same time, Ma Le’s voice came from afar: “Ma Xiao, come back. You’re here. Ma Xiao, come back…” Ma Xiao’s face showed a hint of surprise, and he began to run in the direction of Ma Le’s voice. However, the black mist surrounded him like a net, and after taking two steps, he became confused again. At this time, my guiding method came into play, because a yellow light appeared, connecting him and his body, with me as the center. He began to walk towards his body, but unfortunately, the black mist seemed to be entangling him, and every step he took was extremely difficult. Even his figure became more and more blurred. I really wanted to help Ma Xiao, and I wanted to shout, “Ma Xiao, hang in there, your body is less than five steps away!” Unfortunately, I was in the state of opening my eyes, and I was also using hand gestures, so I couldn’t be distracted. At that moment, Master’s voice came: “Ma Xiao, come back. Ma Xiao, have you forgotten your parents, your family, and your mission?” “Ma Xiao, come back!” The Master’s voice and Ma Le’s voice almost sounded at the same time, and Taoist soul-calling is even more powerful. It can not only clearly guide the soul in the right direction, but also shock other wandering ghosts and even have a role in resentment. The black net began to loosen and blur, and Ma Xiao’s face also showed a hint of determination. He began to move again, one step, two steps… Finally, as he approached his body, his body seemed to have an inexplicable suction force, absorbing Ma Xiao’s soul. I was finally relieved, but I was still not out of the state of the heavenly eye. Instead, I looked around the village with great curiosity. Suddenly, I saw a place in the sky full of black mist, and there was almost a red glow in the sky. I really wanted to take a closer look. At this moment, a low growl sounded in my head, and I felt a sharp pain in my head. I couldn’t help but cry out, and I fell to the ground with my head in my hands. My ears also rang, and my heavenly eye closed in an instant. “Chengyi, what’s wrong with you?” In the blur, it was Gao Ning’s voice. I don’t know why, but I said, “It must be him. He’s warning me.” “You should drink some water. Cold water is refreshing.” Gao Ning helped me up. Then, a cool stream of water flowed down my throat. My brain felt a little better, but the pain was still like a needle. I opened my eyes and saw that Master was tying a knot on Ma Xiao’s chest. I knew that this was to prevent Ma Xiao’s soul from being unstable and temporarily lock it in. In short, the combination of body and soul is hard work and especially mentally exhausting! Ma Xiao will have to rest for at least two or three days to recuperate. “Feeling better?” Master finally finished tying the knot for Ma Xiao and came over to ask me if I was feeling better. In the middle of our conversation, a pill was shoved into my mouth. I knew it was the pill that my second uncle used to help me recover from exhaustion. I had taken it since I was a child, but because the ingredients were becoming increasingly difficult to find, Master and I had been using it sparingly. I never thought that I would use it so soon after entering the village. “It’s an anomaly.” Master suddenly said the same thing. Chapter 53 Analysis The fire in the room was very warm, so warm that it reached my heart. Although my expression was somewhat wooden, the fire made me feel a hint of warmth returning to my body. It was now a little after 7 p.m. We had been back from the village for almost an hour, and only now did I begin to feel a little better. The water on the simple stove began to “gurgle,” and the warm steam rose, giving me a real sense of the surroundings. At this moment, a pair of hands reached over, picked up the kettle on the simple stove, and poured it into an enameled pot. Then an exceptionally fragrant scent wafted through the room. The hands then shoved the enameled pot into my hands and said, “This is pre-dawn tea. I stole it from my grandfather. Have some. Tea is the best way to calm the mind and clear the brain.” Qinhuai! I lifted the teacup and took a sip of the hot tea. I felt much better. Qinhuai squatted down beside me and said, “I know you like tea the best. How is it? Is it to your liking?” I smiled at Qinhuai, not knowing if the smile was a little weak. “Okay, if you don’t want to talk, don’t say anything. I don’t know what’s wrong with you guys. After you got back, no one said a word. I’m your best friend, and you’re not going to talk to me?” Qin Huai whispered to me. “Sanwa, eat!” Suddenly, another pair of hands reached out to me, holding a lunch box in their hands. The lunch box contained rice, meat, pickled mustard, and the most surprising thing was a small ball of chili oil. I put down the teacup and took the lunch box, then started to eat. I knew who the owner of the lunch box was without having to be told. I knew it was Brother Sheng from the sound of his voice. “Tasty, isn’t it? Your sister-in-law hid two small bottles of rice. Seeing you like this, she cooked it and let me bring it to you.” Brother Sheng said from the side. “Why is there chili oil?” I didn’t even look up from my meal. “Your wife is from Hunan and loves spicy food, so she brought a small bottle with her. Haha, women are amazing.” Brother Sheng laughed helplessly. “Your sister-in-law is very cute.” I said sincerely. “Yes, a box of food has bought you over. My tea is not worth much. You never say a word to me, no matter what I do.” Qin Huai said sourly. I swallowed a mouthful of rice and said, “After I finish eating, I’ll tell you. I’m so nervous.” “Good.” Shengge and Qinhuai said almost in unison. 鈥烩€烩€� This is a small room, connected to the large room where we sleep. It was cleaned out when the house was cleaned. In fact, it was prepared for Shengge and his wife. After all, it is not too convenient for a young couple to sleep with a large group of people, and they are researchers who need a separate room to set up equipment and conduct some experiments. Some experiments are better done as soon as possible, of course, I don’t understand. holding the tea that Qin Huai poured for me, I leaned back in my chair, a little tired, having just recounted my experiences in the village, which were not pleasant. In fact, when I walked around the village or the mountains, I didn’t feel very cold, because I was too scared and nervous. It wasn’t until I returned to this only peaceful place and the only place where humans live that I realized that I was completely cold, and that it was a cold that came from the bottom of my heart. “Don’t smoke like a gangster.” My sister-in-law took the cigarette out of my mouth and stuffed it into my hand, saying, “Hold it well.” I looked at my sister-in-law in surprise. I didn’t expect that the first person to come back from these terrifying scenes was a seemingly soft woman. No wonder there is a saying that from the perspective of psychological resilience, women are stronger than men. They are less likely to be defeated, and in desperate situations they are more willing to face difficulties head-on rather than choose to despair. Then came Shengge. After all, as a researcher, Shengge is much more rational than ordinary people. He said, “Sanwa, because Ma Xiao fainted, you came back in a hurry. On your way back, you used the ‘Immortal’s Finger Pointing the Way’ to hurry, right?” “Yes.” I was a little confused. Why would Shengge ask this question? “I understand what you mean, Shengge. He wants to say that you missed a detail. When you came back, did the mountain road change?” Sure enough, they are a couple. They have a very good understanding. I was a bit puzzled by their question. I hadn’t noticed this detail because there was nothing worth noticing. I subconsciously said, “The road back was no different from the road when we left.” Brother Sheng adjusted his glasses and said, “That’s the problem. In the story you told me, you mentioned that Master Jiang wanted you to return before two o’clock because he wanted to leave enough time to avoid the old village chief messing with you on the way.” “Yes, in his mind, the old village chief was almost certain that he also had the ability to use fog to confuse people. Why did he let you come and go without messing with you?” my sister-in-law added. “That’s not fog, it’s his resentment,” I corrected, not knowing what this detail meant. As for Qinhuai, the kid only reacted, sighing and saying, “Chengyi, what do you think we should do? It’s only the first day, and two people have already died. Will he find us and make us all lie down?” Qinhuai said this purely out of fear, but his sister-in-law said, “Yes, Qinhuai has grasped the key point.” Qinhuai said dumbly, “I’ve got the key point?” Brother Sheng once again adjusted his glasses and said, “The key point is that Master Jiang, Sanwa and the others are clues that will lead us all to lie down. I can make that judgment!” “Why do you say that?” I was puzzled by what my brother meant. “Because my brother and I like to read detective novels with logical plots. Since your master once said that the reason the old village chief was so cruel was because he grew up with resentment, but was controlled by it, then we can understand that resentment won’t let anyone go! Why let you go? Because it’s fearless, it can find you, and it’s sure to devour everyone. That’s it.” Sister-in-law explained, but she was not afraid of her own explanation, just a very rational analysis. “Stop, I’m ashamed. If I were a man, I could take a knife and fight to the death. But what can I use to fight to the death with this resentment?” Qin Huai’s face turned pale. The kid was complaining again. “For professional questions about how to fight against resentment, you should ask professionals, such as Master Jiang and Sanwa.” Sheng answered seriously. Qinhuai looked at the sky and said nothing. Why can’t Shengge be a little flexible? And his wife laughed out loud, probably because she liked Shengge’s silly appearance. Seeing my sister-in-law’s cheerful smile, my mood inexplicably improved a little. My sister-in-law is the kind of person who can make people feel the loveliness of this creature. Her happy mood can infect everyone. I said, “I really want to talk to my master. He and Gao Ning are talking about something inexplicable, and they keep talking about variables. But, as you can see, they didn’t say anything when they came back, leaving people here with no idea what to do.” “I think Master Jiang probably doesn’t think there’s any need to say anything because he’s not sure either. Don’t you remember when Master Jiang first came to the village, he said, “Another unsolved mystery?” Qin Huai analyzed. As soon as he finished speaking, I heard my master’s voice: “Qin Huai, although you are often unreliable, your analysis is still relatively reliable. Indeed, I am still not sure about this village, so I won’t say anything.” “Master, when did you come in?” I asked. “Oh, just now, I’ve been listening to you guys for half a day. Yang Sheng and Jingyi’s analysis is very accurate. We can go two ways now, either we get reinforcements or we go back tomorrow.” The master said seriously. leave? Or wait for reinforcements? Has the situation reached this point? My curious nature came back, and I stood up and said excitedly, “Master, no matter what, even if it’s just a guess, you have to tell me what’s going on in this village!” Chapter 54: A world of grievances “What’s going on?” The master pondered, and habitually took out a pipe. Qin Huai hurriedly lit it for my master, and then handed him the pre-Qingming tea I had made for him. Brother Sheng and Sister-in-law Jingyi also showed concerned expressions. They also wanted to know what was going on in this village. After all, it was too incredible to think about. The whole village was dead, but they were all still “alive.” Biting on his pipe, the master said in a low voice, “I can’t say for sure what’s going on in this village. There’s a Buddhist saying that every flower represents a world. I think that’s the best explanation I can give for now.” One flower, one world? I have a limited understanding of Buddhist scriptures, but when the master suddenly said this at this time, it was quite a shock. I couldn’t help but ask in a low voice, “Master, what kind of world is it for them?” “A world built by the resentment of the old village chief. They can’t break free, so they repeat that life over and over again, like a movie that keeps rewinding and replaying, tortured to numbness!” The master said with a heavy heart. This sentence shocked everyone’s hearts. I was silent, Qin Huai, who was always smiling, was silent, and Shengge, who was always rational, was silent. Even Jingyi’s sister-in-law, who was not scared by the horror of the village, covered her mouth. Obviously, this is a more terrifying ‘torture’ than lingchi. Lingchi is a thousand cuts, but it is only 4,700 cuts. There is always an end to it. What about the world built by the old village chief’s resentment? When will it end? Hell is no better than this, right? “Master Jiang, they… they are repeating… what kind of days?” Jingyi’s wife’s voice was a little shaky. Obviously, she had thought of something, but she needed a confirmation from my master. My master exhaled a puff of smoke and did not directly answer Sister Jingyi’s question, but said in a deep voice, “This is a vicious cycle. Every soul under such torture grows increasingly resentful, so they have become powerful enough to be seen by ordinary people. In your scientific terms, they have become powerful enough to connect with anyone’s brain waves.” “Yes, the human brain emits brain waves all the time, not inside the brain, but outside. To put it simply, my impression of the first person is how he influenced me. His aura is strong, which is the temperament that emanates from the inside out. It can also be understood as the brain waves of this person…” Sister-in-law Jingyi was simply talking about brain waves. Although things like wave bands are a problem for modern science, as biologists, they couldn’t help but answer when they encountered their own professional questions. “Therefore, the strengthening of these souls due to resentment is equivalent to the strengthening of a person’s aura, and the stronger it is, the more people can perceive them. OK, this explanation is very convincing.” Shengge was taking notes on the side. Although this process cannot be proven by modern science, this hypothetical conclusion is acceptable. While taking notes, Shengge’s eyes showed a trace of fanaticism. He said, “I really want to see it for myself.” “This… I’m afraid it’s not possible.” Master rejected Shengge in one fell swoop. Shengge didn’t say anything, after all, it wasn’t up to him to say. “Master Jiang, if possible, can you give us some of the tissue from the old village chief? Just a little bit will do.” Jingyi’s wife had made this suggestion. I always thought that Jingyi’s wife was relatively mild-mannered, but I didn’t expect that in the field of science, she was also “crazy.” “You guys came along, wasn’t that the idea? I’ll try my best to provide it.” Master said simply. “Master, according to you, the villagers’ resentment has intensified, and they are all comparable to fierce ghosts. I want to know why they didn’t harm us when we entered the village? Fierce ghosts with strong resentment are very aggressive. Master, you said that. Moreover, why did the old village chief make them so strong? What was his purpose? If the villagers’ souls are so strong, are they still under his control? My question is of course closer to metaphysics. This is what I have always wanted to know. “They are very aggressive? Wrong, they don’t know anything! The old village chief’s world of resentment, the old village chief is naturally the master, maybe the villagers don’t even know that they are ghosts? In this closed world, they may not be able to see us, just like a book, we have entered the world of the book, but the people in the book are still continuing their path. As for what the old village chief wants to do? I don’t know, but I know that he wants resentment. I said this is a vicious cycle, look at this piece of land? I’ve been here before, but it was just an ordinary deserted village, no one lived here. Now? Look, now?” The master sighed. “Now…” I was also silent. I had a full view of the current situation in these villages. “The old village chief is getting stronger every day, isn’t that what you mean? Master Jiang! This must be stopped, otherwise the old village chief will continue to grow infinitely strong…” Qin Huai seemed to see the scene of the end of the world. “Yes, so this must be reported to the higher authorities. The situation has exceeded my expectations. This is a disaster. But this may also be the will of heaven. The road construction project planned by the higher authorities happens to pass through here, which means that someone must deal with it. So we discovered the situation here. If it continues to be abandoned for decades…” The master also seemed to be in a state of shock. “If necessary, we’ll have to stage a military exercise,” Qin Huai muttered. In his heart, the old village chief had risen to the level of having to use the most ruthless methods to deal with it. “Military exercises? Haha… In this area, there are already legends about the old village chief. As time passes, they slowly fade away, but if someone is thinking about it, they will be reminded of it. Of course, if things get that serious, this possibility cannot be ruled out. But the key point is that we have to find it first, otherwise nothing will be solved. Therefore, the most difficult thing is still for us to do it.” The master said calmly. Find it? When we find it, will it be the time of our death? My heart suddenly began to race, and an ominous premonition lingered. It’s only the first day, and already two people have died. Although it wasn’t the old village chief who did it, it’s not unrelated to his world. I suddenly thought of something and asked, “Master, the anomaly. You and Gao Ning both mentioned the anomaly. What is it?” The master looked at me and said, “You will soon know that the anomaly has appeared. Let’s bet on it! A single spark can start a prairie fire, and an anomaly can also destroy a world. When the reinforcements arrive, we will go for it. Maybe we can solve this matter. But the sacrifice…” Master suddenly stopped talking. I knew that sacrifice was inevitable, but when we met the old village chief, sacrifice was indeed inevitable. At this time, Sister-in-law Jingyi suddenly said, “We don’t have to go look for the old village chief. It will come to us.” The master stared at Jingyi’s wife calmly, his eyes deep. After a long time, the master said, “Why do you think that?” “Master Jiang, you just said that it wants resentment. We might be able to become a provider of fresh resentment for it. I don’t know if what I said is right, but its world can’t always be those villagers, right? Maybe it didn’t keep you back then because it wasn’t strong enough or for some other reason, but now it can’t wait to wait for new people to appear, right?” Sister-in-law Jingyi said. “Is this the result of your logical analysis? Didn’t you just say to Yang Sheng that it seemed to be setting us up? The five of us who went in were the clues it used to find us?” The master didn’t rush to answer, but instead threw the question back to Sister Jingyi. “No, this is not a logical analysis, because I don’t know if it actually wants to do this! I was just saying this based on my feelings,” said Sister-in-law Jingyi. “Well, women’s feelings are sometimes terrible. In terms of spirituality, women are stronger than men, but in terms of yang energy, they are weaker than men. Therefore, women are not very suitable for the inheritance of the mountain-shaped vein. To put it simply, they may be sharp swords, but they are also swords that are easily broken.” Master broke off the topic, obviously he didn’t want to talk about it anymore. “Master Jiang, are you looking down on women?” Sister-in-law Jingyi was not convinced. “No, I think Master Jiang is trying to protect women. Women may be strong in their spiritual senses, but they can’t bear the yin energy entering their bodies. That’s what he meant.” Qin Huai never forgets to flatter my master. After saying this, she was glared at by Sister-in-law Jingyi. Qinhuai stuck out his tongue and stopped talking, but my master stood up and said, “I won’t delay. I’ll report everything to the higher-ups tonight.” Chapter 55 Kunlun That night, the master reported the incident to the higher-ups. After that, he called Yuan Yi and Gao Ning out, and they went off together, talking in a mysterious way. I was thinking to myself, is it because my magical power is low that my master avoids me on some matters? But this thought made me feel very uncomfortable. My master’s education of me since I was a child was to do everything with all my heart, and if I didn’t do it well, to find my own reasons. Is it because I didn’t do it with all my heart? This has also become a problem for me. If things can’t be done well, I will be under a lot of psychological pressure, thinking that I haven’t done it with all my heart, and repeatedly torturing myself. For example, right now, I would blame myself for not being very good at what I do after following my master for more than ten years. I would think to myself that I haven’t been learning with all my heart, and then I couldn’t help my master. I was thinking about it in a daze and fell asleep without realizing it. The next morning, I got up and didn’t see Master. At the same time, there was someone else I didn’t see, and that was Ma Le. I was a little confused, and before I had a chance to ask, I saw Yuan Yi coming over and saying to me, “After you’re done washing up, come out. I have something to tell you.” I didn’t have much of a relationship with Yuan Yi, and I could even say that we didn’t like each other very much. It was a novelty for him to come to me and have something to say to me. Soon, I finished washing up and Yuan Yi was already waiting for me outside the house. When we met, we were a bit embarrassed. I took out a cigarette and handed it to Yuan Yi, saying, “Do you want to smoke?” Yuan Yi looked at me strangely and said, “No, a person who cultivates the Dao doesn’t smoke. You don’t have time to refine the impurities in your body, and you’re still getting some poison in there.” I laughed and simply lit it myself. See, people who don’t get along can’t even talk to each other. I lit the cigarette myself and asked Yuan Yi, “What’s the matter?” “Actually, when Master Jiang left, he asked me to give you a message. He said that during the days when reinforcements arrived, he took Ma Le to draw a map of the village’s terrain, and you and I were responsible for defending here. That’s it.” Yuan Yi finished his words very simply. When I heard this, I thought of what I had thought last night. My heart felt like it had been tied in a knot. Master really still thought I was useless. I couldn’t help but feel a little depressed, but I was also worried about Master. I was in a daze, and Yuan Yi said, “I’ve already delivered the message. I’m fine, so I’m going to go first. I have to do my morning prayers.” I stubbed out my cigarette and shouted, “Yuan Yi, wait a minute. I have something to tell you.” Yuan Yi looked at me strangely, probably thinking to herself, “What else could I possibly say to him?” I looked at Yuan Yi sincerely and said, “Actually, you are more capable than me, and I admit that. So I want to ask you something.” I meant it. I never thought I was better than Yuan Yi, but I had a purpose in saying it. My master was always strict with me. After Gao Ning felt the village, he became a little crazy. Yuan Yi was arrogant, but he was actually not a bad person. I wanted to get some information out of him. Hearing me say this, Yuan Yi’s face did indeed soften a little. He said, “If there’s anything you want to ask, I’m not sure I can help you.” “You know what we saw yesterday when we entered the village? If you don’t know, I want to tell you about it and also hear your opinion.” I said casually. Yuan Yi’s expression did not change, but he said calmly, “I know. After Master Jiang returned, he already talked to me about it. This is not a special case. Resentment can change a place, so just let it go. The special thing is the change in the old village chief. Your master and I both think there is a special opportunity.” “Well, I also know about the saying that grievances can keep a person’s soul in the body for a long time. This is one of the opportunities for the old village chief. The second is that the place he was in was a corpse-raising ground, so he became a vampire. What’s so special about that?” I said without a trace of emotion. To be honest, this is just very common knowledge. I casually said that it was the old village chief’s opportunity. In fact, it’s not that simple. It’s impossible for a corpse-raising ground to appear in the water. Sure enough, Yuan Yi’s eyes flashed with a hint of mockery, and she said, “Is there a corpse-raising ground in the water? It’s very difficult for zombies to form in the water. Water is the enemy of zombies! This is the key. Unless there is something special that allows them to transform, and this special thing is probably only… This also involves a big secret, and I know it’s not very clear.” “No, Yuan Yi, your grandfather was so powerful that he could be said to be the leader of Taoism. How could there be a secret that you don’t know?” When I asked this question, my heart was pounding. I originally just wanted to get some information about the strange number, and I didn’t want my master to hide anything from me, but I didn’t want to accidentally get a bigger secret. I used the art of provocation. My master would never fall for it. Not to mention my master, even the smart ones around me, such as Su Rou, Ru Yue, and Qin Huai, fuck, to say it all, I’m surrounded by smart people, as if I’m dumb. Anyway, they won’t fall for it. But Yuan Yi was fooled. When he mentioned his grandfather, he became excited and said, “Of course I know something. Isn’t it about Kunlun? The old village chief’s ability is too great. It’s definitely not an accident. His resentment has even closed the village into a small world, and it’s spreading. This is not right. Only Kunlun…” I listened carefully to every word Yuan Yi said, but then he suddenly stopped talking and said, “Anyway, these things are not something you and I can get involved in, unless we can become pillars of society. But for someone like you, who can’t stop smoking and drinking and is lazy, I don’t think you have much of a chance.” I’m getting on my nerves again. In fact, I know whether I’m diligent or not. But I don’t bother to argue with him. I hold back the turmoil in my heart and ask, “Well, I don’t want to know that either. I just want to know what the odd number is.” “Different number? The different number is of course Zhao Jun. He was a different number back then, and I never thought that fate could be so difficult to defy. He has become a different number again, and this time it’s up to him.” Yuan Yi said simply, then her face changed and she said to me, “It’s all your fault. I’ve been talking to you for so long that I’ve missed my morning class. I’m not going to say anything else.” then hurriedly left. I took a few deep breaths, then slowly squatted down, and then, somewhat distracted, lit another cigarette. Yuan Yi didn’t explain the matter of the odd number, but I didn’t care. What I cared about was where was it? How did it get involved with Kunlun? I am actually very sensitive, and the more I grow up, the more sensitive I become. These two words, Kunlun, deeply stimulated me, reminding me of that morning, when the paper floated out of the window, with Kunlun written on it in a messy hand. I remembered the strange expression on my master’s face in the village. Two things are connected, and I can’t help but notice a key point. My master, my master, he cares a lot about Kunlun. Why does he care so much? I suddenly thought of a person, that person, is my master, Lao Li! Why did I think that? Because the first time my master let me discover the two characters Kunlun was after mentioning my master’s ancestor! Kunlun, the holy land of Taoism, the ultimate pursuit, because it is where immortals live, there are many legends, such as the Queen Mother of the West, such as King Mu of Zhou looking for Kunlun, it is the origin of all Chinese myths and legends, it… it is also the modern geography of Xinjiang mountains. I was completely confused. What is this Kunlun? Its existence in China is no less significant than the meaning of Atlantis in the West! But Atlantis is very famous, while modern China is deliberately downplaying the influence of Kunlun. After finishing a cigarette, I realized that I had probably thought too much. Was I being too sensitive? But I couldn’t suppress the indescribable feeling in my heart. After all, this had to do with my master. Could it be that I was being overly concerned? At this time, Qin Huai and Sun Qiang came to find me. Seeing me crouching in the corner, Qin Huai couldn’t help but ask, “Buddy, are you pretending to be melancholy this early in the morning?” I was in a bad mood, so I said directly, “If you have something to say, say it quickly. “This is really something. The kid’s grandfather is missing. Everyone else is looking for their mother, but now Sun Qiang is looking for his grandfather.” Qin Huai, as always, is full of nonsense. Chapter 56: Gone mad Sun Qiang’s grandfather is missing? That taciturn old man Sun? In recent days, this old man Sun has hardly spoken to anyone except my master, and one could easily forget his existence. I never thought he could disappear without a trace. But, thinking that my master had also disappeared early in the morning, I was still very calm and said, “Don’t worry, Xiaoqiang, I’ll take you to ask someone. He might know.” Sun Qiang trusted me very much, and his expression really calmed down. But who could have predicted that a boy who was so obedient and shy back then would grow up to be so hot-tempered and strong that he would fight me one-on-one whenever I called him Xiaoqiang? are unpredictable. I took Sun Qiang and Qin Huai straight to the backyard. Under the protection of the magic formation, the overgrown backyard was peaceful, and no strange bugs had escaped. From afar, we saw Yuan Yi practicing a set of boxing moves to stretch his muscles before doing morning exercises. “Brother Yuan Yi,” Qin Huai greeted enthusiastically. Yuan Yi didn’t look happy to see Qin Huai. He probably thought Qin Huai was a flashy young master. He looked straight at me and said, “Why are you here again? Are you deliberately trying to stop me from doing morning exercises? Are you afraid that I will be much better than you in the future, and you will have to look up to me?” Qin Huai said to the side: “I remember this is the first time I’ve come to see you, right?” Then he whispered in my ear, “Chengyi, is Yuan Yi sick in the head? Why does he talk like he’s been kicked in the head by a donkey?” I was speechless. How childish is Yuan Yi? Who would use such a stupid method to stop him from practicing? And not only did he think it, he said it. It’s like a child standing in front of you with a lollipop covered in drool, and then saying to you, “Are you here to steal my lollipop? Do you think my lollipop is a hundred times better than the ones you’ve seen?” However, I didn’t feel so disgusted with Yuan Yi because of this sentence. I knew one thing: apart from being arrogant and stubborn, this person is not a bad person. Since my impression of Yuan Yi had changed, I was a little more polite to him. In order to take care of his childish psychology, I deliberately said, “Yuan Yi, I really don’t have that kind of intention. You need me to look up to you now. I just want to ask you for one more thing.” Yuan Yi was satisfied with this statement, just as I had just been able to find a way to make him happy. He grunted, but it wasn’t a snort. He wiped his sweat and Yuan Yi said, “Ask away.” I asked, “Did my master take Ma Le alone today? Wasn’t there anyone else going?” “Yes, there was an old man named Sun, not very talkative. Oh, he was his grandfather.” Yuan Yi said very directly. I was a bit angry and asked, “Why didn’t you tell me?” “What do you mean? If your master told me to bring him, then he brought him into the village, and he didn’t say anything else.” Yuan Yi rolled his eyes and continued practicing. I helplessly shrugged towards Qin Huai and Sun Qiang, indicating that I was helpless about this person, Yuan Yi. Qin Huai simply blinked his eyes and made a face, probably because he was also defeated by Yuan Yi. As for Sun Qiang, he was relieved to hear the news from his grandfather and began to smile. After solving this problem, I suddenly found myself with nothing to do. I was thinking about whether I should go practice kung fu, but when I thought about the Kunlun incident, I felt depressed. So, I took Sun Qiang and Yuan Yi and said, “Let’s go and talk to Brother Sheng.” and this chat led to something. I had no reservations about talking to Brother Sheng and his wife. I told them everything I had heard from Yuan Yi, and Brother Sheng and his wife didn’t play any logic analysis with me this time, because Brother Sheng went crazy. he grabbed my shoulder and said, “Sanwa, do you think I’m your brother?” “What are you talking about?” I felt confused. “There may be something very important in that village. I’m going to get it.” Shengge’s eyes became very feverish, and the hand holding my shoulder became incredibly strong. “…” I was silent because I really didn’t know what Shengge meant. “No, no, we have to plan an operation.” Brother Sheng started to walk around the house, as if his butt was on fire. Qinhuai couldn’t stand it anymore when he saw this, and shouted, “Sister-in-law, look, Brother Sheng has malaria.” This is the Sichuan dialect that Qinhuai learned from me by accident, and he used it at this time. She didn’t say anything, and her expression became very strange, as if she was thinking about something. Only Sun Qiang, who had been quiet and not saying much, suddenly said, “Brother Sheng, you don’t want to go into the village, do you?” Brother Sheng stopped suddenly and looked at Sun Qiang. Sister-in-law also grabbed Sun Qiang. Sun Qiang looked innocent. He didn’t know what you did, but Brother Sheng and Sister-in-law were so excited. Brother Sheng didn’t say anything, but his sister-in-law said in a word: “I really want to go into the village. I want to see those poor villagers and see if there is such a desperate world. We researchers have never been pioneers and have missed many precious scenes. This time, I want to be on the front line.” I looked at my sister-in-law in surprise. I had to say that my sister-in-law was really a woman with a crazy gene in her bones. But Sheng-ge grabbed me and said, “San-wa, the things in this village are very important to me. They were my teacher’s lifelong wish, and I want to fulfill it. San-wa, you will help me, right?” I looked at my sister-in-law and asked, “Sister-in-law, do you have the same goal as Brother Sheng?” “No, it’s not the same. I know what he wants to do, but since he wants to go in, I have no reason to object. I have always opposed science going to extremes, and I also oppose forcibly applying the results of the future to the present. I think that is a kind of behavior that pulls up seedlings to help them grow. However, I don’t want to impose my views on anyone, even if the other person is my lover, I respect him. I just want to go see that world.” My sister-in-law replied seriously. Qin Huai was already crazy. He said, “Chengyi, if you leave me behind, we can never be friends again!” “You’re going to die too?” In fact, my heart was itching to go, but I didn’t know why. Could it be that I was born to love adventure? However, I was still able to force myself to remain rational and asked Qinhuai. “It can’t be a suicide mission. Your master once said that the time is not right. You didn’t encounter any danger when you entered the village yesterday. I think if we go at a certain time, we can definitely return safely.” Qin Huai hadn’t answered me yet, but my sister-in-law spoke first. I was itching to go, but my reason told me not to. I was so anxious that I rubbed my hands together and said, “But I don’t know what the right time is.” “Then let’s split up and try to find out what they’re up to!” Brother Sheng’s brain was working particularly well at this time. “Yes, Yuan Yi’s stubbornness is definitely a breakthrough.” Qin Huai added fuel to the fire by adding oil and vinegar. “But I don’t have the skills of my master.” I was extremely tempted, and Sheng Ge said that it was his teacher’s lifelong wish, so how could I refuse? There was just one problem that I hadn’t thought of, and that was, since it was his teacher’s wish, why didn’t he go to my teacher for help? My teacher was obviously much more reliable than I was, right? At that time, I was overwhelmed by impulse. An unknown adventure, but for some special reason, it was very safe. “Sanwa, is this thing possible? Give me a word. What skills do you need to enter the village? Don’t you have any?” Brother Sheng looked at me with eager eyes. What skills are needed to enter the village? I thought back to the situation along the way. As long as there is a “fairy guiding the way,” there is no need for any special skills. My heart grew more and more enthusiastic, and then I said with a gritting of my teeth, “I think it’s okay, but we have to prepare well. “Good, let’s infiltrate the village once before they start their big operation,” Qin Huai said excitedly. Just, are we the only ones? No, the magic of history is that it is often unexpected. New people always appear, and old friends will be seen again. The Q version can always reduce the horror component, can’t it? This is the war against the hungry ghost king. Chapter 57 Plants Someone once said that you can fall down once in a place, but to fall down twice in the same place is to be a fool. But the reality is that people often fall in the same place because some people love money, so they are prone to make mistakes with money. Some people are greedy for alcohol, and they often learn the lesson again and again, but in the end they still can’t give up alcohol. This is the weakness of human nature, knowing but still committing the same mistake. Do I? Do I knowingly and deliberately commit the same mistake? In the small village, the summer afternoon sun was also lazy, because of the mist, I was squatting in front of the door, looking at the sun in the sky and repeatedly thinking about this question. When I was a child, the scenes of the Hungry Ghost Tomb played back in my mind. Yes, curiosity and a little bit of impulsiveness. As long as I was given a little spark, I would be lost. So, what about now? Is it still the same? Curiosity and impulsiveness? I asked myself, and I don’t think so, because I’ve seen what the village is like, so why am I still curious? What always comes to mind is Sheng’s eyes, eager, hopeful, trusting, or something else. I sighed, and finally realized what this was about. It was because I couldn’t let go of my feelings for others, and I couldn’t refuse, so I started making promises on a whim, even though I was beyond my capabilities! This is the weakness in my bones. But now I’m a little regretful because I realize that I can’t bear the lives of so many people. The reason why I have been so upset here for so long after I calmed down is because I don’t know how to find Brother Sheng and say those words of rejection. I sighed, and suddenly I felt two hands on my shoulders. I looked up and saw it was Sheng. I squeezed out a little courage and said, “Brother Sheng, I want to…” “I know what you want to say, and I also know that I was too impulsive today and made an unreasonable request. If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have agreed so quickly, would you?” Brother Sheng said as he took a cigarette out of his pocket and handed it to me, then lit one for himself. Brother Sheng is a very self-disciplined person. He never smoked before, and his wife taught him to put a cigarette in his pocket. After all, in men’s social interactions, a cigarette can easily bring people closer. So, when I saw Shengge smoking, I was very surprised, and my heart suddenly softened. Otherwise, I would take the risk, but I wouldn’t bring Qinhuai, I would just bring Shengge. He really seemed to care about this matter. “Cough… cough…” Brother Sheng took a puff of his cigarette and began to cough violently. But after he finished coughing, he took another deep drag and said to me, “Sanwa, do you want to hear a story?” “Brother Sheng, you go first.” Seeing Sheng’s gloomy mood, I also felt depressed, and I smoked even more fiercely. “I, in fact, am an orphan. I lost my parents when I was four years old. I was raised by my teacher. Do you know that my parents were the first generation of scientists in our country, and then they sacrificed themselves for a scientific research project? My teacher was a friend, colleague, and good comrade-in-arms of my parents, and he raised me. For my sake, he never had children.” Brother Sheng’s ability to express himself has always been poor, except when he talks about science. He stutters when he says this. I patted Shengge on the shoulder to show my understanding. Brother Sheng took another deep drag on his cigarette and said, a little drunk, “My teacher died ten years ago. He had only one wish in his life, to solve that mystery. That mystery involved some secrets, and I’m not at liberty to tell you, but I can say a little bit. It was something that happened in the 1970s, and the head of state even went to the place himself. There was a sensational scientific expedition there, but the results were very bad. My teacher was one of them.” I didn’t quite understand, and I felt that this matter seemed to contain a level that I could not touch, so I’d better not know. “Anyway, it’s a magical plant, I don’t know how to describe it. Actually, once, not all of us from our country, but also Soviet experts, were involved in a very complicated situation. Sanwa, this time, if I can find this plant, it will be of great significance. I’ll be honest with you, I suspect that there is that plant in that river.” Shengge’s eyes became feverish again. “Brother Sheng, are you saying that you want to go to that river to find that plant?” That river is simply an unshakable shadow. If it weren’t for that illusory river god, how could this place have become like this? “Sanwa, I’m saying this because I have a precious handwritten note from my teacher. In fact, if I report this to the authorities, maybe the state will take it seriously and start a large-scale scientific investigation. But I can’t do that, because it’s very complicated. The project was stopped by the state, and your master, your master, would also stop me. In Taoism, you might think this is a violation of heaven and earth. But, Sanwa, do you know? I am really suffering. I have to do it. This is my teacher’s wish. Even if I can find some results in my research and burn them for him, it can also comfort his spirit in heaven. I… I’m not doing it for myself.” When Shengge said this, he actually shed tears of pain. My heart ached. Brother Sheng is my friend, and I care about my friends! I always thought I was a cool person, but many years later, I realized that I was a soft-hearted person with a soft ear. I always can’t help but be soft-hearted towards people who are good to me, who have paid for me, or who I care about. After a moment of silence, I looked at Brother Sheng and said, “Brother Sheng, I really regretted it just now. I didn’t want to act on my own because if I’m not careful, the consequences will be terrible. This time, I will think carefully about it. You have to tell me what that plant is. I swear I won’t tell anyone.” “A plant that can make people delirious, but can also stimulate the human body’s potential in a strange way. There are many side effects. To put it simply, this plant can turn a living person into a zombie.” Brother Sheng didn’t intend to hide it. But when I heard this, I gasped. It was not an exaggeration to describe this plant as demonic, but its military significance was self-evident. No wonder the country attached so much importance to it back then, and no wonder the country gave it up. Because the world situation is delicate, it will not allow a country to be involved in this… I often come into contact with a group of young men, and I actually know a lot about the international situation! I can think of the key points at once. “But, Brother Sheng, do you know about Kunlun?” I said to Brother Sheng, staring at him intently. “Kunlun? That’s a secret that can’t be told. I only know a little bit. That plant is related to Kunlun, so when you mentioned Kunlun, I thought of it. But I don’t know the specifics.” Brother Sheng replied seriously. “Okay, Shengge, you let me think about it.” I replied. 鈥烩€烩€� I and Shengge told everyone that the operation was canceled. In the following days, Qinhuai’s mood was calmed by me, and my sister-in-law’s mood was calmed by Shengge. As for Sun Qiang, he didn’t really care about entering the village or not. He knew that one day, everyone would enter the village, and that day would not be too far away. But was the operation really canceled? No. That night after I talked to Shengge, I told him that I was willing to take a risk with him because these actions had to be taken before the operation actually began, but this time the operation was just him and me. Master, the old village head, Ma Le still comes into the village every day. It’s already the third day. In the past two days, Master’s mood has become increasingly heavy, and Old Sun is even more taciturn. As for Ma Le, I think he has gone crazy. Every day he mutters things like “the seventh day, the eighth day,” and it’s hard to make sense of it. On the third night, after the master returned, I rubbed his shoulders as usual. I was especially attentive these days because I needed to get something from the master. I also felt guilty, not sure if I had wronged my master. But I couldn’t bear to do that to my friend. On this night, Master said, “Tomorrow, the reinforcements should arrive tomorrow, and after tomorrow, we can move.” I knew that my time with Sheng was running out. Chapter 58: Return to the Land of Terror In my cloth bag, there were five “Immortal Fingers,” a stack of talismans, a peachwood sword, and a piece of copper money that Master Shu gave me as the center of the formation. The bracelet of agarwood was still on my wrist, and the tiger claw was still hanging around my neck. listening to the howling wind outside, I was calculating my capital, which could save my life and Sheng’s life in a critical moment. “Sanwa, you have learned the art of summoning spirits, but you must not use it lightly. Your spiritual awareness is too strong, and I’m afraid you’ll become a madman.” The words of my master still ring in my ears, but the art of summoning spirits is my greatest asset. I don’t know if what I’m doing is right or wrong, or what the consequences will be. My mind is a little chaotic this evening. The next morning, the master did not go out. He was carefully looking at a map, carefully marking something on the map. I walked over to the master and asked, “Master, aren’t you going out today?” “The map is complete. There is no need to take any more risks in that village,” said the Master, looking at the map carefully. “Master, is this map very important?” I said absentmindedly. In fact, I had a lot to say to my master, but I didn’t know how to start, so I just talked about other things. “It’s very important. This is the key to finding the old village chief!” The master continued to mark something with a red pen. Unfortunately, I don’t understand anything about the Xiangzi meridian. I just feel that what the master marked has something to do with feng shui, but I don’t understand. “Master, why do you say that you will start moving after today?” I asked casually, after all, it is about the safety of me and Shengge, I must ask clearly, it is really too dangerous, even if I have to betray Shengge, I will not go. “This is a time period. Today is the ninth day, and there are six days left. On the last day, he will definitely appear, and it will be the strongest and weakest time. We don’t fight unprepared battles. Six days is enough time to prepare.” Master said. “Master, are these six days safe?” I asked cautiously. “There is no day that can be considered safe when we are on a mission,” Master replied casually, then focused on his map. I paced out and gave Sheng a wink, meaning that the operation would continue and that we would be leaving in a few minutes. A few minutes later, Sheng and I went out separately. After all, people can’t stay in the house all day long. In this remote village, people often still go for a walk nearby. Shengge and I pretended to be taking a walk and left the house separately. We agreed to meet at the foot of the mountain. 鈥烩€烩€� Fate is a charming guy, and its charm lies in the fact that you can never see his face clearly, but you always have expectations and fantasies about it, because it belongs to you, is unique, and is not something that can be repeated. You don’t want to put a hint of badness on it, even though it is sometimes a bad guy that makes you suffer. That day, fate played another joke on me, because less than half an hour after I left, reinforcements arrived, and among them were some people I had been thinking about day and night. More importantly, they brought a message, an important message, which I and Shengge had missed. This is fate. In a small village like this, two people who split up can both miss a group of people. When it causes a tragedy, fate does not blink, it has no feelings. Twenty minutes after we left, Sheng and I met at the foot of the mountain. He looked very serious, and so did I. I took out the yellow cloth bag I had hidden under my clothes and slung it over my shoulder. Then I took out a bundle of thin rope from inside. It really was a bundle of thin rope, because I didn’t have the skills of a master to tie a soul-locking knot, so I used the most stupid method to tie us together. I tied the rope around my waist, very tightly, and then around Sheng’s waist. I said to him, “This rope is from Ma Xiao, a special forces rope, very strong.” Brother Sheng nodded and said to me very seriously, “This is my wish, but I’m asking you to take the risk with me. If there is really danger, I’m willing to die, but you must run. Don’t let me down.” “We won’t die,” I said lightly, but I felt an indescribable sense of oppression in my heart. After dividing the worm repellent into packets and tightening the trouser legs, I took off the agarwood from my hand, broke it off again, took out two pieces, and put the rest in the yellow cloth bag. “This thing is not too strong when worn. Let’s each take one and put it in our mouths. Don’t swallow it, the fog has the ability to confuse people.” “I know.” Shengge threw it into his mouth like a candy, and his attitude was more relaxed than mine. I always felt that Shengge was gambling with his life. All preparations were complete, and I led Shengge into the thick fog. In the mist, I still felt the same way. The road was blurry, but because I was holding the agarwood beads in my mouth, my heart was exceptionally calm. I didn’t think about anything else, just that if I took one more step, I would be one step closer to fulfilling my promise. I was in front, and Shengge was behind me. We walked quietly. When I really couldn’t see the road clearly, I lit the first “Immortal’s Guide”. The immortal’s finger pointing the way is a good thing. In Taoism, it is more useful than a compass because the compass is affected by the magnetic field, but the immortal’s finger pointing the way is not because of the relationship between the talisman and the smoke it emits, it will only drift towards the place with an exit. I have never really understood the principle of the immortal pointing the way. To be honest, I didn’t understand the principle of the talisman on it. It wasn’t until much later that I met a guy who could draw immortal pointing the way talismans. He told me, “Actually, the immortal pointing the way talisman is actually a talisman that follows the sun, which means that it will always point to a place with sunlight and positive energy. When you get to such a place, you will naturally get out of the maze of negative energy. This is a Taoist prop used to deal with those things. If you are a lost person, it is not very useful for finding your way.” According to the principle of the immortal pointing the way, it is of course very useful in this place. Except for the wind when we were almost at the top of the mountain, which caused a little trouble for me and Brother Sheng, we actually made it to the top of the mountain without any problems. Once is a lifetime, twice is second nature. Is that the way it is? I cherished the half-burnt sage’s finger that I had extinguished, and standing on the top of the mountain, I said to Shengge, “In that mist, there are things that seem terrifying to normal people. I’m not like my master, who can block his five senses, so I’m sorry that I can’t let you close your eyes and then open them again and walk out.” Brother Sheng didn’t react much, just standing on the top of the mountain, his eyes looking at the river below a little unclear, the village was shrouded in mist, but the river was not, standing on the top of the mountain, you could see it. “Brother Sheng?” I called out, and Sheng only reacted after a while, then turned to me and said, “What do I have to do to get through that fog?” “First, don’t be afraid. Second, it’s more fierce than you. Third, if you can’t make it, just shout for me. I’ll always be in front of you.” I said simply. Brother Sheng looked at me and said, “I’ll try not to be a burden to you.” The road down the mountain was, of course, very smooth. Although my master told me that every day we were there was dangerous, I still vaguely deduced that the six days should be safe. It couldn’t be unsafe on that one day, could it? Maybe it is. After all, we are the first people to visit this dead village in decades. Who knows the real situation? 15 days? In fact, I already guessed how tragic the villagers were. Even if they had become ghosts, they would have repeated the same 15 days of terror for decades. The greatest torture is this. You can be fearless of pain and hardship, but will you be afraid of the constant, repeated pain and hardship? When you think you are free, it starts again! Or maybe it is the same with the reincarnation of the human world, so we need to cultivate a delicate heart to break through and be liberated. In the midst of my rambling thoughts, Sheng and I had already entered the fog. I didn’t look back at Sheng. Perhaps my worried glance at this moment would also become a psychological pressure for him. The courage he needed now was the more the better. It was still the same scene of wailing and howling. When their voices rang out, I could clearly feel Shengge behind me tremble. But it was just a moment, and I could feel the person behind me become more determined. I could feel the strength of that determination. How much support must there be in that heart? Human potential is infinite, of course, it requires a seed to stimulate. The teacher’s last wish was, unintentionally, the seed in Shengge’s heart. It was still those terrifying ghosts and goblins, and the scene was still hellish. When we stepped out, I felt the rope around my body tighten. I turned around and saw that Shengge was sitting on the ground. I didn’t probe into Shengge’s mind. I just looked at him and said, “You’ve come out, haven’t you? “Yes, it’s not scary to come out.” Brother Sheng took a few deep breaths and stood up. “After seeing this, will you change from a scientist to a superstitious person?” I joked, thinking of the terrifying silent world. I needed a light-hearted atmosphere to relieve the pressure in my heart, even though everything had gone smoothly since we arrived here. “No, psychosis is also a scientific category, isn’t it? I can’t guarantee that what I just saw is the world that a psychotic sees. Maybe I can become a medical scientist in the future.” Brother Sheng is actually quite humorous sometimes. “Let’s go. We’re in the village. The good news is that we’ve made it here. The bad news is that to get to the river, your destination, you need to cross this village.” I wanted to laugh, but the final expression was a frown, which I couldn’t control. Chapter 59: Mutation After saying this, I was about to take Shengge into the village. At this point, my mood was calm. I felt like two brothers who would never abandon each other, and I also felt like a friend who would risk his life for me. But at this moment, Shengge stopped me and said, “Sanwa, let’s sit here for a while, okay?” “Brother Sheng, are you still not feeling well? It’s good to take a break, but the master said that we can’t stay in the village for too long, and we can’t cross the mountain at night.” I didn’t think much about Sheng’s request. Brother Sheng looked at me. I don’t know why, but I always felt that he was looking away. Was he afraid? I could understand this. After all, he was just an ordinary person. So I sat down next to Brother Sheng and prepared to comfort him. I didn’t know that as soon as I sat down, Brother Sheng said something inexplicable to me: “Sanwa, the 19 methods of guiding are very effective. I have been practicing them for many years.” This is fine in normal times, but to say this in this place? I felt a kind of indescribable dullness in my heart. Is Brother Sheng really prepared to risk everything here? I said, “Brother Sheng, I brought you here to take a look. Don’t really risk your life for this. You have to think about your wife, think about…” I was trying to persuade Brother Sheng, but he slapped me on the shoulder, stopped me with his eyes, and then said to me very seriously, “Sanwa, don’t say anything now. Will you listen to me?” While talking, Shengge looked at the time. I didn’t care about this detail, but I obeyed and kept quiet. If Shengge had something to say, I let him say it. I just didn’t know why, but a strong, strange feeling rose in my heart, and I couldn’t stop it. “Sanwa, we met in 1982, right? Think about it, it’s been eight years now, and we haven’t spent much time together, only about a week. But friendship can’t be measured by time. Some people, even if you’ve been with them for ten years, you can’t call them friends. Some people, you can decide in a minute that they’re friends for life! Sanwa, you’re my friend for life.” Brother Sheng rarely says such moving things. I was moved to tears. Just as I was about to say something, Brother Sheng took out a cigarette and put it in my mouth. He lit one for himself and said firmly, “Don’t say anything. Listen to me.” He said firmly, “Don’t say anything. Listen to me.” After that, he lit a cigarette and helped me light one. Then he said, “Take a cigarette. Five minutes. In these five minutes, I would rather pour out all the feelings of my life.” “Sanwa, your sister-in-law is a good girl. If I can, I would like to spend my whole life loving and protecting her. I want to have a child with her and have a happy family. But in a man’s life, there are always some things that are more important than some feelings. These things can be ideals, or they can be something that is engraved in your bones and must be accomplished.” Brother Sheng suddenly had red eyes as he spoke. My hand holding the cigarette was shaking a little, and I forced myself to hold my tongue and listen to what Shengge had to say. “San-wa, what is a friend? I can’t define it myself. No matter what environment you and I are in, or what we are doing, my friendship with you will never change. Or, one day, if you don’t think of me as a friend, or even as an enemy, I will still think of you as a friend.” When Shengge said this, I noticed that he had shed a tear, but he didn’t wipe it away. “Sanwa, I’ve actually been very lonely in my life. I can say that there were two periods of time when I was most relaxed. The first was with you, with Ruyue, and with Su Rou at the Bamboo Forest Villa. The second was when I met Jingyi and we fell in love. In addition, there was another period of time in my life that was the most important, and that was the time I spent with my teacher. He was my teacher and my father, and the relationship between us was like the relationship between you and your master. You must always remember this. Maybe if you remember it, you will understand me.” When Sheng said this, he was already in tears. At this time, he finally wiped away the tears on his cheeks. I finally couldn’t help it and said loudly, “Brother Sheng, what do you mean by this?” Brother Sheng didn’t answer me at all, but instead took a chain off his neck. The chain had a pendant that looked like a small box. He handed the chain to me and said, “It’s a photo of me and Jingyi. Give it to her for me.” “Brother Sheng, let’s go back. I didn’t bring you here to die this time.” I was excited. I always felt like Sheng was saying his last words. “I’m not here to die. I won’t die. I still have a lot to do.” As Shengge spoke, he took two steps back, but I was so confused that I didn’t notice this detail at all. “Sanwa, goodbye.” After saying this, Shengge suddenly turned around and ran. I was a little stunned. What was the rush? What was going on? I clutched the chain in my hand and instinctively chased after him, shouting, “Brother Sheng, it’s dangerous in there. Don’t go.” Without turning his head, he shouted, “Sanwa, don’t follow me. I won’t be in danger. Go back. From now on, I really don’t want to face you.” What does he mean? My mind was in a whirl, but I couldn’t possibly go back. The village was so dangerous. I had lost my brother-in-law. How could I explain to everyone? How could I explain to my sister-in-law? I didn’t want to, but Sheng ran faster and faster, and soon he ran into the village. When he reached a corner, I couldn’t see him anymore. How could Sheng run so fast? I had never noticed this before, but I was determined to catch up with him. Just then, a man suddenly appeared at the entrance to the village, standing there and blocking my way. At the same time, a roar sounded in the sky, getting closer and closer. I looked up and saw a helicopter flying in the distance. A helicopter! How could there be a helicopter? When did helicopters start flying around here? And how did it end up in this village? Who was it that stopped me? Was it a person or a ghost? I rushed over, and the next moment I knew that the man was human. He reached out and grabbed me with incredible speed, saying, “Old Li’s grandchild? Get lost!” Then he pushed me to the ground with a flick of his hand. What strength! In that brief moment, I saw Sheng again. There were three or four people surrounding him in the open space at the corner. Sheng didn’t even look back at me. Shengge was caught? This was my immediate thought. Who were they? What did they want with Shengge? There was no answer, but that didn’t stop me from getting up in a rage, rushing over to the man, and then punching him in the face, yelling, “Get out of here! What do you want?” The man easily dodged my fist, ripped off his shirt, and said, “Are you the grandson of Lao Li, or the successor of the Shan School? Haha, so let’s spar. Do you want to spar with fists and feet, or do you want to spar with martial arts?” My eyes suddenly widened because on that person’s body I saw a tattoo. It was very strange, a very vivid, abstract face. The expression on the face was half-smiling, a look of pity that had seen through everything, a look of mockery at the indifference of the world. I was so impressed by this tattoo that I couldn’t forget it, because I had seen a simplified version of it at the Hungry Ghost Tomb! That mysterious symbol, a face that looked like a human being and a devil at the same time. My heart was beating fast. Who were they? What kind of people were they? They seemed very powerful. They knew everything about me. But Brother Sheng! I couldn’t care less. Between men, the most direct way to settle a dispute is with fists and feet. I don’t know what a martial arts master is, but I’ve been practicing since I was a kid, and I’m not afraid of fighting a few people. Without saying a word, I swung my fist again and started fighting with the man. I have to say that his boxing skills were very good and he had great strength. Every punch he threw at me was impossible to dodge and it hurt like hell. I was also crazy. I couldn’t dodge, so I didn’t dodge. I just wanted to rush over and bring Sheng back. So I used every technique I knew, including elbows and kicks, and I was fighting like crazy! It was only a minute before we were separated, both of us panting heavily. Fighting is not something you can sustain for long. It is very exhausting. He may not have been able to beat me, but I couldn’t beat him either. “Get out of here.” I whispered. He looked at me and said, “Come, let’s fight. If you win, I’ll let you pass. I’m very interested in the successor of the Shan Zi vein, the disciple of Old Li.” Chapter 60: Fighting Comparing Taoism? Why is this person so obsessed with me? He kept emphasizing that I was the disciple of Lao Li and the successor of the Shan School. What did he mean? My heart was beating fast, my sweat was falling in big drops, and I was breathing heavily. I looked up and looked at the man in front of me. This was the first time I had taken a serious look at him. He was very young, and very handsome. I don’t know if it was because of his hostility or something else, but I always felt that he was too handsome, to the point that he had a feminine feel to him. My impression was that this person was very deep and not easy to read. He wants to compare Taoism with me, but he is not asking for my opinion. As soon as he started talking, he began to walk, stepping in a strange way! Step the five yang! In the wild, without a sacrificial altar, and not at night, just step the five yang? You must know that the method of walking the star pattern can only be practiced in the wild, under the starry sky. This is the most basic principle, otherwise the walking the star pattern will never produce results. Otherwise, you can only choose to practice the walking the star pattern in a clean room, and to set up an altar to honor the gods and avoid being bitten back. What is wrong with this person? I think the steps he is taking are similar to the Eight Diagrams, but not exactly the same. At least in the steps I have learned, I have never seen this kind of step. What matched his steps were the words he was chanting. I couldn’t hear his incantations clearly, and it was impossible for me to hear them clearly. After all, any incantation is a secret, but the rhythm was not at all the incantation required for stepping on the steps. Suddenly, I thought of a possibility that my master had mentioned to me before: the art of incantation! In fact, Taoist spells are carefully broken down into two techniques: the technique of the talisman and the technique of the incantation. The founder of Taoism, Zhang Daoling, developed it, but it did not come out of thin air, but was inherited and adapted from ancient witchcraft. Spell and spell are two completely different concepts. A spell is a set of words that are recited when casting a spell, while a spell can be cast directly on a person. I misunderstood from the beginning. This person in front of me was not practicing the “Tengfang” at all, but was directly casting a spell on me. There are many types of curse spells, each with different effects. Even a single curse spell has hundreds of branches. If you don’t know the specific curse spell, it’s very troublesome to break the curse. I dared not think too much. I saw that his expression had changed dramatically. His eyes began to look fierce, and he began to grind his teeth. This was inevitable. If you want the power of a spell to be strong, you must devote yourself to it and match it with the spell you are casting. I knew from his expression that he was casting a curse on me. Once the curse was cast, I didn’t know what would happen to me. What can I use to fight him? I can’t lose Old Li, my master, and the face of the Shan School! This thought drove me crazy. Okay, my greatest advantage is my strong spiritual awareness, so I’ll use the lower miao technique. I won’t even use the spirit summoning technique. After all, the power of the three-mau technique is greater than that of the spirit-inviting technique, because the three-mau technique is an upper-body technique that uses the power of the invited object, and the amount of power that can be borrowed depends on the individual’s ability. The spirit-inviting technique is very limited, and the invited object usually assists from the side, using the power of both man and god. This subtle difference, when compared, is like heaven and earth apart. It seems that I am crazy at heart. This was my last thought before casting the spell. In the next moment, I did not hesitate to pinch my hands together, recite the incantation, and begin to concentrate on performing the lower magic. This spell requires complete concentration and communication with the spirit. I only saw the man’s expression change in a trance, but I couldn’t care less. In sync with the incantation, I felt as if I had arrived in the underworld, and one by one, fierce ghosts and gods appeared in my mind. I wanted the strongest ones, the most powerful ones! The art of summoning spirits is to invite ghosts. The more powerful the ghosts, the more difficult it is to communicate with them and bear their power. The stronger your spiritual awareness, the more powerful the ghosts you can find and the more you can bear their power. In a trance, it seems like many years, a lifetime! In a trance, it is just a second. The next moment, a cold energy seemed to fall from the sky. This was not physical energy, but spiritual energy. At the same time, a cold, belligerent, and violent emotion exploded in my heart. The moment I opened my eyes, I felt like I had endless energy and power to fight against the person in front of me! “If you don’t have a strong enough mind, it’s best not to use the lower-level magic. Ghosts are after all cold and negative energy. The middle-level and upper-level magic are positive, but they are too difficult to master because they require a lot of practice. Is this a contradiction arranged by heaven?” The words of my master still ring in my ears, and I can still think rationally, but I can’t suppress the urge in my heart to destroy this person in front of me. His curse is almost complete. I don’t know how to break the curse, so I can’t defend myself. I can only attack him before he finishes. The next moment, a hand gesture was made, and this hand gesture was made, the innate Bagua technique. This hand gesture is connected to the Eight Trigrams Mirror, and when combined with my power, it can block evil spirits, block the yin, and block curses. The mirror has a reflective function, so he wants to curse me, right? Then I’ll give it all back to him! Originally, with my power, I would have been unable to perform such a complicated hand gesture, but after using the technique of the lower bowels, the hand gesture flowed with the movement of the clouds and water, and as I chanted the incantation, I could feel my power gathering in the hand gesture. At this point, the person’s curse technique was complete. With the last syllable, he stopped his walking and shouted, “Bagua technique? I’ll see if you can block it.” As soon as his words fell, I felt a vicious energy surround me. This curse was so powerful. In this cold village, it was really a blessing to be able to cast a curse. I yelled, my hands gathered in front of my chest, and I was momentarily in a trance. At that moment, I didn’t know who I was or what I was doing. When I came to my senses, I saw the man’s whole body shaking, as if he were having a malaria attack. It’s back? But I just… The man quickly slapped himself on several acupoints and began to chant. He was the one who cast the spell, so of course he could undo it. I couldn’t kill him this time. A mocking smile appeared on my face. Then continue. The next moment, my heart trembled again. What am I going to do? Am I going to kill him? But this thought only appeared for a moment, and the next moment I had already begun to form a new hand gesture, the Five Thunder Curses鈥攖he Heavenly Thunder Curses. If you don’t move, then you’ll be an idiot. I was screaming in my heart. Then, the hand movements began to move frantically. The Five Thunder Curses were already the most advanced hand movements, and among the Five Thunder Curses, the Heavenly Thunder Curses were the most powerful. Ordinary hand movements were aimed at evil spirits and demons, but the Heavenly Thunder Curses could penetrate the body and directly injure the soul. It was difficult for the master to move the thunder formula, and I was like crazy at this time, wanting to take Sheng Ge back and wanting to get rid of this person in front of me. I couldn’t care about anything else. The helicopter was very fast, and in just a short while, it had already flown over the small village and begun to slowly descend. The man looked at my hand movements and began to panic. I stared at him viciously, just smiling, a vicious smile. I couldn’t see my own expression, but I could feel from the man’s eyes that it must have been hideous. “Hmph, what a talented grandchild, at such a young age, you have mastered the art of exorcism, not bad.” A somewhat aged voice suddenly interrupted, I didn’t know who it was, and I didn’t want to know. I was just struggling to perform the hand gestures, I felt that the power required for this hand gesture was tearing my soul apart, I had to concentrate fully to complete it. “Get out of here!” Suddenly the old voice changed its tone, and the sound of thunder rolled over me. It was a very strange feeling, as if someone’s voice was focused on me, and the next moment, I felt a sudden emptiness in my body, as if something had been forcibly kicked out of my body. It was the ghost I had invited to leave me. At that moment, my brain began to turn to mush, and the weakness that came from the depths of my soul made my legs go weak, and I fell to my knees. I had never been so weak. My face was pressed against the ground, my eyes were vacant, and at that moment, I heard a voice coming from afar: “What is an old troublemaker? Someone who specializes in bullying the younger generation.” Master! Everyone has always been curious about the hand gestures. Let me give you an example. The innate Eight Diagrams. Chapter 61: Betrayal “Hmph…” I only heard the man respond to my master with a cold snort. I turned my head back with difficulty and saw only a group of people walking in a hurry from afar. They had just come out from the foot of the mountain, about a mile away. Then I heard the roar of a huge helicopter. The plane had already landed. Was Sheng going to be taken away? Unfortunately, I didn’t have the strength to do anything. I just lay on the ground, weak and watching everything. I watched as the old man pulled the young man away, and the two of them, holding Shengge between them, began to walk towards the plane. “Shengge…” I shouted in a weak voice, but unfortunately due to my weakness, the volume of my voice was so low that even I couldn’t hear it clearly, let alone in the midst of the loud roar. “Yang Sheng, don’t go. You can give up everything, but don’t you want me? Don’t you want our child?” A shrill female voice with a crying tone came. The voice was so loud and heart-wrenching. Even at such a distance and in such a loud roar, it was still clear. It can be seen that the person who shouted was in such pain and what kind of emotions were they shouting with? I was stunned. What did I hear? No more children? Brother Sheng is leaving on his own? Sister-in-law has a baby? Brother Sheng… I dare not think about it. My heart suddenly began to ache. No, this can’t be true. In my weakness, I saw Shengge, who was about to board the plane, suddenly tremble. I couldn’t help but turn around and look back. I knew he was looking at my sister-in-law. But the person next to him, I don’t know what he said to him, then patted the box in his hand that looked very delicate, and then I saw Shengge get on the plane without looking back. Brother Sheng… my tears flowed down my cheeks. Do I still need to stop myself from thinking? This is the best proof! I was full of bitterness. Why? Why did you lie to me? I saw the young man who had been fighting with me get on the plane, then turn around and look at me with a look of resignation, then give me a gesture of defiance. Finally, the old man boarded the plane. He turned around and said, “Li’s disciple, not bad, young, huh…” His voice was full of energy, and every word clearly reached my ears. Then he entered the cabin, and someone closed the plane door. Hehe, I’m good? What is his standard of judgment? I always thought I was just a rookie. The helicopter began to slowly lift off the ground. I watched, my heart aching. No matter what, Sheng was right when he said that some people, even if you have been friends with them for ten years, are not friends, while others, even if you have only known them for a minute, you can still consider them friends for life. Yes, I thought of you as a friend for life, and in return, I was deceived? The tears fell into the dust and then disappeared. Is Sheng’s existence like this tear? It disappeared in the dust and then evaporated in the sun one day. Will it also evaporate in my heart? The helicopter has already risen quickly, and the roar of the engine has gradually died down. I don’t know if Sheng, who is on the plane, is crying or sad when he looks at these people on the ground. No, he is a madman. He wouldn’t. He has abandoned us, abandoned everything. Thinking of this, I clenched my fists. I felt that the strange discomfort was simply not going away. I had experienced parting, and I had suffered the pangs of missing my family. I thought that this was the most painful thing. I didn’t expect that there would be something even more bitter, and that is betrayal. This means that a sincere act of devotion has been trampled upon, and a sincere relationship has been abandoned. Whether it is feelings or devotion, they are all things that come from the heart and soul. Betrayal stings the soul. a sigh sounded in my ear, a pair of hands rested on my shoulders, and a voice whispered in my ear, “Who can stop what is destined to happen? Just as fate has dispersed, what is left behind is only one’s own obsession. Get up.” It was the master! I turned my head to look at my master’s face. I felt that I had nothing to say, so I let my master help me up. But I couldn’t help but feel weak in the knees, and I knelt down on the ground. My nose started to sting, and I hugged my master’s waist and began to cry out loud. This time, at the age of 23, I suddenly felt like I was 7 or 8 years old again, so unrestrained in front of my master, venting my emotions, just like a little child. “You’ve grown back to your old self after 8 years.” A beautiful female voice sounded in my ear, so familiar. I couldn’t help but look back. It was a bit strange, but so familiar. It was her… it was Ling Ruyue. 8 years have passed, and she has long since grown from the little girl she was into a beautiful young woman. She is so beautiful that it is hard to look at her, and it is hard to imagine that this is the little girl who used to cling to me and ask me to carry her. Is she here? I was too embarrassed to cry anymore, wiped away my tears, stood up, looked at Ling Ruyue, and wanted to say something, but I couldn’t. This is not like me and Shengge. We are both men, so we will be less formal when we meet again. She is a girl, and in terms of the difference between men and women, it is destined that we will not be too intimate when we meet again. “Old Jiang, I’m just saying that Sanwa’s porcelain horse is not as smart as my apprentice. Who else could it be but that old wise man? “Shut up! This is called growing up. You don’t know shit.” Master responded without any courtesy. But this time, Master Hui didn’t say anything. He just came over and tried to touch my hair as he usually did. But I was already 1.82 meters tall, and he was shorter than me, so he couldn’t reach me. In the end, he just patted me on the shoulder and said, “It’s nothing. Everything is just a matter of perspective.” I was moved, but I saw someone standing there, looking a little dazed. It couldn’t be anyone else but my sister-in-law. I reached into my pocket and felt the chain. I wanted to give it to my sister-in-law, but I didn’t dare to face her. If I didn’t bring Sheng here, Sheng would… But I couldn’t think about it for long. Suddenly, I felt a little dizzy, and my thoughts began to become confused. Then I started to feel unsteady on my feet, and everything around me began to spin. What happened? Everything was fine just a moment ago. This was my last thought, and the next moment I knew nothing. In a daze, I heard my master say to someone, “He used the art of the lower chamber in vain.” 鈥烩€烩€� I felt warm and tired. I tried to think about what I was doing and where I was, but I felt that my reactions were always slow. After thinking for a long time, I remembered that I had fainted. Then what? Where am I? I tried to open my eyes, but my eyelids were very heavy. At this moment, a hand slapped me on the chest, then slapped me on the face, and then a somewhat childish voice said, “Can’t you wake up? I’ll help you.” I was a bit helpless, but his method was indeed very effective. In a daze, I finally opened my eyes and, before I could react, saw a big bald head as bright as a light bulb in front of my eyes. Then I saw a face as round as the bald head, with round eyes and a very intelligent face. At this moment, the owner of this face was less than two centimeters away from me, his nose almost touching my nose, and his eyes looking at me with a smile. “Master said you are a friend I haven’t met. No, big brother, big brother, how are you?” Who is this child? I was confused. I felt that after I used the magic of the Tao, my ability to think had weakened. It was at this moment that Master and Huijue walked into the room. Hui Jue grabbed the child and twisted him around, scolding him, “Go recite the sutras for me, don’t make trouble here.” “I’ve read it many times.” The kid was wriggling all over the place, hugging Huijue’s leg and acting spoiled. “I told you to say it when I tell you to, don’t be lazy.” Hui Jue glared at him and shouted in a seemingly fierce voice. At this moment, even if I was slow to react, I knew who this little bald kid was. This was Master Hui’s apprentice. The master walked towards me and said, “Are you awake? Have you gone crazy? Are you normal? Have you gone insane?” “Well, I’m not an idiot, and I haven’t had a psychotic episode.” I said calmly, then looked around. This is the little room of Brother Sheng and his wife. When I think of Brother Sheng, I feel a stab of pain in my heart. Chapter 62 Taoism, nature There was a heavy atmosphere in the room. The round-faced boy was taken out by Huijue, who said he was going to chant sutras. When he left, he gently closed the door. I knew he wanted to leave me and the master alone to talk. Master lit a pipe. In recent days, I have noticed that Master’s frequency of smoking has increased significantly. The smoke rose in the room, and the two of us were still silent. When the pipe was almost empty, the master suddenly handed me the pipe and said, “Have a drag?” I took a puff, and a hot breath of smoke swirled around my lungs. In the end, there was a little aftertaste of medicinal incense in my mouth. This was the master’s unique tobacco leaves, which could not be bought in ordinary places. However, the tobacco was too strong for me, and I wasn’t used to it. I touched my pocket and took out a cigarette to light it. I, don’t I have a lot on my mind? “Still thinking about Yang Sheng?” Master finally spoke. “Yes, I want to know everything.” I really want to know everything. The last time Sheng turned around, it still hurts my heart. “This, take a look.” The master took something out of his bosom. I took it, and it was a roll of paper. I unfolded it, and there were many messages written on it, but they were written in a special code, and the translation was below. “We don’t know why, but we can send messages here without receiving telegrams. I didn’t think too much about it,” the master explained. In fact, I understand that he is afraid to think too much. It is terrible! Not receiving messages, but being able to call people, is like having a pair of eyes watching us, deliberately doing it. Looking carefully at the content of the paper, my face became more and more ugly. When I finally handed it back to the master, my hands began to tremble again. “Do you understand?” Master asked. “I understand.” I nodded. It was a conversation between a person and an organization. They had already colluded and agreed on the final item, which was a satellite phone call. Huh, a satellite phone… That person is Brother Sheng, and that organization, I remembered the devil’s face, it turned out to be an organization. “Master, did you know about this or…” My hands were so tense that my veins were bulging, and I couldn’t breathe because of the pain. It was a conspiracy, a lie. Brother Sheng, how could he do this to me? “I don’t want to suspect Yang Sheng. This news was brought by Ling Qing, and this evidence…” The master looked at me and said. I painfully lowered my head and grabbed my hair, and it took me a long time to say, “Brother Sheng, how could Brother Sheng do this?” “Because he has a fixation in his heart, and for this fixation, he has gone mad. This fixation has made his world devoid of right and wrong, black and white, and devoid of any feelings. From another perspective, his state of mind is actually very high, to a realm that we seek. Unfortunately, because it was born from a fixation, when it is shattered, it is lost forever. This is the wrong way. However, it is also his own way.” Master’s words were very profound, corresponding to my pain. Master was very calm and rational. “Master, is that organization very powerful? Can I get Sheng back?” I looked at the master, still holding a glimmer of hope in my eyes. “Sanwa, you’re 23 years old. I’ve always hoped that you’d stop being so childish. Powerful? Powerful is not enough to describe it. It can be said that even the country is afraid to get involved. Do you know why? It’s because of the tangled relationships! You can only slowly clean them up. Think about the details yourself. Can you drive a helicopter here without any worries? Do you think the country’s air defense is that weak? Where can a helicopter go? There’s one more thing I forgot to tell you…” The master said, and threw out another thing. It was a document that ordered Brother Sheng and Sister-in-law Jingyi to participate in this mission and investigate something. “This is?” The document has no problems, the signature, the seal are all in order. “Don’t you understand? This is true, but it can also be said to be false, because the document itself is not problematic, but the person who issued this document is involved with this organization. The information we have received so far is secret. This time, the country sent someone to us to prevent Yang Sheng, secretly control him, and then quietly and slowly clean up and close the net, trying to catch the person behind this organization. However, Yang Sheng…” The master sighed at this point. “Master, can you tell me about this organization?” I asked, because I also had a fixation in my heart. I wanted to find Brother Sheng and ask him clearly. I wanted to understand this organization. “No.” The master refused directly. “Why? Why do you always do this? Why don’t you tell me anything? Why don’t you tell me anything? Master, how long are you going to protect me?” I was angry. I hated this feeling. It had always been like this. A hint of sadness flashed in his eyes. After a long silence, he said, “I want to protect you and let you grow up slowly.” “Master…” I was choked up. But Master turned and said, “But I still let you go. After you left today, I received the news. At my speed, I could have arrived in time, but I didn’t. There are some things you have to experience for yourself.” What is it? Betrayal? I felt a wave of anger in my heart. I didn’t know why my master wasn’t looking at me. I stared at his back and used my silence to rebel against his decision. “Have you let go?” Suddenly, Master asked. “What?” I didn’t understand. The master turned and stared at me deeply: “Let go of your heavy emotions. In the future, be more rational.” I was silent. The betrayal was like a knife with barbed wire, piercing my heart. When I took it out, it was still covered in flesh and blood, and I was in pain. But, should I let go? I saw the faces of many people in front of me: my father, my mother, my sister, the sweet meat… and finally, my master! “You want to use a betrayal to make me understand the meaning of letting go?” My voice was sarcastic. This was the first time I had spoken to my master like this. Master didn’t care at all. He looked at me and said, “I don’t want you to have any obsessions. Too much emotion is like a heavy shackle that binds your feet and makes you stumble. I want you to walk more smoothly in the future. Cultivators cultivate their hearts. They cultivate a fair and transparent heart. But a fair and transparent heart is calm and indifferent. It can’t carry too much emotion.” Heh, heh, talking about Tao? I lit another cigarette, lay down heavily, lit it, took a deep breath, and said, “The Dao is natural, and so are emotions. I don’t want to go against it. I can’t pursue such a high realm.” “The Tao of nature is not what you think it is. The correct interpretation is that a heart ultimately merges with nature. What is nature? The sun rises and sets, the clouds roll in and out, life is endless, and the seasons come and go. This is a heart that operates according to absolute rules, without interference, only feeling. This is the natural way of life.” The master said in a deep voice. “Huh…” I looked at the ceiling and exhaled a puff of smoke, then said, “Is that so? The law is so ruthless! Master, have you let me go?” Silence. Then, Master’s somewhat tired voice rang out in the room: “I can’t let go of many things, but I will.” My heart was sad again. Is this a cold road? Will the master let go? In pursuit of the elusive nature? This was all I could think of at the time. But it was many years later that I realized what kind of person my master was, what kind of nature and what kind of realm he could be so wild as to not care about. What he wanted, I realized many years later. Unfortunately, time cannot be turned back. In this somewhat gloomy room, I looked at Master and said in a low voice, “I’m sorry, Master! I won’t let go!” The master stared at me for a full minute, then suddenly laughed, his laughter full of bitterness: “Heh heh, my disciple. Well, there are three thousand great paths and countless small paths. Everyone has their own path, and this deep feeling may be your path. I hope that in the future, you will be safe on your journey, and I only ask for peace.” Peace? Is that all my master wanted from me? It seems that I am not a worthy disciple, and he does not ask me to be proud of him. Only, it was many years later that I realized that pride really didn’t matter, and that peace was the best blessing parents could give their children. My master really did treat me like his son. Chapter 63: Rock, tough grass Faced with my master’s peace, I was speechless. I admit that I was a bit pouty, but I really couldn’t let go. I didn’t lie to my master. This time, Brother Sheng cut me deeply in my heart, as if he had given a heavy blow to our friendship, breaking it into pieces. But what about the next time? What heavy request will Su Rou have for me to help, and in the same difficult situation, what will I do? I don’t think I’ll be optimistic. Maybe I’ll be willing to help him again. That’s just me. There was another moment of silence, and I suddenly thought of a question I really wanted to ask: “Master, if I don’t take Brother Sheng into the village this time, will he not leave?” “There is no if in this world! Yang Sheng deliberately wanted to use you, so he must have seen something in you. But if you want me to answer, I can answer you. He will definitely leave, and the worst thing that will happen is that he will make a bigger fuss, like this helicopter flying directly to our current base. I don’t know what they said when they later contacted each other by satellite phone, but I know that the organization must have helped Yang Sheng get what he wanted, so he left without hesitation.” Master said. But this matter is still a mystery to me. I said, “Why did you choose to meet in that village? Why did you choose that time?” The master sighed and said, “I’m just guessing, but he didn’t want to part with everyone like this. It was too cruel. He probably still felt a little guilty and didn’t want to betray us in such a big way. So he chose a time when none of us would be in the village, and he chose an uninhabited village.” “Then why me? Does he think he can bear the scene of parting with me?” My heart ached again. I scolded myself, “How can you be like a woman? So easily hurt? Fuck you! “Because, first, you are a man, and second, you are his friend, and he wanted to tell you his last words.” The master said firmly. Man? Friend? I rubbed my frowning brow, Yang Sheng, you think I can bear it again. Look at my painful expression, Master said, “Maybe he told you a lot. You should go find someone.” I don’t need to hear it again. I know who I should go to. But I really can’t face her. I thought of that person and said again, “Master, is that organization really that powerful?” “It’s really powerful. Just think about it. In that village, they got what Yang Sheng wanted.” Master didn’t want to say more. He just said in general. “Sheng… what exactly did Yang Sheng want?” Could it really be that plant? Is he trying to trick me again? A flash of anger crossed his eyes, and he said, “Something forbidden, something that shouldn’t belong to humans.” “You… go find her.” After a pause, the master said again, then turned and left. I was speechless. In the end, I got up from my sleeping bag. This is my master. Whatever I have to bear, he will definitely make me face it. This is also me. Maybe I will be weak and suffer. Whatever I have to do, I will definitely do it. 鈥烩€烩€� I walked out of the hut and saw a lively scene in the big house, with people playing cards, bragging, sleeping, practicing (Yuan Yi), and eating. suddenly there seemed to be many more people. The big house was very crowded. I remembered that the reinforcements had arrived. I didn’t see Lingqing’s grandmother and Ruyue, but I guessed that this world of mutant insects might be their paradise. Where did they live? I didn’t see Master Hui and the round kid either. I guess they need a quiet place to chant. Qinhuai was greeting me, and Sun Qiang was greeting me. I didn’t want to talk much, just looked around, didn’t see my sister-in-law, and left the house. My sister-in-law is now a protected person, so she should be around here. I was nervous, so I walked slowly and looked for her. Sure enough, in a remote corner of the courtyard, I saw my sister-in-law. The weather in summer is like a naughty child, changing at will. The moment I saw my sister-in-law, the wind started to blow… Yes, this is a small village shrouded in a gloomy atmosphere, but so what? Under the sky, it cannot resist any changes in the sky, whether it is sunny or rainy, just like our fate, losing a friend or a lover, we have to accept it. The wind blew her hair and her clothes, and the sound was full of sadness… I always wanted to make myself less sensitive, but in the end I still choked in my throat. What will my sister-in-law do in the remaining decades of her life? The price for such a deep and unforgettable feeling is that you have to spend precious time in your life to forget. It hurts! And time can never be returned. I thought of this and I hated my brother-in-law, and I also hated myself. I walked over and whispered, “Sister-in-law…” and then I couldn’t speak anymore. What I saw in her eyes was a somewhat pale face, looking at me with helpless eyes, but the whole person inexplicably had an indomitable resilience in it. This was my sister-in-law Jingyi. The difference is that she used to be so cheerful and lovely. But now she is so… I can’t find the right word to describe her. I couldn’t speak, but my sister-in-law suddenly said, “I’m fine.” I felt a pang of sadness. How could this woman be okay? Even I was so sad at losing a friend, let alone losing a lover and a woman with a baby in her belly. My hand was in my pocket, holding the chain. I didn’t know how to say it, so I took out the chain and handed it to my sister-in-law, saying, “Brother Sheng… this is for you.” A tear glistened in her eyes, but she held back and said, “He really was ready. He even gave me this.” “What is this?” I knew that this thing was very important, but I didn’t know how important it was. If it wasn’t something that couldn’t be discarded, I would still have a glimmer of hope that my brother would come back. Instead of answering, she opened the locket, which was like a small box, and inside was a small photo of Sheng and his wife. In the photo, the two of them looked at each other, their eyes were so sweet, and the love could be felt even just by looking at the photo. “Does the photo look good?” My sister-in-law asked me softly. I nodded and said, “It’s nice. You’re very beautiful.” She hung the chain around her neck and said lightly, “This is something I gave him. It’s a token of our love.” My heart felt cold. It seems that Brother Sheng is really not coming back! Sister-in-law’s heart must be even colder. “What did he tell you?” my sister-in-law asked nonchalantly. “Brother Sheng, Brother Sheng said that you are very good, he wants to have a child with you, he wants…” I repeated Sheng’s words blankly. In fact, I didn’t know if I should tell my sister-in-law these things, because that would make her more painful and unable to let go. However, if I didn’t say it, who would I be accountable to? In my telling, my sister-in-law finally shed a tear, which she wiped away gently, trying hard to smile sweetly. It was only after I had finished speaking that my sister-in-law said, “That’s great. His dream is the same as mine. But I don’t have any more important ideals to pursue. My dream has already come true. I have our child.” The wind was stronger, the sky had become gloomy, and the thunder rumbled. I looked at my sister-in-law’s figure and suddenly felt that she was like a little grass. No matter how strong the wind and rain were, she was petite but not afraid, and she was tenacious and cute. “Sister-in-law, I’m sorry, it was me…” I finally said what was in my heart. In fact, I had been blaming myself for bringing Sheng into the village. “No, I don’t blame you. You are so devoted to him, risking your life. How could I blame you? I knew he would leave. You don’t know how persistent he is. That’s why I like him. Chengyi, I will be fine on my own now. In the future, the two of us will be fine.” My sister-in-law said calmly, with no more tears in her eyes. “Two people?” “Yes, me and the baby. I’ve thought about it, and I’ll just tell the baby later that he shouldn’t be afraid of any gossip. Respect isn’t given by others, not even by your own father. You have to earn respect yourself.” The look on her face suddenly became strong. Chapter 64: Wisdom I actually understand what my sister-in-law meant. After all, there are many people with many opinions. After Sheng’s departure, it is not a glorious thing. I don’t know what kind of rumors will be spread in the future, and the poor mother and child will have to bear them. But my strong sister-in-law Jingyi has already made her attitude clear in that statement. That is, no matter what, she will go on bravely and raise her and Sheng’s child alone. “Sister-in-law, are you going to wait for Brother Sheng forever?” I asked. The thunder grew louder with my words, and the sky became dark and oppressive, as if it could no longer hold itself up. The first drop of rain fell. Instead of answering my question, she said to me, “It’s going to rain. Let’s not stand here like idiots. Let’s go inside and talk for a while.” “Mmm.” Under the eaves, accompanied by the summer showers and thunder, I was talking to Sister-in-law Jingyi. Most of the time, she talked and I listened, and the content was always about Brother Sheng and the past between them. When the rain finally stopped, my sister-in-law was finally tired of talking. I don’t know if such memories are torture for my sister-in-law, but the strange thing is that as my sister-in-law told her story, her face gradually became brighter and brighter. Only I was still alone, feeling sad for my sister-in-law. “Sister-in-law, if you have any problems in the future, I…” I said. But she held me back and said, “Life is still very beautiful. There are always happy things, even if there are unhappy things. Look at them.” I looked back and saw Qinhuai cooking noodles in the room. Xiao Yuan and Huijue were squatting next to Qinhuai, watching with eager eyes. Qinhuai looked very happy. He took out a little beef jerky and threw it in, then took out a ham sausage, which was rare at the time, and broke it into pieces and threw it in. The little round child swallowed his saliva and looked at Qinhuai and said, “Uh…” he had just said a word, Huijue interrupted him: “Young man, can you cook me a bowl of noodles?” Huijue was indeed very talented at speaking, switching between Shaanxi dialect and Beijing dialect so smoothly. The little round child said again, “Uh…” but was again mercilessly interrupted by his master: “Oh, yes, remember to add an egg.” The little round child: “Uh…” This time, Qinhuai interrupted him, saying, “Old monk, who are you? Why do you want me to cook noodles for you?” Little round child: “Uh…” Huijue: “You’re Sanwa’s friend, right? You don’t even know me, Huijue? Be careful, I’ll fight you alone.” Single fight? I saw Qin Huai’s face change, as if someone had drawn three black lines on his face. He was about to speak, but the little round child said, “Uh…” Finally, Qinhuai couldn’t help it anymore, and he grabbed the little round child’s bald head and said, “Little round egg, who are you? I was talking to Master Hui, and you kept shouting for food. If someone didn’t know, they would think I was abusing you.” Little round egg? The little round child was unhappy and immediately broke free from Qin Huai’s ‘magic hands’, shouting, “I’m not a little round egg, I’m Huigen, I just want to say that I also want to eat noodles, you and the master are bad guys, you won’t let me speak.”

… “Ha ha ha ha…” I couldn’t help but laugh happily at this scene. Sister-in-law Jingyi also laughed along with me. The cheerful look from before seemed to have returned to her. After laughing, she looked at me and said, “Chengyi, you see, don’t you? There are always beautiful things in life that keep us alive.” “Yes,” I nodded, and at the same time, I realized that the woman in front of me was so full of wisdom that she could see more clearly than I could. 鈥烩€烩€� The days of waiting passed by quickly. According to the master, we had to wait until that day when the variable appeared to break the old village chief’s world of resentment. This is the last day, the day when the variable is about to appear, but it is also the most dangerous day. The master said that on this day, the old village chief, who has been hiding in the dark, may appear, but he may not. Who knows? Because the old village chief is an incredible being. The action is scheduled for the evening. Whether or not we can catch this variable is the key! I secretly asked Yuan Yi, after all, this person speaks more directly than my master, and he can tell you a lot if you ask him. He told me that their analysis was that the old village chief might not be able to move freely for an unknown reason, or that he was unwilling to pay a certain price to move. Our capture of the variable is also a gamble. I still don’t understand it very well, but it doesn’t matter. I believe that everything will be answered after tonight. In the afternoon, Qinhuai and I sat under the eaves and chatted nonsense, while Huigen also squatted in front of us in a serious manner. This child doesn’t know why, but he’s attached to me. Except for the time when Master Hui lets him do his homework, he loves to cling to me the rest of the time. Actually, the little round egg is quite cute, although sometimes it feels like having a half-grown boy around is a very challenging thing. “Chengyi, why can’t you see Ling Ruyue all day long?” Qin Huai said. He had only seen Ling Ruyue once, and he was amazed by her. Unfortunately, after she arrived at this place, she often went out early in the morning and came back late at night with Grandma Ling Qing. “How would I know? This girl and I haven’t even spoken a few words this time, and it’s been almost five days now. I’ve only seen her twice.” I said while patting Hui Gen’s head. I paused and looked at Qin Huai and said, “You little brat, you’re not falling for Ling Ruyue, are you? I advise you to put this thought out of your mind sooner rather than later. That girl is no ordinary girl.” “Come on, who doesn’t love a beautiful woman? Unfortunately, I don’t know if this is the king’s intention or the goddess’s heartlessness.” After saying that, Qin Huai was bored, holding a half-smoked cigarette and teasing Huigen, “Want a drag?” “No, I won’t smoke. My master will punish me for reading scriptures.” Hui Gen’er shook his head seriously, which was very cute, and made me and Qin Huai laugh. Qinhuai couldn’t help pinching Hui Gen’s face and said, “Little round egg, why is your Dharma name so strange? If you are called Hui Gen, do you have a lot of wisdom roots?” Huigen opened Qinhuai’s hand and said, “When my master took me away, my mother said that I was the root of my family, and that my master should treat me like a root. My master said that he was too lazy to think of a name, so he just called me Huigen, which means ‘wise root’. I was sweating. I thought my master was a person who didn’t follow the rules, but I didn’t expect Master Hui to be even worse. He even picked a random Dharma name, calling me Hui Gen, and he wasn’t afraid of going against the heavens. I don’t know much about Buddhism, but I know that Buddhist names are given according to the order of birth. How could a master and his disciple both be called Hui-something or Hui-something? I thought it was like a father naming his son. My master is strange, and the friends he makes are equally strange. I couldn’t help but turn around to see the figure of Master Hui. Sure enough, he was ‘eye-catching’. A big monk was jumping around the room, asking people everywhere, “Say, do you have any eggs in your food supplies?” Qin Huai also saw this scene. We looked at each other in silence. Qin Huai pinched Hui Gen’s face again and asked, “Say, little round egg, do you like eggs too?” “I love cake.” “It’s eggs after all.” Qin Huai looked up at the sky and helplessly shouted. At this moment, the master came out of the room and said to me, “Chengyi, get ready for the night’s operation. You will be my assistant.” “Isn’t it Yuan Yi?” I asked in surprise. Is the master willing to let me be the ‘pioneer’? This is the first time. “It’s not Yuan Yi, it’s you. Come in with me and get ready. I’ll tell you what to do.” As he spoke, the master couldn’t help pinching Hui Gen’s cheeks. “Master Jiang, why are you pinching my cheeks?” Hui Gen was very dissatisfied. Why does everyone love to pinch their own cheeks? The master looked at Huigen with a look of regret and said, “You little brat, why are you so hard to pinch? I’m sorry, I controlled myself, but I couldn’t help but want to pinch you.” “Ha ha ha…” Qin Huai was laughing wildly, and Hui Gen looked innocent. I was excited and said to my master, “Hurry up, master, tell me what I have to do?” Chapter 65: Capturing the soul and the odd number The summer nights in the mountain village are always beautiful, with twinkling stars and often a slanting Milky Way hanging in the sky. But in this desolate village, summer nights are so dark. What you thought was just a thin layer of mist actually has such a big impact. At least here, I can’t see the stars when I look up, and all I see is a dark sky. This time, the task was to catch the odd number. In the afternoon, after listening to my master’s explanation, I finally understood the whole story, although I had already had a vague idea. “Do you know about the soul?” This was the beginning of the story my master told me. I of course know about the soul-binding. There has always been a legend that when a human being is killed by a powerful being, his soul cannot rest in peace and is forced to remain by the side of that powerful being, unable to be freed. To be a tiger’s accomplice is an idiom, but behind it is the cruelty of the soul-binding. But in Taoist analysis, this powerful being is generally a being with a lot of resentment and a strong aura. The vampire can capture the soul, the tiger can capture the soul, and the old village chief…captured the souls of the entire village. His resentment was so strong that the killing that time did not appease his resentment, or rather, after he became another being, everything he did was done with hatred, driven by resentment. So the souls of the villagers who were trapped were forced to repeat the 15 days of their lives over and over again. What kind of 15 days were they? They were 15 days of countdown, starting from the moment they dreamed of him. This was repeated for decades, and the ghosts of the villagers’ souls also began to be filled with resentment, but they were unaware of it and thought they were still alive… This is the truth of this village. I had always wondered why Zhao Jun’s soul was in the village, and my master and Gao Ning called it a variable. My master also answered this question for me. “The soul returns to its hometown, you know? No matter where you die, if your soul is not affected, it will always return to its hometown. Mountains and rivers are not an obstacle! Zhao Jun’s soul, including the three who escaped, their souls did not run away. After they died, their souls returned to their hometown.” Yes, no wonder people are so particular about burying their dead in the place where they were born. If not, the soul and the grave would be in different places, so how could the soul be worshipped by the descendants before it is reincarnated? Why is Zhao Jun a variable? “It’s very simple. He saw us, and he must have been suspicious of the world he was in. He escaped by relying on his own wisdom, and that was the variable in the whole thing. After becoming a ghost, he also became a variable. The way of heaven is really unpredictable.” This was the answer from the master. Yes, everything is in the dark, and there is a will of heaven. In fact, according to Master, at the beginning, when faced with this world of resentment, which is like a solid block, one does not know how to proceed. This is not simply a matter of whether or not to do it. The so-called “degree” also depends on the willingness of the soul to be saved. To put it simply, if you want to give something to someone, you have to get it accepted. To be more precise, the process of “transcending” is like you and the person being transcended are doing the same thing together. You have to have at least a common belief in order to complete this task. Otherwise, wouldn’t a single exorcism be enough to rid the world of all vengeful spirits? Vengeful spirits are difficult to deal with because they are unwilling to be exorcised. They must be attached to the person they resent, just like the underworld. You can only talk to them and give in to their wishes, otherwise they will make your life a living hell… So, as soon as they entered the village, Gao Ning and the master changed their expressions. The world of resentment is a monolithic entity, and the people inside believe that they are alive and are waiting for the old village chief to take revenge. until a variable appeared… and finally a glimmer of hope to break the world of resentment! “Why did Zhao Jun rush into Ma Xiao’s body? It’s because he was not yet deeply controlled. The villagers who were deeply controlled would have avoided us under conscious manipulation. Even if they didn’t avoid us, they wouldn’t have rushed into our bodies or seen us…” Gao Ning was also explaining to me at the time. “Yes, they are so deeply manipulated that even if they and we were to collide, it would probably just be a brush past at the critical moment. We can’t possibly create a variable by ourselves. Even the price of a brush past is very high. Think about it. Ordinary people can’t see ghosts, but if they accidentally brush past a ghost, their bodies will feel unwell. If they face a more powerful ghost, they will inevitably fall ill after returning. It is difficult for me to eliminate the impact on myself in the short term when I collide with these ghosts in the village who have deep grievances and negative energy.” This is the master’s addition. Yes, Ma Xiao has not recovered yet, and his high fever has not subsided. This is one explanation. In fact, he has a high fever that won’t go down, but Master is relieved. Master says that a fever is not necessarily a bad thing. Generally, when people encounter ghosts, they tend to have a fever, which is a manifestation of their own yang energy resisting the yin energy. “Zhao Jun became a variable, and it was also an inevitable accident. It was only because his soul returned to the village many years after the villagers that he didn’t even transform, at least ordinary people couldn’t see it, which caused all this. This is the arrangement of heaven. It is said that heaven and earth are not benevolent, but in fact, heaven’s benevolence lies in the fact that it will give you an opportunity. Whether you can seize it or not is a matter of the human body…” Gao Ning said. Yes, the heavens and earth will not allow the existence of this village of resentment, so the construction of the road is one opportunity, and after we came here, we met Zhao Jun, the variable, which is the second opportunity. The heavens and earth are doing what they need to do in their own way. “Once my master encountered such a world of resentment. It was just a residential building. My master…” Gao Ning couldn’t help but mention his past, but then stopped talking. In any case, Zhao Jun’s soul will be the key tonight. Whether he appears or not will also be the key to our actions. In the dark night, I sat cross-legged in the clearing at the foot of the mountain. In front of me was the altar, and behind me was a huge spirit-summoning banner. Behind the spirit-summoning banner, eight Taoist priests are sitting cross-legged. They are in the best position to provide me with assistance at critical times. Master, Yuan Yi and Hui Jue have gone up the mountain. They are even more crucial to the operation. They will escort Zhao Jun’s soul all the way. Master told me, “This is a fight with the old village chief. The three of us are in danger on the mountain, and you are in danger too. Remember, no matter what happens, you must not give up.” In addition, there are many soldiers lurking around the clearing. They are all loaded with bullets and carrying incendiary bombs and the like, in case the old village chief shows up. Those who were not combat-ready, Qin Huai and his wife, stayed in the house. The atmosphere was tense. It was already past 10 p.m. Strangely, I still hadn’t seen Grandma Ling Qing and the girl Ru Yue. Even Sun Qiang and his taciturn grandfather had disappeared. What was going on? At this time, the master stood in the middle of a well-prepared formation, wearing a Taoist robe, and had already begun to kick the start of the star. Although, there is no starlight to be seen here, the starlight is still there. The connection is just a little weaker, and the power of the stars is a little smaller. Master is going to open his third eye! This is different from my usual opening of the eyes. This opening of the eyes is a higher level of opening of the eyes, which can penetrate layers of barriers and see deeper truths. This kind of eye-opening is also the true eye. Master has used it half a time before, when he was looking for my second sister’s lost soul. Master said that was only half a time, but this time, he has to open his eyes completely, because he has to look through the mountains and the thick air of negative energy and resentment to observe the situation in the village. holding a magic weapon, the master stepped on the magic circle. At this time, everyone except me had to retreat two miles away. I looked at the master’s figure in front of me and I knew that once my eyes were open, I would also have a sense of it. Opening the eyes is originally relying on the power of spiritual perception. Using this energy to break through the appearance of the world, my spiritual perception is so powerful that I can see things with the energy that my master broke through as a guide, without deliberately opening my eyes. But, looking at my master’s back, I was still very nervous. What would I see? Would the village in the night be even more terrifying? Chapter 66: Surrounded by resentment After the final step, my master’s aura had reached its peak. As the last syllable of the mantra fell, I saw my master stop in the middle of the formation. Next, I was in a trance, and the world around me began to change, becoming a world made up of streams of air. However, the main color was the thick black air that could not be dissolved, and the pale yellow light points representing our lives were so weak and helpless in this black air. The mountains in front of me began to turn into gas. The green light was trees, and inside them were many black and yellow light points, like stars dotted in the yellowish gas that the mountains had turned into. It was like a scene from a movie, as I saw a place as black as a black hole in the endless universe, round in shape, or rather, egg-shaped, with a perfect fit. Is this the world of the old village chief’s grievances? Is it surrounded by the heavens and earth, enveloping the poor souls inside? I can’t see clearly, I can’t see what the villagers inside are like. In this situation, unless I open my eyes myself and cooperate with the Master’s momentum, I can’t see clearly what’s going on inside. But that’s fine. I don’t want to see what’s going on inside, and I can’t open my eyes. My powerful spiritual awareness has to cooperate with my power to do something else. I opened my eyes and silently recited the mantra for calming the mind to resist this force. I couldn’t afford to expend too much energy at this time. I had to maintain my best condition. I thought to myself, I pinched a pill in my hand. It was a pill for clearing the mind and replenishing the spirit. “Your spiritual awareness is like an ocean, but your brain can only withstand the impact of a small river. This is the limitation.” This is the master’s summary of my shortcomings, but human potential can also be improved. I’m willing to risk it for today’s action. Time passed by minute by minute, and as I repeated the mantra of meditation over and over again, my mood also calmed down to a state of calm. “Hui Jue, Yuan Yi, go up the mountain, everyone else, get into position, Cheng Yi, when the time comes, listen to my orders and start.” Master shouted, and suddenly closed his eyes, but his tone could not hide his excitement. The variables have really appeared! Hui Jue and Yuan Yi were about 500 meters away from the master. They had deep kung fu and knew how to control their breath, so they didn’t have to retreat as far when the master cast his spell. With the master’s shout, which contained his kung fu, I saw Yuan Yi and Hui Jue running towards us at high speed in less than half a minute. This Buddhist and Taoist kung fu foundation is indeed not false. Master, Huijue and Yuanyi have gone up the mountain, and not far from me, the soldiers with weapons are also in ambush. The biggest reason for making this an open space is that if the old village chief really appears, this open space will be the center of the encirclement, leaving him with nowhere to hide. The atmosphere was very tense. I heard one of the Taoist priests sitting behind me say to the other, “Do you think the old village chief will really show up?” His voice was trembling. Five minutes passed, and everything was very calm. Everyone was a little more relaxed. But then, we saw a terrifying scene. The dense fog on the top of the mountain seemed to have come to life and began to roll up. My heart went up to my throat. I began to worry about the situation of the master, because the light representing the master had stopped. The Taoist priest is also an ordinary person, and the light is not mysterious or related to anything supernatural. It is just that the light of the powerful flashlight that the master is carrying is so conspicuous in the dark environment of the mountain that even the thick fog cannot block it. In the previous few minutes, we could see the light point quickly climbing the mountain. Because of the time pressure, Master and the other two used their real kung fu to climb the mountain, and of course their pace was fast. But when the thick fog began to roll, it just stopped. What was going on? At such a tense moment, it seemed that the heavens were not having enough fun. At this time, there were sounds of ghostly wailing coming from the mountain. The sounds were so miserable that they made people feel cold from the bottom of their hearts. When many sounds were added together, it was as if thousands of ghosts were howling at the same time. Everyone here is an experienced person, and their psychological quality is many times stronger than ordinary people. However, I sensitively heard that everyone’s breathing had changed, becoming rapid and heavy. This was because of fear. At this time, I could not cause trouble for the master, so I shouted, “Cheer up! It’s just resentment, nothing to be afraid of.” My shout had an effect, and the atmosphere improved slightly. The light representing the master began to move, but not as fast as before. I was a little relieved, but I didn’t expect the dense fog on the top of the mountain to start spreading downwards at a very fast speed. I widened my eyes and remembered the story of Zhao Jun’s final escape. The dense fog was like this, chasing Zhao Jun and refusing to stop. But if the fog had moved at that speed that night, I believe that even if Zhao Jun had four legs, he would not have been able to outrun the fog. “Huigen, what are you doing?” At this moment, the voice of a soldier rang out, actually reciting Huigen’s name. This little round child was liked by everyone. I don’t know why, but today, the old man Hui Jue actually agreed to let Hui Gen come here, and let a soldier take him, which was considered safe on the outskirts of the encirclement. Why is this kid causing trouble at this time? I turned my head with some dissatisfaction and wanted to scold Huigen, but I heard Huigen say, “Let me go. My master said that in critical times, I have to help everyone. I have a lot of wisdom, and my chanting is very effective.” I thought to myself, just as my spiritual awareness was so strong that my master took me as a disciple, Hui Gen must also have something special about him that would make him valued by the old man Hui Jue. People with strong spiritual awareness have great mental powers. Hui Gen said that he had a strong spiritual awareness, so maybe it was true. So I shouted, “Let Huigen come over, don’t hold him back.” In the meantime, the thick fog had already spread to the bottom of the mountain and was rushing towards us at an alarming speed. But now is not the time to think too much. I felt that the ghostly cries were still far away, but now they were almost shouting in my ear. In particular, I saw a series of staggering figures hidden in the fog, walking towards us. It’s so powerful that it can even take on a physical form! This is the same effect as the resentment at the bottom of the mountain. The resentment contains the villagers’ resentment of their tragic deaths, so it’s normal for the resentment to take on a physical form when it reaches a certain level. However, I think it is normal, and others may not be able to resist it. The horror in this resentment is not the resentment that has taken shape, but the aura of ordinary people. After all, the aura of ordinary people is not as powerful as that of cultivators. If one loses one’s concentration, it will be terrible if the resentment enters the body. Gradually, the fog was already very close to us. A slight mist like smoke rose all around us. I saw Hui Gen running towards us and couldn’t help but call out, “Hui Gen, hurry up.” Hui Gen’s two little legs kept flipping, and he was fast, but when he ran up to me, we were instantly surrounded by thick fog. It became hard to see around us, and we were all trapped in the fog, not to mention being able to see clearly what was happening to Master. The figures in the fog were so clear, one by one they were all the villagers who had died tragically, and they were walking towards us step by step with pale faces. I couldn’t see the reactions of the people around me, nor did I know where they were, but I could hear the sound of someone crying out in fear. “Hmph…” Hui Gen sat down in front of me, looking disdainful. This kid took out a sutra from his bosom, hung a string of beads around his neck, held a string of beads in his hand, and then placed the sutra in front of him. He didn’t even breathe, closed his eyes, and began to recite the sutra. A young voice rang out in the open space, but no matter how young it was, it could not hide the solemn and majestic aura of great compassion. While reciting the sutra, Hui Gen’s face also showed a solemn feeling of the Dharma, very solemn. I was moved to think that the stories of high priests of a certain age were often true. Could Hui Gen be one of them? But will it work? The facts prove that this little Hui Gen is really amazing. As soon as the scriptures began to be recited, a sense of peace and calmness rose in my heart, and I faced everything calmly and without emotion. After all, the longer one practices, the less influence others can have on them. This is true for me, and I’m sure others feel it even more deeply. But then, Hui Gen brought me an even bigger surprise… Realistic version Chen Chengyi, when he was in college, looked like this. Thanks to Xiaoyu’s wife for drawing so well. Chapter 67: Soul, return As Hui Gen chanted, the thick fog that had originally surrounded us began to gradually dissipate. The pale, grim faces of the villagers in the fog also began to dissipate. The fog actually receded, and at the foot of the mountain, it was in a stalemate with Hui Gen’s spiritual power. This kid is so powerful? I can’t believe it! Using the compassion in the scriptures to dispel the resentment is a skill only a high monk can have. Hui Gen’s chanting continued, and at this point I could see the light representing my master had reached the top of the mountain. Has he reached the top of the mountain? I stood up, not bothering to admire Hui Gen’s power anymore. I knew it was time for me to do my job. I held the flagpole with one hand and made a hand gesture with my right hand. This hand gesture is not technically part of the 108 hand gestures, but is simply a hand gesture for concentrating one’s own energy field and spiritual awareness. Master said that once he reached the top of the mountain, he would be ready to help at any time. I nervously stared at the summit, and sure enough, less than a minute later, a bright signal flare shot up into the sky. It’s starting! I held the spirit-summoning flag tightly, and the next moment I closed my eyes and tried to let my thoughts go out. All I could think of was Zhao Jun. The soul-calling technique! This is a technique that is not very sophisticated. The key to the technique is to think deeply and establish a connection with the designated ghost, and then use your own voice to point the lost ghost in the right direction. This method, to be honest, ordinary people with strong spiritual powers may be able to do it unintentionally. For example, if you miss your loved ones too much and fall into a state of meditation, you may be able to summon the soul of your loved one who has not yet left. However, this is only limited to people who are close to each other. If you want to connect with a ghost that you don’t know, it is very difficult, so it requires a strong spiritual awareness that is very different from ordinary people. This is also the difficult part of this method. Even if a Taoist priest who has no talent practices for decades, he may not be able to complete the soul-calling method. I was under a lot of pressure. I was afraid that I wouldn’t be able to master the soul-calling technique and couldn’t help my master. But I didn’t expect that I would feel anxious, scared and fearful within a minute of meditating. This feeling was very strange. I knew clearly that the owner of this emotion was Zhao Jun. This is where metaphysics is not understood. It is like someone who accidentally sees the soul of a loved one. His face is so blurred that even in a dream, you know it is him. This person is your loved one. But it is often impossible to prove things that are felt, so it is very difficult for metaphysics to be understood and accepted by the world. Zhao Jun, is that you? Zhao Jun, is that you? I repeated this sentence over and over in my head. When I repeated it for the seventh time, a vague but clear response came. I am Zhao Jun. Who are you? Follow me, I will lead you out. I tried to communicate with Zhao Jun, but I repeated the sentence in my head ten times without a response. Just when I was getting a little anxious, another response came. They were helping me, leading me away. I was relieved. Folk medicine also involves calling the soul, but generally only close relatives can do it, and the soul will only follow them. It is impossible for a stranger to call the lost soul of a stranger to a designated place. The reason why the soul-calling technique is different from the folk soul-calling technique is that it must be done by a professional. Feeling the trust of Zhao Jun, I immediately shouted, “Zhao Jun, return, Zhao Jun, return…” My voice echoed across the mountain opposite, and I could hear the sound of it coming back. I used the qi from my lower abdomen to break through the layers of resentment and guide Zhao Jun’s soul to a clear path. My personal power is no match for my master’s, so the spirit banner my master made by hand is a great help to me. To the soul, the spirit banner is like a lighthouse to a ship lost at sea, a crucial guide. But even so, I still couldn’t sense Zhao Jun approaching me. The resentment that the old village chief had created was too strong. It was simply not possible for me to compete with him for the soul. Fortunately, with the echo of the shout, I felt Zhao Jun’s gratitude and trust. With my eyes closed, I could vaguely see Zhao Jun, but what I saw was very blurry. It was just a feeling of a hazy figure in the mist. Moreover, I could feel the malice and anger in the mist. Was the old village chief going to confront me? I suddenly felt a surge of courage. I picked up the spirit banner, held it in both hands, and began to step on the first step of the star pattern. This was the first time I had formally stepped on the star pattern. With the help of the power of the stars, I was a little nervous. But the words my master gave me this afternoon gave me great confidence. “Chengyi, I have never evaluated your level of Taoist practice, nor have I ever let you do anything, because you are not stable in your character. I have always let you lay a solid foundation since you were young, but today I want to tell you that you can do many things well. Go ahead and practice the Five Steps of the Dao, you should be able to sense the power of the stars better than I can.” Yes, as long as it involves the induction of Taoism, I used to be able to do it well, but I didn’t know it myself. I felt as if I could communicate with a magical force in the universe. That force was contained, but there was a great pressure in it, and I was worried that I couldn’t bear it. Master was also worried about this, but he just said that a little bird has to spread its wings and fly high, and he should let go and have more confidence in me. How could I let my master down? I kept on walking the steps, calling out, “Zhao Jun, come back, Zhao Jun, come back…” I could feel that Zhao Jun had found a goal, but he couldn’t break through. I needed more power to help Zhao Jun break through the obstacles. The step I took was the simplest kind of step, but it could also be done with great force. When the final step was taken, I suddenly felt a loud noise in my ears, and a cold and powerful force suddenly fell into my brain. Is the power of heaven cold? In a daze, I had only one thought. The next moment, my brain was throbbing with pain, but it was also extraordinarily clear. I felt compelled to vent my feelings, so I thrust the spirit banner into the ground, holding it in one hand and channeling my own power into it, just so that it could be even more “bright.” Then I shouted, “Zhao Jun, return! Zhao Jun, return!” As I shouted, it was like a thunderbolt had suddenly struck the ground, illuminating the entire dark world. In my mind, the image of Zhao Jun became extraordinarily clear. I could see his eyebrows and eyes clearly, every expression, every movement… I saw him in surprise, and then he quickly came towards me. I saw the layers of fog being ‘split’ apart by my voice, making a path for Zhao Jun. I felt so much, but unfortunately I couldn’t see how I looked at the time, and I didn’t even know that I had a nosebleed that was pouring out of my nostrils. I was finally able to help my master. If we successfully brought Zhao Jun into the spirit banner, we would have seized this opportunity for a sudden change in the odds. But is it that easy? Just as Zhao Jun was rapidly approaching me, a sudden snorting sound exploded in my head. My heart was in turmoil, and it was only with great difficulty that I calmed down. Is the old village chief here? If he’s here, then he’s here. I know I have no way out. I must bring Zhao Jun’s soul here safely. I saw Zhao Jun’s terrified look, and the old village chief was also staring at me. He was like a powerful being hiding in the dark, and at this moment, he finally revealed his ferocious claws. The soul-calling technique could not be stopped. At this moment, I needed help from others. I raised my hand and made a gesture, and the eight Taoist priests sitting behind me all began to chant at the same time: “Zhao Jun, return, Zhao Jun, return…” I distinctly saw a blood-red figure approaching me, step by step, putting great pressure on me. Is this figure the old village chief? I had the courage to stand up to him, but when I saw him for the first time, my heart trembled. I felt a sense of powerlessness in my heart. I felt that I could not compete with him. I never thought that I would be the first to face the old village chief. But, can I give up Zhao Jun? Chapter 68: Deeply The answer is that I absolutely cannot give up on Zhao Jun. This is the first time that my master has entrusted me with a major task, and I cannot let him down. If the operation fails, I don’t know what the consequences will be. At the very least, the old village chief will cause a lot of trouble, and it may even require a “big move” to resolve it. I gritted my teeth, I did not open my eyes, I did not forcibly cut off the connection with my spiritual awareness, I chose to face it. I was completely absorbed in the world of my spiritual perception. I didn’t know what was going on outside, and of course I couldn’t see Yuan Yi’s figure as he ran back, nor could I hear his almost heart-wrenching cry of “Don’t.” At this moment, the only thing in my world was the red figure that was forcing its way in. The red was so thick that it almost solidified, and it was so dark that it was almost black. How much resentment could condense into such a substantial resentment? I have seen a fierce ghost鈥擫i Fengxian, that woman who had a miserable life. That kind of resentment is not to be underestimated, but compared to the resentment of the old village chief, it is nothing. How fierce is the old village chief? This resentment is so strong that if it is converted into yin energy, it should be able to become a legendary ghost immortal, right? I don’t know why I had such a thought. On second thought, it was because of extreme fear and pressure that I had to divert my attention. Yes, it was the first time I had to face a “ghost” with my psychic powers. Without the protection of my physical body, it was like I had lost my own yang energy. How could I possibly win? It’s obviously a vampire, so why is it a ghost? This was my biggest question. At the same time, I began to recite a mantra, which is a secret of our lineage. When I recite it, my spiritual awareness is imbued with a divine power. I don’t understand the principle of this mantra, but it almost works every time. Since my master passed it on to me four years ago, I have tried it every time I recite it. After each recitation, I always feel that my spiritual mind is clear and my spiritual awareness is exceptionally strong. When I close my eyes, I can almost feel the movements of the outside world, and I even have a faint feeling of a sense of good or bad fortune. I believe in my spiritual awareness very much. Since the old village chief is so powerful, I will make my spiritual awareness even stronger and have a serious ‘collision’ with him! Whether a ghost is powerful or not is simply a matter of whether its aura is strong and whether it has a strong impact on people. As long as I am stronger than him, what do I have to fear? But the truth proved my naivety and inexperience. As soon as I recited the mantra, the red figure appeared before me. Then I heard a hoarse voice. The voice made me feel cold all over. I had never heard the voice of a demon before, but the moment I heard it, I felt like I had heard the voice of a demon. “Since you want to save him, you should take his place.” What does it mean? Substitute? But I couldn’t think about it for long. In a trance, I saw a black, sharp hand reaching for me. The next moment, I lost consciousness. In a split second, I saw through the red light and saw a horrifying face. That face had the power to scare me to death! I would rather not think of that face for the rest of my life. Then, I fell into a long period of unconsciousness, as if I had fallen into a long period of silence. The endless darkness made it impossible to find the edge. I felt something moving away from me, but I couldn’t catch it. Has it been a long time? I opened my eyes and found myself in a strange environment. When I looked at the people around me, I was shocked. I had the intuition that everyone was filled with a strange feeling, a feeling of unreality, pale and with a hint of death. But then, the next moment, someone came up to me and said, “Zhao Jun, I really admire you. How can you still be sleeping? I’m scared.” Zhao Jun? He called me Zhao Jun? I was in a daze. Was I Zhao Jun? I subconsciously reached out to touch my face, then looked at the person in front of me in horror. Suddenly, I saw him spitting blood, then his eyes began to tear, he was clearly smiling, but his eyes were very sad, and there was blood on his teeth… What’s even more bizarre is that his body began to split open, and the organs in his stomach were clearly visible. “Ah…” I let out a frightened cry, and suddenly someone hugged me, saying kindly, “Jun, what’s wrong with you?” “Mom, I…” Mom, who am I calling mom? I subconsciously turned my head and saw a face that made me feel very familiar and very familiar. I suddenly calmed down a lot. I really don’t know my own mother? “Zhao Jun, why are you yelling at me? I’m already scared enough. The old village chief is coming tonight. Do you think we can beat him?” I turned my head carefully and found that the terrifying scene I had just seen was gone. The person who was squatting in front of me and talking to me was my familiar buddy Liu Peng. I looked up again and saw that everyone sitting here was from the village. I just… what was that feeling? I suddenly couldn’t remember. Yes, I am Zhao Jun. I am here with everyone in the ancestral hall, waiting for that horrible old village chief to come and fight with him. What happened to me just now? That’s right, my grandfather knew some folk magic. He said that when people are frightened or under too much pressure, they lose their soul. I must have been in that situation. I patted Liu Peng on the shoulder and said, “We have to fight, even if we can’t win. If we can survive, that’s great. I’m not worried about myself, but I’m worried about my mother and my sister.” Liu Peng said with a long face, “At this point, I can’t say I’m afraid of death, but I’m afraid of this feeling. Zhao Jun, I’ll tell you, sometimes I think I’d rather kill myself. I don’t want to see the old village chief. He looks scary.” “Nonsense, you can’t commit suicide. The karma that the soul of a suicide is bound to is not a little bit. It’s one thing to commit suicide yourself, but because of your suicide, many people who originally had karma with you will have to sever their karma with you, creating the karma of others, which is a great sin.” I said very seriously. Liu Peng looked at me and was stunned. It took him a while to say, “Zhao Jun, what are you talking about? It’s very profound. I don’t understand a word. Something’s wrong with you tonight. Are you scared out of your wits?” I was also stunned? What did I just say? I couldn’t understand it myself, but it just came out so easily. I had a feeling that I couldn’t explain, as if since I just woke up, I felt that there was something more in my heart, wanting to tell myself something. I held my head and fell into deep thought. “Zhao Jun, want a cigarette?” I turned around and saw an old man in the village. Seeing my depressed look, he handed me a cigarette. “Kid, people are all mortal. Be at peace. Maybe you can fight your way out of this and save your life.” The old man thought I was depressed and tried to comfort me. Actually, I wasn’t afraid. I was just very depressed and wanted to know what I was hiding inside. I took the cigarette with a smile, and took a deep, deep drag. But after just one drag, I wanted to throw the cigarette on the ground. It didn’t smell like cigarettes, and it actually made me feel rotten. But out of politeness, I held back the urge to throw it away. At this moment, a small body leaned close to me and said, “Brother, I’m scared.” I instinctively hugged the body close to me. I knew that the person next to me was my beloved sister. I touched her hair and said, “Don’t be afraid. As long as I’m here, you’ll be fine!” “Jun, eat something.” My mother came over again and gave me a ration of dry food from the courtyard. We rural people believe that if you are full, you can work. If you have to face the village chief, you have to fill your stomach! So the women specially cooked the dry food and distributed it to everyone. After receiving the food from my mother, I suddenly felt very unworthy. When everyone was preparing to fight to the death, why was I still doubting? I was the support for my mother and sister! I stopped thinking about my feelings and realized that it was most important to save the lives of my family. I took a bite of the dry food in my hand, but it was only a bite, and I vomited it out with a loud “wow.” Why does this dry food taste like this? It tastes disgusting, rotten, and has a fishy smell that I can’t describe. It’s even more unpleasant than the smoke I just inhaled. My mother looked at me and asked worriedly, “Jun, what’s wrong? Is it not to your liking?” I didn’t want my mother to worry, so I just shook my head. I didn’t know what was wrong with me. I didn’t like anything I ate today. I remember that the food cooked by these women wasn’t that bad. But what did their food taste like? I can’t quite remember. I’m so depressed! Seeing me like this, my mother patted my back and comforted me, “Jun’er, don’t be nervous. I’ve come to terms with it. If the worst comes to the worst, we’ll all die together. It’s better than the taste of death, and it’s better than being slaughtered. It’s just that you’re too young, and it’s hard on you. And my poor Xia’er.” Xia’er is my younger sister, Zhao Xia. I was very sad when I heard my mother say that, and I couldn’t help but hug my mother and sister. I said, “Don’t be afraid. There are so many men here, so we probably won’t be afraid of the old village chief. Mom, I’m a man too!” “Jun, if our family can survive this disaster, I’ll cook you some braised pork when I get home, and you won’t have to eat the unfamiliar dry rations.” My mother said to me. I love braised pork. I was a little confused. I seemed to like other things more. I had the impression that a woman’s face, which I found very familiar, was looking at me. She was holding a bowl of pork ribs in her hand. She seemed to be calling me, but I couldn’t hear her. At that moment, a voice shouted, “It’s almost 12 o’clock. Everyone, get ready.” I immediately stood up. I remembered the rule that men had to stand outside. Chapter 69: Appearing The children are in the middle, the elderly are protecting them, the women are outside, and the men are outside. This is the agreed-upon plan, and today, we also strictly follow it. Protecting children is a practice that is consistent no matter how backward the civilization or how remote the place is. This is something that is ingrained in the bones, because children are hope. I am holding a hoe in my hand and I am also standing on the outer edge. Next to me is Liu Peng, who is trembling. He asks, “Zhao Jun, are you afraid?” I am afraid, but I have another thought in my head that won’t go away, and that is: “Why does this hoe not feel heavy?” It is solid in my hand, but I just feel it is illusory. I even had an illusion that I could hardly explain, as if everyone here was connected by an invisible thread, and the position they stood in was predetermined. I didn’t answer Liu Peng for a long time, just helplessly patting my head, trying to get rid of these strange thoughts that tortured me. Liu Peng didn’t care whether I answered or not at this point. He just said to himself, “Why do I feel like I’m going to the execution ground to die? Is that dream true? I hope the old village chief doesn’t come.” I was speechless, but I held the hoe in my hand tightly. Only in this way could I find a sense of security. Everyone was in a state of nervousness. Even the youngest children stopped crying. It was as if a terrifying aura was gradually spreading from outside into here. It was dark outside, and only the ancestral hall had the light of the torches. Looking at the dark night, one could not help but feel that as long as one stepped out of here, one would be swallowed up by the dark night, and it seemed that there was infinite terror outside. Despite this, everyone still suppressed the fear that had grown in their hearts and tried to muster up a little courage. I don’t know why, but I can feel the emotions of the people around me so clearly. But I find it difficult to blend in. It’s like a novel, where I’m not supposed to be there, and I’m just being forced into it. I or I shouldn’t be here. I looked at the dark, huge shadow in the distance, the silhouette of the mountain in the night that I had to pass through to leave the village. I suddenly felt that I should be there. Is it there? No, it’s not. Or is the whole thing none of my business? No, it’s too complicated. I can’t make sense of this feeling. I again painfully grabbed my hair. I had been thinking for so long that I had forgotten the time, and I didn’t notice that someone had said it was already 12 o’clock. My arm was suddenly grabbed by Liu Peng, who swallowed a mouthful of saliva and told me, “Zhao Jun, it’s 12 o’clock.” I turned my head and looked at him. His eyes were full of fear, deep fear, the kind of fear that is carved into the soul, like it had been carved countless times. countless times? But I was not allowed to think for too long. Someone shouted, “Listen, what is that noise?” The hall suddenly became quiet, and for the first time, my emotions began to truly blend into this tension, just like in a horror movie, where the evil spirit that has been harming people is finally about to reveal itself. ‘Dong’ ‘Dong’ ‘Dong’, there was indeed a sound, I clearly heard it, it was the sound of footsteps, approaching here step by step, the footsteps were very calm, and there was no deliberate attempt to make them heavy, but they were so clear, as if they were stepping on people’s hearts. “It’s the old village chief…” I heard a choked voice next to me. I looked over and saw Liu Peng, who was standing next to me, crying. He was crying like this, but the hatchet in his hand was even more tightly grasped, because I clearly saw that his hands were bulging with veins. “The old village chief used to hold me when I was little. Why would he want to kill me?” Liu Peng said, wiping away his tears. A very absurd feeling suddenly arose in my heart. How could someone who was so familiar with me and had such fond memories of me want to do this? He wanted to kill the people here, but weren’t the people here also ready to kill him? But at this time, what kind of fond memories were you thinking about? Was it to seek a little psychological comfort? I felt more and more detached, but the footsteps approaching reminded me that I was part of this place. Liu Peng’s words seemed to have caused a chain reaction, and everyone began to talk about the old village chief’s past. But at this moment, talking about such a past made me feel like I was in a dark comedy. It’s like two lovers gazing at each other with deep affection, whispering sweet nothings to each other, but each holding a knife in their hands, which has already been plunged deep into the other’s abdomen. Is this how life is? Love and hate intertwine, entanglements and grudges obscure the simple and the right and wrong. Then everything begins to get confused, relatives turn against each other, lovers become enemies, and in the ups and downs of life, perhaps only a pure heart can see the simple in the complex web, see the most basic right and wrong, avoid these entanglements of cause and effect, and avoid this absurd farce today, where people cry out for warm memories while never giving up! “Only the heart knows right from wrong! It is not affected by external objects, not bound by emotions, not affected by cause and effect, and not burdened by sin.” A realization suddenly made me hear a voice in my head, telling me this sentence and confirming my realization. The voice was so familiar. Who was it? I suddenly couldn’t help but shout, “Who is it?” As my voice fell, a gust of wind blew, and the footsteps were less than ten meters from the door here. Liu Peng, who was already sobbing beside me, said, “Zhao Jun, who else could it be? It’s the old village chief!” This sentence made me feel like I was no longer a bystander, but was now fighting the old village chief with everyone else. How could I have so many strange thoughts? The wind blew the clothes of everyone here, and they were silent, dead silent, as if only the sound of footsteps remained in the world. My heart seemed to be in my throat, and it must be beating very violently. But, I suddenly widened my eyes in fear. It must be beating very violently? Why did I make such an assumption? Shouldn’t a person have a normal heartbeat? This discovery made me truly frightened. I stood in the wind, trembling and reaching out to touch my chest鈥攖here was no heartbeat! Am I dead? What am I? Suddenly my head began to ache, and something was about to come out. I looked around in horror, wanting to say something, but at that moment the footsteps of the person who was killing me had stopped at the door. “Woo-woo-woo…” A woman began to cry loudly, no longer holding back. Then, the children began to cry, and finally, the string that had been taut all along snapped as the footsteps stopped at the door, and the frailty surfaced. The women and children could not help but succumb to fear. The men silently watched all this, but instead wiped away the tears they had just shed. Many times, women are more flexible and strong. But at times like this, it is the men who must be stronger. It is the responsibility of men to protect women and children. If they don’t summon up the courage to be strong at times like this, they might as well cut off their balls and become eunuchs. Every man’s eyes began to harden, all looking at the door that was temporarily silent. When it opened, disaster would begin. A loud bang sounded on the door, and the ancient ancestral hall door was smashed open with a huge hole! Through the hole, people could clearly see a face behind the hole. What a terrifying face it was! It was clearly swollen by water, and some of the flesh had fallen off, but some of the flesh had inexplicably shriveled and blackened, sticking to the face. The hair was in tufts here and there, and it was obvious that a lot of it had fallen out, with the rest sticking to the scalp in clumps of wet hair. Because a piece of flesh on the left side of the face had fallen off, the teeth in the mouth could be seen, as well as the curled flesh, but it was precisely because of this that a sneering expression was clearly hanging on that face. Can you imagine a mangled corpse sneering? I couldn’t help but tremble! The most terrifying thing is not this, but the eyes. The whites of the eyes are yellow. Are they not the whites of an animal’s eyes? But the pupils, why are they red? And the eyes had a look, although at first glance they seemed cold and emotionless, they had a look, and that look was cold, not the kind of cold that comes from a dead person. And that coldness made people tremble from the bottom of their hearts! face scared everyone present silly. Seventy-first Chapter: Hell Of course, this face also scared me, but at this time, I had a strange thought. The old village chief shouldn’t look like this. He… I was shocked by my own thoughts. Could it be that I had seen the old village chief before? I couldn’t stand it anymore. I had so many strange thoughts, and I didn’t even have a heartbeat. At this time, I even felt that I had seen the old village chief. Who wouldn’t be tortured crazy by this? But because of these weird things, people are even more eager to peel away the fog and see the truth! But is this the time to explore? Obviously not! Because the next moment, with a loud roar, the sturdy door suddenly shattered into pieces. I clearly saw the old village chief kick it open with one kick. How could one kick have such power? Then, a figure entered the ancestral hall. What kind of figure was it? The whole body was swollen and bloated, just like the face. Some of the flesh had fallen off, while some of it was still half-attached to the body. In fact, it was because I was inexperienced that I thought the flesh had fallen off. Those who understand know that if a corpse sinks to the bottom of a river, some carnivorous fish will come to nibble at the corpse. It wasn’t until later that I wandered the rivers and lakes in search of the truth, and even went to India, that I understood this, because by then I had already seen with my own eyes the huge silver carp that had been fed by the corpse. At that time, when I thought back to the old village chief, I would get goosebumps all over my body. It didn’t matter what happened to the corpse after it died, because I had already left and couldn’t feel it anymore. But if I saw myself being eaten alive, I would go crazy. I might be able to understand why he had such a big grudge. In short, the old village chief standing in front of me was in a terrible state, his body was all torn and swollen, and a thick black liquid was oozing from his wounds. However, there were also some strange things, like black, shriveled flesh stuck to his body, and I could clearly see black hair on it. Black and white double villains? A thought suddenly flashed through my mind, as if I knew it myself, but I couldn’t remember the details. But is the old village chief really as simple as the black and white double evil? At least at this moment, it is impossible for me to think about these things. The old village chief stood at the entrance to the ancestral hall, his eyes coldly staring at everyone. The terrifying figure made people afraid to even breathe, because it was too frightening. Who had ever seen such a tattered corpse standing in front of them alive? “I… I’m back, hehehe…” he spoke, his voice like a voice bubble in water, indistinct, with the sound of water bubbling. What was even more terrifying was the laughter, which seemed to come from the bottom of the water. “He has returned from the bottom of the river. He is a devil who has climbed up!” An old voice came from somewhere. The people who were already scared to the point of collapse could not help but look around for the voice, but saw an extremely terrifying scene, a scene that made many people cry and kneel on the ground in fear, because they had reached an unimaginable situation. The sound came from the old village chief’s stomach. Seeing the people looking for it, he did not hesitate to tear off his tattered shirt. The people saw a painful face emerge from the old village chief’s tattered stomach, and it was him who was speaking. This he, the villagers are very familiar with, is the village’s old sacrificial priest, who has already gone one step ahead of the ancestors, the so-called ‘old sacrificial priest’ who has already entered the ground and is at peace. With a loud crack, the old village chief’s hand, which had already exposed the bones, slammed down on his own belly. Black water splattered everywhere, and the face on his belly let out a miserable scream and retracted. The ancestral hall began to echo with cries of pain, and only the strongest men could stand. “No one can escape, everyone must die! The first to go is him…” The strange voice, as if it were floating in water, told the story in a light tone, making people shiver all over. But when he got to this point, he suddenly let out a strange cry, then laughed wildly, and then began to yell: “So I dug up his body and ate it…” As he spoke, the old village chief suddenly reached behind his back and threw out a rotten human head. It was the head of the old sacrificial priest! This fear seemed to have reached its extreme, but was this the extreme? People went crazy in extreme fear. One of the few men who were still standing raised his hatchet like a madman and roared, “I’m going to die with you.” as if his roar was a spark that ignited the villagers’ emotions, and everyone went crazy. In just a moment, everyone shouted, “Let’s fight. “Kill the monster!” Several men had already rushed up, and the old village chief turned his gaze and said, “This proves that you all deserve to die!” I don’t know if it was my illusion, but I always felt that the old village chief’s gaze had clearly fallen on me, his eyes full of derision. Why me? This thought came to my mind, but I was more willing to believe that it was an illusion. Liu Peng, who was next to me, had clearly been so scared that he couldn’t control his urine, but now he had also rushed forward. Perhaps at this moment, people believed even more firmly that there was no way out except to fight desperately. I raised my hoe, a little confused. Do I have to fight to the death? I always felt that I had no grudges against the old village chief. It was at this moment that the first scream rang out, so heart-wrenching that it echoed far, far away in the dark night… That scream was so familiar to me, as if I had heard it a long time ago, not too far away, or as if I hadn’t heard it, but someone else had, and I had heard a story about that person… I was about to go crazy, but the scream still attracted my attention. In an instant, the bloody scene interrupted my confusion. I saw the first man who rushed up was caught by the old village chief, who grabbed his belly with one hand and brutally ripped out his internal organs! What a terrible pain! I could clearly see the chaotic entrails tangled in the old village chief’s hands. The heart was surprisingly intact and still beating a few times. Blood dripped down, and the old village chief took a bite out of it, then threw the entrails into the crowd. The corpse fell to the ground with a thud, a gaping hole from the chest to the stomach, and a permanent expression of pain frozen on its face. The people were afraid again. The few people who had rushed forward slowly backed off, and the whole crowd was backing away. “Wow…” the children began to cry, calling out to their parents. some people began to giggle foolishly, having been scared senseless. But the old village chief was in no hurry to kill anyone. As the people retreated, he just kept pressing forward, getting closer and closer to the crowd. This psychological pressure was like a blunt knife cutting flesh, so torturous… The stalemate lasted for nearly a minute. The people had retreated to the very edge of the crowd, and the children who had been pushed up against the wall were crying out, “Dad, I’m scared. Dad, Dad…” “Mom, where are you, Mom…” Some children also started calling out for their mothers. Mom, this word carries the greatest love in the world. Finally, the women’s tenacity broke out. One woman picked up a torch and, trembling, squeezed out of the crowd. She suddenly shouted like a madwoman, “I don’t care if I die, as long as my son lives.” She actually rushed forward and threw the torch at the old village chief like a madwoman! The torch seemed to give the old village chief a hint of pain, and people saw a glimmer of hope. Perhaps it was a little hope, or perhaps it was the blood of this woman that inspired everyone. Although in the next moment, the woman who rushed out had her head mercilessly twisted off by the old village chief and her stomach was crushed by a kick! people rushed forward again. This time, many people were holding torches. Some lit a fire in the courtyard, while others held the old village chief’s body and dragged it desperately into the fire… But this was only an unbalanced killing. It had become a living hell. I saw splattering blood, broken internal organs, and even flying flesh and blood. In an instant, the heavy smell of blood filled the air. There was nothing more terrifying or saddening than this scene. I had already become numb from the shock, and I had a profound sense of being an outsider, but at this time, I could no longer bear the shock, and I raised my hoe and rushed forward. “No, once you go forward, you will be entangled in karma and you will never be able to get out.” Just as my blood was boiling, a thunderous voice rang in my head. Chapter 71: Escape This voice was so familiar to me, but I couldn’t think of who it was. I realized that I clearly had something buried in my heart, but I could never break through the fog. “Chen Chengyi, wake up, wake up… wake up… come…” Another thunderous shout exploded in my mind. I vaguely grabbed something. Chen Chengyi, a name so familiar! I instinctively felt that this name was very important to me. But in the end, doubt was no match for human instinctive fear, not to mention that I was in a hell on earth, and I simply couldn’t think too much about what was going on! The old village chief had already killed all the men, women and elderly, and was now killing the children. The sound of their cries struck a chord in my heart, and I thought to myself, “How can children, who represent hope and have much purer souls than adults, bear to witness such a massacre? Originally, that sound had stopped me, but in the end I couldn’t bear to watch this scene. My heart wouldn’t allow it! My mind was filled with this thought, although I didn’t understand what it meant. Realizing that I was rushing up, the old village chief suddenly dropped the corpse of the child in his hands and turned to look at me mockingly, “You will eventually fall into this place, hahaha…” What does it mean? I was too lazy to think about it anymore. As I roared, I swung the hoe in my hand. The old village chief just casually raised his hand, and I flew backwards and fell to the ground. What kind of power is this? Why didn’t I feel any sense of power? Why did I not feel any pain when I fell to the ground, but instead felt light and weightless? I could vaguely feel the ground was a little warm, which could only mean one thing: my body was colder than the ground. There was no heartbeat, and my body was colder than the ground. What does that mean? It can only mean that if I’m not a dead person, then I’m a ghost. Only dead people or ghosts don’t have warmth or a heartbeat! Chen Chengyi, Chen Chengyi, at this moment my mind repeatedly repeated this name, suddenly I vaguely remembered, I seemed to be not Zhao Jun, but Chen Chengyi, I… many doubts churned in my mind, the first thing I saw when I woke up, the decaying smoke and food, like a fixed marionette… these doubts flashed through my mind like lightning, and every time one flashed through, my brain became clearer, and I remembered. “You seem to have remembered something, but it’s too late. If I kill you now, you will fall into the cycle of reincarnation here, replacing Zhao Jun, and those people will also fall into my cycle of reincarnation.” The old village chief in front of me suddenly spoke. I opened my mouth and desperately tried to breathe in a little air to calm myself down, but I was in a soul state, so how could I breathe in any air? I just thought I was breathing. I didn’t even realize this major flaw! I couldn’t think about what the old village chief meant, I just desperately thought, what should I do? Master, where is Master? Where is the Master who always came to save me in the most critical moments? As if I wasn’t scared enough, I had already recovered all my memories, and I discovered that the old village chief in front of me had changed, turning into a gray-black person with decaying body parts. His facial features were not very clear because they had shrunk, and the most obvious features on his face were two things: first, his eyes, with yellow sclera and red pupils, and second, his mouth without lips, with protruding fangs. And the red eyes, I could see clearly, were not red at all, but eyes formed by the condensation of resentment, as if containing an endless world of resentment. This is the face I saw the moment I was detained. The old village chief’s true face. He is a vampire! Only vampires look like this, but his clear thinking and even his ability to speak are beyond my understanding. “Sink in!” The old village chief pounced on me, and at the same time, a great pressure pounced on me, as if something was trying to drill into the depths of my soul, and at the same time, it was as if something was trying to devour me, devouring me into that world of infinite reincarnation. How can a soul be killed by a vampire? How can I fight back? These are two questions that I cannot answer, and these two questions happen to be the key to my current predicament. If I had enough time, I might be able to figure out the opportunity, but now it’s too late. Is this it? I am very unwilling. Death is the most feared thing in the bones of humans. When fear reaches a limit, it becomes hatred. If it is a natural death, it is okay, but if it is a violent death or killed by an external force, who would be willing? Who wouldn’t hate it! Therefore, there are so many resentments in the world, and so many angry ghosts. If I were to fall into that endless cycle of reincarnation, it would be a fate even worse than death. I am also a human being, and my unwillingness has turned into a hatred. Hatred often carries a murderous aura, so hatred always gives people a feeling of being fierce. But at that moment, I was sure that my entire soul was simply filled with murderous aura. Don’t forget, I am a person with a strong spiritual awareness. A strong spiritual awareness also means a strong soul. Facing my surging murderous aura, the old village chief was obviously stunned for a moment, but the next moment it came at me without hesitation. There was no so-called fight. I seemed to have figured something out. I needed to grasp the key point. But is it useful to figure it out at this moment? Before I could give an answer to such a simple question, I heard a terrifying tiger roar. I saw a tiger with a big eye running out of my body and roaring at the old village chief. The next moment, it pounced on the old village chief and raised its claws. The old village chief’s eyes first showed surprise, then a burst of resentment exploded, and he also rushed towards the tiger! At this moment, a voice said, “Chen Chengyi, return!” It seemed to break through the layers of obstacles and rushed towards me. I saw a road appear beside me. At the end of that road, there was a constant cry of Chen Chengyi’s return. The next moment, a clear bell rang from the end of the road, and then I saw a golden wave of sound rushing towards me at a speed that my soul could not see, straight towards the old village chief. The old village chief was knocked away by the sound waves. “Get on the road!” A voice roared, it was the voice of the old man Hui. I rolled over and stepped onto the road. The entrance to the road rapidly contracted. I only saw the ancestral hall, which had suddenly changed from being a hell on earth. The blood and corpses were gone, and all that remained was the desolate and dark ancestral hall, the old and dark blood stains, and the scattered bones. The next moment, I saw the tiger rush into my body, and then I lost consciousness… 鈥烩€烩€� When I opened my eyes again, I noticed a familiar smell in my mouth and nose. Yes, it was a very familiar smell. I am a Taoist priest, so how could I not be familiar with the smell of cinnabar? At this point, I realized that my mouth and nose were stuffed with cinnabar by someone. What was this for? I coughed and sneezed desperately, feeling weak with each movement, but the cinnabar was finally removed. I opened my eyes for a long time, and this time I saw several people around me. Sun Qiang was squatting in front of me, talking loudly in surprise, but I couldn’t hear him at all. Then I saw my master walking towards me, exhausted, holding a bell in his hand. At this time, he put down the bell, pinched my nose, and a bowl of dark water was poured into my stomach. The water smelled like dust, and I knew it was a magic potion. After the potion was in my stomach, at least a minute passed before my senses slowly returned, and I finally heard what Sun Qiang was saying. He said, “Chengyi, are you feeling better?” I also heard Hui Gen ask, “Will the old village chief come?” I was trembling with cold all over my body. The master standing in front of me took off his robe and covered me with it, saying, “Rest well. Maybe in a minute, the old village chief will come here in person.” Seventy-two: Martial law The old village chief will come here? I clearly just saw the old village chief. I endured the feeling of weakness and cold, and said to the master, “Master, I just met the old village chief. He shouldn’t come here again.” Master looked at me and said, exhaustedly, “I know. Huijue has opened the heavenly eye and seen everything. I know you met him. Rest first. We’ll talk about everything after this is over.” I closed my eyes. I was very tired and weak. With Master here, I didn’t care about the old village chief. Even in a pile of dead bodies, I could sleep peacefully. I just couldn’t let go of one thing. I asked Master, “Master, Zhao Jun…” Master looked at me and said, “Don’t worry, he’s here.” Master spread his palm and there was a blue talisman. I knew that Master had successfully guided Zhao Jun’s soul. I felt relieved and fell asleep with my eyes closed, because I could no longer resist the feeling of weakness that came from deep within my heart. 鈥烩€烩€� When I woke up, it was still dark outside, and I could hear snoring all around me. I lit a match and saw that I had returned to the command center, and everyone was already asleep. How did I get back? I couldn’t remember at all, so I lit a cigarette with the match I had just struck, in order to sort out the recent events and relieve my psychological pressure. I personally saw a scene of carnage, and the feeling was very unpleasant. It was inevitable that a deep shadow would be carved into my soul. I couldn’t let this shadow affect me, otherwise there would always be an unfillable gap in my state of mind. This gap was caused by bloodshed, so it would make me act erratically and irritably in the future. Thinking like this, I had just taken two puffs when suddenly a small black object rushed at me. I was startled and instinctively reached out to block the figure, but my hand was caught instead. “Chengyi, don’t hit me, it’s me.” A voice sounded in my ear. It couldn’t be anyone else but that little brat Huigen. I moved my body, let Hui Gen lie down next to me, and then asked in a low voice, “It’s so late. What are you doing up?” “I’m taking care of you. You’ve been asleep for a day and a night, and I’ve been spoon-feeding you. The master told me to keep an eye on you, in case your soul became unstable. I fell asleep a while ago, and I was startled when I realized that the cigarette was still lit. I knew you were awake, and once you were awake, everything was fine.” Hui Gen whispered in my ear. After all, the snoring proves that everyone is very tired, and we don’t want to disturb everyone’s sleep. After listening to Hui Gen’s words, I felt a wave of warmth in my heart, and I couldn’t help but touch Hui Gen’s round head and say, “Then you go to sleep for a while and get some rest.” It’s hard for him to take care of me. How could the master let a child take care of me? but he didn’t want Hui Gen to lie on my stomach and lift his round head and say, “I’m not going to sleep. Master Jiang and my master haven’t slept, so I’m not going to sleep either.” While he was talking, Hui Gen yawned. I took a look at my watch in the light of a cigarette, and it was a little after 1 a.m. Why weren’t my masters sleeping? But the child was obviously sleepy. I couldn’t bear to be ‘harsh’ with him and make him go to sleep, so I lifted him off my stomach and pressed him to my side, whispering to him, “Tomorrow I’ll cook you some egg noodles. Do you want to eat?” I heard a very obvious sound of swallowing, and then I heard Huigen say, “Brother, I want to eat.” “Then you listen to me and go to sleep now, and I will definitely cook it for you.” “But I want to see if the master and the others are still waiting for the old village chief.” “Then you go to sleep for a while, just a little while, and I’ll wake you when we’ve finished.” I was curious. What was going on? Didn’t Huigen say I’d been asleep for a day and a night? “Really?” Hui Gen was obviously moved. The kid was already sleepy. “Yes, really.” As soon as I finished speaking, I saw the boy’s head tilt to the side, leaning against me, and he fell asleep in an instant. Heh, heh, actually Huigen is really cute. I pinched his cheeks gently until the cigarette in my hand was finished. Then I gently put him in my sleeping bag, and then took out a flashlight. With the light of the flashlight, I walked out of the room. Outside the room, I was very surprised to see the faint starlight in the sky. Was it because the world of resentment had cracked open a tiny crack, and then the resentment had faded? I took a deep breath and saw a pile of fire in the courtyard. Kneeling in front of the fire were my master and Huijue. In addition, I saw two soldiers guarding several key points. From the way they were holding their guns, I knew that they were definitely loaded with bullets. I was very puzzled. Why were they making such a big fuss and preparing for battle at night? What happened while I was asleep? towards the fire, the master looked at me calmly, but through the firelight, I saw a hint of joy in the master’s eyes. As for Master Hui, he also looked at me and then said very calmly, “You’re awake? Yes, I knew you would wake up.” I squatted in front of Master and Uncle Hui, and the firelight immediately warmed my whole body. The summer nights in this village are so strange. They are not as cold as winter nights, but definitely cooler than autumn nights. It is absolutely impossible to stay outside like this without a fire. “Am I not awake?” I thought Master Hui’s words were strange and couldn’t help but ask. Grandpa Hui ignored me and just handed me a bowl of ginger soup from the pot on the fire, saying, “Drink some. I’m afraid you won’t be able to warm up for many days.” The master was chewing on a pipe of tobacco and said, “Isn’t that so! When the soul leaves the body and returns, it takes a few days for the body to return to the yang.” I slowly drank the ginger soup, and my hands and feet finally warmed up a little. They were right. Even after sleeping like this for a day and a night, I still felt a little cold all over. After drinking the ginger soup, the master gave me two pieces of toasted compressed biscuits and said, “Eat them quickly. If it weren’t for this ghostly place, I would have made some good things for you to recover. But no matter what, only by eating more can you recover quickly.” I was a little hungry, and I guess Hui Gen didn’t feed me much gruel, after all I was in a coma. I said, “Master, don’t hide it from me, tell me what happened, how did I become Zhao Jun, and what are you doing? I…” I hadn’t finished asking the question when Master Hui interrupted me, saying, “Sanwa, you’re just like you were when you were a child. You always ask a series of questions. Don’t you know that spiritual awareness is connected to the soul? When your spiritual awareness encountered the old village chief, he directly restrained your soul and dragged your soul into his resentment?” I bit into the cookie and thought of that night of carnage, of the blood, of the desperate eyes. “Ghosts are not inherently powerful. They can only affect people in two ways: by their own negative energy and by causing hallucinations. The more powerful the ghost, the more powerful the hallucinations or delusions it can cause. The old village chief is the most powerful of all ghosts. He influenced you and made you think you were Zhao Jun. It was a very simple matter,” the master said, looking at me. Yes, it is true that evil spirits cause hallucinations and make people go crazy. My face was very calm. I didn’t know why I was so calm. Maybe the bloody scene from that night was still playing in my mind over and over again. “When? Let Hui Gen recite the sutra for you for seven days to get rid of the ill will and resentment in your heart. You’ve been affected, Sanwa.” Hui said. He was a Buddhist, and they were more sensitive to people’s hearts than Taoists. “Yes.” I nodded. I really needed a purification. That night, I experienced it once and felt so horrified. I couldn’t imagine that the villagers had been reincarnated many times in that world in units of 15 days. “We are here because the old village chief didn’t show up last night, which was very strange. His cleverness has exceeded our expectations and disrupted our plans. For safety reasons, we must keep watch tonight,” the master said. “Yes, now we have gone from being proactive to being passive, and at this time, we can’t even use the odd number passively. All of this is difficult, difficult, difficult…” It’s rare for Master Hui, who is not normally so serious, to express such a serious emotion. What exactly has happened? However, after meeting the old village chief, my curiosity has been greatly reduced. I am more concerned about why, if I were to be killed by the old village chief that day, or if I were to take action, I would be affected by karma and never be able to come out again? I am more concerned about what happened to the tiger that ran out of my body? I want to know the answer. Seventy-third Chapter Encounter Regarding the answers I wanted to know, Master and Old Man Hui did not hesitate to tell me. With a pipe in his mouth, Master began to tell me. “When we got to the mountain, we realized that something was wrong. Everything was just a bluff, and there was no actual barrier. I don’t believe that the old village chief didn’t notice Zhao Jun’s escape, so we could only wait and see.” During the careful observation, everything went very smoothly. My spirit-calling technique and the actions of my master and his men went very well together. Zhao Jun’s soul had already been taken over the top of the mountain. It was at that time that my master and his men discovered a towering wave of resentment. Master commented on this resentment: “I have encountered countless evil spirits in my life, and the evil spirit with such a strong resentment can be ranked among the top three evil spirits I have encountered.” This resentment is undoubtedly the old village chief. After that, the old village chief’s spirit met my spiritual awareness… “So, he never intended to fight Zhao Jun with us. He planned to capture your soul and replace Zhao Jun from the very beginning,” Hui Jue said, taking a sip of ginger soup. I find it terrifying that the old village chief had such intelligence and such a plan. He spat out a mouthful of tobacco, and the master said, “But what he didn’t count on was that at the last moment, your soul actually broke free of the illusion that he had imposed on you, that you were Zhao Jun, and you exploded with a sky-high rage, which brought out the tiger spirit.” “Yes, I used the Buddha’s heavenly eye to establish contact with you and directly used the lion’s roar to talk to your soul, trying to remind you not to fall into reincarnation, but I wasn’t sure if I could completely wake you up. In the end, it was your personal spiritual awareness that was strong, and you were able to wake up at the most critical moment.” Huijue added. “As for why you exploded with murderous rage, it’s because you woke up. You know you’re not Zhao Jun, you have no grudge against the old village chief, you’re different from the villagers, and your unwillingness is the trigger for that murderous rage. It eventually led to the tiger spirit that lives with you!” The master looked into the fire and said. “A symbiotic tiger spirit?” What I don’t understand is this. In fact, I saw that tiger spirit once when I was young, but it wasn’t very clear. I only heard the majestic tiger roar clearly. I know very well that the tiger’s roar came from the tiger’s claws. When I was in that terrifying ancestral hall, I was in a state of soul, so I couldn’t possibly have had tiger claws, which is why I couldn’t figure out where the tiger soul came from. I never thought that the answer my master gave me would be a symbiotic tiger soul. “Yes, it is a symbiotic tiger spirit. You know, the reason why this tiger claw is so precious is that, in addition to the evil aura it carries, it also contains the remnant spirit of a tiger spirit. You shouldn’t underestimate the power of demons and ghosts. If they achieve enlightenment, they can become immortals, and they have very powerful methods. You have been wearing the tiger claw since you were a child, and the tiger spirit has unconsciously recognized you as its master and has lived symbiotically with your soul. Don’t think this form is strange. Just as some people have their own guardian deities, some people have guardian deities from birth because of the karma of their previous lives, while others have guardian deities because of their fate in this life.” The master explained. “Master, why didn’t you tell me earlier that I have a tiger spirit protecting me?” I habitually stroked the tiger claw around my neck, and felt that it had a different meaning, and I felt a greater sense of intimacy towards it, because the spirit in it had actually become symbiotic with me and become my guardian spirit. “Tell you? The timing is not ripe, because you and the tiger spirit have not yet reached complete symbiosis! I will talk to you about these things in detail later. As for your question about why I couldn’t fight the old village chief, it’s very simple. Once you fight, you will fall deeper into the illusion. You have died once, and then resurrected as Zhao Jun, you will follow the cycle of reincarnation and completely become Zhao Jun. At that time, even Chen Chengyi will be completely dead.” When the master said this, his tone was obviously a bit agitated. Obviously, at that time, I was pulled into the illusion by the old village chief. The thing I was most worried about was undoubtedly my master. “Master, if there is no tiger spirit, then all of this cannot be solved, cannot fight back, cannot resist, and if I am killed, I will become a Zhao soldier.” I felt that this was a dead end. “Wrong. If you had the mind of a wise man, you would have completely understood that it was just an illusion, and you wouldn’t have seen the ancestral hall, the villagers, and the scene being replayed in front of you. Facing ghosts and seeing through illusions is the greatest blow to them. Your mind is not strong enough, so of course you will fall into an illusion, but there is no shortcut to a strong mind. It takes time to develop, and you need to slowly see through it. This is true for even the naturally wise children. In the future, you must take good care of the wise children.” Master told me. Take care of Huigen. Doesn’t Huigen have Uncle Hui to take care of him? Does he need me to take care of him? But I didn’t ask the question after all. Maybe it was just a casual remark from the master. After all, Hui Gen’er is so attached to me. I was afraid that Hui Gen’er would think I hated Hui Gen’er if I asked him in front of him. After talking with the master for so long, I finally had a glimpse of what the old village chief was like. He was indeed a special being, his body turned into a vampire, his soul turned into a ghost, and he could combine the two into one. No wonder it was so difficult! I of course told my master and the others about this view. After listening to my opinion, Master Hui and Huijue looked at me with contempt and said, “You just realized it?” I was speechless. I looked up at the sky. A red glow was already appearing in the distance. Was it going to be light soon? Because I wasn’t sleepy, I was about to ask Master and the others about their specific plan, but at that moment, Master suddenly stood up, his face heavy. Huijue also stood up at the same time and said a Buddhist mantra: “Amitabha.” What’s going on? I didn’t understand why Master and Hui Jue had both changed their faces at the same time, but I had a vague suspicion. Could it be… The next moment, Master proved my guess. He said in a deep voice, “He’s here…” The old village chief is here. Where is he? I also stood up in a panic, standing behind Master as I always did. What was coming? The old village chief as a vengeful ghost? Or as a zombie? Or as both? I’m not being funny, I’m really scared of this old village chief. “Let’s find him first, and I’ll open my eyes,” Hui Jue said. The next moment, he pressed his hands against his eyebrows, preparing to open his eyes. But at that moment, a scream came from the corner, followed by the sound of a gunshot. It seems that there is no need to open the eyes at all. Master and Huijue quickly ran over, but where was the old village chief? All that was left was a corpse with a hole in its chest and a soldier who had been scared silly by the gun. Master looked at the corpse on the ground with a displeased expression, but then, from another place, came the sound of another scream. Now, my face also turned ugly. There were no more than three people who could pose a threat to the old village chief: my master, Huijue, and Grandma Lingqing. But I believe that if it came down to a fight, none of them would be a match for the old village chief, or they would have already taken action. On such a night, are we going to let the old village chief massacre us? Obviously, Master wouldn’t allow this to happen. He shouted, “Chengyi, go to the house and wake everyone up. Huijue, go over there and check it out. I’ll activate the formation.” While he was talking, the master took something out of his bosom. It was a seal, a Taoist magical weapon. Generally, Taoist magical weapons are powerful. The master’s seal was the Jade Emperor’s Seal, one of the master’s most precious magical weapons. The master had told me before that this was the magical weapon of my ancestor, Old Li. Should I use it? But the situation was urgent and I had no time to think. Faced with my master’s order, I had no choice but to quickly carry it out. I turned around and ran into the house. It was only a hundred meters from here to the house, but before I could run halfway there, I heard the weak voice of the old man Huijue shouting, “Chengyi, be careful.” I didn’t even have time to respond to Master Hui, when I felt a gust of wind hit my face. The next moment, a black figure stood in front of me. This figure, I will never forget in my life鈥攖he old village chief! This is the old village chief standing in front of me. Compared to the state of the ghost, he is now so real and more terrifying. The time it took to meet was only half a second. The old village chief’s eyes flashed a hint of ruthless ridicule. The next moment, his claw with long nails came at me. Do I have a connection with you? I roared in my heart. I had just met the old village chief in his ghostly state yesterday, and today the zombie old village chief came to my door again! Chapter 74: Heavy and precious Compared to ordinary people, my advantage is that I am a Taoist priest and I have seen many strange things. compared to a special forces soldier with excellent mental and physical qualities, my advantage is that I have seen the old village chief. The more terrifying things you see, the more you get used to them. Anything that can give you a shocking impression is always the first time you see it. So, in the face of the old village chief’s attack, I was still able to react, and that was to dodge! His movements were so fast, he was a really agile zombie! I rolled on the ground in a half circle, helplessly sighing in my heart. I couldn’t dodge such a fast attack more than a few times, even though I had practiced martial arts since childhood and my physical reflexes were already far beyond the average person’s. Soon, the old village chief pounced on me again, but at that moment, I heard my master’s voice: “The formation is broken.” When I looked at the old village chief again, I couldn’t believe what was happening to him. Countless sparks were suddenly appearing on his body, as if a child had set off a string of firecrackers on him. The next moment, I saw my master’s figure. He was holding a whisk in his hand. Was he going to use it? The 36 styles of the whisk! But the old village chief only stayed for a moment, glared at me and my master, and then turned and walked away. He was so fast, I suddenly felt very lucky that I was able to avoid the old village chief’s blow. I stood up and saw Master Hui coming over with a bad look on his face. There was a trace of blood on the corner of his mouth. Master Hui asked with the whisk in his hand, “Over there…” “There was also a death.” Hui Jue coughed lightly and a trace of blood appeared at the corner of his mouth. “Is it serious?” The master’s expression was quite concerned. “Fortunately, it was only a bump on the chest. The monster was too strong and moved too fast. I don’t know how far it has evolved.” Hui Jue said with a heavy voice. At this time, the people in the room began to wake up one after another… 鈥烩€烩€� The morning of this day was still sunny, but the mood of everyone here was dark. The two bodies covered with cloth neatly placed in the courtyard fully illustrated the cruelty that people would face. He is not afraid of the sun, he will come here to kill at any time, he is not even afraid of bullets, he moves as fast as lightning, and he is extremely powerful. This is the reminder that the master gave to the people. This reminder weighs heavily on everyone’s heart! The zombies are coming to the base camp?! And we are in the light, he is in the dark! There is even worse news. The master felt that he could not take any more risks. After two people died, he decided to retreat. But then he discovered that we were, sadly, completely cut off from the outside world. Go out? No, without the protection of the magic circle, we are like lambs to the slaughter. Even if there are a few masters here, many people will inevitably die. to send someone out to send a message? Who would dare to act alone now? Wait? The higher-ups may have noticed that we have lost contact and will send someone to spy on us. Regardless of whether we wait or not, if it is not a large-scale operation, the people sent will almost certainly die. The old village chief is like a cold, hungry wolf, hiding in the dark. We are gathered here, and we are its prey. It could come out at any time and bite us, tearing off a piece of flesh, bloody. This is his wisdom. On that night, he set everything up and waited for him to appear. He didn’t show up. But the next day, just as dawn was breaking and the yang energy was at its strongest, it suddenly appeared and killed two of us. What a terrible ‘hungry wolf’! “There is no way to choose. We can only fight back. We can only get out of here by killing the old village chief.” After the master explained the situation to everyone, he only said this. Resist? How do we resist? I didn’t expect that this action would be so difficult that we would be trapped here. Yuan Yi was originally crouching next to the bodies, investigating something. After my master had finished speaking, he stood up and said to my master with a rather heavy face: “It’s just two bodies, and the souls have already disappeared. They should have been detained.” Yuan Yi’s words were not loud, but everyone present heard them clearly. One of the soldiers stood up excitedly and said, “We were born in this department and are always prepared to die. But even if I die, I hope I can bring my comrades back to their hometown! They sacrificed themselves and should not suffer endless torture after death.” Master looked at him and said, “Don’t worry, as long as I’m not dead, their souls will be saved. Their souls will return to their hometown!” Master’s promise temporarily calmed the soldiers’ grievances. Only two people were still trembling. These two soldiers were the ones who had seen the old village chief with their own eyes the day before. One of them said in a very scared voice, “Master Jiang, can we not die?” Master Jiang said, “I don’t know, but we’re not like those villagers. We’ve also taken their money. If we fight, we have a good chance of not dying.” However, for the first time, Master Jiang’s words did not inspire confidence in the people. I saw sadness in everyone’s eyes, and I could feel a heaviness in the air. Master didn’t say specifically how to act, he just said to wait another day, and talk tomorrow. People dispersed, leaving only my sister-in-law. After the event, she said to my master, “Master Jiang, I and the child in my belly believe in you. But if we are unfortunately killed, when you have the opportunity to see Yang Sheng again, please tell him that if he can feel that he was wrong in the future, even if the whole world does not forgive him, I and the child will forgive him, even if we are already dead, it is the same.” The master stared at his sister-in-law and remained silent for a long time. In the end, he just nodded. But after my sister-in-law had gone far away, my master said softly, “This is a good woman.” I heard this sentence, and I think Ling Ruyue, who was not far away, also heard it, because I saw her expression was very curious. This was the first time I had met her for such a long time since she came here, although it was under such a heavy atmosphere. After the master had finished sighing, he went into the house. The two corpses in the courtyard were so glaring, but no one agreed to cremate them before their souls were returned. Because cremating two corpses that were not satisfied with death was a bit cruel and smacked of perfunctoriness. I leaned against a tree behind me, smoking a cigarette. I don’t know why, but my craving for cigarettes has been getting stronger lately. I’ve seen too much here, and I’ve thought too much about life and karma, which always makes me feel too heavy. Sometimes it is a good thing to numb yourself. There are too many people in this world who choose to rely on it, and they won’t choose to rely on people. “Kid, long time no see. Goodbye. You’re acting like a gangster with a cigarette in your mouth?” Ling Ruyue walked towards me, but she didn’t say anything nice. She leaned against the tree next to me, stretched lazily, and then sighed. I held the cigarette in my mouth and turned to look at her. This girl, I hadn’t seen her for so many years, but she really grew up to be more and more beautiful. When I was little, I treated her like a sister, and now that she’s grown up, although I still treat her like a sister, I’m more reserved, and I don’t have the same intimacy as I did when she was little. “You used to call me your third brother when you were little, but now you’re calling me a rascal after just a few years? Do you want a sip?” I said casually, just trying to lighten the mood. It’s rare to find someone here who can make me feel relaxed, and I really don’t want to be constrained. Perhaps, it is also because the future is too heavy, and I don’t want to be bound by the constraints of propriety. “I don’t want to. Do you want to say hello to Hua Feifei?” Seeing me teasing her, Ling Ruyue did not hesitate to turn the tables on me. “No need, I already greeted Hua Feifei in my heart a few days ago.” I quickly said, I really have a hard time developing feelings for a spider. “Don’t hide it, I know you’re scared.” Ling Ruyue snorted, and then our eyes met and we both burst out laughing. The sense of intimacy from our childhood returned. After laughing, we both leaned against the tree and looked up at the sky. It was only after a long time that Ling Ruyue said softly, “Do you really want to hear me call you… third brother again?” “Yes.” When she said this, Ling Ruyue didn’t look at me, and when I answered her, I didn’t look at her either. “Third brother…” Ling Ruyue called softly. Seventy-five: The key to the plan This call of “third brother” warmed my heart. Although I was now in this horrible and desolate village, this familiar “third brother” made my thoughts involuntarily return to the bamboo forest cottage of the past. At that time, we were young… There was no hint of ambiguity, only the precious feelings of our youth. Seeing that I was silent for a long time, Ling Ruyue couldn’t help but burst into a series of laughter like a yellow oriole, saying, “Third Brother, what’s wrong? Are you moved? “You guess?” I jokingly responded, then said, “What, aren’t you busy today? I haven’t seen you for a few days.” “There’s nothing we can do about it. It’s all because the old village chief is so powerful. My grandma and I have to get ready. Do you know about fighting bugs? My grandma and I are fighting bugs.” Ling Ruyue didn’t hide anything from me. “Fighting bugs?” I didn’t understand at all. I was about to ask, but I saw Qin Huai leading Huigen towards me with a helpless look on his face. “There’s no way. Huigen wants to find you, and I can’t even get a good night’s sleep.” As soon as she saw me, Qinhuai began to complain. This morning, Huigen didn’t attend the gathering because she had to recite sutras or something. I feel like I’m surrounded by strange people. In the face of such a heavy and desperate situation, one is more calm than the other. I, Huigen, Ling Ruyue are all fine, but who is Qin Huai? He’s a rich kid, and it’s hard for him to think about going to sleep. I picked up Huigen, who was still half asleep. As soon as I picked him up, he leaned his head against me and fell asleep again. He had slept late last night, and then there was a disturbance in the middle of the night. He was dragged out early this morning to do morning exercises. It was hard on the child. Ling Yue immediately couldn’t help pinching his cheeks, and the little boy was impatient at first, frowning and trying to open Ling Yue’s hand. But when he saw it was Ling Yue, he was obedient and wanted to be held by Ling Yue. Ling Yue didn’t want to hold him because he was too chubby and heavy. The little guy snuggled up in my arms again. Seeing this, Ling Ruyue couldn’t help but sigh, “I don’t know how Master Hui taught him, but as soon as this kid hears that I am Ling Ruyue, he calls me his sister and is very affectionate with me.” “Isn’t that right? This kid yells at me that I’m his brother as soon as he sees me, and he clings to me every day.” I touched Hui’s round head and said, “This kid is confused. I slapped him on the head, and he couldn’t help but grunt in dissatisfaction. Qinhuai couldn’t say anything, and he coughed anxiously beside him. Finally, he caught a gap and yelled, “I said, guys, you guys, aren’t you afraid? Master Jiang is going to act tomorrow?” I looked at Qinhuai and said, “Are you afraid? If you were afraid, you wouldn’t be able to sleep, would you?” “I’m afraid, but sooner or later, I can’t go to bed hungry. I’m just living day by day.” Qin Huai said in a carefree manner. “You’re so cool?” I raised my eyebrows, not believing this kid. This kid looks like he’s been beaten. He put his arm around my shoulder and said, “Brother, I’ll tell you the truth. My grandfather had someone look at me and said I’m not a short-lived person. I’m not afraid of anything.” “Ha ha ha…” Qin Huai said, and we all couldn’t help laughing. Ling Ruyue was making a fuss again, saying, “So happy, we have free time today, let’s have a barbecue party.” “What to grill? Besides the bugs, it’s just us here.” Qin Huai was very tempted, but it was true that… we had almost all brought dry food. “Let’s grill some eggs. I saw Master Hui collect a lot of them.” Ling Ruyue blinked her eyes and said innocently. I calmly looked at her. I was used to this girl doing “bad things” with an innocent expression. 鈥烩€烩€� Master Hui collected 11 eggs, which we stole and roasted. It was really hard on Master Hui. In the summer, he still managed to find a way to preserve 11 eggs. This barbecue party was very simple, with only eggs and biscuits as food, but the key to happiness is never what you eat, but who you eat with and in what mood. We left one egg for Master Hui, and the other 10 were divided among us. Because there were four of us and 10 eggs, we all scrambled to eat them. I learned for the first time that baked eggs are so delicious. Just as we were enjoying ourselves, the master appeared and without hesitation, he grabbed two eggs and ate them. After eating, he said, “When Hui Jue finds out, you’ll take the blame. I won’t admit that I knew about this.” This is the true nature of the master. After arriving here, this is the first time I have seen the master so relaxed. But the time of relaxation was always short. After we finished eating, Master said to me, “Chengyi, come into the house with me.” It was still the same small room. Master and I sat facing each other. He said to me, “We can’t delay this any longer. If things go on like this, we’ll just have to wait for death. The only way is for us to solve this problem as soon as possible. The old village chief is more difficult than I thought, because he…” Master didn’t say it explicitly, but pointed to his own head. I understood what my master meant. He was referring to the old village chief’s wisdom, which was beyond his expectations and caught him off guard. “Master, I think your formation is very effective. Why don’t you use it to defend against the old village chief? That way, we won’t be so passive and will have plenty of time to prepare,” I asked. In fact, we were so passive because the old village chief was unpredictable and could not be guarded against. If we could solve this, we could be less passive. “That formation? Except for the jade seal at the center of the formation, which can support the formation for a while, the rest of the materials can’t support it twice. Do you think it’s useful?” Master said. I haven’t studied the formation with my master in detail, but I understand that in addition to the key formation, the more complex the formation, the more materials it requires, and it may even use multiple artifacts, even if they are not the key points. What kind of formation is it that requires my master’s jade seal to support it? I was very confused, but now was not the time to discuss this. I asked my master, “Master, what do you need to tell me in particular?” “I want to tell you why we caught the alien but didn’t act on it. It’s because of you.” A flash of guilt crossed my master’s eyes. I was surprised and confused at the same time. What was my master feeling guilty about? “Because of me?” “Yes, no matter how many people here have more experience than you, they are no match for you in one thing, and that is the power of spiritual perception. Because we need you to transform into Zhao Jun and break through this world of resentment and save these villagers. The old village chief’s strength will be greatly weakened. You are the most crucial person in the plan.” Master said very seriously. My scalp went numb. Become Zhao Jun? Am I really destined to become Zhao Jun? It wasn’t a pleasant experience last time, and now I have to do it again? “Sanwa, I have never preached to you about slaying demons and evil spirits because everything in the world has a cause and effect, and we should not blindly interfere with the cause and effect with our own abilities. However, we have a firm boundary between good and evil in our hearts, and it is the most basic code of conduct to do good and avoid evil. This is the great kindness that is in front of us and it is our responsibility to do it, and we cannot escape it. This is a plea from the master.” Suddenly, the master said a plea to me. I was stunned. This was the first time my master had ever begged me in all the years we had been together. My heart ached. As a disciple, I had received so much kindness from my master. Even if he had asked me to die, I would not have hesitated. I said excitedly, “Master, I won’t refuse. I just remembered the last time we met. I was moved to think that I had a connection with Zhao Jun. I didn’t…” Master looked at me and suddenly placed his hand on my shoulder, saying, “You let me beg, so my heart will be more comfortable. Because if I don’t beg you, I won’t be willing to let you go. If I beg you like this, I will think that I asked for it myself, and I will let you go with a heavy heart.” “Master, don’t worry, I’ll be fine.” For the first time, I was the one comforting my master. “Sewing Three, Sewing Three, because you are 23 years old, your great-uncle, the master, could not guarantee that you would be fine, so how can I rest assured?” The master suddenly sighed. Chapter 76: Locking Yang Sew-three? I know my own business. I was born a virgin, and things would go awry when I reached a certain age. But in my memory, my life was at a crossroads at the age of nine. How did it become sew-three? Seeing my confusion, the master explained, “Before you turned 20, you were indeed unlucky on the 9th day of the 9th month. But after you turned 20, every 3rd, 6th, and 9th day of the month would bring you bad luck. Two of these bad luck days would be minor, and one would be major. This major bad luck day would be on the 3rd, 6th, or 9th of a month, but it is not certain which month. Think about this incident. A few days ago, you were already dead. I asked Sun Qiang to use the corpse-carrying method to forcefully keep you alive…” The master said this with a heavy face, but I, who had experienced too many supernatural events, took life and death very lightly. If I died, I would become a ghost and enter the cycle of reincarnation. What’s the big deal? I interrupted my master and said, “Master, even if I die, I will be a good man again in 20 years!” Hearing my words, the master suddenly slapped me hard. After he finished, he said, “Do you think that the cycle of life and death is an easy thing? How many people can see through the past and the present? Do you think that you can become a ghost and you will still be the same person? Losing your memory and entering the cycle of reincarnation is the same as dying completely. You still don’t understand? Even if you are still a hero in the next life, are you still Chen Chengyi?” The master’s words made me think deeply. Yes, even if there is reincarnation, human life is really only once. It is like a piece of paper that is reused. I drew a picture on it. When it is reused again, the picture on it is no longer there. It becomes a new piece of paper. This is the truth of reincarnation. The cultivator is only trying to escape the suffering of reincarnation and make the painting on the blank paper an eternal engraving. This is a qualitative change, so this is truly not easy. After thinking for a long time, I looked up and said, “Master, I will cherish life. I understand that every day is precious. I will do meaningful things. I will also try to live hard.” The master closed his eyes and said, “Your state of mind has finally reached a higher level. In the past, I sent you a blessing to ensure that you would survive the first ten years of your life, and that the three calamities of the second ten years would become one. Now, you must send yourself a blessing. Go for it! For the greater good, and for your own blessing.” “Yes, I have decided. I will do this.” “My original plan was to successfully capture the odd number and then let you transform into Zhao Jun to reveal the truth to the villagers. However, you have just experienced a disaster and are currently weak. I had to adjust my plan and let you recover before you carry it out, but…” Master couldn’t continue. “Master, don’t worry. I can handle it.” I thought to myself that I should take on some responsibility on my own. 鈥烩€烩€� Every morning in the village is like this. The sun is always hazy, and the fog is impenetrable. Just like life, everyone’s gaze can never penetrate the years, and they never know what will happen next. On such a morning, Ling Ruyue said to me, “After this is over, I’ll go with you to see Brother Su Rou.” “Well, I think we’ll be able to leave here tomorrow at the latest.” I was very indifferent. Qin Huai was packing his bags next to us. He heard my conversation with Ling Ruyue and couldn’t help but chime in: “I’ve heard about the crispy meat so many times, I don’t care, I want to go with you. This time I can finally go to that village and see for myself. Damn, this should be more exciting than a BEYOND concert.” Everyone is busy. We are going to start our official operation today. We are no longer sitting around waiting to die. Fortunately, the old village chief didn’t come to cause trouble last night. I always have a strange feeling that he knows we are going to “come to him.” At this time, the master had already set up the altar and told me to go out. I looked at Ling Ruyue and Qin Huai and said, “Buddy, I’m going first.” Ling Ruyue smiled and said to me, “I knew that Brother San was the most awesome.” Qin Huai yelled at me, “I also hid a pack of Great China cigarettes. Wait until you get back and we can smoke them together.” I waved my hand and walked straight out of the house. Master was dressed in a Taoist robe and looked at me. I nodded to indicate that we could begin. The master took out a roll of red string and began tying it around me. He spoke with his head bowed, and I couldn’t see his expression. “Originally, this ritual should be performed at night, which is safer, but you know that time is tight. If I perform this ritual at night, you won’t be able to withstand it for that long. Your yang will be weak, and even…” At this point, the master stopped talking. I actually knew very well what the danger was in this matter, and that was the endurance of the yang spirit. After all, letting a ghost possess a body, especially an old ghost with too much resentment and a heavy yin energy, is very harmful to the yang body. In order to allow him to possess the body smoothly, I must lock my yang energy and even suppress my soul. This is very dangerous. Locking up the yang energy will naturally make the body extremely weak, because yang energy is the vitality of the yang body. By locking up the vitality, I am essentially living as a fake corpse for a few hours. I had already been possessed by a ghost a few days ago. When the soul leaves the body, the body will naturally lose vitality. My master had someone forcibly preserve my yang energy, but it could not prevent the loss of my vitality. Therefore, after I returned to my body, I would be very tired and my body would be very cold. This is the reason. When I was weak, it was a huge risk to use such a spell! Another danger is that in the eyes of ghosts, they would rather be human for a year than a ghost for a hundred years. If I am not careful, I will become Zhao Jun forever. Therefore, it is difficult to grasp the balance. If I don’t let Zhao Jun’s soul take control, the villagers won’t see the familiar Zhao Jun. But if I let him take control, who knows if I won’t be possessed by him? In addition, I must control Zhao Jun’s soul and say what I want to say and do what I want to do. This is why it has to be me. This task can only be accomplished by someone with a strong spiritual sense, and it is difficult to increase one’s spiritual sense. My master, who has a lot of spiritual power, can’t say that his spiritual sense is stronger than mine. According to my master, one can increase one’s spiritual power by 10% in ten years, but it is not necessarily true that one can increase one’s spiritual power by 10%. Finally, the fact that the ceremony was held in the morning was so helpless. According to the saying, the morning is full of yang energy, and ghosts will retreat. However, my master chose the morning for me. If Zhao Jun’s soul could not withstand the yang energy of the morning, the result would be extremely weak, or worse, his soul would be scattered. Master is a compassionate person. For my sake, he was so selfish as to let Zhao Jun’s soul take the risk for the first time, and also risked himself. Master said that if it didn’t work, he would fight the old village chief himself… The lock-yang knot was tied quickly. This time, it was to lock the yang energy of the whole body, so my two pulse points, along with my heart, were tied together with a complex knot of red rope. As long as the last knot was tied, the lock-yang knot would be complete. Master’s hands began to tremble. In his eyes, I was still in such a weak state, and suddenly locking up the yang energy of the whole body, he, who was so calm, began to be afraid… “Chengyi, in your opinion, are the gods and Buddhas in the sky the most powerful?” The master suddenly stopped and looked at me, saying very seriously. “No, I have never thought that way, Master. I have always thought that you are the most powerful person since I was a child.” I said very seriously. “No, Chengyi, you must remember that the most powerful thing in the world is always the human will. The human will can create many miracles, do you understand?” Master said to me very seriously. “Yes, Master, I will hold on. Go ahead,” I said to the Master with a relaxed smile. Master, he stopped talking and his hands stopped shaking. He grabbed the red string and whispered, “I believe in my apprentice.” Then, his hands flew like lightning, and soon the last knot was tied. I felt a large number of goosebumps rise on my body, and then I felt as if I had sunk to the bottom of a cold pool, unable to feel any warmth, even though a hazy sun was still hanging in the sky. Seventy-seventh chapter: The consequences of the yang energy in the upper body Is the consequence of locking up the yang energy so serious? I felt that my five senses of sight, hearing, etc. were rapidly weakening. I felt that even standing was so laborious, but my consciousness was exceptionally clear. With weak yang energy, naturally the yin energy is strong. The soul belongs to the yin, and my spiritual awareness is no longer bound by yang energy, so naturally it is even more powerful. As long as I can get through this, I will be able to adapt. This is what my master told me yesterday when he talked to me in detail. He also told me the importance of willpower just now. I didn’t bite my teeth and told myself Chen Chengyi a thousand times that it was okay and to hold on! This feeling of the body slowly not belonging to oneself is so painful. Every minute is like a thousand years. In the haze, I saw my master’s face full of anxiety. The next moment, I saw him preparing to untie my knot. I thought of all the past, and I don’t know where the strength came from. I shouted at my master, “Master, I can do it.” After this shout, I suddenly felt that I was gradually getting used to this feeling, and Master’s eyes also showed a look of surprise. After a few minutes, apart from feeling cold all over and seeing the world a little blurry, I was completely adapted to it. I moved my hands and feet a little stiffly, but it was okay and did not affect normal movement. I said to my master, “Master, I’ve made it.” Master nodded and then took out a piece of red string and said to me, “Next, I will suppress your soul in the spirit altar. This shouldn’t be a problem for you, after all, your spiritual awareness is strong, and so is your soul. Suppressing it all in the spirit altar temporarily shouldn’t hurt your soul.” I nodded, and the master continued. This time, the knot was tied very quickly. When he finished, I had a very strange feeling. It was a bit scary to say it, but I felt that only my head was mine, and my body below seemed to be completely insensitive. After all, the seven spirits control the body and control movement, and they are all suppressed in the spirit platform. Of course, I can’t feel my own body. After completing this step, my master ordered someone to pull a black cloth around the altar, isolating it into a dark space. No one could come within ten meters of it, except for my master and me, for fear that the yang energy would collide with Zhao Jun’s soul. After the black cloth was drawn, the master lit a pair of white candles and then said to me, “Wait a moment, I will let Zhao Jun possess your body. This process is not very pleasant. You must remember the concentration method I taught you. In short, in times of crisis, you can completely suppress Zhao Jun’s soul and even squeeze his soul out of your body. I have communicated with Zhao Jun, and he is willing to do this for the villagers. There should be no danger. It’s just that you, like my son, are my disciple. I am not a god, so I cannot be completely selfless. So, let your master be a villain for you once. I was moved. I knew my master best, and I knew that his heart was kind and just. Otherwise, he would not have called himself a villain in order to teach me a few tricks to defend myself against the Zhao army. But I don’t think there is anyone else in the world who can make Master do something ‘unscrupulous’ except me. I nodded and said to my master, “Don’t worry, Master. I’ve been practicing with you for more than ten years, so nothing will go wrong.” The master was silent for a moment, then placed a soul-attracting lamp at my feet, then took out the blue talisman and placed it in the center of the altar, then gently tied the blue talisman with a red string, and tied the other end of the red string to my chest. Then, the master began to chant the incantation. I knew it was the soul-drawing incantation, a kind of spell that releases imprisoned souls. As the incantation was recited, a small whirlwind arose in the isolated black space, blowing the candles in front of the altar to keep shaking. This was Zhao Jun’s soul coming out of the blue talisman. My soul concentrated on the spirit platform and easily entered the state of opening the eyes. I saw Zhao Jun’s soul crawling out of the talisman, and then he was confused at first, but then he saw the soul-attracting lamp and saw me. For some reason, he bowed to me three times, and then slowly walked towards me. It was a very strange feeling. I saw Zhao Jun enter my body with my own eyes. When he was completely inside, I felt a chill in my chest, and then my whole body felt as if it had been cut in half. It wasn’t a painful feeling, but rather your head watching your body move around, stretching out a hand here and there, moving a foot here and there. If an ordinary person experienced such a scene, they would probably have gone crazy long ago. I was also a little bit overwhelmed, but it was still within my tolerance. I finally understood what my master meant when he said that the upper body felt uncomfortable. Next, I felt like I was walking into the dead of winter naked, with a cold, pounding heart. This is the feeling of having a yin spirit in the body, but I must bear it. “Thank you.” I heard an inexplicable voice in my head. I knew it was Zhao Jun. “Buddy, you have to cooperate with me. I won’t say more. I still have to get used to it.” What is this? Am I talking to myself in my head? Many years later, I read a psychology book that said there is a psychological disorder called multiple personality disorder. There can be up to several hundred different personalities, and people with this disorder can even have no memory of when another personality is in control of their body, and they can also have conversations with their personalities. I thought to myself, is this considered possession? I think it is. I really wanted to see that guy who could distinguish between hundreds of multiple personalities and say to him, “I admire you.” In this desolate village, my body contains two souls, and I have a hard time adapting to them. There are hundreds of them, and that guy is definitely a god. But it was not as good as the gods planned. After I read that psychology book, I really met a weird multiple personality in the city and some stories happened. This is a later story, so I won’t mention it for now. When I was still adjusting to this state, my master looked at me and asked, “Chengyi, what did Zhao Jun tell you?” I was about to answer when I heard a completely unfamiliar voice speaking through my mouth: “Master Jiang, thank you, and thank this young man for saving our village.” and then bowed deeply to my master with my body. This is when the guest became the host? I was very unhappy, and unintentionally my spiritual awareness released a lot of pressure from my spiritual platform. I said, “Zhao Jun, when I don’t let you speak, can you let me speak?” Zhao Jun felt a sense of discomfort and kept quiet. I then said to my master, “Master, he told me to thank you.” “Very good, then get ready to go. Chengyi, you just rest in the spirit platform!” Master looked at me strangely. This statement was very problematic. I was resting in my own spirit platform. I don’t think Master could get used to me like this. This kind of messy state is difficult for me to describe and describe, but I still have to face all the villagers in this state. 鈥烩€烩€� On the mountain, the fog was so thick that it almost seemed to be solid. You could reach out and grab handfuls of water droplets, and they were so cold that they went straight to your heart. The mist is made of yin, and the mist is made of liquid. This old village chief is really scary. A group of 40 people had a particularly difficult time walking on the mountain. This operation was originally a desperate one, and the master was no longer ‘stingy’ with his things. In addition to tying everyone with red strings, the master also gave everyone two fairy fingers. A handful of expensive, one hundred-stick fairy-fingered guides were used up on the mountain. From the master’s behavior, it was clear that he really had no way out. I walked behind my master, still in a state of confusion, feeling like I was riding in a sedan chair. Hmm, I looked at myself walking, and I didn’t feel tired. What else could it be if not a sedan chair? All this is easy to explain. My spirit is in my spirit world, so of course I don’t feel tired. The feeling of tiredness has gone to Zhao Jun. But Zhao Jun is a chatterbox, and maybe he was too excited. Qin Huai walked next to me, and he kept saying to Qin Huai, “I’m so stupid. I always felt like something was missing in the village, but it turns out that I don’t feel tired, or maybe it’s fake tiredness. Do you understand? It’s fake tiredness! Only after having a body can you tell the difference between this kind of tiredness and that kind of tiredness. It feels so good to be tired.” Qinhuai could understand nothing. In the face of the familiar Chen Chengyi, who kept babbling at him in a strange dialect, the only thing Qinhuai could do was roll his eyes. When he couldn’t stand it anymore, he shouted at “me”: “Chen Chengyi, come out and say a few words to me. I don’t understand this guy’s dialect very well, and his accent is too heavy.” I was laughing, but I didn’t expect to be possessed by a ghost and still be able to play this humorous feeling. Seventy-eighth chapter: Strange There were immortals to show us the way, and Hui Gen was chanting along the way. We had a relatively smooth journey, and we didn’t even encounter any ghosts that we could see in the past. This made people have to take a second look at Hui Gen’er. Master Hui coughed and said to my master with a hint of pride, “See, my disciple has a spiritual root. His spiritual power is equivalent to that of a monk who has practiced asceticism for ten years. Heaven has really been good to me.” “Oh, I’m so ashamed of my disciple’s spiritual awareness. Since birth, his spiritual awareness has been stronger than someone with 60 years of spiritual practice. How can I be ashamed? The heavens have treated me not only not poorly, but actually very well.” My master glanced at Hui Jue and said to himself. Master Hui’s neck stiffened and he roared, “Jiang Lichun, are you challenging me?” “You wait for me, I’ve been sick of your arrogance for a long time. You really wasted a good disciple like Hui Gen. I’ll fight you one-on-one after I’ve finished with the old village chief.” My master was not showing any weakness. “Jiang Lichun, you’d better remember what you said and don’t back out. It’s agreed that whoever backs out this time will be a son of a bitch, and whoever doesn’t will be the second master.” Master Hui said in a “ferocious” manner, not like a high monk who has attained enlightenment. Their outrageous conversation attracted the attention of the people around them. Sun Qiang turned his head and asked his grandfather, “Grandpa, do Master Jiang and Master Hui have a grudge against each other?” The old man, who had not spoken much, said, “No, they don’t have any grudges. They are even better than best friends.” Ling Ruyue yawned and said to her grandmother, “Grandma, these two old men are just the same as they were a few years ago, arguing and not finding it boring.” Grandma Ling Qing smiled and said, “You’ve only seen them a few times and you’re already impatient? I’ve known them for decades and I’ve never seen these two settle down.” I was constantly nagging Qin Huai, and I didn’t even notice the two old men arguing. As for the real me, looking at this scene, I felt extraordinarily close, as if I had returned to the days of the Bamboo Grove. My master and Mr. Hui have been arguing for so many years and have fought many times. In fact, I hope they can keep fighting. Because the mountain was easy to climb, it took us just over an hour to reach the village. Outside the village, Master unfolded the map, which was drawn by Ma Xiaole at great risk. After all, the village was shrouded in thick fog, so only someone who had personally surveyed and drawn it could do it. Borrowing an airplane or something would not work. Master once told me, “When I took on this task, I had a vague idea that I needed a detailed map of the village, including the length of each path, and I asked the local government for it. But they sent an airplane to survey the area, and all they saw was a thick fog…” This is a very strange place. The nearby villages are shrouded in fog, but we can see that this village is actually walking in it, but we don’t feel the fog. Why is it foggy when viewed from above? But this is not strange. In other villages, you can still see the sun faintly, but in this village, you can’t see the sun at all. However, when it comes to airplanes, I think of Brother Sheng. I don’t want to think about airplanes, or who could send a helicopter here to pick up Brother Sheng. pointing at the map, the master was assigning tasks. This time, there were more than a dozen Taoist priests accompanying him, and the master was assigning tasks to them. With each of the Master’s commands, I finally understood why he wanted the map. It turns out that he wanted to set up several complex formations, and such complex formations definitely require a map. Facing an enemy like the old village chief, it is estimated that it is difficult to kill him without the help of a formation. “Chengyi, time is running out. You should go into the village. We will set everything up and meet you there. This time, let Yuan Yi go with you. I’m afraid that your actions will make the old village chief target you. Yuan Yi can at least delay the old village chief for a while.” The master said to me. I nodded to show my agreement, but before I could even nod, my body was already rushing into the village. I cursed in my heart, this Zhao Jun is too trusting of himself. Yuan Yi, the person who had a grudge against me at first, and who I could still talk to recently, hurriedly followed my footsteps. 鈥烩€烩€� This time, when I entered the village, the village appeared to me in a strange double vision. On one side was the village with its broken walls and on the other was the world of the movie, only much more vivid than the silent movie I had seen at the time. I knew that this was the perspective of both Zhao Jun and myself after entering the village. There was no way. My soul was all suppressed in the spirit palace. If I opened my heavenly eye accidentally, I had to control it. Once I entered the village, I had to follow Zhao Jun. Since there is a mantra to strengthen spiritual awareness, there is also a mantra to restrain it. It is not rare to say that the mantra of tranquility is one of them. When the mind is calm, the mind is clear, and spiritual awareness naturally becomes still. I silently recited the meditation technique, suppressed my spiritual awareness, and adapted to it for a while before completely closing my heavenly eye. At this moment, the village appeared to me in a lively state. The houses and courtyards were not at all dilapidated, everything was full of the life of that year, and even the crops in the fields were still to be harvested. everything was frozen in the autumn of that year. I felt Zhao Jun’s fear, and I conveyed my meaning with my thoughts, as if I were having a conversation with him. “Go to this step, be brave, both you and the villagers need to be relieved.” “But what can I use to convince them?” Zhao Jun said. “There is so much evidence to convince them, just do as I say,” I told Zhao Jun. Of course, these flaws were all told to me by my master. After all, he had observed the village for many days. At this point, it was the third day of the 15-day cycle. Zhao Jun began to move around the village. The first thing he needed to do was to inform everyone in the village. I didn’t have much time because my body couldn’t support it for that long. So I taught Zhao Jun the easiest way, which was to tell everyone that he had found a way to deal with the old village chief. then asked the villagers to gather in his courtyard in an hour to announce the solution. Obviously, this simple sentence had such a great effect, after all, the old village chief was already the heaviest thorn in the hearts of the villagers, and Zhao Jun’s grandfather was originally half a Taoist priest, so the villagers were often persuaded by Zhao Jun in a few words. Everything went so smoothly that the small village was informed by Zhao Jun in about 40 minutes. While all this was going on, Yuan Yi silently followed behind, not saying a word. Strangely, I could only feel his presence, and the villagers seemed unable to see him. The resentment that the old village chief had built up was really something. But I noticed a detail. When Zhao Jun was going from house to house, he avoided two of the houses. When he passed one of them, I felt a sudden wave of tension and fear. I said to Zhao Jun, “You let me control my body.” Zhao Jun did as he was told, and then I pointed to a house and asked, “Why didn’t you go there?” Zhao Jun replied, “That’s my house. I’m going to go there last.” “Where is that? Why don’t you go there either?” “That… that is the yard of the old village chief.” Zhao Jun’s emotions were very clearly tinged with fear. I suddenly realized why I had been so scared when I passed that house. But it was just a house, why was I so scared? Let Zhao Jun continue to control my body, and then we walked into Zhao Jun’s home in silence. But when Zhao Jun’s mother saw Zhao Jun, she was obviously stunned. She said, “You… you look exactly like Jun.” I didn’t react at the time, still thinking that the villagers looked at me and the image in their minds was Zhao Jun, which was really amazing. But the next sentence from Zhao Jun’s mother made me realize what was going on. She pointed to another person in the yard and said, “You really look exactly like my Jun.” Chapter 79: Flaw (1) There is another Zhao Jun in the courtyard! I looked where Zhao Jun’s mother was pointing, and it was Zhao Jun who was squatting in the courtyard drinking water. At this moment, not only was I stunned, but Zhao Jun in my body was even more anxious. If I hadn’t reacted and forced him to calm down, he would have started yelling and screaming. This is ridiculous. How could there be another version of myself? No one would accept this. “You don’t need to worry. I’ll open my eyes and see what’s going on.” I reassured Zhao Jun. The heavenly eye is divided into different levels. The highest level can see through all illusions and see through the essence of the world. My spiritual awareness is strong, and as soon as I opened my eyes, I had a higher level of heavenly eye. My master had once evaluated this based on what I saw, so I won’t say that I can see through the essence of the world, but I can see through a small ghost without any problems. Zhao Jun’s soul finally settled down, and I took the opportunity to open my heavenly eyes. After a closer look, I sighed. Who else could it be but Zhao Jun in the courtyard? It was one of the two soldiers who sacrificed themselves the night before. His fate was the same as mine! I am the one who knows the truth, I have experienced this kind of thing, and I know what to do. Seeing me here in a daze, Zhao Jun’s mother asked again, “Who are you? You look exactly like my Jun!” Zhao Jun said to his mother under my instruction, “Mom, I’m Zhao Jun too.” “You are Zhao Jun, then who is he?” Zhao Jun’s mother obviously didn’t accept this fact. “Mom, this has something to do with the old village chief. Do you believe it?” In this village, the old village chief deliberately said that he had subverted the lives of the villagers. If two Zhao Juns appeared and called themselves mom, Zhao Jun’s mother might faint. But now, Zhao Jun’s mother can calmly listen to Zhao Jun. The strange incident involving the old village chief has obviously increased the psychological tolerance of the people in this village. I also instructed Zhao Jun to deliberately say that it was related to the old village chief. Obviously, Zhao Jun’s mother was somewhat shaken. Sure enough, Zhao Jun’s mother was shaken. Zhao Jun continued, “Mom, when I was a child…” As he recounted the past, Zhao Jun’s mother was completely confused. At this point, Zhao Jun in the courtyard also noticed the situation here and came over. Obviously, when he saw the other version of himself, he also reacted strongly. Time is limited, we can’t spend too much time on this matter. I simply let Zhao Jun squeeze into the yard and then said to Zhao Jun’s mother, “Mom, I won’t explain this to you for now. I’ve called all the villagers to our house. I want to tell everyone how to deal with the old village chief. Now I’m talking to this Zhao Jun, so you don’t need to worry about it.” Zhao Jun’s mother was just a rural woman. What could she do in the face of such a strange thing? After standing there for a long time, I had no choice but to let Zhao Jun call me into the back room. In fact, after experiencing this strange experience, I knew where the flaw in the old village chief’s grudge was. The villagers were just confused by the situation, and the deceived people were just seeing through the fog, blurring their true memories, not forgetting them. If someone had reminded me at the time, I might have remembered who I was in a few minutes, because the illusion that the old village chief could create for the villagers was only 15 days long. Therefore, the false memories created by the old village chief only last for 15 days. As long as this little flaw is exposed, the confused person will naturally be able to know their true identity. I seized this key point and only talked to the fake Zhao Jun for about 10 minutes. He remembered his true identity and, after realizing this fact, the fake Zhao Jun could not help but be full of sadness. Ghosts have no bodies, so they have no tears. I want the warrior in front of me to cry very sadly if he is still human. The old village chief has done the most cruel thing to him, killing him and letting him live as someone else, thinking that he is human, and then accepting the truth that he is already a ghost and has died. I don’t know how to comfort him. At this time, villagers have already gathered at Zhao Jun’s house. I also feel that my body has become a little stiff. This is an inevitable phenomenon of locking in yang qi. Time is running out. I thought to myself, if this continues, will I become a zombie like the old village chief, or will I die directly because of my weak body? However, it is useless to think too much now. I looked at the sad warrior and said, “I promise you that I will take you back to your hometown. Don’t be sad. In the next reincarnation, live well.” Although this sentence was simple, its meaning was not simple. The soldier was also a person with strong psychological qualities, and he quickly put away his sad emotions. I whispered a few more words to him, and then let Zhao Jun take control of my body and walk out of the room. As soon as I walked out of the room, Zhao Jun’s mother came up to me and asked with concern, “Jun, how are you?” “Mom, don’t worry. You’ll know everything later.” Since I was going to tell the truth anyway, I didn’t need to lie to Zhao Jun’s mother, so I just let Zhao Jun say it. In fact, there is a very simple way to expose the truth, and that is to explain what will happen in the next 10 days or so, and what will be dreamed of. As long as it is all fulfilled, people will naturally believe what Zhao Jun said. But my body couldn’t wait, so I decided to use the most drastic method. It concerns the old village chief. The villagers are always very active. An hour later, the villagers gathered here, not missing a single one. I secretly opened my heavenly eyes and needed another warrior. Sure enough, I found him. At this time, his identity was a teenager. That’s it! That boy, remember before Zhao Jun, there were three people who escaped from the village, one of whom was a teenager. It was 1953 at the time, and now it’s 1990, which is only 37 years. It’s very likely that the teenager has not died in a foreign land, so there is no such thing as returning to one’s hometown. I didn’t expect that the old village chief’s obsession was so deep that he wouldn’t let go of every villager, and he even had our fallen soldier take the place of that young man. I didn’t say anything as I looked at the villagers gathering. Instead, the villagers were more anxious and said to me in a rush, “Military boy, what exactly do you have in mind? Junwa, are you really going to deal with the old village chief? Looking at the eager eyes of the people, I felt a little sorry for them. They had been trapped in this cycle for decades. Once the truth was revealed, they would have been dead for decades. Could they accept it? Moreover, if I said it out loud, would they explode with anger and turn into vengeful ghosts? This was the potential danger that my master had explained to me. However, these villagers are like the foundation of the world of resentment. To break this world of resentment, we must reveal the truth. looking at the villagers, I asked Zhao Jun to speak up and say, “Everyone be quiet. I do have a plan to deal with the old village chief. However, before that, we must all wake up.” Everyone was silent, obviously unable to understand what I meant by “wake up.” No one asked anything. The old village chief had already tortured everyone too much. Hearing that there was a way to deal with the old village chief, everyone was very patient. “Waking up is a very cruel thing. Now I’ll remind you. Li Ermao, where is your dog Wangcai? You’ve had it for seven years. Liu Fugui, your cow is your treasure. Where is your cow…” As Zhao Jun asked questions again and again, the villagers were confused. It was as if they had awakened something in their memories, but they couldn’t quite remember. This flaw was discovered by Master and Yuan Yi. The villagers in the village are there, the land is there, and there are even crops in the fields. The old village chief has created a perfect illusion for the villagers, but what can’t the old village chief create? It’s the soul! The souls of animals are very peculiar. To put it simply, they generally have a complete spirit, but the soul is incomplete. Maybe a hundred cows can make up a complete cow soul, or maybe a thousand. Some people say that animals can reincarnate as humans, and humans can reincarnate as animals. This is also true, but I don’t understand why this change occurs. Not only animals, but even plants, fish, and other things also have souls, but their souls are even more incomplete. However, the key point now is not this issue, because of the particularity of animal souls, the old village chief cannot hold onto animal souls. They will only enter the cycle of reincarnation when they have formed a complete soul. No matter how powerful the old village chief is, can he overcome the power of reincarnation? Therefore, there are no animals in the village! This is one of the flaws! Chapter 80: Flaw (2) The animals mentioned by Zhao Jun caused confusion among the crowd, but the world constructed by the old village chief had allowed people to reincarnate endlessly for decades, and it would take more than a sentence to break it. In the end, people still couldn’t remember the animals that Zhao Jun had mentioned. Someone couldn’t help but say, “Zhao Jun, I really can’t remember what you’re talking about. Besides, how could this have anything to do with the old village chief?” This was the reaction I expected. I didn’t expect a single sentence to break people’s deep-rooted impressions. I told Zhao Jun to continue: “Of course, this has something to do with the old village chief! It’s normal that people can’t remember, but the animals I mentioned really existed. Let’s put it another way. Have you noticed that in our village, apart from us, there are no animals, not even a chicken? Don’t you think that’s normal? Have you ever thought about it before?” I finally dropped a bombshell. Yes, there are no animals in the village. Isn’t that strange? You have to know that this is the countryside, not the city! The old village chief is in a cycle of reincarnation in this village for 15 days, and the villagers can only live for 15 days. Under the pressure of high tension, it is normal that they cannot find this flaw. If it had been longer, the villagers would have been able to discover the flaw. In order to create this world of resentment, the old village chief had altered the villagers’ original memories. In the original story, the animals in the village died first. As for the plants in the village, they are also exposed to the eyes of heaven, and they are all forged with resentment. The difference between them and real plants is that they don’t move naturally at all. The leaves, flowers and fruits are all rigid and fixed. Even when a gust of wind blows through, they all move in the same way, which looks very awkward! The old village chief was capable of faking plants, but not living animals. After Zhao Jun finished speaking, the crowd reacted as I had expected, and they began to discuss the matter in a panic. Unfortunately, their discussion was not on the point. They were discussing where the animals in our village had gone, and whether they had been eaten by the old village chief. At this time, Zhao Jun spoke up again and said loudly, “Don’t guess, of course the animals have not been eaten by the old village chief, but they simply do not exist, or they have not existed for decades. This is related to the question I started to say. We must wake up. This is just a proof that our village is fake, everything is an illusion. Next, I want everyone to go with me to a place.” The village is fake? Zhao Jun’s words were more and more shocking. The villagers looked at each other, not understanding what Zhao Jun meant. He was talking about all kinds of nonsense, even saying that the village was fake. Although the old village chief had improved the villagers’ psychological tolerance, it was not high enough to accept that they were living in a fake world. Some people said with some suspicion: “Zhao Jun, we believe you, but you can’t fool us. How can our village be fake? We eat, drink, shit, and plant here every day, waiting for the harvest! You’re not joking with us, are you?” I knew it would be like this. I told Zhao Jun to say, “I know this is hard for everyone to accept. How about this? Let’s go to a place with me, and we’ll talk about this after we get there.” Where did I ask Zhao Jun to take everyone? It was very simple. We went to the river where the old village chief had died. The villagers eat, drink, shit and piss in the village, but do ghosts need to eat, drink, shit and piss? They don’t have a body, do they? I thought of the cigarettes and dried food I smoked and ate in the ancestral hall. Those were all fake. I don’t know what they were exactly, but I know they were all supposed to be transformed from resentment or rotten food! So, the villagers thought they were just eating and drinking, but the old village chief could use his resentment to transform everything in the village. The only thing he couldn’t transform was the river. He didn’t have the power to conjure a river out of thin air. The villagers said that they were ghosts, but their lives were only 15 days long, and because of some shadows, no one went to the river during those 15 days. The old village chief died in that river, not to mention the fact that someone found the old village chief’s shoes by the river. The tragedy began with the discovery of the shoes. People had an instinctive fear of the river and didn’t want to go there. Walking down the road, the people in the village began to suspect, and couldn’t help but ask me, “Zhao Jun, where are you taking us? Is it to… is it to there?” I said loudly, “It’s to the river. Everyone muster up a little courage. If we want to escape this endless suffering, we must face it.” People didn’t understand what endless suffering was, but the pain was real, so the phrase “get rid of it” somewhat reassured the people, and they gathered their courage and came with me to the river. As soon as we arrived at the river, a strong wind suddenly blew. Was the old village chief about to appear? I felt a bit nervous, and the people were even more scared. Some couldn’t help but want to run away. Because it was Zhao Jun’s perspective, I couldn’t see Yuan Yi at all. I could only feel him beside me. I couldn’t help but yell, “Yuan Yi, help me.” I then said to the people, “If you don’t even dare to face this, then just wait for the old village chief to take revenge.” My words had an effect, and the crowd finally stopped panicking. I don’t know what Yuan Yi did, but the wind gradually subsided. This does not mean that Yuan Yi’s Taoist skills are better than my master’s, but this time he came prepared, and everyone would bring out their best stuff. It was just a gust of wind that represented the old village chief’s anger, and Yuan Yi was still able to calm it down. However, the situation was very tense, and I didn’t have much time left. Since the wind had started, the old village chief would appear at any moment. I squatted down by the river, scooped up a handful of water, and then yelled at everyone, “Come here and see if any of you can complete this action!” This is the biggest flaw in the old village chief’s grudge! First, I used the non-existence of animals to gain everyone’s trust, and then I brought everyone to the river. What I had to do was simple, but not simple, because the villagers had an instinctive fear of the river. Perhaps in the infinite 15-day cycle, the old village chief had already deeply rooted in everyone’s minds the idea that they could not come to the river. I had to break it. In fact, I didn’t have much of a grasp. My only chance is the other contradiction left by the old village chief. Even if people are afraid to come to the river, they are not as afraid of him. My plan is to start here. I had a handful of cool river water in my hand, and now it was slowly slipping from my grasp. People were very confused as to why I wanted them to do this simple action, but some still hesitated to do it, and then more people began to do it. The thing that made people panic happened. No one, no one could hold even a drop of water. Not only that, people also found that their hands could not touch the water at all, or they could not feel the existence of the water, the touch of the water, the temperature of the water… This time, people were completely flustered. Many people tried again and again, but the result was the same. Ghosts are just beings from another world. They are a kind of non-existent existence, so how could they possibly affect the real material world? They can affect people’s spirits and thoughts, but they can’t actually slap people! In other words, they can’t even lift a drop of water. In the village, they open and close doors, move objects, and so on, because the entire village is the world of the old village chief’s resentment. Everything is an illusion. Just like ordinary people who come in and are affected, thinking that they see the villagers opening and closing doors, taking things, in fact, as soon as they open their eyes, they will find that the villagers are just freely moving around the village in the form of spirits. There is no such thing as opening and closing doors, and there is no such thing as holding objects. What they hold is just something that has been transformed by the resentment! This is the reason why resentment takes shape. What you think in your mind is what you see in your eyes! To see through the illusion is to not be affected by it, to maintain one’s own clarity, to always adhere to what one thinks, to be naturally unmoving like a mountain, and to see what is natural and true. This is a skill that Buddhists are more adept at. When it comes to cultivating the mind, Buddhists are indeed the best. Therefore, my master did not see through the essence of this world at first, and exclaimed that it was an unsolved mystery. Even the highly accomplished Daoist masters were like this, not to mention ordinary people, and the villagers who were even more controlled by the old village chief. This fact almost made them collapse. I saw that the ordinary villagers were all emitting black resentment. Were they going to transform into fierce ghosts? Chapter 81: Breaking the resentment Transforming into a vengeful ghost? If this happens now, it won’t be fun. Although Master Hui and his apprentice are amazing at performing exorcisms, they can’t just perform an ordinary exorcism in the face of such a world of resentment. I must set up a ritual to help them, and I must perform the ritual properly. I don’t know much about Buddhism, but Master Hui told me that if he could start helping them, he would let me know in a special way. I haven’t received any notification from him, so I can’t let the villagers turn into angry ghosts! More than a hundred angry spirits, with decades of accumulated resentment, is enough to make anyone’s hair stand on end. I shouted to everyone, “You don’t need to try anymore. I just want to prove one thing to everyone. I said there is a solution, and there must be a solution. We will get rid of the old man, I promise!” My words had some effect, at least people were less agitated. After all, whether you become a vengeful ghost or not depends on a single thought. This thought is that you can let go of your anger, die with goodwill, and even if you are wronged, you can let go of this life and reincarnate. That thought, when you are emotionally agitated, resentment wells up in your heart, and you die with hatred, may be just a small thing that can be resolved, but it can also make you instantly transform into a fierce ghost, unable to escape the karma of this life. Therefore, the state of mind at the time is very important. The most important thing to prevent the villagers from becoming evil spirits is to calm them down and awaken the goodness in their hearts. After everyone calmed down a little, an old man in the village spoke up. He said, “Junwa’er, tell us, what is going on here? Why can you lift up the river water, but we can’t? Explain the cause and effect to us.” Another old man also stood up and said, “Junwa’er, are you really Junwa’er? I feel that you are very different. Which one are you?” It seems that there are also smart people among the villagers. I looked at everyone calmly and let Zhao Jun say, “I am Zhao Jun. I am a person who escaped from the village, but I came back again and then escaped again. What I want to tell everyone from these experiences is that we were wrong. Don’t you realize it yet? We were wrong!” The villagers were silent. Yes, they all knew that Zhao Jun was wrong. What was he referring to? It was the old village chief! “I don’t want to give you any big ideas. I just want to say that if one of us fell into the water that day and experienced the same thing, what would we think? We are all neighbors… it’s normal for him to be angry! Sometimes, I also feel guilty, but I don’t want to say it because I’m afraid. But there is a big truth that everyone understands: you have to pay back what you owe. We all owe him, so we should pay him back.” I let Zhao Jun say this, but I didn’t expect him to say it so simply and movingly. Perhaps this is also his normal way of thinking. “I wanted to return it, but it’s too late to regret it.” “If you say you want to return it, how do you return it? The person is dead…” “Does he have to give back a life? He didn’t spare anyone in the whole village.” Obviously, everyone was moved. It is impossible for an ordinary person to feel no guilt at all in such a situation. Kindness is in everyone’s heart. There is no one in this world who has completely eliminated kindness, because everyone is born with a heart. “Let’s think about the good old village chief. The more he paid for something, the more resentment he had. He liked everyone here, and at this point, he naturally hated everyone here. Unless he had no feelings for the people here, he would not have so much resentment. And after becoming a ghost, all the feelings he had in his life would turn into resentment, unless he could resolve his resentment at the root.” I said this, and Zhao Jun obviously didn’t understand it. But how can the old village chief’s grievances be resolved at the root? This is the question people are asking now, but I can’t solve it because it has already happened. That incident was the root of the old village chief’s grievances, but can everything be repeated? There is no solution to this matter. I said my answer, and everyone was silent. That scene was so impressive in everyone’s heart. someone squatted down, hugged their head, and sadly asked, “What should we do?” Obviously, when the old village chief was mentioned, everyone forgot about the “river incident” for a moment. Obviously, the old village chief’s story also aroused everyone’s kindness. In fact, people were not guilty, not regretting, but at the time they were overwhelmed by life and death, and after the event, things had reached an irreparable point. Everyone just let their worst instincts take over, instinctively avoiding it. The whole village was avoiding it! But as soon as someone stood up and said that it was wrong, and used reason and emotion to persuade them, everyone naturally faced up to the matter. I think the time is ripe, so I said loudly, “Actually, there is no need for everyone to try to resolve the old village chief’s grievances, because he has changed. He is not the old village chief anymore, but a monster dominated by grievances. He may be in pain, but someone will naturally relieve him! As for us, we already repaid the old village chief decades ago!” “What did you say?” People began to wonder, what was paid back to the old village chief decades ago? “The time is now 1990, we died in 1953, don’t you understand? We are now ghosts, not people! We have already paid off this debt, only because the old village chief has now become a monster dominated by resentment, he cannot help but let us go.” I said loudly, trying to put things in a good light and not cause people to resent. I was very nervous. I was afraid that at this time, if people could not understand and turned into fierce ghosts, then this matter would be meaningless. Even if the world of resentment was broken, we would still have to face 80 fierce ghosts, plus the old village chief. and the power of transformation is the power of good, which can weaken the old village chief to a certain extent. Sure enough, as soon as I finished speaking, there was a commotion in the crowd, and then I saw a pillar of black smoke rise into the sky. The ordinary villagers’ bodies began to glow red, a sign that they were about to transform into evil spirits. “90 years? It’s been decades?” A voice said sharply. “You said I was dead?” another voice said sharply. “I’m a ghost? Haha, I’m a ghost?” Another trembling voice. Yes, who wouldn’t be devastated by this? A dream, or a nightmare. When you wake up from a dream, you realize you’re not a human being anymore, but a ghost! I said loudly, “In this world, there is a cause and effect. If you know you owe someone, you should pay back. After you have paid back, you can go to the next life with peace of mind! This is lucky. If you go to the next life with a debt, you may not be able to live in peace in the next life. Now that there is a high-level person to help us, we don’t have to suffer anymore. In fact, what kind of suffering are we talking about? The old village chief has taken on this resentment, and I’m afraid he won’t even have a chance to be reincarnated. Don’t you understand yet? We were wrong. We still have a chance in the next life, but we have trapped the old village chief into not even having a chance to reincarnate!” people are still good after all, although this goodness is often weaker than human selfishness. This is a helpless thing. In this world, you cannot ask everyone not to be selfish, just as you cannot ask the world to be sunny every day. Without breaking through the shackles and without experiencing the heart, it is just a source of the heart, and it cannot be called the heart yet. Selfishness is a test of the Tao. People need many lifetimes to break through it. Everyone has a long way to go. My words successfully captured this point, telling everyone that our future is bright, that we don’t need to have any more burdens, that we are liberated, and then I aroused everyone’s kindness. And I didn’t lie. The old village chief was so evil that he really didn’t have a chance to reincarnate! The resentment gradually dissipated and disappeared in the visible light. The red light on the villagers’ bodies also disappeared, and their expressions became sad and regretful. I looked at this scene and sighed in my heart. If it happened again, would the tragedy still happen? Only after ensuring that you are worry-free can you sympathize with others and treat others with a kind heart. But is that wrong? If I were in their shoes, would I be more kind to my family and friends? Or would I be the same to everyone? from the heart! A long, long road, yes, there is a long road to walk through the whole world, but at least we know what we are pursuing, otherwise we would not publicize good deeds and criticize evil deeds. Our ancestors would not have written the principles of doing good deeds into books, praising this spirit and passing it down. We also have hope. I was sighing, and a crisis had finally been resolved. I had just breathed a sigh of relief when I heard Yuan Yi say to me in a special way, “Chen Chengyi, I can’t hold on any longer. The magic weapon left by my grandfather can’t suppress the anger of the old village chief.” Chapter 82: Critical Situation As soon as Yuan Yi finished speaking, a strange scene unfolded! First, a sudden gust of wind blew up by the river, and then the river began to churn as the story said. What was even more terrifying was that the surface of the river in this section began to turn a strange red. Then, a hoarse voice came from nowhere: “None of you will escape! Especially you, you human being, I will make you suffer in my place for all eternity.” This voice contained a sky-high sense of resentment and a hatred that made people’s hearts tremble. Yuan Yi really couldn’t hold back the old village chief, and the old village chief was about to appear. The crowd began to panic. I was undoubtedly the mainstay of the people at this time. Everyone turned to me with hopeful eyes, and everyone was frantically asking me what to do? I really want to help Yuan Yi suppress the old village chief, but my current state is obviously not good enough. At least I have to get Zhao Jun out of my body before I can use magic. And since just now, I’ve been able to feel my own weakness, and there’s a worse feeling, that is, my life is passing away! My body temperature is not higher than a dead person’s, and my body is so stiff that I can’t even stretch my fingers. Master said that the only way to quickly end this state is to sacrifice one’s own life! I shouted, “Master Hui, are you done? Someone is going to die! Yuan Yi and I can’t hold on any longer.” Then I said to Yuan Yi with all my concentration: “Can you hold on a little longer? Try to hold on for a little longer.” I used my spiritual awareness to guide the words, and Yuan Yi naturally heard them. It took me a long time to receive his response, which was so stubborn. He said, “I won’t tarnish my grandfather’s reputation. I’m just holding him back, right? Don’t worry.” I could clearly hear that Yuan Yi was having difficulty speaking, and that he was trying to hold on. But this person! For the first time, I actually felt a little admiration for Yuan Yi in my heart. I turned to everyone and said, “Don’t panic. A great man is helping us hold off the old village chief. The exorcism will begin soon. Don’t panic. I said it. I can lead you to liberation.” My words had a slight effect, and everyone calmed down a little. As for Yuan Yi, I don’t know what method he used, but the wind died down and the red color of the river began to fade. Seeing this, everyone became more convinced of my words. This time, I really should thank Yuan Yi. If it weren’t for him, the old village chief would definitely have dealt with me first, the culprit. Regardless of whether his intention was to preserve his grandfather’s reputation, I owed him, and I took note. At that moment, a voice suddenly rang out: “Chengyi, bring the villagers to the ancestral hall to help them pass over.” The voice was loud, and the sound waves echoed throughout the village, rolling on and on. Not only did I hear this voice, but the villagers also heard it. The Buddhist faith not only has the ability to see through the heavens and hear through the heavens, but also has the ability to reach a high level of cultivation, where all five senses and words are understood. The Buddha’s lion’s roar contains spiritual awareness and can be heard by ghosts. I was overjoyed, and the villagers also showed a happy expression on their faces. I shouted in my heart, “Zhao Jun, come out and take the villagers to the ancestral hall to accept the transcendence! I want to stay and help Yuan Yi.” At this moment, I must stop the old village chief, otherwise he will ruin the matter of the transcendence. The consequences… I dare not think about it! Zhao Jun’s soul also showed a hint of joy. Who wouldn’t want to be liberated? The next moment, Zhao Jun left my body. Originally, my body was supported by his soul. As soon as he left, I couldn’t help but fall to the ground. I couldn’t care about that, and Zhao Jun couldn’t see my situation either. Only I could see him and the ordinary villagers. I shouted, “Hurry and take everyone there.” This shout was made with spiritual awareness, and naturally Zhao Jun could hear it. He quickly led the villagers to the ancestral hall. I didn’t know if my master’s formation was complete, and how long I and Yuan Yi would need to block it. Zhao Jun left my body, and I could naturally see Yuan Yi. At this time, I saw him clasping his hands in a seal, supporting a magical weapon. That magical weapon was also a jade emperor seal, a magical weapon generally used for suppression, and it was mostly used in the form of a seal. I don’t need to open my third eye to feel the power fluctuations on the magic weapon. Yuan Yi is supporting it with his own power, which is inevitably a bit difficult. I also know the incantation for controlling magic weapons. Although the magic weapon is not mine and I haven’t cultivated it, it will be very difficult for me to operate it, but it will always relieve some of Yuan Yi’s pressure. as if she had read my mind, Yuan Yi shouted, “Stay there and rest. I can hold on! Don’t interfere!” This person is still so proud! But at this time, even if I wanted to get involved, I couldn’t. As soon as Zhao Jun left, I felt weak, weak, stiff, and even difficult to move a finger. You have to know that my vitality is locked up, and my soul is also pressed against the spirit altar. Unless someone helps me untie the knot, unless another soul enters my body and controls my body. But is that possible? If I were to take over again, I might only be able to support it by overdrawing my life span. Yuan Yi was also in a difficult situation. If he overdraws his power, he will have to use his essence, and the consequences will be very serious. Yuan Yi has definitely overdrawn his power. I saw blood gushing from his nose and bleeding from the corners of his mouth. But even so, the magic weapon placed in front of him was still trembling slightly, and the meaning of being unable to suppress it was very obvious. When a Taoist priest suppresses something, the fact that the magic weapon is trembling is definitely not a good sign. It can only mean one thing: the suppression is not complete. Ordinary people who see it just think that they have run into something, or that the wind is blowing it around. I can’t afford to owe Yuan Yi such a great favor. I must help him, offering my life to relieve the crisis. In fact, it is a simple secret technique, not a matter of changing fate against the heavens, because it is a fair trade. This secret technique is not only known to Taoist priests, but also to some so-called witches and sorcerers in the folk world. Of course, what they offer is not necessarily their life. I silently recited the incantation in my heart and began to sacrifice my life. As long as I live a fulfilling life without regrets, how many years I live is not that important. At least, that’s what I think. However, when this secret technique is performed, there are always strange phenomena. People with strong spiritual awareness can even feel it before the secret technique is completed. Yuan Yi is a Taoist priest, so his spiritual awareness must be stronger than ordinary people. He obviously felt it. He cursed, “Chen Chengyi, are you still trying to influence me at this time? I don’t accept your favor, so stop it. Do you look down on me?” While he was talking, Yuan Yi spat out a mouthful of blood. Obviously, being distracted was already a great burden for him. I dared not continue. If I continued and distracted him, I would have wasted his life, and I would definitely feel guilty for the rest of my life. I sighed, secretly stopped the spell, and only prayed that the master would hurry! But I couldn’t remain indifferent. Didn’t the master say that the human will is the most powerful? I tried hard, very hard, to reach out my hand. Then I relied on my will to first untie the knot that suppressed the soul, and then untie the knot that locked the yang. My body felt like it was paralyzed, without any feeling, but I forced myself to squeeze my soul, allowing it to squeeze out and return to my body. This process was very painful, and my brain felt like it was about to explode. At the same time, my hands were also trying to move, because I saw that Yuan Yi’s face had turned pale. In addition, another more critical thing was happening, and that was that the jade seal he used to suppress the old village chief had actually begun to crack. Was the old village chief so rebellious against heaven? I didn’t want to see Yuan Yi in such a crisis. My spiritual awareness repeatedly impacted my spiritual platform. This was very dangerous. If I wasn’t careful, I would make a fool of myself. But I had no way out! Just as I was in pain, with my brain pounding like a hammer, a flash of pity suddenly appeared in Yuan Yi’s eyes. I happened to see this scene as I looked at his jade seal. There was no way to escape the pain of the spiritual impact. No matter how painful it was, my consciousness was very clear, and it was difficult to faint. Suddenly, a fierce look appeared in Yuan Yi’s eyes. He put away the Jade Emperor’s Seal. The moment he put away the Jade Emperor’s Seal, the world changed color. Suddenly, the wind blew violently, the river churned, and the red color, like blood, surged up from the bottom of the river, piercing people’s eyes and making them dizzy. It was clear that the Jade Emperor’s Seal was very important to Yuan Yi. He was distressed by the seal and did not want to use it to suppress the others. But I also knew that the Jade Emperor’s Seal was Yuan Yi’s strongest magic weapon, and he would not hold back at a time like this! Is Yuan Yi going to give up? I sighed. I can’t blame him for this. If that’s the case, I’d rather risk my life and take the blame myself! When I thought like this, my head ached and I had a momentary trance. Thanks to my powerful spiritual awareness, I actually broke through my own spiritual platform… Chapter 83 Yuan Yi’s The feeling of being in a trance lingered on, as if I was seeing everything in slow motion. Even so, I should be grateful that I didn’t forcefully rush into the spirit realm and turn myself into a fool. My hands and feet can finally move a little, but the problem is that they are so inflexible. I see everything in slow motion, but my own movements are even slower than slow motion! Yuan Yi has already put away his Jade Emperor Seal. I feel that the world is in chaos. The wind is so strong that it is difficult to breathe. The red river seems to have absorbed the blood of tens of thousands of people. What is even more terrifying is that the wind blows the green grass by the river, and the grass turns into a mass of resentment and disperses. Is this world of resentment beginning to collapse? In the distance, the sound of chanting came like the sound of a large bell. I saw a circle of golden light spreading out. With each layer that spread out, I could clearly feel that the air was becoming less filled with resentment. Even so, it did not save me and Yuan Yi from the crisis at this time. My trembling hand finally grabbed the red rope. I realized at this moment that there was a key problem: I didn’t know how to untie the knot. If the knot wasn’t untied according to a certain method, it would be useless even if I forcibly tore it off! Cold sweat ran down my forehead. I saw Yuan Yi turn and walk away. Was he going to leave me here alone? Yes, even if he left me behind, I would have nothing to say. The situation was so critical at the time, what reason did he have to drag himself down for me? This is more of a moral issue! Furthermore, he didn’t ask me to stay and help him, I wanted to stay. I was a little reluctant, and I suddenly realized that I could understand the old village chief’s feelings. The difference was that he was completely unwilling, while I was only a little reluctant. After all, Yuan Yi had done his best to help me. Judging from his pale face, he had even used his primordial power. Save yourself! The power of spiritual awareness is so strong that my memory is exceptionally strong. My master once said that if you can tie a knot, you can also untie it. Because to untie a knot, you don’t need to use any power, you just need to untie the last two knots. Of course, you have to remember how to tie it in order to untie it. I began to try to remember how my master tied the last two knots. I couldn’t give up until the end. But just then, the river began to churn again, churning so violently that large patches of water bubbles floated up, as if many large fish were breathing underwater. With a loud noise, something shot out of the water. This loud noise, of course, attracted my attention. I saw a head emerge from the water. The black, shriveled face was so familiar to me. It was the old village chief! I was wailing in my heart. A zombie is, to a certain extent, a mummified corpse that is not decaying. How could a zombie like to soak in water? I really wanted to curse my mother. Then I saw the old village chief approaching the shore at an astonishing speed. Yuan Yi had now reached a clearing by the river, but suddenly stopped. I looked at Yuan Yi. Did this kid have a conscience and was going to save me? At the same time, I was also very surprised at Yuan Yi’s composure. The old village chief appeared, and he didn’t even look back. He just walked calmly until he stopped in this open space. He didn’t even change his expression. I finally remembered how to untie the knot. I was so excited that I didn’t bother to think about it. I started to untie the knot with my trembling fingers. It was easy to untie the knot if you knew how to tie it. But my movements were stiff, my fingers trembled and I was slow, which made it a laborious task. “Chen Chengyi, watch how my Yuan family’s magic works! I’m going to show you a miracle!” Yuan Yi suddenly shouted at me. I was concentrating on untying the knot, and I didn’t even notice when the old village chief arrived at the shore. Yuan Yi shouted at me like this, but it actually made me confused. What did he mean? After all, I had just rushed to the altar, and my reaction was not so sensitive. I had not had time to think about the meaning of Yuan Yi’s words. I only saw Yuan Yi suddenly turn around and face the old village chief, holding a purple talisman in his hand that I couldn’t see clearly. He shouted at the old village chief, “You evil spirits, don’t be arrogant. Watch how the Yuan family’s master of the heavens will capture you.” Master of the Yuan family? Is Yuan Yi crazy? Calling himself a master? Even my master wouldn’t dare to call himself a master! And he wants to take on the old village chief alone? I don’t know what Yuan Yi is going to do. After all, each school of magic has its own unique characteristics. Even two people from the same school, or because of different masters, may not be able to communicate with each other. But I have a hunch that Yuan Yi’s method will definitely hurt himself and others. Just now, he used the Jade Emperor Seal, which was obviously very reluctant. I thought to myself, while I tried to untie the knot. I couldn’t just stand by and watch Yuan Yi take such a risk. Maybe he had his own pride to uphold, but wasn’t it because of me? I yelled in my heart, Yuan Yi, don’t make me owe you a fucking favor! Yuan Yi never looked back at me again, but in the meantime, he had already placed the purple talisman on his spirit altar and began to take large strides in the first step. I suddenly had a flash of insight. It turned out that Yuan Yi had not planned to escape at the beginning, but to find a place to step on the five-pointed star. After all, the five-pointed star cannot be stepped on anywhere, but must be chosen in a certain direction to be in line with the heavenly stars. I couldn’t recognize Yuan Yi’s step-gong, which is normal. However, step-gong always has commonalities, and I could vaguely feel that Yuan Yi’s step-gong was to attract thunder! I don’t know what kind of talisman it is, but at the altar, it must enhance one’s spiritual awareness! I know what Yuan Yi is going to do! He’s going to summon thunder! He’s crazy! You have to know that thunder magic is the most difficult of all Taoist magic. To successfully use thunder magic, you have to meet extremely strict requirements. When I was using the lower Taoist magic, I was in a delirious state and was about to use one of the five thunder spells to cause one of the thunders to strike someone. Fortunately, I was interrupted in time by someone else, otherwise even if I could cause the thunder to kill someone, I would have become a cripple myself, and if I was even more unlucky, I might have died! At that time, I was only using hand gestures, but Yuan Yi was acting like a madman, stepping on the starting point to match it. The power of the thunder he summoned must have been enormous. Could he withstand it? His source of energy was drained, and his spiritual awareness was exhausted! The source of origin is okay, at most it will become a weak ordinary person! What about spiritual awareness? Spiritual awareness is the power of the soul. If the power of the soul is exhausted, the best thing is that the soul is weak and will fall into a long sleep and become a vegetable. If it is not good, it is that the soul becomes incomplete, and the person will die! The worst result is that the soul is scattered to the four winds. I thought of this, and my whole body broke out in fine, cold sweat. I wished I could hurry up, hurry up. Over there, the old village chief was already very close to the shore, and Yuan Yi had already begun to chant the incantation. As the sound of the incantation and the footsteps of the steps of the steps grew louder, the sky became gloomy, and a heavy rain was about to fall as the clouds gathered. The thunder spell has been activated! I was dying of impatience here, cursing to myself why it wasn’t winter. The Thunder Technique has quite a few restrictions, and it can only be used in spring, summer, and autumn. If you want to use it in winter, you need to be a very powerful person. If it were winter, Yuan Yi would not be able to use the thunder spell. But, it is summer, the best time to activate the thunder spell! I was a little desperate. The gathering of clouds and rain in a small area was a sign that the thunder spell had already been activated. When the first lightning bolt flashed, it was impossible for the thunder spell to be stopped. Hurry, hurry! I yelled in my heart. I guess it was my desperate mental power that worked, and my movements suddenly became faster. I successfully untied the first knot. I could clearly feel the knot loosening its grip on my soul, and my soul was gradually returning to its place. But at this moment, Yuan Yi had stopped moving. He began to pinch the hand gestures non-stop. I was extremely familiar with those hand gestures, and they were actually the Five Thunder Curses. The way he pinched the Five Thunder Curses was exactly the same as my Five Thunder Curses, and the thunder he summoned was actually the heavenly thunder! the highest level of thunder? How strong is Yuan Yi that he can even summon thunder? Is he trying to scatter his soul? At this moment, the old village chief had already reached the shore, half of his body was already above the water, and he began to walk forward step by step, his pace was fast, his eyes were cold, and he looked at Yuan Yi with resentment. I even felt a hint of fear in his eyes for Yuan Yi! Did the old village chief also feel the danger of the thunder? Was he also afraid? I suddenly felt that Yuan Yi was very heroic, but I couldn’t allow him to be so heroic. I quickly untied the second knot, and I felt my whole body loosen. I completely ripped off the knot, and I felt that I had regained control of my body. But what’s the use? The situation was already extremely dangerous! Chapter 84: Heavenly Thunder I could move my hands and feet, but they were cold and terrible. The consequence of such coldness was that they were extremely stiff, the yang energy was locked up, the body was weak, and the magic arts could not be used because the body could not bear it. But I still rolled over and got up, ready to stop Yuan Yi. I didn’t have time to untie the knot that was blocking my yang. Because I was still not used to my body, and because I was stiff, I didn’t move fast. Yuan Yi was less than 200 meters away, but I felt so far away. Yuan Yi didn’t even look at me, and kept chanting the incantation alone. The clouds above our heads grew thicker and thicker, pressing down on our hearts, so heavy. Yuan Yi’s chanting grew louder and louder, almost to the point of madness. People who didn’t know would definitely think he was possessed, but this was just a beautiful misunderstanding, because if I did the hand gestures, it would have the same effect. All Taoist incantations require deep meditation, requiring the entire spirit to be immersed in it. Once a person’s spirit is immersed in something, their emotions will naturally be affected. Thunder is a symbol of violence, and Yuan Yi’s incantation reached a point of madness, indicating that the incantation was almost complete. When the incantation was complete, the thunder would naturally fall. I can’t explain the urgency in my heart. I have been walking for so long, but I have only walked more than 50 meters. I simply don’t have time to stop Yuan Yi. I can only yell, “Yuan Yi, stop! Help me unlock the Yang knot. I will use the spirit summoning technique to help you, and you will use the Jade Emperor’s seal to suppress it. Drag my master over!” I had no choice but to give up. Yuan Yi was completely unmoved! I was in a hurry, but I didn’t have the ability to interrupt someone else’s spell like the old man I met in the village last time! Is that all? I was unwilling to give up like this, so I continued to walk forward, but suddenly I felt a chill in my back for no reason, and goose bumps appeared on my skin. In my heart, I had a feeling that something terrible was about to happen. The old village chief! I subconsciously turned around to look, and the old village chief, who had just been climbing ashore, had disappeared. Where had he gone? I was so focused on walking to stop Yuan Yi that I had forgotten about the old village chief. I had a strong desire to find him, and I couldn’t help but turn around to look for him. However, because of my lack of physical agility, I tripped over a stone by my feet. And just as I was about to fall, I saw a black figure rushing towards me. The sharp claws brushed past my face, and the wind caused goosebumps to form on my face. The old village chief’s first attack was actually on me! No wonder I felt so dangerous just now! This is the foresight brought about by strong spiritual awareness! But this foresight is useless. I can only smile bitterly and thank the stone next to me for saving me, and thank my stiff body for falling over. The old village chief missed his shot, and due to inertia, he barely stopped after advancing more than 5 meters, and my stiff body didn’t even have time to get up. We had a brief look at each other, and I could see and feel his hatred for me. The world of resentment that I had built up over so many years had been destroyed by my few words. It sounded like a joke, but it was the truth. He underestimated people’s desire for a lifeline in a desperate situation. My appearance and my words were a lifeline for people. But whether he overestimated or underestimated me, he hated me anyway. I absolutely can’t avoid his second strike, because when facing a zombie who is so good at fighting, you only have three ways to deal with him. First, you have to be better than him, provided that you are also as fearless as he is, and not afraid of pain or injury, unless you are killed. Second, you have a high-level martial art that can successfully restrain him and suppress him. Third, you run faster than him! Don’t think that pistols or bombs can deal with zombies. Even if they can, they are only effective against ordinary zombies. For zombies that move as fast as lightning, unless you are willing to use large-scale explosives, and they must be powerful ones, modern weapons are useless. But can the state easily use large-scale, powerful explosives? The answer is no, especially if the target cannot be found. Of course, if we can contact our superiors, it might be possible… Many thoughts flashed through my mind, but were they the last thoughts I would ever have? I thought to myself, but then, just then, a bolt of lightning flashed across the sky above my head. It was only a small bolt of lightning, and the area affected was no more than a mile in radius, but it meant that Yuan Yi’s thunder spell had been completed! I couldn’t stop it after all. I felt a sudden wave of despair. Even the dangerous confrontation with the old village chief didn’t make me despair, but Yuan Yi’s thunder magic made me completely despair. I couldn’t save him! It was as if he sensed the danger, and the old village chief ended the standoff with me that lasted less than two seconds and pounced on me. I was somewhat numb as I faced the old village chief, but I heard Yuan Yi roar like a thunder god: “Thunder is coming.” Then I saw the rain falling in a flurry, like tears of sorrow and despair. At the same time, a golden bolt of lightning fell from the sky and struck the old village chief. It was just a tiny bolt of lightning, but you should never underestimate the power of lightning. It is the only thing in the world that carries the will to destroy and has the greatest restraint over evil things. In ghost movies, it is often the case that fierce ghosts appear in thunderstorms. What a ridiculous way to shoot! What kind of desperate ghost would dare to appear directly in a thunderstorm? With a loud crack, the old village chief’s body fell in front of me. I smelled a foul smell of burning flesh. It seems that even this powerful old village chief was afraid of this, and at least he had no power to resist the thunder. Once the thunder spell is cast, the thunder will fall. Immediately, a second bolt of lightning struck the old village chief. It was also a thin bolt of lightning, but the old village chief was a smart guy. He got up without thinking and tried to run out of the range. Boom, boom, boom, boom, the thunder and lightning kept falling. If there were other people here, they might have thought it was just a small thunderstorm in the summer, nothing strange about it. After all, the sun in the east and rain in the west is a natural phenomenon that often occurs in summer, but who could have thought that this was a thunder law guided by a Taoist with his life? The old village chief could no longer threaten me. I struggled to my feet and walked towards Yuan Yi, step by step. The raindrops falling in large drops soaked my body, blurring my vision and making my already cold body even colder. But this was nothing compared to the coldness in my heart, because I could see Yuan Yi was about to die, and I could not stop it. I looked at the old village chief, and for the first time, I felt a deep hatred in my heart. Why? Why do you hate the heavens and the earth, hating everything? It’s not enough to kill a whole village, but also to let them fall into an endless cycle of terror. Then, do you want us to be buried with you one by one? The thunder that Yuan Yi used to guide the people to safety was just to make you afraid? Because I saw him jump into the river with his body still flexible. What was in the river? Can you avoid the thunder in the river? Water conducts electricity, and lightning strikes on water are even more powerful. Although Yuan Yi’s thundercloud only covered an area of one mile, it still covered a small part of the riverbed. The correct choice is definitely not to run into the river. But is this the time to think about this? I continued walking towards Yuan Yi. I didn’t know what I could still salvage. The old village chief had already escaped the thundercloud, but Yuan Yi’s thunder continued to strike the place where the old village chief had disappeared. I counted the number of thunderclaps, and Yuan Yi had actually summoned 27 thunderclaps. Although they were only a small range and not very powerful, they were his limit. When the last thunder clap fell, I finally reached Yuan Yi. Standing in front of me was a pale Yuan Yi with blood pouring from his seven orifices. His eyes were already a little unfocused. On ordinary days, Yuan Yi was a proud person, but he was cleanly dressed, calm and composed, and had a dignified air about him. At this moment, however, he was in a terrible state. We were standing in the rain, and Yuan Yi looked at me, who was also pale and numb from the cold, and asked, “Chen Chengyi, is our Yuan family powerful? How is it compared to your master?” I rolled my throat and whispered, “The Yuan family is very powerful. Our master and apprentice are inferior to them.” Yuan Yi smiled slightly, called out “grandpa,” and then collapsed. Chapter 85: The Great Array There were two knots tied to my body. I had just untied the first knot that was suppressing my soul, but there was still another knot that was locking my yang energy, making my body weak and unable to lift Yuan Yi. Yuan Yi was still breathing, but I didn’t know how serious the situation was. But I couldn’t let Yuan Yi die, I just couldn’t! The raindrops were beating on my body. I dragged Yuan Yi forward, one foot deep, one foot shallow. I didn’t have the strength to carry him, but I couldn’t leave him here either. I was afraid that the old village chief who had sneaked into the river would return at any time. In the rain, I hated myself for being so naughty. I only completed the tasks assigned by my master and didn’t learn anything else. If only I could have spent my free time learning how to tie knots from my master. Master once said that it is important to know how to tie various knots, and that it does not require much effort. It is just that this work is more delicate and requires patience. I just happen to like powerful magic, and I look down on these trivialities. If I can successfully untie the knot today… I looked at Yuan Yi, who had her eyes tightly shut. I hated myself. I didn’t kill Bo Ren, but Bo Ren died because of me. This feeling was too unbearable. The raindrops wet my face and blurred everything in front of me. Yes, it was just rain. I lowered my head and walked, not wanting to admit that there were tears in my eyes. “Can’t you open the knot?” A voice sounded in the distance. It was my master. I looked up, and the tears that had been suppressed suddenly gushed out. This time, my master didn’t play the role of someone who came down from the sky to save me. My master is also a human being, not a god. It’s impossible for him to save me every time when it matters. This time, I was lucky to have Yuan Yi with me. A stone tripped me just in time. What about next time? This time, the tears were not from being excited to see my master, but from my own incompetence. watching my master walking towards me, I suddenly realized that no one in this world can protect you forever. Independence is the key. Sometimes, this independence is not for oneself, but to protect those who need you. One day, I will have to protect my master, right? One day, I will have to serve my parents, right? And one day, I will have to repay Yuan Yi for his kindness. Master was silent, but reached out and untied the knot in my lower back. A warm feeling spread throughout my body, and my yang energy was no longer suppressed. My vitality had finally returned to my body, although I was still cold and weak. I was still silent. Master walked over to pick Yuan Yi up, but I stopped him and said, “I’ll do it.” As I said this, I put Yuan Yi on my back. Although I felt that he was heavy and I could hardly move, I said that I didn’t want to put down the person on my back. Master did not stop me, but just turned around and walked in front of me, as usual, always him walking in front, and me following his back. Only this time, I felt that Master’s back was a bit desolate, and his somewhat low voice came into my ears: “Do you blame me for being late?” “I blame myself.” I replied in a low voice. “Chengyi, you have grown up.” The master paused, but did not turn around. He then said, “Go back and study Taoism well. This time you were right. It is not a mistake to have the heart but not the strength. Next time, you will have the heart and the strength.” Master’s words filled me with encouragement, but I was unable to be happy. I said, “Is there going to be another time? Yuan Yi…” “The thunder never harms people, but only those who can be induced. Otherwise, there are many Taoist thunder spells, and everyone who knows them can induce thunder to complete this powerful spell, right? The root cause of injury is not inducing it when it cannot be induced. Inducing thunder to injure his spiritual awareness, controlling thunder to injure his power, and completely destroying his essence. Fortunately, Yuan Yi has a solid foundation, and this thunder spell did not kill him.” The master said calmly. I don’t understand why Master is so calm. I just said sadly, “What will happen to Yuan Yi?” “One sound of cultivation is completely destroyed, and the soul is injured. If he is taken care of properly, he may wake up one day.” The master is still calm. “Master, why don’t you say something? Yuan Yi…” I finally couldn’t help but speak up. “What? It’s better to do something practical than to say something sad. Yuan Yi shouldn’t have tried to attract the thunder, and the reason he had to pay the price was because he was stubborn. The root cause of his stubbornness was his obsession, and that was also the price. In this world, everything has a cause and effect. However, this time his goal was to protect you, and you have already caused the effect, so you should know what to do, not on your back.” Master said. I was silent, then said, “Master, I understand.” “Well, Yuan Yi has a daughter.” The master said one more sentence and then stopped talking. During the conversation, we had already walked out of the rain and into the village. The sound of the chanting continued, and I found that there was a lot of real sunlight coming into the village. “The great formation is complete, just waiting for him to come.” The master suddenly said. “But Master, Yuan Yi’s thunder magic didn’t seem to hurt the old village chief too much. “The best way to deal with zombies is fire.” 鈥烩€烩€� The villagers’ souls are strong because of the terror and suffering they have endured over the decades, which has made them strong. However, the villagers’ souls are also fragile. Once stripped of their resentment, they are just lonely ghosts wandering here for decades, without a place to rest in peace, without offerings, and suffering all kinds of torment. How could they not be fragile? Therefore, Huijue is performing a ritual to help the souls of the villagers who have passed away. Apart from him and Huigen, we cannot get close to them because the yang energy of the living may disperse the souls of the villagers. I sat on a large stone. According to the master, the entire village was now covered by a large formation, and this time the formation was no small matter. People could only stay in some of the reserved positions in the formation to ensure that they would not be injured. I don’t know what kind of formation it is, but it’s so powerful that even people can be hurt. But the master wouldn’t say. I think at this critical moment, the master doesn’t want anything to go wrong. The old village chief is a magical being after all. Sometimes it seems as if he knows our every move. The chanting of the sutra by Huijue continued, and I didn’t know when it would end. Master said that even a high monk would need a long time to relieve the grievances of an entire village. Time passed slowly, every minute and every second, we were very nervous and depressed, afraid that the old village chief would appear, but time passed very quickly, and in the blink of an eye, it was already mid-month. People had lit a pile of fires in the reserved places in the center of the camp. Each reserved place could only hold five people, and they were very close together. I didn’t see Grandma Ling Qing and Ling Ruyue, nor did I see the two Sun Qiangs. I wasn’t curious this time. I thought the master must have made some arrangements. Master, I, Qinhuai, stayed together. At this time, Qinhuai had already lit a fire and shouted, “Chengyi, come down. Are you going to sit on that rock until you die?” I jumped off the rock, first looked at Yuan Yi, who was still sleeping by the fire, then squatted down next to Qin Huai. Qin Huai threw me a cigarette and said, “Chengyi, your master said that the pill Yuan Yi is holding contains a hundred-year ginseng. Is that true?” “Yes.” The bottle of pills with the hundred-year ginseng was given to me by my master’s uncle. Because it was too precious, my master always carried it with him. There was another reason why the ginseng was used on Yuan Yi. Originally, I was weak and could use ginseng to supplement my health, but after a few times of tossing and turning, I was already too weak to receive the supplement. So I dared not move the pill. “I really don’t understand you. Are you rich or poor? You said that a hundred-year-old ginseng can make ordinary people live a good life…” Qin Huai muttered to himself, just trying to make me feel better, but then he suddenly stopped talking. I looked at him in surprise, but Qin Huai looked at me in horror and said, “Chengyi, my eyelids are twitching badly.” Chapter 86: A Plot As soon as Qinhuai finished speaking, I felt a huge sense of crisis, and my master was already standing on the big rock, looking around with a serious expression. This is not to say that Qin Huai’s spiritual awareness is stronger than mine, but because my thoughts were still sad just now, without Qin Huai’s reminder, I really didn’t notice. It was quiet, people were sleeping in groups, keeping watch, and I couldn’t see anything unusual. I looked at my master, but I didn’t find an answer on his face. Was it just an illusion? After all, relying on spiritual perception to make judgments is not necessarily accurate. The master was also a little confused. He just looked at me and was about to say something, but then he saw someone walking out of the safety zone and heading outside. The master glared at him and shouted, “What are you doing? It’s dangerous to walk blindly like that!” The man looked at Master Jiang with a face of innocence and anxiety, and said, “Master Jiang, I really want to go to the bathroom. I’ve been holding it in for a day. I can’t possibly do it in front of people, can I?” It turned out to be a person with a pressing need to go to the bathroom. He spoke reasonably and there was nothing suspicious about him. I sat down again next to Qinhuai, but I was still on guard and observing. The master thought for a moment and asked, “Where are you going to go to the bathroom? Don’t go too far.” The man said with a look of fear: “Master Jiang, I’ll just go to the bushes to take care of business. I’m scared, so keep an eye on me.” The master nodded, and the man ran out of the bushes with his hands covering his stomach. As he was about to run into the bushes, he suddenly looked back at me. I felt like I had a feeling, and I also stared at him. I suddenly felt that this man’s gaze at me was very resentful. Did I offend him? The doubt was only fleeting, and the next moment a feeling of something wrong filled my heart. Master once said that Taoists used to use the Yin-Seeking Talisman to determine the location of evil spirits, otherwise even the Heavenly Eye could not determine some situations. For example, the upper body, which requires a high level of Heavenly Eye to see, but unfortunately the Yin-Seeking Talisman has long been lost. If we had a search for the Yin Fu, our actions would not have been so passive. Of course, I didn’t have a Yin-searching talisman either, and I could only rely on my own spiritual awareness. But I don’t know where I got the confidence to suddenly stand up and shout to the person who was about to sneak into the grass, “Wait a minute!” You can’t tell by looking at someone, but if you get close enough, Taoists have many ways to tell if someone is possessed. The person really stopped, but didn’t turn around. Everyone, including the master, looked at me in confusion, not knowing what I was going to do. I didn’t bother to explain, but just walked forward, wanting to check the person myself. At this time, I would rather offend people than take risks. Who would dare to relax with that old village chief who was both a ghost and a zombie? Just as I was walking over, the man suddenly turned around and gave me a sinister smile. At this point, Master also realized something was wrong and shouted, “Stop him.” But the man raised his weapon and pointed it at me, pulling the trigger… I was just thinking about stopping him and seeing what was wrong, but I didn’t think that if this soldier was really possessed, then he had a gun in his hand, wouldn’t that be very dangerous? “Damn it, be careful…” I was pushed from behind and fell to the ground. I looked back and saw Qin Huai. The bullet didn’t hit me, but it hit Qin Huai’s arm. I realized that I had really been a jinx lately, not only bringing bad luck to myself, but also to others. At the order of the master, people moved to stop the soldier, but the man had a look of recklessness on his face, raised his gun and fired wildly. After all, people have concerns. This person is still standing in front of them, a former comrade-in-arms, and it is impossible to shoot at him. But he is no longer himself, and he has no scruples about shooting at people. As the commander of the operation, Master could not stand by and watch this happen. He had no choice but to give the painful order: “Shoot.” The old village chief had possessed him, and the possibility of his soul returning to his body was very small. Huijue was presiding over the great array of salvation, and if his soul had not been possessed by the old village chief, it would have been very likely that it would have been subconsciously attracted to the great array of salvation. In short, the person standing in front of him could be said to be a walking corpse controlled by others. Master’s order seemed very ruthless, because possession is not irreversible, but in fact it was the most realistic, because the evil spirit possessing him was the old village chief. Facing Master’s order, all they could do was to exchange glances of anger and silence. Those people were the old man’s good friends, and they obviously could not accept Master’s order. Is this the time to explain? The master said again, “Don’t forget that you are soldiers. Shoot!” Finally, someone pulled the trigger, but the person reacted even faster, dropped the weapon in his hand, turned around and ran. The movement was incredibly fast, and the direction was the ancestral hall where Huijue was being transferred. Seeing this, the master did not hesitate to chase after him. I glanced at Qin Huai, who understood me and immediately said, “I’m fine.” I also turned and chased after him, and several soldiers followed. These soldiers were all good at their jobs. During the chase, they didn’t forget to shoot while chasing, no matter what, they first forced the old village chief out of the body of that soldier. But I didn’t expect that the soldier seemed to be fearless of bullets. He just looked back at us, and the next moment, I saw him take a purple object out of his pocket and put it in his mouth, then swallow it without hesitation. What was that purple thing? In the darkness of the night, my eyesight was not good enough to see what he was holding, but the purple thing actually emitted a faint glow, making it difficult to not see it. After swallowing the purple thing, the soldier actually slowed down and walked towards us. A strange thing happened. The bullet hit him, clearly hitting a vital spot, but he still didn’t fall and rushed towards us. Master was running behind me and didn’t see the warrior devour the purple plant, but when he saw this, Master’s face changed and he yelled, “Oh no, we’ve been tricked. Chengyi, you go back first. If anything goes wrong, you activate the formation for me. This is the key to the formation. This monster is too much for them. I need to help deal with it.” After that, my master took out a thing from the yellow cloth bag he was carrying and gave it to me. When I looked at it, it was a flag. This was just the largest of a set of flags, the flag of the eye of the formation. The other eight flags of the formation must have been set up by my master. As long as this flag was inserted and the incantation was recited, the formation could be activated. “Master, what about the incantation?” I asked hurriedly. At this moment, the monster had already rushed to a warrior and opened its mouth to bite him. Master threw a booklet at me and shouted, “Don’t let it bite you. Retreat quickly and smash its head or its spine.” I had no intention of staying here, so I turned around and ran back. According to the rules, the spell that is passed on from mouth to mouth cannot be written down in a booklet. My master must have anticipated the accident and recorded the spell in advance, so this matter must not be delayed. I don’t want to think about the reason. Others don’t know, but I know that the center of the great formation is behind the big rock where I was sitting. A few minutes later, I finally ran back to the original place, but found that everyone was crouching there in a panic, including Qin Huai, who was also pale. I walked up to Qinhuai and asked, “Qinhuai, Qinhuai, are you okay? What happened?” Qinhuai looked at me and said, “He came out of the ground. He was hiding in the ground.” “Who?” I didn’t understand what Qinhuai meant for a moment. “A black monster. A man came out of the ground and killed him.” Qin Huai was trembling. My heart sank. I knew who Qin Huai had seen. He had seen the old village chief. I forced myself to calm down and looked around. Sure enough, a disemboweled corpse was not far away. I went over and saw that the man’s eyes were still open, and his face was frozen in a look of horror. When I went to help him close his eyes, I felt that his body was still warm. I understood what the master meant. The soul had left the body, the upper body had been drawn away, and the corpse in the soil had taken the opportunity to come out. What was the old village chief trying to do? How did the master find out? But now is not the time to think about this. I took the flag and walked straight to the back of the big rock. I was going to activate the formation! I can’t describe the anger in my heart anymore. That’s it. We’ve already lost two people on this side. Chapter 87: Master and apprentice fight desperately People didn’t know what I was going to do with the flag, but since my master was gone, they took me for the leader. Someone told me that the old village chief had run in the direction of the ancestral hall. I knew that his goal must be Huijue and his apprentice. He wanted to stop people from destroying the world of resentment. There was no doubt that he would kill Huijue and his apprentice. This would make things much easier. Who could perform the exorcism better than a high monk? I looked anxiously at the ancestral hall and then patted Qin Huai’s shoulder. With our tacit understanding, he should have understood that I was comforting him without words. Then, I stood in front of the center of the formation and without hesitation, I planted the flag. When the flag was planted in the ground, the sky suddenly became overcast and a strong wind suddenly blew. However, unlike the other winds, this wind was so refreshing that it seemed to blow away the gloom that had enveloped the village. I took out the booklet in my arms, which recorded the incantation. Because the incantation could not be interrupted, and there were also rules for pausing at key words and phrases, I could not read it out loud. I could only memorize it and then start the incantation. The spell is not long, only about 300 words. I have a good memory, and under the pressure, I quickly memorized the spell. After confirming that it was correct, I put the booklet back in my bosom and began to recite the spell. This is in line with the formation. What exactly is it? The master didn’t tell me before, but looking at the sky, I knew that this formation should be the Thunder and Fire Formation. Taoism is not as magical as people think. Things like making fire out of thin air are pure nonsense. The so-called Thunder and Fire Array, thunder is needed to create fire, thunder-born fire is heavenly fire! Of course, this is just Taoist theory. Because with the help of the formation, the electromagnetic field of thunder is gathered, it is much easier for me to recite the incantation and concentrate, and the communication with the thunder is much smoother. Unlike Yuan Yi, he was summoning thunder, while I was only guiding it to fall within the formation. I closed my eyes and chanted the incantation. I couldn’t see what was going on outside, and I didn’t have time to think about anything else, but I could feel the wind blowing in my face and smell the moisture in the air. This was the real smell of life. It was long overdue for a thunderstorm to completely destroy this small village, which was filled with decay. The chanting of the 300-odd-word incantation was full of ups and downs. When I finished chanting, I opened my eyes and saw that my master had returned, with bloodstains on his body. At this time, even though it was night, I could feel the gloom and the violence contained in the sky! “Except for these few reserved loopholes, the ancestral hall is safe. After all, we can’t interrupt the transcendence of wisdom. I’m going over there.” Master said very simply. “Am I going to preside over the formation?” I asked. In fact, I had never presided over a formation before and didn’t know how to preside over it. “This formation is self-initiating, so there is no need to preside over it. It’s just that the formation is so large that it takes a certain amount of time to build up momentum. There is nothing for you to do, so just rest. Whether you live or die is all in your fate. I’m going.” After saying this, the master turned and left. At this time, I heard the chanting of Huijue stop, and it was replaced by the voice of Huigen. A bad feeling took root in my heart and would not go away. I said to a soldier, “Help Qinhuai take out the bullets and help him treat the wound. I’m going once.” Qinhuai looked at me worriedly, but in the end, he didn’t say anything. I turned around and trotted after my master, who looked at me and didn’t say anything. Then, the Master started running quickly, and I followed him. We were both worried about Huijue. I didn’t ask my master how the soldier was doing, or if the ghost of the old village chief had been captured. My master and I ran in silence. The ancestral hall, which was not too far away, was less than 10 minutes away. The villagers’ souls had already disappeared. You have to know that the village’s difficulty in being liberated is the resentment that envelops the entire village, not the souls. It was also the first time I saw the true face of this ancestral hall. It was so miserable. There were dark red bloodstains on the walls and dry bones all over the ground. It was impossible to tell who was who. Perhaps because of the purification of the monk’s chanting, all of this did not seem miserable, but just sad. I didn’t hear the master speak, but I could feel his anger. I looked up and saw the old man Hui, who loved eggs, standing at the entrance to the ancestral hall. His mouth was covered in blood, and there was a large dark red stain on his chest. He was holding a Zen staff and guarding the entrance. was the black figure of the old village chief. Through the figure of Huijue, I saw Hui Gen sitting in front of the altar, with tears streaming down his little face, but his voice was still steady as he recited the scriptures, full of compassion for the world. The old village chief seemed to be afraid of something, and did not approach. It seemed as if he was bound. I don’t really understand the Buddhist methods, but I could see that Master Hui had a sense of exhaustion. “Why didn’t you call Ling Qing and Sun Kui to help? They are nearby. You and I knew he would come here, but you…” The master’s voice was deliberately calm, but I noticed that he was trembling with every word he said. “The salvation is not yet complete. It takes time to activate the great formation. He came too early. This is something you and I did not calculate. I can only delay him because Ling Qing and Sun Kui will make their move at the critical moment. It will take a little while longer, and the salvation will be completed and the great formation will be completed. I can’t hold it for long. It’s your turn, Li Chun.” While speaking, Master Hui seemed very tired and tired. He slowly sat down with his Zen stick, and then spat out a mouthful of blood. The master closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then said, “I haven’t allowed you to die yet. You and I have been fighting for decades, and there is still no result. Until there is a result, you are not allowed to die.” Then, the master took out the whisk from the yellow cloth bag on his back! Dead? Is Master Hui that seriously ill? My eyes suddenly filled with tears. Master took out the whisk, which meant that he was going to fight to the death. Others might think that Master’s most powerful skill was Taoism or something. Think about it, how majestic it was to summon thunder. But I knew that my master’s most powerful skill was his whisk鈥攖he 36 styles of the whisk! This whisk is the magic weapon that Old Li loves. The handle of the whisk is made of peach wood, which is said to be a thousand-year-old peach wood. It is made with a secret method, which makes it extremely hard but also very flexible. In the ordinary whiskers, there are 36 iron chains carved by Lao Li himself. The edges of the chains are all extremely sharp. Such a whisker can be used to kill people, and it is even more effective for exorcising demons and ghosts. Because the formations carved on it are extremely exquisite, the power can be transmitted well to the whisker, and the formations will also be activated by the power. According to my master, all the formations on it are to restrain the yin energy, and they are full of evil spirits. Master often says that this whisk is against the will of heaven and is too sharp. Moreover, the formations on it should not belong to the human world, so he would not use it easily. Once he does, it is time to fight desperately. Although I was already a little Taoist priest at the time, that doesn’t mean that Taoist priests are superstitious. I sneered at the idea that something that doesn’t belong on earth belongs to the gods. But now, I have a vague sense of awe for heaven and earth, and I also think that this world is very magical. I believe that this whisk is very powerful. The master is going to die, and as his disciple, I will follow suit. I have decided to use my magic. Master Hui sat down and fumbled in his bosom to produce an egg. Before he could even break the shell, he coughed up a mouthful of blood. At this point, the old village chief moved, and he pounced on Master Hui, roaring furiously. Grandpa Hui didn’t even look at him, but continued to peel the egg shell with trembling hands. At the same time, my master also moved. With the whisk, Old Li created 36 styles of whisking, which were said to be adapted from a set of whip techniques. When my master made his move, it was extremely powerful move, he fiercely whipped the old village chief, and the whisk, which was alive, made the old village chief take a step back. Where the whisk passed over the old village chief, it even emitted bursts of blue smoke. I also no longer hesitated. With my master by my side, I felt at ease. I closed my eyes, clenched my hands, and began to perform the art of exorcism. There are evil spirits among the ghosts, and they have great magical powers, but there are even more powerful ones, and that is the ghostly immortal! This time, I want to invite the ghost to possess my body. After all, I am extremely weak and lack yang energy, which is just right for the ghost to possess my body smoothly. This time, the master did not stop me! Chapter 88: The Corpse Chaser Sun Kui I had already practiced the art of exorcism once, so this time it went much more smoothly. This time, I was already crazy, and all the spirits I communicated with were of the first level. The appearance of Master Hui made me feel indescribable pain in my heart. Master is the same as me! Otherwise, he wouldn’t have used the 36-style whisk that is said to be harmful to the heavens and earth. When I opened my eyes, a powerful force filled my soul. This force was still extremely cold, and unlike the previous violent rage, this time I felt a kind of killing that would destroy everything in my heart. This is the inadequacy of the lower Tao technique. You can only tell which is stronger, but you cannot tell the character of the ghost you are inviting. Therefore, the only way to invite a ghost is to use the lower Tao technique. After all, even if a ghost is cultivated into a ghost immortal, it is still a ghost. Perhaps it is only because it is strong that it has survived the tribulations, but that does not mean that it is not contaminated by karma and has not committed evil deeds. Moreover, the harm to the body from the lower level is the greatest. It is not like the middle level or the upper level, which bring positive energy. At the same time, I saw the master and the old village chief fighting very hard. The master was in a terrible state, his clothes were torn, and his face was a strange reddish color. This was a sign of overdraft. After all, the master is not the grandmaster. Perhaps if the grandmaster had used the whisk, he would have defeated the old village chief, because the grandmaster’s power is unfathomable. But the good thing is that Master was not injured, but the old village chief had a lot of traces of smoke on his body. However, fighting with the old village chief could not be injured. First, because almost all the people who were attacked by the old village chief died. Second, I remembered what Master said, don’t let him bite, the consequences of biting should be very serious! Seeing my master in this state, I didn’t care anymore. In the face of a zombie, all the hand movements for harming the soul were of little use. I started with the Five Thunder Curses, just like Yuan Yi. The thunder I summoned was heavenly thunder. Since I was going to die, I didn’t want to leave any loose ends. The strange thing is that this time, the movement of the thunder formula was not as difficult as the last time, and it was not smooth. On the contrary, my hand movements were extremely smooth, and I had already established communication with the thunder. I could feel the violent thunder in the air, ready to be unleashed. Seeing me practicing the Five Thunder Curses, Master Hui suddenly said, “Chengyi, stop. Hui Gen’s salvation is almost complete. You must restrain yourself for five minutes and practice the Thunder Curses with your master.” My master also saw me move the thunder formula, roared, swept the old village head’s lower body with a whisk, tripped the old village head, and then roared, “Ling Qing, Sun Kui, move!” At this time, the sky was covered with dark clouds, and the wind was blowing so hard that it had already started to whistle. The heavy rain was almost palpable, and the great formation was almost complete. I don’t know why I had to delay for five minutes. I stopped pinching my fingers, but my power was forced back, and I coughed up a mouthful of blood. My master didn’t have time to explain this to me, but grabbed me and said, “Go outside.” I suppressed the cold murderous intent in my heart, the desire to destroy and destroy again, it was very difficult, and I let my master drag me out of the ancestral hall. Master knew that I was having a hard time suppressing the things that had come over me, but he didn’t argue with me. After all, it was best to complete the Taoist ritual quickly. The longer it was delayed, the more dangerous it was. But at this moment, everyone was risking their lives. What did that matter? Yes, every cultivator must have a clear line between right and wrong in their hearts. There are some things that cannot be done, and some things that must be done! When the master pulled me out, the old village chief rushed to Huijue without any hesitation. After all, the old village chief’s ultimate goal was to destroy the master and disciple and prevent the world from being destroyed by the resentment. I was very worried, but at this time, a red shadow quickly flew towards the old village chief, then lay on the back of the old village chief’s head and bit him hard! Before I could see clearly, I was already being pulled by Master out of the ancestral hall and stood ten meters away from it. As soon as I stood up, I saw that the old village chief was covered in red bugs and couldn’t move at all. What are those red bugs? Have Ling Qing and Ru Yue finally made their move? I’m not very good at identifying bugs, but I can vaguely see that the red bugs look like scorpions, but they’re not exactly scorpions. When did scorpions get wings? Ling Qing’s grandmother appeared in the courtyard of the ancestral hall, holding a strange musical instrument in her hand and trying to play it. It looked like she was having a hard time, and next to her stood Ling Ruyue, who was also playing a strange musical instrument in her hand. It looked even harder, because I saw that the girl’s whole body was shaking. At this moment, a flash of lightning streaked across the sky, and my master suddenly said to me, “Chengyi, if we die this time, are you afraid?” “I’m afraid, but if we don’t fight, we’ll die.” I said loudly, but when I said this, I was very hard, because I was trying to suppress the ghost in my body. I wanted to pinch the thunder spell and chop it at the old village chief. “This is the most powerful place in the entire formation, do you know? Our plan is to imprison the old village chief here and then destroy him. But… the old village chief is stronger than I expected because… anyway, the thunder I summoned alone was not enough to bring about the heavenly fire, and you are needed.” My master seemed to have a lot of reservations about what he was saying, but I understood the meaning of his words very well, because the formation has no eyes, and hurting the old village chief will also hurt us. “Master, I still have so much to do. I won’t die,” I said loudly, because the wind was so loud that I had to shout so loudly. But it felt very refreshing to speak so loudly, and my words also had a little more confidence. “Yes, I also have important things to do. We won’t die.” Master also said loudly. “It doesn’t matter if we die, Master. You will be my master in your next life.” I suddenly felt a surge of pride. I was wavering between life and death. Master must have experienced this many times. What harm is there in me experiencing it once? At least, this time, I am no longer the child hiding behind Master. “I said, we won’t die.” Master’s voice calmed down. More and more lightning flashed across the sky, illuminating Master’s face. I found that there was a very firm belief in Master’s eyes. I didn’t know which of my words gave Master such a firm belief. While we were talking, the old village chief had been completely suppressed by the bugs in the courtyard and could not move at all. I hadn’t seen Sun Qiang for two days, but he was in the courtyard. I saw him using a colorful rope to tie the old village chief’s neck, limbs… The bugs kept falling and dying, but new ones kept pouncing on them. I saw Ling Qing and Ru Yue both trembling. I don’t know about the art of bewitching, but I know that it must be very difficult to control so many bugs. After Sun Qiang finished binding the old village chief, he pushed him away. I saw him go out and give a box of things to his grandfather, who was waiting nearby. But the old man pushed the box away. Perhaps because he was pushing too hard, the box fell to the ground. I saw a red splash on the ground. The box contained cinnabar. I knew that they were both corpse carriers, but I didn’t know what they were going to do. But why did Sun Qiang’s grandfather refuse to take the cinnabar that Sun Qiang handed him? I couldn’t think too much. Then, in the light of the ancestral hall, I saw Sun Qiang’s grandfather take out a tool that looked like an awl and stab it into his chest. What was he doing? I suppressed the ghost spirit very hard, so I dared not call out, but I heard the master shout beside me, “Sun Kui, what are you doing? Using your own soul to force the zombie to move, you will die!” I also heard Sun Qiang shout, “Grandpa!” In the midst of his shout, he actually rushed to take the awl from the old man’s hand. I learned for the first time that the old man was called Sun Kui. At this point, he shouted, “A person’s death can be as heavy as Mount Tai or as light as a feather. Lao Jiang, Qiangzi, don’t stop me. I’ve been a corpse-runner for many years, and I’ve already been infected by the corpse’s aura. The hospital report came out, and I’ve already been diagnosed with a terminal illness. I don’t have many days left. This time, let me do something heroic. For many years, people have not been willing to see corpse-runners, but they don’t know that we are also very powerful. Hahaha…” This is another first time. I heard the old man Sun Kui say so many words, but his words shocked me so much. I saw Sun Qiang slump down in a despondent manner, holding his head, perhaps crying in pain. But it’s not strange that he’s not strong, because I also want to cry. The master looked at this scene and didn’t know what to think. He suddenly said to me, “Chengyi, you’ve grown up. You were running faster than the master just now.” I didn’t know what the master meant by this, so I subconsciously said, “Master, that’s because you didn’t use your light skills. It’s nighttime…” I wanted to say that it was not a good night to use light power, but my master interrupted me. He said, “Sun Kui is afraid to leave this time. The older generation of us will always leave, and the younger generation of you will always grow up.” Suddenly, Master shouted, “Old Sun, I will personally perform a ritual for you.” “Good, remember to find me a good family in my next life!” Sun Kui replied quickly. In an instant, my tears flowed out! Chapter 89: Thunder I don’t understand why Master didn’t stop Sun Kui. Was it because he had a terminal illness? Many years later, I realized that the most precious thing in a friendship between men is not the so-called loyalty, the so-called passion of you being first and me being second, but a respect, a respect from the bottom of your heart for your friend. Master had such respect for Sun Kui. He knew that Sun Kui’s wish was to record a merit for the corpse-carrying people at the end of his life. After all, this was a national operation, so Master chose to respect it. Yes, rather than letting Sun Kui wait for death in the hospital, it is better to let him choose a way to live his final days without regrets. If it weren’t for the depth of their friendship, they would never have understood this kind of respect. Lightning was getting more and more intense in the sky above the small village. Sun Kui quickly stabbed himself seven times in seven different places. Under the light of the lightning, his movements were even a little heroic. The bugs fell one by one and died. No new bugs flew over, but the old village chief still stood still. I don’t understand the mystery of this magic, but I believe that Grandma Lingqing and Ruyue must have given Sun Kui enough time. Grandma Lingqing came to us with Ru Yue’s help, and Sun Kui I saw him dip his finger in his own blood and write and draw on the old village chief, I don’t know what he was doing. Grandma Lingqing walked over to where my master and I were standing, then sat down next to us. She said, “Li Chun, I’m tired. I’ll rest for a while.” I looked back and saw Ling Ruyue. Her face was very pale. I guess the action just now also exhausted her too much, but I noticed that the little girl’s face was full of tears. She looked at me and said, “Third brother, Grandpa Sun Kui is really pitiful.” I wiped away the tears on my face and replied, “He won’t die in vain.” My master, I couldn’t tell if he was sad or not. I only heard him whisper, “Sun Kui is not pitiful. I know he was very content. Everyone, watch quietly. It’s Sun Kui’s time now.” Why is he satisfied? Is he satisfied with dying? At that time, I obviously couldn’t understand, and Ling Ruyue didn’t understand either. Grandma Ling Qing hammered her arm and suddenly said, “I’ve known him for more than 30 years. I was introduced to him by Li Chun. I’ve never seen him so full of pride and ambition. He must be really satisfied.” “Yes, I guess Huijue thinks so too,” the master said. I looked at Ling Ruyue and we couldn’t tell if the older generation was sad or calm. But from their words, I could tell that they had been comrades-in-arms for almost half their lives, so why were they so calm about the departure of a comrade-in-arms? At this time, Sun Kui had already finished drawing the talismans on the old village chief. Then he took out a bell and walked up to Sun Qiang and said something. Then I saw Sun Qiang walking towards us. When he got to me, I put my arms around him and said, “Xiaoqiang, from now on I’ll be your real brother.” Sun Qiang’s tears wouldn’t stop, and he just nodded in silence. I noticed that his knuckles were turning white. In fact, this kid is already very strong. If I had to watch a loved one die like this, I would go crazy. Even if my loved one could only live for another day, I couldn’t watch him die like this. It’s not that Sun Qiang is insensitive, but because I am so sentimental that it has almost become a fixation that haunts me for life. The sound of Hui Gen reciting the sutra continued, but the sky cleared up before our eyes. I don’t know how to describe this feeling, but it was a feeling of clarity in my heart. But then, Hui Gen’s compassionate chanting suddenly disappeared, replaced by a commanding and oppressive voice. I saw the surrounding vegetation begin to wither in large patches, and countless black vapors exploded and then disappeared in the sky. This scene only lasted a moment. When I looked again, the entire village had changed. It had finally become the desolate look of a village that had been abandoned for decades. The crops in the fields were gone, the houses that looked so well were gone, all that could be seen were broken walls and the desolate overgrown grass… The old village chief’s resentment has been exhausted, and the illusions caused by resentment can no longer deceive people’s eyes. This is the true appearance of the village. The chanting of the young monk stopped, and the majestic voice disappeared. I could only hear a young voice, crying out anxiously, “Master!” This cry of “Master” made my heart sink. Could it be that something had happened to Master Hui? I almost couldn’t hold myself back from rushing out. There was no doubt that I had deep feelings for Master Hui. But the next moment I heard a weak voice say, “Huigen, don’t be naughty. Let’s watch Grandpa Sun perform.” Fortunately, Master Hui was still alive! I was slightly relieved! Maybe the resentment of the world being broken, the old village chief, who had already been subdued, suddenly let out a loud roar that shook the heavens. At the same time, the biggest lightning bolt in the sky flashed, lighting up everything in front of him. The old village chief went mad, and we were all saddened! “Sun Kui, hurry, the insect poison can’t hold him back.” Grandma Lingqing shouted in a panic. Insect poison? Can insect poison suppress a vampire? I couldn’t believe it. The art of witchcraft is truly amazing! Sun Kui only looked at my master and said loudly, “Lao Jiang, is it ready? Let’s try it again!” Master looked up at the sky and said, “Come on, you just bring it in, I’ll catch it!” Sun Qiang, who was standing next to me, was crying so hard that he could hardly breathe. I looked at Sun Kui and suddenly felt that this old man had a deep affection for my master. At this moment, he was only looking at my master and shouting. I didn’t know the past between them, but I felt that I longed for their friendship. Without paying attention to anything, Sun Kui began to chant strange words, then shook the bell in his hand and began to move his feet. I saw a scene that I will remember for the rest of my life. The arrogant old village chief actually followed Sun Kui’s pace and began to move his feet. I could see that the old village chief was struggling, but Sun Kui, who was walking in front of him, was so majestic and irresistible. The bell rang loudly and the voice was resolute. He just took one step after another, and the old village chief could only follow him. The corpse-chaser, so heroic! The corpse-chaser, so dashing! I could hear Sun Qiang sobbing, and I could see Sun Kui’s chanting, as if he were laughing with the heavens and the earth. I saw my master suddenly wipe his eyes and say to me, “Chengyi, prepare the thunder method.” and then said to Grandma Ling Qing, “Next, I’ll leave it to you.” Grandma Ling Qing nodded, and with a flick of her hand, I didn’t have time to see clearly, and I saw a large scorpion in a fiery red color lying on her hand: “Zombies are the most evil things, and this little guy has enough yang poison for him to suffer!” The master nodded, then looked ahead. Sun Kui was less than three meters away from us. The master and I began to chant at the same time. As we chanted, the first bolt of lightning finally fell from the sky, crashing into the deserted and desolate village with a loud bang, and then a magical fire shot up into the sky. I have suppressed too much sadness. This time I decided to summon 72 bolts of lightning to kill you, you monster controlled by resentment. Thanks to the help of the great formation, my thunder-control movements were exceptionally smooth. I was only worried about controlling the thunder later, and whether my power could support it. But what was there to be afraid of? I used the technique of the lower world, and the ghosts and immortals helped me. I didn’t realize that my body had already turned cold. The wind, which was moist, blew over my body and left a thin layer of frost on the surface of my skin. I was afraid that my body could not hold my soul. But, human destiny is always unpredictable, and that is what makes life so full of fun. Whether it is danger or sadness, at the end of the day, it is always the most precious treasure. I was only concerned with activating the thunder formula! The thunder between heaven and earth kept falling. I heard Sun Kui say to the master, “Lao Jiang, I’m tired. I’ll rest here for a while and see you take him.” I didn’t hear the master’s response because he was doing the same as me, pinching the thunder formula, and couldn’t possibly respond to Sun Kui. When I finished the thunder formula and opened my eyes, I saw the old village chief standing less than two meters away from me. A large scorpion in fiery red was stuck to his terrifying face. It was Grandma Ling Qing who had fixed him there! At this moment, the master, who had finished the thunder spell before me, had already controlled the first bolt of thunder to fall. Chapter 90 The End? As the first bolt of lightning fell, something strange happened. The lightning struck the old village chief, causing a small piece of lightning to burst into flames. It burned for a while before going out. The old village chief let out a painful scream and tried to struggle, but he couldn’t move. This is the effect of the Thunder and Fire Array, turning thunder into heavenly fire! The second bolt of lightning fell on the old village chief, also setting off a small piece of thunder fire. Then, the first bolt of lightning summoned by me also fell. I felt as if something had been sucked out of my body, but it was replenished in an instant. I knew that a powerful ghost was supporting me, so I had no qualms about following my master and letting the thunder and lightning fall without hesitation. Watching the old village chief scream in agony from the thunder and lightning, I felt a sense of satisfaction in my heart. Of course, this was partly because of the ghostly immortal who possessed me, and partly because I had suppressed too much sadness. Everyone was silent, and all that could be heard was the thunder. I also understood why my master had been so stubborn about bringing the old village chief here. Because most of the lightning from the formation in the sky had fallen here, and many of them had hit the old village chief, causing even more powerful thunder and fire. Because it was too dangerous here, the rest of the people had already entered the ancestral hall to avoid it under the leadership of Grandma Lingqing. Only Old Sun was still sitting there with a pipe in his hand, with a hopeful smile on his face, but his eyes were already closed. He has already gone! I was controlling the thunder while crying, my heart was filled with indescribable sadness. Is this how it ends? Because now my master and I are controlling the lightning, so the lightning won’t hit us, but the body of Old Sun is inevitably exposed to the lightning. But the strange thing is that under such a dense lightning, Old Sun’s body is still safe and sound. Is it a blessing from heaven? No, heaven doesn’t care about such trivial matters. I saw Master controlling the thunder with great difficulty. In fact, he should be easier than me. He was only protecting the corpse of Old Sun. At this moment, the big red scorpion had fallen to the ground, and the old village chief had regained his freedom of movement. But how could we let him go? A bolt of lightning fell, like a net, surrounding the old village chief. Inside, the fire was raging, and we could see the old village chief’s body burning with fire from time to time, then mysteriously going out. I was shocked, but I discovered a fact: the old village chief kept stuffing a purple plant into his mouth. The plant emitted a faint glow, and it was the same one I saw not long ago… I knew he wanted to rush out and deal a fatal blow to me and Master, who were already defenseless as they were controlling the thunder. But with such a dense thunder and fire, how could he get what he wanted! Seventy-two bolts of lightning may sound like a lot, but they are actually released very quickly. Seeing that there were still nine bolts of lightning left, my heart was a little panicked. Because of the dense thunder and lightning around me and my master, a huge fire had already started. How could my master and I get out? I suddenly remembered what my master had said to me: Are you afraid of death? It turns out that this place is really so dangerous! “Chengyi, control the nine thunderbolts to fall together. We’ll give him a hard time, and then we’ll rush out.” Master suddenly shouted! Yes, I saw that the old village chief still had the strength to struggle, and I also saw that he had stuffed a purple, spherical object into his mouth. There was a sign of breakthrough against the thousands of thunderbolts. What was that purple, spherical object? So, Master’s judgment was correct. We had to be ruthless! I concentrated hard, controlling the nine thunderbolts to fall at the same time. Then the remaining seven thunderbolts fell, as if the heavens were not satisfied with the momentum. Then three thick thunderbolts also hit the old village chief at the same time! Boom! It was like a bomb exploding in midair. The sky and earth suddenly roared, and my master and I were both thrown out. I fell next to a ball of fire, and the heat from the flames suddenly woke me up from my daze. I don’t know if I was lucky, but I was actually thrown out of the area with the most concentrated thunder and lightning, and my master was right next to me. I was just relieved when I saw my master holding three purple talismans and resolutely rushing back. I shouted out “Master” and stood up, but at this time, due to the seventy-two heavenly thunderbolts, my strength had almost been exhausted, and the spirit that had possessed my body suddenly left. I felt my body go limp. It was the weakness of both body and soul. I fell to the ground, but I heard my master shout, “It’s not over yet. I still have to bring Sun Kui out.” My eyes went black for a moment, but I stared at the figure of my master and refused to close my eyes. I saw a fireman rushing out of the fire. Was that the old village chief? Still not dead? I also saw Master holding three talismans and rushing forward. I gritted my teeth and tried hard not to faint, but I felt two hands holding me back. It was Grandma Ling Qing and Ru Yue. They forcibly pulled me back. I heard the Master chanting quickly and then placing the three talismans on the ground. At that time, the fire man had already rushed to my Master’s front. I was not close enough to feel the fire man’s anger, but I could still feel it. Then, I saw the originally scattered fireballs suddenly rise up into the sky, almost burning towards us at a speed that was impossible to capture with the naked eye, and suddenly engulfing the figures of my master and the fireman. I was in great pain, and I called out to my master. My eyes went dark, and I fainted. I don’t know how long it was, it seemed like only a moment, and in my daze I seemed to see the scene of my master being burned to death. He was struggling so helplessly, and there was no one around! My heart felt as if it had been struck by a heavy hammer, and I woke up in an instant. I saw Ling Ruyue’s concerned gaze, and I didn’t care about that. I just shouted, “Master, Master…” Ling Ruyue stepped aside, and all I could see was a rain curtain that stretched as far as the eye could see. The air was filled with billowing smoke, and some of the unquenched thunder and fire were also gradually extinguished under the rain. I also saw a figure, very disheveled, with faltering steps, carrying someone on his back. It was my master! My tears gushed out, and I couldn’t help but ask Ling Ruyue in a trembling voice, “Ruyue, how long have I been unconscious?” “Less than two minutes. You only fainted for half a minute. The rain started falling right after that. Poor me and Grandma had to stand here with you in the rain. How could you still have so much strength after fainting? You were dead set on not leaving, and we couldn’t drag you away.” Ling Ruyue seemed to be blaming me, but her tone was relaxed after all. This thrilling battle was over, finally over. Such a relaxed feeling is something that everyone feels from the bottom of their hearts. The master came to me, still stubbornly carrying Sun Kui’s body. His face and body were completely black, the marks of the fire. He said, “The three chapters of the talisman are fire talismans. The fire is the most powerful. The fire was burning towards the old village chief, not towards me. I avoided it. The rain also fell in time, otherwise me and Old Sun would not have come out.” Thunder and fire spells are bound to bring rain, and this is the same principle as Yuan Yi’s summoning of thunder. It just happened to fall at the right time, which was unexpected. But, oh, God! When will it let people see through it? A wave of weakness hit me. These past few days have been like walking on the edge of life and death for me. I’m very tired, really tired. I want to sleep, but I can’t. I’m worried about someone鈥擧uizhuo. The master refused to put down the body of Old Sun, and just carried him straight ahead. I was being supported by two women, Ling Qing and Ling Ruyue, and I was a bit embarrassed, but I really couldn’t move. The master walked into the ancestral hall, laid down the corpse of Old Sun, patted him on the shoulder, then squatted in front of him and lit a pipe of tobacco. Sun Qiang suddenly rushed over, embraced Old Sun, and cried bitterly, calling out “grandpa.” No one tried to pull Sun Qiang away. If he was sad, then he should be sad. Old Sun had already gone, and this sadness could be vented to his heart’s content. This is different from Yuan Yi. He is still alive, and I still have to repay the debt of my sins. A weak voice interrupted, it was Huijue, he said: “Hui Gen, help me to the side of Old Sun.” Huigen nodded obediently and helped Huijue walk over to the old man. Huijue looked at the old man, who was still holding a half-bloodied egg in his hand, and said, “You and that bastard Jiang Lichun are in cahoots. You smoke dry tobacco, and I eat eggs. You haven’t finished your bag of dry tobacco, and I haven’t finished my egg. I think I’ll come down and keep you company.” The master suddenly turned his head angrily and said, “Old Sun is at peace with his death, but are you? I said, you are not allowed to die!” Chapter 91: Calming Facing my master’s insistence, Huijue could only smile wryly, while Grandma Lingqing took Huijue’s hand and directly took his pulse. After a long while, she said to my master, “The internal organs are ruptured and there is internal bleeding. Fortunately, his high level of skill has allowed him to hold on until now. However, the coagulated blood has formed an obstruction in his body…” Before Ling Qing could finish her sentence, my master waved his hand and shouted, “I don’t care what he is. What if I use the technique to change his fate?” After that, my master glanced at Sun Qiang again. He was concerned about the boy’s feelings, so he knelt down and said, “Qiangzi, it’s not that I don’t want to perform this technique for your grandfather, or that I don’t want to stop your grandfather. You and your grandfather have lived together for so many years, and you should know that your grandfather’s greatest wish is for people to stop despising the profession of the corpse-carrier one day, and to see them as dirty as they see things. Your grandfather…” Sun Qiang wiped away his tears and said to my master, “Master Jiang, I know that my grandfather had already said a few words to me before he died. Master Jiang, I am very grateful that you risked your life to bring my grandfather’s body out.” Sun Qiang did not say what the old Sun head had said to him at the end, and no one pursued it. Perhaps in his heart, it was the most precious memory and did not need to be shared with others. He must have understood that if my master was willing to risk his life to bring out his grandfather’s body, how could he not be willing to perform the art of changing fate for his grandfather? This is just a simple truth. Master comforted Sun Qiang a little more, then fell silent. It was not true that my master was not saddened by the death of his old comrade, but it was a pity that at his level of experience, some things were no longer superficial. Seeing that my master was silent, Huijue suddenly said, “What about changing fate against the heavens? I don’t accept it. I’m a member of the Buddhist community, and I’ve long since seen through life and death.” When Hui Gen heard his master say this, he immediately looked at Hui Jue with tears in his eyes. But my master didn’t say much, and he held Hui Jue’s hand and wrote something on it. Hui Jue’s whole body trembled, and suddenly he sighed and said, “Amitabha.” It seemed that Huijue was going to accept it. What were the words that made Huijue, a Buddhist, have such a strong attachment? I was very curious, but I didn’t ask more in this kind of sad atmosphere. It was Grandma Ling Qing who suddenly took out a bamboo tube from the jumbled bamboo tubes hanging from her waist, then took out a soft worm from it and handed it to Huijue, and said, “What kind of magic is this that can change fate? It’s not time yet. After this is over, come with me to Miaojiang. The second son of the family of Lao Jiang is a medicine man in Miaojiang. Our witch doctors are also very powerful. Let them treat you, and then go to the hospital to consolidate it.” Hui Jue looked at the worm in his hand, staring at Grandma Ling Qing in silence, and asked, “I am a Buddhist, I don’t eat meat, do you want me to cook it and eat it? I won’t do it!” Grandma Lingqing glanced at Huijue and said, “Who told you to eat meat? I can’t bear to let you eat this spirit centipede. I’m telling you to swallow it now, but you’ll have to spit it out later.” Although I was very sad, I couldn’t help but dry heave a little at what Grandma Ling Qing said. This limp worm is going to be swallowed? It has such a nice name, Lingxie? Locust? It doesn’t look like a locust! Could it be the vampire, the leech? Yes, it looks like a leech. I got goosebumps all over my body. Who would dare swallow that thing? Wouldn’t it suck the blood out of you? Ling Ruyue looked at me like a bumpkin, then paused for a long time before saying, “Leeches are great for clearing up blood clots. But the spirit leeches are too difficult to cultivate. Forget it, you wouldn’t understand anyway.” As for my master, he took out a pipe and began to smoke. His expression had already calmed down a lot. I heard him muttering something, and it turned out to be: “Li Ren is in Miaojiang, that’s great.” I finally couldn’t hold on and fell asleep, but it was a very peaceful sleep. 鈥烩€烩€� When I woke up again, it was already the morning of the next day. After the village was no longer shrouded in resentment, even the sunlight was much clearer. However, my master said that it would be impossible to eliminate all the resentment in a short time, and it would still take some time for it to slowly dissipate. As for the mutated bugs, the master only gave one piece of advice: a large-scale spraying of insecticide is needed here. Those are naturally things that the country needs to deal with, and there is no need for us to worry about them. Without the old village chief, everything here will become simpler, but there are still many mysteries here that I don’t know, such as what is in the river, what is the purple plant, and Sheng Ge. no one explained anything to me. Master said that the communication equipment was no longer being interfered with, and that he had to contact the people above as soon as possible. But then he said something inexplicable: “The root has been eaten. Is there any more?” What root? I don’t understand! At this point, I only knew that I was no longer in the ancestral hall, and I didn’t know who had carried me here. This was a slightly intact village house, but then again, the ancestral hall was full of bones and skeletons, so it wasn’t a place where people could sleep. It was a quiet morning. As soon as I stepped out of the door, I saw Qin Huai hanging at the door. I was still very weak, but looking at Qin Huai with his arms hanging, I couldn’t help but say, “Buddy, I’m sorry.” “Who are we to each other? This time it was so dangerous that I wouldn’t be embarrassed to say I was here if I didn’t get a little bit of color! Besides, in the same situation, wouldn’t you have to save me too? The gun was only average, and the bullet came diagonally. I’m not in any big trouble. It’s just a scratch. A scratch.” Qin Huai didn’t care at all. Besides, this kid seems to be really proud of his injury. At this time, Ling Ruyue came over with Huigen. I was used to picking him up, but I was embarrassed to find that I didn’t have the strength to pick him up. I could only pinch his cheeks and ask, “Where is your master?” “My master is sleeping with a ginseng tablet in his mouth. I’m going to Miaojiang with my sister tomorrow. Are you going, brother?” Huigen said to me in a mixture of Mandarin and Shaanxi dialect. The tone was very amusing, and I couldn’t help but laugh when I heard it. Go to Miaojiang? I don’t know. Everything is up to the master’s arrangement. I’m just in Sichuan, and I miss my parents a little. Without answering Hui Gen’er’s question, I looked at Ling Ruyue and said, “Why is it so quiet?” “Yesterday, the Taoist priests were all tired. The battle was so big that the Taoist priests had to take charge of their own areas. As for the others, they went to collect the villagers’ bones and buried them together. This was your master’s request. He said that although they had been reincarnated, they would not be reincarnated so quickly. There must always be a place to bury their bones.” Ling Ruyue replied simply. “Yes, the spirits of the dead soldiers should have been freed from the old village chief after being transferred to the next world, but their bodies could not be taken back, so they were cremated and their ashes were brought back. These soldiers all felt that this time was too horrible. They could fight and kill, but in the face of this, they were really no match for the Taoist priests.” Qin Huai also added next to me. I put my hands in my pockets and looked up at the sky, somewhat confused, and said, “There are specialists in every field. How can they be worse than Taoist priests? When it comes to killing enemies on the battlefield, are we better than them? And this time, many soldiers were sacrificed…” As he spoke, my voice became low! Did the old village chief really die? It was like a dream! But with so many people sacrificed, it would be too much of a crime against heaven if he didn’t die. At this time, the master had finished dealing with the report and came out to say to the four of us, “Let’s go. I’m going to personally perform a ritual for Sun Kui. I felt sad again and asked the master, “Where is Sun Qiang?” “Guarding his grandfather, guarding all night.” The master said simply. Qin Huai said, “Master Sun is really a hero. He is half responsible for the death of the old village chief. I still can’t believe that the old village chief just disappeared. He was a really powerful monster.” My master was a little confused and muttered, “The vampire’s body I saw burn to ashes with my own eyes, and the evil spirit was also trapped in the soul-locking formation, then suppressed, and after all the resentment was exhausted, it should have been scattered to the four winds. Well, it’s gone.” Chapter 92: Something has changed The heat of the sun at 10 o’clock in the summer is already frighteningly high. The burning flames on the wooden platform distort the surrounding air due to the heat, making it look blurry and unreal. The sad voice of the master echoed here: “Alas, my friend Sun Kui…” This is the eulogy that the master wrote for Sun Kui himself. It is sad but also grand. In the eulogy, the master briefly recalled Sun Kui’s life and also recounted their shared friendship I listened to this eulogy and found that Master and Sun Kui had really experienced several major events together. Although it was only briefly mentioned, it still made people feel scared and sad for their friendship that could be shared in life and death. A funeral rite, due to the limitations of the conditions, was somewhat simple, but Master did his best. Grandpa Sun Kui must have had no regrets. He had his best friend, a Taoist with profound skills, to help him pass away. During the funeral, Mr. Hui came by to read a sutra for Sun Kui, but my master stopped him: “This is a Taoist funeral, what are you doing here?” “Sun Kui was your friend, but not mine? You’re acting like you’re trying to steal my business.” Master Hui was not to be outdone. He turned a friend’s funeral into a business competition. “You are robbing business. Do you want to fight one-on-one?” “You’re bullying me, aren’t you?” This is obviously Grandpa Sun Kui’s funeral service. My master and Uncle Hui are making a scene like this. I am a junior, so I naturally can’t stop them. I walked over to Grandma Lingqing and said, “Grandma Lingqing, look at my master and Uncle Hui…” “Let them go. Sun Kui loved to see them fight when he was alive, so let him watch them one more time.” Grandma Lingqing’s tone was indifferent, but her eyes were sad. I turned around and saw that although my master and Uncle Hui were fighting, they both had a trace of unshakable sadness in their eyes. Maybe they did it on purpose, or maybe they were just being themselves when Sun Kui was still alive. It was obviously impractical to bring Grandpa Sun’s corpse back to Xiangxi, unless they were to be carried. However, someone from above would soon be here to take over, and it was impractical to carry the corpse back to Xiangxi. “Just bring back the ashes. Grandpa said that if he died in a foreign land in the future, it would be good to bring home a jar of ashes.” Sun Qiang said. So, the funeral ceremony lasted four hours. In the end, my master personally selected Sun Kui’s ashes and put them in the urn. When he handed the still-hot urn to Sun Qiang, my master, who had never shed a tear, finally shed a tear: “He was my old friend. He was still talking to me yesterday, but now he’s in this urn…” Master’s eyes were so red that he couldn’t continue. Grandma Ling Qing wiped her eyes with a handkerchief, and Master Hui wiped his face with his sleeve. The older generation is indifferent, but they can’t really look at life and death lightly, because they can’t let go of this deep affection. 鈥烩€烩€� At 3 p.m., everything here has been taken care of, and it is time to leave this village. The thick fog has dissipated because there is no more negative energy or resentment. After the large-scale spraying of insecticide, a large number of those bugs should have died, and without the yin and the resentment, the yang of the living world will naturally fill the area again, and the rest will slowly return to normal bugs as they go through the cycle of birth, aging, sickness and death. After all, the lifespan of insects is not long, so it won’t take many years for this purification to take effect. Perhaps the country won’t just spray insecticide once. However, these are no longer my concerns. An old village chief has exhausted everyone’s physical and mental energy. Like everyone else, I just want to leave here as soon as possible. However, as I look at the entrance to the village, I feel a little sad… Master lost a good friend, Sun Kui, and I also lost a good friend there, Brother Sheng. Life is always about gaining and losing, and no one can avoid it. I lost a good friend this time, but what did I gain? Is it sorrow? I was deep in thought, and Master walked beside me and asked, “Sanwa, what are you thinking about?” I didn’t want to mention anything about Brother Sheng, so I just kept walking and said to my master, “I was just thinking that the old village chief is very powerful, as if he can see all our actions.” “This is an area that I am not involved in, but the ancient books I collect do have some records. Powerful ghosts and the surrounding dark energy are also part of it. This area is completely enveloped in dark energy. I think this is the reason.” The master was not very sure either. Although the old village chief was destroyed, he left us many mysteries, at least we can’t solve them now. I believe that Master must know more, such as about the purple plant, but unfortunately he doesn’t seem to be interested in telling me. Faced with the master’s answer, I was a little shocked. In this way, the old village chief was really more powerful than imagined, and he was destroyed like this, which made me feel unreal. However, the master’s statement was obviously the most factual statement. “Master, do you remember the old village chief’s diversionary tactic last night?” I asked. I also looked at the road. At this point, we were almost out of the village. After a little while, we would reach the foot of the mountain. After we had climbed over the mountain, the rest of the journey would be easy. However, we would not be able to leave this area today. We would have to rest at the former headquarters for one more night before we could leave tomorrow. Master was a little surprised that I suddenly brought this up, so he asked, “Yes, what’s wrong?” “Master, the old village chief’s body has turned into a powerful vampire, and his soul is a ghost. The ghost that led us out that night was a ghost, but how can the vampire still move?” I just don’t understand this. Master looked at me and said, “Sanwa, I’ve always told you not to neglect the basics. How many times have I said this? Zombies only have two spirits, and some even have only one. They have almost no intelligence, and many of them act on instinct. And ghosts? I’ve also said that because they have no bodies, their spirits are infinitely weakened, and their souls are extremely powerful. Do you understand now?” I was a little embarrassed. Of course I understood. The soul and the spirit are the evil spirits. To put it simply, the soul is the evil spirit, and the spirit controls the corpse that has turned into a zombie. So the old village chief could be divided into two, and when we used thunder and fire to kill the old village chief, it was actually a bit of a trick, because the master first suppressed his evil spirit, and his zombie body only had a spirit, so it was silly to fight. If they were one and the same, then things would be even more complicated! So, the old village chief used the strategy of luring the tiger away from the mountain to distract us, but in fact, he also gave us an opportunity, didn’t he? If he had fought as one, we would have had to do one more thing, which is to force his soul out of his body. However, I still have some doubts. Master said that the old village chief has some restrictions and cannot leave here easily. What are those restrictions? At this moment, we had just reached the village entrance, and I couldn’t help but ask this question, and I also said, “Master, isn’t it a bit too easy for the old village chief’s ghost to suppress it?” Master suddenly changed his expression and said, “Oh no, I must go back to where the old village chief used to live.” My heart also jumped. Is this not over yet? Is this old village chief really a ghost that refuses to leave? I asked boldly, “Master, how bad is it?” “Not that bad. The old village chief should still have a soul, nourished by resentment, the most powerful soul! Just as we need a place to bury our bones, before reincarnation, ghosts wander around within a certain range, but always leave a soul in the place of burial. The old village chief cannot enter reincarnation, so naturally he can only become a ghost cultivator, a corpse cultivator. He created this world of resentment for his own “way”! His way is his resentment, so he can’t leave here easily. Yesterday’s battle may have made him feel a great crisis…” The master stopped before finishing his sentence. All the people here saw that the master had stopped, so they naturally stopped as well, discussing the matter because they did not know what had happened. I realized the meaning of what the master said. The old village chief probably sensed that this was his doom, so he deliberately sent out the fierce ghost and the zombie body for us to kill. On the surface, it seemed like a plan to lure the tiger away from the mountain, but in fact it was to paralyze us and leave a way out for himself. This is the fundamental point! But how did Master detect it? Was there something wrong? Chapter 93: A World of One Master was about to say something to me, but then he saw a black cloud rising from the village. It was so sudden that everyone was shocked. I was shocked. This is the true pent-up resentment of decades! Master snorted and said, “But a remnant soul, still trying to do evil?” In the meantime, Master had already taken up a stance, holding a talisman in his hand. As soon as the master finished speaking, unexpectedly, everyone received a response. It wasn’t an ordinary voice, but a response that directly touched people’s hearts: “So what if it’s a remnant soul? Haven’t you always wanted to capture me? Then release my grievances. Don’t try to suppress me. This time, I’ll do my best to drag someone down with me.” This speech was unclear. On the one hand, he wanted to resolve his grievances, and on the other, he wanted to take someone with him to the grave. Who knew what he meant? Without saying a word, the master began to perform hand gestures. But the resentment spread to us at an alarming rate. When the resentment enveloped us, my eyes went dark. It was clearly daytime, but within the range of the resentment, it was as if night had suddenly come. But Master was also very fast. While the resentment was spreading, his hand movements had already begun. The hand movements were the powerful Iron Fork Hand Movements, which were used to deal with stubborn evil spirits. In addition to expelling the evil spirits from the body of the person they were in, they could also expel the evil spirits from the body of the person they were in, as long as they did not deliberately limit their power. This hand gesture is generally used by the master to intimidate evil spirits, but he is still quite cautious about actually using it, after all, it is against the heavens and the earth, because the soul and spirit are scattered is almost the most miserable result. However, the old village chief has been evil for many years, so the master obviously doesn’t care so much. The hand seal fell, and a muffled sound of “moaning” came from the black mist. I didn’t expect the old village chief to dodge or avoid it, and he actually took the finger. The accumulation of grievances over the years was added to the soul, and an iron fork finger obviously could not finish him off. But no one expected him to take it like that. What did he want to do? Just when I was also in a state of uncertainty, I suddenly saw the black mist in the sky begin to rapidly concentrate, turning into a ghostly claw that rushed towards me. All this happened in the blink of an eye. Before I could react, I felt my body become light, as if someone had pulled me away. I looked back and saw that my body had suddenly collapsed to the ground. My master caught my body as I fell back, his face full of anger and anxiety. It was me again? How many times have I suffered this ordeal? I didn’t even bother to think about it, but when I thought about it, it could only be me. After all, at the beginning, my soul was restrained, and before it recovered, it was locked in the Yang and suppressed by the spirit. Then, without regard for the physical body’s ability to withstand it, it forcibly used the Taoist technique and used the thunder formula. So, I have reached a very dangerous edge. In Master’s words, I have returned to the state of childhood, in which the yang does not control the yin. I may sleep for a while, and my soul will leave my body for a while. I need to make up for it after this trip. In this situation, if the old village chief doesn’t choose me, who else will? In a trance, I heard my master yell, “Take me away, or he will die.” Yes, maybe I will die. If I were an ordinary Taoist priest, I would have died after being tortured so many times. I have a solid foundation from childhood, and my master has been giving me medicinal food and fragrant soup to nourish me all the way, so I have been able to survive to this point. But what about this time? Three calamities, three calamities, can I not escape this calamity? Just as I was thinking all these things, I heard a crazy laugh, followed by a shout: “Whether he lives or dies is his own business. Since I can build a village, I will also build a world for him.” Then, a strong sense of drowsiness hit me, and I couldn’t resist it. I felt as if I had been tired for a thousand years, and finally closed my eyes and fell asleep. I woke up to the smell of food. When I opened my eyes, I saw my mother sitting next to me, worried. I felt guilty and said, “Mom, I won’t fight with people impulsively anymore.” My head was a bit sore. I vaguely remembered that I had fought with someone yesterday because of the fishing ground. The fishing ground was about to be harvested, and the villagers all had their own little plans, so some friction was inevitable. I was short-tempered, and I couldn’t help but fight with someone yesterday. It seemed that after I was hit hard, I didn’t know anything. Mom was obviously happy to see me awake, but it was only for a moment. Then her face became serious, she came over, patted me on the shoulder, and said, “If you ever get into a fight again, you’d better get killed outside. Your dad is furious, and we’re lucky that the old village chief stepped in to handle this matter.” I thought of the old village chief. I felt warm inside. He was a good man. Which family in the village had not had problems that he had not helped solve? But he always helped everyone selflessly, mediating in village affairs. Yesterday’s fight must have given the old village chief a headache. The old village chief is a good man. Thinking about this, I felt a wave of guilt in my heart. I got out of bed and said to my mother in a low voice, “Mom, why don’t I go to the old village chief’s house tomorrow to apologize?” “No need. The old village chief is a warm-hearted person. He doesn’t expect you little brats to apologize or anything. He’s going to inspect the fishing grounds tomorrow. It would be a relief for him if you little brats could stop for a while.” My mother said. “Then I’ll go to the fishing grounds tomorrow and talk to the old village chief,” I said. “Well, go ahead. You hurt the Liu boy and you were also hurt. The old village chief said that after the fishing inspection tomorrow, he will host a table at his home and invite you to talk together. Don’t think about revenge, okay? We are all neighbors,” my mother said. I nodded in a sullen manner and was then dragged out by my mother to eat. Similarly, at the dinner table, my father and I were scolded by my sister for visiting her. 鈥烩€烩€� The next day was a crisp autumn day. The river was bustling in the morning. The fishing grounds were about to be harvested, and the old village chief was going to inspect the fishing grounds. The villagers also came to join the fun. After all, the fish in the fishing grounds were the villagers’ hope. There was no way to do it. After living through hard times, who wouldn’t be enthusiastic when they finally had hope for a better life? Especially when they saw the fish that occasionally floated up in the fishing pond, who wasn’t full of joy? The old village chief came walking cheerfully. When the villagers saw him, they all greeted him warmly. The old village chief greeted everyone cordially, chatted with everyone about their families and homes, and didn’t have any airs of being the village chief. When he came to me, the old village chief gave me a slap and said, “Sanwa, are you feeling better?” I smiled sheepishly to show that I was fine. “Good, are you still going to fight?” The old village chief looked at me with a smile. I blushed and said that I would not fight anymore and would not cause trouble for the old village chief. The old village chief laughed heartily, patted my shoulders twice, and said, “Come to my house for a drink this afternoon. I killed a chicken and cut a catty of meat specially in the morning. You little brats don’t give me any peace. If you can shake hands and make peace after drinking together, I’ll be the happiest.” I felt warm inside. Which family’s chicken isn’t a treasure? Nowadays, meat isn’t something you can eat every day. The old village chief spent so much money on us just because of a few fights. I don’t know how to express it. He is really a good village chief. After greeting everyone, the old village chief cheerfully jumped on the boat and shouted, “Let’s go. Come with me to patrol the fishing grounds.” At the old mayor’s call, everyone jumped on the boat and happily rowed along with the old mayor to inspect the fishing grounds. I also jumped on the boat, but for some reason, I had a blank moment with the oar in my hand. I suddenly forgot how to row. This is nonsense, right? I grew up on this river, and I could row a boat when I was a few years old. How could I feel like I had no idea what to do now? I tried to use the oar, but found it strangely easy. I let out a sigh of relief. I think I was just confused yesterday, and really thought I couldn’t row. The old village chief was in front, and we followed behind. The boat made ripples in the water, and fish occasionally jumped out of the water. It was a beautiful day, and everyone was in a good mood. Chapter 94: The struggle of human nature I was hoping to return from a successful inspection of the fishing grounds today, and if that were the case, I could have a good meal at the old village chief’s house at noon. The old village chief said that in two days’ time at the latest, the whole village would be busy because the fishing grounds would be harvested at that time. a good meal, the fishing grounds are harvested, and thinking about these things makes me feel how wonderful life is. From any perspective, my expectations are just very ordinary ones, but the Lord has the ability to make even such ordinary expectations fall through! The boat is spinning in the water, the sky is blowing violently, it is raining heavily, and the water is boiling like foam. This is the cruel reality! I don’t understand why the sunny day suddenly turned into this. I was panicking on the boat. The situation on the shore was not much better. The crowd was noisy and panicked. I saw my parents and two sisters on the shore shouting at me in the wind and rain. I didn’t want to die, I wanted to live, I still had a lot to do. I hadn’t honored my parents, I hadn’t married and had children, I hadn’t… Thinking about this, my eyes began to burn. I desperately tried to row the boat to the shore, but in this storm, the boat would not obey. “Everyone, don’t row the boat randomly. Let the boat follow the water…” The old village chief’s voice sounded at the right time. At this moment, he was still worried about everyone. Hearing the old village chief’s words, I was a little relieved. I didn’t mess around with the boat anymore. Not only me, but everyone was less panicked. After all, for a long time, everyone in the village had developed a sense of dependence on the old village chief. As if in response to this, after the old village chief shouted a few times, the wind and rain actually calmed down a lot, and the water became much calmer. Everyone was relaxed, and I wiped the rain off my face and happily picked up the oar to prepare to row back to shore. But just then, a huge wave suddenly appeared on the water, rushing towards us at great speed. What was it? Everyone was terrified, their eyes wide with fear, not knowing what was hidden beneath the wave. Suddenly someone on the shore knelt down. I saw it was the village’s old priest. I couldn’t hear clearly because I was far away, but I could vaguely hear him say something about the river god being angry. This made everyone even more anxious. I don’t know who started it, but everyone began to row frantically towards the shore. I was one of them, especially when I saw my father, who was already standing in the water, with his feet almost submerged. However, compared to the other villagers, my rowing skills were not very good, and I quickly fell behind. It was the old village chief again. He slowed down and began to push everyone with the oar in his hand. With this push, the boat was indeed much smoother, and I quickly caught up with everyone’s pace. I looked at the old village chief gratefully and continued rowing forward. I didn’t have to worry too much about the old village chief, after all, his rowing skills were the best in the village. Sure enough, the old village chief soon caught up and soon reached the front. Everyone was rowing forward, and the heavy waves weighed heavily on everyone’s hearts. The riverbank that was not far away looked so far away, so far away that it was the distance between life and death. The people on the shore were all shouting at the top of their lungs, calling out to their loved ones to hurry up. My family was also among them. At this moment, the loved ones on the shore became the greatest source of strength for the people. It was just the old village chief. I don’t know why, but I looked at his back and felt a little sad. He has always been quite lonely. Everyone knows that in the village, apart from a distant nephew, he has almost no relatives. I felt a bit of sympathy for the old village chief, but then I was left behind again. I quickly stopped thinking about it and started rowing as hard as I could. At this point, who wouldn’t be a bit selfish? It’s like two people being chased by a tiger at the same time. If you can’t outrun the tiger, you can still win the chance of survival by outrunning the other person. The river god can’t possibly eat everyone, only those who fall behind will suffer. Who doesn’t understand this? Even I understand! I want to live, I don’t want to leave my family behind. Gradually, I don’t see the people around me looking so friendly anymore. In the face of life and death, the people of the past have been classified as competitors. Is this wrong? I don’t know! I just know that I really don’t want to die. Just when everyone was scrambling, the old village chief suddenly stopped. Although I was rowing hard, I still noticed this scene. What’s going on? Then I heard the old village chief shouting, “Help me, lend a hand, my boat is leaking.” My heart tightened. Why was the old village chief’s boat leaking at this time? Wasn’t it obvious that he would die? I swallowed a mouthful of saliva and was glad that my boat wasn’t leaking at this time. Next, I saw the old village chief asking for help everywhere, but the boats around him passed by one after another, and no one paid any attention to the old village chief. My heart ached. To be honest, the old village chief was a good man. Seeing him like this, I couldn’t bear to do anything, but… I was almost next to the old village chief. What should I do? This kind of small boat, adding one person to it will inevitably affect the speed. Saving him is like two people dying together! But I hadn’t even reached the old village chief’s side when I saw that his boat was already sinking. How big a hole was it? How could the boat sink so quickly? Before I could think much more, the water, which was already turbulent because of the waves, suddenly became even more turbulent, and the old village chief’s already-shaky boat was overturned. The old village chief fell into the water! My heart tightened again. I didn’t even look over there. I didn’t want to admit it, but although I sympathized with the old village chief, I didn’t have the courage to save him because I didn’t have the resolve to die myself and then save someone else. Maybe the old village chief was the one chosen by the river god? And it’s better for one person to die than for two, right? I’m still so young! Maybe the old village chief was already that old, and he… Thinking this way, I felt better, as if I had found a powerful reason for myself to not save the old village chief. At this time, people on the shore were silent. No one shouted to save the old village chief. I glanced at my family. They were also silent, looking down in shame. Yes, those with relatives certainly hope that their relatives are safe and will not want their relatives to die. Those without relatives, out of some subtle and complex positions, are not easy to talk about. After all, they are all neighbors and know each other. If you rush to save someone, then everyone will be killed, and who will be blamed? Human minds are sometimes so complicated. Because of this complexity, people are unable to judge the right and wrong of a matter purely. This is the sorrow of human nature, and I am also sad. The boat was paddling rapidly, and I saw a scene that made me angry and my blood boil. I saw someone raise a paddle and hit the old village chief’s hand, and someone shouted, “Don’t tip my boat over!” My heart ached again. I turned my head to the side and thought to myself, I mustn’t get involved. I pushed the old village chief away. I continued to row forward, but I was avoiding him, whether on purpose or not. I didn’t want to get involved. I couldn’t stop others, but I couldn’t change my selfishness. I sympathized with the old village chief, but what should I do? But evading is often not the solution. My boat finally reached the old village chief. I don’t know why, but for some reason, I slowed down my boat speed, whether intentionally or not. At that moment, the old village chief’s hands, which had been smashed and deformed, rested on the side of my boat. Looking at those hands, my heart ached. Are those people crazy? He is our old village chief! Even if he is not saved, why smash an old man like this? I had already made up my mind not to get involved, and just pushed the old village chief away. After all, his hands were already like this, and I guessed that he could only rest on the side of the boat and could not really grab it. I raised the oar and tried to push the old village chief away. I knew that his nephew was still behind him, and that his nephew could save him. But at that moment, I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I saw the old village chief’s eyes, so full of desire to live, so reluctant, so sad and desperate. At some point, you can’t look into the eyes of such a person. That will become a nightmare that you will never forget. The message that the eyes convey is directed straight to the heart. I suddenly felt my face flush and my heart burn. Did the old village chief know that I wouldn’t save him? Did I really not save him? I saw myself as a child, wanting to be a war hero, and I saw myself as a child, instinctively despising the bad guys, and I saw myself as a person who once longed for justice… I remembered the old village chief cheerfully inviting me to his house for dinner, and I remembered his enthusiasm for helping everyone. Is this the result that should be obtained? ! If such a kind person as the old village chief is like this, what if I fell into the water? Everyone treats me this way, what do I think? If the entire village is in trouble and people from other villages treat us this way, what do we think? We are human beings! We are not cold-blooded animals! Save him! Even if I die, I would rather live with a clear conscience than with a guilty conscience! I reached out my hands and grabbed the old village chief’s arm, lifting him onto the boat. Chapter 95: Solving the mystery When I pulled the old village chief onto the boat, the small boat sank noticeably and slowed down, but my heart inexplicably felt a burst of relief. I thought my parents would blame me for what I did, but I found that no matter whether it was my parents or my sister, they dared to look at me directly. I couldn’t see their eyes clearly from a distance, but I could feel that their hearts had also been relieved. They didn’t dare to trade their son’s life for peace of mind, but once their son had done it, they were at ease. Otherwise, how could they look at me with such pride and dignity? I don’t know what effect my actions had, but I noticed that the crowd on the shore was very quiet, and everyone seemed to be touched. I was upset, and couldn’t help but yell, “Fuck you all! You’re all from the same village, and you didn’t even try to save them, and you still had the nerve to beat them up? Even if you bastards survive, can you still hold your heads up straight?” After I shouted this, the crowd became even more quiet. Although the boat in front of me was still going at full speed, I didn’t hear anyone dare to contradict me. At this time, two boats came up from behind. One of the two men was the one who had fought with me the day before. He had obviously seen everything from behind. I didn’t know how the two men would react after I yelled at them, but the man who had fought with me suddenly threw a rope to my boat and said, “Two people are better than one. Let’s go together.” You have to know that boats are always tied to the shore with a rope, and the other end of the rope is fixed to the boat. He threw the rope to me, meaning that the two boats would live and die together. I was moved, but I didn’t want to throw the rope to the other boat. I suddenly had a feeling that in the face of danger, people are not purely good or purely evil. They may also be swaying, and a sense of conformity is influencing them. Human nature is not as sad as we imagine sometimes. I don’t know how a country boy like me could have such feelings. At that moment, a boat in front of us turned around, and then two, three… Suddenly someone on the shore shouted, “We’re a group of people who are not afraid of anything. Everyone get in the water. No one can die today!” “Yes, we’re going in too…” “Right, I’ll go get a hoe…” I felt my blood boil. The cold scene just now seemed to have never existed! But just as I was admiring the beauty, I suddenly noticed a black line in the world in front of me. I thought it was an illusion, rubbed my eyes and looked again. It was indeed there. What was going on? But before I could think much more, I saw cracks in the sky. Next, the sky shattered before my eyes, and the people around me disappeared. I just wanted to shout, but suddenly everything went dark and I lost consciousness. When I opened my eyes again, I was in a blurry environment. I looked carefully and realized that I was in the water. At this moment, I also remembered everything… What just happened? Did the old village chief’s world of grievances break? Where is the old village chief? Just when I couldn’t figure it out, the water began to churn violently, and I heard a voice say to me, “You have solved my heart’s knot. Thank you.” This voice was very familiar to me because I had heard it several times before. It was the voice of the old village chief! However, at this time, his voice sounded so normal, like the voice of an ordinary old man, no longer terrifying. I think it was because the resentment had been eliminated. But then what? I knew that once the ghost’s resentment was removed and the knot was touched, all that was left was to scatter to the four winds! But I hadn’t returned to the real world yet, so what did the old village chief want to do? Before I could say anything, I heard the old village chief continue, “I’ve spent many years in resentment, so it’s good to be free of it. When the knot is untied, everything in the knot will play back. When that’s over, you can go out. There’s a lot I want to say, but I won’t say it.” There are many things to say, but I won’t say them? When I heard this, my heart suddenly felt a little sour, and I didn’t know why. Yes, all the wrongs and all the grudges have finally been resolved because of my good intentions? The choices of one person have influenced the choices of a group of people, and then this tragedy has finally come to an end? The old village chief just wanted a pair of outstretched hands! In this world, sometimes all it takes is a pair of outstretched hands! Just as I was feeling sad, my perspective changed rapidly, and I saw the tragedy on the river that day again. At that moment, I felt like the old village chief, filled with sadness, despair, and hatred… When the waves rolled over and submerged the old village chief, I felt as if I were being submerged myself. I wanted to shout, and I was full of hatred for the world, but as a bystander, I couldn’t say anything. Then, my vision went underwater, and I saw a strange fish that looked like a catfish or an eel, writhing underwater and devouring the old village chief’s body. At this time, the old village chief was still struggling… Haha, is this the so-called river god? At this time, I had no concept of this kind of monster in the water, but later I would know what it was. I watched the strange fish devour the old village chief, and my heart was bleeding. At this time, the old village chief was still alive! In the struggle, I saw the old village chief fall heavily to the bottom of the river. Under the river, there was a small patch of purple plants. It was very beautiful. Because the leaves were so oily, they looked like they were emitting a faint glow… The old village chief finally died at that moment, but the strange fish suddenly left for some reason! Others may not know, but as a Taoist priest, I know very well that the soul of a corpse with too much resentment is not so easy to leave the body. At that time, the soul of the old village chief was still in his body. If you open your heavenly eyes, you can see the scene of black gas surging into the sky! A purple plant! My heart began to race. Was this the trigger that turned the old village chief into a monster? Without this plant, the old village chief would have at most become a vengeful ghost, and due to certain restrictions, he could only move around the riverbed. Perhaps he could only take revenge on the villagers who came to the river or on the river itself, but he could not possibly cause such a tragedy! Is this plant the flower of evil? I looked with my eyes wide open, and when the old village chief’s body fell, it smashed a small piece of this plant, so the sap from the plant slowly seeped into the old village chief’s body. I can’t describe the feeling I had, because the plant gave off a feeling of being full of juice and breaking when touched, and also a feeling of being exceptionally tough. Why did the old village chief’s body smash a small piece of it? In short, time passed quickly, and then quickly again. I saw the old village chief move. He seemed to be aware, but also seemed not to be aware. In short, he put a piece of the plant in his mouth. In the quiet water, there were fish nibbling on the old village chief’s corpse, but the old village chief seemed to have no power to resist. He seemed to only occasionally mechanically eat a piece of this plant, but I found that all the fish that nibbled on his corpse died. not the kind of death where the belly is turned white and the body floats on the surface, but rather the kind of death where the body rots and then dies. I don’t know how long it was, there is no concept of time in the invisible space, probably three days, maybe five days, I saw the old village chief suddenly open his eyes, then looked at his hands in the water, and then roared. That roar was a silent roar, because the water drowned out all sound. Then I saw the old village chief stand up… After that, I fell into a dark abyss! “No, don’t seek revenge. It will only lead to bad results!” I don’t know how long I struggled in the darkness before I finally shouted these words. In fact, before I shouted this sentence, I had been trapped in the darkness. I didn’t know when a seemingly bright door had appeared, and I almost walked through it, but I didn’t know why I told myself not to walk through it. I would rather choose the darkness. After that, I was again in the dark until I shouted out this sentence. “Great, Sanwa, great, Sanwa, the doctor, he’s talking, he’s talking…” I heard a voice that was so familiar and so kind in my ear. Who was it? I felt like I really wanted to see him. I realized that I seemed to be closing my eyes. I tried very hard to open them, and the man seemed to know what I was thinking. He put his hands on my hands and shouted, “Sanwa, are you going to wake up?” And those hands seemed to give me invisible strength. I finally opened my eyes. I saw a fat face with a smile in front of me. My consciousness had not yet returned, but my mouth weakly shouted out two words: “Pork…” Chapter 96: A thought “Sanwa, drink this soup. It’s what your master ordered.” Su Rou handed me a bowl of soup. It had been almost five days since I woke up, but my body was still very weak. Su Rou had strictly followed the recipe my master gave me to make the soup, but I couldn’t drink it. I just think it’s too greasy and I have something on my mind. “No, I’m not drinking it. You drink it. I want to leave the hospital tomorrow.” I said quietly as I looked out the window. “You little brat, it’s not easy for me to find a woman to make you soup. You’re just wasting it. Come on, drink it. I’ve already eaten the meat in it.” Su Rou said relentlessly. The meat was eaten? I looked at the meat and said nothing. I took the bowl of soup and drank it, then said to the meat, “I have to be discharged tomorrow. I’m already better, just a little weak. Why stay in the hospital all the time? “What are you going to do after you get out of the hospital?” Su Rou asked. “to see my father and mother, and then go to Miaojiang to find my master.” I actually didn’t know what to do, and I always felt that I had to find my master first. “Don’t rush to get out of the hospital. If you do, your buddy won’t know where to find you. Wait until he says so.” Su Rou said this after seeing me drink the tonic soup. I woke up five days ago, and the first two days were still a bit hazy. I couldn’t remember many things, which was a sign that my soul was unstable. But I could still recognize Su Rou. Under Su Rou’s care, I finally got better the day before yesterday, and my brain slowly became clearer. I remembered many things one by one. Yesterday afternoon, I was completely sober. As soon as I was sober, I asked Su Rou to tell me where my master was. There were still many things I wanted to know, but Su Rou said that my master had given me a message when he left, saying that he would tell me everything when I was completely well and had been discharged from the hospital. This is also the reason why I was anxious to be discharged. As for what Su Rou just said about a buddy of mine coming to see me, I had no idea what was going on, so I couldn’t help but ask, “Who is coming to see me?” “Who else? It’s Qin Huai.” Su Rou said as he put the bowl away. “Qinhuai…” I nodded and stopped talking. I felt empty and helpless, and didn’t know what to say. Su Rou sat down next to me and took out a meat bun from somewhere. He ate it in big bites, finishing one, taking out another, then eating another, then taking out another… I finally couldn’t help but say, “Su Rou, I counted, you’ve eaten five buns, and you just finished the meat in the soup. Do you want to be stuffed to death?” Su Rou looked at me in surprise and said, “Sanwa, you’ve finally spoken to me in human language!” “What does it mean?” I didn’t understand what Su Rou meant. “What do you mean?” Su Rou was so excited that his voice got louder and louder, and the bun filling in his mouth sprayed me all over the bed. “When you woke up, you weren’t excited to see me, you didn’t talk to me about the old days, you didn’t ask for your master, you didn’t want to leave the hospital, you just stared blankly. You knew I existed!” I was originally cleaning up the buns on the bed, but when I heard what Su Rou said, I suddenly felt a wave of guilt, and couldn’t help but look up at Su Rou and say, “I’ve been to Beijing in the past few years, and I miss you too. I miss a lot of things from when we were little. But even so, I feel like I’ve never been apart from you. I feel like I’m just being myself in front of you, and I don’t need to be polite or express anything.” I was telling the truth. If it weren’t for Su Rou’s question, I don’t think I would have needed to explain what I said. Over the years, I have come to know myself very well. Because I am too sentimental, I don’t let others into my heart very easily. But once I care about someone, once that person has entered my heart, I am like this, very honest and natural. I will never be hypocritical or wear a mask with the people I care about. After hearing my words, Su Rou stopped eating the buns, holding half of them in his hand and staring blankly. After a while, his eyes began to redden and he said, “I thought you had gone to Beijing, become successful, and met with important people, and that you had forgotten me. You said that when your son woke up, he didn’t ask me a single question, and you asked me what I was doing now.” This crispy meat, I was both amused and moved. I sat up from the bed and naturally took a cigarette out of his pocket and lit it. Then I asked, “I think it doesn’t matter what industry you’re in, even if you’re a manure picker, you’re still my brother. Why do I ask?” “You son of a bitch, you’re the one who picks the shit!” Su Rou suddenly stood up, rushed to the edge of my bed, and gave me a slap. I laughed and gave Su Rou a slap back. We were like children, making a lot of noise. This commotion finally made the distance between Su Rou and me disappear, and my heart gradually relaxed. To be honest, the shadow of the old village chief was too heavy for me. Later, when the nurse came to intervene and scolded us, we just stuck out our tongues and stopped making a fuss. At this time, Su Rou was already panting because he was fat, and I was also weak and out of breath. The two of us were lying on the small hospital bed, looking very unpresentable. I asked Su Rou, “What are you doing now?” while holding the cigarette that hadn’t been lit. Su Rou said proudly, “I’m not very capable, but I’ve recently been doing business in Chengdu and have made some money.” This kid’s lifelong dream was to make money, lots of money! I never thought he’d actually start a business, and in Chengdu no less. But am I really in Chengdu now? I thought to myself, and couldn’t help but ask, “Su Rou, what kind of business are you in? Am I really in Chengdu?” “You’re really confused. You’ve been awake for five days and you still don’t know you’re in Chengdu? Don’t worry about what business I’m in. You’ll find out in time. Tell me about your life over the years. It’s been so long since we last saw each other, I’m dying to hear about it.” Su Rou said casually. I had nothing to hide from Su Rou, so I told him everything that had happened in the past few years, including the old village chief’s. When I finished, the moon was already hanging in the sky. Compared to the dry heat of the day, the night breeze was so cool. After listening to all my stories, Su Rou was speechless for a long time. After a long time, he fumbled for a cigarette, lit it shakily, took a big drag, and then asked, “Sanwa, are you telling the truth? It’s so damn scary!” I smiled bitterly and snatched the cigarette that Su Rou had just taken a drag from. I took a drag too, and when the smoke came out, I whispered, “I hope it’s not true.” “But I also believe it! I’ve seen this hungry ghost, so what else can’t I believe in? You don’t know, you’ve been gone for so many years, and when I think back to my childhood experiences, it’s like I’m dreaming, and I doubt that they ever existed. Damn, the life of a Taoist priest is really not a human life. But, Sanwa, about this old village chief, really, I… I have something to say. What’s wrong with the old village chief? Why should he end up like this?” Su Rou said angrily. “Many things are only a matter of thought, so it is right to say that life and death are a matter of thought. If he had not been hateful but had seen through things when he died, then he would not have been dominated by resentment and would not have ended up with his soul scattered. And the villagers were good at the time, so…” I couldn’t go on. There are no ifs in this world. Even if the heavens determine cause and effect, sometimes you have to feel that you can’t overcome a person’s thoughts, because the heavens will not let anyone’s soul fly away. Sometimes your thoughts go against your destiny and the heavens, and the result is naturally the result of changing your destiny against the heavens, and you have to bear the consequences of changing your destiny against the heavens. Don’t think that only Taoists can change fate by using their great magical powers. Sometimes a person’s thoughts can also change fate! This is where Taoism and Buddhism are similar. A flower is a world, a tree is a life. Whether it is the world in a flower or the life in a tree, it is all a thought. Your thoughts determine your world and the fate of the life in the world. Life exists under the rule of heaven, but heaven is ruthless. It is just a rule. In your world, the biggest thing is your thoughts. This is not something that heaven can control. Therefore, man can conquer heaven. It does not mean that human power is stronger than heaven, but that your thoughts ultimately change the fate that heaven has given you, surpassing heaven. But conquering heaven does not mean a good outcome. Just like the old village chief… My words, Su Rou slowly thought about it. After a long time, he suddenly said to me, “Sanwa, I’m actually very kind. It’s okay to be a crook occasionally, right?” “Ah? What did you do? You’re a profiteer?” I was stunned. Is this Su Rou still as unreliable as when he was a child? Su Rou scratched his fat face and said, “It’s not really a swindler, just selling a few more dollars for the stall goods?” “What are you selling?” “Hey, hey…” Chapter 97: Master’s Message In the end, I still don’t know what Su Rou is selling. This kid won’t say a word. Just like my master, he won’t tell me what’s going on. I must insist that I talk about it when I get out of the hospital. “You’re pretty tight-lipped, kid. Tell me, what did my master give you in return?” I asked. “Do I look like a traitor? Go away, I’ve always been a hero since I was a kid. My mother said when she watched the movie, that my son looked just like Dong Cunrui.” Su Rou always brags without a draft. When Su Rou said this, I was drinking water, and I almost spit out a mouthful of water when I heard this. I looked at Su Rou and said, “Your mother is so naive to say this? You don’t look like your father, but you look like Dong Cunrui. Your father would have beaten your mother to death. Ouch, Su Rou, don’t tease me. I’m still in the hospital. What if I die by accident?” “Cough… Cough…” Su Rou was embarrassed by my words and coughed for a long time before saying, “Sanwa, didn’t you notice that my dad also looks a lot like Dong Cunrui?” “Ha ha ha ha… yes, yes! I said your grandfather always beats your grandmother.” I was laughing so hard I couldn’t catch my breath. “You’re wrong, kid. You’re making fun of my grandparents?” Su Rou looked angry. “You were the first to be wrong, making fun of your old man! Is there a fat Dong Cunrui like you? Haha…” I laughed very happily. I suddenly realized why Qin Huai and I got along so well. The reason was that that kid was just like Su Rou, always talking nonsense, and was also a born optimist with no heart. I think Qinhuai and Su Rou would get along very well. The days spent playing with Su Rou passed by quickly. Three days later, I couldn’t stand it anymore and didn’t want to wait for Qin Huai. I insisted on being discharged from the hospital, and Qin Huai came. 鈥烩€烩€� “Bullshit! Don’t act like a rich kid. I’m still a rich kid.” Su Rou scolded angrily. “Come on, what kind of a dude are you? Can you learn this kind of style?” Qin Huai said with disdain. “Nonsense, I’m my mother’s son! Can you learn my style?” Su Rou is not weak-minded. I walked behind with a headache, watching these two live treasures quarrel. The cause was that I was about to leave the hospital, and Qin Huai commanded Su Rou to carry the luggage. Su Rou was unhappy, of course, but the so-called luggage was just a handbag and a few clothes. I thought they would get along well, but I didn’t expect that the two of them would be like my master and Huijue together. Su Rou lives in Lotus Pond, which is said to be a wholesale area in Chengdu. However, in the 1990s, this place was really chaotic. In short, Su Rou led the way, winding around in circles, almost making me and Qin Huai dizzy before we arrived. The place where Su Rou rented a room was an old residential building. He took Qin Huai and I up to the second floor. As soon as we opened the door, the smell that came from the room almost killed Qin Huai and me. There were clothes, food, cigarette butts… and socks everywhere. How could it not be smelly? “I said, buddy, is this a place for people to live?” Qin Huai saw Su Rou blush and hurriedly clean up, and couldn’t help but say sarcastically. Su Rou was a little embarrassed at first, but when he heard Qin Huai say that, he threw the things in his hands and yelled, “Get out if you don’t want to live here! I’m not saying you’re a little girl, I’m just saying that I’m a man, so what do I care about tidiness? Of course, Qin Huai couldn’t leave. This kid wasn’t a germaphobe, so he simply threw his luggage down and sat on the dirty sofa next to Su Rou, saying, “No, I’m very comfortable here. I occasionally experience folk life.” “I spit, you talk like a king. I’m going out to buy some food. Don’t tell Sanwa anything. Let’s have a few drinks first.” When Su Rou left, he specifically told Qin Huai. Qinhuai didn’t argue with Su Rou this time, just nodded. After Su Rou left, Qinhuai said to me, “Your buddy is good, very loyal. He took care of you for so long and was very concerned about you.” In fact, Su Rou had also told me that Qin Huai was a good person. He didn’t care about the long journey, and said that he would return to Beijing and come back to me right away. He told us to wait for him, which was very loyal. Why did these two people argue so much when they first met? Moreover, these two people obviously know something, why don’t they tell me? I have a bad feeling about this. I really want to ask, but I still hold back. After all the things I’ve been through, I’ve become a little more stable. Anyway, I’ve waited for so many days, I don’t care if I have to wait another hour or two. 鈥烩€烩€� After three rounds of wine, and after eating most of the pickled vegetables on the newspaper, I, who hadn’t drunk much, looked at the red-faced pork and the pickled vegetables and finally asked, “Tell me, what are you hiding from me? How are my master and the others? How did they leave?” After hearing this, Qinhuai looked around and drank another glass of wine, then said to Su Rou, “Su Rou, this Sichuan food is delicious, but it’s so spicy!” “Spicy? This braised dish doesn’t even have much chili in it!” Su Rou followed Qin Huai’s words and said, as if he was going to ignore my words. I didn’t say anything, I just poured myself a glass of wine. When Su Rou saw this, he immediately grabbed my hand and said, “Sanwa, your body hasn’t recovered yet, why are you drinking wine?” Qinhuai also took me by the arm and said, “Buddy, you’re weak, don’t play like this.” I broke free from them and drank the glass of wine directly, then said, “Don’t pretend to be stupid with me. Come on, wine makes the heart brave. After drinking, I can withstand whatever you say.” I didn’t blame them. I knew that they must have something to tell me, so I was mentally prepared. I drank a glass of wine and lit a cigarette, waiting quietly. Qinhuai and Su Rou looked at each other, and then at me, and finally told me everything. The first half was told to me by Qin Huai. He told me that when I left the village, the old village chief had not possessed me? Everyone thought that the old village chief had taken my soul, but in fact, it was not. After checking, my master told everyone that a remnant of the old village chief’s soul had entered my body and then created a dream for me. Whether I could wake up from the dream depended on whether I could resolve the old village chief’s grievances. Like many vegetative patients, they are not always sleeping in a bed with a blank mind, but are sinking into a dream world and slowly dying. This is a manifestation of being possessed by a fierce ghost! Many fierce ghosts tend to bring bad luck to people. When a person’s luck is at its lowest point, they take advantage of the situation to take revenge… If things have come to this point, there is basically no way to save them, and everything depends on oneself! Unless the person is physically strong and can withstand certain secret techniques, those who can be called vegetative are often physically suffering from great hardships and are unlikely to be strong, as in my case. My master had no choice but to take me out of that place and sent me to the hospital in Chengdu that night. Of course, he did something, but Qin Huai didn’t know what it was and couldn’t explain it clearly. Next, it was Su Rou who told me. He said he didn’t know how my master had found him, but that he was sleeping that night when my master and his men came to the door. The first thing he said was, “Sanwa is in danger, and I have a lot of things to do. I can’t stay for a few days, so you take care of him for me.” Su Rou was so scared that he asked my master if I was going to die. My master just told him, “You won’t die. I believe in my disciple’s heart. He will wake up.” In short, my master stayed in the hospital for two days. On the first day, he was very surprised and said that I had broken free from my dream. Then he stayed up all night watching over me. On the second day, he suddenly said that my soul was stable and that he was leaving. At this time, Qin Huai, who had been watching over me, and Ling Ruyue were also preparing to leave. Before leaving… I stopped talking about the meat, and Qinhuai stopped talking too. I stared at them, poured another glass of wine, and this time they didn’t stop me. I took a sip and then poured another glass. I drank three glasses in a row, and the wine rushed up my throat and my face flushed. Then I said, “No matter what, you can’t hide it. Go ahead.” Su Rou patted Qin Huai on the shoulder, then drank a glass of wine himself before saying, “Let me talk. Sanwa, your master said he was leaving you for three years to take care of something. He said he left you something in the Beijing house and a letter. That’s it…” Chapter 98 Leave a letter Su Rou finished speaking all at once, then looked at me uneasily, and Qin Huai also looked at me uneasily. I couldn’t pay attention to these things. I was dumbfounded by the news, and I couldn’t get over it for a long time. What was Master going to do? Did Master not want me anymore? No wonder I felt that he had been acting strangely for all these years… I didn’t know how long I had been silent until the cigarette in my hand burned my hand and I came back to my senses. Qin Huai and Su Rou didn’t dare to speak. Either of them knew the relationship between me and my master. It can be said that since I was six and a half years old, I have hardly ever left my master. This time, however, I am to be separated from him for three years. What does this mean? I don’t understand why my master is doing this. I have a strong feeling of being abandoned. I can’t stand it! The sound of the glass being slammed down on the table was the sound of Su Rou slamming the glass down on the table. He couldn’t help it, and shouted, “Sanwa, I’m not saying this to you, but why are you acting like a girl? I looked at Su Rou, my eyes full of anger. I was in a bad mood and didn’t know what Su Rou meant by coming to provoke me at this time. But Su Rou said, “Sanwa, who can rely on anyone for the rest of their life? I finished junior high school and left my parents after two years of technical school. A man has to face the world alone. Do you think Master Jiang is a baby-sitter? Are you still breast-feeding? What do you think you are like if you’re not like a woman?” Qin Huai lit a cigarette and said to me, “Yes, Chengyi, you are very lucky. Master Jiang was worried about you, so he asked Su Rou to stay with you when he left. Of course, compared to Su Rou, I am not qualified to say this because I have never left home. I believe that Su Rou also came out alone at that time. Think about it yourself.” Their words finally calmed me down. I suddenly felt that yes, I was very lucky to have such good friends by my side. Yes, I’m always alone! My heart was bitter, so I poured a glass of wine and said, “Don’t say anything today, just drink with me.” 鈥烩€烩€� Three days later, Qinhuai and I boarded the train to Beijing. For three days, I didn’t think about anything, just drinking with Qinhuai and Su Rou for three days, trying to clear my mind. I originally planned to visit my parents, I originally planned to go to Miaojiang, and many other original plans became confused after my master left! I couldn’t wait to see what my master had left me. I felt that only in that way could I have a clear idea in my mind and know what I should do next! I traveled from Sichuan to Beijing again, but this time, my master was no longer by my side. I got off the train and returned to the familiar hutong. I didn’t even have time to say goodbye to Qinhuai Road, and I ran back home. I was a little dazed when I opened the door. I thought I could still see Master sitting in the courtyard, leisurely drinking tea and waiting for me, but the courtyard was empty. This is different from before. He used to leave often, and the longest time he was gone was two months. But I always knew he would come back. This time, he didn’t even want to say anything to me in person before he left! Three years, is that really only three years? I rushed into the house. Everything in the house had not changed. There was even very little dust. Obviously, Master had returned. I knew Master’s habits, so I rushed straight to Master’s room. I didn’t look at anything, my eyes only falling on the letter Master had left for me. I opened the letter with some trembling, and Master’s familiar handwriting came into view. Chengyi: When you read this letter, I will already be on my way to find what I am looking for. Forgive me for leaving without saying goodbye, but there are many things I cannot tell you. Three years is a promise that a master makes to you. If I am not dead by then, come to Miao Village to find me three years later. By then, you can wait in this courtyard and someone will take you to me. The things in this room, you saw when you were a child. Most of them were left by your master. You know that your master didn’t have much money. It’s not easy to practice Buddhism, especially in this day and age. If you can’t move forward, sell these things one by one. I won’t blame you, and I don’t think your master will blame you either. The medicinal herbs are in the old place, and I left you a year’s worth. The magic tools are also in the old place. They are some of the ones I use most often, and they are not bad. My request is simple. For the next three years, you must not use Taoist magic unless it is to protect yourself. Because your Taoist magic is not yet mature enough to help others or to survive on your own. I will not tolerate you using Taoist magic to deceive others. In addition, don’t think about spending a long time with your parents in the next three years. You know your own fate. Spending a month with your parents a year is enough. Finally, in these three years, I hope you will practice Taoism diligently and mature in the secular world. I hope that after three years, when we meet again as master and disciple, I will see a different you. The letter ends here, followed by the master’s signature and date, and my tears have long since wet the letter paper. Yes, the letter was simple, without too much sentimentality or explanation, but the information and feelings revealed in the lines of the letter made me cry. Master said that if he were still alive, it would mean that the things he had to do were very dangerous. The things he left me, the hope he gave me, every word was full of deep feelings. He… I dried my tears, folded the letter gently, put it in an envelope, and then put it in my pocket. I decided that no matter where I went in the next three years, I would carry this letter with me. Actually, I really want to go to Miaojiang. Master said he was going to Miaojiang to treat Grandpa Hui’s injuries. Maybe if I ask around on the way to Miaojiang, I’ll find Master. But I dismissed the idea. As Su Rou said, am I still a baby? Master told me to train myself for three years, but I’m going to look for him non-stop. What does that make me? I finally made up my mind. I was no longer so sad. Three years is three years. I don’t believe I can’t survive. I touched my pocket. When Qin Huai left, he lent me 500 yuan. I’ll live off this 500 yuan. In the evening, I made myself a simple dinner. As I was eating, someone knocked on the door. I thought it was Qin Huai, so I opened the door, but I found that there was more than just Qin Huai. He was accompanied by his wife, Jingyi. At this time, my sister-in-law’s belly was already quite visible, but she was in good spirits. I quickly ushered them in and sat them down. Looking at my sister-in-law, I suddenly felt very unworthy. Compared to her situation, what was my situation? She sat down and didn’t say much, but asked me directly, “I came back with Master Jiang, and I know everything. I want to ask you what your plans are for the future.” I didn’t answer directly, but asked, “Sister-in-law Jingyi, why did you come to Beijing?” Jingyi’s sister-in-law said, “I have to stay in Beijing because you know, what your brother-in-law did was not honorable. Although the investigation is still ongoing and the verdict has not yet been reached, I estimate that… Anyway, I am staying here because it is the will of the higher authorities. I think it is also good, and staying anywhere does not prevent me from raising my child.” Jingyi’s sister-in-law’s words were vague, but I understood the meaning of her words, because of her brother-in-law, she probably couldn’t live freely in the future. Her brother-in-law’s case was too serious, right? I thought of the strange purple plant. No matter how stupid I am, I understand that Shengge was after that! I also admire the power of that organization, which was able to get the plant from the bottom of the river, under the hands of the old village chief, a monster so powerful. After that, Brother Sheng left without hesitation… Looking at my sister-in-law, I felt a little sad, and so did Qin Huai. Look at what her man has brought her! You have to know that my sister-in-law is also a high-achieving student with a bright future, and now that Sheng has left, he has ruined everything. You don’t need to use your brain to know that after this, my sister-in-law will never be reused! Maybe she won’t be able to use all the knowledge she has learned. This is a very difficult thing for a researcher! Seeing me and Qinhuai sad, my sister-in-law burst out laughing and said, “Don’t be sad, you two silly boys. I’m very happy. I have a baby to keep me company, and many people in Beijing take care of me. I also get a good salary. Compared to many people who are drifting, am I not lucky? But you, Sanwa, haven’t told me what your plans are.” I looked at my sister-in-law Jingyi and said, “I’ll take care of things here, and then I’ll go back to Sichuan to see my parents. Don’t worry about me, sister-in-law. It’s only three years, right?”