I suddenly realized what was going on. I returned to the front hall, clutching the Seven Star Sword and Bagua Mirror. These two items were the magical instruments Su Xiaoniu had asked me to bring with me on this trip to the Ghost Village. The phantom version of Su Xiaoniu I'd encountered last time in the Ghost Gate Bagua Escape had also been holding a Seven Star Sword, but the real Su Xiaoniu had shattered it on the spot. Clearly, that Seven Star Sword was also an illusion. The Seven Star Sword I held now was the real thing.

The Seven Star Sword's demon-slaying power is stronger than the Tianpeng Ruler's, but in terms of lethality, the Tianpeng Ruler still excels. Furthermore, most spells, incantations, formations, and even sword techniques are clearly better performed with the Seven Star Sword. As for the Bagua Mirror, its function is quite different from commercially available Bagua Mirrors. Besides its protective function, it also has the ability to repel evil spirits and exorcise them, making it even more powerful.

The Bagua mirror plus the amulet provide double self-defense, making you immune to ghosts!

In addition, Su Xiaoniu also taught me the "Purifying Heaven and Earth Mantra," which is the third of the Eight Great Taoist Mantras, in addition to the Golden Light Mantra and the Purifying Heart Mantra. As for its function, Su Xiaoniu didn't tell me yet, so I just learned it first.

I packed my things, made the blue talisman, and the next day, I boarded the train to Kaiping, Guangdong. Yu Jie even came to the station to see me off that day and gave me a bunch of money, probably around ten thousand yuan. I confiscated it, saying it was just a favor between brothers, and there was no need for such empty talk.

Yu Jie held the money in his pocket and watched me leave on the train.

On the train to Guangdong, I asked Su Xiaoniu why she didn't stop me this time. If it were before, she would definitely not let me go!

Su Xiaoniu smiled and said, "Even if I advise you not to go, you will still go, right?"

I am speechless.

Yes, Su Xiaoniu knows me very well. She knows that I am a person who values ​​friendship and loyalty. If a friend is in trouble, I will be the first to stick out for him. For someone like me, it is really difficult to stop me from doing what I want to do.

"If one day I encounter danger, will you come to save me?" Su Xiaoniu suddenly said in a low voice.

"Yeah!" I nodded.

Su Xiaoniu said angrily: "Say yes!"

I nodded heavily: "I will!"

Su Xiaoniu chuckled and smiled sweetly.

I slowly fell asleep to her laughter. Some time later, the train stopped in Jiangmen, Guangdong. I inquired about the location of the rumored "ghost village" and learned it was in Dengbian Village, Kaiping. I took a taxi to Dengbian Village, which is said to have a history of over 120 years and once housed over 60 households. Before and after liberation, the villagers left for overseas to survive. Now, abandoned for over a decade, it's a veritable deserted village, even nicknamed "Ghost Village"!

There is a watchtower called Anmin Tower in the west of the village, and the name of the tower can still be vaguely seen; there is a kapok tree in the east of the village, which has grown tall and lush. It would not have been as majestic as it is today without the nourishment of the scenery for a hundred years.

This is what a taxi driver told me: there is a good path to the deserted village, but cars can't drive in, only bicycles or motorcycles can drive in. The taxi driver saw that I was carrying a big bag and knew I was from another place. He said that he had a friend who drove a motorcycle and asked him to take me there for some money.

I was eagerly awaiting this opportunity, so I agreed. Soon, his friend arrived on a beat-up motorcycle, so shabby I couldn't even discern the make. The driver was a man in his fifties, wearing a ragged cotton shirt, black trousers, and black cloth shoes. His temples were graying, and he had a straw hat wrapped around his neck. His face was pale, his eyes dull. The taxi driver, on the other hand, was much younger, at least in his forties, but his gaze was incredibly sharp.

I paid the fifty yuan fare. The man in the straw hat took me on his motorcycle and headed towards the deserted village. The taxi driver followed us all the way, saying there were no customers and we were just strolling around. I didn't pay any attention.

Soon, the man in the straw hat said that the deserted village was just ahead, but because the road was too narrow and there were many vines and weeds on the roadside, we drove very slowly. I took this opportunity to ask about the "ghost village".

The taxi driver behind us stopped his car a long way off and ran over, quickly catching up to us. He said, "We've lived here for forty or fifty years and never heard of any ghosts. But these are all old houses, and the deeper you go, the creepier it gets. Not long ago, there were reports of a group of tourists disappearing here, and just before you, several police officers went in to investigate."