Some people took a bite as soon as they got their hands on it, nodding and praising as they ate: "So delicious, so sweet!"

Some people were reluctant to put the apples in their pockets, unsure whether they were planning to take them home for their families or save them for tomorrow.

Each soldier took two, and there were still more than ten left in the cloth bag. Qian Manguan took them back and handed them to Minister He, then asked, "Commander, what do we do next?"

He Da ordered, "Tonight's mission was completed very well, everyone worked hard! Now get in the vehicles and head back to camp."

Qian Manguan immediately responded, "Yes!"

He turned and directed the soldiers to quickly get into the vehicle, his movements swift and efficient.

The vehicle slowly started and headed towards the military region.

Seeing them walk away, Wei Guodong said, "Let's go back too!"

Rong Lianhu got into the driver's seat first, He Da got into the passenger seat, and Qing Xuanzi sat in the back seat with Rong Jiaojiao and Wei Guodong in his arms.

The vehicle drove out of the compound, its headlights flashing in the night, and gradually drove away, leaving the Zhao family compound quiet again.

Upon arriving in town, Wei Guodong and He Da got out of the car and followed Qing Xuanzi into the courtyard.

Qing Xuanzi pointed to the stone table in the courtyard and invited them, "Sit for a while and have a cup of tea before you leave."

He Da quickly declined, saying, "No, Master, we still need to go back and arrange for the grain."

He handed over the donation certificate: "Master, this is the donation certificate. Inside are two receipts. One is the receipt for the amount of grain you donated, and the other is the receipt for the meat you donated before."

"Because Jiaojiao is too young, it is not appropriate to write her name alone, so we have also written your name. Please take a look."

Qing Xuanzi accepted the certificate of honor, which was a piece of paper that looked like an award certificate.

Just as Qing Xuanzi received the certificate, a golden light, invisible to others, fell upon him and Rong Jiaojiao.

There weren't many, just a few small specks of light, but it still pleased Qing Xuanzi; his disciple had truly gained merit.

He opened the certificate and saw the neatly written quantities of donated grain and meat, along with his and Rong Jiaojiao's names. The certificate was stamped with a bright red official seal, giving it an air of solemnity.

Qing Xuanzi seemed very pleased and nodded: "That's right, you can go and do what you need to do."

The two of them did indeed have to go back and take care of some things, so Wei Guodong said, "Then we'll be going now."

“Alright, see you later!” Qing Xuanzi replied.

"See you later!" Wei Guodong and He Da also said goodbye.

After they left, Rong Lianhu asked Fu Ya, "Have you applied for leave?"

Fu Ya nodded: "I invited them for three days."

After hearing this, Rong Lianhu turned to Qing Xuanzi and said, "Brother, we plan to take the three children to the county town tomorrow to buy them clothes. We'll need you to come with us to look after Jiaojiao."

Qing Xuanzi knew they wanted to spend more time with the child, so he didn't object and nodded in agreement.

However, he said, "You should take Jiaojiao back tonight, and take these two boys back with you too. I have something to do tonight."

Fu Ya couldn't wait to take her daughter home, but she was also worried that she might suddenly take things away. With Qing Xuanzi not around, they couldn't fool the two boys.

Qing Xuanzi thought for a moment and said, "Lian Hu, take your wife back first, then come and keep these two boys company. I'll wait for you here before I leave."

Rong Lianhu guessed that he might be going to the Zhao family compound, so he nodded and said, "Then I'll take my wife and Jiaojiao back now."

Qing Xuanzi nodded: "Go quickly and come back quickly."

Fu Ya was going to pick up Rong Jiaojiao, but she clung to Qing Xuanzi and wouldn't let go.

Qing Xuanzi patted her bottom: "You're usually not this clingy, what's wrong with you today?"

Rong Jiaojiao wouldn't let go, hugging Qing Xuanzi's neck and burying her head in his neck, pouting, "Father Xi, sleepy, don't go!"

Qing Xuanzi couldn't bear to scold her, so he took out a milk powder bottle and asked Rong Lianhu to make her a bottle.

She fell asleep after being held and fed for a while. To prevent her from waking up and crying in the middle of the night, Qing Xuanzi gave her a sleeping talisman before letting Rong Lianhu send Fu Ya and Rong Jiaojiao back.

More than half an hour later, Rong Lianhu returned again, and only then did Qing Xuanzi set off for the Zhao family compound.

The Zhao family compound was exceptionally quiet in the night, with only the sound of a gentle breeze rustling through the leaves.

Qing Xuanzi silently walked into the Zhao family hall. In the darkness, however, he could clearly see that the souls of several generations of the Zhao family were quietly waiting.

They were all dressed in thin, tattered clothes, and included men, women, and children of all ages.

Some ghosts, because their spiritual power is not deep enough, cannot change the miserable state they were in before their death; their bodies are covered with marks of being tortured.

Moreover, their faces were all bruised and black, clearly indicating that they had not only been tortured but also died from poisoning. It is unknown whether they committed suicide or were murdered.

Qing Xuanzi stood in the center of the ancestral hall, looked around, and sighed softly.

He had known about the haunted Zhao family compound for a long time, but he never expected it to turn out this way.

The Zhao family compound was set up with a three-gate soul-locking array, trapping the souls of the entire family within the compound. Meanwhile, the lifespans of those among them who had not yet reached the end of their lifespan were being continuously drained away.

"Can you really see us? Are you a celestial master?"

A man who looked like the patriarch of the Zhao family stepped forward, his voice filled with vicissitudes and expectation.

Qing Xuanzi nodded slightly: "You must be the ancestor of the Zhao family, right? Elder Zhao, I heard you asking me for help earlier. Please speak frankly."

Mr. Zhao sighed and looked at the children crawling around on the ground. Two of them were still infant spirits whose facial features had not yet fully developed.

He pleaded, "It is so. They have not enjoyed any happiness since they came to my Zhao family. Instead, they have suffered with us. Even after death, they cannot be reincarnated. Please, Master, help them to be freed."

Qing Xuanzi asked in confusion, "I've heard that the government has reported the supernatural events here to higher authorities. You should have either been sent to the underworld or taken away by the Xuanmen Group, a special department. Why are you still trapped in the formation?"

A young ghost beside him said angrily, "They didn't invite a master to send us off. They invited evil cultivators. Every time they come, they just reinforce the formation. They trap us in the formation, preventing us from going to the underworld, and then use our remaining lifespan to extend the lives of others."

Qing Xuanzi frowned: "Can you tell me about your deaths, and how they trapped you in the formation?"

The elder who just spoke up said, "During the land reform, our land was taken back, and we were dragged away to be criticized and denounced."

As he said this, his tone carried a hint of relief: "Since our Zhao family became wealthy, we have always treated the people around us kindly. When we were dragged away to be criticized and denounced, none of the nearby villagers or neighbors attacked us."

“But someone had their eyes on our family’s money and lives. They brought a lot of people from elsewhere and beat us to the point of near death in broad daylight in public.”

“They set up a trap in my courtyard that night, forcing us to hand over our treasures, or they would torture and kill my family members one by one. I didn’t dare to gamble, so I handed over all the hidden valuables.”