Chapter 57

After spending a few days at the Tianshi Mansion, I tried every way to get Zhang Jingzhi to talk, but he would clam up when I asked about the ghost clan and instead rambled on. I knew I couldn't get anything out of him, and Longhu Mountain was too quiet, so I started to get restless again.

"Little sister, just stay in the Tianshi Mansion for a few more days. Father's laughter these days is more than in the past ten years." Zhang Pingyin tried to persuade me to stay.

"Yes, little sister, I will feel uncomfortable here alone if you leave." Liu Danchen didn't want me to leave either.

I was a little embarrassed, but with my personality I really couldn't stay here any longer.

"Let her go!" Zhang Jingzhi came out of the house and said, "Remember, don't force anything, otherwise it will hurt others and yourself."

"Thank you, Grandpa. I'll remember this and come back to see you." Now I can finally leave without any hesitation.

"Senior Brother Danchen, please say goodbye to Master Zhang for me. You don't have to worry about me, I can take good care of myself." I said.

When Liu Danchen knew that I was determined to leave, he actually shed tears. Indeed, after going through so many things, he and I became closer, and he took care of me like a brother.

"Take care!" he said in a gloomy tone.

"Well, don't worry."

"Take this!" Zhang Jingzhi handed me an ancient book. The material of the book looked like paper but not paper, like leather but not leather, but I recognized those three words.

"The Yin Fu Lu", and the complete version!

"Grandpa?" I was shocked beyond words.

"I won this from Gui Liangtu fifty years ago when I was one hundred years old," Zhang Jingzhi said proudly.

"Thank you, Grandpa!" I knelt on the ground and was about to kowtow.

I had only learned incomplete spells from the "Yin Fu Lu" before, but it could also exert great power when combined with the Yuhao Stone. Now that I have the complete version, my strength will surely be improved. The most important thing is that the "Yin Fu Lu" also records the legends of our ghost clan. It can be said that the "Yin Fu Lu" is the heritage of our ghost clan.

I'm not a child anymore. I know my grandfather lied to me. That fragment of the manuscript definitely wasn't a family heirloom. He most likely copied it secretly, and then was discovered by his clan members, forcing him to flee to our current home. I'm certain my grandfather and parents were captured and taken back to the ghost tribe.

Zhang Jingzhi saw me about to kneel down, so he supported me and said, "You can't call me Grandpa in vain. Tianshi Mansion is your home. Come back often."

"I understand, Grandpa." I burst into laughter.

"Okay, go ahead." Zhang Jingzhi said kindly.

I nodded heavily.

I excitedly picked up the "Yin Fu Lu" and walked down Longhu Mountain with big strides.

The entire journey was spent immersed in the complete contents of the Yin Fu Lu. I didn't recognize any of the ancient characters within, but as I gazed upon them, I could see that each word held a fragment of history. That history unfolded before my eyes, a feeling I could only grasp, not describe. The vast, ancient information filled my mind, and I spent days sorting through it.

After thoroughly understanding our clan's history, I realized we had such a glorious and mysterious past. I also uncovered clues to our clan's origins. Records indicate that our Gui clan originated from the Jiang family and was granted the title of "Guifang." This "Guifang" is our ancestral land. Later, due to war, we moved away from our original homeland and dispersed across the vast land of China.

My idea now is to find where the "Gui Fang" is first.

Having a clue is better than being like a headless fly.

Looking at the spells recorded there, it turns out our clan's most important ability is communicating with the spirits of the dead. Therefore, we preside over rituals and salvation activities. This also explains why I've been particularly susceptible to ghosts since I was a child, because we are naturally close to the spirits. As for the Fire Bell Technique I learned, it's just for supplementary purposes.

One day I was walking on the road when a group of people ran past me in a panic. They had a hint of dark aura on them, which was different from the aura of ghosts and monsters I had encountered before. I was curious, so I followed them to see what it was.

Before entering the village, I saw white money on the roadside. At the entrance of the village, there were three coffins neatly placed. The coffins were tightly closed, and strangely, there was no one guarding them.

When the villagers saw me following them, they shouted fiercely, "You little girl, are you trying to save your life? Stop following us and get away from here."

I didn't listen to them, but followed them into the village. An old lady saw that I was a stranger and hurriedly pulled me aside and said, "What a sin! Whose girl are you?"

"I don't know her. What a poor kid! I let her go but she had to follow me into the village." Someone nearby said.

From their conversation, I knew something must have happened here that caused them to panic.

"Auntie, what's going on here?" I asked curiously.

"Oh my god." The aunt quickly pulled me into the house.

She covered my mouth in panic.

"What happened?"

"Keep your voice down, or you might disturb the mountain god." The old lady said cautiously.

"Mountain God?" I asked doubtfully, "What does this have to do with the Mountain God?"

The old lady said, "Don't ask any more questions, or you might offend the mountain god. Now that you've entered our village, don't leave. Have you seen the three coffins at the entrance to the village? They didn't believe in evil yesterday, so they left the village and didn't come back all day. They all died there this morning."

After hearing what the old lady said, I was certain this wasn't a mountain god at all, but rather a kind of evil spirit I'd never encountered before. Mountain gods and land gods are the guardians of a region, so how could they harm a person's life?

But the auntie refused to say, and there was nothing I could do.

The kind lady took me in and repeatedly told me to stay in the village and come back before dark even if I went out, otherwise I would die like those three people.

Even though I have experienced all these, I have experienced many dangerous scenes. It seems that I can only go out and take a look tonight.

As soon as night fell, the villagers locked their doors and windows, not even turning on the lights. After Auntie fell asleep, I snuck out. The village, which was clearly populated by people, now felt like a deserted place, especially when the wind blew up the dust on the road, making the feeling even stronger.

I reached the village entrance. In the moonlight, I suddenly heard movement from the three coffins. I stared intently. With a clang, the coffin lids fell to the ground, and the three bodies within floated out. Their features were bloody and mangled, and it was impossible to distinguish noses from eyes. Their bodies were also mutilated, missing arms and legs. They slowly walked towards the hill to the left of the village, and I quietly followed.

As soon as I left the village, I could feel a barrier-like obstruction. This energy was full of evil, the same aura that I had felt before that did not belong to demons or ghosts.

What on earth was this thing? As I was thinking about it, the three corpses suddenly turned around and looked at me.