"The Yin-Sealing Mark? What's its use?"

Luo Tianhe, who was standing to the side, asked.

I frowned. Black dog blood, rooster comb blood, cinnabar, rust—these things are all used to ward off evil spirits!

Using it in these yin places is not for the purpose of warding off evil spirits, but rather to use their yang energy to do yin things.

Sure enough, the man in the Zhongshan suit explained the next moment: "This thing is to lock in the things in the water, preventing them from coming out, and also to isolate them from the outside air, so that this pool of water can be completely turned into stagnant water!"

"Ordinary stagnant water refers to water that does not flow and has no source."

However, the stagnant water here is truly a dead pool, devoid of even the slightest trace of yang energy; you could consider it the water of the underworld.

Is there such a saying?

There really are always people more capable than you, and there's always something beyond your understanding.

I thought I was quite skilled, able to see through most evil things at a glance, but this man in the Zhongshan suit was clearly more skilled than me.

"The fish kept inside aren't for ornamental purposes; they're catfish that feed on rotten things at the bottom of the water and accumulating yin energy. Look closely, don't those fish have no eyes?"

When he pointed it out, we were horrified to discover that the large black fish swimming slowly in the depths of the pool indeed only had two smooth indentations in their eye sockets, but no eyeballs.

"These fish cannot be exposed to light and live year-round at the bottom of this stagnant water. They survive by eating filthy things and sensing the vibrations of the water. They are here for two reasons: first, to clean up leftover nutrients, and second..."

He paused, a cruel smile playing on his lips: "If someone accidentally falls in or is thrown in, they'll be the best cleaners, sucking up even the bone fragments!"

"As for the people who get thrown down, they're usually people like you who come here specifically to cause trouble."

His somber words made Li Huai's legs go weak, and he had to grab my arm to keep from collapsing to the ground.

Luo Tianhe frowned, his eyes flashing with a fierce light. He wasn't good at dealing with ghosts or anything like that, but if anyone tried to throw the three of us into the water, he would show them just how ruthless and fast his baton was.

"And what you just mentioned, that sweet, earthy smell."

The man in the Zhongshan suit sniffed sharply.

"What you smell is a sweet, fishy odor, but what I smell is a cloying, fishy, ​​and mournful scent! There is indeed something extraordinary buried down there, not an ordinary corpse, but a fragrant corpse!"

"A fragrant corpse?"

Hearing that word sent a chill down my spine.

My grandfather once told me about this. It was an ancient, unorthodox practice that involved soaking corpses in special spices and medicines to prevent them from decaying and instead make them emit a strange fragrance.

Its purpose is to nurture evil things that need yin energy for nourishment, or to set up extremely insidious formations. However, this method has been lost for a long time and is against the natural order. I never expected to hear it here today.

I clenched my fists. That damned Zeng, the richest man, really did nothing but cause harm behind the scenes. I wonder how many innocent people he killed and how much blood he has on his hands.

"Yes, they are fragrant corpses, and there's more than one."

His voice was even lower, and I could barely hear it.

"The location of the burial is also very particular, corresponding to the positions of ominous stars such as the Five Yellow and Two Black in the sky. Then, a specially cultivated soul-guiding orchid is planted on it. The roots of the plant penetrate into the corpse, absorbing fragrance and yin energy. The flowers that bloom have a wonderfully fragrant aroma. This fragrance is the source of the sweet earth energy you smell."

“Otherwise, if the fragrant corpse is buried in the ground, even if your noses are very sensitive, you won’t be able to smell it.”

He shrugged and continued, "However, I advise you not to smell it too much. If a living person smells it for too long, they will become mentally confused, easily see dirty things, and easily be entangled by dirty things."

The dead, or something neither human nor ghost, smelled it, and like opium, it was like a refreshing rain.

As he spoke, a sudden gust of cold wind swept through the courtyard. The wind was not strong, but it was icy cold and carried a strong, sweet, fishy smell.

We instinctively held our breath, afraid to smell anything more.

A cold wind whipped up fallen leaves from the ground, swirling them around and rushing towards our feet.

The few eyeless catfish in the pond seemed to be startled, and suddenly darted about, stirring up a patch of dark water.

Almost simultaneously, from the end of the corridor leading to the front yard, a few faint humming sounds could be heard.

The voice was faint, drifting over on the wind, making me feel uneasy. At the same time, it felt somewhat familiar; it seemed to be the voice of the waitress who had given the opening remarks earlier.

The man in the Zhongshan suit suddenly stopped talking, listened intently, and his expression instantly became extremely serious. He quickly glanced at us, his eyes filled with warning: "There are some things that can no longer be said, and you can no longer listen to them! This place becomes a different place after nightfall. If you want to leave alive, hurry back to a place with more people before it gets dark."

"Remember, don't touch any oddly colored flowers or plants here, and don't drink the tea here, especially the ones that are reddish or greenish in color, and also..."

The man took a breath, paused, and looked sharply at the three of us: "No matter what voice calls your names, or what familiar figure beckons from the shadows, do not respond or follow. Those are not people, but things from here, trying to use your scent to lure us in!"

The three of us nodded emphatically.

After he finished speaking, he didn't linger and turned to leave.

He walked quickly, but not the way he came; instead, he headed deeper into the courtyard and disappeared in a few steps.

The three of us stood in the increasingly dark courtyard, and the sound of Li Huai's teeth chattering was clearly audible.

"Chen Yan, what was that humming just now?" His voice trembled violently.

I glanced at him and said irritably, "Who else could it be? Those waitresses you've been longing for, of course. You're not happy that they sing for you? Don't you really like them?"

"Brother Yan, I was wrong. Don't talk nonsense. What if they come looking for me tonight?"

Li Huai waved his hands repeatedly, no longer displaying his previous lecherous demeanor.

Luo Tianhe spat, his face turning ashen: "That guy is right, we shouldn't stay here any longer. We need to get back to a more populated area before it gets completely dark."

"But he didn't go to crowded places; he went further in."

Li Huai pointed in the direction where the man in the Zhongshan suit disappeared, deep in the courtyard, behind the artificial hill and bushes.

It was pitch black, and just looking at it gave me the creeps.

"That guy is very mysterious; I don't know who he is."

I muttered to myself.

"Brother Yan, Brother Luo, do you think he's friend or foe? He doesn't seem like someone from the richest man Zeng's side, yet he's telling us so much."

Li Huai leaned closer and said.

I glared at him and said irritably, "So you know that now?"