Ancestral hall in Dapo Village.
Almost all the villagers crowded into the courtyard, but were kept outside by the soldiers.
The village chief and several prominent local gentry were sitting around in the main hall.
The magistrate sat in the main seat, his plump face already beaded with sweat.
"Village Chief Hao, did this Tai Sui really kill someone? But where is the body?"
Village Chief Hao was in his prime, but his face looked somewhat haggard.
“Your Excellency, this Tai Sui is too evil. It eats people without spitting out the bones. The boys on night duty saw it swallow our village’s Liu Da whole. After eating him, his whole body turned blood red. If this thing is not eliminated, our village will be in great danger.”
He had barely finished speaking when two loud shouts were heard.
"Master Jin Chan has arrived!"
"Raise the Tai Sui!"
Everyone in the courtyard became agitated.
Liu Da's parents were even more furious.
"Kill this evil spirit and avenge me!"
A middle-aged man wearing a golden Bagua robe and a square Bagua hat walked out. His temples were graying, and he held a whisk, exuding an air of otherworldly wisdom.
On that very day, Bai Shu, who had abducted Bai Shuo from the Ghost Market, adopted the alias Jin Chan.
Village Chief Hao became excited.
“Your Excellency, this Master Jin Chan is a highly skilled Taoist priest, and also a compassionate person who brings blessings to the world. He happened to be cultivating here when he noticed that Tai Sui had become an evil spirit. He offered to exorcise the evil spirit and ward off disaster for my Dapo Village. Moreover, the villagers who were previously affected by this evil Tai Sui are gradually getting better. He is truly a god who saves all living beings.”
The county magistrate couldn't help but take a few more glances.
Behind the white tree, four villagers carried out an item covered with a large yellow cloth.
The yellow cloth was covered with complex talismans written in blood-red cinnabar, making it appear even more eerie and mysterious.
Bai Shu directed four villagers to carry the Tai Sui (a type of fungus) onto the fire frame that had been set up in advance.
The air was filled with the smell of tung oil.
With just a little fire, everything can be burned.
A calculating glint flashed in Bai Shu's eyes.
When the Yang Tai Sui dies, the Yin Tai Sui will inevitably appear.
He will then subdue the ravaged lands, gaining both a good reputation and a treasure.
That's killing two birds with one stone.
The elixir refined by Yin Tai Sui will surely greatly enhance his divine skills.
Removing the magical artifact from Bai Shuo's body is just around the corner.
"Master Jin Chan, shall we wait for the appointed time?"
Village Chief Hao inquired respectfully.
Bai Shu snapped out of his daze, composed himself, and nodded slightly to everyone in the hall.
“This thing has become a scourge and must be destroyed as soon as possible, otherwise it will continue to devour people. Although now is not the best time, I will put in more effort to suppress and burn it.”
The villagers had long admired him.
Upon hearing this, they all raised their arms and cheered.
Bai Shu raised his hand.
"ignition!"
Li Da's father shouted, "I'm here! I want to avenge my son myself!"
He then walked out of the crowd, holding a torch.
The villagers were all shouting encouragement, and the torches were about to be thrown into the fire pit.
Ye Qi rode up and landed in front of the fire stand, holding up the royal token in his hand.
"The Ninth Prince has decreed that the fire sacrifice ceremony be postponed."
The villagers looked at each other in bewilderment.
Ye Qi turned to look into the hall.
Upon catching sight of the county magistrate in his official robes, he raised his token once more.
"The Ninth Prince is on his way. The Prince has ordered that no fire be lit until he arrives. Magistrate, please maintain order and do not make any mistakes."
Although the county magistrate's official position was low, he was still an official in the suburbs of the capital and had seen many powerful and influential people in the capital.
Seeing that the token was genuine, he quickly knelt down, trembling.
"Your subordinate obeys."
"Quickly, extinguish all the torches. Villagers, step back and do not come forward."
Li Da's father stomped his feet in anger.
"Why wait? This thing killed my son. Even the sorcerer said that if we don't burn it to death, more people will die."
He looked at the white tree anxiously as he spoke.
"Master Jin Chan, I only trust you! Please tell them quickly! This thing cannot be kept!"
Bai Shu frowned and looked at Ye Qi.
"How much longer until the Ninth Prince you mentioned arrives at Dapo Village?"
Ye Qi had come at breakneck speed and was unsure of Mo Yunhan and the others' pace or when they would leave the city.
And you have to bring other people with you.
After a moment's thought, he said, "We will definitely arrive in two hours."
"no!"
Bai Shu refused outright.
He pointed to the sun in the sky.
“This thing absorbs the essence of heaven and earth, sun and moon. Although I have covered it with talismans, its power will increase greatly once the sun is past noon. At that time, it will be extremely difficult to suppress. If it continues to harm the people, do you think the Ninth Prince can bring the dead back to life?”
His words reignited the villagers' anger.
They questioned and accused him.
Li Da's father was particularly excited.
"Let's not wait any longer, let's light it now."
Others echoed loudly,
"Ignition! Ignition!"
Ye Qi disliked reasoning with people. He drew his longsword and stood coldly in front of the fire pit. "Let's see who dares to do that?"
The magistrate was so anxious that even more sweat poured down his forehead.
"Village Chief Hao, why don't you say something?"
Village Chief Hao looked troubled.
"Your Excellency, it's not that I don't care, but you know that the people of Hao Village are united. Now that this evil spirit has devoured people, public anger and resentment have risen. How can we stop it?"
The county magistrate paced back and forth.
Dapo Village was the wealthiest village in the vicinity, and most of the supplies for the county magistrate were provided by the people of Dapo Village.
They were practically the county government's bread and butter.
Even the county magistrate has to give some face.
But on the other side is the Ninth Prince, whom he also cannot afford to offend.
After thinking it over, he decided to play peacemaker and rushed over with a serious expression, shouting, "Don't cause a conflict. The Ninth Prince's presence here must be out of concern for the people's hearts and for your safety. Wouldn't it be better if His Highness the Ninth Prince were here to oversee things?"
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