Zhou Taotao looked so unkempt and so different from his previous upright and cheerful self. Yan Jue almost didn't recognize him at first sight. At the same time, he secretly sighed that the situation in Xitu Village was quite tricky, otherwise people wouldn't be in such a state.
"Brother Yan."
Behind him, Zhang Zizheng popped up and greeted him with the same haggard face as Zhou Taotao.
"Come in and sit down."
Yan Jue welcomed the two into the house, said something, and went to wash up. When he came out, he saw the two of them sitting obediently on the chairs, staring at the two cubs on the quilt at the end of the bed.
Zhou Taotao, who knew the inside story, was curious and kind, but Zhang Zizheng was so shocked that he covered his chest and looked like he might pass out at any moment.
Zhang Zizhen looked at Zhou Taotao, who looked calm, then at Yan Jue, who acted as if nothing had happened. Finally, he broke the silence in a trembling voice, "Are these two the latest model of lifelike toys?"
The fish tail and fox tail are made very realistically, and they can move around without looking awkward at all.
A confused child's voice, as clear and clear as the sound of nature, rang out: "Realistic toys? Are you talking about us?"
Damn, he spoke!
Zhang Zizhen almost jumped up from the stool.
"Noel, Zhuofeng, they are my colleagues." Yan Jue only introduced the identities of the two strangers to the two cubs, and then stopped talking under Zhang Zizheng's eager gaze. He had no intention of reciprocating and introducing them back.
"Let's go once you've packed up." Zhou Taotao didn't say much, but stood up and said, "We'll tell you the details while we eat on the way."
Yan Jue followed with his two cubs and landed behind Zhou Taotao.
Even in the real world, Noel still needed to follow his body's needs for a long sleep. Having been woken up earlier, and knowing it would take some time to catch the monster, he fell back asleep.
The items in the courtyard were not complete, so Yan Jue had to put the sleeping Noel in a glass cup padded with a tissue and carry it with him. He did not put water in the glass because he was not confident that he could ensure that no water would spill while walking or riding in a car, and the glass would turn from half full to empty.
Zhuo Feng stood on Yan Jue's shoulder, looked back at Zhang Zizhen who was staring at him, and whispered into Yan Jue's ear, "Teacher, I can sense the fluctuation of spiritual energy from the person behind me. Is he already practicing?"
"Well, this is a bit complicated." Yan Jue's mind moved. After briefly studying their world's religious system and the occupations of some talented people, he said, "Zhang Zizhen has been practicing Taoism since he was young, so he was able to successfully draw spiritual energy into his body when it revived. However, he is not the same as the practitioners in your world."
"And strictly speaking, the techniques they learned don't count as cultivation."
Zhuo Feng probably understood and asked, "I've met so many people with the teacher, but this is the first time I've seen someone with spiritual energy. Let's not talk about others, but you're all from the same department, so why is he the only one who's practicing and you guys aren't?"
After saying that, he asked cautiously, "Teacher, don't you plan to practice?"
Could it be that the teacher can't learn, or lacks the talent? Zhuo Feng inevitably felt a little worried. The teacher still had to carry out the mission, so how could he just be a weak and ordinary person? How dangerous!
Understanding Zhuo Feng's implication, Yan Jue was quite helpless. "Before the resurgence of spiritual energy, the vast majority of people in our world believed that we lived in a technological world, free from supernatural forces. Therefore, they were all engaged in scientific work from childhood to adulthood. People like Zhang Zizhen were a minority."
Some people do believe, but they only believe and do not spend time to join the religion and practice. Only a few people really give up everything to practice.
"After the spiritual energy has revived, even if ordinary people want to learn it, it will take years. In your world of cultivation, as long as you have the skills and spiritual roots, it is not difficult to draw the energy into the body. But their system requires too much to learn, and it will take an ordinary person several years to master it."
It is not the case that you have entered the spiritual practice just by being able to recite various scriptures fluently.
If there were no games as a golden finger, the country would definitely select talents to study in various sects at all costs and strive to gain a place in the new world. But after it was introduced, everything was different. Since there was a way to obtain pure cultivation techniques, why would we take the detour?
Don’t think that now that spiritual energy has revived, those talented people are taking advantage and seem to have become the leaders of the new world. However, if someone is not clear-headed and can’t see clearly, those people will come to beg in tears when the country has the cultivation techniques.
Thinking of this, Yan Jue couldn't help but chuckle. He raised his head and rubbed Zhuo Feng: "Teacher also wants to practice, but it's not possible yet."
"Why?"
Turning his head to glance at Zhang Zizhen, who was eavesdropping on their conversation with his ears perked up, Yan Jue kept it a secret: "I'll tell you when there's no one around."
Zhuo Feng also looked back. Zhang Zizhen smiled at him and waved vigorously. He paused and turned to look forward. "Okay, teacher."
So stupid, how did this guy become a colleague of the teacher?
After leaving the courtyard and getting in the car, the people who had been waiting for them distributed steamed buns and soy milk to them, and then drove to Xitu Village. The driver also handed Yan Jue a plastic bag of snacks, pointing to the cup and the two on his shoulder, not hiding his partiality at all.
While eating buns, Yan Jue listened to Zhou Taotao talk about the situation in the village.
"When I first arrived, the village was suffering from drought, so they set up an altar in front of the ancestral hall. People used cooked food or steamed buns and other common offerings for worship. Since it was considered normal, we didn't interfere much after we arrived. We just kept an eye on it to prevent anyone from taking advantage of the situation, defrauding people of their money, or recruiting them into cults."
Zhou Taotao stuffed a bun into his mouth and mumbled, "I've been watching for about half a month. Suddenly, the village's sacrificial activities moved to the village's threshing ground. The offerings also changed from cooked meat to raw meat. After a few days, they changed from chunks of meat to whole slaughtered animals."
"The offerings changed, and the villagers started to become superstitious, mumbling prayers for the ancestors' protection whenever they had a problem. The wheat in the fields had been harvested long ago, and there was nothing serious going on in the fields, but they didn't even bother with their own vegetable gardens, not watering them, and just letting them dry out in the sun. They themselves spent their days kneeling in the threshing grounds or in the ancestral hall, praying to the gods and Buddhas."
Yan Jue was surprised: "Is it that serious? I heard from Director Pan that the villagers used to not go to the ancestral hall except during festivals, let alone set up an offering table in the village."
"Yes, according to our visits, not many people in Xitu Village are superstitious. They are all down-to-earth farmers. Every time the city government goes to the countryside to carry out publicity, they respond very actively."
Zhou Taotao frowned. "At first, we suspected someone was instigating this, but after a long investigation in the village, we didn't find anyone acting strangely. No one in the village was talking about any unfamiliar religious sects. Most people were talking about their ancestors or famous gods in heaven."
However, it is strange that after promoting science and setting a new trend, everyone suddenly turned into ignorant and superstitious people.
"Could it be that the water shortage is too severe this year?" Yan Jue guessed, "Could it be that there's no water in the wells, so the villagers are resorting to extreme measures?"
The matter was bizarre, and Yan Jue, who had always believed in science, subconsciously attributed the cause to science and psychology.
When Zhou Taotao mentioned this, he shook his head bitterly and couldn't help sighing, "The Northwest doesn't rain much, but it's not a desert where it doesn't rain all year round. There's still water in the village wells. If the villagers are frugal, they can still water their crops and eat. Even if there really is no water, the city has measures in place, so people don't have to pray to the gods."
Instead of waiting for praying to gods and Buddhas to come into play, it is better to wait for the country to arrange artificial rainfall.
"Besides feudal superstition, the strangest thing is that I've been here for so long, and the weather forecast has warned of rain several times, but it's never fallen." Zhou Taotao emphasized: "Sometimes the weather forecast still shows signs of rain, but here in Xitu Village, the sun is shining brightly, without even a cloud."
Yan Jue checked the weather and saw that there would be sunshine for the next month.
"Could it be that the weather forecast is inaccurate?" Zhang Zizhen continued, "The weather forecast isn't 100% accurate either. Unexpected weather changes don't happen all the time."
He wandered around all day yesterday and couldn't find any trace of evil in Xitu Village, not even ghostly aura. His confidence began to waver, and he wanted to approach things scientifically.
"I'm not capable enough, so it's understandable that you don't trust me and have doubts, Brother Zhou. However, you must trust the talisman paper my grandfather gave me. It's definitely effective and not a fake or inferior product."
"I burned several places in the village yesterday, but I didn't find any trace of demons or monsters. They were all ordinary people." Zhang Zizhen said with a bitter face: "If supernatural methods don't work, then is there a possibility? I mean, is it possible? This matter is under the jurisdiction of science?"
That makes sense. Yan Jue, holding two unscientific figures standing on his shoulders, wanted to nod and say, "Are Zhou Taotao and the others overthinking it?"
Zhou Taotao was anxious: "You can have your own doubts, but you can't insult my professional ethics!"
"Professional ethics?" Zhang Zizhen was bewildered. "Isn't our Special Management Bureau responsible for supernatural events? But Brother Zhou, you guys can't sense spiritual energy right now. Don't you still have to rely on talisman paper to detect it? The problem is, talisman paper can't detect it either."
Zhou Taotao: “…”
I was careless and forgot that their special management bureau has now been removed from the scope of science.
"That's not important. What's important is that you listen carefully to what I just said." Zhou Taotao repeated, "Only Xitu Village hasn't rained. A few villages away, in another town, all the rain forecasts have fallen, except for this area."
"And the villagers are becoming increasingly paranoid. Ever since they started slaughtering livestock for the sacrificial ceremony, they've been kneeling in front of the altar all day except for meals and sleep, refusing to move. You know how hot the sun is right now, and several people are suffering from heatstroke every day. No matter how many times we rescue them, they just don't learn their lesson and continue kneeling."
"People involved in pyramid schemes and cults often promise benefits and present themselves as something more sophisticated. These villagers haven't been exposed to anything, so I don't know why they're suddenly so devoted." Zhou Taotao glanced at the two men, who seemed lost in thought. "Do you think this is scientific?"
Yan Jue and Zhang Zizhen both shook their heads.
Zhuo Feng suddenly interjected, "You mean to say that there's no evidence of any external influence?"
Zhou Taotao and Zhang Zizhen turned to look at Zhuo Feng, who had been sitting quietly on Yan Jue's shoulder since getting in the car. Yan Jue tilted his head and asked, "Does Zhuo Feng have any opinions?"
"I don't dare to claim any opinion, it's just a guess."
Zhou Taotao's eyes lit up: "Zhuo Feng, tell me more."
Under the gaze of so many people, Zhuo Feng tapped his paws uncomfortably, overcoming his slight nervousness. He said, "To be able to cause an entire village to suddenly go against their own habits, it seems very likely someone is manipulating them through nightmares or illusions."
"Well, we've considered this possibility, but if you cast a spell, there will always be clues left behind." Zhou Taotao looked at Zhang Zizhen: "Xiao Zhang didn't find anything."
Zhang Zizhen didn't care at all about being called a loser. He stared at Zhuo Feng with burning eyes and said excitedly, "Lord Three-Tailed Fox, is it because I'm too weak that I didn't feel anything? Do you have any magical powers that can detect it? Can I follow you and see?"
Zhuo Feng: "...Just call me Zhuo Feng."
He looked at Yan Jue for help, and Yan Jue, receiving the signal, came to his rescue in time: "We'll have to wait until Zhuo Feng arrives in Xitu Village for an on-site inspection to find out the details. Zhang Zizhen, where did you visit yesterday? Tell me more about it."
Zhang Zizhen finally had something to do and didn't have to show off his childish speech. Zhuo Feng breathed a sigh of relief and lay down on Yan Jue's shoulder, closing his eyes to rest and shield himself from someone's intense gaze.
After arriving at the place, a large group of people got off the car and headed towards the village.
Yan Jue leaned close to Zhou Taotao and asked in a low voice, "Are all these people okay?" This was too blatant.
"It's okay." Zhou Taotao checked the time for Yan Jue. "At this time, the villagers have already reported to the altar. As long as we avoid that place, no one will bother us."
Yan Jue once again realized the seriousness of the matter.
He glanced at Zhuo Feng, who was looking around in front of him, and silently hoped that the matter could be resolved as soon as possible so that the villagers would have to pay less crime.
Zhuo Feng floated back to Yan Jue and shook his head at him: "I can't sense anything here. Teacher, can I go see the villagers?"
Yan Jue looked at Zhou Taotao, and after he nodded, he carefully protected the teacup in his hand and followed him to the threshing ground.
The threshing ground is located behind the village, backed by a large earthen ridge. During the busy farming season, crops are dried in the field. Normally, it is a place for villagers to play and relax, so there is a basketball hoop at one end of the field and some fitness equipment around the edge.
At this time, a high black table was placed in the middle of the threshing ground, with only an incense burner standing on it. In front of the table, a large area of black dried blood and dead livestock were neatly arranged in two rows. Behind the table, there were villagers kneeling on the ground, bowing their heads and muttering silently.
The dark crowd made no sound and looked extremely strange and terrifying.
Yan Jue and his companions stopped and hid at the side of a house. Zhuo Feng floated forward a little closer to the villagers and used his spiritual power to cover the person in the last row to investigate.
After a while, he returned to Yan Jue and took his men a little further away to reunite with the main force. He said gravely, "These people are possessed."
Zhang Zizhen's eyes widened, and he ran back to burn a yellow talisman. When he ran back, his face was full of doubts about life: "What is so powerful? Even my grandfather's talisman doesn't work."
Zhuo Feng looked at his bag curiously: "What talisman is that? Can I see it?"
Zhang Zizheng immediately took out one and presented it with both hands.
Zhuo Feng leaned over to take a look and said, "Although I don't know the specific function of this talisman, it does contain spiritual energy, so it's not useless."
Zhou Taotao was shocked: "Could it be that the person who cast the spell has a higher cultivation level than Sect Leader Zhang?"
Sect Leader Zhang is currently the person with the highest known cultivation level.
"Not really." Zhuo Feng denied again: "From the marks on the villagers' bodies, I can sense that the demon's cultivation level is not high, probably about the same as his."
Zhuo Feng raised his claws and pointed at Zhang Zizhen. "You can't detect it because the demon didn't use magic to leave its mark on the villagers. It's its own innate magical power. In other words, it doesn't need to do anything, just appear here. Over time, the mark will be burned into ordinary people, causing them to act according to its will."
Yan Jue asked, "Zhao Feng, do you know what kind of demon it is?"
What kind of monster is so smart that it can even brainwash people fully automatically?
Beside him, Zhou Taotao waited nervously for Zhuo Feng's answer. Regardless of whether he could defeat him or not, knowing the species was crucial for a targeted solution. Zhang Zizhen breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, he was on the same level as him, so he still had a fight to fight. He didn't want to mess up his first mission after joining the Special Management Bureau.
"I don't know." Zhuo Feng shook his head. "I've never encountered anything with the same aura as it. Teacher, the ones you have here are very different from the ones we have."
Yan Jue slapped his forehead and said, "I was so anxious that I lost my mind."
Zhou Taotao was not disappointed and asked carefully: "Then Zhuo Feng, can you feel where he is?"
Zhuo Feng nodded, turned around and pointed to the earthen hill behind the threshing ground: "There."
The author has something to say:
There is one more update, to make up for yesterday
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