As Wu Hui spoke, a hint of fear and sorrow flashed in his eyes. "After that, in a short period of time, villagers began to disappear mysteriously one after another, and their bodies were always found in the same horrific state."
“The villagers all say that it’s the work of evil spirits from the mountains, but we can’t do anything about it.”
"Master, could you please help me calculate what is causing this trouble?"
Qing Xuanzi frowned, thinking to himself, "This seems so much like the work of an evil cultivator."
He was well aware of the methods of evil cultivators, and that absorbing human essence and spirit was a common practice in their cultivation.
After a moment of contemplation, he said to Wu Hui, "Clan Chief Wu, this matter is indeed somewhat strange, but it cannot be determined by divination."
Seeing Wu Hui's disappointed expression, he continued, "I wonder if the bodies of your clansmen are still there? Could I go and take a look? Perhaps I can glean some clues from the corpses."
Upon hearing this, Wu Hui hesitated for a moment, but quickly regained his resolve and said, "If you can help, Master, that would be wonderful. We have already collected the body in the village ancestral hall, but the gruesome state of the body is too unbearable to look at. We hope you are prepared."
Qing Xuanzi nodded slightly and said calmly, "These are fine."
Chief Wu said, "Since that's the case, it's already dark today. Why don't you come with me to the village for the night, and we can go see it again tomorrow?"
Qing Xuanzi pondered for a moment and said, "No need. We have already set up the tents. It would be too troublesome to go now and have to pack our things. It would be better if Chief Wu sent someone to pick us up early tomorrow morning."
Wu Hui did not press the matter, but said with concern in his eyes, "Then Master, please be careful, there may be danger at night."
Qing Xuanzi smiled and said, "Clan Chief Wu need not worry. I believe I still have some means to save my life."
"Very well, I shall take my leave now and come to pick you up early tomorrow morning."
Qing Xuanzi nodded: "Please take care, everyone."
After Wu Hui nodded, he left with his men. After walking a distance, the men who had been silent began to speak.
The younger man asked, "Grandpa, do you think that person is really capable?"
Wu Hui gave his grandson a stern look: "Qizhou, didn't you hear him call himself an old Taoist? That means he's not young. And how many times have I told you not to judge a book by its cover? Have you forgotten?"
“You’ve never met anyone from the Xuanmen sect, so you don’t understand them. Don’t be fooled by the fact that this master looks only in his thirties or forties; he might actually be much older than your grandfather.”
Wu Qizhou muttered unconvinced, "But he doesn't seem that capable. Besides, if he were really that capable, why didn't he just agree to go to the village tonight?"
Wu Hui shook his head slightly and said earnestly, "You don't know this, but true masters have their own methods and considerations in doing things."
"Perhaps he felt it was inappropriate to go there tonight, or perhaps he had other plans."
"Furthermore, if he were truly capable, he wouldn't easily reveal it to us, otherwise it would seem too ostentatious."
"We can only hope that he can help us solve this problem tomorrow."
Another middle-aged man said, "Uncle, didn't you already ask Ci Di to take the token to find someone from the national special department to help you?"
"Judging by the time, they should be arriving soon. If they are also from the Xuanmen sect, wouldn't it be bad if we meet?"
Wu Hui frowned slightly and said in a deep voice, "I know what I'm doing with the people your brother invited. Although the people from the special national departments are capable, we don't necessarily know which group they sent, and they might not be able to solve our problem."
“Master Qingxuanzi is, after all, a member of the Xuanmen sect. Perhaps he has a better way of dealing with such strange things.”
He paused, then added, "As for their encounter, that's fine too. People from the country's special departments are rigorously trained and know how to cooperate with people from the Xuanmen sect. If they can join forces, they might be able to find a solution more quickly."
The middle-aged man nodded, but a hint of worry remained in his eyes: "I hope so. The villagers can't wait any longer."
Chief Wu sighed and looked towards the distant mountains and forests, which were pitch black.
He said in a low voice, "I hope Master Qingxuanzi is truly capable, and I also hope that the government can arrive as soon as possible. If this continues, we will all have to move away from here."
Qing Xuanzi absorbed their conversation with his divine sense. He hadn't expected Wu Hui to know about special national departments and even be able to send someone to invite them. It seemed that Wu Hui's identity was not simple.
He returned to the tent and saw that Xiao Jin had transformed back into its original form, with Rong Jiaojiao on its head, swimming out of the tent.
Qing Xuanzi used a spell to pull Rong Jiaojiao down and put her on the ground, saying, "Alright, start cultivating now, stop fooling around."
Rong Jiaojiao pouted and reluctantly got out of Qing Xuanzi's spell, but she quickly regained her lively expression and said, "Okay, Master, then Jiaojiao will go and cultivate now."
She walked to a corner of the tent, sat cross-legged, opened her mouth, and waited for Qing Xuanzi to give her the Flavor Wood Essence.
Upon seeing this, Zi Ling ran to Rong Jiaojiao's side and lay down, imitating Rong Jiaojiao by opening her mouth and waiting.
Seeing their expressions, Qing Xuanzi couldn't help but laugh. He gave Rong Jiaojiao a large mouthful of wood essence, and then gave Zi Ling a drop. The two immediately shut their mouths and began to absorb it.
In the past few days, Xiao Jin has gone from being unaccustomed to the thin spiritual energy outside to resigning himself to his fate. Seeing that the little guy no longer bothers him, he curls up into a mountain of flesh and closes his eyes to absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.
Seeing everyone cultivating, Qing Xuanzi began to study the formations again.
The next day, just after they had finished breakfast and before they had even started cultivating, Wu Hui personally brought his nephew and grandson to invite them.
Wu Hui said somewhat apologetically, "I'm sorry, Master. We thought that if we arrived earlier, we could invite you to have breakfast in the village. We didn't expect that we would still be late."
Qing Xuanzi waved his hand: "It's not late, we're just used to getting up early."
Seeing their anxious look, he decided to suspend his morning practice and waved his hand to put everything into his sleeve.
He picked up Xiao Jin and hung him around his neck, saying, "Alright, let's go!"
Wu Qizhou frowned upon seeing their appearance. What a strange combination! The young one was holding a mink, and the old one was carrying a golden snake. Could they be evil spirits?
Thinking this, he couldn't help but look at Qing Xuanzi and his group with a scrutinizing eye.
Qing Xuanzi was incredibly perceptive; his gaze swept over like a sharp sword, startling Wu Qizhou into quickly averting his eyes.
Wu Hui saw that he hadn't helped his grandson out of the predicament, and that young people should learn a lesson.
He gestured invitingly and said, "Master, please follow me."
Qing Xuanzi smiled slightly, nodded, and said, "Alright, Clan Chief Wu, please lead the way."
He led Rong Jiaojiao and Xiao Jin, and followed the Wu family members toward the village.
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