The snow stopped, but the heavy snowfall was about to bury the entire village in white.
Upon reaching Linzikou, Lu Qingyao could still see the mottled stone tablet.
The old man told Yi Mu to walk seven steps inside, then kneel down and kowtow four times.
Yi Mu did as he was told, and Lu Qingyao wanted to follow him, but the old man stopped him.
"This forest is very strange. It only recognizes its own people. Outsiders are not allowed to enter easily. Otherwise, evil spirits will enter their bodies, and they will be tormented for two or three years at the very least, or for decades at most. Right under our noses, nothing will happen."
Lu Qingyao listened to him and waited where he was, his eyes fixed on Yi Mu.
Yi Mu absentmindedly lifted his foot and stepped onto the soft snow, his steps unsteady, just like his state of mind these past few days.
He didn't really know why a minor cold would make him so depressed.
Hopefully, as Grandpa said, if we worship our ancestors, this won't happen.
He kowtowed earnestly, one bow after another, with utmost devotion.
Finally, raising his head, Yi Mu couldn't help but look into the depths of the forest.
The undulating mounds of graves came into his view, and the tall pine trees blocked out the sunlight.
This cemetery was dark and gloomy, exuding a cool and decaying smell.
Lu Qingyao called to Yi Mu, "It's alright, come back now."
Yi Mu withdrew his gaze and was about to get up when he suddenly saw a burst of firelight in front of him.
His black eyes reflected a raging fire that blotted out the sky.
The fire was huge. An elderly man with a cane walked through it, his steps faltering and anxious, unaware that his back was on fire.
And then there were the babies in their swaddling clothes, crying loudly in cradles woven from willow branches, their little faces burning red, until their tears dried up and their breathing grew weaker and weaker.
The woman's clothes were burned off, her skin was scorched, and the burning oil on her body crackled and popped. She gritted her teeth and held the child tightly in her arms, forming a protective wall of flesh around him.
Hundreds of meters away, two groups of young people were fighting. Along the quietly flowing riverbank, charred pots and pans were scattered.
This is a scene of hell on earth. They could have been saved. They had such a good relationship. The water didn't belong to anyone.
Why are people so wicked? Almost the entire village is dead. Aren't they afraid of retribution?
So what if you have the village's blood in your veins? Your mother has taken your enemy as her parent. You may have forgiven her once, but she will never let you go again.
Yi Mu felt a powerful resentment rushing towards him. His body swayed, and then the world turned upside down, and he lost consciousness.
Just when everyone seemed to be out of danger, the person suddenly fainted right under their noses.
Lu Qingyao immediately picked the person up and shook them, but there was no response.
The old man stretched out his thin, bony hand and tremblingly pinched Yi Mu's philtrum, but after a long time, there was still no reaction.
Over the years, the ghosts in this forest have grown increasingly resentful, to the point that they are even capable of harming their own family members.
Lu Qingyao carried Yi Mu home and waited for two hours, trying every possible method, but he still couldn't wake Yi Mu up.
He wanted to take Yi Mu with him, but the old man advised him to stay another day and see how things went the next day before making a decision.
The blue dragon tattoo on Lu Qingyao's body disappeared in this world, which means that he can no longer use his abilities to do things that ordinary people cannot do.
He knew in his heart that the old man was right; everything started from these two villages and would end here as well.
Lu Qingyao didn't sleep all night, and Yi Mu woke up the next morning.
He had neither lost an arm nor a leg, and his expression remained the same as before, dazed and confused.
Lu Qingyao thought he had survived the ordeal and happily hugged him, rubbing his hair.
"We'll go back after the New Year."
He was so overwhelmed with relief that he ignored the person in his arms's resistance.
Until, in an unusually unfamiliar tone, Yi Mu asked impatiently, "Who are you?"
Lu Qingyao's back stiffened, and he slowly released him.
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