That man was indeed Lao Dao, but his appearance made us all gasp in shock.
His face, neck, and almost all the exposed skin were not only covered with lividity, but also with dense black lines that spread like a spider web.
His eyes were empty and lifeless, with dilated pupils that almost filled the entire white of his eyes.
"Old Dao, it's me, it's Luo Tianhe! I've come to save you!"
Once captured by the Taoist priest, Luo Tianhe could only stand there and shout at Lao Dao.
Old Dao was clearly under control, and Luo Tianhe had lost his usual composure.
Under normal circumstances, he would be able to tell at a glance that he would never make such pointless shouts.
But I understand him.
Seemingly hearing Luo Tianhe's call, he slowly turned around to face us, his lips moved, and he made a hoarse sound.
"Peel, give me peel..."
Upon hearing this, the excitement that had just surfaced on Luo Tianhe's face instantly froze on his face.
"It's me, it's Luo Tianhe! Don't you remember me?!"
Luo Tianhe was still shouting, still clinging to a sliver of hope.
Old Dao's gaze slowly swept over us, finally landing on Luo Tianhe.
He tilted his head slightly, as if trying to recall something. Suddenly, he clutched his head tightly with both hands, his fingers almost digging into his skull.
Rotten pus oozed from where his fingers were pressed against his face, and Old Knife's expression turned one of extreme pain.
Then, as if he had forgotten something, the painful expression on his face disappeared, replaced by a numb look.
"It's cold, give me your skin, I'm cold..."
"Master, Old Dao, he..."
I couldn't help but look at the Taoist priest.
Taoist Master Zhang Qingxiao's face turned ashen.
"He is being transformed; the Taoist priest is peeling away his skin while using yin energy to sustain his life and keep him conscious."
"But if he was conscious, how could he not recognize me?"
Luo Tianhe couldn't help but growl in frustration.
Taoist Master Zhang Qingxiao gave him a meaningful look:
"Who said he didn't recognize you?"
Recalling Lao Dao's unusual reaction just now, Luo Tianhe was stunned.
Just then, the ground around the tomb suddenly began to shake, more cracks appeared, and pale arms emerged from the ground.
But unlike Old Knife, they still had intact skin and flesh on their bodies.
Most of them were incomplete; some were just skeletons, some still had some rotting flesh, and some had missing limbs, leaving only half a body.
But they clearly surrounded us.
"The horde of corpses—these must be the victims he skinned. He's awakened these corpses to trap us."
The Taoist priest said in a deep voice.
As the corpses were about to surround us, Li Huai's voice trembled slightly:
"Master, what should we do? We can't just let them surround us, can we?!"
The Taoist priest quickly took out several items from the cloth bag: a small copper coin sword, a string of five emperor coins, and a stack of yellow paper covered with talismans.
"Chen Yan, set up the formation!" he ordered. "Take this string of five emperor coins and walk around the tomb three times counterclockwise and three times clockwise, chanting as you go: 'Heaven and Earth, Mysterious Ancestor, Root of All Qi.'"
I took the Five Emperor Coins. The copper coins were cool to the touch, carrying the weight of time. They must have been around for quite some time, much better than the ones I got from the temple.
I'm not the novice I used to be, so I'm used to this kind of situation.
I took a deep breath and began walking around the tomb.
"Luo Tianhe, take the copper coin sword and stand guard between Old Knife and the locust tree. If Old Knife shows any sign of moving towards the locust tree, use the tip of the sword to poke his forehead! If he's not conscious enough, then use force. Don't be afraid of hurting him. If he really gets close to the locust tree, then there's really no hope for him!"
Luo Tianhe took the copper coin sword, stood in the position designated by Daoist Zhang Qingxiao, and stared intently at the old Daoist.
He could distinguish between what was important and what was not. If, as the Taoist priest said, Old Knife ran towards the locust tree, then...
He will definitely follow the Taoist priest's instructions and stab Old Knife between the eyebrows as hard as he can.
“Li Huai, take these talismans and stick them on the foreheads of the corpses around here. Hold them off for as long as you can.”
Li Huai's face turned deathly pale, and he was on the verge of tears, but he still tremblingly accepted the talisman.
"Master, I feel like my job is the most miserable one."
After all, neither of us has to accept my rotting corpses, and there are a lot of them.
Master Zhang Qingxiao glared at him, but still explained:
"Chen Yan is skilled in formations and is more authoritative in this area than I am. It would be most appropriate for him to set up the formations. Can you do it?"
Li Huai shook his head.
"And this old knife, he's currently on the line between the living and the dead, he's at his most ferocious! If it were you, he'd probably tear you apart in two or three moves. But he recognized Luo Tianhe, and there's clearly a deep friendship between them. His living side will prevent him from killing you. Are you sure you want to switch places with Luo Tianhe?"
"No, no, I think it's more suitable for me to put talismans on these zombies."
Li Huai waved his hands repeatedly, finally understanding Master Zhang Qingxiao's good intentions.
The Taoist priest himself was also busy.
He took out a bronze mirror and a peach wood nail from his cloth bag, then pointed the antique bronze mirror at the locust tree and muttered incantations.
As he chanted, a hazy white light gradually appeared on the mirror, shining on the locust tree.
The locust tree's branches, which resembled ghostly hands, suddenly began to twist wildly, emitting the whispers of hundreds of people!
The corpses that were closing in seemed to accelerate, with the closest ones getting within a few meters of us.
"Damn it, aren't we supposed to be dealing with the skinning bastards? Why is this old locust tree acting like it's possessed, causing trouble?!"
I couldn't help but mutter something under my breath, then quickened my pace, chanting incantations continuously.
The Five Emperors Coins gradually became hot in my hand, and with each step I took, the ground beneath my feet trembled violently.
As I completed the third lap, a faint golden light suddenly shone around the tomb, trapping Old Knife and the white candle within it.
"It's done!" the Taoist priest shouted. "Now sever his connection with the locust tree!"
He bit his fingertip, smeared the blood on the peach wood nail, and then threw it forcefully at the locust tree!
The peach wood nail pierced the night sky with a whooshing sound, and was precisely driven into the tree trunk.
My master is quite skilled.
Putting everything else aside, I'm ashamed of my own accuracy.
As the peach wood nail was driven into the trunk, the locust tree let out a piercing scream, just like a person, and the whole tree shook violently.
"It seems like every locust tree we've encountered is more eerie than the last; there isn't a single normal one!"
I couldn't help but sigh.
As the locust tree let out a sharp whistle, its branches twitched like injured tentacles.
The surrounding corpses caused a brief moment of chaos, giving Li Huai a chance to catch his breath.
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