After a while, about ten people came out from the side door. The abbot led about ten Taoist priests to greet them. Judging from their appearance, they were quite polarized. Some were thin and small, while others were very burly. Their faces were serious and even looked a bit fierce.
When this group of people came out, Qin Weiyu frowned, her eyes showing displeasure, but she turned her gaze away to hide it. Fortunately, Xue Ming was also good at these kinds of negotiations, so she stood behind him without saying a word.
Na Guan, the most handsome man in the group, held a whisk in his hand. After exchanging pleasantries with Xue Ming, he invited the two into the reception room and briefly explained the situation.
According to his description, Mufeng Temple was built a hundred years ago and has been protecting the local people ever since.
Later, an earthquake struck the town. The ordinary people were unaware that it was caused by an evil spirit that had been suppressed there, which then escaped and wreaked havoc on the village, leading to frequent natural disasters.
The senior monks in the temple, who were highly skilled in Taoist practices, fought desperately against this evil spirit, but they were weak and powerless, and gradually became more and more destitute, until now.
Seeing that no one was suppressing it, the evil spirit openly built a bewitching forest on the mountain, which bore fruit that bewitched the entire town, causing the townspeople to forget what happened before.
Moreover, the evil spirit devours people's life essence; once young men and women enter that forest, they can never leave.
Having no other option, Mufeng Temple had to seek help from Xuanqing Sect to eliminate this monster.
Xue Ming glanced at Qin Weiyu, who seemed to be lost in thought, and said some polite words to the abbot.
Master Mufeng initially dismissed the two young men, but after hearing Xue Ming mention that he was the eldest son of Elder Qingyuan Peak, his true identity was far superior to that of a hundred or two ordinary disciples. Moreover, youth naturally has its advantages.
The Taoist priest's attitude was completely different from when they first met; he was now treating Xue Ming as a close friend despite their age difference.
After finally leaving Mufeng Temple, Xue Ming felt that he was covered in sweat.
Looking at Qin Weiyu beside him, she still had that cold demeanor, but her impatience was even more obvious. Xue Ming looked at her like this and for some reason found her cute, and couldn't help but smile.
Qin Weiyu frowned as she looked at him, wondering why he was smiling.
Xue Ming quickly stopped smiling, cleared his throat, and said, "Father originally wanted us to come here to investigate the situation and report back to him so he could make a decision. Now that the situation is clear, let's go back first."
“No, the abbot’s account differs greatly from that of the townspeople down the mountain. We should investigate that peach grove again.”
"Didn't the abbot say that the townspeople were bewitched by that demon?"
"You believe him?"
Xue Ming was somewhat surprised. They were all like-minded people, and it was the other party who sent the distress letter, asking them to come and exorcise the demon. What was there for him to doubt?
Qin Weiyu could tell what he was thinking just by looking at him, so she didn't say anything more and went down the mountain on her own.
Xue Ming didn't ask any more questions. He kept thinking about what he hadn't considered that had aroused Qin Shimei's suspicion.
The two walked down the mountain.
After meeting up with their fellow disciples who had inquired in town, the five of them exchanged information.
The information Yan Susu and Qing Qiong gathered was largely consistent with what the waiter had told them, but after Xue Ming recounted what they had seen and heard at Mufeng Temple, the group fell silent.
Yan Susu glanced at Qin Weiyu cautiously and said, "Could it be that the peaches we ate yesterday fooled us?" She ate the most peaches yesterday, followed by Qin Weiyu.
Seeing the looks she was getting, she stuck out her tongue and shrank behind Qin Weiyu.
"I didn't feel any effects from the magic," Qin Weiyu said calmly.
Everyone present ate a peach, examined themselves internally, and then shook their heads, saying they had no abnormalities.
"Then what should we do now?" Xue Lan asked.
"Let's go see the peach blossom grove on the mountain."
"Okay, okay!" Yan Susu agreed. She could see the beautiful peach blossom forest on the mountain from afar. It was so beautiful that she had wanted to see it for a long time, so she gave her support immediately.
“However, according to the abbot, that demon is very powerful. If we rush in, we might not be her match, and we might even get trapped in the peach blossom forest.” Xue Ming disagreed with this somewhat risky approach.
“I also think that Junior Sister Qin’s approach is a bit risky. We should consult with our sect before taking any action. It won’t take too long.” Qingqiong was older and, unlike Yan Susu, was not playful and liked to make trouble. She also sought to be cautious in her actions.
Qin Weiyu didn't say anything, and Yan Susu and Xue Lan tacitly agreed with their statement.
After everyone rested that evening, Xue Ming also sent a letter to his sect.
The next day, before dawn, Qin Weiyu got up, tidied herself up, and went outside. She saw Yan Susu looking at her with starry eyes at her from the doorway, and Qin Weiyu smiled, a rare occurrence for her.
The two quietly left the inn and headed straight for Black Cloud Mountain.
Actually, Black Cloud Mountain is not a very accurate name. In reality, it should be called Pink Cloud Mountain or Pink Mountain, because the peach grove has dyed the original green mountain pink.
Although they had doubts about the peach grove after hearing what they heard yesterday, the two were not afraid and went straight into the peach grove.
The outer perimeter of the peach grove was indeed a maze-like illusion. The two were on guard, but they encountered no danger along the way and eventually made it out of the peach grove.
The two exchanged a glance, feeling something was off. They withdrew their spiritual power and went through the maze again, only to find themselves at another exit.
It seems the owner of this peach grove doesn't want anyone to disturb them, so they set up this maze to block anyone from coming.
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