midnight
More and more souls gathered outside the array, and even the master and disciple inside the array felt a chill.
The two of them, like alarm clocks set to a time, opened their eyes at the same moment.
The two exchanged a glance, then slowly stood up and stretched their limbs.
As they moved, some of the more timid souls instantly drifted away.
“These ghosts seem to be even more idle than we imagined,” Wu Chenxi and the others had already opened their spiritual eyes and could naturally see these movements.
They thought a few nosy spirits would come to ask about the situation, but the scene turned out to be much larger than they had anticipated.
Hua Xiangyun stuffed a handful of talismans into Wu Chenxi's hand. "Master, these are Five Thunder Talismans. If there are any fearless people out there, just leave them here. There are plenty more."
Looking at the talisman in her palm, Wu Chenxi marveled at her little apprentice's rapid progress; the talisman was almost at the fourth grade level.
But that's not the point. It's as if she's the master, so why should her apprentice give her something to save her life?
Thinking about how he had failed as a master, he realized that apart from the initial gift given when he became an apprentice, he hadn't given anything else.
After rummaging around, he handed Hua Xiangyun a box, saying, "These are Soul-Capturing Needles. If anyone's blind, just throw them at them."
There are twenty of them inside, all nurtured by your master for many years.
"This is too valuable," Hua Xiangyun tried to hand the box back, but Wu Chenxi dodged it.
"Take it; consider it a gift from your grandmaster."
The onlookers, terrified, moved even further away. This was a combination of Five Thunder Talismans and Soul-Capturing Needles—it was too much to be feared…
These two Xuan Masters came to this mountain to find out what was going on. Even though they were afraid, they didn't dare to leave.
They elected a couple of old ghosts and sent them over to ask the truth on everyone's behalf.
The two chosen men were two kind old men with white hair and wearing silk jackets.
Hua Xiangyun examined their clothes, which were embroidered with exquisite patterns, suggesting they were people of high status in some dynasty.
"Gentlemen, what brings you here so late at night?" He Zhiyuan said, mustering his courage.
Zhou Yongfu, standing beside him, stared nervously at the master and apprentice opposite him, looking timid, as if he could make a run for it if anything unusual happened.
Wu Chenxi didn't beat around the bush and asked directly, "We're here to investigate something, and we'd also like to know if there are any families with the surname Yuan around here?"
“Yuan?” He Zhiyuan thought about it seriously for a while, and finally shook his head and said, “I have been wandering here for more than a hundred years and have never heard of a family with the surname Yuan.”
As for what happened before that, it's impossible to know, since there are many outsiders in this area, and some people will inevitably move away.
Hua Xiangyun: "Is there anyone who has been here longer than you?"
He Zhiyuan shook his head. "I have survived to this day only because of the incense offerings of my family over the years. The old ghosts before that, because they were forgotten by their descendants and had no incense offerings, could only embark on the road to the underworld."
However, in recent years, the family has been offering less and less incense, and he has been using the stock from previous years to bribe the underworld officials. If this continues, he probably won't be able to spend much longer in the mountains.
Hua Xiangyun sensed something was amiss from this, as the spirits in the back mountain of Huajia Village and the reservoir in the west of the city did not have such a claim.
I initially thought the world in the book had flaws and lacked underworld management, but now it seems we need to reassess it.
In order not to expose her shortcomings, Hua Xiangyun did not ask any more questions rashly.
Wu Chenxi: "Are there any ancient tombs with the surname Yuan on these hills?"
He Zhiyuan couldn't be sure either; the mountain was so vast that he might have overlooked something.
After asking around, he finally shook his head and said, "No."
This is rather strange. Could it be that Yuan Tianjing's memories have become disordered?
“However, I do know of an ancient tomb without a tombstone.” He Zhiyuan thought for a moment and said, “That tomb is a bit strange; we souls can’t get close at all.”
And for so many years, no one has gone up to take care of it; it's become overgrown with weeds.
Zhou Yongfu also recalled this matter, "However, we know that there are no people with the surname Yuan in this area, so it should not be the Yuan family's tomb. The two masters can look elsewhere."
Hua Xiangyun glanced at him. "Oh, how are you sure we've gone to the wrong place?"
Zhou Yongfu laughed and said, "There are no people with the surname Yuan around here, so how could there be any graves with the surname Yuan?"
Deep in these mountains, we know this place far better than the local people.
Wu Chenxi was also looking at Zhou Yongfu at this moment. Suddenly, she reached out and pulled the soul into the formation. "Don't beat around the bush with me. Although you pretend to be very scared, it's too fake."
Hua Xiangyun shared the same sentiment. In her previous life, she had seen too many award-winning actors and actresses with their explosive acting skills. His exaggerated performance could probably only fool himself.
"Master, spare my life!" Zhou Yongfu tried to run away, but found himself trapped in an invisible cage, unable to move forward or backward.
Wu Chenxi had set up several formations within formations, all specifically designed to target these souls; how could he be allowed to escape?
"Aren't you going to tell the truth?" Hua Xiangyun's hands itched as she touched the Soul-Capturing Needle, really wanting to test its effects.
When He Zhiyuan and his men were taken away by Zhou Yongfu, there was a commotion and chaos. Many of the more timid men had already run away and gone into hiding.
He Zhiyuan braced himself and said, "Masters, we will tell you everything we know. Please calm down."
As for pleading for Zhou Yongfu? He Zhiyuan dared not speak rashly, for fear of suffering the same fate as himself.
Wu Chenxi ignored He Zhiyuan outside, instead looking at Zhou Yongfu with interest, "Good disciple, do you think what he said is credible?"
Hua Xiangyun shook her head. "If his expression hadn't been so exaggerated, I would have believed him."
Zhou Yongfu, “…” Where is the exaggeration? He’s clearly serious.
"Now tell me your opinion on that grave?" Wu Chenxi asked, staring into his eyes. "Gravekeeper."
Zhou Yongfu's pupils contracted. "How did you know...?"
They are the guardians of the tombs for generations, a tradition passed down through their family.
Unfortunately, by his generation, his children and grandchildren had rebelled and refused to fulfill the contract. They had long since lived their ordinary lives and hadn't even come to tend to the graves they were supposed to guard for many years.
He Zhiyuan was startled. He had always thought that the two were born around the same age, and Zhou Yongfu was only a few years older than him.
The tomb keeper? He's really well hidden.
“We are the tomb keepers who have been here since our ancestors’ time, and it has been thirteen generations since I came here.” Seeing that he could not hide the truth, Zhou Yongfu sighed and said, “However, our master’s surname is not Yuan, but Zhou.”
Our family was granted the surname Zhou by our master because of generations of loyalty.
As for their ancestors' surnames, there are no records of them anymore.
However, his family has lived in this area for generations, and the host family even allocated them a estate, allowing them to live a worry-free life.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
