Chapter 9 The frantic, weeping man stumbled and fell into Heng Qichun's arms. ...
As this chanting began, the sound of children crying in the night filled the entire town of Huatan.
One sound after another, like a death knell, sent shivers down one's spine.
Lou Yan habitually scanned his surroundings, his gaze settling on a gate tower overhead, and he let out two loud "howls".
Heng Qichun sensed the urgency in his words and looked in the direction he was pointing. He saw that the stone pillars of the archway were covered with talismans, each one filled with seal script.
"Heaven is in turmoil, earth is in turmoil, there is a child in my house who cries at night. Gentlemen passing by, recite this three times, and he will sleep soundly until dawn."
"Don't be alarmed by a crying child at night; the madwoman on the street is not your mother. Don't answer calls from outside the window at midnight; he will return to life at cockcrow."
"Huh?" Lou Yan tilted her head.
What's the meaning?
After reading through all the words on the talisman paper, Heng Qichun casually picked one up and took it off. His fingertips touched the still-fresh chicken blood on it, and he couldn't help but frown.
"Legend has it that a hundred years ago, a village woman lost five sons in a row and went insane. She was driven out of her home by her husband and in-laws and wandered among the villages and towns. If a child laughed or scolded her during the day, she would cry incessantly at midnight—hence the name 'Night Crying Child'."
"There are folk sorcerers who draw talismans and incantations, and paste them in the village lanes. Passersby can read the words on the talisman and temporarily stop a child from crying at night." After saying this, he turned to look at Lou Yan, his tone containing a hint of reproach, "Your senior brother told you this story, but all the knowledge you heard has gone to waste?"
Lou Yan awkwardly bowed his head towards Heng Qichun.
In my memory, he has been dead for two hundred years. How could he possibly still remember what Nanyushan had said before?
Even a wise wolf would forget, okay!
The child's night crying might be related to the madwoman, but looking around, the madwoman had long since disappeared.
He let out a soft "woo" and looked up at Heng Qichun.
—What do we do now?
Heng Qichun could see right through what the wolf cub he had raised was thinking. He didn't say anything, but instead raised his index and middle fingers together and silently recited an incantation.
This was the first time Lou Yan had seen him utter such a spell.
A pale flame ignited at his fingertips, and moments later, all the talismans on the archway turned to ashes under the flames. A wisp of divine power rose from the archway and spread to every household.
The baby's night crying stopped abruptly.
"The curse has dissipated." Heng Qichun finished his spell, looked at Shang Louyan with a puzzled expression, and said calmly, "Let's go."
He used his spiritual energy to dispel all the resentment, ensuring a peaceful night for the people of Huatan Town.
It's always like this.
Lou Yan felt a sudden surge of resentment, just like the mermaid he fed with his blood every day. This resentment became proof of Heng Qichun's protection of the common people and his compassion for humanity.
If he could speak now, he would definitely expose this false facade of a bodhisattva.
Lou Yan secretly made a vow.
Huatan Town is built all over the mountains. To get to Tan Chengyi's house, you have to walk along another mountain road. The mountain road is as winding as a talisman. The summer night is hot and humid. Lou Yan is still holding the Pixiu cub. He feels like he is going to die of heat on this mountain road at any moment.
"Awooooo?"
When will it arrive?
Heng Qichun, who was always a step ahead of him, glanced over indifferently upon hearing this, picked up the little beast that had fallen into a deep sleep again, and casually cast a heat-avoiding spell to Lou Yan.
"We're almost there," he reassured her.
The sweltering wind was instantly replaced by cool, refreshing moisture. Lou Yan couldn't believe Heng Qichun would be so kind, so she tilted her head back and took a deep breath.
"Aww!"
It really is his secret to escaping the summer heat that he lost and found again!
Lou Yanxin, emboldened by this excitement, followed Heng Qichun's steps.
According to Nan Yushan, Huatan Town is built all over the mountain, and Tan Chengyi lived on the mountain—the largest mansion in the town.
They were indeed very close; from their position, they could even see the corner of the house.
But as they walked along the mountain road, they still couldn't see the end.
Lou Yan felt that the summer heat avoidance technique had lost its effectiveness. The noise around him was constant, and the bustling voices of the market seemed to surge up again. However, there was still an endless mountain road in front of him, and he could not see a single person.
Could it be that someone has set up a market on the mountain road?
Before he could figure this out, everything went black – he had bumped into Heng Qichun’s shoulder.
The boy's body had not yet fully developed, and even with his shoulders and back straight, he was still half a head shorter than Heng Qichun. After Lou Yan realized this, he "whooshed" back half a step and looked at Heng Qichun with full vigilance.
"Awooooo?"
What are you doing!
Heng Qichun didn't even glance at him, standing alone in the clear sky and open field, his robe sleeves fluttering, and a faint lotus fragrance spreading out.
His voice was unusually cold, "Come out."
It was said to someone else.
As soon as the words were spoken, the lush vegetation around them rustled, the mountain path shifted, the scenery trembled, and even the previous commotion was no longer noticeable.
Lou Yan then realized that they had been going in circles in an illusion all along.
There seemed to be the sound of grass and trees being trampled. Lou Yan turned his head alertly and let out a howl at an ancient tree, revealing his sharp canines.
"The Immortal Lord is very perceptive."
A slightly weathered voice rang out, and an old Taoist priest with white hair and beard emerged from behind the ancient tree. His green robe blended into the night, and his face could not be seen clearly from a distance.
Those who came were not friends, and those who made them go through such a long detour on the mountain could hardly be good people.
Lou Yan was certain of this, and with his head held high, he was about to rush out and bite the other person's neck.
With a "click".
Heng Qichun grabbed his collar and pulled him back.
"What's all this commotion?" she said softly.
Lou Yan was at a loss, but since he couldn't speak at the moment, he could only give a dejected "Oh," lower his head, and retreat behind Heng Qichun to take the Pixiu cub that he handed over.
"May I ask your name?" he heard Heng Qichun say.
The old Taoist stopped three steps away from them, raised his arm slightly, flicked the whisk up and down, and immediately a talisman appeared between his fingers.
The ever-changing scenery around us quieted down, and the mountains and fields became silent.
Lou Yan glanced at the seal script on the talisman and guessed that it was an illusion talisman.
"My Taoist name is Xusheng." The old Taoist flicked his sleeve, exchanged a Taoist salute with Heng Qichun, and only when he looked up did his face fully appear.
Extremely thin and withered, with only a pair of shrewd and experienced eyes, he smiled and humbly said, "The people of Huatan Town all call me 'Xushengzi'."
Heng Qichun did not try to get close to him in this way. He lowered his eyes slightly and greeted him politely, "Master Xusheng."
"What grudge could possibly lead you to trap my master and me inside this illusionary talisman?"
Xu Shengzi smiled, then caught a glimpse of Lou Yan out of the corner of his eye. He narrowed his eyes, shifted his position, and appeared in front of Lou Yan in the next instant, beginning to scrutinize him with almost obsessive intensity.
Lou Yan's heart jumped at his action, and she wondered aloud—what was he looking at?
This old Taoist priest looks very strange. Could it be that he has discovered that the old Taoist priest is actually a wild wolf?
Seeing the old Taoist priest raise his hand and begin chanting some nonsensical incantations in front of him, Lou Yan dodged with a "whoosh," moved to Heng Qichun's side, and immediately cursed, "What the hell are you staring at me for..."
"Huh?" He cupped his chin in his hands and exclaimed excitedly, "Master, I can speak now!"
Heng Qichun had already seen through Xu Shengzi's intention to lift the ban on Lou Yan. He glanced at the wolf cub with a hint of disdain, then looked at Xu Shengzi.
"It really is a silencing talisman." Xu Shengzi smiled smugly, then picked up where Heng Qichun left off, "The talismans in Huatan Town were all passed down by me. If the townspeople need help exorcising ghosts or catching demons, they usually ask me to help. Recently..."
He paused, his voice suddenly dropping to a low level, sounding somewhat eerie in the quiet night: "A strange thing has happened in town recently. The village head, Tan Chengyi's, youngest daughter has gone missing, and it seems to be beyond human capabilities. The town is in a state of panic, and everyone closes their doors to visitors at midnight. I see that you are unfamiliar faces... are you from out of town?"
It turns out that the previous illusionary rune was a test.
Lou Yan grew angrier as he listened, and was about to step forward and introduce himself when Heng Qichun pressed his head down and shoved it back into his seat.
"Be quiet," Heng Qichun said.
Lou Yan stood there defiantly, craning his neck to look at the old Taoist in green robes. At the same time, he heard his master say, "My disciple and I come from a sect of immortal cultivators. We heard that something strange happened in Huatan Town, so we came here to investigate."
“I’m afraid you’re overthinking it, Daoist Master…” Heng Qichun paused, then gave Xu Shengzi a meaningful look.
"So the Immortal Lord meant well." Xu Shengzi narrowed his eyes, stroked his beard, and pondered, "Then this humble Taoist should apologize to the two Immortal Lords."
Lou Yan snorted arrogantly, crawled out from behind Heng Qichun, and waved his hand with the back of his hand facing outwards. "No need for apologies. My master is magnanimous and too lazy to argue with you."
"Old Taoist..." Noticing a pair of cold eyes staring at him, Lou Yan clicked his tongue and instantly changed his words, "Master Xusheng!"
“You said you’re looking for Tan Chengyi’s child. My master and I are also on our way to see him. Could you show us the way?”
Xu Shengzi looked the two of them over carefully again, and then readily agreed, "It's nothing. Please come with me, two immortals, as an apology for what happened earlier."
Mountain mists began to rise, casting shadowy patterns on the moonlight.
Xu Shengzi lit a talisman for lighting, but the winding mountain road still seemed impossibly far away.
After walking for another quarter of an hour, he stopped at a fork in the road. The talisman in his hand burned out, revealing a mansion not far away.
The vermilion-lacquered door was covered with countless talismans, and a pair of vermilion lanterns hung from the eaves, their flames flickering in the wind.
It was quiet all around; not a sound could be heard.
Xu Shengzi raised his whisk and said, "This is it."
As soon as he finished speaking, the vermilion lacquered door opened with a thud, revealing a thick, dark mountain mist inside, making it impossible to see anything clearly.
Something's strange.
Lou Yan took a half step back, freeing one hand to poke Heng Qichun, "Master..."
Heng Qichun responded with a calm tone, "Don't panic."
He looked at the old Taoist priest in front of him, his lips pursed, and his eyes turned cold. "This looks like an official's residence. Although the village head of Huatan Town is a local gentry, he may not have such a large family business."
"Is the Taoist priest still testing us?"
With that, he flicked his finger and summoned a stringless zither.
"The stringless zither..." Xu Shengzi narrowed his eyes, suddenly raised his hand and raised countless talismans, the zither music collided with them, making a loud noise.
The Pixiu cub suddenly woke up and began to struggle in Lou Yan's arms, scattering gold and stones and making a constant "whooshing" sound.
Lou Yan had no choice but to take a half step back, but suddenly felt his feet sink into the ground—the mansion had moved, and he had fallen into the courtyard.
With his vision obscured by the swirling mountain mist, Lou Yan felt as if he couldn't see his own hand in front of his face, and could only hold the little beast in his arms tightly. But the next moment, a cool, slippery hand wrapped around his arm and pulled him into the deeper mist.
In desperation, Lou Yan couldn't use her spiritual power and instinctively wanted to call for help, "Master!"
He regretted it as soon as the words left his mouth.
Heng Qichun summoned the stringless zither, clearly having already discerned the old Taoist's intentions. Capturing the old Taoist was the only sensible thing to do now; why would he spare any attention to save him?
The fighting outside seemed to stop for a moment. Lou Yan felt a weight on her shoulder as she was pulled back by the stringless zither, staggering and falling into Heng Qichun's arms.
In a split second, he saw through the fog the person who had just captured him.
Four maids dressed in red palace attire stood on either side, each carrying a vermilion blood lantern, which made their faces appear deathly pale—like those of the dead.
The person behind him was surrounded by lotus fragrance, and the stringless zither in his hand turned into nothingness. Lou Yan could even feel the enormous spiritual energy fading away.
It seems that not only him, but even Heng Qichun was unable to use his spiritual power after entering this mansion.
Lou Yan turned around in surprise, looking at his master with disbelief, "How could you..."
"Stand firm." Heng Qichun gripped his shoulder, looked up at the talismans on the pillars, and said with certainty, "It's a talisman array."
A maid on one side drawled, "Guests from afar arrive, leaving their dreams in a foreign land—"
Amidst the chilling sounds of the singers, Lou Yan made out the layout of the courtyard.
The artificial hills are arranged in a trapping formation, the pillars under the corridor are covered with talismans, and there is swirling mist all around, with a chill running straight up your spine.
They were trapped in another illusion.
A note from the author:
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Preparing to conclude (not really [dog head with rose in hand])
See you tomorrow! Comments section! You know what I mean!
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