Chapter 111: Joyful Wedding, Mourning Cry 42
<Previous Chapter<Table of Contents>Next Chapter>
With Taoist Song Yi’s team being attacked ahead, when Taoist Ma and Officer Chen arrived later, they were prepared, having anticipated encountering skeletons while passing through the mountain road.
After the summer flood season, this was the only road left leading to the Family Tomb Village.
However, what surprised Taoist Ma was that the mountain road was spotless, without a trace of skeletons. Not even the slightest hint of gloom remained.
Though Taoist Ma was puzzled about when Taoist Song Yi made such rapid progress in his cultivation, he hurried towards the Family Tomb Village, concerned about the safety of the crew and Taoist Song Yi’s team.
He initially thought that Taoist Song Yi must have entered the Family Tomb Village since there was no signal when he called him. However, to his surprise, he saw the convoy parked by the roadside from afar.
Taoist Ma’s heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly drove over, only to find only a few figures in the convoy. Upon inquiry, he learned that due to road closure, the convoy members had to walk to the nearby Jia Village and planned to cross the Moon Mountain from there to enter the Family Tomb Village.
“However, the officer in charge said they would call us with updates after entering Jia Village, but we haven’t received any calls yet, which is a bit strange.”
“It’s been almost an hour, so they should have arrived by now,” another added.
Taoist Ma immediately rushed to Jia Village, wanting to personally confirm the situation of Taoist Song Yi and his team.
Unexpectedly, as soon as Taoist Ma turned around the mountain, the outline of Jia Village appeared before his eyes, and the scene in front of him made him serious again.
—On the ground outside Jia Village, there were scattered white bones everywhere, just like the ones encountered on the mountain road.
However, they had obviously been dealt with by Taoist Song Yi and his team, as they now lay as broken bones scattered all over the ground, unable to rise again.
Taoist Ma immediately realized that Taoist Song Yi and his team might not have called the remaining convoy members because Jia Village had been attacked by the bones, and they were still struggling to resolve the situation.
After all, the officials initially did not expect the situation to escalate into a special event, and with only Taoist Song Yi in the convoy capable of using talismans, they were undoubtedly facing difficulties.
He initially wanted Officer Chen and Yang Bingsheng to stay outside Jia Village temporarily while he entered to assist Taoist Song Yi in resolving the village’s issues. Once he confirmed there was no danger, he would then come back to retrieve them.
However, he didn’t expect Yang Bingsheng to outright refuse.
“Taoist Ma, my surname is also Yang. Even though I’ve distanced myself from it for so many years, I can’t absolve myself of my sins.”
Yang Bingsheng smiled calmly, and the aura of authority he carried from his long-standing position of power made his words, though gentle, impossible to ignore: “This is the debt of my inaction from years ago. How could I evade it? I will enter Jia Village with you. Even if it leads to death, it’s a consequence I deserve. Besides, I trust in Taoist Ma’s abilities.”
Officer Chen also spoke solemnly: “Family Tomb Village is right before us. I won’t stop for anything.”
Taoist Ma looked at the two men in astonishment, then sighed, “Alright.”
Initially, they thought it was just a skeleton attack. However, upon entering Jia Village, they suddenly realized that they had oversimplified things.
Inside Jia Village, every household was filled with people wailing and crying in pain, and the ground was covered in blood and skeletons.
Taoist Ma even saw many bodies that had clearly been dead for some time, staggering along the village road, their movements stiff as they clumsily attempted to climb into nearby courtyards, causing the villagers to cry out in fear.
Taoist Ma immediately rushed forward, chanting a spell and shouting, “Seeking death!” He reached out and pulled down the corpse hanging on the wall.
Flames engulfed the corpse, and it emitted a mournful howl before quickly turning into ashes.
However, more corpses, attracted by the smell, began to approach, unaware of the fear, and gathered around.
Despite Taoist Ma’s formidable strength, and even with Yang Binsheng and Officer Chen fearlessly lending a hand, they were ultimately unable to keep up with the exhausting battle. The attrition of their stamina was inevitable, and Taoist Ma’s supply of talismans was running low.
The corpses showed no fear of being killed and continued to surge forward, relentlessly seeking to exterminate all the living.
Taoist Ma cursed under his breath, preparing to advance again, when he suddenly noticed something peculiar. Behind the densely packed wall of corpses, corpses were being flung out as if someone had forcefully opened a gap in their ranks.
Covered in blood, Taoist Song Yi’s expression was stern and cold as he stepped on the shoulders of the corpses and leapt over the wall, landing beside Taoist Ma.
Taoist Ma quickly regained his composure after the initial shock and joined forces with Taoist Song Yi to deal with the threat while simultaneously inquiring about the current situation.
“We noticed when we entered Jia Village that these corpses and skeletons were attacking the villagers. We arrived too late; some people were already bitten to death and torn apart.”
Taoist Song Yi’s eyes simmered with anger as he responded, “I asked the village head, and he told me that every Ghost Festival, the ghosts would appear in Jia Village. It’s the vengeful spirit of a woman who died unjustly seeking revenge, and today happens to be her seventh day after death.”
“In previous years, these spirits only disrupted the villagers’ lives but didn’t harm anyone. However, this year is different. The village head mentioned that it’s the first time they’ve seen these corpses and skeletons. He identified them as residents of the neighboring Family Tomb Village. He hasn’t seen them since the two villages cut off contact half a year ago, but he’s certain they were alive back then.”
Another corpse fell under Taoist Song Yi’s hands as he took a breath, clearing away these mindless undead while guiding everyone towards the village head’s house.
“The village head’s house has a Ghost-Dispelling Well in the backyard. Although it cracked suddenly at midnight, there are still some residual effects. Most of our people and the villagers are there. You should go there too.”
With a serious tone, Taoist Song Yi continued, “Taoist Ma, help me gather all the villagers at the village head’s house. Since it’s just the two of us now, we need to concentrate our forces.”
Taoist Ma nodded in agreement, about to speak when he heard a voice from the silent Officer Chen: “Although I’m sorry to say this, I must go to Family Tomb Village.”
Both Taoist Song Yi and Taoist Ma turned to look at him in surprise.
Officer Chen, however, remained calm, showing no fear of the corpses. “Please don’t worry about me. I know what I’m doing. I almost died in Family Tomb Village once before, and it was my teammate who forcibly brought me back. But from that moment on, I’ve never stopped hating myself, hating that I didn’t try harder. Perhaps if I had tried a little harder, I could have saved Jiang Yanran.”
“I’ve been investigating this case for decades, and now, that child is within my reach. I cannot allow any reason to interrupt me from rescuing her again.”
Officer Chen, with wrinkles covering his face, expressed with a smile. “What fear is there in death? What I fear most is failing myself and failing that child.”
“Wait, Mr. Chen, you don’t have to do this. Just wait a little longer…”
“I can’t wait,” Officer Chen shook his head slowly. “My teammate said the same thing to me back then, but with each moment of waiting, it’s like a lifetime of separation. I don’t know what will happen if I wait again, but…”
Officer Chen looked up, meeting the eyes of the two Taoists squarely, and spoke frankly, “With every extra moment of waiting, that child suffers. I cannot let the mistakes I’ve made in the past happen again.”
“Please forgive me.”
Yang Binseng, who had been silent, suddenly spoke up with an official tone but a calm smile. “I will accompany Officer Chen to cross over Moon Mountain and enter the Family Tomb Village, even if death awaits us.”
“Please don’t worry about us. We are all people who have made mistakes, so I know how unbearable the guilt that torments someone for decades can be. Back then, I chose to stand by and even fled from the Yang Clan, thinking that it would spare me, but what awaited me was greater pain.”
Yang Binseng continued, “It was my negligence that led to Jiang Yanran’s abduction. If she wants to kill me, I will accept my fate. But please, don’t stop me.”
“You guys….”
As Taoist Song Yi was about to say something, he was stopped by the nearby Taoist Ma.
Taoist Ma shook his head slowly towards Taoist Song Yi.
He, too, was someone who had made mistakes. He had failed to save the people of the Wild Wolf Peak village, a pain that haunted him for twenty years until Yan Shixun resolved the souls of the Wild Wolf Peak. Only then did he find liberation.
So, he could understand Yang Binseng and Officer Chen’s feelings.
What is there to fear in death?
Only guilt, which can torment one deeply.
Taoist Song Yi looked at the horde of undead creatures surrounding them, realizing he didn’t have time to persuade the two. Many villagers in Jia Village were still under the threat of death, waiting for them to rescue.
He sighed, “Follow your own path. Those who do not walk this path have no right to interfere.”
Yang Binseng and Officer Chen thanked the two Taoists with a smile, then turned and headed towards the route to cross over Moon Mountain and enter the Family Tomb Village.
Officer Chen’s gray-white hair fluttered in the night wind, his back hunched, but his gaze remained bright and determined.
一Just like the passionate young police officer from decades ago.
Taoist Ma watched the two figures disappearing into the distance with a blank expression, then turned back and knocked over the nearby corpses with a smile on his face.
This was the true path of cultivation.
Their path lay right beneath their feet.
…
Inside the ancestral hall, chaos reigned. Stones flew and sand scattered.
The memorial tablets that once stood on the wall fell one by one, shattered by the violent tremors. The Yang Family’s plaque split into two halves. It was a scene of devastation and dust, a far cry from its former glory with its incense burning bright and eternal flame.
It was like a flourishing family, ultimately destroyed by its own hands.
Jiang Yanran was relentless. She was no longer the harmless little girl who appeared in front of Yan Shixun, but a truly fierce and terrifying spirit. The corners of her flying skirt were like the sharpest blades, easily tearing open gaping wounds on Yang Duo’s bridal gown.
Every time she came into close contact with Yang Duo, her hands, clenched like bone claws, ripped flesh from Yang Duo’s body, leaving her drenched in blood.
Yang Duo screamed in agony, growing more ferocious with each passing moment. Her neatly combed hair was scattered, her long hair danced wildly, her eyes turned bloodshot, and blood flowed down her face.
Each encounter between them was like an earthquake for the ancestral hall.
But Yan Shixun seemed oblivious to the deafening roar and tremors. He raised his hand, grasped the bloodlines that pierced his shoulder, waist, and legs, hindering his movements, and then quietly recited an exorcism curse. The bloodlines immediately burst apart like fireworks.
With the wounds no longer blocked, blood surged again, flowing more violently outward.
Yan Shixun’s lips lost their color, and along with the blood, his body temperature was also draining away. The pain and cold caused a thin layer of cold sweat to form on his forehead, dampening his scattered hair.
He strode forward with long strides, walking calmly through the fierce battle with the ghost, as if taking a leisurely stroll in the garden.
“Yang Yun, can you hold on?”
Yan Shixun stood in front of Zhang Wubing and the others, his eyes lowered to the increasingly weakened Yang Yun. He didn’t offer any words of comfort, just said, “You can’t continue to channel power to Yang Duo. If this continues, Jiang Yanran will win.”
Although Jiang Yanran had also gathered the Yin energy in the ancestral village, her desire and obsession were not to control the village but to leave it.
So, the position of the Yin God did not fall upon Jiang Yanran.
And now, time was slowly approaching Yang Duo’s time. With each passing moment, she was gradually gaining the authority of the Yin God, her power growing almost exponentially.
If Jiang Yanran couldn’t win against Yang Duo while she still had a faint advantage, the situation might take a turn for the worse.
Upon hearing Yan Shixun’s words, Yang Yun’s eyelids trembled. Despite being almost closed due to weakness, he forced them open again, looking up at Yan Shixun.
“Mr. Yan…”
Yang Yun struggled to muster a smile. “I’m sorry. It seems I haven’t been able to help you much. Once again, I’ve spoken out of turn… I’m a person burdened with sins, all my decisions have been wrong. I never thought it would be the same even after death.”
“This is not your fault, Yang Yun.”
Yan Shixun’s calm expression remained unchanged. “You only sought revenge for your mother. You didn’t know it would turn Yang Duo into the Yin God, nor did you anticipate her transformation. You are not omniscient; there is no need for you to blame yourself.”
“The ones at fault are those who killed your mother. You are merely a victim who lost his mother. No one can blame you. So, Yang Yun…”
Yan Shixun spoke softly. “Preserve your strength and hold on until you meet your mother.”
He slowly crouched down, ensuring that his blood-soaked body didn’t touch Yang Yun’s already weakened soul. Instead, he extended his slender hand and began drawing talismans in the air, not any common type seen among cultivators.
But if the old Taoist were here, he would surely recognize it and be astonished.
— Yan Shixun was actually drawing a reverse exorcism talisman!
Thus, the talisman originally meant to dispel spirits turned into one that stabilized the soul.
Yang Tu looked at Yang Yun lying in his arms, tears streaming down his face. “Brother Yan….”
But Yan Shixun stood upright, saying nothing more.
He knew what Yang Tu wanted to hear, but he couldn’t say those words.
Because… Yang Yun had already done his best to protect Yang Tu, Zhang Wubing, and everyone else. As a result, the core of his soul, still lingering in this world, had been shattered by Yang Duo, leaving no possibility for him to remain in the mortal realm.
It was even possible that he couldn’t hold on until the moment when the ghost officials would take him away.
“Yang Yun,” Yan Shixun said softly, “don’t let death overcome you. Your mother is waiting for you.”
Yang Yun weakly lifted his eyelids, then smiled and weakly responded,
“Okay.”
“I can’t make any more mistakes.”
Hidden behind a pillar at the edge of the ancestral hall, Lu Xingxing and Zhao Zhen watched from afar. Every loud rumble made Lu Xingxing jump up like a spring, then retract with lingering fear.
Zhao Zhen, however, looked at Yang Duo, who no longer displayed any trace of her once innocent and lovely demeanor, with indescribable sadness.
“That child should have had her own life. She was only sixteen,” Zhao Zhen choked up a bit.
Lu Xingxing turned around in horror, “Brother, are you serious? She’s a ghost! We’re not even the same species. Why sympathize? If it’s a ghost, it should be killed, right? There’s no need to pity them; they can harm people.”
“But Mr. Yan…”
“He’s a weirdo, and his master is also strange. They abandoned such a big Haiyun Temple and left freely. If it were me, I couldn’t do that.”
Lu Xingxing smirked, “But don’t worry, with me here, I won’t let you get hurt. I’m a disciple of Haiyun Temple.”
Zhao Zhen couldn’t help but laugh bitterly, clearly not believing Lu Xingxing’s words.
He looked up with worry and continued to watch the battle not far away.
After several rounds of fighting, Yang Duo was obviously exhausted. She could no longer absorb strength from Yang Yun to heal her own injuries.
Her once exquisite wedding dress was now tattered from Jiang Yanran’s attacks, her hair disheveled, and her jewelry scattered, looking disheveled.
However, Jiang Yanran showed no signs of stopping, continuing her relentless attacks.
Yang Duo gasped for breath, her voice sharp as she questioned, “Jiang Yanran, after your death, they dug up your uncle’s body, peeled off his skin to make a human skin drum, ground his bones into bone beads to suppress you, to prevent you from turning into a vengeful ghost. Who helped you? When they wanted to use the baby you died with against you, who helped you when you were desperate? But is this how you treat me?”
“You betrayed me, betrayed the ghosts who helped you! Jiang Yanran, how are you any different from those people!”
Jiang Yanran’s hand, originally reaching for Yang Duo’s heart, suddenly stopped.
She looked up at the beautiful face so close to hers, seeing the pain and struggle in Yang Duo’s eye sockets, which were now empty.
“Yang Duo…”
But seizing this opportunity, Yang Duo quickly broke free from Jiang Yanran’s grasp and fled towards a distance, her blood-red nails pointing directly at Zhao Zhen behind the pillar.
She was badly injured and in desperate need of replenishing her strength. However, in the ancestral hall, there stood Yan Shixuan, whom she feared, and there was a faintly ominous aura coming from Lu Xingxing. In comparison, Zhao Zhen, an ordinary person, was the safest option for replenishing her strength.
Yang Duo hardly hesitated and made her decision.
Zhao Zhen watched in wide-eyed horror as the red light surged straight towards him, frozen in place without making any defensive moves.
Yan Shixuan also sensed something amiss from the wind, quickly turning around to find that amidst the battle between Jiang Yanran and Yang Duo, one of the ghosts involved had suddenly broken away and was now attacking someone else.
And that someone was the defenseless Zhao Zhen.
Yan Shixuan immediately rushed towards Zhao Zhen, his fingers sliding harshly over the grotesque wound on his abdomen, smearing blood as he swiftly drew symbols in the air.
But the severe pain all over his body seriously affected his movements and speed. Despite gritting his teeth and ignoring the agony to desperately mobilize his muscles, he still lagged behind Yang Duo by half a beat, only able to watch helplessly as she quickly approached Zhao Zhen.
“Yang Duo…” Zhao Zhen murmured softly, his eyes filled with confusion.
He still remembered being Yang Duo in that dream-like world, experiencing all her despair and pleading at that time. That emotion lingered in his heart, making him believe that Yang Duo was just a sixteen-year-old girl who needed his help.
However, at this moment, Yang Duo’s nails were aimed straight at him.
He didn’t want to deceive himself, but he wasn’t foolish.
He could see clearly that Yang Duo was glaring at him with hostility, clearly intent on killing him.
“Why…”
Zhao Zhen was still in a daze, but Lu Xingxing quickly regained control of his limbs after being stunned, and in a critical moment, he pushed Zhao Zhen away and, in a panic but resolute manner, stood in front of him to block the attack.
“Plap!”
Lu Xingxing’s body stiffened.
His pupils dilated as he looked at Yang Duo in front of him, her crimson nails deeply embedded in his heart.
Scarlet blood surged up Lu Xingxing’s throat, flowing out from the corners of his mouth.
But he grinned, blood dripping from his mouth as he looked at the grimacing Yang Duo, and with each word spoken deliberately, he said, “Well, beauty, did you see that cool guy over there? He’s my Master Uncle, a real tough guy. Haven’t you heard of the saying ‘when you strike a small one, you face the old one’? Did you even ask my Master Uncle’s opinion before you tried to kill me?”
Trembling, Lu Xingxing reached out, trying hard to touch Yang Duo and stick the yellow paper talisman he had in his pocket on her body. But alas, his strength couldn’t keep up with his plan. He couldn’t move as swiftly as Yan Shixuan. In Yang Duo’s eyes, it was all in slow motion, and Lu Xingxing was just a struggling fool on the brink of death.
Yang Duo snorted coldly as her nails stirred inside Lu Xingxing’s chest, holding his heart in her hand.
“Foolish!”
“I didn’t want to kill you originally, but you came looking for trouble yourself. Don’t blame me.”
Yang Duo was about to extract Lu Xingxing’s heart, but suddenly felt a powerful force rushing towards her from behind. She realized it was the troublesome Yan Shixun. Unwilling to confront Yan Shixun in her current heavily injured state, she decided she couldn’t afford to deal with him now. He was simply a headache for ghosts!
So she quickly withdrew her hand and immediately dashed to the side.
Her arm, now stained with Lu Xingxing’s blood, had been restored under the aura of death revealed during his dying moments, and her withered bones had turned back into fair and beautiful arms.
With a sinister gaze, she looked up at Jiang Yanran across from her. “Traitor, you deserve to die!”
Yan Shixun missed his target but caught Lu Xingxing, who was collapsing weakly in front of him.
Upon seeing Lu Xingxing’s heart beating beneath the opened flesh on his chest, Yan Shixun’s pupils contracted.
It was serious. Yang Duo had almost pulled out Lu Xingxing’s heart. If this wound wasn’t treated promptly, Lu Xingxing would likely die.
The rapid loss of blood left Lu Xingxing weak, and he could only lean softly on Yan Shixun’s arm, using his sturdy chest for support.
Taking a breath, Lu Xingxing seemed to want to laugh it off as usual, but when he opened his mouth, only blood gushed out, staining Yan Shixun’s black shirt.
“Sorry, Brother Yan, I’ve embarrassed my master with my poor skills.”
Lu Xingxing’s voice lacked its usual vigor, sounding as weak as a candle in the wind, ready to extinguish at any moment. “You seem to be right.”
Yan Shixun frowned, disregarding the worsening of his own injuries as he supported Lu Xingxing’s entire weight. His hand, smeared with his own blood, didn’t pause for a moment as he swiftly drew talismans on Lu Xingxing’s chest wound—hemostasis spells, exorcism spells, soul protection spells… layer upon layer, each taking effect.
He gritted his teeth to suppress his pain, unable to spare any energy to pay attention to what was happening around him, completely focused on desperately saving Lu Xingxing’s life.
Lu Xingxing managed a weak breath, his face pale as he smiled. “Looks like my master will really have to collect my body this time. I wonder if he’ll be angry. After all, his disciple is so incompetent, always making the Grandmaster upset and even getting punished by him. It’s really nice to have a bond with my master and to have met you too, Brother Yan.”
“You’re truly the strangest Taoist I’ve ever met, no, both you and your master. You’re both so peculiar, but it seems like that’s what brings you closer to the mysteries of the universe, something I can’t even begin to comprehend…”
“Shut up.” Yan Shixun coldly chuckled, using his bloodied palm to pat Lu Xingxing’s head. “I’ve put in so much effort to save you, not for you to talk. You just hold on.”
“Though I’m not from Haiyun Temple, I’m essentially your senior. Do you want to die?” Yan Shixun sneered, a contemptuous look in his eyes towards death. “Not unless I die first.”
Leaning against Yan Shixun’s sturdy chest, Lu Xingxing gazed up at the crisp line of his jaw, then suddenly burst into laughter after a long while.
This sense of reassurance was truly addictive, once experienced, one didn’t want to lose it.
He felt like he suddenly understood why An Nanyuan and the others admired Yan Shixun so much. Having Yan Shixun as a senior, wasn’t a bad deal at all…
As the warm blood from Lu Xingxing splattered all over Zhao Zhen, who was protected behind him, Zhao Zhen remained in a daze until Yan Shixun looked towards him. Then he suddenly snapped out of it, frantically trying to assist Lu Xingxing.
“Xingxing, Lu Xingxing?”
Even the serious Zhao Zhen’s eyes turned red, and his trembling voice sounded like he was about to burst into tears any moment. “Why did you suddenly rush over? She was originally aiming to kill me, you didn’t have to do this.”
Lu Xingxing looked at Zhao Zhen disapprovingly. “That’s why I told you earlier, those ghosts are not the same species as you. You’re too soft on them, they only want to harm you. Any ghost must be killed, that’s the rule universally acknowledged in our line of work.”
“Moreover, I’m a Taoist from Haiyun Temple. Even a hundred years ago, we were ready to sacrifice ourselves on the battlefield for our country. How could I let you get hurt while I’m here? Are you looking down on me?”
With a cold sneer, Yan Shixuan swiftly flicked Lu Xingxing’s forehead, mocking, “Look at you, barely hanging on. Go back and study for another hundred years before even thinking about leaving the mountains as a master.”
Then, Yan Shixun handed Lu Xingxing over to Zhao Zhen, his expression stern. “I’ve given him first aid. He won’t die in the short term. Take care of him.”
After seeing Zhao Zhen nod, Yan Shixun’s hand gripped his own shoulder, forcefully reopening the wound that had stopped bleeding much. Then, he used his blood-stained hands to draw symbols on Zhao Zhen and Lu Xingxing.
With lowered eyes, his scattered hair failing to conceal the sharpness in his gaze, Yan Shixun muttered, “Man blocks with thick paper, ghost blocks with mountain peaks, a thousand evils cannot break through, ten thousand evils cannot open…”
A faint golden light flashed, and the symbols took effect.
As Yan Shixun slowly rose to his feet, the shadows of his hair cast a dark, lightless gaze.
While one corner of the ancestral hall was tense with emergency aid, Jiang Yanran showed no signs of relaxation.
After unexpectedly gaining strength from Lu Xingxing, Yang Duo’s severe injuries were healed, granting her the power to confront Jiang Yanran once more.
Jiang Yanran stared coldly at Yang Duo. “You just used my guilt against me.”
Yang Duo grinned ferociously, her crimson wedding gown swirling in the air like blooming red flowers, its edges sharp enough to almost cleave through space.
A river of blood surged from the ground, rushing towards Jiang Yanran from all directions, enveloping her.
In a hoarse whisper, Yang Duo spoke like a venomous snake, “You betrayed me first.”
“No one loves me, no one stands by me, so of course—”
Yang Duo’s claws aimed for Jiang Yanran’s forehead. She tried to step back, but was caught by the ubiquitous blood, unable to break free, only able to watch as Yang Duo charged towards her.
“I’ll kill everyone!!!”
Her crimson nails pierced into Jiang Yanran’s skull, the once radiant girl losing her beautiful face, blood streaming down.
Jiang Yanran screamed in agony, feeling her strength rapidly draining into Yang Duo. Her resistance grew weaker and weaker, until she was almost drowned by the blood, consciousness sinking into the depths.
With her vision obscured by blood-red, Jiang Yanran couldn’t see anything clearly, but she could sense that Yang Duo’s power came not only from herself and Lu Xingxing, but also from another newly added force.
It was… the death aura of a new mourner.
Who else had Yang Duo killed? Everyone in Family Tomb Village had become her nourishment, so who else could she kill?
Was it those outsiders, or…the Jia Village villagers?
Jiang Yanran could feel her consciousness growing weaker, the pain from her forehead spreading throughout her body. In a daze, she almost lost all awareness.
But suddenly, an old voice echoed from afar.
“Yanran, I’ve come to take you home.”
“Yanran, decades ago I couldn’t take you away. This time, even if I die here, I must fulfill your uncle’s request and take you all home.”
This voice… It was the voice from the recording that Yanran had heard, the one that Yan Shixun had given her to listen to.
The voice of Chen Rui, the police officer who had been searching for her for decades.
Jiang Yanran saw in her mind’s eye the village bathed in the blood-red sunset, the young police officer beaten down, almost dead, but still reaching out to her desperately.
And those bright, sorrowful eyes.
In her daze, she reached out her hand too, wanting to grasp the young officer’s hand, but found only emptiness.
Yes, someone was waiting for her to come home.
Her uncle’s remains were still buried in the Family Tomb Village.
She had to take her uncle’s remains and leave the Family Tomb Village, together with that police officer… to go home!
Jiang Yanran, who had already lost all her struggles, seemed to be supported by an even stronger conviction. She took a deep breath, her once scattered eyes regained their determination, and she reached out to push away the blood in front of her, rushing towards Yang Duo.
Yang Duo, who thought she had succeeded, was about to laugh triumphantly when she was stunned to see Jiang Yanran, covered in blood, standing before her like a fierce ghost.
“How… can this be!”
Jiang Yanran slowly lifted her head, her gaze icy cold. “I want… to go home!”
Meanwhile, the sound of friction suddenly echoed into the ancestral hall.
Yan Shixun raised his head warily and saw that the coffins buried in the backyard were forcefully opened, and one by one, the corpses clung to the edges of the coffins, swaying as they stood up.
Without exception, these corpses were all female, wearing different styles and eras of wedding dresses, now decayed and faded, with grim blackened skulls.
From outside the ancestral hall, there also came the rustling sound of footsteps.
It was the corpses from the mourning hall, their hollow eyes seemingly responding to some sort of summons as they shuffled towards the ancestral hall.
“Brother …”Yan Zha Zhen watched all of this with a pounding heart, instinctively tightening his grip on Lu Xingxing’s arm, wanting to shield him from all this danger.
But in his heart, he had already prepared himself for the possibility of dying here.
The malevolent spirits were formidable, the undead surrounded them — where was there any escape?
If it were just Mr. Yan alone, it would be no problem, but here they were, the ones holding him back…
A thread of despair flashed through Zhao Zhen’s heart.
But amidst Yan Shixun’s darkening brows, there was no hint of panic.
He extended his blood-stained hand, pointing towards the corpses, his tone calm and low: “Heaven and Earth align, dispersing impurities, revealing the mysteries of the abyss. The eight directions yield to divine power, harmonizing with nature.”
As his words fell, the ancestral hall fell silent.
Faint golden light emanated from Yan Shixun, his robes fluttering without wind.
“…I beseech the heavens, reaching the highest celestial realms, uncovering the profound mysteries, vanquishing evil spirits, guiding countless souls…”
The syllables were distinct and deep, yet the voice seemed to resonate both downward into the earth and upward into the sky, connecting with the cosmos.
In Yan Shixun’s palm, a gentle golden light began to glow.
Zhao Zhen and Zhang Wubing instinctively looked up, staring blankly at Yan Shixun.
Even Yang Duo, amidst her fierce battle, momentarily glanced over, screaming shrilly in an attempt to rush over and stop him, only to be suppressed by Jiang Yanran’s roaring.
As malevolent spirits, both Jiang Yanran and Yang Duo could sense a powerful and majestic force slowly manifesting from Yan Shixun’s being.
They realized—
Yan Shixun was communicating with the heavens and earth, commanding spirits.
But, could that be possible?
For a moment, Jiang Yanran’s expression seemed to falter, lost in disbelief.
Yan Shixun remained undisturbed by any interference. He lowered his gaze slightly, his tall figure standing straight, surrounded by a golden glow.
However, in the next moment, he suddenly felt a strong pair of arms wrap around him from behind.
He found himself crashing into a cold but sturdy embrace.
“Which deity are you invoking?” A deep voice echoed in Yan Shixun’s ear, icy enough to suppress anger. “Regardless of whom you intended to invoke—”
“He’s dead.”
“Only I am here.”
Yan Shixun recognized the familiar voice.
“Ye Li?”
A long, cold hand trailed along Yan Shixun’s arm, slowly reaching forward to grasp his hand.
Yan Shixun felt the cold fingertips writing on his palm, stroke by stroke.
Ye.
Li.
“I am Ye Li.”
Ye Li’s arms wrapped around Yan Shixun from behind, encircling his injured and trembling body. He could sense the heavy scent of blood emanating from Yan Shixun, along with the grim wounds covering his body.
Yan Shixun was badly injured, he was bleeding.
This realization plunged Ye Li’s mood into a freezing abyss, anger simmering within his chest.
Yet, he suppressed all his anger, merely lowering his head slightly to whisper in Yan Shixun’s ear with a low, magnetic voice: “Invoke my name, I am your deity.”
“Evil dissipates, Dao persists—subject to manipulation.”
Yan Shixun blinked, feeling an itch near his ear that instinctively made him want to tilt his head, but the strong man behind him held him in his embrace with irresistible force.
“Ye, Li… I don’t know who you are, but I won’t hand over everything to you,” Yan Shixun’s voice was firm. “This is my responsibility, and no deity or spirit can replace me. I am the one commanding spirits, not being commanded by them.”
Ye Li chuckled softly, his long hair sliding from his shoulders brushing against Yan Shixun’s cheek. He seemed to restrain his growing excitement, his voice hoarse as he whispered into Yan Shixun’s ear, “You must have noticed something’s amiss, haven’t you? This isn’t reality, it’s another world.”
“Here, death means death, but severe injuries don’t necessarily remain severe.”
“But if you use the power of spirits to enter reality from illusion, then severe injuries will indeed be severe. Yan Shixun, how many wounds do you have? Can you still hold on?”
“Hand over everything to me, and your injuries will vanish into nothingness when you leave this world. I never make promises lightly, but I promise you this: when you close your eyes and open them again, everything will be over. So…”
“Yan Shixun, what’s your choice?”
Yan Shixun grinned, his lips devoid of color. “There has always been only one option here, and that is—”
His gaze became sharp in an instant, shining like a blade. “Spirits, heed my call!”
“By the authority of the Five Sacred Mountains, and the knowledge of the Eight Oceans, let the spirits bow down and serve my will—!”
Ye Li frowned, a low chuckle escaping his lips.
And with that, a powerful and majestic force rapidly spread, enveloping the heavens and the earth.
Author’s Note: The incantations are based on “Dispelling Ghost Spell” and “Purifying Heaven and Earth Divine Spell.”
If you love what Ciacia is doing, then consider showing your support by supporting a cup of tea for her at Kofi. If you can’t wait for the next release chapter, subscribe to advanced chapters membership on her Kofi to get access to up to 10 chapters!
<Previous Chapter<Table of Contents>Next Chapter>
