Jue Ming followed Master Xuan Ji, passing through the winding and quiet corridor, and finally arrived at the front courtyard.
The front courtyard was already filled with disciples, their faces worried, whispering and talking among themselves, the clamor of their voices echoing in this small space.
Several villagers were also waiting here, some sitting and some standing, their faces filled with anxiety and fear.
Each weathered face, like an autumn leaf eaten away by frost, was marked with weariness and bitterness.
The occasional sobs only added to the desolation.
Master Xuan Ji, taking slow steps, approached the several villagers, his hands clasped in prayer, his gaze gentle yet resolute, as if he could see through the deepest fear in their hearts.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I, Master Xuan Ji, have heard of the affairs in Zhou's Village. Please rest assured, the Buddha is merciful; I will do my utmost to assist you."
An old man, trembling with age, walked forward and knelt down, shedding tears: "Master, please save us! The young men in our village are falling one by one. If this continues, Zhou Village may be extinct!"
Master Xuan Ji's expression was full of pity. He quickly went forward to help up the old man and comforted him: "Old sir, please get up. I will set off immediately to Zhou Village, investigate the truth and expel the evil."
Yu Yao also came upon hearing the news, dressed in simple white clothes, with a delicate wild flower pinned to her hair. Her face showed a hint of concern.
The wild flower swayed gently in the wind, adding a touch of vitality and beauty to her.
She glanced at the several villagers and then walked over to Master Xuan Ji, saying earnestly: "Master, I am also willing to go. Although I am a demon, I also know the difference between good and evil. The suffering of Zhou Village, I cannot ignore."
Master Xuan Ji nodded slightly, not surprised by her decision, "Miss Yu, since you have this determination, come along with us. But remember, when expelling demons, one must have compassion and not kill the innocent."
"Master, please rest assured, Miss Yu will remember."
Yu Yao smiled.
The group quickly left the Temple of Ten Thousand Buddhas and headed to Zhou Village, with Jue Ming and several villagers closely following behind.
The distance was not far, but the scenery along the way seemed particularly desolate. Weeds grew abundantly on both sides of the road, almost covering the original path.
The occasional howls of wild beasts added a sense of urgency.
"Master, do you think the troubles in Zhou Village are truly caused by demons?"
Jue Ming couldn't help but ask, his voice echoing in the empty valley, carrying a touch of uncertainty.
Master Xuan Ji stopped walking, his gaze fixing on the distant layered mountains, a flicker of thought passing through his eyes, "All things in the world have causes and effects. The mischief of demons, or the corruption of people's hearts, are both possible. Only by going to the scene can we understand the truth."
Yu Yao's eyes shifted slightly, as she gently touched the wild flower pinned to her hair, "No matter what the cause may be, I will do my utmost to help those innocent villagers suffering."
The group continued their journey. As the sun set in the west, the sky gradually turned into a burnt orange.
Yu Yao and her group arrived at Zhou Village as evening fell.
The entire Zhou Village was shrouded in a dead silence.
The sunset glow cast on the weathered walls, throwing shadowy patterns, as if even the light was conveying the desolation here.
Under the old catalpa tree at the village entrance, several crows circled, emitting a series of eerie cries, adding a sense of malevolence.
Master Xuan Ji led the group into the village, where every household's door was tightly shut. Occasional cries or coughs from inside made one's heart skip a beat.
The air was thick with an indescribable oppression and fear, as if even breathing became a heavy burden.
"Everyone, be careful, the atmosphere here is not right," Master Xuan Ji whispered, while activating Buddhist meditation techniques, emitting a faint golden light around him to protect everyone.
Yu Yao's brow furrowed, as her instincts, being a demon, made her more sensitive to the surroundings.
She could feel that the village was filled with a coldness that did not belong to the human world, a scent characteristic of demons.
She could feel the village was filled with an unnatural chill, a characteristic smell of demonic energy. But she also sensed there was something more complex intertwined within it, leaving her momentarily puzzled.
"Master, where should we start our investigation?" Jue Ming asked, his voice tinged with tension.
Master Xuan Ji pondered for a moment and said, "Let's first visit the villagers who have fallen ill."
At this moment, the villager who followed back to Zhou Village, Liu the old man, anxiously walked forward and said, "Master, please go see my son first. He is too sick!"
Master Xuan Ji looked at Liu the old man and nodded slightly, "Don't worry, sir. I will go right away."
"Thank you, Master."
Liu the old man was moved to tears of gratitude and hurried to lead the way in front.
Master Xuan Ji, Yu Yao, and Jue Ming followed behind Liu the old man.
Other villagers also followed behind.
The group soon arrived at Liu the old man's home, a modest but clean farmhouse,
At this moment, it was shrouded in a somber atmosphere.
Liu the old man's daughter-in-law, Zhao's wife, stood at the door, her hands tightly clenched and her eyes slightly red. Upon seeing Master Xuan Ji and the others, a glimmer of hope lit up in her eyes.
"Master, you've finally come. My husband..." Zhao's wife began to sob, struggling to find her words.
Master Xuan Ji nodded gently, indicating that she should be patient, and then stepped into the house.
Yu Yao and Jue Ming followed closely behind.
The light inside the house was dim, and the smell of herbs and mildew mixed together, causing one to frown involuntarily.
On the earthen bed lay a middle-aged man, his face pale as paper, his eyes tightly shut, and his breath so faint it was nearly imperceptible.
The entire person seemed to have lost all vitality.
Master Xuan Ji walked to the edge of the earthen bed, and with his right hand, he lightly placed it on the man's pulse, closing his eyes and meditating.
After a moment, he slowly opened his eyes, a gravity passing through them. "This is caused by the practice of absorbing yang to replenish yin," he said slowly. "Demons absorb the vitality of the living to nourish their cultivation. Young men have the strongest yang, making them targets for demons."
Hearing this, Zhao's wife's face turned even paler, tears rolling down her cheeks like a broken string of pearls. She looked at Master Xuan Ji with pleading eyes, begging: "Master, please save my husband! He is the pillar of our family!"
Yu Yao's eyes flickered with compassion. "Don't worry, he will be fine," she soothed.
Yu Yao's eyes flickered with unwillingness, comforting: "Don't worry, he will be fine."
"This jade can nourish yang energy and temporarily stabilize his heart pulse."
She looked at Zhao's wife and whispered in explanation.
At the same time, she exerted her demon power to slowly infuse a soft force into the jade pendant. The pendant then began to emit a faint glow, enveloping the man with warmth.
Master Xuan Ji saw this and did not hesitate, his hands forming seals and chanting ancient sutras.
With his voice, it seemed as if a gentle breeze swept through the room, bringing a touch of coolness and tranquility, slowly dispelling the intangible demonic energy.
Zhao's wife and Liu the old man dared not disturb and stood by, watching.
As the two of them performed their magic, the man on the earthen bed's pale countenance gradually regained some color, and his breath became steadier and stronger.
Zhao's wife and Liu the old man, moved to tears, bowed repeatedly to Master Xuan Ji and Yu Yao out of gratitude.
"Master, Miss, thank you. Thank you for saving my husband."
Zhao's wife knelt down and bowed her head in excitement.
Liu the old man followed suit, kneeling down as well. His face was filled with gratitude, and tears of joy streamed down his weathered cheeks.
"Amitabha, the Buddha is merciful. Please rise, both of you."
Master Xuan Ji quickly helped the two up, and he took out a protective talisman from his chest pocket. He handed it to Zhao's wife, "Paste this amulet on your husband's chest. It can temporarily protect his heart pulse from further invasion by demons. In addition, have your husband sunbathe more or eat some foods rich in yang energy to replenish the yang energy he has lost."
Zhao's wife took the talisman with trembling hands, tears streaming down her face, "Thank you, Master. Thank you, this young miss."
Master Xuan Ji nodded slightly and did not say anything, leaving Liu the old man's home quickly.
Yu Yao and Jue Ming followed behind.
They visited house after house. At each place, Master Xuan Ji carefully took the pulse and diagnosed the patients.
He found that the situation was basically the same for all of them. The yang energy had been consumed too severely, and with the invasion of evil qi, they had fallen seriously ill.
The process that followed was similar.
Yu Yao and Xuan Ji worked together, one using magic, the other using demonic energy, to expel the evil qi from the villagers' bodies.
As for the later replenishment of yang energy, this can only be achieved by them gradually cultivating, and currently they can only temporarily revive their lives.
With the joint efforts of Yu Yao and Master Xuan Ji in their healing and rescue work, the middle-aged men in the village gradually recovered from life-threatening conditions.
However, the entire village was still shrouded in a layer of darkness.
Jue Ming's brow furrowed in worry, and he asked, "Master, the villagers are temporarily out of danger. What should we do next?"
Master Xuan Ji's gaze was solemn, and he joined his hands together and said, "We cannot be careless. The demons have not been eradicated, and the hidden dangers remain."
Yu Yao's gaze fell on the mountains behind the village. Now, as the sky had completely darkened, there was a blurred shadow, indistinct and it was unclear where the demon was hiding.
She furrowed her brow and said, "Master, you are right. We must find the demon as soon as possible to eradicate it and prevent future harm. Otherwise, even saving these villagers will be in vain."
Jue Ming looked puzzled and scratched his head, "How can we find it? The demon is hiding and showing itself only partially."
Master Xuan Ji tilted his head slightly, looking at the dark mountains, and said solemnly, "I have decided to set up an altar and perform a ritual tonight to track the demon's trail."
Jue Ming was scared when he heard this, and his hands unconsciously twitched, as if he wanted to say something about whether this was too risky. What if the demon counter-attacks?
But he was afraid Master and Miss Yu would think that he was too scared, and the words were almost swallowed back. He changed his tone and said, "What can I do to help?"
Master Xuan Ji looked at Jue Ming and gently patted his shoulder, "You will stay nearby and guard against any interference from uninvolved people."
"Okay." Jue Ming nodded seriously.
Yu Yao stood by the side without saying anything.
The night was deep, and all sounds had ceased.
Master Xuan Ji chose a spacious location in the center of the village and began setting up an altar to perform the ritual.
