The world is treacherous, and I have no desire to engage in frequent contact with people like Liu Ziyu who have unstable tempers.
Moreover, they have to deal with Yu Xiu, which is definitely something that cannot be resolved, and we remain opponents.
…
Under the guidance of the vole, my path became much smoother.
It takes longer to climb the mountain but faster to descend, and by the time I returned to the village, the mist was thick and dense, filling the air. The entire village seemed much more somber and menacing than when I had left.
The vole continued to lead the way, and soon we were back at the courtyard where we had previously left.
Huaying stood at the courtyard entrance with a slightly pale complexion.
The door to the main room was slightly ajar, and Fan Jie's half-head peeked out.
He saw me and his face lit up with surprise!
The vole returned to Huaying's shadow, and Huaying's face was also beaming with joy.
Huaiqi has a shadowy fate, while Huaying does not, so she cannot see anything through the vole, but she can sense some things to a certain extent.
"The commotion on the mountain earlier was too loud. When those two Taoists went up, I guessed it was you who did it, so I hurriedly sent the vole to find you..."
Huaying spoke first.
"Mhm, there is a temple for the Red Ghost. Did something happen earlier? Has the village also been affected?" I asked Huaying.
Old Gong on the night pot at Huaying's waist spun around, licking his lips and said: "Wait a bit, I'll kill that old guy and the little Taoist."
Clearly, the old guy is the long-bearded Taoist, and the little Taoist is Liu Ziyu.
"They met with Xiu Xiu?" My pupils narrowed slightly.
"Old Gong, don't exaggerate..." Huaying whispered to Old Gong and gestured for me to go inside first and speak.
Once inside the yard, we locked the door.
During this time, I glanced at the town-sealing talisman on the door, which was still intact.
Fan Jie smiled ingratiatingly at me, and Old Gong vanished.
Huaying only began to recount the previous events.
Liu Ziyu and the long-bearded Taoist entered the village loudly, without concealing their presence, directly confronting the two Yu Xiu.
Huaying pursed her lips and explained: "I didn't expect that the Eight Wretched Widows split into eight souls, one of which is Xiu Xiu. The rest should be the malevolent thoughts that split into a soul after each marriage."
I nodded, indicating that Huaying was correct.
Huaying then added, "They heard the noise and went over. The two Yu Xiu were especially fierce, but against the two Taoists, it was clear they were struggling. However, their two souls merged suddenly when they were about to be dispersed, and their fierce aura surged!"
Although two against one, they were still fighting fiercely.
Pausing for a moment, Huaying continued, "We were originally planning to strike secretly and let the two Taoists suffer a bit, but the battle attracted the other parts of the Yu Xiu souls lurking in the shadows. We didn't know what to do, just as thunder rolled from the mountain. The two Taoists also knew that the situation was not right in front of them, and they quickly climbed the mountain."
"After that, the part of the Yu Xiu that combined their souls immediately caught the soul that had been peeking around recently. The other four were scared and fled in all directions."
"Four more?" I was slightly confused.
"Xiu Xiu isn't here; she didn't come. The other four have different ages; the one caught is the youngest. I infer that her resentment is not as heavy as the other souls. Although they are the Eight Wretched Widows, the seven souls left in the village each want to become the dominant one. Being forced to merge by the Taoists became an opportunity," Huaying further explained.
"I suddenly understood," I said.
Suddenly, I thought of the young girl named Yu Xiu who had called me brother.
She was probably the one who was caught.
It's just that each soul is a split from a Yu Xiu, and only when they are all merged together is it the real Yu Xiu.
"The Red Ghost has no problem now," I said.
"No problem?" Huaying was surprised and said, "Did the two Taoists solve the Red Ghost? So weak?"
Fan Jie was equally astonished and bewildered.
"Not them," I said.
Huaying looked at me blankly, and Fan Jie's eyes flashed with disbelief.
"Grandpa... could it be that you did it?"
"It was me, but it wasn't really me," I found it difficult to explain at the moment.
With Huaying, I could keep nothing hidden, but with Fan Jie, I couldn't tell him too much.
If Fan Jie knew that there was a Taoist ghost spirit flying and scattering up above, and that I had taken away his talisman, things could become a major problem.
"Um..." Huaying seemed about to speak, then she paused and fell silent.
"Originally, the Red Ghost was suppressed by a talisman, perhaps done by the old man. The talisman was weakened, and it was about to break free from its coffin. I reinforced it with a talisman."
"Around the Red Ghost's coffin, there are dozens of female corpses, all of which have been drained dry. There are no signs of reanimation. It's likely that the Red Ghost was sealed, and it consumed the negative energy from these bodies to break the talisman."
I mixed the truth with a few half-truths, attributing the deeds of that Taoist ghost to Lao Qin.
"Shi... the old man?"
"I knew you were different, Grandpa... Did your seniors come here? What about the feng shui outside?" Fan Jie looked at me blankly.
I didn't deny it, nor did I say much more.
Huaying also didn't say much more.
Taking a deep breath, I said: "Since the combined soul of Xiu Xiu, the two Taoists can't beat them anymore. They also merged with a third soul, so they're even less capable of fighting them. All we need to do is stay here and make sure they flee in disarray. Then we can leave."
I mentioned the subsequent arrangements.
Huaying nodded, indicating her approval.
Fan Jie's head nodded up and down like a wave drum, saying: "Yes, yes, yes. I think it's also like this. However, we may be able to wait outside first. Those two Taoists definitely won't have such a big strength."
"What if we encounter them in the village? Enemies meeting on a narrow road would cause even more trouble."
I glanced at Fan Jie and said nothing.
"Um... I was just suggesting," Fan Jie said regretfully.
"Let's wait here. When they come down, there will be new developments." I said again.
"Good," Huaying replied.
"Your Grandpa is always right..." Fan Jie seemed to be thinking about something, his expression slightly bitter.
I stood by one side of the door and looked out at the village road outside.
The situation was developing much smoother than I had anticipated.
In this way, without exposing ourselves, we parted ways with those two Taoists. They wouldn't chase after us either.
This world is so vast; unless they're crazy and have nothing better to do.
Just then, I felt a vague unease. The mist outside the courtyard seemed to have become thicker.
In the dense fog, vague figures could be seen, appearing and disappearing.
My brow furrowed. What's going on?
Logically speaking, this talisman should make the ghosts uncomfortable. The previous Yu Xiu who passed through the courtyard didn't even hesitate before leaving.
The ghosts outside should be those in the village who were targeted and killed during the incidents involving Yu Xiu.
Why did they surround the courtyard?
