To be honest, the very name of Cha Hei Village evokes a sense of foreboding and suggests that there is depth to this village.
Xiu Xiu Village, when looked at separately, seems quite nice.
Xiu Xiu Village, when combined, gives a sense of youthfulness and absurdity. The name itself conveys the feeling of being both beautiful on the outside and wise on the inside.
Fan Jie returned from the direction he had previously left, looking somewhat weak. All ten of his fingers bore wounds, as if a significant amount of blood had been shed.
Old Gong hung on his shoulder, humming a rhythmic and suggestive tune.
However, though it seemed that Fan Jie was slumped and disheartened, in actuality, there was a wave of surprise and a hint of sudden clarity in his eyes.
When they approached us, Old Gong leaped down from Fan Jie's shoulder and returned to the night pot in Hua Ying's waist, squinting his eyes and tilting his head to look at the inscribed archway. He then chewed twice.
"Hey... Why isn't it the Widow Village?"
"What have you been doing?" I took a deep breath and asked Old Gong.
Only then did Old Gong truthfully reveal what he had done. He had accompanied Fan Laodi and went to draw magical formations, a total of ten Formation Codes that were interlocked one after another. Only he knew where they were placed, and moreover, he had created a small fengshui array on the spot, ensuring that no one who approached there would see the Formation Codes.
Although Fan Laodi's strength was not sufficient and the blood effect was not significant, it was enough to create a barrier.
Moreover, the Widow Miss already had a Formation Code on her person. The external Formation Codes would be used for all the souls, so she would receive more.
In this way, not only would the other immortals entering be unable to kill the ghosts, but even the two immortals from before, upon encountering the villagers' ghosts, would have to tremble and flee for their lives.
Fan Jie suddenly raised his hand and gave a thumb up.
"Old Gong Master must have been a revered and formidable scholar in his life! I am filled with admiration and gratitude. I have learned to draw Formation Codes now..." Fan Jie appeared overly excited.
"With this skill, who dares to fear a little immortal? By then, I'll build my own haunted mansion and live a comfortable life in peace," Van Jie's words were filled with confidence, and his mouth was almost turned back to his earlobes.
By chance, he lost all the bodies, but he learned an essential Formation Code that was created by the Red Ghost.
"After the matter is over, you should go back to Dashuang City," I looked at Fan Jie.
"Uh..." Fan Jie was stunned for a moment before quickly saying, "Master, I have to follow you. Old Gong Master has many inconveniences, and I'll be your vanguard! Old Gong Master's arms and legs!"
"No need, after you go back, just take good care of the Zeng family and make good use of your abilities."
"When we return, of course, there will be many benefits for you," I said.
Fan Jie's eyes lit up again, and he appeared thrilled and amazed.
"Furthermore, remember not to harm the innocent. Otherwise, if you provoke someone too powerful, I won't be able to protect you," I said with a slightly cold tone.
"Uh... I understand, I know... You're still a Taoist in public, Master. I wouldn't dare to bring shame upon you. To be honest, if I could master the art of fengshui, who would want to raise ghosts and zombies? To be a master is better than anything else, right?"
Although Fan Jie's words sound good, I find them to be full of nonsense.
"Are we leaving right now?" Fan Jie asked again.
"We'll wait and find a place that's not easily noticed," I looked at Old Gong.
Old Gong licking his tongue, gestured for us to follow in a certain direction.
He actually let us approach the corner of the Ghost Forest.
However, once we entered that location, there were no ghosts around us.
Old Gong then explained the reason. This location was significant in terms of fengshui, and since I had just come out from the village, the lingering scent of Xiu Xiu was strong, so the ghosts in the Ghost Forest dared not get close.
Time slowly passed by.
Fan Jie took out a lot of food, all of which we had brought into the village. Earlier, after all the exhausting running and walking, we didn't even bother to eat anything.
We quickly filled our stomachs, then quietly waited. The day passed swiftly, and no immortals appeared from the outside.
"This is strange... No Li surname immortals around?" Fan Jie looked slightly startled.
"That's not right... If there are no immortals, how do they collect the summons? If there are, they should have arrived long ago, with the summons out, it's urgent..."
Fan Jie murmured to himself.
I suddenly seemed to understand something.
Is that summon really meant to gather the other immortals to come?
Is it possible that they are telling the fifth elder that other disciples have arrived?
However, they believe that the fifth elder has hidden himself after using the symbol. In reality, the fifth elder has been scattered to pieces…
I didn't explain much and continued to wait quietly.
After another half a day, two people emerged from the village gate in a disheveled state.
Li Ziyu and the bearded immortal looked extremely disheveled, especially the bearded immortal. He had lost an arm, his clothes were torn, and he had many knife wounds on his chest, giving the impression that he was barely alive.
Suddenly, I felt a bit relieved.
Good thing they came out. If they had died inside, it would have been as if we had killed them.
There isn't that much animosity between us. Death is too heavy a consequence.
Moreover, if they died in the village, it would definitely attract more immortals. If they are now outside, they can describe the dangers within the village, and it might not necessarily attract any more immortals to enter.
"Oh..."
Old Gong chewed his mouth.
We were far away, and it wouldn't be possible to hear Old Gong's voice from there.
Soon, the immortal disappeared into a passage in the Ghost Forest, which was the direction they had come from.
"Old Gong Master, what are you surprised about?" Fan Jie asked respectfully and carefully.
"They carried an urn for ashes. Didn't you see it tied around their waist?" Old Gong rolled his eyes at Fan Jie and muttered, "What bad luck. Everything is tied to their waist."
A chill ran through my heart again.
They must have discovered the remains on the ground? Discovered that it was the fifth elder?
Then... Have they discovered the ghosts possessing them? Have they found out that the symbol is my blood?
I exhaled and suppressed those chaotic thoughts.
The ashes could be seen, but they might not know that they were mine...
If they knew, they wouldn't be immortals anymore, but fortune-tellers.
I waited for about half an hour, and then I said it was time to leave.
The group slowly walked on the path taken by the two Li surname immortals, to avoid having to clear the way for ghosts again.
After we exited the Ghost Forest, we didn't take the path the two Li surname immortals had come from. Even though there were blood footprints on the ground indicating the direction, we turned back and left by the original path through the wasteland.
When we reached the road, we climbed onto Huā Yíng's carriage and headed straight toward the town outside.
It was noon, and the sunlight was especially blinding.
When we returned to town, Huā Yíng took me to the town hospital to treat my chest wound. As for Fan Jie, he went back to the hotel to rest.
Only when it was just Huā Yíng and I together did I tell her about what happened in the temple and that I had obtained two spiritual artifacts from the dead immortal.
Huā Yíng covered her mouth in shock.
She hesitated slightly and asked me, what should we do next? Stay in this small town? Once those two immortals leave, this town should be very quiet.
For a moment, I didn't respond and instead looked down in thought.
