Chapter 99: The Liu Household

The demonic and eerie entities drew nearer; the sudden appearance of these twenty-one living people was their perfect midnight snack.

Ordinary tourists had hastily grabbed whatever they could as weapons, while the Quan people all prepared to activate their divine artifacts brought through the Constant Positioning Line.

It seemed everyone had been cornered.

But just then.

A lantern lit up in the darkness.

“All you wronged spirits and karmic enemies, these are all guests of the Liu household. Please grant the Liu family some face tonight and spare them.”

With this voice and the lantern’s glow, the things in the darkness gradually retreated, the crisis temporarily lifted.

He was a man wearing a melon-shaped cap and a silk short jacket, with two strands of beard, his appearance somewhat sleazy; after walking over, he said nothing, merely raised the lantern and examined each person’s face in turn.

“Seventeen Dingxiang, eighteen Qiaolangjun…”

There were couplets on either side.

But he was not slow to react.

Hu Yunkuan was the last of the Quan people to act.

“I am surnamed Hu, chief steward of the Liu household; you may call me Master Hu. The night is late—follow me, I shall lead you to your resting place.”

Aside from Hu Yunkuan’s third group…

Wu Xian had been closely watching the order in which everyone followed.

The behavior of all twenty-two people, including himself, was recorded in his eyes.

Master Hu turned around, lantern in hand, gave no one time to think, and walked straight into the depths of the forest.

He gave a brief explanation of the situation to the remaining ordinary tourists, then sprinted to catch up with the group.

Master Hu bowed to the crowd: “You have all traveled far to celebrate my Liu family’s great grandmother’s birthday. It is disrespectful to house you in such a place, but there are simply too many guests—every room is full. I must ask you to endure this hardship.”

Soon, Master Hu led them to their lodging for the night.

When Wu Xian saw someone step forward, he followed as the second; Du E and Guan Daorong followed closely behind—all four belonged to the first batch.

Aunt He and a middle-aged man pushed even further forward, stopping just behind Wu Xian and Du E—clearly, this position gave them greater security.

It was a large room, but very empty, with three rows of twenty-four beds, no partitions between them; in the corner stood a screen, behind which were several chamber pots and small tables holding oil lamps. Nothing else filled the room—it was extremely crude.

Though puzzled, no one disturbed him; even the most lively flower-patterned Aunt He held her tongue, waiting for him to finish what he needed to do.

The first batch of four may not have had the highest IQ, but their ability to quickly judge and act was likely the most vital trait for survival in the Fudi.

The lantern-bearer looked each one over; when he reached Du E and Wu Xian, he remarked:

“One baldy, two strongman, three beautiful maiden…”

As soon as Wu Xian entered the courtyard, he smelled a fragrance—this household must have had a habit of burning incense—but beneath it was a strange, acrid stench.

As for Hu Yunkuan.

Wu Xian shook his head.

Guan Daorong? This man remained calm even on his first entry into the Fudi—he was certainly no ordinary person in reality.

…

Then Qing Jie, Liang Fang, and Xu Fenglan also understood; Su Mi, Qi Peiyeh, and Driver Old Zhao all broke into a quick run to catch up—these six belonged to the second batch.

His conduct was utterly unlike Qi Zhiyong’s; if it had been Qi Zhiyong, he would have abandoned the remaining ten immediately, but Hu Yunkuan preferred to slow himself down rather than leave these ten behind.

Above the main gate hung a plaque inscribed with two large characters: “Liu Household.”

Master Hu did not let them enter through the main gate, but opened a small side door.

Wu Xian nodded.

Without Master Hu, countless malevolent spirits would flood in—following him was the only way to survive.

Hu Yunkuan quickly waved his hands.

Now everyone suspected the lantern-bearer might be problematic, which spared them much trouble.

The mansion appeared ancient, with blue bricks and green tiles, overhanging eaves and steep walls, occupying a vast area like a wealthy household from ancient times; red lanterns hung everywhere in the courtyard, giving it an eerie feel.

But staying put meant certain death.

“Is this the style of the Creed? Hmm… I’ll show some respect.”

The group advanced along a narrow path through the forest.

The second batch of six reacted more slowly, but not poorly.

Soon.

“Interesting.”

That was the situation.

But not everyone could make a judgment and act in that instant.

A household blessed with many descendants and long life;

A virtuous family who delights in charity.

Wu Xian glanced at Liang Fang.

Wu Xian clearly saw the man’s face.

Everyone felt the invasive gaze of countless watchers—clearly, many things were watching them, so no one dared fall behind.

Master Hu was certainly not human, and highly suspicious—he very likely intended to lead them to their deaths.

The tour guide’s actions had actually helped a great deal.

Everyone clearly saw that behind Master Hu was a thick, swaying red tail!

No wonder his appearance was so strange, no wonder the demons of this forest gave him face!

This Master Hu was a fox spirit!

What would happen if they followed a fox spirit? Would they be possessed? Or devoured? They exchanged uneasy glances; many did not know what to do.

Hu Yunkuan was the most trusted by the newcomers; with his lead, the newcomers—whether they understood or not—all gathered with him and the main group, forming the third batch…

He decided to keep his distance from these people—he wouldn’t harm them without cause, but he also didn’t want to be dragged down, especially not by the one trailing far behind; now was not the time to discuss him.

“Not inconvenient at all—not at all. This is perfectly fine.”

With everyone housed together, safety increased significantly, and someone could keep watch at night.

If she hadn’t driven the ordinary tourists back, forcing these newcomers to suddenly appear inside the bus and instantly panic, confirming the Fudi’s existence, these newcomers might have mistaken the lantern-bearer for their savior.

This choice was simple.

Du E, for some reason, had remained near Wu Xian throughout—on the bus, when they climbed out, and now still at his side.

Wei Dian chuckled and was the first to follow.

The group saw a mansion.

The lantern-bearer seemed to be identifying each person by their features, counting as he looked; when he finished, only twenty-one remained—his expression darkened slightly.

Wei Dian’s reaction was even faster than Wu Xian’s—no one could tell if he was truly quick-witted or simply recklessly bold.

If each person had their own room, everyone would be uncomfortable, for someone would surely die every night.

“The night is late—please rest early. Tomorrow, my master will personally visit you all.”

(End of Chapter)