Chapter 20: I Don't Want You to Be Deceived

"In the past, this road was remote, and bandits often robbed passing merchants here. After they looted the goods and women, they would simply kill the remaining men and children, slicing them open and hanging them on nearby trees, all bloody. The leaders of the merchant caravans had it even worse; they were turned into human lanterns to intimidate any caravans that dared to resist."

"Later, these bandits became increasingly rampant, daring to intercept even the family members of the county magistrate. The officials in the yamen could no longer sit still; they summoned soldiers to begin suppressing the bandits, killing them one by one as they were caught and tossing their corpses by the roadside. If they caught a leader, they wouldn't just execute them by slow slicing, but would also behead them for public display."

"Later, the number of corpses by the roadside grew, and no one dared to collect them for fear of being tied up by the government troops as accomplices. As time passed, the stench of rotting corpses filled the air along this road, and Evil Spirits began to haunt the place. Some said they saw evil ghosts grabbing and gnawing on people, causing widespread panic."

"Until one day, a barefoot monk passed by. This monk was no ordinary man; he possessed cultivation. In the dead of winter, he wore only a thin monk's robe, walking barefoot through knee-deep snow, his skin ruddy and his expression as calm as ever."

"After wandering the area for a night, the barefoot monk went to the yamen early the next morning. He said this forest was a rare 'gathering ground for yin,' where the souls of those who died here could not disperse and had all converged in one place. Now, some were nearly becoming a menace; if left unchecked, the people in the entire city might lose their lives."

"The officials in the yamen didn't believe such ghost stories and shouted for the bailiffs to beat the man out with sticks. Unexpectedly, in the very first exchange, seven or eight bailiffs were knocked down by the seemingly frail monk. Finally, the monk pulled two round objects from his large carry-on bag and threw them on the ground. This terrified everyone present—they were actually two human heads!"

"The government office officials were no strangers to these two heads. One was the head of the fierce bandit 'Mountain-Drilling Dragon,' and the other belonged to the bandit chief 'Little West Wind.' These two had been wiped out by government troops half a year prior, taken to the marketplace to be executed by slow slicing, and their heads had been ordered to be hung by the mountain road as a warning to others. Yet, looking at these two heads, there was not the slightest sign of decay; they were as lifelike as if they were still alive."

"The barefoot monk didn't waste words. He held the heads in one hand and pried open the jaw of 'Zuanshanlong' with the other. Inside, there was clearly half a bloodied ear, and the ear was still wearing a jade earring."

"The monk said that last night he heard strange noises in the forest. After walking closer, he happened to catch these two Evil Spirits harming people. There were eight people in total, and they had almost been eaten clean. After a fierce battle, he finally destroyed the foundation of these two Evil Spirits and took back their heads."

"Seeing this, the official immediately sent men to check the place the old monk mentioned. After confirming it was true, he followed the old monk's instructions and gathered craftsmen to build a pagoda at the spot the old monk had chosen—the very place we just passed. Since this was the most yin-heavy spot on the entire road, it was used to suppress the Evil Spirits nearby."

"Then, they collected the unclaimed bones and buried them near that Soul Suppressing Pagoda. From then on, this road became much more peaceful."

"As time went on, whenever there were people who died unjustly nearby, or corpses that no one claimed, they would be brought here and buried under the pagoda. Even if they turned into vengeful ghosts, they would be suppressed by the Soul Suppressing Pagoda and unable to do evil."

"By the way, rumor has it that the old monk left the Buddha statue he carried with him inside the pagoda. Whether that is true or false, I do not know."

The carriage driver finished his story, but Yang Xiao became alert. This driver knew too many details. Even if the details were fine, there was a loophole in his words.

The driver said that people nearby would bury unclaimed bones near the Soul Suppressing Pagoda, but in this godforsaken place, one couldn't even speak or look directly at it while passing by, so how could they dare to dig holes and bury corpses?

"This place is so eerie, how could anyone dare to get close to bury a corpse?" Yang Xiao feigned a look of fear, yet also one of great curiosity.

At the mention of this, the driver scratched his head in embarrassment. "Oh, you mean that? That's easy. Just keep a mouthful of grave soil in your mouth, and once you're done and have left that place, spit the soil out."

Now that the steep mountain road had been passed, the road ahead opened up, and the driver relaxed. He took a red cloth bundle from his chest and opened it to reveal some finely ground soil. "It's just this. People passing by always prepare some on the road, it's just that the taste..."

The driver was in his early fifties and smiled with a simple, honest look. Yang Xiao knew what he meant; the main thing was that the grave soil really didn't taste very good, otherwise he would have shared some with himself and Xu Su before passing that place.

The next second, the driver froze, because Xu Su suddenly reached out, grabbed some grave soil, and then shared some with Yang Xiao.

"You two are..."

"Better safe than sorry." Yang Xiao smiled and put away the grave soil. This so-called Soul Suppressing Pagoda was a bit eerie; he had to be on his guard.

They continued on their way, and after about another half hour, the carriage finally stopped. Yang Xiao could already hear the sound of waves crashing against the embankment.

After getting off the carriage, before them was a wharf that wasn't particularly large, but it was bustling with people coming and going. Aside from some richly dressed merchants, most were wharf laborers carrying waist-high coarse hemp sacks, moving back and forth between carriages, warehouses, and the large wooden ships moored at the shore.

Carriages not carrying cargo could not stay here for long. After agreeing to meet in half an hour, the driver drove the carriage away.

Without the driver, Yang Xiao and Xu Su were much freer. "Many thanks, Miss Xu. This grave soil might come in handy on the way back."

Xu Su nodded with some embarrassment. "It was just a small favor. I was really terrified when we passed that place. It's a good thing you were there."

I believe you! Yang Xiao thought to himself, but on the surface, he appeared flattered, with a hint of pride and secret joy at having a beauty throw herself at him. A moment later, he straightened his expression and said, "Miss Xu, you are too kind. We are teammates; we should help each other!"

"Mm, the feeling you give me... is different from anyone I've met before." Xu Su raised her head, looking a bit shy, and gazed into Yang Xiao's eyes. The softness and expectation in the depths of her eyes were like a river of spring water. "So you must survive. You are a newcomer; if there is anything you don't understand that others are unwilling to tell you, you can ask me."

Here it comes, here it comes! It's just right!

What a blooming white lotus. She must have realized he was useful and was sparing no effort to use a beauty trap to win him over. It would be best if she followed up with a scheme to sow discord, binding him to her while stabbing someone else in the back—for instance, his nominal ally, Kuang Hongyi.

Xu Su brushed a strand of hair from her temple, her expression looking troubled. After a long while, she finally gathered the courage to say, "Yesterday, I saw you talking to Brother Kuang for a long time. Brother Kuang is also a good person, I can feel it, but... but I'm just worried about you being deceived. I've seen many newcomers like you before, and in the end, because they were deceived, they were left in the Script world forever."