Chapter 86

The Purification Bureau's procession moved northeast, entering the mountain via a different path.

A Captain in the procession glanced over and quietly reported to Fu Jingyu: "My lord, this does not seem to be the usual mountain path taken by the townsfolk."

The voice was neither loud nor soft, just enough for Xu Yuan nearby to hear.

Within this procession, Fu Jingyu, Elder Yan, and Lu Zhengyan held absolutely no ill will toward Xu Yuan.

But among these ordinary Captains, most harbored a sense of rivalry in their hearts.

An outsider giving orders.

Moreover, they had heard the old lord had already promised the position of "Jianjiao."

These ordinary Captains had risked life and death for the Purification Bureau for several years, yet their sleeves bore at most two cloud patterns.

They felt they were "unconvinced," but in truth, it was jealousy.

Xu Yuan, however, acted as if he noticed nothing, holding Da Fu as he explained: "On the most frequently traveled path, there are Beauty Dam and Hat Mound."

Burials are forbidden today; the Corpse Hag of Hat Mound is Fu Daxiong—that path cannot be taken."

The Captain naturally did not quite believe it, but shortly after, seeing several woodcutters and merchants trailing behind the procession enter the mountain via this route, he said no more.

Xu Yuan, as if suddenly interested, struck up a conversation with the Captain: "Are you very familiar with the town?"

The Captain replied: "Yesterday afternoon, I chatted with a clerk from the Liu Family Village Winery across the street."

While Xu Yuan and Fu Jingyu went to see Elder Ying, these Captains had not been idle either.

In that case... after entering the mountain, Xu Yuan said: "Since you are all familiar, then you shall lead the way."

Several Captains immediately hesitated, all looking at the one who had just spoken, whose sleeves bore two cloud patterns.

"This... we actually only have a basic understanding of the town's situation; of course, we are far from as familiar as Young Master Xu. You should lead the way."

The Captains felt unconvinced in their hearts, but they were nowhere near the state of jealous insanity.

How dangerous is Ghost Wushan, this "land beyond the law"?

Just by chatting a few words with Ah Guang, they dare to lead the way ahead? That is seeking death.

"Oh." Xu Yuan acknowledged with a sound, saying: "Then the path I lead may not necessarily be the one townsfolk usually take."

The Captain's old face turned red, and he fell silent, unable to speak.

Xu Yuan stopped there, saying no more.

But expecting him to swallow his anger was impossible.

Upon entering the mountain lay a forest of lush foliage; Xu Yuan walked in carefully, saying: "Every tree here is a debt-collecting ghost."

Even if you merely pluck a single leaf from it, it will come to your dreams every night to collect its debt; if you cannot repay, its branches will whip you until the seventh day, when they will completely scatter your soul."

Xu Yuan dodged a thin branch and instructed the group: "Everyone stay far from me, imitate my movements, and avoid any accidents."

The group then kept a distance of about two zhang from Xu Yuan.

Whatever way Xu Yuan walked, they followed the same way.

Excluding the withered leaves on the ground, if there is a fallen leaf still bearing a touch of green, it must absolutely not be stepped on.

As Xu Yuan was walking, a branch suddenly snapped horizontally toward him.

Several leaves on it seemed about to touch Xu Yuan's body; Xu Yuan suddenly slid, his body skimming the ground as he passed beneath the branch.

Xu Yuan turned back ten zhang away, glaring at that branch to examine it, and recognized it: "When did a 'scamming ghost' sneak in?!"

The scam failed; the leaves on that branch trembled, rustling loudly, cursing very foully.

"Go around it." Xu Yuan said to the people behind.

It was not as simple as just saying one sentence; Xu Yuan had to detour first himself to scout the path for the group.

This caused quite a bit of delay.

Finally exiting this forest, Xu Yuan's expression was somewhat grim.

Those few Captains earlier could not help but sneer with a faint smile.

Xu Yuan was furious; if the procession ventured deep into Ghost Wushan with divided loyalties internally, the result was imaginable.

He had just suppressed those Captains, only to have this "scamming ghost" ruin it.

Suddenly, a dull sound of tree roots entangling and trunks colliding came faintly from behind.

It lasted a long time, then a tree was awkwardly squeezed out.

Xu Yuan mercilessly spat a mouthful of "Fu Zhong Huo" onto it.

Whoosh!

The entire tree rapidly ignited; amidst the roaring flames, branches twisted, emitting a series of piercing shrieks.

Xu Yuan reached out, unleashed a beast-tendon rope, and tightly bound the scamming ghost within the fire, preventing it from falling into the forest where the debt-collecting ghosts would charge this debt to him.

A single scamming ghost Xu Yuan did not fear; had it not been inside the forest just now, Xu Yuan would have taught it to be a tree on the spot.

The Captains looked utterly bewildered: What happened?

Xu Yuan said: "Other debt-collecting ghosts also look down on such trash; I drove it away."

The Captains fell silent, proving Xu Yuan had made no mistake earlier; indeed, there was originally no such creature in this forest.

"Let's go." Xu Yuan burned the unrefined scamming ghost to ashes and led the group to continue their journey.

There were still a few dangers ahead; Xu Yuan knew them well, having walked this path not long ago.

"The place we are about to pass is called Wind-Passing Pass." Xu Yuan stopped, turned, and solemnly said to everyone: "Remember one thing about this place: do not pick up other people's money!"

"Absolutely do not pick it up; whether it is a single copper coin or gold and silver pearls and jade, absolutely do not pick it up!"

Elder Yan tentatively asked: "Dead people's money?"

Xu Yuan nodded: "Pick up the money and you owe a dead person's debt; you must repay it with your life."

On both sides of Wind-Passing Pass, the Shanfeng were steep; the pass in the middle was seven or eight zhang wide and five li long.

As the Captains walked through the middle, one accidentally kicked a gold ingot out from the grass.

But with Xu Yuan's reminder, everyone pretended not to see.

As they were about to exit the pass, everyone quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

This trial was relatively easy for them; the people of the Purification Bureau were not ignorant mountain folk who would freeze at the sight of gold and silver.

A mountain wind blew, and several items drifted down from the sky; one of them slapped onto the face of a certain Captain with a sharp crack.

By sheer coincidence, it slid down into the opening of his chest robe!

It was the very Captain who had spoken earlier.

The Captain's face instantly turned pale, and several companions beside him instinctively stepped away from him.

Xu Yuan, his face stern, called out toward the mountain: "You are not following the rules!"

Yan Lao and Lu Zhengyan rushed over swiftly, urging the Captain: "Do not reach out with your hands; take off your clothes, quickly!"

The Captain hurriedly stripped off his outer robe, and a silver note fluttered out from his chest opening, worth fully five thousand taels!

Moments after hitting the ground, it transformed into a stack of yellow spirit money.

The Captain panicked: "Th-this... I didn't pick it up! This thing fell on its own..."

Xu Yuan approached with a furrowed brow: "Evil spirits do not reason with you."

"Young Master Xu, please think of a solution. I was wrong before; my lord, do not hold a grudge against a small person..." The Captain bowed deeply and pleaded; having just questioned Xu Yuan, he now understood clearly that only Xu Yuan could find a way to save his life.

Xu Yuan said nothing, glanced at the Shanfeng on both sides, and murmured in confusion: "Why are these evil spirits today not following the rules?"

Among the group of debt-collecting ghosts ahead, a fake-injury ghost had suddenly slipped in; now that no one was picking up the dead's money, they were trying to force it upon you.

Once might be an accident, but twice... in Ghost Wushan, it could no longer be explained as an accident.

(End of this chapter)