Chapter 94: Inviting the Mountain Ghost (Second Update!)

In truth, even without the little fox's reminder, Xu Yuan would not use this thing often.

Since it involves mountain runners, Xu Yuan naturally keeps a measure of vigilance in his heart.

The villages in the mountains all reek of something sinister.

Xu Yuan had already suspected that the villagers and mountain runners could no longer be considered "human."

Putting the stone tablet back into the leather pouch—Xu Yuan suddenly picked up the pouch again to look at it, lost in thought.

Fu Jingyu and the others came down to discuss with Xu Yuan: "Entering the mountains tomorrow?"

Xu Yuan nodded, speaking solemnly: "Find that group, capture a few live ones."

Right now, the Purification Bureau holds no evidence regarding Chen Liangxuan and Su Bingyue; everything is merely speculation.

But capturing people in the mountains presents an extremely high difficulty for Xu Yuan and the others.

The opponents are formidable, and they also have the Locust Woman assisting them.

Requesting reinforcements from the county town is already too late in terms of time.

So, after entering the mountains tomorrow, they must think of other methods.

Xu Yuan added: "The others will not go; just the four of us. Too many people make too big a target and hinder movement."

Fu Jingyu nodded: "That is exactly how it should be."

Ordinary Captains would be of no use if they went, and furthermore, "Inviting the Mountain Ghost" would intensify the eerie corruption on everyone; if an ordinary Captain couldn't withstand the corruption and transformed, they would become a burden instead.

Eerie corruption is essentially yin qi entering the body.

It is just that different eerie entities possess different types of yin qi on their bodies.

"Rest now, conserve your strength."

In the second half of the night, the town was silent.

Perhaps the surrounding evil spirits were all scared away by the old fox.

After dawn, Xu Yuan checked today's taboos.

Forbidden: Night travel, shouting at the mountain, breaking the earth, felling trees.

After everyone ate breakfast together, the four of Xu Yuan set out.

Just as they stepped out, Dafu flapped his wings, calling "Ang, ang, ang!" and chased after them.

Xu Yuan had no choice but to say to it: "I cannot take care of you today."

Dafu's eyes widened roundly; whether he understood or not was unknown, but he simply refused to go back.

Xu Yuan let him follow.

Today they took the route of Beauty Dam and Hat Mound.

A row of beautiful heads lined Beauty Dam, calling out intimately "My lord," "My husband," "Good brother," but the four simply ignored them.

Hat Mound was also passed through smoothly.

Xu Yuan carefully caught a mountain chicken, confirmed three times it was not an evil spirit, and then prepared to "Invite the Mountain Ghost."

This ritual requires "blood food" as an offering and must be performed in the mountains.

Xu Yuan found an open space by the roadside, piled stones into a small shrine, and placed the stone tablet inside with reverence.

Everything followed the regulations of the "Head Shrine" from before.

Then he took five incense sticks, broke off two, creating "three long and two short."

After lighting them and planting them before the shrine, he took a small knife, slashed the mountain chicken's neck, and poured all the fresh blood over the shrine.

He then placed the chicken before the incense as an offering, and the four of Xu Yuan bowed together.

After three bows, Xu Yuan used three fingers to dip into the fresh blood on the shrine, touched his hairline, and drew a vertical line down across his forehead.

Three blood trails extended all the way to his eyebrows.

Then, Xu Yuan suddenly felt that he had been "accepted" by Ghost Wushan.

The world in Xu Yuan's eyes was covered in an eerie, dark blue hue, and sounds previously inaudible quietly rose beside his ears.

Xu Yuan turned to look around:

In the ditch overgrown with wild grass by the roadside, many oddly shaped things lurked, neither beast nor ghost, their lower halves merging with the vegetation while their upper halves emerged, swaying with the wind like the wild grass, greedily gazing at the road.

Many even opened wide mouths full of fangs, waiting only for blood food to roll down from the road.

If it falls, it is ours!

In the distance, the sounds of evil spirits arguing drifted over on the wind.

"Children taste good; their skin and flesh are tender and smooth."

"That is because your teeth are bad; clearly, old men taste better, with both meat and bones chewy."

"That is because your knowledge is limited; Wu Xiu are the most delicious..."

Fu Jingyu and the other three had also completed the ritual, seeing and hearing the true face of Ghost Wushan.

Xu Yuan made a hand gesture, and the four walked together into the mountains.

Indeed, ordinary evil spirits on this road ignored them.

But they encountered an evil spirit covered entirely in mouths, which poked half its body out from an old locust tree by the road, insisting on chatting with Xu Yuan and the others.

As soon as it spoke, all the mouths on its body made sounds.

But although Xu Yuan and the others could hear, they could not speak; having no choice, they quietly killed this evil spirit.

Coincidentally, two passing evil spirits saw it.

Fu Jingyu and the other three could only look at Xu Yuan, as only Xu Yuan was a Rank Dan Xiu.

Xu Yuan had to endure the nausea and consumed this evil spirit as bait.

Those two passing ones were startled and fled as if flying.

The mountains do indeed harbor evil spirits devouring one another, but those who do this are all Fu Daxiong creatures.

Two passing evil spirits, fearing that merely watching the spectacle would bring them harm as well.

A few hours later, Xu Yuan stood at the spot where he had buried his mountain goods last time, but after just one glance, he moved on.

On a crooked tree not far away, a hanging ghost swung on a swing in the mountain wind, rolling its eyes and sticking out its tongue.

Seeing Xu Yuan, its tongue grew even longer; its glasses flipped down as it peered carefully at Xu Yuan: "It's that boy, but how has he turned into such a ghostly state?"

"No, I must go tell Bai Laoyan."

The hanging ghost reached out, untied its noose, coiled it around its waist, and floated away upon landing.

Xu Yuan traveled forward for less than half an hour before arriving at Wangxiang Village.

The gate guard was still Zhang Sanba.

Seeing Xu Yuan and the other three from afar, Zhang Sanba was startled; with a bang, he slammed the manor gate shut tight, then sprinted toward the Old Dead Tree in the village center.

He wasn't careful on the road and even took a tumble, scraping his knee open.

Purple-black fresh blood flowed out.

Ignoring the pain, he limped to the Old Dead Tree and struck the broken bell hanging from it with force.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The entire village exploded into chaos; the adults from every household rushed out quickly to gather beneath the tree.

"What great emergency has happened, Third Uncle Zhang?"

Zhang Sanba pressed ash from his pipe bowl onto the wound: "Powerful enemies have arrived! Wait until Bai Laoyan comes before speaking."

The old mountain runner wore the same attire: a feathered cloak draped over his shoulders, yellow crystal glasses on his face, and hands clasped behind his back as he approached.

Behind him followed the hanging ghost.

Zhang Sanba hurried forward to meet him: "Bai Laoyan, did you get into a dispute with another village out there? Four mountain runners have arrived! We fear we cannot match them..."

The old mountain runner said calmly, "It is not from another village."

Zhang Sanba was stunned: "Not from another village? What does that mean? Are there other mountain runners?"

Bai Laoyan waved his hand: "Everyone, disperse. I will go take a look."

The villagers stared at one another with wide eyes; a few even blinked their eyelids up and down several times, carrying a belly full of questions, yet obediently dispersed.

Bai Laoyan led the hanging ghost out of the village and instructed Zhang Sanba once more: "After we leave, close the stockade gate securely."

Zhang Sanba followed behind them; once Bai Laoyan and the hanging ghost exited the village, he quickly shut the gate, then climbed onto the stockade wall to look out. This time, he saw clearly and exclaimed in shock: "How is it that boy?"

(End of this chapter)