Chapter 1616: Heaven's Mandate Seven's Monster-Hunting Log 07

Who is crying?

This question filled the noodle shop's main hall; the ghost disguising itself as Yang Yu was sliced apart by Rong Zixu's sword, yet the eerie, sinister atmosphere remained unchanged.

Because the knocking sound in the air continued.

Unlike the knocking from outside the door just now, it sounded like an explosion right by the ear, urging the main gate to be opened.

Third Senior Sister!

Xu Qie exclaimed, seeing Gong Shiyue droop her head and reach out to push the door; she hurried forward to block her, fortunately Jin Chen was guarding the front gate.

Third Senior Sister!

Jin Chen blocked the door, not letting her approach, quickly glanced at Gong Shiyue's hands and feet, seeing no clumsy ghostly disguise, but noticed her numb, dazed gaze.

"You..." Jin Chen felt the same few gazes, after a wary sweep he understood.

Everyone who heard the crying was affected!

Such as Gong Shiyue attempting to rush out the door, and the yamen runner by the table suddenly grew restless and anxious.

Martial Brother! They've been controlled!

Jin Chen shouted to Rong Zixu, who was upstairs checking on Chang Wuming and Yang Yu's safety, snatched the whip tightly gripped in Gong Shiyue's hand, and bound her with a reverse grip, muttering, "Sorry, sorry—don't blame me when you wake up."

Jing Xingcan, hearing that, rushed over in a fluster, trying to wake Gong Shiyue's consciousness; the yamen runners' agitation made Lord Song feel deeply alienated, despairing, he sat by the window, afraid to move.

Rong Zixu brought the two downstairs; Yang Yu's expression was grim: "Upstairs is empty, nothing there."

The boss and waiter upstairs, however, were clearly seen by them, and they were undoubtedly alive.

That's why doubts piled up.

For a moment, the noodle shop descended into chaos.

The mute girl shrank under the table, watching the scene with her peripheral vision, her body trembling, unable to keep from burying her face in her knees.

Just then, the already perilous noodle shop's main gate was suddenly burst open, as if tearing a huge mouth leading to hell, and a night wind mixed with an unknown stench rushed in.

Jing Xingcan turned his head, couldn't help but let out a low gasp from his throat, his hairs standing on end from fright.

The Knocking Door Ghost actually stood inside the house!!

At the moment the main gate opened, nearly half of the hemp-clad ghosts carrying the coffin stood inside, so the coffin was half outside, half inside; the white cloth covering the coffin was stained by the red lantern in front of the door, and the lantern swayed gently.

In the middle of the coffin lid lay a horse stool, black as thick ink.

The hemp-clad ghosts stared straight at them, their lifeless, black eyes fixed, as if waiting for something.

In the hall, the living and the ghosts faintly formed a standoff.

Rong Zixu drew his sword to the front, his gaze on the coffin gradually lowered to the tiptoes of the hemp-clad ghosts lifting their feet; the red lantern swayed in the bleak night wind, a flash of red shadow, and the ghosts carrying the coffin shifted forward a few inches.

Rong Zixu's robe corner was suddenly tugged twice by Jin Chen, then his left hand hanging at his side had its thumb hooked; Jin Chen silently signaled him to look outward.

Looking up, outside red lanterns massed in clusters, every household's doorway lit red as blood, more shocking than seeing through the door crack; the streets were reflected as a blood river, the swaying lanterns like waves of blood.

In the silently confronting hall, a few somewhat heavy breaths suddenly sounded.

The main gate burst open; Gong Shiyue suddenly woke, but her earlier memories were not retained; upon seeing so many ghosts inside, she nearly panicked and resisted, fortunately Xu Qie stopped her in time.

"Ahhhh—"

Yet the two yamen runners similarly affected still screamed, crawling into the corner with hands and feet.

The Seven Children grew more vigilant, ready to strike first at any moment, but the hemp-clad ghosts showed no movement, only their yin resentment aura growing heavier, each ghost's feet dragging long damp traces.

The longer the time dragged on, the fiercer the hemp-clad ghosts became.

The Heaven's Mandate Seven simultaneously realized this; Jin Chen whispered, "Perhaps we need to choose someone to sit on that coffin stool."

Knowing Rong Zixu's habit, after Jin Chen spoke they all pulled him to the rear, "Senior Martial Brother, you can't—you must look after the big picture." Yang Yu also urged.

The other five all nodded.

Rong Zixu: "……"

Chang Wuming stepped forward, "I'll go."

He had always been confident in his strength.

Jin Chen's thoughtful expression instantly turned guarded; he grabbed Chang Wuming's arm, "No!"

A single-line mission is most likely to trigger the protagonist's encounter.

I really don't want to be wiped out!

Chang Wuming frowned tightly, "Why? We don't have time to think too much."

They were about to be squeezed by the hemp-clad ghosts into the wall corner; pitiful Lord Song crouched to sit with the mute girl under the table, seemingly the only way to feel safe.

"... Because," Jin Chen casually made up an excuse, "I want to go! Right, don't compete with me."

Chang Wuming's brows furrowed deeper, "What's there to fight over?"

"Ah..." Jing Xingcan felt he'd seen through it; he always noticed Jin Chen's little expression when making excuses, "Xiao Chen is just worried about Fourth Senior Brother."

Rong Zixu glanced at Jin Chen's fingers gripping Chang Wuming's, pulled tight.

Indeed a little trickster, Rong Zixu thought out of nowhere, "We've been the best under heaven all for nothing."

"Be careful." Rong Zixu cautioned.

Jin Chen smiled at him, dodged the hemp-clad ghost pressing forward, and lightly jumped onto the small horse stool in the coffin's middle.

Almost as soon as he sat down, the crowd of continually advancing hemp-clad ghosts suddenly turned, lifted the coffin, and walked outward.

Even the heavy, dark clouds above floated out a bit of moonlight, weakening the gloom somewhat.

"Indeed it is." Rong Zixu's expression grew somewhat solemn; he quickly made arrangements and then stepped forward to follow them.

Chang Wuming and Yang Yu remained in the noodle shop, protecting the few remaining living people, and also keeping an eye on the mute girl; Rong Zixu felt she was crucial.

As the ghosts departed, the noodle shop's atmosphere finally eased; Lord Song shakily crawled out from under the table, not bothering to brush off the dust on his official robe, sat on the floor and gasped loudly, his face pale enough to draw water.

The yamen runners affected by the knocking sound were even more bloodless-faced.

"You're safe tonight; have some tea, don't scare yourselves to death."

Yang Yu took out his fan from his sleeve again, gave it a shake, bent over to look at the mute girl still under the table, and said, "Little one, come out first."

The mute girl lifted her head to look at him, but shook her head and crawled further into the corner against the wall; her skin was paler than a ghost's, timidly.

"Alright, then would you like some hot tea?" Yang Yu didn't press her, squatted down to be eye‑level with the mute girl, and had Chang Wuming bring over a cup of hot tea.

The mute girl glanced at the water in his hand, still shook her head, then raised her hand and pointed behind him.

Yang Yu turned his head and saw the charcoal left over from burned firewood in the corner of the wall, which the noodle‑shop owner had set aside separately, probably for winter heating.

"You want the charcoal inside?" Yang Yu asked.

The mute girl finally nodded.

Yang Yu didn't understand, after all this request was really too strange, and tonight remained full of danger.

Chang Wuming didn't think much of it; while Yang Yu hesitated, he had already picked up two pieces from the jar and brought them over, and the mute girl swiftly reached out from under the table and snatched them away.

Yang Yu furrowed his brows, looking at this single‑minded junior martial brother, and said, "You…"

Chang Wuming:?

Fortunately the mute girl didn't do anything else; she just squatted under the table, drawing and scribbling on the floor with the charcoal.

Yang Yu, just in case, squatted beside her for a while; aside from the incomprehensible drawings, there was nothing else, so he finally relaxed a bit.