Chapter 561: The Trials of Li Lao Ye

This was a slope barely a hundred meters long, gently sloping and rich in soil; to Pan Yun, who lived permanently on Mount Sanqing, it was a hill she saw and immediately wanted to cut down every tree and plant crops on.

Her footsteps crunched on the fallen leaves.

Pan Yun swept aside the leaves with her foot; beneath the black-and-yellow foliage lay a layer of gray soil, which loosened and rose slightly at the lightest touch of her toe.

She pressed down with her toe and sighed: "Good soil, good mountain!"

Li Wenying couldn't help but nod: "This mountain is perfect for planting trees, tea, or fruit trees alike."

Pan Yun reached out and slapped the thick trunk beside her: "Look at this tree—how sturdy!"

Sweat poured from Li Lao Ye's forehead; his breathing grew rapid—whether from climbing or something else, he forced a smile and tried to guide Pan Yun and the others downhill: "Master Pan, I haven't tended this mountain much; the weeds are wild and the path is treacherous. I've encountered several haunted spots here, two of them right along this path—shall we go take a look?"

Pan Yun: "No rush."

Her gaze swept across the terrain, found her target, and she walked forward: "Li Lao Ye, you said earlier that when you went to that place, you struck something solid with your hand?"

Li Lao Ye hurried after her, panicked: "Yes, the netherworld was dark and chilling—I thought I was dreaming. I saw a strange tree beside me and thought to myself, 'This is just a dream, wake up!' So I slapped the tree. But it was solid! I hit it, kicked it—I wore myself out, bruised my foot, and still couldn't escape. Finally, I bit myself…"

Just as Li Lao Ye was about to explain how he realized he was in the netherworld and cleverly escaped, Pan Yun suddenly turned and smiled at him.

Li Lao Ye's heart sank; he heard her say: "You mean this tree?"

He turned his stiff neck and followed her finger to see a crooked tree growing atop a slope that shifted from gentle to steep.

Its sunny side was a flat incline; its shady side was a sheer drop. The roots gripped the cliff edge tightly, keeping the tree from tumbling down.

He looked at the tree—and when he saw the scuffed, battered bark from kicks and blows, his face turned deathly pale.

Pan Yun stepped forward, circled the tree, clicked her tongue twice, then turned back to Li Lao Ye: "Li Lao Ye, you've clearly got ancestral blessings—if your foot had slipped just a little…"

She shook her head.

Li Lao Ye trembled as he shuffled to the edge of the cliff and looked down.

The cliff was only three or four meters high—but as soon as he peered over, he saw a tree root jutting out diagonally upward, half an arm's length long.

The root seemed snapped clean, its fracture sharp as a blade, now angled straight toward Li Lao Ye.

Li Lao Ye was instantly back in that night—his mind flashed a hazy fragment: he'd kicked the trunk in fury, missed, lost his balance, and tumbled headfirst down the cliff…

A wet *puchī*—the root pierced his chest. He collapsed onto it, seeing countless black shadows swirling beside the twisted tree, their gaping maws open, all surging toward him from the cliff's edge…

"Li Lao Ye! Li Lao Ye!"

Pan Yun snapped her fingers before his eyes; Li Lao Ye snapped out of the darkness, suddenly aware his legs were trembling, his knees buckling, and he collapsed to his knees.

Young Master Li jumped back in alarm and rushed forward with the steward to support him: "Father, what's wrong? It's just a weird-looking tree—why are you like this?"

Li Lao Ye trembled so badly he could barely speak, yet still managed to curse his son: "You're too stupid to understand—what do you know? I've just been through the netherworld again."

Young Master Li helplessly turned to Pan Yun, hoping she'd use her expertise to shut his father up.

What netherworld? He'd just been standing right in front of the tree, staring blankly like he was possessed—no one could get his attention.

Pan Yun had no intention of scolding him.

For Li Lao Ye, it truly was the netherworld.

Pan Yun scanned the entire area, found the root amid a tangle of black qi, and followed the thin strands of darkness toward the northern slope.

"Go!" Pan Yun turned and headed straight for the northern slope.

Seeing her walk directly toward it, Li Lao Ye collapsed completely into his son's arms.

Young Master Li gasped in shock, using all his strength to hold his heavy father: "Father, what's wrong? Use some strength!"

His father was as limp as a corpse—limbs gone slack, all his weight sinking backward into him.

The steward pulled with all his might but couldn't hold him up.

Li Lao Ye had brought only the steward, fearing his servants would learn too much; his son was merely an afterthought.

Young Master Li shouted at Pan Yun and Li Wenying: "Master! Help us—!"

Pan Yun looked disgusted: "Li Lao Ye, you're exhausted. Let's dig the pit first. Rest up—we'll come back for you later."

Miraculously, Li Lao Ye regained strength—his limp limbs stiffened, his bones straightened. He gripped his son with one hand and the steward with the other, scrambled to his feet, and staggered after Pan Yun: "Master Pan, wait! Wait a moment—!"

Pan Yun had already turned away, leaving him just far enough to see her back.

Li Wenying walked beside her, grim-faced, and asked quietly: "Did you know this would happen?"

Pan Yun: "Thank you for your faith, Senior Brother—I wish I'd known."

Indeed, six days ago he'd accompanied her to meet Young Master Li; at the time, his aura was clean, even faintly blessed with merit—though he acted like a spoiled brat, his essence was pure.

Clearly, he came from a lineage of ancestral virtue and carried personal goodness himself.

Had he not insisted his home was haunted, he wouldn't have believed him. Pan Yun walked steadily, purposefully, observing the mountain as she went.

When they reached the summit and descended forty or fifty steps northward, the sky suddenly darkened—the warm summer breeze turned cold and sinister.

Pan Yun looked up: the dense canopy intertwined, layer upon layer, blocking all light. And just then, a cluster of white clouds drifted across the sun, completely obscuring it.

The last sliver of light filtering through the leaves vanished—the place plunged into utter darkness.

A loud *pūtōng*.

Pan Yun turned: Li Lao Ye, rushing too hard, twisted his foot and fell with a *pūtōng*—before Young Master Li or the steward could reach him, he rolled head over heels down the slope.

Pan Yun, expressionless, extended one leg and planted it firmly. Li Lao Ye slammed into her leg, his fall slowed, and screamed.

He brushed dead leaves off his head, looked up, and shouted: "Master Pan, my hand—!"

Pan Yun looked down and yanked her leg back sharply: "Sorry, sorry—I didn't notice in the hurry."

Li Lao Ye raised his right hand—clear blood marks streaked his palm, swelling and reddening rapidly.

Li Wenying nearly laughed out loud, but seeing Young Master Li and the steward approaching, he immediately suppressed his smile and stepped aside, turning his back.

!

Pan Yun and Young Master Li helped Li Lao Ye to his feet, gently brushing dead leaves and grass from his sleeve: "Li Lao Ye, did you injure yourself rolling down?"

Only then did Li Lao Ye feel the pain in his feet, his back, his whole body.

He hurriedly said: "Master Pan, let's stop for today—let's come back tomorrow?"

Pan Yun raised an eyebrow: "Master Li, aren't you afraid of being possessed?"

Master Li lowered his eyes in thought, then gritted his teeth and said: "Very well, Daoist Priest Pan, since you've found this place, tell me — what must be done to get rid of these fierce ghosts?"

Pan Yun: "How does Master Li know those evil things are fierce ghosts?"

"However I came to know it, you still have to get rid of them for me," Master Li frowned and said: "Daoist Priest Pan, you did take my silver."

Young Master Li's face went from white to blue, and he instinctively felt the silver notes in his sleeve.

The silver notes Master Li had pressed into Pan Yun's hands — along the way here, she had quietly given them back to him.

Under the fine name of full cooperation.

At the time, he had actually been quite pleased.

Now, however, he only felt a chill run through his whole body.

Young Master Li suppressed the fury in his chest and the wild guesses in his mind, fixing his gaze on Master Li's eyes: "Father, what's this about fierce ghosts? What's this about the hillside? You — you haven't harmed anyone's life, have you?"

"What nonsense are you spouting?!" Master Li cut him off sharply. Seeing his son's reddened eyes and wounded expression, Master Li's guilt was swallowed up by anger, and he roared: "Unfilial boy! Is your father that kind of man?"

Master Li immediately looked to the steward, hoping he would speak up on his behalf, only to find the steward had shrunk to one side, trembling and not daring to make a sound.

Looking as though he feared being silenced.

Master Li: "…"

Young Master Li, grief and fury warring within him: "Even Uncle Zhong doesn't believe you. Father, what on earth have you done?!"

"You — you unfilial boy!"

Pan Yun gave a light cough, breaking off the standoff between father and son: "Young Master Li, the people really weren't killed by Master Li."

Young Master Li's sorrow ebbed away like the tide, and he immediately lowered his head to apologize: "Father, I'm sorry."

Master Li's chest heaved violently; just as he was about to curse, Pan Yun said coldly: "However, it's not entirely unrelated either."

Young Master Li jerked his head up and glared at his father.

Master Li: "…"

Pan Yun patted the three thickest nearby trees, looked up at the canopy blocking out the sky, and said coldly: "They grow so lush because there's enough flesh and blood beneath them to nourish them, yes? Master Li, I wonder if my guess is accurate?"

Master Li took a step back, his face ashen: "What — what do you mean by that?"

Pan Yun stroked the tree trunk, a half-smile on her lips: "I wonder, if we cut this tree down, would the sap that flows out be the color of blood?"

Young Master Li's face grew uglier and uglier, and he said in a low voice: "Father, you always followed Yang Ji around. After Yang Ji was arrested, you've been in constant dread. I've been thinking — what exactly are you afraid of?"

"Granted, you were a bit close to Yang Ji in the past, but at most our family gave him some money, and that was just to keep the peace. Who knows how many people in this region of Jiangnan clung to him and did evil — they're all fine, so what could possibly happen to you?" The more Young Master Li spoke, the sharper his gaze became.

"Tell me the truth — did you do something heinous together with him? What's this about fierce ghosts? Could it be that you partnered up to harm people? Or did he harm them while you served as his accomplice?"

"Shut your mouth!" Master Li erupted in fury: "You — you unfilial boy! Must you think so ill of your own father?

Am I — am I that kind of man?"

Young Master Li murmured: "Of course you weren't, once. But later on, I don't know if you still aren't…"

Master Li opened his mouth at that, and, for once, did not fly into a rage. (End of chapter)