Chapter 468

Liu Zhengfeng is dead, Tang Xun and Fang Chuanzong's people searched the entire Wangting Mountain, but found no suspicious persons.

After Liu Junyan retrieved the Golden Scale, he sealed the Dragon Qi that had passed through Furong Cave at the bottom of the deep pool.

With this Dragon Qi, Wangting Mountain will fully recover.

Yu Nian successfully retrieved the Thousand Soul Banner.

If it weren't for Liu Junyan and his group happening to come by, resolving Liu Zhengfeng and retrieving the Thousand Soul Banner would probably still require considerable effort.

Everything went smoothly.

Just as we were preparing to retreat, Tang Xun's people dragged out a large quantity of fresh snake-shaped skeletons from a cave, most of which still had decent Xiūwéi.

"Their inner cores have been dug out." Tang Xun said, "When that gang left, they wiped out the entire snake clan of Wangting Mountain; it seems they really don't intend to return. It's a pity such a large clan has thus perished; to rebuild and grow again would require at least a century of settling."

Liu Junyan said, "This is not necessarily a bad thing; I will send people to monitor, select the upright and outstanding among the rising juniors to become the new clan leaders, and later incorporate them into Liu Xian Tang of the Jiǔyàn qū."

Fang Chuanzong laughed, "For those snake-clan juniors who escaped from the tiger's mouth, this is actually a blessing."

"What about the Chaos Evil Formation?" I'm still most concerned about this— "Just now Liu Zhengfeng still wanted to use the power of the Chaos Evil Formation to bewitch us."

"The significance of the Chaos Evil Formation's existence lies in creating patchwork monsters." Yu Nian said, "The person who created those patchwork monsters has already left Wangting Mountain; when the Spiritual Qi of Wangting Mountain is exhausted, the Chaos Evil Formation also disappears accordingly."

Liu Junyan said, "What Liu Zhengfeng just consumed should be the last remnant of the Chaos Evil Formation's power lingering in Wangting Mountain. Xiao Jiu, rest assured, they won't have another chance to make a comeback."

Tang Xun will return to Hu Shan, leaving personnel to cooperate with Fang Chuanzong in mopping up.

Liu Junyan had me and Yu Nian return first to the Dang Pu; he needs to stay to integrate the snake-clan juniors: "The affairs here will be settled in a day or two, there's plenty of time, I'll go back after I finish."

I nodded: "No rush, I'll wait for you at home."

Several groups went their separate ways.

Yu Nian can't drive; after taking the passenger seat she gave me an address, saying: "Xiao Jiu, it's already past midnight; first go to my house to rest a bit before returning to Jiangcheng, I'll pack some things, I'm afraid I won't be coming back much in the future."

This was the first time Yu Nian actively invited me to her home; before, whenever I wanted to go, she always refused.

I was, of course, completely willing.

Yu Nian's home is not far from Wangting Mountain, about a twenty-minute drive.

Mainly, the further we went, the worse the road became, causing some delay.

It was a remote ancient town; at the deepest part of a lane in the town stood a small Funeral Shop.

Pushing open the shop door, a wave of incense, candle, and paper money scent rushed over; the tiny shop was stuffed full yet arranged in neat order.

I could even imagine Yu Nian, who once couldn't see with her eyes, bustling about in this tiny Funeral Shop.

Going past the Funeral Shop to the back, there is a small room, which is Yu Nian's bedroom.

Before dawn, the only light in the bedroom came from the lightbulb in the front shop.

In the bedroom, forget appliances—there isn't even a lightbulb!

Yu Nian tidied the bed a bit, had me lie down, and apologized: "I'm used to the darkness, Xiao Jiu, sorry to inconvenience you for a few hours."

I didn't mind; instead, I felt heartache for her.

Lying in bed in the darkness, I heard Yu Nian's soft rustling as she tidied and packed, thinking she had already prepared to stay in the Yin Dang Hang from now on.

She didn't have much; the things she needed to take were all especially important to her, and she didn't spend long packing.

Then she lay down beside me and naturally began talking about her martial aunt, her mother, how after her eyes were dug out she struggled to survive, and finally how, by a fortunate coincidence, she took over this Funeral Shop.

Throughout, her tone remained calm, as if she were telling someone else's story, yet I listened with tears welling up.

I couldn't help but ask her: "Sister, are you afraid of everything unknown in the Yin Dang Hang?"

"Not at all afraid." Yu Nian said from the passage, "I have always firmly believed that if they chose me, it shows I have enough utilitarian value; from now on, the Yin Dang Hang will be both my responsibility and my protective umbrella, Xiao Jiu—I feel this opens a new chapter in my life, and I look forward to it."

I couldn't help but reach out and hug her.

Yu Nian's appearance is a ray of light warming my life.

She never brings negative emotions to me; she is always optimistic and forward-looking.

I like her, yet I also worry about her.

I hope, as she said, the Yin Dang Hang will bring her a brand-new future, rather than……stop! Hold it!

Xiao Jiu, you too should be optimistic and forward-looking like your senior sister!

Thud……thud……thud……thud-thud.

The knocking sound suddenly rang out.

A rhythmic pattern of three long and two short knocks, over and over.

This is the midnight ghost knocking.

As practitioners of the Yin-Yang profession, Yu Nian and I immediately noticed the knocking was different.

Yu Nian rose, and I grabbed her: "Don't open it!"

Yu Nian hadn't returned to the Funeral Shop for many days; tonight she just came back, and something came knocking at the door—how could it be such a coincidence?

One must never lack vigilance against others.

Yet Yu Nian lightly patted the back of my hand and said, "If it were really here to take my life, it wouldn't politely knock; it would have barged in already, Xiao Jiu—you're too tense."

She said that and went to the outer room to open the door; I hurried after her.

Outside the door, Yīnfēng gusted.

Two soaking-wet……people stood there, their faces deathly pale.

They held hands.

The man wore a proper suit, with a rose inserted in the side pocket of the jacket, the stem bearing a tag that read "groom".

The woman wore a bright red revised cheongsam, her hair styled in an elegant bridal updo, and she also wore a rose on her chest, the stem bearing a tag that read "bride".

This clearly is a loving couple about to enter the hall of marriage.

But……they are clearly……already dead!

Could something have gone wrong on their wedding day?

Yu Nian led the two into the Funeral Shop, calmly asking, "May I ask what you'd like to buy?"

"We want to commission a boat," the man said, "standard specifications are fine—oil the hull, wax it, attach a tiger figure to the prow, place a scout on the tiger holding a pitchfork, have Black and White Impermanence guard left and right, inside the cabin construct the Ten Halls of Yama, need a mast, one helmsman, ten rowers, and inside the hull also paper houses, paper horses, and all daily necessities, plus paper money and ingots for expenses along the way..."

I heard it all confused and felt something was off.

I also make paper effigies, and I've built boats before.

But Grandma never taught me to oil and wax the boat, or to attach a tiger figure...

What do they want this boat for?

Yu Nian obviously hesitated a moment, then she said tactfully, "Ferrying the netherworld boat is beyond my abilities; please seek someone more capable."