Zhao Feiyu quickly prepared the items needed for the soul summons. Mu Rongxing released all the spirits he carried, scattering them across the open area. The Yin energy here was indeed thick; I could feel their excitement. In contrast, Bai Ji remained much calmer.
"Do you want to come out?" I asked Bai Ji instinctively.
"I can feel the Yin energy here. I don't wish to associate with them," Bai Ji refused outright.
I nodded indifferently and positioned myself in front of Qingzi's body. Kong Yi was sitting in meditation, chanting sutras—a form of blessing or pacification. Mu Rongxing and I had to fully protect the three of them, which seemed quite challenging.
After Zhao Feiyu finished drawing the talismans, he pasted them on Dong Qingzi. Just as he was about to begin, he looked at me with concern. "Xiao Lin, don't push yourself too hard if it comes to it."
I gave a noncommittal "Hmm," already prepared for what might come.
Zhao Feiyu took out a small bell and walked three circles around Dong Qingzi. At the end of the third circle, he gently rang the bell and chanted, "Dong Qingzi, return. Dong Qingzi, return. Dong Qingzi, return."
I could sense something discordant within this mass of Yin energy—Dong Qingzi's soul. After Zhao Feiyu's third call, her soul slowly began moving towards its body.
Everything seemed ready. Kong Yi also began chanting sutras. The tremors in Dong Qingzi's body grew increasingly violent, looking promising. But Kong Yi's sweating brow worried me. Could they really pull this off?
"Xiao Lin!" Mu Rongxing suddenly called my name. I turned to see countless spectral souls standing before us, watching us with their hollow eyes.
I frowned. It seemed the side effect of Zhao Feiyu's summoning ritual had appeared. While Dong Qingzi's soul could hear the call, so could all the other souls here. Obtaining a physical body was the desire of every trapped soul.
"Kong Yi, how much longer?" Zhao Feiyu grew anxious seeing the scene. Right now, Dong Qingzi's soul couldn't enter, and the occupying soul couldn't be expelled. If Mu Rongxing and I couldn't hold the line, our entire group might die here today.
Kong Yi didn't answer, continuing his chant. I looked at Mu Rongxing and asked quietly, "How long can you hold?"
Mu Rongxing smiled confidently. "I'll definitely last longer than you."
I couldn't be bothered to banter. I stepped forward, the Meteor Iron sword in hand. Against these souls, I didn't want to use spells. Firstly, to avoid disrupting Kong Yi and Zhao Feiyu, and secondly, to prevent harming Dong Qingzi. Close combat was my only option.
Kong Yi's chanting continued. The spectral souls grew restless. The moment the soul left Dong Qingzi's body, a fierce struggle was inevitable.
As time passed, more and more souls gathered before me. Kong Yi's chanting sped up. The spirits behind Mu Rongxing seemed eager, like they'd seen a feast. If not for Mu Rongxing's control, they would have already clashed with the souls.
Spectral souls were the best nourishment for spirit keepers.
The moment Kong Yi's chanting stopped, the souls before me went wild, rushing frantically towards Dong Qingzi's body. Without hesitation, I gripped the Meteor Iron sword firmly. For every soul that charged forward, I severed its head without mercy. Mu Rongxing did the same on his end, his commanded spirits engaging the souls in battle. But Zi Ming and the others seemed to forget one thing: their opponents were spectral soldiers who had existed for thousands of years longer. How could they be easily defeated?
I didn't know how Zhao Feiyu's Soul-Locking Knot was progressing. All I could do was focus on killing souls. The souls also held weapons. When they thrust spears or swung swords at me, I didn't dodge, letting the ethereal weapons pass through me.
I remained unharmed, while they lost their heads.
Their weapons posed little threat to me. At worst, I'd suffer some Yin energy intrusion and need rest later. Thankfully, they were just ordinary souls, not powerful enough. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to handle them.
Gradually, my sword swings became numb, my arms sore. Many souls remained. Was Zhao Feiyu still not done?
Lost in thought, I felt a push. Coming to my senses, I saw Mu Rongxing slapping a talisman onto a soul.
Why did Mu Rongxing push me? Did that soul try to attack me? Frowning, I pondered. Did someone pat me just now?
"You're quite relaxed, daydreaming during a fight," Mu Rongxing chided.
When I saw the talisman's script, I was shocked.
"Using an Earth Thunder Charm in this confined space! Do you want us all buried with you?" I exclaimed in surprise.
"Zhao Feiyu, Kong Yi, protect the girl!" Mu Rongxing ignored my question and began preparing the incantation!
I didn't bother arguing and rushed to Zhao Feiyu and Kong Yi. Zhao Feiyu had finished the final step. He yelled at Mu Rongxing, "Ready!"
In that instant, a blinding light erupted, illuminating the entire area. Then, countless碎石 rained down. We immediately threw ourselves to the ground, covering our heads, letting other parts of our bodies take the impact.
When everything settled, my consciousness was hazy. Shaking off the stones, I forced myself up. Looking around, the souls were indeed gone. The ground was littered with rubble, with occasional small stones still falling from above. Brushing off the dust, I thought surviving was lucky enough.
Thunder naturally comes from the sky, but the Earth Thunder Charm is different. It's a miniaturized version of a Thunder Charm, but its power is not to be underestimated.
Using an Earth Thunder Charm in such a narrow space was baffling. But when I checked my wristwatch, I understood Mu Rongxing's reasoning.
We had already wasted half an hour here. No hearts meant no time. If Mu Rongxing couldn't emerge alive in the end, Zhao Feiyu and the others would become the tributes he mentioned.
As I pondered this, I heard the sound of shifting stones. Shining my flashlight in that direction, I saw Kong Yi.
His face was covered in dust, his monk's robes torn in several places. Seeing me, he smiled awkwardly. "Your father's methods... are indeed quite formidable."
"Did you think an ordinary person could dig out his own son's heart?" I retorted.
Kong Yi smiled awkwardly again, as if to divert attention, and shouted around, "Feiyu! Qingzi! Where are you?"
Kong Yi's loud shouts echoed, but the only response was silence.
I frowned, a bad feeling growing. Were they both knocked out by the rocks? That seemed unlikely. Just then, I heard the sound of shifting gravel. I quickly aimed my flashlight—it was Mu Rongxing.
"Not dead yet?" Mu Rongxing, blinded by the light, sounded uncomfortable but still joking.
"Thanks to you, not yet," I glared at him, annoyed.
Mu Rongxing didn't engage further, just started searching the rubble for his backpack. Kong Yi came to my side, gently tugging my clothes and whispering, "Your father saved you."
His words confused me. I frowned, unable to grasp their meaning.
"You probably didn't notice then," Kong Yi explained, seeing my confusion. "You were spacing out, right after I finished chanting. Fighting while holding a flashlight is hard enough. But I can tell you, I saw a black shadow. It wasn't a soul. It was a human shadow."
"How can you be sure?" I found this strange.
"When the flashlight accidentally hit the shadow, I saw something glint. I'm certain the shadow held a dagger, and its target was you. If your father hadn't pushed you away, probably..."
"Don't worry, I can't die," I said to Kong Yi seriously.
"Can't die is one thing. But I feel your father and that person know each other." Kong Yi smiled patiently. "Regardless, we should all be more careful here."
I nodded, understanding.
There were more than just the five of us here. Someone else was hiding in the shadows.
Kong Yi continued searching for Zhao Feiyu and Dong Qingzi, while I sat down to think. Bai Ji, sensing my confusion, materialized and sat beside me. "Do you know why I was unwilling to come out and absorb the Yin energy?"
"Weren't you just unwilling?" I asked half-smiling.
"Xiao Lin, your spiritual senses have always been sharp. I have no reason to lie to you. Haven't you felt that there's something else here?" Bai Ji sounded dissatisfied with my answer.
"That thing probably only affects you spirits. Honestly, I really haven't felt anything," I said, playing with the Meteor Iron sword.
For some reason, conversing with Bai Ji felt difficult. Her voice seemed distant, and even her form appeared blurry.
After I spoke, I heard no more from Bai Ji. Soon, Mu Rongxing and Kong Yi hurried over. Mu Rongxing pulled me close and felt the third vertebra of my spine.
"What are you doing?" I looked at them, confused.
Kong Yi pointed beside him. "Can you see Bai Ji?"
I shone my flashlight around him several times. I was sure there was nothing there.
"You idiot! Your spiritual senses are sealed, and you didn't even notice!" Mu Rongxing said, sounding frustrated.
My spiritual senses were sealed?
I tried communicating with Bai Ji, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't see her or hear her.
Though anxious, I forced calmness. I looked at Kong Yi. "Did you find Zhao Feiyu and Qingzi?"
Kong Yi shook his head, indicating no news. But he seemed to be conversing with someone nearby, question and answer. Frankly, to me now, without my spiritual senses, Kong Yi looked like he was talking to himself.
"You're saying you saw someone take Zhao Feiyu and the others away?" Kong Yi's expression turned grim.
Mu Rongxing clearly didn't care about Zhao Feiyu and Dong Qingzi's whereabouts. He pulled me aside, telling me to take off my shirt. His fingers pressed on my spine, and I felt a sharp pain in one spot. I reached for it, but there was nothing there.
"Don't touch it! It's an Ox Hair Fine Needle! The more you touch it, the deeper it goes! It might become impossible to remove!" Mu Rongxing slapped my hand away impatiently.
"If it can't be removed, then forget it. I'm not completely useless without my spiritual senses," I said, equally impatient.
Now Zhao Feiyu and Dong Qingzi were missing, my spiritual senses were mysteriously sealed, and Kong Yi said someone wanted me dead. Clearly, someone was deliberately causing trouble. I had no mood to study this 'Ox Hair Fine Needle'. I tried opening my Ghost Eyes. With great effort, I could barely make out vague shapes.
Mu Rongxing saw my pupils had turned blood-red. He seemed to want to tell me to retract the Ghost Eyes, but he sighed and said nothing, tacitly approving.
"Let me properly explain the Ox Hair Fine Needle. It can seal your spiritual senses. Its main feature is being extremely hard to detect. That's how you were hit. It doesn't completely block your senses, but it greatly affects them. Our Mu family's Ghost Eyes can see the direction of souls and such, but you can't communicate with them. For the rest of the journey, stay quiet. If I tell you not to act, you don't act! Understood?!" Mu Rongxing sounded like a father scolding his son.
I glanced at him disdainfully and walked away without a word.
"That stubborn temper..." I heard Mu Rongxing complain behind me, but I didn't care.
I went to Kong Yi, asking about Zhao Feiyu and Dong Qingzi. Kong Yi frowned and told me everything he knew, which apparently came from Bai Ji.
After the Earth Thunder Charm activated, we temporarily lost consciousness, but Bai Ji didn't. She seemed to see Zhao Feiyu carrying Dong Qingzi, following someone leading the way.
Hearing this, I frowned deeply. "Did Bai Ji tell you which way they went?"
Kong Yi pointed to a path on my right. I nodded understandingly and was about to head that way when Mu Rongxing suddenly stopped me.
"Xiao Lin, Kong Yi, we go this way." Mu Rongxing pointed to my left.
That's when I noticed a path on my left as well. Looking at both, I guessed Mu Rongxing was definitely hiding something.
"What about Zhao Feiyu and Qingzi?" I probed.
Mu Rongxing shook his head, also seeming troubled. "I don't know where they are either."
Kong Yi and I exchanged glances. Without a word, I picked up my backpack and followed Mu Rongxing. Honestly, I didn't know if I could trust him, but for now, following him seemed the best option.
Kong Yi seemed to understand my thoughts and followed silently behind me. Mu Rongxing seemed very familiar with this path, walking without hesitation.
The Mu family was a lineage of Onmyōji. All children, from birth, trained in one thing: the Ghost Eyes I was using now. Ghost Eyes allowed one to see certain things. For the Mu family, it was a key to maintaining their status in the paranormal world.
The path ahead was smooth. It felt like entering a tomb chamber, with walls on both sides and a passage in the middle. The walls had rough carvings. I shone my light on them, studying them, but couldn't understand their meaning.
One depicted an ordinary-looking green plant. The next showed an elderly person lying in bed, presumably dead, with a young person holding the plant beside them. Then, the young person placed the plant in the elder's mouth. Finally, the elder came back to life.
Though crude, I understood the meaning. Was it telling me that a resurrection medicine truly existed in this world?
As I pondered, Mu Rongxing called out ahead, urging me on. He was already far ahead, just a small dot of light. I caught up and asked Kong Yi, "Did you see those carvings?"
Strangely, no one answered.
"Kong Yi?" I stopped, not turning around, and called out again.
Still no answer...
Realizing something was wrong, I drew the Meteor Iron sword. I quickly shone my flashlight behind me—Kong Yi was gone. I looked ahead—Mu Rongxing's light had also disappeared.
The surrounding darkness seemed to swallow me. Besides the sword in my hand, I had nothing else to rely on.
I forced myself to stay calm and continued forward, but I felt like I was going in circles. Growing frustrated, I stopped and carefully examined my surroundings—still nothing.
"If you dare use such methods, why not show yourself?" I试探性地 asked, though I didn't know if anyone was there. Maybe this was the only way to find any trace of them.
Silence followed. Frowning, I wondered if I was overthinking it. Suddenly, the silence was broken by footsteps.
The footsteps were slow and heavy, almost like a deliberate provocation. The enemy was right in front of me, yet I could do nothing.
I turned off my flashlight, gripping the Meteor Iron sword with one hand, closed my eyes, and listened carefully to the footsteps.
Closer... getting closer...
当我判断脚步声就在我身边时,我本能地挥舞了剑.
铛!一道清亮的金属铃声响起!我的判断是正确的!击中目标后,我再次挥杆.
又是一次冲突.我大致了解了对手的位置.如此一来,我就不再有任何保留了.
我不顾后果地猛烈攻击.狭窄的走廊里,只听见金属碰撞的声音.我和对手就像是在盲目战斗,但我们都没有失手.就好像...我知道他会如何攻击...
不!这节奏!
我又尝试了几次探测攻击.我的对手仍然可以轻松招架.我似乎也知道他的顺序;我的防御每次都很有效.
那一刻,我感觉自己在与自己作斗争.
这个念头刚刚闪过我的脑海,我就感到头骨处一阵剧痛.我的意识开始模糊...
当我迷迷糊糊地回过神来时,我听到两个声音在说话.
"你给小林的'贺礼',可真是了不起啊."一个声音说道.听起来像是慕容星.
"只是长辈对晚辈开的玩笑,没必要当真,毕竟我们是同事不是吗?"另一个声音很熟悉,但我一时无法辨认.
"同事?如果你真的把我当同事,为什么要这样对我儿子?"慕容星的语气充满了指责.
"我只是测试你对他是否还有感情.当年,你将儿子的七窍玲珑心献给江河,宣誓对他们绝对忠诚.但这一次,看到儿子,你似乎软化了."
"我对他的感情只是愧疚,黄仕步,你不用怀疑我对江河的忠诚."
当慕容星说出这个名字的时候,我突然想起来这是谁的声音了!
黄仕步!想要买槐树村祖坟的男人!