Chapter 23: The Object of Gathering Yin

  Shen Qingluo was somewhat helpless, but she did not say anything more.

  After the decision was made, Meng Zirui took Wang Fang and Zhao Yanran to leave first.

  Xie Jinxi looked at Lan He and asked, "Patriarch Lan, where is the Liu family in the east of the town that was haunted first?"

  "The third family in the east, I'll let Min'er take you there."

  Lan He waved to the distance and called a girl in a light blue pleated skirt, "Min'er, take these two immortals to Liu Lai's house to have a look."

  "Yes."

  Lan Min responded, walked in small steps to Shen Qingluo and Xia Jinxi, bowed to the two, and walked quietly in front to lead the way.

  Because of the haunted incident, even during the day, few people walked outside, and the doors of every household were closed. The originally bustling town is now deserted.

  About half a cup of tea later, Lan Min slowed down his pace and finally stopped in front of a yard with two big red lanterns hanging on the door.

  "Two immortals, this is it."

  Xia Jinxi nodded, "Thank you for leading the way." As she said that, she walked forward and knocked on the gate.

  After waiting for a while, there was no movement inside.

  Lan Min blushed, "There is always someone at Liu Lai's house, immortals, wait a moment, I will try to shout twice."

  Seeing that the two immortals did not object, she coughed lightly, and the next moment she shouted directly at the top of her voice: "The Lan family is investigating the haunted incident, open the door quickly!"

  This time, it was only a moment, and there was a hurried sound of footsteps from inside.

  With the creaking sound of the wooden bolt being pulled, a middle-aged man with untidy beard and a slightly fat figure appeared in Xia Jinxi's sight.

  The middle-aged man looked nervous. As soon as he opened the gate, he knelt down with a plop and kowtowed continuously, "Forgive me, three immortals, I didn't know that the immortals had arrived before, and I didn't open the door in time."

  Lan Min stood aside and said nothing.

  Xia Jinxi looked at the middle-aged man with a frown on her face. "We are here to investigate the haunting. You don't need to do this. Just get up and answer."

  The middle-aged man thanked her repeatedly and got up in a hurry. He was very reserved.

  Shen Qingluo's attention was now focused on the courtyard. On one side, there were various vegetables planted, and on the other side, there were several locust trees. The soil at the bottom of the trees was relatively new, as if they were transplanted from somewhere else.

  Locust trees belong to the Yin element. Normally, people who are haunted should avoid them. How could they do the opposite?

  Not only her, but Xia Jinxi and Lan Min also noticed the locust trees at this moment.

  The latter raised her eyebrows and questioned the middle-aged man in a stern voice: "Liu Lai, since the haunting incident, the Lan family has issued an order that no more locust trees should be planted in the town, and all the existing ones should be cut down. How dare you disobey them?" The middle

  -aged man's lips trembled and he was speechless for a while.

  Xia Jinxi walked to one of the locust trees, squatted down, picked up a handful of soil and looked at it carefully, and stood up after a while.

  "These locust trees have been transplanted for no more than two days. Something must be wrong if something is abnormal. Junior Sister Shen, what do you think?"

  Xia Jinxi thought for a while and suggested, "Why not dig them all up and see, there might be something buried underneath."

  "Don't dig!"

  A roar came out, and the middle-aged man who was originally trembling with fear now had a ferocious look on his face, "This is the formation that Tu Xianchang spent a lot of effort to set up. Only with this formation can we block the evil spirits!"

  Lan Min's face suddenly sank as water after hearing this, "Who is Tu Xianchang you are talking about? When did he come to the town?"

  The middle-aged man's reason gradually returned, and he turned back to his original timid appearance, "I don't know, anyway, he is very powerful, and he should have come to the town these few days."

  Shen Qingluo was a little surprised by this. After thinking about it, she asked, "I wonder how this person is dressed?"

  "He was wearing a long black gown, and he looked very thin, with his hair loose. Oh, and he was holding a long black banner in his right hand."

  Xia Jinxi looked a little serious. "If the banner-like object is a magic weapon, then it will be troublesome. I'm afraid he has encountered a ghost-controlling monk. Liu Lai, you said before that these locust trees are a formation set up by this person?"

  The middle-aged man nodded repeatedly, "Yes, when Immortal Tu left, he specifically warned me that the locust trees cannot be moved, otherwise the formation will be destroyed, and then the evil ghost will come again."   

  "You've been fooled. Sophora japonica belongs to Yin, it can't stop evil spirits, it will only help them become stronger. I also have some knowledge of formations, and there is no trace of any formation in this yard!"

  "No, it's impossible!" The middle-aged man's face turned pale, "Master Tu cured my mother and didn't ask for any reward, how could he lie to me?"

  Shen Qingluo frowned and asked, "How did you meet this person?"

  "Like the three immortals, Master Tu also took the initiative to come to my house, saying that my family was in trouble and had attracted evil spirits, and he also said some words that I couldn't understand."

  "Then let me ask you again, three months ago, your house was haunted. Did you see what the evil ghost looked like? Also, in the past few years, has anyone died unjustly nearby?"

  The middle-aged man remembered something and his face became very frightened. "He was wearing white clothes, his hair was very long, covering most of his face, and he had no eyes. Only two blood holes could be seen. I, I have never heard of anyone who died unjustly in the town."

  Shen Qingluo was slightly surprised when she heard this. Ghosts grow very slowly, and this evil ghost, in just three months, actually promoted from the weakest white clothes to red clothes.

  It seems that there is a high possibility of human manipulation behind the scenes. Is the monk surnamed Tu the mastermind behind the scenes?

  On the side, Xia Jinxi pinched her hands and brought out a ice method, froze all the locust trees in the yard into ice.

  The middle-aged man looked at this scene, and a trace of fear flashed in his eyes, and the whole person shrank more and more.

  Lan Min, who had been standing, also started to move. She was a fire, wood and earth three spiritual roots. Using earth-based magic, she quickly dug the new mud under the locust tree to the side.

  A dark wooden box was exposed, with a strange talisman paper on it.

  Xia Jinxi recognized the origin of the talisman, "It is a yin-condensing talisman, which has the effect of gathering yin energy."

  Lan Min was a little puzzled, "The clan leader has sent people to investigate many times. If there is yin energy gathering, it should not be discovered."

  Shen Qingluo said thoughtfully, "It should be related to the things in the box. There are several locust trees planted in this yard, but I don't feel any yin energy."

  She looked at the middle-aged man, "You said before that the man cured your mother, so where is your mother now?"

  "In the house, mother has been very sleepy these two days."

  "Take me to see."

  "Hello, immortal, please follow me."

  Shen Qingluo followed the middle-aged man to a small house on the east side of the yard. On the right side of the entrance, there was a wooden bed against the wall. An old man with gray hair and wrinkles on his face had his eyes slightly closed and lay quietly on the bed.

  After practicing, Shen Qingluo knew some methods of looking at qi. He used his spiritual power in his eyes and could clearly see a strong aura of death permeating the old man.

  This doesn't look like a cure, it looks like some kind of evil magic has overdrawn the life span that is already limited.

  Looking at the middle-aged man again, he carefully tucked the corners of the quilt for the old man, his movements were very skillful.

  Shen Qingluo shook her head secretly. She didn't have the ability to treat the old man, and she didn't bother the middle-aged man again. She left silently and returned to the courtyard.

  Seeing her come out, Yao Molian asked: "How is the situation?"

  "He is already terminally ill, and has at most ten days left to live."

  "When you entered the room, I had already sent a message to Brother Meng and the others. According to the time, they should be here. Wait a little longer. If they still don't come, it means that they are tripped up by someone. Let's open this black box directly!"

  "Okay!"

  The things in the box are likely to absorb Yin Qi. The monk surnamed Tu buried the things here for a purpose.

  This move is a bit risky and may directly force the other party to show up and take action, but this is the most effective way at present.

  Moreover, now the enemy is in the dark and we are in the light. Even if we don't move the black box, it may not be safe.

  About half a cup of tea later, Meng Zirui and his three companions were still nowhere to be seen.

  Shen Qingluo nodded to Xia Jinxi, and then she held the Lingyun Sword, a top-grade magical weapon, in her right hand and slashed at the black wooden box.

  At this moment, a gust of wind blew across the yard, accompanied by a sound of breaking through the air, and a sharp arrow shot from a distance, aiming directly at Shen Qingluo's forehead.