Chapter 3 Dried - up well in the deep mountains

The sky darkened swiftly, and Xiao Lili, Wang Muyang, and the others who had gone to watch the sunset soon returned.

The group came back chattering animatedly, discussing how breathtaking the evening glow had been.

Seeing their return, Lin Xiaofeng rubbed his hands together and approached them. "You're back? Was the sunset beautiful?"

"Mm," Wang Muyang responded with a dismissive glance, his tone indifferent and his expression aloof.

Lin Xiaofeng felt a surge of irritation at Wang Muyang's attitude. Earlier, he had been hesitant about Huang's reckless plan, thinking it might be too mean-spirited. But now, seeing Wang Muyang's smug face, he resolved to go through with it. If he didn't scare the living daylights out of that arrogant fool tonight, he'd take Wang's surname.

"Listen, there's something I need to tell you," Lin Xiaofeng said, pointing to the funeral parlor behind him. "While we were cleaning, we uncovered the plaque. Turns out this place is a funeral parlor. I thought we should discuss it and see if we should ask the village chief to find us another place to stay."

At the mention of the funeral parlor, the group's faces paled, especially Wang Muyang's. He visibly shuddered and angrily exclaimed, "What kind of nonsense is this? We come here to deliver supplies, and they put us up in a funeral parlor?"

With that, he rolled up his sleeves, ready to storm into the village and confront the chief.

Lin Xiaofeng quickly gestured toward the house, and Huang, who had been waiting inside, stepped out. "If you're scared, just go ahead and leave," Huang said loudly. "The village doesn't have much to offer, and they've done their best to provide us shelter. Wang Muyang, stop being so picky. What's your problem?"

"Rolling up your sleeves to fight an old man, the village chief? Pathetic," Huang continued, his voice booming. "I don't believe in ghosts, and if any of you cowards do, feel free to scram."

Lin Xiaofeng wiped his nose, silently amused. He couldn't help but recall how Huang had screamed in terror when he first saw the funeral parlor. Now, he was putting on a brave front.

Logically, a funeral parlor was no place for the living to sleep. It wasn't about being brave or cowardly—it was a matter of the living and the dead occupying separate realms. Though the parlor was technically a yang dwelling, it housed corpses, making it an inherently eerie place.

But why had everyone come here in the first place? To impress Xiao Lili. Who would dare act like a coward in front of their goddess?

Wang Muyang, summoning his courage, stammered, "Who's scared? I've slept in graveyards before. What's one funeral parlor?"

Lin Xiaofeng stifled a laugh. What a boast.

After some commotion, Xiao Lili finally spoke up. "We're all educated people. How can we believe in superstitions? We should be firm atheists."

Her words settled the matter. Whether they liked it or not, they were staying in the funeral parlor for the night.

Lin Xiaofeng noticed Huang giving him a meaningful look and nodded in understanding. The first act of their plan was over. The second act involved Lin Xiaofeng playing the ghost, while Huang would swoop in as the hero to save the day. Though the plan was clichéd, the setting of the funeral parlor would undoubtedly amplify its effect.

Lin Xiaofeng mused to himself that summoning a real ghost to scare them wouldn't be too difficult. After all, his five years with Master Mao hadn't been spent studying like an ordinary student. He had traveled far and wide, mastering the esoteric arts of Daoist magic.

As night fell, the bravado from earlier faded. The funeral parlor grew cold and eerie. The group gathered around a bonfire in the center of the parlor, chatting nervously.

Huang, ever the storyteller, began regaling them with tales. "Have any of you ever seen a ghost? Let me tell you, my ancestors for three generations were Daoist priests who specialized in exorcising evil spirits..."

His stories captivated the group, and no one noticed that Lin Xiaofeng was no longer in the room.

Outside, Lin Xiaofeng crouched by the edge of the forest, a cigarette dangling from his lips. "D*mn it, catching a real ghost would be easier than this," he muttered, glaring at the white lab coat beside him. It was a stolen doctor's coat from the village, courtesy of Huang.

The thought of wearing it to play a ghost made him cringe. During his travels with Master Mao, he had earned a modest reputation for his skills. If his master found out he was prancing around in a lab coat pretending to be a ghost, he'd likely be disowned.

Suppressing the urge to summon an actual spirit, Lin Xiaofeng reluctantly put on the coat. He glanced at his watch—it was still a while until midnight. With nothing else to do, he leaned against a tree and closed his eyes, dozing lightly. Years of hunting demons with Master Mao had taught him to sleep lightly.

Suddenly, a woman's singing voice reached his ears. He opened his eyes and looked around. The song seemed to come from deep within the forest.

What woman would be singing in the middle of the night in such a remote place? Lin Xiaofeng smirked and removed the lab coat. If there was a real ghost here, why bother pretending?

Cautiously, he followed the sound until he reached an old well. The singing emanated from within. A stone slab covered the well, and upon closer inspection, Lin Xiaofeng noticed a talisman etched into it.

"A suppression talisman?" he murmured, shaking his head. Whatever was sealed inside was not to be trifled with. Best to leave it alone.

Resigned, he turned to leave, but a woman's voice called out from the well, "Help me."

Lin Xiaofeng paused and replied, "Don't waste your energy. If I had my tools, I'd exorcise you right now."

With that, he strode back to where he had left the lab coat. Picking it up, he sighed, "Fine, I'll play the ghost."

Though the idea of pretending to be a ghost was embarrassing, the thought of Wang Muyang screaming in terror brought a wicked smile to his face.

"Let's see you act tough after this," Lin Xiaofeng muttered.

As he put on the coat, a figure suddenly appeared before him, startling him.

"Who the hell is that?" Lin Xiaofeng exclaimed, only to realize it was Huang.

"What are you doing here?" Lin Xiaofeng asked, annoyed. "Shouldn't you be inside, ready to play the hero?"

Huang looked pale, clutching his stomach. "I've got a stomachache. Need to use the bathroom."

Without waiting for a response, Huang dashed toward the direction of the well.

"Hey, don't go that way!" Lin Xiaofeng shouted, suddenly alarmed.

"I can't hold it!" Huang yelled back, disappearing into the darkness.

Lin Xiaofeng cursed under his breath. Without his tools, if Huang accidentally released whatever was in that well, they'd be in serious trouble. He quickly gave chase.