“How could anyone possibly appear in a place like this at a time like this?” Hearing Bailang’s words, Gu Zhaoyan ran forward quickly.
The thick fog was so dense that one could not see a hand in front of one’s face. The moment Gu Zhaoyan drew close, he felt a wave of yin energy wash over him. He produced a lantern emitting a soft, glowing blue light and walked slowly into the mist with Bailang. As he entered, those heavy fogs seemed to encounter some natural enemy, swiftly scattering away from his sides and leaving only his immediate surroundings free from the clinging haze. “Such concentrated yin energy.”
Bailang dashed ahead first, with Gu Zhaoyan following closely behind. Before long, they heard the howl of a wolf. Hurrying toward the sound, Gu Zhaoyan called out, “What happened?” Before he could finish his sentence, he saw several people lying unconscious beside Bailang. Only a young man with a pale face sat on the ground, catching his breath. When he spotted Gu Zhaoyan, his eyes suddenly brightened. Seeing that this person carried a lantern emitting an unusual glow and moved freely through the bizarre fog, he figured this must be no ordinary individual. Yet he did not immediately stand up, choosing instead to subtly size Gu Zhaoyan up.
With people unconscious and injured here, Gu Zhaoyan had to put his original plans on hold. He walked over, squatted down, and examined the fallen men before raising his eyes to speak to the young man. “Amitabha, things are looking rather ominous. Their souls have been extracted. If we can retrieve their souls in time, they will be completely fine.”
The young man was now quite close to Gu Zhaoyan, and even the soft blue illumination allowed him to clearly make out Gu Zhaoyan’s features. With a face like an Avalokitesvara, untainted by worldly dust, he truly resembled an eminent Buddhist monk who inspired absolute peace of mind from the bottom of one’s heart. Even though the person before him was merely a lay disciple of the Buddhist school, it did nothing to diminish the transcendent bearing of such a holy monk.
Hearing this, the young man hurried to his feet and bowed deeply to Gu Zhaoyan. “Thank you, Master, for saving our lives, and many thanks to this white wolf brother.” Seeing how Bailang voluntarily stayed close to Gu Zhaoyan with a docile and obedient demeanor, how could he fail to realize that this wolf was likely raised by the eminent master before him? A single howl from the wolf had been enough to startle away that unclean entity, and yet it was so well-behaved around this person; it was clear that this master must possess formidable skills. “When the master just said that the souls of my guards were extracted, what does that mean? Are their lives in danger?”
Bailang nodded indifferently, pressing close against Gu Zhaoyan’s leg to stand guard. Gu Zhaoyan replied, “There is no immediate danger yet, as long as we bring their souls back before dawn.”
“You do not look like an ordinary person, Master. Might you have a way to save them?” The young man sighed and explained, “I am Yan Wenqing, Junior Minister of the Court of Judicial Review. A few days ago, a formal document was submitted from the lower levels reporting a bizarre incident in Zhou Village, several lives lost in succession. The victims died in peculiar, highly unusual ways, and since the culprit could not be found, the case was escalated to the Court of Judicial Review. As the Junior Minister, it is my duty to investigate, but I never expected to encounter such a terrifying mystery the moment I arrived here. If Master can save them, I will be eternally grateful.”
With that, he bowed low once more. Gu Zhaoyan caught his arm, saying, “This poor monk came here precisely for this matter, so I would have helped even without benefactor’s plea.” He reached into his sleeve, drew out several talismans, and handed them to Yan Wenqing. “These are protective and exorcism talismans to ensure your safety.” Bending down, he placed a protective talisman on each of the unconscious men, then plucked a strand of hair from one of the guards. Placing the hair onto a talisman paper, he folded the paper into the shape of a paper crane. Channeling a sliver of spiritual energy into the crane, he watched as it came to life, flapping its wings and flying off in a certain direction.
Gu Zhaoyan immediately led Bailang in pursuit. Yan Wenqing looked down at the protective talismans in his hand, then glanced at the unconscious guards beside him with a sigh, praying in his heart that the master could truly bring their souls back. Truth be told, he had never been one for superstition; after all, the Master did not speak of strange phenomena or chaotic spirits. Yet the events of tonight had utterly shattered the truths he had always believed in. Monsters and spirits truly existed in this world!
Following the flying paper crane, Gu Zhaoyan and Bailang moved beyond the boundary of the dense fog into a region overgrown with thorns and briars. Under the cold moonlight, the mountain was choked with intertwining branches and vines. The ancient trees towered thick and tall, their lush foliage casting a gloomy, eerie shadow in the dappled moonlight. The deeper they went, the more difficult the path became.
It was deathly quiet, devoid of even the sound of insects or birds. Only the crisp crunch of Gu Zhaoyan’s boots stepping upon the fallen leaves rang out with exceptional clarity. When they followed the crane right up to a massive ancient tree, the paper crane circled the trunk twice before bursting into bright flames and burning down to ashes.
Gazing at the ancient tree that required three people to encircle, Gu Zhaoyan knitted his brows tightly. “It seems this tree has secrets.”
Bailang suggested, “Whether it has secrets or not, we’ll find out once we test it.”
Gu Zhaoyan nodded, drew his Qingfeng sword, and slashed fiercely toward the trunk.
With a sharp crack and a thunderous rumble, the ancient tree was cleaved straight down the middle by the sword. Instantly, billows of yellow smoke erupted from the split wood. A wave of foul stench assaulted their nostrils, forcing Gu Zhaoyan to immediately seal off his sense of smell. It stinks to high heaven!
At that very moment, a red figure drifted out from the yellow smoke. It was a female ghost; though her facial features were decent, her complexion was corpse-pale, and her eyes carried a chilling, deathly aura that looked thoroughly terrifying. The moment she caught sight of Gu Zhaoyan, she curled her ten fingers into claws and lunged at him. Her fingernails were long, pitch-black, and sharp, gleaming with a dark, menacing sheen.
Unfazed, Gu Zhaoyan swept his sword across in a clean arc, shearing her fingernails off entirely. Deprived of her lethal weapons, a surge of fury rose within the female ghost. Letting out a shrill, ear-piercing shriek filled with bitter resentment, she launched herself at Gu Zhaoyan once more.
Having already committed capital sins, the female ghost left Gu Zhaoyan with no reason to hold back. With a single stroke of his sword, her soul was shattered into oblivion, vanishing from the world entirely. All that remained were several glowing orbs the size of pigeon eggs scattered upon the ground.
Gu Zhaoyan reached out toward the glowing orbs, and they flew directly into his palm. These orbs were precisely the souls of Yan Wenqing’s guards, fortunately not yet digested by the female ghost.
Watching Gu Zhaoyan safely secure the souls, Bailang remarked, “That female ghost had not yet fully matured, which is why you dealt with her so easily.”
Knowing Bailang’s intent, warning him against letting his guard down, Gu Zhaoyan replied, “I understand your concern. Rest assured, I won’t grow complacent.”
Seeing that he didn’t just brush it off but took it genuinely to heart, Bailang felt a sense of relief regarding its clear-headed business partner.
When they returned to the mountain valley, the thick fog had long since dissipated. Gu Zhaoyan and Bailang hurried over, only to be struck dumb with shock upon arrival: Where was Yan Wenqing?
The spot had been left with only the unconscious guards, while Yan Wenqing had vanished completely without a trace!