Blocking the Road at Night

Several villagers, all middle-aged, dark-skinned, short, and thin, looked like typical farmers of the era. Whether it was the summer heat or actual poverty, their clothes were coarse and barely covered them.

Senior Brother politely welcomed them out.

"Esteemed benefactors, this is my Third Senior Brother, who possesses some magic. These are my Junior Brother and Junior Sister; their cultivation days are still short, but they are extremely talented. Since it's just some residual souls with Yin Qi, it's not a major issue. I'll have my Third Senior Brother, Junior Brother, and Junior Sister accompany you on this trip, hoping to resolve your village's worries."

"Thank you, thank you."

The villagers repeatedly thanked them and then looked at Lin Jue and the other two.

Third Senior Brother, who usually enjoyed drinking and lived a carefree life, was solemn when facing them. He bowed and said, "I am Li Miaolin. Since you have found us, we will certainly do our best."

"It's a bit far..."

The villagers said, heads bowed, showing both the humility of facing superiors and the worry that the high-ranking priests might refuse due to the distance, creating an awkward situation.

"This year's harvest was poor, and the village has no yield. We couldn't hire a carriage for the True Person, so you might have to walk. You'll only reach us by tomorrow night or the morning after."

"We can treat it as sightseeing."

Third Senior Brother, feeling sleepy yet serious, said, "Please allow us to pack up and bring some things before we leave."

"Yes, yes, yes..."

The villagers nodded repeatedly, their demeanor humble and not daring to say more, guessing they would bring some magic artifacts for demon-slaying.

However, Third Senior Brother only washed his face and brought a wine gourd and some wild mountain fruits. Lin Jue went back to his room and looked around, thinking about what to bring, but found there was almost nothing he could take. In the end, he picked up a cleaver and a whistle stick from the corner of the wall. They could be used for clearing paths and chopping firewood, and also as walking sticks – truly useful.

"Do you want to come with me?"

Lin Jue looked at the fox in the room one last time.

Upon hearing this, the little fox merely tilted its head and stared at him, its eyes bright, seemingly not understanding human speech.

"Then let's go."

The little fox immediately trotted closer to him.

Lin Jue looked at the fox, which was gradually growing and becoming more beautiful, and couldn't help but ponder, "I should give you a name, but I don't know what to call you...

"The ancients had a saying when naming beasts: 'Their cry is their name.' You cry 'ying ying en en wu wu' every day, hmm, never mind, I won't name you like that.

"Then there's the saying of naming them based on their origin. You came from the mountain, why not call you...

"Tsk...

"Right! When I saw you, the wind was all over the mountain, as if you came from the wind. The wind also has an alias, Fuyao. Why not call you Fuyao for now? If your parents come looking for you someday, you can change it back then."

Fuyao is 'fu' (扶), coming from Floating Hill Peak. 'Fu' (浮) is also 'fu' (扶). And it's a fox...

Lin Jue thought this name was perfect, achieving three goals at once.

"Let's call you Fuyao!"

As he spoke, he had already walked to the outer courtyard.

Behind him, the fox looked up, staring blankly at him.

A group of people descended the mountain.

"I don't know what kind of strange things have happened in these past few years. Have we perhaps angered some Immortals in the heavens? Originally, our village only had a small stream flowing in. During the busy farming season, it was just enough. A few years ago, a flood washed away a lot of fields. Although we were hungry then, we thought the small stream might become a big river, and the village wouldn't lack water. Unexpectedly, not only did that not happen, but the small stream also dried up, and we couldn't even draw water from the wells. Without water, the crops don't grow well, and the harvest gets worse every year."

As they walked down the mountain, the villager at the front said.

Initially, seeing that the Taoist priests were quite young, with two even looking like they were only in their teens, he felt a bit uneasy. However, seeing a fox following behind them – foxes, in this era, in both urban and rural areas, were always the subject of various rumors. Seeing cultivators traveling with a fox made them seem extraordinary, and he felt more at ease.

"We can't even eat enough, nor can we afford medical treatment. Some of the elders in the village have passed away one by one, and some of the young ones couldn't hold on. The population is decreasing, while the number of graves is increasing.

"Since the beginning of spring this year, two burial grounds at the head and tail of the village have always emitted Black Qi in the evening. By night, shadows would roam within them. Some people recognized them as the deceased villagers. At first, we were scared, but we just avoided passing there at night. They were all people from our village; what's the big difference between being alive and dead? We didn't think they would do anything.

"But after two months, those shadows started approaching the village, and some dark figures even entered the village. Some people saw ghosts in their homes, some fell ill because of it, and some were even harmed. They all said that those people died from illness or starvation, that they suffered before dying, were unwilling to rest in peace after death, or were very lonely and wanted to drag some people down with them."

As the villager spoke, he couldn't help but glance back at the Taoist priests.

Lin Jue and Junior Sister both looked at Third Senior Brother.

"What are you looking at me for? Our Master told me to accompany you down the mountain. Although he didn't say it explicitly, I know he wants me to escort you. He originally planned to let only you two go. You can handle everything yourselves; I'm too lazy to bother."

Junior Sister then looked at Lin Jue.

Lin Jue thought for a moment and asked, "Have any villagers heard those ghosts speak?"

"Almost never. Even if they did, they'd say yes one moment and no the next. I think most of them were scared senseless, or they were talking nonsense."

"Has anyone else been invited?"

"Our village is like this; how could we afford to invite anyone else? At most, the village chief's eldest son practiced martial arts on the mountain since he was young. He's skilled and brave. He came back last month and saw the ghost shadows entering the village. He drew his saber and slashed at them, actually scattering them. Then he called a few young men and rushed to the burial grounds to hack away, scattering all those shadows."

"And then?"

"It was useless. They came out again the next day. The elders in the village all said that ghosts fear boldness. Their blood was strong, so slashing them indeed disrupted the Ghost Qi, but it re-gathered the next day. Someone mentioned that there's a Floating Hill Temple on Mount Yi, and the True Persons there are highly skilled and kind-hearted. That's how we found our way here and invited the True Persons."

Hearing this, Lin Jue had a rough understanding.

He had learned a lot about Spirits and Monsters and ghosts during his more than a month on the mountain.

These in the village were likely not true ghosts but residual souls.

A remnant soul is inherently weak, like a candle in the wind.

A warrior's courage is bold and strong; a single saber slash would naturally scatter a remnant soul. However, while warriors might be able to deal with monsters, they have always been ineffective against wandering spirits and ghosts, primarily because a saber cannot hit anything.

Without realizing it, they had walked back down the mountain.

Heat rose in the distance, as if someone had set a fire.

But Lin Jue knew it was actually a hot spring.

Thinking of the hot spring at the foot of the mountain, he also thought of the voice that had emerged from the woods and interrupted them.

Lin Jue later learned that Mount Yi was home to many spirits and monsters that had gained sentience over the years. Under the restraint of the Mountain God, they dared not cause trouble and mostly focused on their cultivation or lives on the mountain, finding much of it boring. They did not dare to easily speak to woodcutters who went up the mountain to chop firewood, fearing they might scare them, or feel guilty, or be punished by the Mountain God. When they encountered Daoists, knowing they were not ordinary people, those who talked a lot loved to converse with them.

That one was likely similar.

Just as he thought this, a voice sounded from the woods again.

"You two again?"

It was the same voice, which didn't sound human at all.

The villagers, who were rushing along with their heads down, were startled.

Fortunately, the Daoists were by their side, so they exchanged glances but did not flee in panic.

"Who's speaking?"

Someone couldn't help but ask in a low voice.

"Senior, we meet by fate."

Lin Jue cupped his hands in greeting towards the source of the voice.

"You've changed locations today and we meet again. Is it perhaps fate?" the voice said.

"Where is Senior located?"

"Why bother with where I am?"

"..."

"I heard you talking and wanted to give you a reminder. Listening to you, you seem to be heading down the mountain to eliminate demons. Ancient texts record that places where streams dry up, with numerous graves, and where foxes and insects gather, are where Death Qi hides. The place you mentioned is likely also such a place where Death Qi hides. If that's truly the case, it will be very similar to Yin Qi and Ghost Qi, yet different. You must be extra careful."

"Thank you, Senior," Lin Jue replied without fear. "May I ask Senior's esteemed surname and given name?"

There was no further sound from the other side.

After waiting for a while, no one spoke.

"..."

Lin Jue could only bow slightly, considering it a thank you for the reminder.

Then, they continued down the mountain.

He gradually understood why a few middle-aged villagers had come to invite them.

The journey was long. If it were young people, they would likely get lost due to lack of experience. If it were elderly people, they would be too weak to travel such a distance. These middle-aged villagers were probably the few chosen by the village who possessed both strength and recognized "skill," which allowed them to make inquiries along the way.

And indeed, as they had said, it would take two days.

The second night of the descent--

When they were still more than ten li from the village, the sky was about to turn dark. Although there was a path that skirted around the two grave mounds at the entrance and exit of the village, the villagers, despite being strong men, still felt a bit uneasy and kept looking back at Lin Jue.

"Let's go, don't be afraid."

They were here to dispel these Yin Qi remnant souls anyway. They were bound to encounter them. Picking another time would be unnecessary and might even dampen their courage.

It was better to just pass through. If they encountered them, so be it.

Lin Jue had already begun learning Fire Element Magic with Second Senior Brother. Although he hadn't fully mastered it, it had directly elevated his Fire-Repelling Technique from "intermediate" to "advanced." Now, when he breathed fire, he no longer needed to absorb fire from existing flames and store it; the fire Qi was generated internally. This not only made it much more convenient but also prevented him from running out of fire Qi after just a few breaths.

With this skill, if he encountered that dog demon on the road again, even if it didn't back down, Lin Jue would have much more confidence in fighting and defeating it.

Furthermore, he had also begun practicing the Yin Yang Spiritual Law. The spiritual power within him was naturally divided into Yin and Yang, giving him strong resistance to the Yin Qi exhaled by ghosts and their harmful methods. His internal Yang Qi, in turn, suppressed Yin Qi and ghosts.

Naturally, he felt much more at ease.

As for the spirits and monsters' words on the road, they might have been referring to Death Qi. However, the difference between Death Qi and Yin Qi/Ghost Qi wasn't that significant. Coupled with Third Senior Brother being by his side, there was truly nothing to fear.

As they walked further, the sky completely darkened.

A crescent moon hung in the sky.

Where there was a moon, there was light, and with light, they could see the path. However, the villagers still couldn't see clearly and felt scared, so they made two torches and lit them, walking at the front and back of the group.

The torchlight illuminated the country path.

There were often pine and cypress trees by the roadside, their branches and leaves so dense that neither firelight nor moonlight could penetrate, leaving them pitch black. The occasional patches of grass looked like people at first glance, and with many grave mounds, it was inevitable that they would feel uneasy.

Lin Jue couldn't help but look at Junior Sister beside him.

Although this young girl had begun cultivating, she had only just managed to draw Spiritual Charm into her body. She knew no magic. She couldn't even expel the Yin and Yang Qi from her body; her senior brothers had only taught her that after dinner last night. Naturally, she was a little scared now, but her fear wasn't evident. She merely wore a serious expression, her eyes fixed on the road, walking without looking aside.

Just then, a voice suddenly sounded.

"Ying wu?"

On a night filled with only the sound of footsteps and a burning torch, the voice was exceptionally clear.

However, it didn't come from the roadside, the surroundings, or anywhere else, but from within the group.

It was the little fox, walking ahead of Lin Jue.

Even Lin Jue was a little surprised.

Because this fox was truly well-behaved; except for the first few days when it couldn't find him, it never made random noises. Later, perhaps because it could always find Lin Jue wherever he was, or perhaps because it had grown a bit and become more confident, no longer as weak and helpless as before, it rarely cried out.

At this moment, not only did it cry out, but it also stopped and tilted its head, looking ahead.

The villager holding the torch ahead took a few more steps forward.

It was these few steps that pushed the torchlight forward, illuminating a large tree that had suddenly appeared on the road.

"This..."

The villager quickly stopped, his face filled with fear.

This was because the large tree had grown right in the middle of the road.

How wide were country paths? They were only wide enough for one person to walk. If people came from both directions, they would have to move aside to let each other pass. But this tree was as thick as a person, growing right in the middle of the road. How was this possible?

What kind of road would be built like this?

Who would walk like this?

Everyone looked towards Lin Jue and Third Senior Brother.

"A tree growing halfway, there must be something strange. However, it hasn't done anything to us. Perhaps it thought no one would be around at night and happened to be here, or it was cultivating here and didn't have time to leave. We'll just go around it," Lin Jue said after thinking for a moment.

He also lowered his head, met the gaze of the little fox looking back at him, and nodded, acknowledging it.

This little thing's eyes were indeed better than human eyes.

So, everyone walked around it.

On such country paths, there were fields on the sides. Where there were fields, there were small paths, and it was easy to go around.

However, after taking only two steps, the little fox cried out again.

"Ying wu~"

The sound was very light and soft; the night was truly too quiet.

The group took two more steps forward, and by the light of the torch, they saw another giant rock on the small path ahead.

"!"

The villager at the very front was startled again, already feeling a bit of fear.

Seeing this, Lin Jue quickly walked forward.

He lowered his head to look—

He saw that the stone was about ten feet tall and five feet wide, weighing who knows how many pounds. Yet, it was placed on a field path that was only a little over a foot wide, with both sides suspended in the air, but it hadn't crushed the path.

It was clearly abnormal.

And he understood now. The little fox's eyes were probably not just better than theirs; it truly possessed some sort of peculiarity.

Naturally, this was a conclusion the senior brothers in the mountains had already reached.