Deep Into the Marrow

When Lu Bai and Incense Master Shi arrived at Lord Bai the Fourteenth's residence, the courtyard was still empty, with only an old woman leaning on a cane standing in the center of the hall.

This is not surprising.

After all, most of the Incense Officer under Lord Bai the Fourteenth's command were stationed at the Mourning Hall outside the city. Including Lu Bai, it was already quite good that they could gather three Incense Officer.

Lord Bai the Fourteenth could clearly sense how many Incense Officer were in the county town. When Lu Bai and Incense Master Shi arrived, he did not wait any longer and directly revealed his true form from the portrait.

Its round face looked quite ugly at that moment. "I hope the three of you will head to Liu Family Village immediately."

Upon hearing the words "Liu Family Village," Lu Bai's eyes narrowed slightly.

"What happened?" Incense Master Shi asked, frowning.

"Tao Gui's life force has become very weak."

Lord Bai the Fourteenth turned his head slightly, as if he could see the scene of Liu Family Village through the journey of half a day. "There were no signs before the incident, and Tao Gui did not send me any information."

To be honest, this trip will be very dangerous. If you don't want to go, I won't force you."

Lu Bai asked, "Was Grandpa Tao in Liu Family Village when this happened?"

Having received an affirmative reply from Lord Bai the Fourteenth, Lu Bai rubbed his face to make sure he wouldn't unconsciously laugh.

He nodded calmly and said succinctly, "I will go."

"Though my strength has waned, I haven't forgotten my duty as the Incense Officer." The old woman, her face full of wrinkles, remained expressionless.

Seeing that both colleagues had expressed their willingness to go, Incense Master Shi said helplessly, "Alright, I'll go with you then."

Seeing the three's stance, Lord Bai the Fourteenth's expression softened slightly. "I will keep a close eye on your situation. If you encounter any difficult circumstances, don't hesitate to Top Incense me anytime."

It paused, then added, "Xiao Lü, you've been to Liu Family Village before, so you'll be in charge of this trip."

Ultimately, it was Lord Bai the Fourteenth's order, so Incense Master Shi and the old woman, even if they had objections, wouldn't show it and both nodded in agreement.

At Lu Bai's insistence, Incense Master Shi also brought along his two deathmatch apprentices.

After leaving the county town, the group of five hurried along and finally managed to emerge from the forest before nightfall.

That's quite fast, to be honest.

After all, there was an elderly woman with a cane in the group.

Once out of the woods, it was only a few kilometers away from Liu Family Village.

Returning to the same place, Lu Bai felt little emotion.

Looking into the distance, you can see the night covering the earth, with a hazy mist enveloping the distant villages. The mist rises and falls with the wind, giving the villages a sense of movement.

Seeing that it was getting late, Incense Master Shi tentatively asked, "How about we go to the Mourning Hall to rest for the night?"

Even though there were three incense burners in their group, they still needed to maintain a sense of awe in the face of darkness.

Not to mention they were well aware that the village was haunted.

"I'm afraid Grandpa Tao won't be able to hold on for that long."

Lu Bai took an incense stick from Incense Master Shi's bundle and lit it. "I'll go check on you. If you're going back to the Mourning Hall, be careful on the way."

"This old woman is practically half-buried in the ground; it's unreasonable for her to be afraid of death."

After saying this, the old woman took the lead and walked towards Liu Family Village.

Incense Master Shi shrugged. "Let's go together then."

The closer you get to Liu Family Village, the lower the temperature seems to get, so cold that it gives you goosebumps on your arms.

As a chilling wind blew, one could faintly hear eerie sobs and murmurs carried on the breeze.

The two apprentices, A Niu A Ma, were pale-faced and followed behind the three, their bodies trembling slightly uncontrollably.

This is partly due to the dense yin energy, and partly due to Lu Bai.

They strongly suspected that Lu Bai's insistence on taking the risk late at night was a ploy to find an opportunity to kill the two brothers.

Tonight, the sky is overcast, the moonlight is faint, and visibility is low.

Not long after Incense Master Shi left, he took out two torches from his bundle and lit them with a tinderbox.

The sudden burst of light and heat could not dispel the pervasive chill in the air.

He held up one torch and handed the other to Lu Bai.

He whispered, "To be honest, I've never encountered such exaggerated Yin energy before. It's probably at least a malevolent spirit with the Ankan Daoist cultivation."

The old woman walking at the front didn't even bother to turn her head when she heard this.

"No matter how powerful one is, if they dare to cause trouble recklessly, they will not be spared."

They hurried along and soon arrived at the village entrance.

Unlike the mournful cries carried on the wind, the village itself was actually quite quiet.

The barking of dogs and the chirping of insects all disappeared; there was no trace of life.

They arrived with torches, but the hundred or so households in the village still did not respond.

The house was pitch black, like a wild beast ready to devour anyone who dared to step into its territory.

Within the vegetable patch enclosed by a wooden fence, shadowy figures could be seen crawling about, creating an eerie and unsettling atmosphere that sent chills down one's spine.

"It looks like the entire Liu Family Village has suffered a terrible fate."

Incense Master Shi's face was tense, and the arm holding the torch became somewhat stiff.

"Prepare to Top Incense to treat the illness."

Lu Bai gave a reminder, then stepped into the village.

The next second, he felt as if he were in an ice cave, the eerie chill seemingly seeping into his very bones.

The incense and torch in their hands went out at the same time.

It's as if there's an invisible boundary; once you step into the village, you'll face an indescribable fear.

Sensing this change, Lu Bai immediately raised his hand and pressed it back, signaling Incense Master Shi and the others not to come in.

However, the others seemed not to have seen his gesture and followed him in one after another.

"Hiss..." The indiscriminate chill made Incense Master Shi instinctively gasp.

A Niu couldn't help but shiver. "It's so cold."

If it weren't for the concern for Lu Bai, the two brothers would probably have already turned around and run away.

Lu Bai frowned slightly. Judging from Incense Master Shi and the others' behavior, there was likely still distortion of vision both inside and outside the village.

There's no point in complaining now that things have come to this.

He cautiously surveyed his surroundings.

While it's unclear exactly what caused this, something capable of covering such a vast area is certainly not something to be trifled with.

The old woman made a quick decision, lit an incense stick, and prepared to enter a state of spiritual Commune with Spirits.

She could easily tell that this was not an evil spirit she could handle, so she quickly called for Lord Bai the Fourteenth to fight this unknown evil spirit.

Unfortunately,

The Commune with Spirits was unsuccessful.

To be precise, once inside the village, the incense simply wouldn't burn due to the bone-chilling cold.

"Retreat!"

"I've only been offering incense for a few days; I'm not an expert in exorcising evil spirits."

Lu Bai flicked the half-burnt incense stick in his hand. "However, I don't think this person will let us leave easily."

As if to confirm what he said, the old woman stopped panting, turned around, and was shocked to find that she had been spinning in circles.