No taboos

Chapter 561 The Ancestral Hall of the Six Clans (8,000 words)
Xu Huanyang has already left Champa.

After joking around with his son and the legendary master Chan Jinye, he suddenly felt a bit more alive again, as if most of his "humanity" had been extinguished on the road to the underworld.

So the corners of his mouth twitched slightly, revealing a smile, as if he were muttering to himself:

"The victim is coming..."

……

Xu Yuan uttered those "treasonous" words again, but there was no response from the void.

Xu Yuan frowned. Had his father really just left like that?
They neither showed up nor left a message.

Why did he suddenly turn back from the road to the underworld, startling me?
Those eight paper beauties were a "secret code" known only to fathers and sons...

After pondering for a moment, Xu Yuan murmured, "I need to go home."

Last time I went back with Zhao Beichen, I only saw Uncle Mao.

The stepmother, Aunt Wang, and Uncle Shen were all away.

Xu Yuan wanted to ask about the preparations in Ghost Mountain, but he couldn't find anyone.

Xu Yuan felt increasingly nervous and uneasy about his father's unexpected appearance.

So the next morning, Xu Yuan made some arrangements for the affairs in Zhancheng and then secretly returned to Shanhe County alone.

This time it was for a private matter, and Xu Yuan didn't want too many people to know, so he didn't bring anyone with him.

When they left Champa and were almost at Shanhe County, Xu Yuan's "seeking good fortune amidst misfortune" suddenly flickered.

Xu Yuan looked around: Could it be that someone is plotting against me again?

A follower of the Repentance School?

All around was quiet, and there wasn't a single pedestrian in sight. Xu Yuan stopped thinking about it and urged the carriage to head towards the county town.

Xu Yuan wanted to keep a low profile and switch to two ordinary draft horses. But "Dream Come True" wouldn't allow it.

Xu Yuan rubbed the car door to soothe it.

"Dreams Come True" swayed the carriage, emitting melodious tunes, as if it were flirting with the old man.

Finally, the master couldn't stand it anymore and let it take the two pet craftsmen's horses with it.

However, "Dreams Come True" knows how to keep to himself and will not become arrogant because of his favor.

Therefore, they used illusion magic along the way to disguise the two magnificent and tall craftsmen's horses as two nags.

The carriage sped along the road, quickly reaching the city gate before slowing down and entering the city like an ordinary carriage.

Unexpectedly, just as they reached the city gate, a white shadow suddenly fell from the sky.

It caught everyone off guard and slammed onto the roof of the car with a loud thud.

A flock of geese flew gracefully in a long line across the sky.

They were stunned when their "dream came true".

Dafu sat on the roof of the car, laughing triumphantly.

This time, it finally felt that its "strength had greatly improved." With the help of the goose sisters, it had a sharp "eye" and seized the opportunity, making "Dream Come True" suffer a great "bitterness."

Xu Yuantou was as big as a bucket...

Sure enough, when her "dream came true," she immediately lost her temper!

The roof of the car collapsed, transforming into a deep, dark vortex, its destination unknown. From within it, hundreds of black, dead hands reached out, trying to grab Dafu and pull it down.

Dafu seemed scared too, squawking and flapping its wings frantically as it fled toward the rice trough.

But this time, "Dream Come True" was clearly going all out. A powerful force in the vortex grabbed Dafu, and those dark arms grew longer, grabbing Dafu's feet and feathers together.

"Quack quack quack—" Dafu's silly goose eyes were filled with panic as he kept looking towards the rice trough for help.

Xu Yuan shook his head angrily: "Who told you to provoke it for no reason?"

Although he reprimanded her, Xu Yuan couldn't really ignore it.

Putting everything else aside, the moment the "dream come true" occurred, the entire area around the city gate was plunged into a gloomy atmosphere.

The intense contamination spread outwards like ripples on water.

Xu Yuan pressed the "Dream Come True" button.

"Never mind, we're all family, don't take it personally."

Inside the "Dreams Come True" carriage, resounding music filled the air.

They indicated that they would not let this fool off easily.

Sir, please don't try to persuade me any further!
While Dafu was talking to Fanzhezi about his "dream come true," he suddenly jerked forward—

A faint shadow of itself remained in the original spot.

All the means to "make dreams come true" are contained in this illusory image.

Dafu's true form escaped.

The dead hands grabbed hard, shattering the phantom, leaving only a snow-white goose feather that drifted down and disappeared into the vortex abyss.

Even after having a feather plucked, Dafu remained smug, standing at a distance with its wings spread wide, cawing smugly at "Dreams Come True."

Enraged that his "dream had come true," the wheels spun wildly, ready to crash into it and kill it.

Xu Yuan stepped between the two and gave Dafu a light kick: "That's enough!"

Dafu protested with loud "quack quack quack": Why did you kick me?

It took Xu Yuan a lot of effort to persuade the two guys to calm down.

Although "Dreams Come True" was riding on someone's head, it also plucked a feather from Daifuku's head.

They're evenly matched; neither of them really gained an advantage.

But Xu Yuan was secretly surprised: When did Da Fu acquire this "golden cicada shedding its shell" ability?

It's not just about shedding one's skin.

Dafu had launched surprise attacks on "Dreams Come True" before, but had never succeeded. This time, however, he succeeded.

Xu Yuan felt that Da Fu's strength had significantly improved after consuming those flesh and blood.

But thinking about it... Dafu had eaten a lot of random things before.

It's unclear whether the effect was due to the "victim's" physical and emotional impact, or the culmination of years of hard work.

After subduing the two men, Xu Yuan hurriedly went to check on the four guards at the city gate.

The guards at the city gate were soldiers from the county government.

It's different from the "military households" of the Ming Dynasty.

They were recruited by the county government and were essentially yamen runners.

Most of them were relatives of the old officials in the county government.

They don't practice regularly and have no special skills.

Their duties included guarding the city gates and collecting poll taxes and commercial taxes.

There's a good amount of profit to be made.

But today they have suffered misfortune.

Once the "dream come true" takes effect, the surrounding infection increases significantly.

Xu Yuan watched as the four men's faces darkened, and a layer of emerald green appeared in their eyes. One of them had hair that was writhing like a threadworm in water.

When Xu Yuan came to rescue him, the guy had already lost his mind and roared at Xu Yuan without any sense of decency.

Xu Yuan used the "No Taboos" technique to condense four life techniques, which he then applied to them one by one.

The infection then immediately subsided.

In this era, even ordinary people are more or less infected by these influences.

With Xu Yuan's life-saving technique, even the old stains on their bodies were removed.

The four of them immediately felt their minds were clearer than ever before, and their bodies felt more relaxed than ever before.

However, the one who had just lost his mind suddenly felt that he was different.

But I can't quite put my finger on what's different.

The iron knife, which usually felt very heavy when hanging on his waist, now felt as easy to lift as a piece of firewood.

His face changed, and with a mournful expression, he knelt on the ground with a thud, repeatedly kowtowing to Xu Yuan: "Lord Xu, save me! I'm afraid I've been tricked..."

Xu Yuan asked in surprise, "You know me?"

"Yes, I know. The county magistrate specially commissioned someone to paint your portrait, which is hung in the county government office so that everyone in the office can remember your appearance."

"As soon as you return to your hometown, Simen must report to him immediately."

The county magistrate was the former county lieutenant.

After the original county magistrate and other officials all perished in the calamity of supporting King Dong, the county lieutenant took over the position of county magistrate.

Xu Yuan nodded and said, "Get up. You won't do anything strange."

But the man remained kneeling on the ground, still terrified: "But...but my strength has increased a lot..."

He knelt on the ground and slammed his fist into it.

The ground at the city gate was paved with bluestone slabs.

With his punch, the bluestone slab shattered with a crack.

Xu Yuan then glanced at the four people with his gaze.

Of course, there was absolutely no possibility of anything unusual happening, since Xu Yuan had just used "life techniques" to purify the four people.

But the guy kneeling on the ground is definitely in a different "fate".

It has changed from white to cyan.

And it looks like he's almost "getting the hang of it".

Xu Yuan nodded secretly: He's a promising martial arts practitioner.

This kid has actually turned misfortune into a blessing in disguise.

And this "opportunity" of his was naturally due to himself.

Whether Xu Yuan is aware of it or not, his current status and strength will easily influence those around him.

Liu Hu was transformed from an ordinary cook into a cultivator after meeting a "benefactor".

The person in front of us will have his future destiny completely changed because he met a benefactor like Xu Yuan.

"Are you alright?" Xu Yuan asked. "Tell me your name and family background."

"My name is Han Pu. I live in Hanjia Lane, North Second Street. I have parents and a younger brother at home."

Xu Yuan nodded: "Get up. You're alright. Do your job well."

Xu Yuan did not immediately recruit people into the Exorcism Division.

Lord Xu doesn't just recruit just anyone.

The main reason is that the clerks in the county government are of varying quality, so we need to investigate their backgrounds first.

If someone is of questionable character, then they are naturally unacceptable.

If there are no problems, then hand the person over to Lang Xiaoba.

He can choose to take on apprentices or keep them as subordinates, it's up to him.

There aren't many cultivators like Han Pu who entered the path of cultivation through infection, which saves Lang Xiaoba the trouble of guiding him into the field.

Xu Yuan waved, got into the car, and drove away.

……

The victim had "five classes and seven trades" under his command.

Old Bu's troupe was one of the "Five Troupes".

In addition, there are also music and percussion troupes, construction troupes, opera troupes, and banquet troupes.

The strength of each team is roughly equal.

"Seven lines" refers to seven people.

In the early years, the aggrieved party selected seven people from seven very arduous folk practices and taught them the Dharma.

Now, two of the seven are already at a third-rate level.

The missing eye infuriated the aggrieved party.

He couldn't remember how many years it had been since he had suffered like this.

His large ship sailed down the river, and all his men followed the ship into southern Jiaozhi.

Upon arriving at this place, the aggrieved man looked around and a hint of joy appeared on his gloomy face.

"What a wonderful place!" the aggrieved party exclaimed sincerely.

Compared to Zhengzhou, southern Jiaozhi was far poorer and more backward.

The land annexation in Zhengzhou has reached a very dangerous level.

Although the people lost their land, they could still go to the city to work.

The Ming Dynasty's army expanded its territory, with land caravans heading west and north, and sea fleets venturing as far as Anelia and Gansila.

Huangming's goods were sold everywhere.

Although the people were worried about their future, they were still able to survive.

The situation was different in Jiaozhi, which had only been conquered a century earlier.

The smoke of war from a century ago has dissipated, but the pain it left behind has not been completely healed.

Furthermore, the shift of grain cultivation from Zhengzhou to Jiaozhi led to even more severe exploitation of Jiaozhi tenant farmers than in Zhengzhou.

This has led to the creation of even more new "suffering".

So the victim looked around and saw this place as his own paradise.

"I never expected that my unintentional trip to Jiaozhi would yield such a rewarding result."

The aggrieved party turned and went back to the cabin, issuing an order: "Summon all five shifts and seven lines to see me."

Half a day later, all of his subordinates appeared in the aggrieved man's luxurious and spacious cabin.

Old Bu and his troupe are dead, but there are still many acrobatic troupes under Old Bu waiting to take their place.

The newly appointed foreman was surnamed Yu, a middle-aged woman in her thirties, whom everyone called "Yu Dahua".

A map of Jiaozhi (Vietnam) was hanging in the cabin.

Once everyone had arrived, the aggrieved man stood up and went to the map, pointing to a spot on it: "I've made up my mind, I'm going to build a temple here!"

The place he was pointing to was Champa.

Everyone was shocked, then overjoyed.

They then knelt down with a thud and kowtowed repeatedly, saying, "Congratulations, Your Majesty! Congratulations, Your Majesty!"

After they called out three times, the aggrieved party waved his hand and said, "Everyone knows what to do."

"Next are your individual tasks..."

The aggrieved party then assigned the tasks one by one.

Finally, there was Yu Dahua.

After everyone left, the aggrieved party stopped Yu Dahua: "Your strength is still lacking. Call everyone over, and I will grant your request."

Yu Dahua's face lit up with ecstatic joy, and he kowtowed repeatedly, saying, "Your Majesty's kindness is higher than the heavens!"

But when Yu Dahua came out of the cabin to call the others in the crew, a complex expression of mixed joy and worry appeared on her face.

With Lao Bu and his men holding the line, Yu Dahua and her brothers, even though they were skilled and had made enough contributions, just couldn't get promoted.

Now the opportunity has come, but the old master is helping people improve their skills... the process is incredibly painful.

Over the next few hours, various piercing cries, screams, and groans echoed continuously from the old master's cabin...

Afterwards, Yu Dahua and the others were exhausted and listless.

The old master, however, was in high spirits.

He knew that his greatest enemy in establishing a temple in Champa was Xu Yuan.

Xu Yuan's past "achievements" are verifiable, and he was indeed formidable.

They are not an easy opponent to defeat.

But the victims are not worried.

He didn't expect his "five classes and seven lines" to be able to solve Xu Yuan's problem.

He didn't hold out much hope for those two third-rate individuals among the seven ranks. Although there was no clear evidence, it could be inferred from some clues that Xu Yuan had been defeated by third-rate individuals before.

Moreover, the victim also knew that his subordinates were of inferior quality.

The temple masters of the Chan sect are better than ordinary second-rate ones.

However, his followers are weaker than cultivators of the same level.

This is also due to the system of repentance.

But he chose Champa, and once the temple was erected, it would become a "major trend".

Xu Yuan, unable to support the entire temple alone, was destined to become a sacrificial spirit beneath the foundation of his own temple.

The victim took out a "harmonious wheel" in preparation for contacting the Grand Master.

Building a temple was not something he did alone.

The success of establishing temples for the secular gods of the Repentance Sect was always achieved by mobilizing the entire sect to restrain the Ming Dynasty's three secret police departments and divert the attention of the supervising officials.

This requires the support of the Grand Master.

It is also a time to test the temple owner's "connections".

The victim had extremely bad luck with the "drawing slips" all these years, but in fact, he deliberately wanted to draw them.

These repeated issuance of official documents to handle errands for the church naturally accumulated a lot of goodwill.

People will only truly put in the effort and work when there are personal connections involved and when help is needed.

……

For the Chan sect, "establishing temples" is already a familiar task.

The temple foundation must contain "seven treasures in gold" and human sacrifices must be offered.

The temple for the aggrieved party, "Jinhan Qibao," was already prepared; what was lacking now was a "human sacrifice."

Since the secular divine right of the aggrieved party is "suffering," the number of these "human sacrifices" cannot be reduced.

Yu Dahua led her troupe of acrobats straight to Shanhe County.

Around mid-morning, Xu Yuan was entering the city from the west gate when, at roughly the same time, Yu Dahua's entourage entered from the north gate.

Upon entering the county town, they first sought lodging. The main street in front of the inn was the stone-paved street, the only way to reach Hegong Lane.

They had barely entered the inn when a carriage, pulled by two dwarf horses, slowly passed by.

A large white goose followed far behind the carriage.

But the pedestrians on the road ignored the goose.

The troupe hadn't eaten anything when they set off in the morning. They had a quick bite at the inn and then arrived at a busy intersection in the county town, where they started their performance by striking a gong.

……

This time, Dafu kept a distance and followed behind—it felt that the carriage would definitely hold a grudge, and if it got the chance, it probably wouldn't let it off easily.

Dafu wasn't sure if "Dreams Come True" would work like that, but if it were him, it definitely would.

So we need to be careful.

Xu Yuan returned to Hegong Lane without incident.

Aunt Wang's folding basket shop was still closed.

But as soon as Xu Yuan entered the alley, the back door of Aunt Wang's house opened, and Aunt Wang exclaimed in surprise, "Yuan is back!"

"Auntie," Xu Yuan called out with a smile, "Have Lin Wanmo and Uncle Shen returned?"

Aunt Wang said, "Xiao Mo hasn't come back yet, but your Uncle Shen has."

Xu Yuan then said, "Let's go to Grandpa's house, I have something to say."

Aunt Wang nodded and went with him.

When we passed Uncle Mao's house on the way, we knocked on the door and called Uncle Mao over as well.

Aunt Wang was overjoyed that A Yuan was back. On the way, she said, "Our alley hasn't been this lively in a while. If Xiao Mo were here too, all of us in the mortal world would be reunited."

Grandpa Shen had already heard the noise and opened the door: "Why are you back?"

Aunt Wang was unhappy and glared at Grandpa Shen, saying, "You old fool, this is the child's home, and you're not letting the child come back?"

Grandpa Shen said helplessly, "That's not what I meant..."

Xu Yuan pointed inside the room: "Let's go inside and talk."

Xu Yuan left the carriage outside, and the four of them went into Grandpa Shen's house. After closing the door, Xu Yuan said, "My father is back."

The three were silent for a moment, then Aunt Wang asked first, "So the heartless one came looking for you?"

Xu Yuan found the three people's reaction strange: "You know?"

Grandpa Shen lit a pipe and puffed on it, saying, "We know he has left the road to the underworld."

Aunt Wang had a lot of complaints about Xu Huanyang: "That heartless man didn't even come home to visit."

Xu Yuan: "He didn't show up either. What exactly is my father doing?"

Grandpa Shen shook his head: "We don't know either. Logically speaking... everything that needed to be arranged has already been arranged."

Xu Yuan then asked, "Could I take a look at the arrangements for that matter?"

Xu Yuan had asked what exactly the arrangements were made against Master Ruan Tian.

But Aunt Wang and the others dared not say it.

Because things arranged in the underworld may become ineffective if spoken in the mortal world.

But Xu Yuan felt that he could see for himself.

Xu Yuan continued, "Last time I went to Beidu, I completed a task for the Emperor. The court promised that on the fifteenth of July, a first-rate and a second-rate official would come to assist us."

"Really?" The three of them's eyes lit up.

Xu Yuan nodded: "Indeed, that second-rate one has already arrived, and the first-rate one will definitely be there before the Ghost Festival."

Aunt Wang was very pleased: "Our A-Yuan is really capable, much better than us old folks."

Grandpa Shen puffed on his cigarette again.

The small room was soon filled with smoke, like a cloud of mist.

He lowered his head and thought for a long time before finally nodding: "Okay, I'll take you to see it."

Grandpa Shen tapped his pipe bowl on the side of the bed, and the ashes fell to the ground. He then rolled up the pipe bowl and the tobacco bag.

"You take a rest. We can't get into that place during the day, so we'll set off in the evening."

……

Xu Yuan had just come out of Grandpa Shen's house and unlocked his own door to go back inside when the county magistrate arrived with his men.

"Master Xu!"

Xu Yuan smiled and invited the person inside.

The highest-ranking official that the county magistrate could curry favor with was Xu Yuan.

So they were always very attentive.

Xu Yuan was happy to maintain the relationship, after all, he was the local official.

Xu Yuan hadn't been home for a long time, and there wasn't even a cup of hot water to serve his guests.

But the county magistrate didn't take it to heart and chatted warmly with Xu Yuan.

The implication was clear: although Lord Xu was not present, the official had been secretly arranging for his men to patrol the area along Hegong Lane several times.

He then mentioned that during his time as county magistrate, the county was peaceful and prosperous, and even though there was a flood last month, no one in the villages died.

Xu Yuan then offered a few words of praise.

The county magistrate was beaming, feeling that the trip had been worthwhile.

Xu Yuan took the opportunity to ask about Han Pu.

The magistrate then said, "I know this man. He studied for a few years when he was young, but he has a younger brother. He failed the exam once and stopped studying. He took the initiative to work to support his family."

He was always diligent in the government office, rarely getting involved in those messy affairs, but he was a bit timid.

Xu Yuan understood, nodded, chatted with the magistrate for a while, and then saw the guest off.

As evening approached, Xu Yuan ate something haphazardly and then went out to meet up with Grandpa Shen and the others.

Old Shen was a bit hunchbacked, with a pipe tucked into his waistband and his hands behind his back. He said to Xu Yuan, "Let's go out of the city and into the mountains."

Xu Yuan nodded without asking where they were going.

He rubbed the car door and consulted with "Dreams Come True": "They are all my elders, please let them ride in the car."

Although she was reluctant to have her "dream come true," she still gave the master the face.

The car door creaked open automatically.

The three of them, including Grandpa Shen, got into the carriage—which was displayed in front of them as a very normal carriage.

But after looking it over, Grandpa Shen smiled and praised, "Not bad."

The carriage passed through an intersection, and before half an incense stick's time had passed, the crowds at the intersection had thinned out.

Seeing that her men were still working hard but no one was paying attention, Yu Dahua said, "That's enough for today."

So the two young men from the acrobatic troupe did seven or eight somersaults, then everyone bowed to each other in a circle, thanked the audience, and packed up to leave.

The carriage crossed the intersection and left the city before the city gates closed.

Grandpa Shen then opened the car door and said to Xu Yuan, "You don't know the way, I'll catch the bus with you."

Xu Yuan sat down next to Grandpa Shen in front of the carriage, without a riding whip in his hand, and said with a smile, "My little Meng'er is smart and well-behaved. You can just give directions, and she will understand."

The praise from the master brought a series of cheerful, silvery bell sounds to the "Dream Come True" carriage, which put everyone in a good mood.

But being praised isn't actually what makes it happiest.

What makes it happiest is that the master affectionately calls it "Little Dream".

Dafu followed behind, squawking twice in disdain.

"Intelligent" may be intelligent, but how can one talk about "well-behaved"?
Fan Zhezi told us to put aside our past grievances and make peace, but this guy knew that I was following behind, so he never closed those two small rear windows properly!

If I, Master Fu, get even a little closer, there's no guarantee that something will crawl out from inside and kidnap me.

Grandpa Shen then directed the way: "Turn left—turn right—the fork in the road in the middle—go up the mountain..."

Shanhe County is also adjacent to Guiwu Mountain, but it is much farther away than Qihetai Town.

The carriage left the city and traveled for a short while before it became completely dark.

The lantern hanging on the side of the carriage lit up automatically.

The two craftsmen's horses in front also lost their illusion, and the two fiery red tassels on their heads turned into two flames, illuminating the road ahead.

Grandpa Shen chuckled and joked, "We're all old bones, it's not convenient for us to take action outside the alley. Tonight, we'll have to rely on you, A-Yuan, to protect us."

Xu Yuan laughed as well: "Are you trying to test my abilities, sir?"

Aunt Wang and her stepmother had some knowledge of Xu Yuan's abilities.

Grandpa Shen had never really seen Xu Yuan make a move.

"That place is something that Master Ruan Tian greatly avoids, and it just so happens to be in the Ghost Witch Mountain, so the road is indeed not safe..."

Just then, a white paper lantern suddenly lit up by the roadside. The light was dim and eerie. An old man carrying the lantern came out with a stern face and called out to the carriage, "Erdan, hurry back with your father."

Xu Yuan looked up and saw the old man staring at Grandpa Shen.

Inside the carriage, Aunt Wang's laughter could be heard.

Grandpa Shen glared angrily into the carriage.

Xu Yuan was puzzled, but upon closer inspection, he noticed that the old man bore a striking resemblance to Grandpa Shen!

Xu Yuan suddenly realized: "This is... your father, sir?"

Grandpa Shen said angrily, "It was Master Ruan who instructed this evil spirit to transform into my father's appearance!"
What are you standing there for? Burn it!

Xu Yuan responded and breathed out a mouthful of fire. The evil spirit let out a scream and instantly turned into a wisp of green smoke.

"Ghost?"

Grandpa Shen gritted his teeth: "Master Ruan always uses these tricks to disgust us!"

If Grandpa Shen wanted to see his father, he could do so anytime—his father's shadow puppet lay in that box.

So whenever they encountered one, they would kill it without hesitation.

But I always felt uncomfortable, after all, I had his father's face on my back.

Moreover, he has the same voice as his father, calling him by his nickname, which always makes people feel a little disoriented.

Grandpa Shen opened the car door: "Wife, it's your turn to give directions."

"I'm not going." Aunt Wang immediately shrank back inside.

"I don't care if you don't come." Grandpa Shen also got into the carriage. Aunt Wang's teasing remark earlier had really annoyed him: "Don't you always dote on the children? How are they supposed to get there without someone to show them the way?"

Aunt Wang looked to Uncle Mao for help, but he lowered his head and pretended not to see her; he didn't want to go out and suffer that ordeal either.

Aunt Wang clicked her tongue twice, then helplessly sat down next to Xu Yuan, turning back to curse into the carriage: "That old man is so heartless!"

Aunt Wang took over giving directions, and soon we passed a very distinctive crooked tree.

Aunt Wang, who was next to Xu Yuan, immediately lowered her head.

Xu Yuan became wary.

The car drove a little further and circled around to the other side of the tree, where a body was found hanging from the tree!
The corpse was cradling a blood-soaked infant in each of its arms!
"Wife, wife..."

"Save, save the child—"

The hanged ghost's tongue lolled out, its voice dry and strained, its body swaying in the wind, its two arms stiffly reaching forward as if to hand over the two infants!
Even though Aunt Wang had refined her entire body into an "elixir," she still couldn't help but tremble.

Xu Yuan roared and soared into the air, unleashing a burst of "fire from his abdomen".

boom!
The fire inside his abdomen exploded, its power far exceeding what it had just experienced.

The old, crooked tree creaked and groaned, its roots twisting as if trying to burrow into the ground and escape.

Xu Yuan had already caught up at lightning speed, and with a palm strike, the sword pellet transformed into countless sword threads, cutting the tree monster into dust that filled the sky!
Xu Yuan had heard his father say that Wang's husband had been hanged by evil spirits in the mountains in the same way.

Aunt Wang and her husband are both from the same alley, and the way they call her "Auntie" comes from her husband's side of the family.

There weren't many marriages between people from the six surnames in the alley, and the two of them were childhood sweethearts with a very good relationship.

Aunt Wang was present when her husband was hanged.

But the mountain was teeming with evil spirits, and they couldn't save him!
Aunt Wang had been pregnant before, twice in total, but each time it was around the Ghost Festival (July 15th of the lunar calendar), requiring everyone in the alley to come out.

She lost both of her children.

This damn evil spirit is really hurting my aunt's heart!

How could we let it get away with this!
This time, Uncle Mao stepped forward and said in a low voice, "Let me take my turn. This time, none of us can escape."

Not long after Uncle Mao sat down next to Xu Yuan, he saw a faint light appear on the hillside to the left.

Two people emerged from the light.

"Fourth son..."

A clear, melodious voice called from the hillside, as gentle as a mother calling her naughty son home for dinner.

Uncle Mao's face was grim, but Xu Yuan didn't wait for the evil spirit to perform again. He soared into the air once more, his figure shooting towards the hillside.

The voice from the hillside suddenly turned ferocious: "Mother is so hungry! Come quickly and feed my mother—"

Among the two figures, the woman suddenly pounced, pinned the man to the ground, and began to tear and chew him up!
Uncle Mao's mother was once poisoned by a sorcery called "Master Ye" in the mountains. His father wanted to save his wife, but he couldn't bear to hurt her. That's how she was bitten to death, bit by bit.

Xu Yuan destroyed the evil spirit, and the carriage continued forward.

Uncle Mao's face seemed frozen as he mechanically directed the direction.

After that, no more evil spirits came to cause trouble.

Having traversed a path Xu Yuan had never taken before, a massive valley appeared ahead.

The valley was larger than the entire Shanhe County town, and the ground was covered with... incense ash.

The night wind was fierce, but it didn't stir up a single speck of dust.

In the center of the valley, amidst the incense ash, stands a magnificent ancestral hall.

It has all the elements: walls, gate towers, screen walls, main hall, side rooms, ancestral hall, etc., but it seems real yet illusory.

It's unclear whether this group of buildings actually stands in the mortal world.

Above the ancestral hall door hangs a plaque with six large characters in gold on a black background:
The Six Surnames Ancestral Hall of Changshui.

(End of this chapter)