Yin Shou Shu

Chapter 273 Can’t Die

Ran Qing keenly sensed that she seemed to be getting closer and closer to some dark truth.

The events of ten years ago, including the present-day Moonlit City, seem to be more complex than simply a gathering of unorthodox cultivators seeking the Ghost King's Coffin.

Beneath the surface of the search for the Ghost King's Coffin, another group of people are hiding.

Is Ran Jianfei in cahoots with these people?

If we follow this line of reasoning, then what Ran Jianfei told him before was likely all lies to deceive him and could not be trusted.

While pondering, the three of them returned to the vicinity of the village with the paper figure and the unconscious Xiao Huangxin.

However, they did not enter the village, but instead found a sheltered and dry place to rest.

The village has a red gate that's wide open; going back now would be tantamount to courting death.

The three men stayed outside the village until dawn broke and the sky turned a pale white before carrying the unconscious Xiao Huangxin into the village.

At dawn, the village was deathly silent.

The noise the three made when they returned startled the dogs in the village, and they started barking incessantly.

But the village dogs were already familiar with Ran Qing's scent. As soon as Ran Qing got a little closer, those barking dogs would smell who it was and immediately tuck their tails between their legs and hide.

Ran Qing and Long Zongshu carried the unconscious Xiao Huangxin through the village without any hindrance and arrived at the gate of Xiao Huangxin's house.

Ran Qing dismantled the two paper figures before dawn, dispelled the wandering spirits within them, set the paper figures ablaze, and buried the ashes.

Now, the two of them carried the unconscious Xiao Huangxin to the door of the tile-roofed house, and Mo Li went to knock on the door.

At the entrance of Xiao Huang's new tiled house, a trembling yellow dog huddled in a corner, looking at Ran Qing in fear.

The chickens in the coop by the door were all silent.

Only the living people inside the house were slow to notice Ran Qing's abnormality. After knocking for a while, the people inside came out.

When Xiao Huangxin's parents saw their unconscious son, they were first stunned, then both surprised and delighted.

They hurriedly carried their son into the house, and the door on the right side of the tiled house was opened. Xiao Huangxin's uncle and aunt curiously peered out from behind the door.

In the main room where the ancestral tablets of Heaven, Earth, Ruler, Parents, and Teacher are enshrined, Xiao Huangxin's grandmother was awakened by the noise and got up to check the situation.

"...We went to the mountains to collect stone clams, and on the way back we saw him sleeping in the woods. We couldn't wake him up no matter how we shook him. He might be possessed by a ghost."

Ran Qing made up some nonsense and produced a pre-prepared lie.

People in the mountains go to sleep after dark, as it was inconvenient to go out in the days before electric lights.

But energetic young people who can't sleep sometimes go into the mountains at night to collect stone clams. The plump and delicious meat of the stone clam frog is a rare delicacy in the deep mountains of Zangke.

Ran Qing's excuse was flawless, and Xiao Huangxin's father and grandmother were extremely grateful. His mother even cried while thanking him.

The couple was in immense agony because their son had suddenly disappeared for many days and they couldn't find him no matter how hard they searched.

Now the son has finally been brought back, and under Long Zongshu's guidance, Xiao Huangxin's mother scraped some soot from under the stove, added a few slices of ginger, boiled some water, cooled it down, and gave it to the unconscious Xiao Huangxin.

Xiao Huangxin, who was originally unconscious, quickly opened his eyes and woke up.

When I woke up, I felt weak and powerless, and I had no memory of where I had been in the past few days.

Long Zongshu then carefully gave a few more instructions, explaining what to avoid in the next few days and what to eat and drink to help with recovery.

—As members of the exorcism clan, we know best how to recover from the weakness caused by being drained by mountain demons.

Inside the house, Xiao Huangxin's mother was both crying and laughing, holding Ran Qing's hand and thanking her profusely, insisting that Ran Qing and the others stay for breakfast. But Ran Qing was really overwhelmed by this scene. Although she was indeed very hungry, she quickly refused and led Mo Li and the others away.

Ran Qing finally breathed a sigh of relief after returning to her old house.

"Are we going back to Yue Zhao soon?"

Inside the old house, Mo Li, who was eating, asked a question.

The ghost has been caught; there seems to be no need for it to remain.

Ran Qing shook her head and said, "Let's rest first. Zong Shu must be tired after a long night. Get some sleep and we'll go back to Yue Zhao this afternoon."

I've been busy these past few days, climbing mountains and digging graves, and I was also greatly frightened last night, so I haven't had a good rest at all.

Ran Qing and Mo Li could hold on, but Long Zongshu, with his ordinary physique, was clearly about to give out.

After quickly shoveling down a few mouthfuls of rice, Long Zongshu collapsed into bed and soon began snoring loudly in the room.

Ran Qing and Mo Li sat under the yellow fruit tree at the door, watching the morning light spill over the mountains and feeling the gentle mountain breeze.

Mo Li asked, "How do you plan to investigate Uncle Ran's matter?"

Ran Qing thought for a moment and said, "Go find Xiong Dacheng. This ghost-raising man killed Tao Zhenyong and turned him into a tree ghost. Perhaps Xiong Dacheng is also part of the ghost-raising gang."

Ran Jianfei may not necessarily be a member of the ghost-raising gang, but Xiong Dacheng is clearly one of them.

Mo Li blinked and asked, "Do you know where Xiong Dacheng is...?"

Ran Qing said, "Moonlight City is such a small place, it's easy to find someone."

"Moreover, Xiong Dacheng's accent from another region makes him even easier to find."

Old Sheepskin has excellent connections in Yue Zhao; you can leave finding people to him.

Xiong Dacheng's physical characteristics are too distinctive; finding someone like him wouldn't be difficult.

During the conversation, a sickly and weak figure appeared at the intersection not far away.

Liu Fang, the corpse-driving Taoist priest with a bandage wrapped around his head and a pale face, appeared like a walking corpse.

He walked weakly to Ran Qing and the other person, and said in a hoarse voice, "Water...is there any water to drink?"

As he spoke, the Corpse-Driving Taoist plopped down under the Yellow Fruit Tree, leaning against the trunk as if he were utterly exhausted.

Ran Qing looked at him with surprise and curiosity: "Master Liu, are you alright?"

Last night at the Stone Temple, the Taoist priest was still threatening the evil spirits with great vigor. After coming out, he prayed to the moon all night. Logically, he should be in even better condition.

Why does it look even worse now, like it's about to stop breathing?
Ran Qing looked surprised.

The sickly corpse-driving Taoist took the water ladle handed to him by Mo Li, and said while drinking, "It's alright, I won't die... This is the skill of this Taoist master."

"The zombies I chased were destroyed by the old fox and Tao Zhenyong. They were connected by blood and spirit, and I, the Taoist priest, also suffered great damage."

"Fortunately, Master Dao has a deep foundation, this minor injury won't kill me, cough cough cough..."

The old Taoist priest was still boasting, but before he could finish speaking, he suddenly coughed violently, choking on half of the water he had just drunk, soaking his Taoist robe.

Ran Qing sighed and asked, "Daoist Master, is there something you need from me?"

The fact that the old Taoist priest actually came to visit was somewhat unexpected for Ran Qing.

(End of this chapter)