The invincible female ghost is a bit love-struck.

Chapter 281 It is a mountain

Lu Yuan immediately sprinkled a handful of salt onto the ninth stone tablet.

As the salt grains fell, the red light suddenly contracted.

However, the character "生" on the stone tablet did not go out. Instead, it rose from the surface of the tablet and turned into a thin red line that shot towards Xu Erxiao's feet.

Xu Erxiao didn't have time to dodge, and the red thread wrapped around his ankle.

Lu Yuan swung his sword to strike.

Just as the blade touched the red line, the young voice from the well suddenly called out, "Lu Yuan!"

Lu Yuan paused.

There was a familiar hint of weariness in that voice.

It wasn't his own voice.

The red thread took the opportunity to wrap around Xu Erxiao.

"Brother Lu!"

Xu Erxiao was dragged forward.

Lu Yuan forcibly regained his composure and severed the red thread with a single stroke.

The red thread broke, and Xu Erxiao rolled to the edge of the stone chamber, leaving a faint red mark on his ankle.

The mark didn't bleed, but it slowly crept upwards like a brand.

"It's a new card," Lu Yuandao said. "It's choosing someone to be the new guard."

Xu Erxiao hurriedly went to wipe it.

"Don't use your hands," Lu Yuan said. "The more you rub, the more likely you are to recognize it."

"Second Little One, listen to me."

"It doesn't give you life, it gives you a way to get ahead."

"Once you agree, you'll have to protect whoever it tells you to protect from then on."

"It tells you whose name you have to use."

Xu Erxiao's face turned pale: "What should we do then?"

"Return it yourself."

How do I get a refund?

"Say it to the well," Lu Yuandao said, "that you're not taking this path to survival."

Xu Erxiao swallowed hard, turned around, and shouted at the collapsed well, "I'm not taking it!"

The red line has not receded.

The voice from the well chuckled softly: "You will die."

Xu Erxiao's body trembled.

Everyone dies.

"You will be forgotten for the rest of your life."

"I have Brother Lu and the others who remember me."

"They will die too."

Xu Erxiao fell silent.

Lu Yuan did not answer for him.

The red line in the stone chamber continued to climb upwards, reaching Xu Erxiao's calves.

Wang Cheng'an was so anxious that he wanted to rush over, but Lu Yuan held him down.

"Don't break it off for him."

"This is his prestigious family."

"If someone else makes the decision for him, the winning tile will be transferred to someone else."

Xu Erxiao looked down at the red marks on his legs and suddenly pulled out the small wooden plaque that had been worn smooth and shiny from his pocket.

Three characters were crookedly carved on the wooden sign.

"Xu Erxiao".

He carved it himself.

It wasn't carved very well, and the last character was crooked to one side, but every knife mark was real.

He pressed the wooden sign against the red mark, his voice trembling but becoming clearer: "My name is Xu Erxiao."

"This name doesn't sound good, but I'll still go to my own place."

"If you want it, take it from me yourself."

"I will neither send nor provide."

"I won't guard the gate for you either."

Finally, he slammed the wooden sign down onto the red line.

The red thread, as if burned, suddenly loosened.

The character "生" (life/birth) fell from the stone tablet and rolled to the edge of the well.

Lu Yuan seized the opportunity and threw out the red cloth strip.

The cloth strip was wrapped around the character "生" (life), knotted in reverse, and pulled down from the edge of the well.

The words struggled frantically within the cloth strip, emitting sounds like the cries of a baby.

Lu Yuan threw it in front of the Soul-Revealing Mirror.

A flash of red light appeared in the mirror.

The character “生” immediately reveals its true form.

That's not a word at all.

It was a heart-shaped object wrapped in countless black lines, inside which was a tiny human face.

Its eyes were closed, but its mouth was moving.

"daughter."

Song Qinghe glanced at it, and her expression suddenly changed.

"It uses the wishes of the living as leverage."

Lu Yuandao said, "It's not a wish, it's fear."

"I'm afraid of death, afraid of loneliness, afraid of being forgotten."

"It takes all these fears and puts them into the character '生' (life), and then uses this character to deceive people."

"9

He raised his knife and plucked the heart-shaped object into the salt fire.

The flames didn't burn it; instead, they forced out the black lines on its outer layer, one by one.

After the black line broke, the small face inside slowly opened its eyes, glanced at everyone, and then turned into a wisp of very faint white smoke, drifting out along the crack in the stone chamber.

The sound of water in the well suddenly stopped.

There was dead silence all around.

The eight characters on the stone tablet simultaneously went dark.

In the end, only the stone tablet with the character "生" (life) remained standing.

However, the original character "生" on the stele has disappeared, leaving only a blank indentation.

The voice in the well is no longer young.

It became low and heavy, as if the entire mountainside was speaking: "You have ruined my mouthpiece."

"It severed my reproductive organ."

"Bury my identity."

"You dare to take my life card?"

Lu Yuan stared at the overturned well.

"So, come down and see me."

"You will regret this."

Suddenly, all the black hair on the edge of the well retracted into the well.

The next moment, the upside-down wellhead suddenly flipped downwards.

The bottom of the well, which was originally pointing upwards, suddenly pressed down towards the stone chamber.

A powerful black wind rushed out of the well, almost extinguishing the oil lamp's flame. A rumbling sound came from the top of the stone chamber, and large pieces of gravel fell.

"retreat!"

Lu Yuan shouted.

Everyone quickly retreated.

The well was suspended in mid-air, with its opening facing the crowd.

The huge gray-white eye in the well reappeared.

This time, his eyes were already half open.

Behind his eyes, there was a person standing in the shadows.

The man wore no black robe or wooden sign to cover his face; he was only dressed in a wet, old cloth garment.

It lowered its head, its hands hung at its sides, and its feet trod on black lines.

When it raised its face, everyone saw its face.

It was a face made up of countless other faces.

The old man, the woman, the child, the stranger, the forest ranger, the accountant—all were piled on its face.

None of the faces had complete eyes; they were just narrow, gray slits.

The face in the very center bore a striking resemblance to Lu Yuan.

Lu Yuan stared at that face without backing down.

"You are the original body?"

Those faces opened their mouths at the same time.

Who I am is not important.

"The important thing is that you've come this far."

"Then I'll call you the Evil God."

"Whatever you call me, I will provide for you."

"An evil god is an evil god," Lu Yuan said. "I didn't give you that name."

"You brought this upon yourself through your own actions."

A faint smile suddenly appeared on that face that resembled Lu Yuan's.

"You think you can hurt me like this?"

"Whether it's possible or not, we'll only know after we try."

Lu Yuan sheathed the dagger and took out the Soul-Revealing Mirror.

The mirror has several cracks.

He looked at himself in the mirror.

The face in the mirror was pale and tired, but his features were still those of himself.

But deep within his shadow, there was a thin black root.

That thing started from the soles of his feet and climbed up to his knees.

Sometime later, the evil god still left a small piece of the embryonic root in his shadow.

"You think that cutting off the outer thread means you've completely severed the problem?"

The voice of the main body in the well resounded: "When you pulled the True Eye Sting out of the ground, you already carried the Root with you."

Lu Yuan was not surprised.

"So you deliberately made me lead the way."

"You'll have to come to me eventually." "Since you're coming, bring a root; only then will you be qualified to enter."

"You planted your roots in my shadow, hoping I would walk out of the mountains for you?"

"That's one way to put it."

Lu Yuan nodded slightly.

"Then you've miscalculated."

"You think people are just objects to be used as shelters?"

"But you forgot, people can also turn things upside down and put them into the fire."

He raised the Soul-Revealing Mirror and aimed it at his own reflection.

The black root immediately became visible in the mirror.

Lu Yuan pressed the black wooden plaque against the back of the mirror, wrapped a red cloth around the handle, and then rubbed salt and cinnabar around the cracks in the mirror.

"Brother Lu!" Wang Cheng'an exclaimed anxiously upon seeing this, "What are you trying to do?"

"Bring the roots out."

"Will drawing him out hurt you?"

"meeting."

Lu Yuan spoke calmly.

"But if it doesn't attract attention, it will always remain hidden in the shadows."

He handed the mirror to Lin Zhaoxuan.

"Wait for the roots to emerge, then protect them."

"Cheng'an, Erxiao, Zhou Heng, hold down the red cloth."

"Qinghe, shine the lamp at my feet."

"And what about you?" Song Qinghe asked.

"I'll pull it out."

He stepped forward and stood in the lamplight.

The firelight illuminated his feet, and the shadow immediately revealed the dark root.

Black Root curled up like a living thing, its roots already burrowing deep into his shadow.

Lu Yuan did not use a knife.

He reached out and pressed down on his own shadow, his five fingers piercing through the darkness of the ground, as if grasping a rope hidden in the water.

The evil god in the well suddenly let out a low roar.

"Let go."

Are you scared?

"That's not yours."

"Since it's not mine, take it back."

Lu Yuan suddenly pulled him out.

Black Root was pulled halfway out of the shadow.

A cold force surged up his arm and into his chest, causing Lu Yuan to sway and blood to seep from the corner of his mouth.

Wang Chengan hurriedly pressed down on the red cloth strip.

"Brother Lu, hang in there!"

Xu Erxiao also used all his strength to tighten the cloth strip.

Zhou Heng pressed the cracked abacus onto the cloth strip, gritting his teeth as he said, "This thing won't be able to get in here again today!"

Lin Zhaoxuan raised the Soul-Illuminating Mirror.

The mirror-like light shone on the black roots, and tiny faces immediately emerged from the root hairs.

Those faces were all crying out, "Let go!"

"This is our path."

"You can't take it."

Lu Yuan remained silent.

He saw it.

Black Root is not only connected to evil gods.

It is also linked to the names of those who have not yet left the place of sustenance.

If you try to pull it out by force, the roots will drag all the names back with it.

The root and the name must be separated first.

Lu Yuan looked down at the red ribbon.

"Second Little One".

"exist!"

"Give me your own wooden sign."

Xu Erxiao was taken aback, then quickly took it down and handed it over.

Lu Yuan placed the wooden plaque engraved with "Xu Erxiao" in the middle of Hei Gen.

"Wang Cheng'an, scatter the old ashes of the abacus on the roots."

Wang Chengan immediately complied.

"Zhou Heng, don't let your guard down."

"Know!"

"Song Qinghe, shine the lamp to the left."

As the oil lamp turned, a gray-white slit was illuminated in the shadow beneath the black root.

Lu Yuan aimed carefully, put two fingers together, and pressed them directly into the crevice.

Black Root struggled violently.

The evil god roared from within the well: "You dare to tear down my name!"

These names are not yours.

Lu Yuan tightened his grip.

"You just tied them up."

95

"They sustained me."

"Give it back now."

He peeled away the tiny faces from the roots, one by one.

With each sheet peeled off, a wisp of white smoke rises from the mirror surface and drifts up the mountain along the stone path.

Some of the white smoke carried the sound of crying.

Some of them were laughing.

There was no sound at all, just like someone finally falling asleep peacefully.

The voice of the evil god grew louder and louder.

"Stop!"

"Lu Yuan!"

"Your own name is in it too!"

"If you peel them away, you'll be left with nothing but an empty shell!"

Lu Yuan's fingers were starting to go numb.

Looking at his own face in the mirror, he suddenly said, "I will protect my own name."

"I don't need you to remember it for me."

After saying that, he tore the last tiny human face off the black root.

The black root suddenly contracted.

A section of jet-black root finally emerged completely from Lu Yuan's shadow.

The tendril twisted wildly in mid-air, its end splitting open to reveal a tiny eye.

Lu Yuan grabbed it and pressed his hand into the broken surface of the black wooden plaque.

The black wooden plaque made a dull thud.

It looked like something was nailed inside.

The well in the stone chamber suddenly jolted backward.

The giant gray-white eye in the well was half closed.

On the face of the main body, all the overlapping features simultaneously emitted a shriek.

"You will take it out with you."

"It's perfect to take with you."

"You will take my roots out of the mountains."

"I brought with me evidence of your crimes."

Lu Yuan held the black wooden plaque up to his eyes.

The black dot on the card has turned into a thin slit.

A sliver of grayish-white light peeked through the crack.

"Once we leave the mountain, I will seal it inside a stone."

"Then send all the offerings back."

"Without offering your name, you'll be trapped in this well."

"Do you think there's no support outside the mountains?"

The evil god suddenly laughed.

"The hearts of the people are what provide for us."

"As long as there are people who are afraid of death and want to make a name for themselves, I can grow back."

"Then I'll cut off your face first," Lu Yuan said.

He ripped off the salt thread from his waist.

The salt line had turned grayish from being used several times before, due to the black mist.

Lu Yuan wrapped the salt thread around the short knife, dipped the tip of the knife in cinnabar, and then used the Soul-Reflecting Mirror to reflect the back of the knife.

"Blackwood tablet to ward off evil spirits."

"The Soul-Illuminating Mirror illuminates the root."

"The old abacus is now dusty and the accounts are broken."

"Salt thread wrapped around the mouth."

"The name was sealed with cinnabar."

All four things work at the same time.

The giant eye in the well suddenly opened.

The main body, composed of countless faces, also peeked halfway out into the stone chamber.

The cracks in the stone wall were stretched wider and wider by it.

It wants to get out of the well.

Lu Yuan did not wait for it to fully emerge.

He threw the dagger toward the gray-white slit at the well opening.

The blade pierced through the black wind and landed squarely in the center of the well's edge.

"Close your eyes!"

A burst of red light erupted from the blade.

A deafening echo came from the well.

The giant eye was forced to close abruptly by the red light.

The half of the main body that had protruded was also pushed back into the well.

But it didn't disappear.

Deep within the well, countless voices still murmured: "Lu Yuan."

"Introduction."

"Return to the truth."

The sounds converged into a tidal wave, sweeping towards Lu Yuan.

The shadow beneath Lu Yuan's feet trembled once more.

The section of the embryonic root inside the black wooden plaque also began to heat up.

"It's recognizing names one last time," Lin Zhaoxuan shouted. "If you respond, it will write you into its very being!"

Unable to pull out his dagger, Lu Yuan could only stand in front of the well.

The sound was getting closer and closer.

"Lu Yuan."

"Where are you from?"

The evil god is digging up his past.

It wasn't to scare him.

It was to make him admit that it had long been involved in his origins.

Lu Yuan's fingers slowly tightened.

Wang Chengan looked at him, wanting to speak, but Song Qinghe stopped him.

At this moment, it is not appropriate to answer for Lu Yuan.

The evil god is waiting for someone else to confirm it for him.

As the last sentence fell, all the firelight in the stone chamber flickered simultaneously.

The fear in Xu Erxiao's eyes was almost impossible to suppress.

Wang Chengan stared intently at Lu Yuan.

Lu Yuan suddenly looked up.

"Are you done talking?"

"You think that because the old road recognizes me, I owe you something."

"You think that because I can get the black wooden plaque, it belongs to you?"

He raised his hand and looked at the wooden plaque inlaid with black roots.

"But you forgot."

Things can also mistake one owner for another.

The evil god remained silent.

Lu Yuan looked at the crowd behind him.

Where I come from is none of your business.

"Who taught me how to handle a knife is none of your business."

"The reason why Tiesuanpan left the way for me was his choice."

"The reason why the black wooden plaque is in my hands is its own choice."

"I can see into your eyes because I've been watching what you do."

After saying that, he turned around and pressed the black wooden plaque onto the stone tablet.

"I do not accept the life-giving method you provided."

I only recognize my own name.

The blank indentation on the stone tablet suddenly cracked open.

The crack stretched from the original location of the character "生" all the way to the bottom of the stele, eventually splitting the entire stele in two.

The moment the name "Lu Yuan" came from the well, Lu Yuan immediately raised his sword and slammed the hilt against the back of the blade.

The short knife sank even deeper into the well.

The light from the salt line, cinnabar, and the soul-revealing mirror simultaneously rushed into the well.

"close!"

"Eye!"

As soon as the two words were spoken, the black water in the well suddenly surged up.

The giant eye was forcibly pushed back to the bottom of the well.

The main body's face, composed of countless faces, also shattered in a violent twisting motion.

Those faces did not lunge at the crowd again, but instead fell into the well like pieces of paper scattered by the wind.

The stone chamber began to collapse with loose stones.

"Retreat to the stone path!"

Lu Yuan drew his dagger. "This place is going to collapse!"

Everyone quickly retreated.

Lin Zhaoxuan picked up the black jar that was being pressed down by the Soul-Illuminating Mirror, Song Qinghe protected the oil lamp, Wang Chengan supported Xu Erxiao, and Zhou Heng grabbed the cracked abacus.

As soon as they stepped into the stone passage, a heavy thud came from the stone chamber behind them.

The well collapsed.

Black water, gravel, and broken power lines were all buried underground.

The blue lights in the stone corridor went out one by one.

But just as the last blue light disappeared, Lu Yuan saw a red glow still shining deep within the collapsed stone chamber.

That little bit of red wasn't fire, nor was it an eye.

It is a thin line extending from the ground.

The thin line cuts through the gravel and extends deeper into the mountainside.

At the end of the red line, there seems to be another well.

Beside the well stood a stone tablet without any inscription.

"There's one more place," Lu Yuan said in a low voice.

Wang Cheng'an gasped for breath: "Wasn't the main cave already collapsed?"

"It's the face that's collapsed." Lu Yuan stared at the red spot. "The main body retreated to the second bite."

"It had already prepared an escape route for itself."

"Should we continue the pursuit?" Zhou Heng asked.

Lu Yuan looked at everyone.

The red marks on Xu Erxiao's ankles have faded, leaving only a faint gray mark.

The "eldest son" mark on the back of Wang Cheng'an's hand was gone, leaving only a faint white mark.

Although Song Qinghe's oil lamp was dim, it was still not extinguished.

The Soul-Illuminating Mirror in Lin Zhaoxuan's hand cracked even more, but the red line could still be seen reflected in it.

They were all extremely tired.

But those names that were separated in the mountains are heading out along the supply lines sent back to China.

As long as they don't sever the last piece of the embryonic root, those names may still be pulled back.

"Chase."

Lu Yuandao.

"This time, we're not going to enter its gate."

"It's to take away its second life."

The group continued down the red line.

The stone path became even narrower after the collapse, and in many places one could only pass sideways.

The fishy, ​​sweet smell in the air had faded, replaced by a damp, earthy scent.

After walking for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, a stone wall suddenly appeared ahead.

There were no doors or eye patterns on the stone wall.

There is only one downward-facing hole.

The opening was very round, and the edges were polished shiny by water, as if someone had repeatedly bumped into it with their body.

Lu Yuan stretched out the lamp and shone it inside.

There is water at the bottom of the cave.

A piece of red cloth floated on the water.

There were no words on the red cloth, only a black line that stretched straight down to the bottom of the water.

"This is the final exit for the embryonic root."

Lin Zhaoxuan said.

"It's not the exit," Lu Yuan said. "It's its navel."

"Navel?"

"The true form of the evil god does not reside in the mountains."

"It grows little by little from offering names and fear."

"If it wants to hide itself, it must leave a thread connecting it to the original offering place."

"Only when this line is broken will it truly lose its place for regeneration."

A ripple suddenly spread across the water at the bottom of the cave.

The red cloth sank down an inch.

Lu Yuan handed the oil lamp to Song Qinghe, took off his outer garment, wrapped the black wooden plaque and the Soul-Illuminating Mirror, and handed them to Lin Zhaoxuan.

"You stay at the cave entrance."

Wang Cheng'an immediately said, "I'll go down with you too."

"No need." "This isn't a path underwater." "If there are too many people, the offerings will be chaotic."

"Then I can too—"

"Cheng'an," Lu Yuan interrupted him, "protect the two children."

"If the root of the fetus is severed, the mountain will collapse."

"You have to keep the anti-extradition bill line intact."

Wang Cheng'an was about to speak when Zhou Heng stopped him.

"Brother Lu is right."

"We'll protect the road from the outside."

Xu Erxiao grabbed Lu Yuan's sleeve: "Brother Lu, I'm not at ease letting you go down alone."

Lu Yuan looked at him and said, "If I call out to you from underwater, no matter what you hear, don't come down."

"If I really want you to go down, I will give you a signal."

"What's the code?"

"The abacus of the iron abacus has broken."

Xu Erxiao nodded.

"What if I hadn't said anything?"

That proves it wasn't me.

Lu Yuan wrapped the salt thread around his waist, hung a short knife on his side, and stuffed a small packet of cinnabar into his sleeve.

"Qinghe, the lamp shines on the water's surface." "Don't shine it on the bottom." "There are eyes at the bottom of the water."

Song Qinghe nodded.

Lu Yuan turned and went down into the cave.

The cave walls were slippery, and the water grew deeper and deeper, soon reaching his knees, waist, and finally chest.

The water was as cold as if it were being soaked in a well in winter.

The red cloth floated in front, drifting downstream with the water.

Lu Yuan didn't reach out to grab it, but instead followed the black line forward.

The bottom of the water is very still.

It was so quiet I couldn't hear my own breathing.

But he could sense that there were countless tiny things swimming in the water all around him.

They stopped when they touched his clothes, like invisible hands probing for the name on his clothes.

Lu Yuan applied cinnabar to his Adam's apple.

A soft laugh immediately came from the water.

"Lu Yuan."

He did not answer.

"You don't need to pretend."

"I know you're here."

Lu Yuan paused for a moment.

This voice is unlike the original one.

It's more like a memory.

It felt strange, yet somehow familiar.

Lu Yuan's fingers slowly moved to his waist.

The black roots on the black wooden plaque are slightly warm.

Lu Yuan suddenly dived into the water.

The black line is right under your feet, while the red cloth sinks deeper into the depths.

There was no mud at the bottom of the water, only layers of white stone slabs.

The name is engraved on the stone slab.

One of them is engraved with the character "陆".

The next piece has a blurry character "远" (yuan, meaning far/far) engraved on it.

Further down, there was an unfinished stone slab.

Beside the stone slab, a black root was embedded in the bottom of the water.

The fetal root was much thinner than the one above, yet it continued to pulsate.

The roots were connected to the three stone pieces at their ends.

Lu Yuan understood.

"Introduction"

It doesn't mean he was born of an evil god.

Rather, it was an evil god who once tried to see him as a path to new life.

Suddenly, the root of the fetus at the bottom of the water rolled towards him.

Lu Yuan drew his sword, the blade drawing a gray-white arc in the water.

The fetal root was severed in one section, but the remaining part suddenly wrapped around his wrist.

The fetal root struggled violently.

The three stone slabs at the bottom of the water split open at the same time.

Lu Yuan wrapped the black root around his wrist, letting it pierce his flesh, and then broke off the unfinished stone piece.

The moment the stone shard broke, all the names underwater went out at the same time.

The fetal root emitted a silent, sharp whistle.

Lu Yuan carried the broken stone fragment in one hand and gripped the short knife in the other, stabbing it towards the final connection point of the embryonic root.

The tip of the knife pierced through the base of the fetus.

A grayish-white light exploded from the blade.

On the water, Song Qinghe suddenly heard a voice.

"The abacus of the iron abacus has broken."

She immediately looked up: "Brother Lu is calling out the code!"

Wang Chengan and Xu Erxiao also heard it.

"He's underwater!"

The next moment, the water at the bottom of the cave suddenly swelled up.

Lu Yuan flipped himself out of the water, clutching half of the black embryonic root and the broken stone fragment in his hand.

The entire cave behind them shook violently.

The red cloth was rolled up by the water, revealing a stone tablet underneath.

There is only one character on the stone tablet.

"Return."

"The embryonic root is broken?" Zhou Heng asked.

Lu Yuan took a breath and threw the black root into the cinnabar and salt.

"Break this one."

"Its true roots have been revealed."

"Still there?"

"On the other side of the mountain," Lu Yuan said, looking at the stone tablet inscribed with the word "Return." "This overturned well was merely its initial gateway to life."

.

"The true form of the evil god has already departed from here."

"It now hides in the deepest part of the sanctuary, living by the old name of the entire mountain."

Wang Cheng'an's face darkened: "Then we have to go further in?"

Lu Yuan put the broken stone fragment into his pocket.

Only one character remains uncarved on the stone slab, resembling a "life" character that was erased midway through carving.

"Walk."

"This time, we'll go find its true resting place."

"From which side?"

Lu Yuan turned around and looked at the other side of the stone path.

After the well collapsed, a new crack appeared in the mountain wall behind it.

Moonlight shone through the crack.

But they were clearly still inside the mountain, and there was no way the moon could be overhead.

Lu Yuan walked to the crack and raised the oil lamp.

Under the moonlight, there is an old road leading deep into the mountains.

There were no trees or grass on either side of the road, only black wooden signs half-buried in the soil.

Each sign has a blank eye engraved on it.

At the end of the road, the faint sound of bells could be heard.

It is not a stone bell.

It is someone outside the mountains striking a real bronze bell.

a bit.

Two times.

Three times.

As Lu Yuan listened to the bell, he suddenly said, "It's recalling those who have made offerings."

"Those names that were sent out haven't gone far yet," Lin Zhaoxuan said.

"Then let's cut off the road completely before they're recalled."

The group walked out of the crack.

It was still late at night outside.

A mountain breeze swept over me, dispersing the moisture and dust from my body.

In the distance, mountains overlap, and the moon hangs behind the clouds, revealing only half of its cold white light.

The stone path behind them was collapsing little by little.

There was no trace of the iron abacus.

There was no sound from him.

Only the cracked abacus remained beside the sealed false eye and embryonic core, guarding the last debt that should never have been settled for a dead person.

Lu Yuan stood at the starting point of the old road and reached out to touch the broken stone shard in his arms.

Wang Cheng'an tightened his grip on his gun and asked, "Is that bell ahead its final resting place?"

"How many evil spirits are left this time?"

Lu Yuan looked at the blank wooden signs on both sides of the mountain road.

More than before.

"But they have no old debts to borrow from."

Song Qinghe held the oil lamp protectively in her palm.

"Brother Lu, could the real body already be waiting ahead?"

Lu Yuan nodded and stepped onto the old road.

"But this time, it's not a name that awaits it."

"It's the person who stopped paying the loan."

"7

The mountain wind blows past the wooden sign.

All the blank eyes turned to them at the same time.

In the farthest distance, a bronze bell rang once again.

"when."

The sound of bells echoed throughout the deep mountains.

At the end of the old road, a lamp slowly lights up in the darkness.

A person was standing under the lamp.

The man was wearing a soaking wet old cloth, his face was devoid of features, but he was carrying a string of wooden plaques he had just acquired.

He saw Lu Yuan and raised his hand.

The blank eyes on the wooden sign opened one after another.

Behind that person, the shadows of the trees on the entire mountain slowly parted to both sides, revealing a huge stone altar buried among the peaks.

In the center of the stone altar stands a vertical black well.

There is no water at the wellhead.

There was only a slowly swirling cloud of black mist.

Countless shattered names hang suspended in the black mist.

Lu Yuan stopped in his tracks.

He knew that the true place of sustenance had arrived.

I also know that the person under that lamp is not the last one to keep quiet.

That person was merely relaying a message on behalf of the original body.

"Introduction."

It opens.

Lu Yuan raised his sword, the tip pointing at the Black Well.

Suddenly, the man under the lamp threw all the wooden plaques in his hand into the air.

The wooden sign did not touch the ground.

They formed a giant face in the air.

Its face has no eyes, only a mouth that splits outwards.

The voice of the true form of the evil god emanated from its mouth: "Come in."

"Bring your name to me."

Looking at that face, Lu Yuan suddenly took out the broken stone fragment from his arms and threw it into the salt line at his feet.

The broken stone fragment shattered into two halves.

A pale gray light spread along the old road, completely blocking the way they had come from behind.

Wang Cheng'an exclaimed in shock, "Brother Lu, we're trapped!"

"I never intended to return it."

Lu Yuan stepped onto the first step of the stone altar.

"Make sure the rules are clear before you go in."

He looked up at the dark well.

"Besides us, everyone else in the mountains is evil."

"To meet someone without recognizing them, to recognize a name without responding to it."

"Stop offerings when they come in, close your eyes when they come in."

"Anyone who dares to use our name will be uprooted."

Xu Erxiao, Wang Chengan, Zhou Heng, Song Qinghe, and Lin Zhaoxuan followed one by one.

The black mist around the stone altar began to surge outwards.

Countless names wept softly in the fog.

The face suspended in mid-air had its mouth stretching wider and wider.

"Lu Yuan."

"You will learn that a true evil god does not have a face."

"It is a mountain."

Lu Yuan stood in front of the black well, a short knife held horizontally across his chest.

"Even mountains have roots."

"If the roots are severed, all that's left is stone."

After he finished speaking, he stepped into the shadow cast by the black well.

The black mist suddenly closed in.

The bronze bell on the stone altar suddenly rang.

Deeper inside the mountain, a pair of gray-white eyes, several times larger than before, slowly opened.