For thirty years, he has roamed the Northeast, his divine might overwhelming all immortals under hea

"If you're worried about her health, take her to the hospital. Don't come here asking me about the house."

The old lady put down her bowl of porridge, stood up, and clearly gestured for the guests to leave.

"I'm old and my memory isn't good. I've forgotten everything from before. You can go now, I still need to eat."

Having said that, there's no point in staying any longer.

I gave Brother Sanlu a wink, and the two of us got up to say goodbye.

"Auntie, I'm sorry to disturb your meal."

"Take care, and don't bother seeing me off."

As the old lady spoke, she slammed the door shut with a loud bang, so loud that the hallway shook.

Brother Sanlu and I looked at each other in silence as we walked up the stairs.

I finally breathed a sigh of relief after walking all the way to the fourth floor and entering Zhu Xiaoxiao's home.

"Thirteen, there's definitely something fishy about this old lady!"

Brother Sanlu lowered his voice and said excitedly.

"I was just asking casually, why did she get so worked up? There's definitely something fishy going on here!"

"Is that even a question?"

"The more she acts like this, the more it shows that there's more to this house than meets the eye. We returned empty-handed, but this reaction is more useful than anything we could find out. This old lady either knows the details of this house, or she's inextricably linked to this 'ghost child' affair."

Brother Sanlu nodded, then frowned.

"So what do we do now? The old lady won't talk about it, so where are we supposed to find out about the house's history? We can't just keep waiting like this, can we? Xiaoxiao's health can't take that long."

"Wait and see? We're not going to wait and see."

"If the old lady won't tell us, we'll find out ourselves. I have divine protection behind me, so why should I be afraid of not finding the root cause of this house's problems?"

Upon hearing this, Brother Sanlu's eyes lit up instantly.

"Brother Dalang, you have to help me find out the truth about this house."

As soon as I finished speaking, Huang Dalang's voice rang in my mind.

"Thirteen, you finally remembered me! This house has a really eerie, sinister atmosphere!"

"Brother Dalang, could you please take a look at this house? What's wrong with it? Why is the feng shui fine, but the yin energy is so strong?"

"The things in this house are not ordinary evil spirits; it's likely that a master has set up a trap."

I pointed to Brother Sanlu's cigarettes. Brother Sanlu was a little confused, but before he could react, I had already lit the cigarette.

"Thirteen, didn't you say you don't smoke?"

"Shh!"

I made a silencing gesture.

Brother Sanlv was quite knowledgeable, so he kept quiet.

The moment the cigarette is lit.

My eyes instantly cleared, and the originally dimly lit living room suddenly looked different to me.

The yin energy floating in the air was no longer clumps of mist, but turned into wisps of black lines that converged in the same direction along the walls and the ground.

Huang Dalang controlled my body and moved around the living room with steady steps.

Brother Sanlu was so frightened that he dared not utter a sound and could only follow behind me, watching cautiously.

I walked to the corner of the living room, where a stack of cardboard boxes was piled up, covered in dust.

I reached out and moved the cardboard boxes aside one by one, revealing the wall behind them.

There was nothing unusual on the wall, but to me, it didn't look like that.

I could clearly see that several black pebbles were embedded in the cracks in the wall, arranged in a strange pattern.

The pattern resembled a Bagua (Eight Trigrams), but it wasn't an ordinary Bagua; the positions of all eight trigrams were reversed.

"This is a formation that gathers yin energy!"

Huang Dalang's voice carried a hint of shock.

"Thirteen, look at the arrangement of these stones, and what's behind this wall!"

Following Huang Dalang's instructions, I gently tapped on the wall with my hand.

The wall made a "thump-thump" sound, clearly indicating that it was hollow.

I casually picked up a kitchen knife and made a cut, revealing a layer of black cloth underneath.

The cloth was made of some unknown material; it felt icy cold to the touch and had a strong, fishy smell.

"This cloth was soaked in black dog blood and soil from a grave; it's specifically used to attract yin energy."

"This Yin-gathering formation was deliberately set up by someone. The purpose was to gather Yin energy and allow evil spirits to take shape here."

I walked to the bedroom door again.

The bedroom was filled with a heavier yin energy, and the black lines were more than ten times denser than in the living room.

I went to the bed in the bedroom, where there were also several black pebbles embedded in the bed, arranged in the same pattern as in the living room.

"The yin energy gathering formation is present throughout the entire house."

Huang Dalang's voice grew increasingly solemn.

"From the living room to the bedroom, from the walls to the floor, everything is filled with yin energy."

"So the purpose of this Yin-gathering ritual is to help a ghost fetus be reborn through another's womb?"

That's right!

"The Yin energy gathered by this Yin-gathering formation will not only allow the ghost fetus to quickly take shape inside Zhu Xiaoxiao's womb, but it will also protect the nascent form of the ghost fetus, allowing it to continuously absorb Yang energy and grow stronger. Once the ghost fetus is born at full term, not only will Zhu Xiaoxiao die, but this Yin-gathering formation will also release all its Yin energy, and at that time, the entire county will suffer!"

My heart sank to the bottom instantly.

I originally thought it was just a haunted house where someone had died, but I never expected it to be a yin-gathering formation that someone had deliberately set up.

The person behind this is so ruthless; what is their purpose?

I walked around the house again and finally stopped by the living room window.

The curtains were still drawn tightly shut, as thick as a piece of charcoal.

I reached out and lifted a corner of the curtain, and the sunlight outside instantly streamed in.

But as soon as the sunlight touched the yin energy in the room, it seemed to be swallowed up by something, and instantly became dim and lifeless.

"These curtains are also considered to attract negative energy."

"It's made from the bark of a century-old locust tree, plus silt from the ditch, specifically to block sunlight and prevent yang energy from entering."

As they were talking, the cigarette went out.

My body was instantly back under control.

I slumped onto the sofa, my forehead covered in cold sweat.

Brother Sanlu hurriedly came over and asked anxiously.

"Thirteen, how's it going? What's going on with this house?"

I took a deep breath, my voice tinged with weariness, yet filled with unwavering determination, and said.

"This house is a trap set up by someone to gather yin energy. The purpose is to collect yin energy to help that ghost fetus be reborn. This old woman definitely knows the inside story!"

"So what do we do now?"

Brother Sanlu's voice trembled slightly.

"Can this Yin-gathering formation be broken?"

"It can be broken."

I nodded.

"However, we still need to figure out what role that old lady played in all of this."

Just then, the bedroom door suddenly opened. Zhu Xiaoxiao, dressed in pajamas, stood in the doorway, her face as pale as paper, and spoke in a slightly hoarse voice.

"Mr. Thirteen, I...I heard everything just now."

Both Sanlu and I were stunned. We didn't expect her to wake up and even hear our conversation.

Zhu Xiaoxiao's tears flowed instantly. She walked step by step to me and knelt down with a "plop".

"Mr. Thirteen, please, save me! I don't want to die, I really don't want to die!"

I quickly helped her up.

"Get up first. Now that I'm here, I'll definitely save you. But you have to tell me the truth: when you rented the room, besides that old lady, did you see anyone else? Did anything unusual happen?"

Zhu Xiaoxiao shook her head and cried even harder.

"I've only ever seen the old lady; I haven't seen anyone else. I really didn't know this house was a 'gathering of yin energy' formation. If I had known, I would never have rented it, even if you paid me!"

Seeing Zhu Xiaoxiao's desperate look, I felt terrible.

She was just a girl from out of town who wanted to save money, but she never expected to fall into such a carefully laid trap.

As the old saying goes, "Penny wise, pound foolish."

"Don't worry."

I patted her on the shoulder and said firmly.

"Tonight, I will break this Yin-gathering formation."

"But before that, I need to find some tools."

I said that and went out the door.

As the sun sets in the west, darkness falls quickly in the county town.

When the wind blew, the windowpanes rattled loudly.

In Zhu Xiaoxiao's living room, I was squatting on the floor, fiddling with the things I would need tonight.

Cinnabar, yellow talisman, and black dog blood.

I bought these at the supply and marketing cooperative in the county town this afternoon.

As for black dog blood, I searched all over the county and only managed to get one bottle.

"Thirteen, are we really going to break this deadlock tonight?"

Brother Sanlu asked in a low voice.

"This 'gathering yin energy' formation sounds ominous, should we reconsider?"

"A long night can lead to many unforeseen events."

Without even looking up, I poured the cinnabar into the bowl, added water, and stirred it well with a yellow talisman.

"The embryonic form of the ghost child emerged last night to absorb yang energy. If this drags on any longer, not only will Xiaoxiao not be able to hold on, but who knows what other trouble might arise in this county. Tonight is the night of the full moon. Although the yin energy is strong, the yang energy has also reached its critical point. It is the perfect time to break this deadlock."

As they were talking, it became completely dark.

The moonlight from outside peeked through the gaps in the curtains, but was blocked by the gloomy atmosphere inside the room, making the living room so dark you couldn't see your hand in front of your face.

I took a deep breath and lit Brother Sanlu's cigarette again.

He held the cigarette between his fingers and silently recited an incantation to summon the spirits.

"The Great Immortal Huang Dalang of the Huang Family, displaying his supernatural powers in his Yinshan Cave; the Fairy Liu Ruoyun of the Liu Family, descending to the mortal realm with swaying willow branches. Today, your disciple Li Shisan respectfully requests that you descend to earth to help me break this Yin-gathering formation, sever the evil fetus, and save all living beings!"

As soon as the incantation was finished, I felt a surge of heat rush from my dantian to the top of my head, followed by a domineering force that flowed into my limbs and bones.

That was Huang Dalang's scent.

At the same time, a refreshing fragrance swirled around my ankles three times, and Liu Ruoyun's voice rang in my mind, gentle yet sharp.

"Thirteen, your elder sister is here. The yin energy in this Yin Gathering Formation is even more sinister than anything your elder sister has seen in the deep mountains."

"Brother Dalang, Sister Ruoyun, thank you both for your help."

I shouted in my heart.

"It's my duty!"

Huang Dalang's voice was rough and gruff, carrying an undeniable air of dominance.

"Thirteen, focus on finding the array's core. Ruoyun and I will handle the evil spirits outside!"

I nodded, and then I felt a lightness in my body. Huang Dalang had temporarily taken over my vision and touch.

I stood up, walked back and forth in the living room with my feet turned outwards, my eyes fixed on those black, sinister lines.

These lines are denser than during the day, like countless small snakes winding and crawling on the walls and the ground, eventually converging in the same place.

That hollow wall in the corner of the living room!

"The key to the formation is right there!"

Huang Dalang's voice carried a hint of excitement.

"Thirteen, the center of those black pebbles is the key to the Yin Gathering Formation! Break it, and the entire Yin Gathering Formation will collapse!"

I was overjoyed; I hadn't expected to find it so quickly.

I walked to the corner of the wall and looked at the black pebbles embedded in the cracks in the wall. My eyes narrowed.

The inverted Bagua pattern formed by these stones is the core of the Yin-gathering formation.

I picked up the kitchen knife, about to chop at the center of the pebble, when suddenly, a piercing scream came from the direction of the bedroom!

"Aww!"

The sound was high-pitched and thin, like the cry of a baby, yet it carried a chilling resentment.

Immediately afterwards, a dense cloud of yin energy surged out of the bedroom, instantly enveloping the entire living room.

I looked up and saw the child wearing a red bib floating in mid-air. His face was as white as paper, his lips were red to the point of being purple, and his pupil-less eyes were flashing with a fierce light.

"Oh no! The demonic fetus has sensed it!"

Huang Dalang's voice carried a hint of solemnity.

"It's going to fight desperately!"

No sooner had I finished speaking than the ghost fetus pounced on me like a black lightning bolt.

It was extremely fast, leaving a trail of black, sinister energy behind it, and the air became icy cold wherever it passed.

"Thirteen, focus on breaking this deadlock! I'll handle this brat!"

Huang Dalang shouted, and instantly I felt something fly out of my body.

Looking to the side, the fetus was locked in a fierce battle with a weasel in mid-air.

"Bang!"

Huang Dalang's claws collided with the ghost fetus, producing a dull thud.

The ghost fetus was thrown backward by the shock, crashing into the wall with a piercing scream.

Huang Dalang was pushed back a few steps by the force of the recoil.

"The resentment of this demonic fetus is much stronger than I imagined!"

Huang Dalang's voice carried a hint of surprise.

"It's almost fully formed, thanks to the yin energy gathered in the yin formation!"

The ghost fetus slid down the wall and stood shakily on the ground, its pupil-less eyes staring intently at me, making strange "hoho" sounds.

Its body began to swell, and it instantly grew to the size of a five or six-year-old, just like when it was two or three years old. The red bib on its body also became more vivid, as if it were dyed with blood.

"Thirteen, watch out!"

Liu Ruoyun's voice suddenly rang out.

As soon as the words were spoken, the ghost fetus opened its mouth, and a stream of black yin energy gushed out from its mouth, rushing towards me and Huang Dalang.

This eerie aura carried a strong, bloody smell, like countless icy hands trying to drag me into an endless abyss.

"A trivial skill!"

Huang Dalang snorted coldly, leaped up, and tore through the oncoming black mist with his sharp claws.

"what!"

The demon fetus let out an even more piercing scream and lunged at me again.

This time, it was faster and stronger, and its tiny claws gleamed with a black light, looking incredibly sharp.

Huang Dalang dared not be negligent and once again engaged in a fierce battle with the ghost fetus.

In the living room, the yellow light and black smoke hissed and crackled, leaving deep marks on the walls and floor.

I watched as Huang Dalang and Gui Tai fought fiercely, but my mind remained completely calm.

I knew now was the perfect time to break the deadlock! I focused all my attention on the key point in the corner.

"Sister Ruoyun, could you please keep an eye out for me and prevent any evil spirits from bothering me?"