My words have become law; I truly have no desire to display my divine power before others.

Thanks to not seeing a single ghost, the group moved very quickly.

The corpses followed behind, hopping and skipping, managing to keep up.

The bell in Miao Gui's hand jingled, its sound carrying far into the quiet night.

But Lü Yang couldn't hold on any longer; he was just too tired.

He had traveled for so long today without resting, and although he had begun his cultivation, he hadn't yet made any significant progress.

They definitely couldn't handle it.

He walked unsteadily, his eyes half-open and half-closed, and several times he almost slipped and fell into the roadside bushes.

Shen Zhaoyue glanced at him, said nothing, but moved closer to him to prevent him from actually falling.

After walking for a while, rain suddenly began to fall from the sky.

At first, it was just a few drops, which felt cool on my face.

Lu Yang's spirits lifted, thinking it would be a good way to perk him up, but the rain only intensified and quickly turned into a light drizzle, falling in a fine, dense downpour with nowhere to hide.

"Ouch..." Lü Yang groaned, covering his head with his hands. "Why did the rain start so suddenly?"

Miao Gui looked up at the sky, raindrops falling on his face. He wiped them away and murmured:

"Thunder and rain are natural... that's normal."

As he walked, he thought to himself, "The thunder was so loud just now, so it's understandable that it's raining now."

Although it took so long for the rain to fall, it finally did.

What does this mean?

This means that the lightning just now was struck by God, and had nothing to do with the Taoist priest.

As Miao Gui thought this to himself, his steps became lighter.

After taking a few steps, he couldn't help but turn back to look at Ye Qingfeng again.

The Taoist priest walked last, his greyish-blue robe barely visible in the night, raindrops falling on him...

Miao Gui was stunned for a moment.

He didn't see it clearly.

The rain was too heavy and it was dark; he could only see a blurry outline.

He shook his head, turned around, and continued on his way.

I must have misread it.

......

The rain is getting heavier.

The bodies were soaked by the rain, and their jumping rhythm became somewhat disordered.

Miao Gui quickly rang the bell to steady their steps.

Lü Yang is completely finished.

He was soaked to the bone, his hair plastered to his face, looking as disheveled as a drowned rat.

He trembled and looked at Ye Qingfeng pitifully:

"Immortal Master... could we find a place to rest? This disciple is truly unable to walk any further..."

Ye Qingfeng looked at the sky.

The sky was overcast and the rain was pouring down; it was definitely not a good time to travel any further.

He looked at Miao Gui:

"Is there anywhere nearby to take shelter from the rain?"

Miao Gui was stunned for a moment before realizing that the question was directed at him.

He thought for a moment and nodded:

"Yes, there is... but you might not want to go to that place."

Ye Qingfeng:

"Can it provide shelter from the wind and rain?"

Miao Gui nodded:

"Yes. It is..."

He hesitated for a moment, but still said it:

"That's the corpse-transporting inn. It's specifically for us corpse-transporters to rest at."

He spoke while stealing glances at Ye Qingfeng's expression:

"That place... might be a bit creepy. No one lives there year-round, just some unclean things... but don't worry, those things won't hurt anyone, they're just scary to look at."

Upon hearing "terrifying," Lü Yang's face turned pale.

"Wh...what unclean thing?"

Miao Gui glanced at him:

"Corpses. Sometimes, corpse drivers would leave the bodies inside when they passed by, and come back to retrieve them later. Other times, some corpses would just... just be left there while they were being driven."

Lü Yang's mouth was wide open enough to fit an egg.

Ye Qingfeng remained expressionless, simply saying:

"It's alright. As long as there's somewhere to take shelter from the rain, it's fine."

Miao Gui paused for a moment, then nodded:

"Alright, I'll lead the way."

He turned and walked down a side road, ringing a bell as he went to call the corpses to follow.

......

The rain is getting heavier.

Miao Gui walked ahead, the oil lamp in his hand swaying in the rain, its pale green flame flickering as if it might go out at any moment.

He had to hold the lamp to his chest and shield himself from the rain with his body.

Lu Yang followed behind, soaked to the bone, his teeth chattering, too exhausted to even complain.

Shen Zhaoyue continued walking in silence, rain streaming down her face, but she didn't even wipe it away.

Miao Gui was so focused on hurrying along that he was afraid the lamp would go out if he walked too slowly.

He didn't look back.

If he looked back, he would find—

There wasn't a single drop of rain on the Taoist priest.

The fine, dense raindrops fell, and just three inches above his head, they automatically slid to both sides, as if an invisible barrier was protecting him.

Where he walked, the rain seemed to be pushed aside by something, and the splashes were less than elsewhere.

At this moment, Lü Yang held a torch in his hand.

The flames were already starting to flicker and dwindle.

Orange-red flames leaped in the rain, the raindrops sizzling as they fell upon them, turning into wisps of white smoke.

Ye Qingfeng glanced at it, then gently blew on it, and the torch reignited, burning even brighter than before.

It cast a warm glow, illuminating the surrounding area for several meters.

Miao Gui did not see it.

He was only concerned with getting to the inn as quickly as possible so that he could stop suffering.

......

After walking for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, a dilapidated inn finally appeared ahead.

The inn stood alone by the roadside, surrounded by overgrown weeds, without a single light.

The inn's door was askew, and the paper on the windows was tattered and rattled in the wind.

Miao Gui breathed a sigh of relief:

"arrive."

He walked to the door and pushed it open.

"Squeak—"

The door opened.

A musty, rotten smell wafted over, mixed with an indescribable stench.

Lu Yang covered his nose and looked inside; he almost vomited.

The room was dark, with only a sliver of light filtering in from the doorway, illuminating a vague outline. He squinted for a long time before he could make out the scene inside—

This is a two-story wooden building. The first floor is a hall, which is empty except for a few old tables and chairs that are scattered haphazardly.

Some dry grass and paper money were scattered on the ground, blown everywhere by the wind.

Several broken coffins were piled up in the corner, their lids half-open, revealing dark, empty holes inside.

Several corpses leaned against the coffin—not the ones Miao Gui had driven away, but others, left there by who knows who.

Several ropes hung from the roof beams, with strips of cloth dangling from them, swaying in the wind like the remains of something.

The second floor consists of several small attics, separated by wooden partitions, where coffins and miscellaneous items are piled up.

The entire inn exuded an indescribable eeriness.

Lu Yang felt a chill run down his spine and hid behind Ye Qingfeng, too afraid to come out.

Miao Gui, however, was used to it. He went inside and found a few candles in the corner, which he lit. The flickering candlelight cast shadows on the coffins and strips of cloth, making the scene even more eerie and terrifying.

"We've arrived." Miao Gui placed the candle on the table. "This is the Corpse Transport Inn."

Lü Yang poked half his head out:

"This...this place...where is the manager?"

Miao Gui glanced at him:

"There's no manager. This place isn't run by anyone; it's just a place for us corpse-transporters to rest."

Lu Yang was stunned:

"No one's running it? Then... then we can stay here without paying?"

Miao Gui shook his head:

"You don't need to pay money, but you have to pay for the room."