Since all these rules and superstitions are outdated, what's wrong with me indulging in some me

"Ivan is with the shaman?"

Lu Changsheng's eyes narrowed.

"Yes! They were standing at the gate of the courtyard, seemingly talking in hushed tones. We were a bit far away and couldn't hear what they were saying, but we saw an old woman dressed like a witch doctor, and Ivan seemed to give her something."

Park Bo-soo described it with disbelief on his face.

"Then...then Ivan seemed to sense something and suddenly glanced in the direction where we were hiding!"

"We were so scared that we immediately shrank back into the corner, not daring to breathe."

Park Bo-soo continued, his voice growing even more terrified, "But unexpectedly, that shaman... even though she couldn't see us, she seemed to know we were there! She raised her hand in our direction, muttered some unintelligible words, and made a few empty gestures with her fingers... Then, Yamamoto-kun suddenly groaned, clutched his chest, and collapsed!"

"I quickly grabbed him and tried to run with him, but Yamamoto's body became increasingly stiff, and those grayish-black lines started appearing on his face—just like now! I could only desperately carry him back..."

As Park Bo-soo spoke, his body was still trembling slightly.

"That sorceress...she's so evil! From that distance, she just raised her hand and did this to Yamamoto-kun!"

Upon hearing this, everyone's hearts sank. The shaman was indeed one of the key figures in this instance, possessing unpredictable and mysterious methods, and having a direct connection with Ivan!

Lu Changsheng carefully observed the gray-black mist on the mountain itself. This aura was cold and filthy, carrying a strong sense of curse and restraint.

Yamamoto Ichiro's soul and vitality are being slowly eroded and bound by this thing.

"This is a curse, or some kind of sinister binding spell," Lu Changsheng said in a deep voice, looking at An Zhiyu, "Can it be broken?"

An Zhiyu shook her head.

"What should we do then?" Park Bo-soo asked anxiously.

Lu Changsheng pondered for a moment, then took out a calming talisman from his pocket and stuck it on Yamamoto's forehead.

After the talisman was applied, it emitted a faint, clear light. The movement of the gray-black mist on the mountain slowed down noticeably, and his convulsions lessened somewhat, but were not completely cured.

"We can only suppress it temporarily and slow down the erosion." Lu Changsheng's expression was solemn. "To completely remove it, we probably need to find the caster or find a way to counteract this curse."

He looked at Park Bo-soo, "Did you see what Ivan handed to the shaman?"

Park Bo-soo tried hard to recall, and said uncertainly:

"It looks like... a note, but I can't tell what's inside."

Everyone fell silent for a moment. Cheng Caijun looked at Yamamoto Ichiro's body, which was bound and unable to move, and suddenly slapped his forehead.

"A vine clinging to an ancient tree, unable to control its own destiny?"

Cheng Caijun's words were like a bolt of lightning, instantly cleaving through the fog in everyone's minds!

"A vine clinging to an ancient tree, unable to control its own destiny?"

Lu Changsheng repeated it in a low voice, his eyes suddenly sharpening. This was precisely the comment Chen the Blind Man had given to Yamamoto Ichiro!

Everyone looked at Yamamoto Ichiro, who was bound and unable to move on the kang (heated brick bed) by gray-black mist like vines, and felt a chill run down their spines.

It matches perfectly! It matches exactly!

"Wisteria" refers to this sinister curse mist, and "ancient tree" refers to Yamamoto Ichiro himself!

"Beyond one's control"—isn't his complete inability to control his body and mind the most apt and cruel description of "beyond one's control"?

"It's not a coincidence..."

Kevin's voice was filled with suppressed shock. He took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down and analyze the situation.

"Whether the sorceress saw them or not is the key. If she saw them and targeted Yamamoto, then they are targeting us according to the prophecy. If Yamamoto was just someone who was randomly attacked, then the prophecy is a prediction."

He looked at Lu Changsheng and An Zhiyu:

"We also investigated the area around the village this afternoon, which may help us piece together more information."

Lu Changsheng immediately pressed, "What did you discover?"

"The village is not large, but strangely, it seems to have a full range of 'professions'. We saw carpentry shops and dyeing workshops. It was a completely self-sufficient and well-functioning ancient village."

"Normal?" Cheng Caijun couldn't help but interject. "What's normal about this place?"

“Exactly,” Mark chimed in, “we even went to the blacksmith’s shop at the end, and can’t you believe it? A lame blacksmith using such a huge hammer and such a roaring furnace to hammer out… a round copper coin about the size of a palm?”

As he finished speaking, Park Bo-soo, who had been silent all along, suddenly stiffened and pulled his hand back. However, everyone's attention was on Mark, and no one noticed his unusual behavior.

"Lame?" Lu Changsheng instantly grasped the key word, his brows furrowing as he looked seriously at the blond Mark. "What does the blacksmith look like?"

Mark was startled when he saw Lu Changsheng's serious expression.

Kevin, who was standing nearby, suddenly stopped and his gaze involuntarily turned to Leo on the bed.

"Dark-skinned, quite muscular, with a fierce look, probably as tall as... Mr. Leo..."

Mark gestured with his hands to indicate his name, but he paused the moment he saw Leo.

"No way..."

His mouth was wide open in an "O" shape.

If it's a coincidence, then it's far too coincidental.

"Is there any pattern or inscription on the copper coin?"

Lu Changsheng frowned.

Kevin shook his head: "It's a bit far away, I can't see clearly. But the blacksmith said it was an order just placed by a villager."

"Just placed the order?"

Lu Changsheng felt that he had vaguely grasped the truth of this instance, but there were still some key points that he had not fully connected.

He looked at the night sky and had a premonition that he would be able to solve most of these mysteries tonight.

The night, like thick ink, completely swallowed up the entire Luoshan Village.

Lu Changsheng and Cheng Caijun returned to their small, dilapidated house, bolted the door, and propped it up with a table.

Cheng Caijun leaned against the earthen bed, unconsciously stroking the dagger in his hand. His eyes kept glancing at the unsettling darkness outside the window, and then at Lu Changsheng, who was resting with his eyes closed on the bed, but with a slight frown on his brow.

"Brother Lu..." he lowered his voice, breaking the suffocating silence, "That note—midnight, the ancient locust tree at the village entrance. Are we... really going?"

Lu Changsheng slowly opened his eyes, his gaze appearing exceptionally deep in the dim light. "Rule number two: 'Don't go out after dark.' Going out now would be tantamount to voluntarily violating the rule, and the risks are unknown."

"Then...we're not going?" Cheng Caijun hesitated. "But the villager who slipped the note might know some very important information."

"Yes, of course I'll go," Lu Changsheng said in a low voice, "but not now, and not according to what's written on the note."

"That……"

"wait."

Lu Changsheng uttered a single word and closed his eyes again.