Train Survival: Can I get a treasure chest by touching my goddess?

Shen Wen did not stop.

He stared at Mayor Jiang, his gaze lingering on the other's face for a moment: "You have defensive measures?"

Mayor Jiang paused for a moment, his eyes flickering.

"Otherwise what?" Shen Wen's tone was indifferent. "According to you, the ghost killed over a hundred people in half a month. How did you survive? Just by hiding at home?"

Mayor Jiang opened his mouth, but no words came out.

Shen Wen narrowed his eyes, his voice turning cold: "I was sent by the government."

Upon hearing this, Mayor Jiang's hesitation immediately turned into fear.

"Please forgive me, sir!" He quickly cupped his hands in apology. "It wasn't that I deliberately concealed it, it's just that the master said that matters concerning magical artifacts shouldn't be spread, lest it attract something even more powerful..."

"explain."

"Yes, yes, yes." Mayor Jiang dared not hesitate any longer, "When the ghost story first started half a month ago."

A wandering Taoist priest came to town, saying he was just passing through and, seeing the heavy yin energy in the town, decided to stay and help us exorcise the ghosts.

"That Taoist priest was quite skilled; he drew several talismans and left behind a few magical artifacts."

These magical artifacts are said to protect us, but we must never reveal them, otherwise they will attract even more powerful ghosts.

"And then?" Su Qingxuan asked.

"Later..." Mayor Jiang sighed, "Later, the Taoist priest said he was going to investigate the source of the ghosts. He went into that house in the north of the town and never came out again."

Shen Wen and Su Qingxuan exchanged a glance.

"Where are the ritual implements?"

"It's right here in this courtyard." Mayor Jiang turned around. "Please follow me, sir."

He led the four men through the main house to a side room in the backyard. The door was tightly closed, and the door panel was covered with talismans, even more numerous and denser than those in the front yard.

Mayor Jiang took out a brass key, unlocked the door, and pushed it open.

The room was dimly lit, with only a small window letting in a bit of gray light.

On the table directly opposite the door, there was a water bowl, about the size of a palm, covered with runes.

Without waiting for instructions, Jiang Youchu walked over and touched the water bowl.

A semi-transparent light screen pops up—

【Spirit-Demonic Water Bowl (Black Iron Grade)】

[Effect: When activated, it can deploy a defensive light shield with a radius of ten meters to resist attacks from Black Iron-level spirits.]

Each activation consumes the user's mental energy; the duration depends on the user's mental energy.

Current status: Not activated

Jiang Youchu withdrew her hand, nodded slightly to Shen Wen, and lowered her voice: "Black Iron grade."

Shen Wen raised an eyebrow.

A black iron-grade magical artifact can resist black iron-grade spirits.

In other words, there are at least Black Iron level ghosts in this town.

He looked at the table next to him, where several yellow paper talismans hung on the wall, with twisted patterns drawn in red ink.

Jiang Youchu leaned over and glanced at it—

[Exorcism Talisman (Rotten Wood Grade)]

[Effect: When placed on doors or windows, it will prevent spirits below the level of rotten wood from approaching. Effective duration: 12 hours.]

She made a gesture to Shen Wen.

Shen Wen withdrew his gaze and looked at Mayor Jiang: "Who else knows about these magical artifacts and talismans?"

"It was just me and a few able-bodied men on night watch," Mayor Jiang hurriedly said. "Following the Taoist priest's instructions, we didn't dare tell anyone else."

Shen Wen nodded and didn't ask any further questions.

He turned and walked out, but stopped at the door and looked back at Mayor Jiang: "Take us to see those dead people."

Mayor Jiang's face paled, but he still nodded: "Yes, sir, please follow me."

The dead body was placed in the woodshed next door.

As soon as the door was pushed open, a strong stench of decay hit them. Jiang Youchu instinctively covered her mouth and nose, Su Mu frowned, while Su Qingxuan remained expressionless.

Seven or eight corpses lay side by side on the floor of the woodshed, covered with straw mats, their bluish-gray hands and feet showing.

Mayor Jiang stood at the door, not daring to go in, and only pointed inside: "They're all... they're all here."

There were originally many more, but due to the hot weather a few days ago, we buried a batch first to prevent the spread of disease.

Shen Wen went inside, squatted down, and lifted the straw mat covering a corpse.

It was a man, in his thirties, his face frozen in the terror of impending death, his mouth agape.

His eyes were so wide they almost popped out of their sockets.

The fatal wound was in the chest.

A wound, running diagonally from the collarbone to the ribs, with the skin and flesh rolled back, so deep that the bone was visible.

Shen Wen stared at the wound, his brows gradually furrowing.

He reached out and gently parted the clothing around the wound.

Blade wound.

Moreover, the cut was very clean, not from biting or scratching, but from being chopped with a sharp weapon.

He then lifted another straw mat.

It was a woman, with the same terrified expression, and a fatal wound on her neck.

It was almost cut off, with only a layer of skin connecting it.

It is still a powerful tool.

The third one.

The fourth one.

Each one was a wound inflicted by a sharp weapon.

Shen Wen stood up and glanced at the corpses.

A butcher's intuition hummed softly in his mind.

It wasn't a warning of danger, but rather a deeper judgment about killing.

These injuries weren't inflicted by a ghost.

At least, it's not that kind of illusory, invisible ghost.

The wounds inflicted by a sharp weapon have direction, force, and angle.

are people.

Or, it's something holding a sharp weapon.

Shen Wen did not speak.

He covered himself with a straw mat, turned around, and walked out of the woodshed.

Mayor Jiang stood at the door, his face pale. Seeing him come out, he hurriedly went to greet him: "Sir, what did you see?"

Shen Wen glanced at him and said indifferently, "I need to take another look."

He didn't say it out loud.

But I already have a general idea in mind.

Shen Wen asked for an empty room.

The door closed.

The flame of the oil lamp flickered on the table, casting shimmering shadows on the four faces.

"Those wounds weren't inflicted by ghosts," Shen Wen said bluntly, placing the knife on the table and glancing at the three men. "They were all cut by sharp weapons. The cuts are clean and the angles are tricky; it was done by a human."

"Those wounds weren't inflicted by ghosts," Shen Wen said bluntly, placing the knife on the table and glancing at the three men. "They were all cut by sharp weapons. The cuts are clean and the angles are tricky; it was done by a human."

Jiang Youchu was stunned for a moment: "Killed by a person? Then what about the ghost?"

"Ghosts definitely exist." Shen Wen leaned against the edge of the table, his mind racing through the clues. "What Mayor Jiang said—appearing at night and killing anyone in sight—that should be true. But those corpses—"

"I suspect that these ghosts' abilities are not to kill people directly, but to control people or corpses."

They themselves may not be that strong, or even have much offensive power.

The real killer move is what they control.

Su Qingxuan frowned: "You mean, those townspeople were manipulated into killing each other?"

"Possibly," Shen Wen nodded. "Otherwise, there's no way to explain those sharp weapon wounds. If a ghost wants to kill someone, why would it need to use a knife? Wouldn't strangling or tearing them apart be more logical?"

Jiang Youchu shuddered: "So what do we do now?"

"We'll see for ourselves tonight." Shen Wen looked out the window; it was already getting dark. "As for that house in the north of the town, it should be the lair of a Black Iron-level spirit."

The Taoist priest that Mayor Jiang mentioned is most likely dead inside.

Su Mu stood by the window, holding a spear. Hearing this, she turned around and glanced at him, but said nothing.

Su Qingxuan pondered for a moment, then spoke in a tone that was a bit more relaxed than before: "If that's really the case, then it's actually easier to handle."

She looked at Jiang Youchu: "You have the Frost Arrow, Xiao Mu has the Evil-Binding Potion, and we also have the Spirit-Devouring Doll."

We are not without a way to fight back against spirits.

Jiang Youchu blinked, then realized, "Oh right! If that ghost isn't strong, we can fight it!"

Shen Wen nodded: "We don't know the exact number yet, but according to Mayor Jiang's records, it's at least ten or more. Let's check the situation after dark."

After hearing this, the three women's expressions visibly relaxed.

They are not the kind of monsters that are unsolvable and whose sanity drops with just one look, but rather spirits that can be injured by weapons.

We can fight this battle.