https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-153-The-Evil-Man-and-the-Fierce-Blade/12899741/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-155-Refining-Humans-into-Treasures/12899743/
Chapter 154: Yellow Official Paper
Chapter 154: Yellow Official Paper
"Ah, what a good thing..."
The people around had already held their breath, not daring to speak loudly.
Some even regretted not paying enough attention to this taciturn man earlier and not being courteous enough when speaking to him.
But this taciturn man still looked as simple and honest as ever. He took the knife without much hesitation, saying whatever he heard and doing whatever he was told.
It was almost a hallucination, but when he took the knife, the people around him felt the wind around them become chaotic, as if the sounds of ghosts wailing and wolves howling were echoing nearby.
Only this man seemed unmoved, just holding the knife and looking down at it. He saw it was only a broken knife, dark and unremarkable, with a thick layer of dark red substance on the blade.
He seemed somewhat dissatisfied and said, "I don't understand what the city people are thinking. This thing isn't handy, it's not even as good as a chopping knife..."
"Ah, don't talk to me. I'm not your master, and I won't cut anyone's head off..."
"..."
"He... he is talking to whom?"
The martial artists nearby were already feeling a chill down their spines.
This man must be a bit slow-witted, thinking the knife was talking to him. Or did it really speak, and only he could hear it?
"Old Brother Wang, please..."
Even Young Master Lu seemed to have developed a deep sense of dread towards this man, unconsciously changing his address.
He took a step back, bowed to the man, and said in a low voice.
The taciturn man, holding the knife, said to Young Master Lu, "Sir, will you give me silver when this is done?"
Young Master Lu felt a chill in his heart and said firmly, "Of course, not a single tael will be missing."
"Thank you, Sir, thank you, Sir."
The taciturn man nodded repeatedly, "If the rich people in my place were as principled as you, I wouldn't have had to escape..."
As he spoke, he held the knife and walked towards the ancestral hall, without any preparation.
Young Master Lu reacted even faster.
He didn't dare to stop him but quickly waved to Old Monkey, signaling him to lead the donkey cart and follow the taciturn man with the others.
"Whoo..."
Sure enough, as the group moved forward, a sudden gust of cold wind swept across the plain.
Everyone felt a chill all over, their skin prickling as if countless hands were grabbing them, and countless pale, eerie faces were swaying before their eyes. Some even felt the pain of being bitten in certain parts of their bodies.
If they had checked, they would have found numerous bruises on their skin, forming handprints or tooth marks.
But as the honest-looking man walked in front with the knife, a strong and eerie aura suddenly enveloped him.
The ghostly wind in front of him seemed to shock him, making his eyes turn red, as if he was reliving a night when he had run towards the Village Head's house with a chopping knife.
That night, he first killed his wife, who had been violated, and then his child, who was on the brink of death and beyond medical help.
Then, he broke into the Village Head's house in the middle of the night, causing a bloodbath. No neighbor dared to intervene.
He killed the entire family, leaving no trace of a ghost on the seventh day.
He killed so fiercely that the cats and dogs in the village cried and hid in their nests, and the evil spirits outside the village, sensing the blood, dared not enter.
He only knew he had killed people, unaware of any changes in himself.
But the people of the Soul Punishment Sect could see the change, and the executioner's spirit blade in his hand could see it too.
The lonely ghosts in the Ma Family Ancestral Hall, who lacked offerings, could also see it.
Therefore, as soon as he arrived, these lonely ghosts suddenly turned into a gust of cold wind, rushing towards him. Even Young Master Lu, Old Monkey, and the others, including Hu Ma, were too scared to open their eyes.
It felt as if the cold wind was blowing into their faces, draining the life from their bodies and freezing their blood.
But when the taciturn man's eyes turned red, the wind around him seemed to be startled.
Around him, seven or eight shadows appeared, circling his body and roaring, their fangs bared and their ferocity evident.
The black shadows in front of the ancestral hall seemed like a disturbed beehive, rushing forward viciously and then retreating with a buzz.
Some of the pale, stiff faces showed long-lost fear, and some were so intimidated by his ferocity that they knelt down in a daze.
There were also some who had lost their ability to discern, rushing forward in a rush, like a tide of cold wind.
But the ferocious taciturn man seemed to know no fear. Surrounded by evil spirits, he actually let out a rare chuckle.
He swung the broken knife without any technique, but each swing sent out layers of cold aura, engaging in a fierce battle with the mass of evil spirits.
It was as if a huge vortex had formed around him, drawing all the surrounding evil and filth towards him, giving the others a chance to move.
Seeing this, Hu Ma and the others quickly moved forward.
Taking advantage of the endless evil spirits being held back by the taciturn man, they rushed into the main gate of the ancestral hall without looking back.
It was a small courtyard, hidden among the pines and cypresses, with a waist-high stone wall surrounding it. Inside, the courtyard was overgrown with weeds.
The ancestral hall was a large stone house with a half-open, rotten wooden door and eaves covered in spider webs. It looked as if no one had set foot inside for a long time.
"Finally, we're in..."
As soon as Young Master Lu entered the courtyard, he immediately turned around and blocked the entrance to the small courtyard of the ancestral hall.
Outside, the fierce and taciturn man was being entangled by the ancestors of the Ma family, making it difficult to break free. From a distance, it seemed that the yin filth from the Ma family ancestral hall had the upper hand, given their numbers. However, he had no intention of helping the man. He simply left him to his fate and closed the door...
...It was just a rotten wooden fence, barely qualifying as a door.
"Give it to me quickly!"
Standing in front of the door, he quickly drew something, as if casting a spell on the wooden fence, while shouting softly to those behind him.
Old Monkey immediately handed him two paper figures. He placed the two paper figures on either side of the door and quickly took out a pen to draw eyes on them. The moment he drew the eyes, the paper figures stiffly turned halfway and looked out toward the courtyard, as if guarding the door.
Then, Old Monkey handed him the white lantern.
The lantern was still lit, but the moths inside, after being used for soul calling on the way, had decreased by about seven or eight. However, there were still more than ten left, fluttering around inside.
He hung the white lantern behind the paper figures, poked a hole in it, and the moths immediately flew out. But they didn't fly away; instead, they circled the lantern, flying up and down in a chaotic manner.
No one dared to interrupt as they watched him work.
Only after he hung the lantern did he seem to relax a bit, turning around to look at the half-open wooden door of the ancestral hall. A sinister smile spread across his face. "Finally, it's time to see the real thing."
"Gentlemen, my junior sister is inside. The techniques of the Soul Punishment Sect are not adept at combat and are far inferior to yours. I spent a lot of silver to come here, so I ask you to go in and tie her up for me, so no one can interfere with my treasure hunt."
"..."
"This..."
Whether it was the man with the flying knives or the other wandering heroes, they all showed signs of hesitation.
They had been hired by this master for a large sum of money, but from the time they climbed the mountain until now, they hadn't really had a chance to prove their worth. Only the man with the flying knives had a chance to be useful, but his skills were lacking, and he not only failed to help but also lost face.
Now that it was time for the crucial task, they naturally had to put in their best effort to avoid any dissatisfaction with their payment later.
However, they had seen too much of the Soul Punishment Sect's techniques on the way, and their hearts were filled with fear. Where did they have the confidence?
"Be more careful."
Old Monkey said, "Master, don't be stingy. At this critical moment, give us some soul-protecting talismans."
Young Master Lu frowned slightly but still took out several papers with strange patterns from his chest and whispered, "Here, at this place, she can only call a few souls. Once you stick the yellow paper, you won't have to fear her."
He distributed the yellow papers one by one.
Old Monkey, without hesitation, spat on his fingers and stuck a piece of yellow paper on his face. It was about the size of a palm, covering most of his face.
The other two men with sallow faces did the same, sticking the yellow paper on their faces. Seeing this, the man with the flying knives and the other wandering heroes hesitated for a moment but, given the fright they had endured on the journey, they didn't have the luxury to think much and stuck the yellow paper on their faces as well.
When it was Hu Ma's turn, he was already prepared and took the yellow paper, but looking at it, he felt a strange sense of unease...
"Yellow paper on the face..."
He suddenly remembered the job he had taken, to investigate the death of the wealthy Shen family, who were loyal to the Red Lantern Lady. That entire family had been brutally killed in one night, and the faces of the dead were all covered with yellow paper, which looked remarkably similar to these yellow papers...
"This is also within the Blue Robe Gang's area of activity. This person seems to be connected to the Blue Robe Gang..."
"Can it be this coincidental?"
"..."
While Hu Ma was hesitating with the yellow paper in his hand, Young Master Lu looked over and said, "Brother Zhou, what are you hesitating about?"
"Do you not trust me?"
"..."
At this, everyone's gaze turned to Hu Ma.
Hu Ma was taken aback for a moment but then smiled and said, "Nothing, at this point, would I really back out?"
As he spoke, he stuck the yellow paper on his face without using saliva, as sweat had already formed on his face, and it stuck easily.
Old Monkey, who had also stuck a yellow paper on his face, exchanged a glance with Young Master Lu, a faint smile appearing in their eyes.
Seeing that Hu Ma had also stuck the yellow paper on his face, the others' gazes finally shifted away.
Everyone who was working together had stuck the yellow paper, and it would have seemed odd if he was the only one who didn't.
Moreover, they had endured great hardships to get here, and now was the moment to see the real thing. No one dared to be careless. They all turned around, took out their weapons, and cautiously approached the half-open door, step by step.
As they got closer to the wooden door, the yin qi inside became more and more oppressive, as if a cold wind was blowing out, but it was blocked by the yellow paper on their faces.
The yellow paper really worked!
(End of Chapter)
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