up in jail!""Heh heh, I'm not a stranger to jail."The two voices gradually faded away, and I let out a slight sigh of relief. I glanced around this small courtyard.The house was covered in dust, its...This isn't the kind of secluded, sprawling manor I had in mind. After all, in an ordinary village, a house that stands out too much would be detrimental to hiding.

Those who walk in the circle tend to be low-key. Being ostentatious only invites trouble.

This week's houses were all ordinary, so why could Mu Wanchen tell at a glance which one was his home

"... This is a feeling, you can't tell by looking with your eyes, can't you also feel many strange things now" Mu Wanchen reached out and pulled me across the field.

Here it seems like there aren't many families living here. The fields are cracked and dry, and there's a plastic bag blowing around from somewhere.

I really want to complain about why phone flashlights are always cold light. It's really not considerate of us "workplace" people who have to work at night.

As the white cold light fell on the fluttering broken plastic bag, my heart clenched.

When I got to the front door of that old house, I didn't dare push it open. Instead, I walked around the courtyard wall.

This has no several rooms that go back and forth, looking at the roof is just two sides front and back, there are only six or seven houses in total, but there is a secret passage here, perhaps Xi Lingzhou is hiding inside.

…Won’t she die

If there's still life, then there must be food and water, right How long could we possibly hide here

She's definitely going to forage for food. With everyone in the neighborhood having moved out, there must be some leftovers, like dried goods and things that are easier to get from water sources.

"But then, what's the difference between us and... animals" I whispered.

Sometimes hatred can cloud one's judgment, and she was already not mentally clear to begin with. Living like an animal, relying purely on instinct is also quite normal... Let's go in and take a look." Mu Wanchen pushed open the door.

The rusty iron gate was left ajar, with the doorknob reeking of blood.

I took a picture with my phone, a black bloodstain on the ground.

This must be Zhaojie being attacked. In a panic, I rushed her to the hospital. I didn't have time to think or care if Xi Lingzhou would come out and hurt people...

Mu Wanchen drew out a talisman and burned it, the paper ash and blue smoke being blown toward the old house by the night wind.

"Hey, isn't this supposed to alert her that someone's entered" I asked, confused.

"Otherwise It's better to let her know someone is here, she has time to distinguish the danger or not, otherwise if we suddenly startle her, she might go mad and attack recklessly without reason." Mu Wanchen's eyelashes fluttered slightly.

I know he doesn't want to kill.

Actually, killing is a very disgusting thing. Looking at a motionless corpse or a pile of indescribable scraps of skin and flesh makes you feel depressed and sick.

Normal people wouldn't like this kind of scene, let alone those who cultivate the Tao.

"...Right now, you shouldn't see those broken and bloody scenes. They'll shock your mind and be bad for your body." Mu Wanchen reached out and touched my head.

"If she can still be saved, I'll take her back to Lianlong. If not, then I can only imprison her here. As for what to do with her afterward, let the Mu family decide. After all, she is still a living person of status."

As he spoke, he walked around to the back yard.

I followed him, always feeling a strange smell in this small courtyard—like rotting flesh, faintly foul.

Both the front and back yards had three rooms. Zhao Jie should have been attacked in the main house of the back yard, with black bloodstains on the stone slabs in the corridor.

"Wàn Chén, I think it smells really bad here..." I said, covering my nose and whispering.

It seems like pregnant women are especially sensitive to smells in early pregnancy. This faint stench makes me feel dizzy and lightheaded.

Mu Wanchen turned to look at me: "If you're uncomfortable, would you like to go outside I'll have Gu Ling guard you so you don't get..."

I scratched my head, I think I should back out. I'm, uh, pregnant now.

Mu Wanchen's eyes told me he knew I wanted to leave. He nodded slightly, raised his hand and made a gesture, Diao'er Xuan Yue and Scorpion Ling Zheng climbed onto my shoulders along his arm.

Since the last time she almost got swallowed, Xuan Yue has become very nervous. She probably thinks it's much more dangerous here than inside the Fa Men, so now she doesn't dare to perch on my shoulder anymore. She always keeps an attacking stance.

I backed away while turning to look at Mu Wanchen.

Spiders bound out from around him, their silken threads swirling as they crawled towards the well, as if to investigate its depths.

I had a little curiosity, but I was also afraid that the smell might have a bad effect on my body. I hurried to the gate of the yard and waited.

In the village nestled amidst the mountains, only a few lights pierced the darkness. Most of it was shrouded in blackness, danger lurking within the shadows. Any sound or movement, however slight, sent shivers down one's spine.

I seem to have heard footsteps.

The faint rustling sound of footsteps on a sandy path in the countryside.

The footsteps were light as a ghost, but there was indeed someone outside!

I dared not shout Mu Wanchen's name. He wasn't far from me, but if I called out loud, I would surely alert the "people" outside the courtyard!

Is it man or ghost, or monster What kind of demons and spirits appear here

I held my breath, backing up against the wall of the courtyard, nervously staring at the unguarded iron gate.

The slight footstep paused outside the courtyard gate for a moment, then went forward—had it left

It seems there are still some holdouts in this village who haven't moved yet Could they be ordinary residents

I thought about it for a moment, and decided to take a look outside. I reached up and touched Xuan Yue's fluffy tail that was wrapped around my neck. Xuan Yue stood up and prepared to jump down.

Just then, two fingers appeared in the crack of the iron door.

I was stunned for a moment, and I pulled Xuan Yue into a hug, covering my own mouth with my hand.

This is a human hand.

Without light, I couldn't tell a man from a woman.

Then the two fingers gently pulled open the iron gate, and a pair of slightly bulging eyes peeked out from the crack, secretly sizing up the inside.

A burglar breaking in That's what I realized.

To talk about breaking in, we also broke in.

If he were just an ordinary person, I wouldn't be so afraid. I reached up and took Lingzheng off my shoulder, ready to have him bite him.

Who knew these eyes were only watching at the door, looked after a while, and then left!

What is this for

Wanna come check it out first

I stood there for a moment, hesitating whether to chase after him. Suddenly, I heard a dull thud followed by several howls that sounded like ghostly wails.

Mú Wǎn chén appeared beside me almost instantly: "What's wrong!"

"...There seems to be someone outside, maybe a thief." I pointed with my finger and mouthed the words to him.

Behind him, the Soulbinder crawled along the ground, its thread-like body encasing a pile of something indistinct.

Where's Xi Lingzhou I asked with my eyes.

Mu Wanchen shook his head slightly, indicating that they would talk later.

He clasped me around the waist, didn't touch the iron gate, but opened a magical portal, leading me out of the courtyard.

We stood behind a tree at the edge of the field, and saw the scene in front of us.

Two dark figures stood at the edge of the field, one black figure fell into the ditch at the bottom of the field and was struggling.

Who are these people...

"Master, this person has a very heavy stench!"t is no longer Han territory. Due to poverty and social instability, most of them believe in wandering healers or so-called high monks."“Raising ghosts also requires finesse. Generally, children under...