Chapter 326 - Corpse Demons (1/2)
“M-Meow! Don’t scare me!”
Everyone produced orbs of light to illuminate their surroundings. What greeted them were numerous deep lakes of maroon-colored water. Next to every lake was a large locust tree, some of which had their roots protruding from the ground and winding around the lake like veins and arteries. The roots were so tightly wounded that they were a horrifying sight from afar.
Qingyu and Liu Feiyan turned pale from fright. “H-How could there be so many locust trees and pools of blood? Is that human blood inside…”
“L-Locust trees…” Zhiluan was so frightened that he fell, sitting on the ground. In a trembling voice, he said, “Locust trees gather dark energy and easily attract evil spirits. That’s why most people wouldn’t plant a locust tree in their yards. Legend has it that under every locust tree is a mass grave of people who have died tragically and then turned into vengeful ghosts. Every year at this time, they would find a scapegoat. Here…”
Unable to take it anymore, Liu Feiyan clapped her hands over her ears and screeched, “Argh! Stop talking! Xiao Chen, discipline your cat!”
Xiao Chen walked over to Zhiluan and kicked him aside. “Yeah, yeah, you’re the only one who knows all these stories! Stop spouting nonsense, will ya?”
The kick sent Zhiluan tumbling and rolling on the ground. When he got up, he continued saying in a trembling voice, “No! I’m telling you the truth! The lake… isn’t filled with blood! It’s the water of the Yellow Springs, the kind you’d find only in the Underworld!”
“Yellow Springs water!”
The group turned grim-faced. Yu Yifeng said in alarm, “What’s that over there?!”
Everyone turned to look and saw a piece of land in the distance covered with red-colored flowers. With their red-as-blood petals and thin stamens growing upward from within, they looked incredibly demonic.
Bai Yushu said quietly, “The books mention that the flowers of the Yellow Springs blossom three feet away from the road. Could those be the flowers of the Yellow Springs…? Could it be that we have truly walked into the Underworld that governs the death of commoners?”
These words left the group in disbelief. Ling Fei’s expression turned stern as he said harshly, “I don’t believe in any Underworld that governs the death of commoners!” He then aimed a palm attack at the nearest locust tree. Following the rustling of the leaves, the entire tree shook alongside the leaves, so much so that it produced an eerie hissing sound.
Several trees nearby began shaking as well. In an instant, all the locust trees here quaked and the sinister hissing sounds reverberated throughout. Everyone felt their scalps go numb from fright.
“Stop trying to scare us with your petty tricks!” Ling Fei bellowed, wanting to take out his Immortal’s Sword and cut down a tree or two. Xiao Chen glared at him. “What do you think you’re doing?!”
“What I’m doing? Cutting down these trees!” Suddenly, he staggered and nearly fell. It was as if someone had given him a shove.
“Who pushed me?!” Ling Fei whipped around, unable to restrain his anger. Seeing Wan Yanyan standing behind him, he yelled, “Why did you push me?!”
Wan Yanyan was bewildered. “I didn’t push you…”
“Argh!” Out of the blue, a screech shattered the atmosphere. Everyone turned around and saw a pale-looking Qingyu. Xiao Chen frowned. “What’s wrong?”
Qingyu shuddered nonstop as if something had frightened her. She could barely get the words out of her mouth. “Girl! There’s a girl! I just saw a little girl in red running past me! She’s carrying a terrifying puppet on her back!”
Everyone exchanged looks before scanning their surroundings. Other than the eighteen of them, there was no sign of a little girl in red anywhere. Zhou Li walked over to Qingyu and said, “It’s alright, Junior Sister Qingyu. Stop scaring yourself…”
Before he could finish his sentence, another screech pierced the air. This time, it came from Liu Feiyan. She was so frightened that her face was white. “I saw her! I saw her too! Argh! She’s right behind you!”
Xiao Chen immediately whipped around. Other than feeling a gust of cold wind sweeping him, he saw nothing else. The rest took out their Immortal’s Swords and magic treasures, all on guard.
Xu Gu put his palms together. “All with appearances is empty and false. If you can see all appearances as unreal, then you see the Tathagata…” It wasn’t until he planted the Vajrapani Drives Out the Devil Seal between both girls’ brows that they finally calmed down a little.
Xiao Chen unsheathed his Unsullied Immortal’s Sword and said seriously, “May I ask whoever senior it is to show himself or herself?” His voice echoed in the space but no reply answered him.
After a long time, a wispy voice reverberated. The voice sounded both as close as if it was next to everyone’s ears yet distant at the same time. It sounded like a little girl slowly singing a folksong. “Amid the red flowers and red moon, I ride a horse across the bridge; Uncles and Older Brothers are all dead, I carry my Brother up the bridge…”
The singing was sinister and the last line was especially hair-raising. Not even covering their ears helped for the sound was clear. Xiao Chen’s expression turned increasingly solemn. Red flowers? Red moon? Puppet? He didn’t think the girl was singing about the red flowers blooming everywhere here, but rather…