Chapter 45

Not only the green leaves, but everyone present became terrified, and the atmosphere suddenly turned strange.

Suddenly, Duan Qingshan joked, "Impressive, Lüye! I never expected your family to have such a story. Why didn't you tell me about it before?"

"This is just something passed down by the elders; we never took it seriously! If Mr. Li hadn't mentioned Hujiawan, I wouldn't have thought of it at all."

"Lüye, tell me now, where is that village?" I couldn't wait to know the location. I was certain it was the place Song Liuyan had mentioned.

A long time ago, the blind man, the one-eared man, and the woman's screams all matched up!

Qin Lüye said, "It's in our city, but it's in the farthest county. The place is very remote, and the roads are bad, so not many people know about it. There used to be a village there, but now, because it's so remote and not many people live there, and the roads are hard to build, our village and the surrounding villages have all moved out!"

"So, that place has become a deserted village, right?" I looked at Qin Lüye and asked.

Lüye nodded and said, "Yes, it can be considered a deserted village."

"Can cars go in?"

"They can go in, but the roads are bad, so you need a jeep to get there. In recent years, many adventure enthusiasts have taken this as a gimmick to explore inside." Qin Lüye said, opening her phone and showing it to me. "This streamer is from out of town and often explores haunted places. She has millions of followers and is a big streamer. Her latest update was a week ago when she went to our village."

I took Qin Lüye's phone, and everyone gathered around to look. It was a girl, one of those who make a living by streaming, often exploring various places with ghost stories circulating online.

She had been to abandoned hospitals, abandoned funeral parlors, and haunted buildings, among other places.

However, her last update was a week ago, and she had gone to Hujiawan.

"So, could she have encountered a ghost in Hujiawan, and possibly already met with misfortune?" Huang Yiyi voiced the thought that everyone had but hadn't said out loud.

I returned the phone to Qin Lüye and said, "Forget about her! It's not our concern. Lüye, how long does it take to get to Hujiawan from here? Can we drive to the village?"

Qin Lüye nodded and said, "Six hours, and we can drive to the village. Mr. Li, you don't mean to go there, do you?"

I nodded and said, "Yes, I have calculated that the female ghost who can save Wang Shuo is in Hujiawan. I must find her. Lüye, are you willing to go with me? You know the way, and with you, it will be more efficient."

Qin Lüye exclaimed, "Ah," and turned to look at her master, He Zhongtian.

"Once Wang Shuo is cured, your master will be fine too!" I added.

Qin Lüye, who was originally hesitant, now nodded firmly. "Then I'm willing to go."

He Zhongtian, though a disgrace to the school, had brought up such two disciples, which was also his good fortune.

"Li Yao, I want to go with you too." Huang Yiyi looked at me with concern, her eyes expressing her worry.

I shook my head and said, "No need, you have school tomorrow, and we don't know how long we'll be gone."

Huang Yiyi's face showed disappointment!

"But..." Lüye suddenly said, "I can't drive; I don't have a driver's license."

I looked at Duan Qingshan. "Then he can go with us! He can drive. We'll leave early tomorrow morning. Prepare enough food for at least five days."

"Alright, I'll go back and get some sleep. I listened to the guzheng all night last night."

With that, I didn't wait for Duan Qingshan's reaction and walked out of his living room.

But I suddenly remembered something I hadn't asked, so I stopped, turned to He Zhongtian, and asked, "Do you know about the Xuanmen?"

This was an important matter, and I almost forgot!

Song Liuyan said that only someone from the Xuanmen could break the formation. So I needed someone from the Xuanmen. I didn't even know what the Xuanmen was, so I had to find out first.

I grew up in the village, and my grandfather taught me everything I know. I had never heard of the Xuanmen.

He Zhongtian nodded and said, "Yes, I know. My great-grandmaster came from the Xuanmen and brought my master with him when he left. The Xuanmen is said to be the pinnacle of our mystic arts. My master once said that it has the best resources. However, they have a family-based lineage and rarely show themselves. Even when they take on disciples, they rarely impart their true teachings. If they step in to solve a problem, it must be a significant issue, like the famous Heilongjiang dragon incident, where they made the dragon return to the water."

As I expected, the Xuanmen that Song Liuyan mentioned had this origin.

"Do you know more than that?"

He Zhongtian hesitated and asked, "Mr. Li, what do you want to know?"

"Can you find someone from the Xuanmen?"

I wasn't interested in what the Xuanmen did, as the most important thing was to solve Song Liuyan's problem.

"Well..." He Zhongtian said awkwardly, "I can't. They are too far from me."

"Alright!"

I didn't continue asking because He Zhongtian didn't know.

Huang Yiyi drove me to the apartment. She didn't speak the whole way, and her face showed some displeasure.

"What's wrong?" I asked Huang Yiyi, a bit puzzled. Huang Yiyi usually liked to chat, and this sudden silence made me uncomfortable.

Huang Yiyi pursed her lips and said, "Why didn't you let me go with you? I can drive too! My family has a jeep, and I can bring it out tomorrow."

So it was about this. I sighed and said, "You have school tomorrow, and I don't know how long it will take to solve the problem in that village. It will take time."

This matter was dangerous, and Song Liuyan had said that only someone from the Xuanmen could handle it. If Huang Yiyi went, I was afraid something might happen to her. If she got hurt, I would never be able to rest easy, even in death.

"Alright!" Huang Yiyi said, her voice filled with reluctance.

"Did you stay up all night last night?" I asked, looking at the bloodshot eyes of Huang Yiyi.

Huang Yiyi huffed and pouted, "You're overthinking it. I slept for a long time, from the moment you went in."

She was lying! It was obvious, and she was just being moody. I sighed helplessly and shook my head.