Chapter 43

After returning to the fragrant room, the old man said to Wu Mian, "It should be here, no doubt. I must say, your Master Dafang's skills in hiding things have really improved. Think carefully, did he give you any hints on the map at all?"

After Wu Mian gave a definite answer, Gui Bu gui blinked his eyes and pondered for a moment. After a while, he said again, "How about this? Since Yin Bai has already run away, nothing will happen to this large house in the short term. Let's try to find it for two days. If we can't find it in two days, we'll call everyone who is waiting to die in the house, and we'll lift the floorboards and dig until we find something."

Gui Bu gui's suggestion was a last resort. With no other options, they had to do this. The two of them searched the fragrant room for a long time, until the sky turned dark and it was almost dusk. Only then did they give up and head to the front hall together.

When the two of them arrived at the front hall, it was already full of people. Wu Zhen was already anxious, as the two gentlemen had not informed him what to do in the evening when they left in the morning. It was already approaching dusk, and the time for the lottery was almost here, but the two gentlemen had not returned. He did not dare to make a decision on his own about whether to draw the lots or not.

At this moment, Gui Bu gui and Wu Mian strolled into the front hall. Wu Zhen hurried over and said to the old and young man, "You're finally back. Should we draw the lots tonight or...?" The head steward's words were polite, and after the scene in the morning, it was not surprising to others. However, some people began to think, "It looks like the good days for Steward Wu are over. From now on, the ones who will have the final say in the governor's mansion will likely be this old and young man."

Before he could finish speaking, Gui Bu gui chuckled and said, "Draw, why not? We've been busy all day, and we need something to keep us alert tonight. Who's first? Hurry up, the good times are almost over."

Usually, when drawing lots, everyone was anxious and fearful. Those who didn't draw the lot were secretly relieved, while those who did often collapsed on the spot and were carried out of the front hall, waiting to die in the darkness outside. Now, with Gui Bu gui's interference, the solemn atmosphere had lightened considerably. A weak voice from the back of the crowd said, "Weak, weak one hook..."

No one understood what the person was saying, and they all turned to look at where the voice came from. They saw the strong man who had lost all his front teeth from the half-baked pancake Wu Mian threw in the morning standing there timidly. He had meant to say, "I, I'll go first," but with his mouth full of gaps, this was the best he could manage.

Wu Mian took a bamboo stick and used his palm to cover most of it, leaving only a small part of the tip exposed. The man hesitated for a long time before finally drawing a bamboo stick about five inches long. When he saw the stick, the onlookers all sighed in relief, and their eyes turned to the man, who was now staring in shock. Some people began to whisper, "What day is it today? The first one to draw the death lot..."

The man who drew the lot stared at the bamboo stick in his hand, his legs giving way as he fell to the ground, trembling uncontrollably. This was not the first time such a scene had occurred, and Wu Zhen had already signaled for four strong men to grab the man's limbs and carry him out of the front hall. The four men lifted him and walked out.

Gui Bu gui watched the man being carried out with a smile, muttering to himself, "I didn't expect this to be a favor to him. This little bastard has good luck." Everyone except Wu Mian thought the old man was gloating, but they didn't know that Gui Bu gui was genuinely praising his luck. Yin Bai had fled, and from tonight on, there would be no more danger in the governor's mansion. A moment later, the four men who carried the man returned, and Wu Zhen ordered the front hall door to be closed, waiting for the results of the offering to the gods.

After the front hall door was closed, the people did not leave through the back corridor to return to their rooms. They sat in their seats, distractedly staring at the leftover food on the table. Wu Mian and Gui Bu gui didn't understand what they were doing, but Gui Bu gui's mind was elsewhere. He seemed to have suddenly remembered something but was unsure, blinking his eyes and staring at the front hall door.

After eating a few bites, Wu Mian said to Wu Zhen, "Aren't all the people who are offering to the gods gone? Why aren't you dispersing?"

Wu Zhen smiled and said, "It's just the beginning. We need to stay here until midnight. If the people outside have already offered to the gods before midnight, it's a sign from the gods that we need to select another person to offer. We will need to draw lots again to determine the next person. Only if nothing happens by midnight can we go back to rest."

Just as Wu Zhen finished speaking, Wu Mian's eyes suddenly became sharp. At the same time, a strong demonic aura surged into the front hall from outside. Almost simultaneously, a distant scream was heard, and the aura of the man who had been carried out disappeared.

"Wrong!" Gui Bu gui jumped up from his seat, shouting, "We were wrong. There's not just one Yin Bai! That wolf pup was just guarding the fragrant room! The main one can't come out during the day, but now it's come to take revenge."

As the old man spoke, the front hall door was slammed open, and a black shadow wrapped in mist slowly crawled in on all fours. This was the first time anyone had seen such a scene, and in extreme panic, someone shouted, "Everyone run! Whoever can survive, survive!"

Before the words were even finished, almost everyone ran towards the back corridor. The black shadow did not chase them but instead growled fiercely at Wu Mian and Gui Bu gui. As the black shadow appeared, countless electric arcs emerged from Wu Mian's body, illuminating the area around him like daylight, creating a stark contrast with the black shadow at the door.

Wu Mian and the black shadow faced off. It was clear that the black shadow was wary of the electric arcs, otherwise it would have attacked Wu Mian immediately. Seeing the black shadow's hesitation, Wu Mian did not hesitate. He raised his right hand and sent a series of electric arcs towards the black shadow.

Just as the electric arcs were about to hit the black shadow, the space around it suddenly distorted. The black shadow then disappeared into the air. Almost at the same time, the black shadow reappeared a few feet from Wu Mian and pounced at him again.

Wu Mian seemed to have anticipated this. The electric arcs on his body concentrated into a massive arc, which struck the black shadow solidly. With a scream, the black shadow's mist was dispelled, revealing a large white wolf inside.

Unlike Yin Bai, this white wolf was white from head to tail, with only a black fur stripe on the back of its neck. The stripe extended down its back and split into two, running down the sides of its legs, resembling wings. The white wolf growled and pounced at Wu Mian.

Gui Bu gui, who had been ready to run, saw that Wu Mian was gaining the upper hand and returned. Upon seeing the white wolf's appearance, his face suddenly changed, and he shouted to Wu Mian, "It's a tengu! Use lightning to strike it! Don't let it open its mouth!"

As Gui Bu gui spoke, Wu Mian sent several more electric arcs. However, after the white wolf emerged from the mist, it seemed more agile. It dodged the electric arcs in mid-air, and Wu Mian's arcs hit the ground just inches away from the wolf.

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