Early the next morning, Yuan Fei came to call me for boxing practice, but I declined. Each time he hits me, I have to circulate my Dao energy several times to alleviate the pain.(Reddit)
Yuan Fei asked, "What, are you scared?"
Having spent time together, we were familiar with each other. I rolled my eyes and said, "You big oaf, just wait. Sooner or later, I'll knock you down."
Yuan Fei snorted disdainfully. Seeing Huang Jiu and me preparing talismans and ritual tools, he asked, "Need any help?"
"No need. Just make sure to protect my aunt and the others."
I was preparing these just in case, worried that someone might slip through the net.
In the evening, I ate my fill and told Xiao Cui not to wait up for me, to go to sleep if she felt tired.
Xu Wanrong noticed something unusual and kept following me. I didn't intend to leave her out. Around ten o'clock, Huang Jiu, Xu Wanrong, and I left the villa.
Along the way, I didn't sense anyone tailing us. There were two possibilities: either the ones following us were far more powerful than Huang Jiu and me, making them undetectable, or they had focused all their attention on the Empty House.
To prevent them from attacking us on the way, Huang Jiu and I took three different routes, choosing relatively busy areas. As we approached the Empty House, we rushed in at top speed.
It was Xu Wanrong's first time there. Seeing the starving ghosts and the confused spirits pondering life, her face turned pale.
I, on the other hand, relaxed upon arrival. I whispered to Xu Wanrong, "If someone attacks us here, remember to do nothing and just follow me."
Xu Wanrong didn't know my plan, but she trusted me.
Huang Jiu set up a small formation to conceal our presence. I hid Xiao Cui's earring inside it. The whole process took about ten minutes, and the three of us quickly exited the house.
Once outside, I remained silent and walked slowly. At that moment, I dispersed my soul, sensing the situation inside the Empty House through the soul energy left in the Yin Jade.
This kind of sensing was far inferior to the visual transmission from the Earth Dog Star, so I was very cautious, afraid of missing the right moment to activate the formation.
Huang Jiu knew I was dispersing my soul and transformed into human form to guard me.
Just as we were leaving the alley where the Empty House was located, I suddenly stopped and said, "They've entered."
Huang Jiu asked, "Has the formation been activated?"
I whispered, "Seven have entered, but five more are heading there from the Earth Dog Star's position. Should we wait?"
In this situation, I was unsure. Not including those five made me feel unwilling, but waiting might risk them discovering that the Longevity Token was a decoy.
Huang Jiu saw my breathing quicken and said, "Let's bet on your luck. The more we can eliminate now, the better. If we miss this chance, we won't be able to deal with them later. Even if we can fight them, it won't be easy to strike against people from the Xuan World."
I took a deep breath and said, "Then let's bet!"
This wasn't purely a gamble. If it was, it was a bet on human nature.
Yesterday, the conversation between Huang Jiu and me had spread. They wouldn't care about the truth; the higher-ups would come to see for themselves.
Moreover, they wouldn't allow any side to act first.
When trust is absent between people, it's a terrifying thing.
Two minutes later, the aura inside the Empty House remained, totaling seven. The five who arrived later also rushed in.
Almost as soon as they entered, I immediately activated the formation.
In the dark night, a ghostly light flashed across the sky above the Empty House, and the sky in that area darkened, becoming a shade darker than the surroundings.
Xu Wanrong's eyes lit up, wanting to go check.
I pulled her back and said, "I set up a Five Ghosts Killing God Formation. Anyone inside who isn't at the Ascension Realm will undoubtedly die."
Xu Wanrong didn't understand the contents of Zuo Daoran's notes, but she sensed the gravity and didn't insist on going.
Huang Jiu knew I had activated the formation and urged, "Hurry back. If the Five Ghosts can't be sent off, the Plague God can help."
Once the formation is activated, it must last at least two hours. After the power weakens, the Five Ghosts will start to wander and devour their master.
Before that, I wouldn't be in danger and planned to stay and observe.
When a Feng Shui formation is activated, the energy field is closed, but at this moment, the sky was filled with anomalies, changing from black to a ghostly blue, as if a ghost gate was opening.
After about ten minutes, a muffled sound came from that direction, and a beam of light broke through the formation, shooting into the sky.
Xu Wanrong exclaimed, "A strong Ascension Realm cultivator!"
As she spoke, we saw someone staggering out of the Empty House.
My expression changed, but I quickly felt joy.
The formation hadn't been broken, and everyone inside was trapped except him.
Moreover, he was heading straight toward the Earth Dog Star's hidden location, and the visuals were clearly transmitted to me. He was seriously injured and collapsed after walking a hundred meters.
I informed Huang Jiu of the situation, and he immediately said, "What are we waiting for? Strike while he's down."
I initially had the same thought, but another idea quickly replaced it. I told Huang Jiu, "Go notify Dahei and have him send his subordinates to follow this person."
They hadn't found anyone from the Ten Thousand Mountains for days; this might be an opportunity.
An Ascension Realm cultivator—there shouldn't be many in this city.
And the one who escaped used orthodox techniques, likely from the Xuan World. Seriously injured, he wouldn't easily return to his sect.
After all, when someone of high status gets into trouble, many will speculate.
He had done some shady things and wouldn't want to leave any evidence.
To heal, he might seek out people from the Ten Thousand Mountains.
After a brief explanation, Huang Jiu said, "Then you shouldn't stay here either. Go back quickly and leave the rest to me."
I nodded, retrieved the Earth Dog Star, and ran home with Xu Wanrong. Upon entering, I told Zhan Ling, "Be extra vigilant tonight."
After giving instructions, I went to the second floor to grab the items I had prepared in advance and headed straight to the third floor.
I didn't greet the Plague God and quickly dumped out the items in the third-floor living room, swiftly setting up an altar and placing five thumb-sized clay figurines on it.
These five clay figurines were parts separated from the five people in the Empty House, connected by shared energy.
The Plague God was awakened by the commotion I made. Seeing my setup, he asked, "Did you use the Spirit-Summoning Technique?"
"Not exactly, but close!" I was a bit nervous and directly offered my middle finger's blood.
If this didn't work, I'd have to accept the consequences.
The Plague God's brows furrowed, and he asked, "What did you summon?"
Since I needed his help, I had to inform him. I honestly said, "I set up a Five Ghosts Killing God Formation in the Empty House."
The Plague God seemed to know this formation, and his expression changed dramatically. He said, "Nonsense! Summoning ghosts in the Empty House—with such meager offerings, you can't send them off."