Why did you come back with the Black Dragon Tail Ring if it causes harm? When her blind eyes were healed, the first time she saw Xi Fuhong, she thought this woman looked very ordinary, the kind of person who would be easily forgotten in a crowd.
But her voice was unforgettable.
The words of concern when she was blind, the warmth from her palm, the steadiness when being led… “Miss Xi…” Xiao Qiyu spoke softly, her eyes open but not looking at Xi Fuhong.
“What?” Xi Fuhong turned her head, looking at her jade-like profile.
──Are you helping others so selflessly without any purpose? Xiao Qiyu recalled asking her this before, and at that time, Xi Fuhong didn’t give her an answer.
“What’s wrong?” After a while without a response, Xi Fuhong awkwardly raised her voice to ask again.
This time, Xiao Qiyu turned her head, her smile unchanged.
“It’s nothing.” No matter what the answer is to her… it doesn’t mean anything.
As night fell, with no stars or moon, Xiao Qiyu opened her eyes and looked up.
The dark clouds in the sky never dispersed.
As expected, influenced by resentment and corpse energy, this place and the human world have already developed cracks.
If left unchecked, it might become a ghost town.
But she didn’t come to exorcise ghosts.
With a flick of her slender hand, five black shadows suddenly darted back to the shadow at her feet.
Xiao Qiyu loosened the reins tied to the tree trunk, patting the horses to let them leave first.
Turning around, she squatted in front of Xi Fuhong and said, “Miss Xi, wake up, it’s time to go.”
Xi Fuhong’s eyelashes trembled, and she opened her eyes drowsily.
She saw Xiao Qiyu leaving her side, standing by the roadside, seemingly looking at something.
After yawning a few times, she stood up by the tree.
It was pitch black around, but strangely, she could see Xiao Qiyu clearly, as if she wasn’t affected by the night.
“How strange… why can I see you?” Xi Fuhong walked forward, suddenly tripping over a stone and almost falling.
Looking down, she realized it was a stone.
Indeed, apart from Xiao Qiyu, she couldn’t see anything clearly.
“I placed a little ghost on Miss Xi.
Those ghosts are under my care, so Miss Xi can see me so clearly.” Xiao Qiyu saw her pale face, trying hard not to scream, “Don’t be afraid, the ghost won’t harm you, and it provides protection.
If Miss Xi is still worried…”
She extended her hand, smiling gently at Xi Fuhong.
“…Thank you.” Xi Fuhong took her hand, truly afraid of this eerie place.
The long-lost warmth calmed her mood.
Indeed, just like when she held Xiao Qiyu’s hand before, the hand she held seemed to give her courage.
Xiao Qiyu squeezed her hand, silently comforting Xi Fuhong, making her ears burn red.
She stood silently beside Xiao Qiyu, awkwardly wanting to say something, when suddenly she heard a faint rustling sound in her ear.
Squinting her eyes, she couldn’t see the surrounding scenery clearly, vaguely feeling something was moving, and at a very slow pace.
Swallowing a mouthful of saliva, she didn’t intend to investigate what was moving.
Seeing this, Xiao Qiyu smiled and stepped forward.
Both of them heightened their vigilance.
In the dim light, with poor visibility, the other four senses became particularly sensitive, causing Xi Fuhong to tense up.
Any slight movement would scare her into stopping, gripping Xiao Qiyu’s hand tightly.
“Up ahead is the Ning Residence.” Xiao Qiyu glanced at Xi Fuhong, finding her shrunken appearance quite amusing.
“It seems like something… is following us…” Xi Fuhong said tremblingly as she was led by Xiao Qiyu.
Since earlier, there had been an inexplicable sense of oppression, and the rustling sound in her ear never stopped.
Although she didn’t know what it was, she sensitively felt it was like a person, yet not a person…
“It’s a zombie,” Xiao Qiyu nodded, pulling Xi Fuhong closer to walk side by side, “but not a truly evil zombie, just one moved by a resentful spirit.
They won’t harm us, just following out of curiosity.”
Hearing this, Xi Fuhong’s back instantly went cold, and even her hair stood on end.
So the rustling sound was caused by the movement of corpses.
She had just convinced herself it might be her imagination, but the figure she inadvertently saw was indeed a corpse.
Just thinking about being followed by dozens of swaying corpses made her not dare to stop, almost wanting to drag Xiao Qiyu and run.
“Miss Xi, has the Black Dragon Tail Ring reacted?” Xiao Qiyu stopped, and Xi Fuhong leaned towards her in fright.
“Wha-what?” She turned her head uneasily, pulling Xiao Qiyu to keep walking.
“The Ning Residence is here.
Miss Xi, can I take a look at the Black Dragon Tail Ring?” Xiao Qiyu patted her hand reassuringly, feeling her whole body cold.
From earlier until now, she had been extremely uneasy.
Even though she had put on the soul-stabilizing rope and held her hand, the fear hadn’t decreased, but increased.
…What’s there to fear about these corpses moved by resentful spirits? Having been accompanied by ghost spirits since childhood, Xiao Qiyu didn’t understand, only helplessly comforting.
“Is Miss Xi perhaps feeling anxious because she can’t see the direction in the dark?” she asked softly, seeing Xi Fuhong look at her with a puzzled expression.
Xiao Qiyu suddenly let go, waving her sleeve in a half-circle, chanting a spell.
Instantly, six ghostly lights appeared, surrounding them in the center.
In the flickering blue light, Xi Fuhong saw that indeed, a circle of hideous faces surrounded them.
“Ah!!!” Her legs went weak, and Xi Fuhong fell to the ground in embarrassment.
Xiao Qiyu bent down, gently stroking her head, saying, “Don’t be afraid, they won’t come over.”
Xi Fuhong stared at the zombies encircled outside the light, indeed not approaching further, not even moving.
Xi Fuhong calmed down a bit, looking up at Xiao Qiyu, seeing her unchanged smile, patiently comforting in a low voice.
Xi Fuhong nodded awkwardly, slowly standing up from the ground.
She took out the Black Dragon Tail Ring hanging on her chest, showing no abnormalities.
“The White Tiger Ring Head is indeed here,” Xiao Qiyu said with satisfaction.
Xi Fuhong was puzzled, looking down at the Black Dragon Tail Ring, “What do you mean? What’s different about this ring?”
“The Black Dragon ring is influenced by the White Tiger ring, and a layer of blue light has already encircled the ring.” She knew Xi Fuhong wasn’t a practitioner, so naturally, she couldn’t see the anomaly.
For someone like her who cultivates, she wouldn’t be as impatient as Luo Qingcheng, so she gently explained to Xi Fuhong.
“Let’s quickly get the ring, and then leave this place…” Xi Fuhong stepped forward to hold Xiao Qiyu’s hand, wanting to complete the mission quickly and escape this ghostly place.
Hearing this, Xiao Qiyu nodded and led her forward.
The surroundings illuminated by ghost fire revealed collapsed brick walls.
Xiao Qiyu took out a sheepskin map to compare the location.
As Qin Ke Yun said, this was the entrance to the cellar.
The wall was probably destroyed by Baili.
She led Xi Fuhong carefully over the stones.
Strangely, those corpses moved by resentful spirits dared not enter after the two entered the Ning Residence.
Their hideous, decaying faces were terrifying under the ghost fire, all stopping at the brick wall, not daring to step in.
Seeing this, Xi Fuhong frowned.
Although glad the corpses no longer followed, their behavior cast a shadow of worry over her heart.
Could there be something in the cellar that they feared? Is that why they dared not enter?
“Miss Xi?” Xiao Qiyu had already opened the wooden door leading to the cellar, calling back.
Xi Fuhong stood with her arms crossed, looking hesitant.
She hesitated to come to Xiao Qiyu’s side, looking down.
The old stone steps were bottomless, with cold wind occasionally blowing up, mixed with a damp, foul smell.
What could be down there? Xi Fuhong subconsciously tightened her grip on the Black Dragon Tail Ring, having a bad premonition.
“I’ll go ahead.
To avoid being attacked, I can’t hold Miss Xi’s hand.” Xiao Qiyu turned to stare at the ground.
