Chapter 005: To Kneel or Not to Kneel

He himself is the ghost! The paper figure said sternly: "The night before last, he took advantage of my inattention to seize my physical body, and that is why I attached myself to the paper figure. Did you not hear that his voice sounded different?"

The walnut itself belongs to the category of Yang wood. With continuous manipulation by human hands, it integrates with the body's vital energy and blood. Once the surface of the walnut turns red, it becomes a highly Yang object, effective in exorcising spirits and always advantageous. Some high-quality walnuts, when thrown into an area of Yin energy, can even produce explosions resembling firecrackers. Old walnuts are often rubbed against each other (Northeast walnuts), which is essentially a process of crafting magical tools.

The voice at the door sounded again: "Don't be afraid of him, he doesn't dare to kill you! When he lifts his leg off you, just throw him down!"

Old Walnut said coldly: "Do you think his voice sounds like mine? You also feel that he seems somewhat familiar, right? He is the dead child who borrowed a bit of your vitality back in the day! Think carefully..."

First, I will die, and I will not let you see it, nor do you need to send me off in my final moments!" Old Walnut pointed to his own chest: "No one can witness their own old death.

I suddenly stopped, not because I was afraid, but because that voice was too familiar—it was the old walnut, it had to be the old walnut! I have been listening to his voice for over ten years, I would never mistake it!

The old walnut let out a cold laugh, releasing the legs that were wrapped around my waist. One toe slowly pressed down on my spine as it stood up, followed closely by the other foot descending onto my head.

As the figure behind the books suddenly retracted its head, the first walnut flew past, closely brushing the top of his head. Although it did not injure his skull, it left a burning mark on his head. Instinctively, as the paper figure straightened up, the second walnut followed suit, striking directly into his head.

I had no time to think, and my whole body rushed straight towards the burning paper effigy. By the time I burst out of the temple door covered in sparks, a figure suddenly appeared in the distance—Old Walnut

I stood in place for two or three minutes, observing that neither of them spoke again. Finally, gritting my teeth, I walked towards the altar and slowly knelt down beneath it.

Old Walnut's voice echoed: "You see? The one speaking to you is a ghost"

The mountain spirits are deceitful; their ability to deceive relies on their understanding of you. They cannot inquire about matters concerning the living, but once they find a ghost, they can know everything clearly. This is also my fault, as I have never taken decisive action to eliminate all the lonely souls and wild spirits in the village.

Who should I ultimately trust

I continued to charge towards the paper figure without any reduction in momentum. Just as I was about to reach the temple entrance, I suddenly felt as if five or six people had emerged behind me. Although I did not have time to turn around and see what was happening behind me, I could clearly sense those individuals rushing towards me from all directions.

"You child..." Old Walnut shot me a fierce glare, disregarding the corpse in the picture book, and turned to leave.

After those two walnuts flew out of my hands, they stirred up a burst of red light in the air, resembling two pieces of burning coal soaring through the sky, heading straight for the paper figure—my walnuts could spark in the air, which shows how much negative energy had already gathered in the small temple

His voice clearly carried a hint of a chilling murderous intent. I could even feel his palm pressing down on my head tightening slightly, the nails of his five fingers simultaneously digging into my scalp, as if he was preparing to pierce through my skull

I nodded: "Indeed! Later I realized that if you were gone, it wouldn't harm me in any way; it would be even less likely for you to enter the paper figure's belly, as you cannot afford to lose that person."

Just as his foot was about to touch the tip of my hair, I suddenly sprang up, completely flipping the old walnut out, and then quickly turned around, pulling out two iron walnuts from my pocket and throwing them at the paper figure

I do not particularly like catalpa seeds; I prefer iron walnuts instead. Regardless of the time, I always carry a bunch of iron walnuts with me. When sending off the old walnut, I fear disturbing the spirits, and since I do not have any suitable items on hand, I can only use walnuts to ward off evil spirits.

The paper figure sneered, "If the person you are carrying were me, would I allow you to ascend the mountain like this? Think for yourself!"

Do you know everything? I was momentarily stunned

The old walnut saw me hanging my head in silence, and his heart softened: "Kid, I have taught you everything, but there is one thing you have not learned well: when the mountain eagle strikes, it recognizes no kin! The moment you see me dead, you panic, and that won't do. Let me tell you a few things that you must remember clearly..."

The old walnut did not wait for me to speak and interjected: "Secondly, even if he is your brother, friend, or relative, once he becomes a ghost, do not fully trust him. Ghosts are actually easier to manipulate than humans"

Old Walnut pointed to the corpse on the ground: "It's your business, how could they know? That was said by a ghost! Those few dead souls that linger in our village, which one have you not seen? Which one has not eaten your food? However, as long as there are more powerful ghosts to suppress them, they can sell you all out."

Just as I was about to turn back, one of the old walnut's hands pressed down on my head: "Do not stop, keep walking!"

I know he is still angry with me. After teaching me for so many years, I almost fell into the hands of a deceitful little trickster like Shan Meizi, which must have infuriated him greatly

The head of the paper figure exploded into pieces upon the impact of the walnut, and a stream of green phosphorescence shot out from its neck. In the blink of an eye, the entire paper figure was engulfed in flames, transforming into a humanoid fireball

The paper figure quickly exclaimed without waiting for others to speak: "He wants to step on you to ascend the divine platform. If he steps on the top of your head, you will undoubtedly die! You cannot move forward any longer!"

The old walnut on me clearly moved a bit: https://m.hetushu.com. "Turn around and see who is talking to you."

The paper figure never expected that I was rushing towards him not to escape, but to kill him. In just a moment of hesitation, two walnuts had already approached the paper figure's face, one after the other.

The tone of the last sentence spoken by the old walnut indeed resembles his own. He never repeats himself a third time; any statement is at most repeated twice, and after that, believe it or not, it's up to you.

Lower your head! After Old Walnut shouted just once, seven or eight walnuts flew out of his hand in quick succession, as if shot from a gun. Instinctively, I lowered my head, and behind me came a chorus of ghostly wails.

He has a breath of your vitality; he knows everything you do, do not trust him. Do you still remember that I only brought back the corpse of a woman at that time, and did not find that dead child? That is him! He has a breath of your vitality; he knows everything you think. Whether you fall for it or not depends entirely on you

When I looked back, in the small temple, apart from four burial garments that had been punctured, there was only a desiccated corpse left. I can be certain that I had never seen what that corpse looked like in life, but how could it have sought me out

But that sound clearly came from the entrance. If Old Walnut is at the door, then who is the one on my back

At this moment, I can no longer believe whether the person opposite me is indeed an old walnut

The old walnut strode over and immediately launched into a tirade against me: "The things I taught you, have you just been eating them? Can't you tell if the person sending you the message is alive or dead? Can't you distinguish between the living and the dead in the room? Can't you figure out if the call is going to the underworld or the living world? I shouldn't have saved you; if you had died, it would have spared me some embarrassment!"

Old Walnut took a deep breath and said: "Shan Meizi knows that you have studied the law, and fearing that a direct confrontation would not be to her advantage, she devised this trick to deceive you. If it weren't for the unexpected intervention of a wild mountain spirit, you might not have been able to fully react in time, right?"

I carefully recalled that from the moment I received the notification in the county until I ascended the mountain, there were indeed many aspects that I should have noticed but did not. If it were someone else, I fear I would have long since seen through the other party's tricks. However, the ghost disguised as an old walnut has left my mind in a state of confusion, and apart from crying, I cannot comprehend anything at all

I slightly turned my head, but did not see anyone at the temple entrance. When I raised my gaze, I noticed a paper effigy of a child hanging on the door frame. I have seen many paper figures, but for some reason, that paper child struck me as exceptionally familiar, as if I had seen it somewhere before

You little rascal, I'll know when you return to the village! Old Walnut was extremely angry: "The mountain spirit has entered our home, and I am well aware of it. I just want to see if you can handle this matter properly!"

He maintained a stern expression until my admission notice arrived, at which point he finally spoke to me