Chapter Seven: Funeral Garments and Weddings

The middle-aged man gazed at him, the smile on his face gradually fading away

Uncertain of how long he had been walking, Li Daoxuan estimated that he must have covered at least twenty to thirty li, yet strangely, he still found himself within this village

Li Family Village

The voice is aged and hoarse, making one feel uncomfortable all over upon hearing it

But what is strange is why the abandoned desolate village still hangs red lanterns, and the candle flames inside are still burning

Such a bizarre encounter left Li Daoxuan tense all over; he kept one hand behind his back, gripping a Five Thunder Talisman, while simultaneously trying his best to force a friendly smile

In the desolate mountains and ancient village, I encountered an old woman dressed in funeral garments, locking eyes with me.

He continued to walk forward, heading in a certain direction, eager to leave this village as soon as possible

Li Daoxuan also looked at him, his attitude resolute, determined not to drink this bowl of wine even if it meant death, for who could know what would happen after drinking it

"Yin Nu Liu Ding, protect my body; Yang Nan Liu Jia, protect my soul; urgently, as per the law and command!"

Li Daoxuan silently took a step back and continued to ask: "Grandmother, can we leave this village by going forward?"

Fortunately, this time the old woman did not open the door

However, when Li Daoxuan channeled his magical power into his eyes and looked again at the bowl of wine and books, his pupils involuntarily constricted

Through the red light, Li Daoxuan's pupils contracted; the clothes on this old woman... unexpectedly were funeral garments

What meets the eye is a sea of red lanterns

He felt a tingling sensation on his scalp and said with a smile, "I have something else to attend to, so I won't be participating in the wedding. Farewell!"

However, what relieved Li Daoxuan slightly was that since he entered the village, the voice of the snake demon had not sounded again

Almost every household has such a red lantern

Li Daoxuan followed them into the courtyard, only to discover that it was filled with people. Five individuals sat at each table, but what was strange was that these people were gathered together in silence, with no one speaking, creating a terrifying atmosphere of quiet.

Li Daoxuan stopped, for he realized that he was still in this village, having returned to the old woman's house once again

Shadows flitted within the courtyard, suggesting that there were quite a number of people inside.

The old woman's grayish-white pupils lifted, seemingly reflecting some emotional fluctuation, as she spoke: "The wedding, they are all... you... should also go..."

As he passed through the thin mist, a brilliant red light appeared before him, and he finally entered the village.

In the pitch-black night, dim red lanterns hang at the entrance of the house, all identical, each adorned with a character for happiness and a book symbol

Everyone in the village has gone to attend the wedding

Grandmother, may I ask what place this is

In the once clear and clean liquor, there were unexpectedly numerous wriggling maggots, rendering the liquid extremely murky, with a faint yet foul odor emanating from it

Li Daoxuan originally did not wish to enter, but the house servants behind the other party subtly surrounded him. These servants also had stiff faces and vacant eyes, resembling puppets.

The aroma of the wine is rich, leaving one slightly intoxicated

This residence is also adorned with red lanterns; however, the difference lies in the fact that the main entrance of the house is wide open, laid with a layer of red carpet, upon which grains, beans, and flower petals are scattered

Upon hearing these words, a faint smile appeared on the middle-aged man's face, and the servants behind him dispersed.

"Mother-in-law, where has everyone in the village gone?"

I am a practitioner of the Dao, and our lineage has its rules; we abstain from alcohol and meat. I sincerely apologize for this.

Perhaps it was because they sensed the Five Thunder Talisman in his hand that the other party ultimately did not pursue him. If it had been an ordinary person, they would likely have already been "invited" into the house by her at this point

After running a distance, Li Daoxuan let out a sigh of relief; that old woman was definitely not a living person

In the standoff between the two individuals, the atmosphere seems to be growing increasingly tense

He turned back and was astonished to find that along that narrow path, the previous mountains and vegetation were no longer visible, only a stretch of darkness remained

Li Daoxuan performed the technique of shrinking the earth and continued to move forward

Upon entering the mist, Li Daoxuan immediately felt a chill throughout his body, as if the temperature around him had suddenly dropped significantly. As the night breeze blew, he could not help but shiver.

Li Daoxuan broke out in a cold sweat, just as he was preparing to escape using the Shrinking Earth Divine Movement, when the door was slowly opened.

Just as he peered through the crack in the door, he saw a grayish-white, murky pupil, cold and rigid

Li Daoxuan wanted to ask something else, but suddenly realized that at some point, the old woman had already stepped out of the doorway with one foot

However, the village was extremely quiet, not even a single bark of a dog could be heard, and Li Daoxuan could only hear the sound of his own footsteps

ghost wall

The talisman transformed into a beam of golden light, entering his body. Li Daoxuan immediately felt less cold, as the surrounding yin energy seemed to be isolated outside.

Half an hour later

The middle-aged man looked at Li Daoxuan and smiled

Li Daoxuan posed another question

Your Excellency, why are you not drinking

Without a second thought, Li Daoxuan prepared to leave with the picture book. Those who are eager to watch the excitement often meet a swift demise. In many horror films, the protagonists are fully aware that something is amiss, yet they insist on investigating, only to end up dying in increasingly tragic ways

He first used a talisman

Li Daoxuan could not help but wonder if this was an abandoned desolate village

There is still a faint smell of mildew

When he saw the sixth household, a scene that sent chills down Li Daoxuan's spine unfolded

In the penetrating red light, Li Daoxuan slowly walked forward. He noticed that the surrounding houses were all tightly shut, yet the doors appeared quite old, many of which had gaps and small holes.

Having spoken, Li Daoxuan activated the Shrinking Earth Divine Movement, and in just a few blinks, he vanished from his original spot. Turning back, he found that the old woman had not followed him; she still stood at the doorway, seemingly gazing at him.

Li Daoxuan could only nod and said, "Since it is so, then I shall trouble you."

This village exudes an eerie atmosphere. Li Daoxuan counted the talismans on his person and found that he had ten Six Ding Six Jia protective talismans and six Five Thunder talismans left, which he must use sparingly

The old woman stared at him for a long time before finally squeezing out three words from her throat

This time, the old woman did not answer his question, but simply stood quietly.

Li Daoxuan recalled the words of the old woman; everyone in the village had gone to attend the wedding. Could it be here? And the books.

Someone inside is staring at him

Li Daoxuan did not believe that six talismans of the Five Thunder could flatten this village

The dim red light cast upon her aged, pale face was chilling

Li Daoxuan attempted to peer inside, only to find that the space behind the door was empty, seemingly devoid of any presence

"The newlyweds are here, and all who come are guests. Why not step inside and enjoy a cup of celebratory wine?"

The middle-aged man poured a glass of wine for Li Daoxuan and said with a smile: "This is homemade grain wine, fragrant and crisp; why not give it a try, Your Excellency"

The reason for using only one is that the amulet can only last for a brief moment after being activated. Given that the situation is still unclear, it is unwise to expend too much.

But just as he turned his head, a stiff face appeared behind him, around forty years old, dressed in fine satin, with a smile that did not reach the eyes.

The door seems to have not been opened for a long time, and the hoarse sound of it creaking echoes through the silent village, particularly jarring.

Behind the door stood an elderly woman with graying hair, dressed in black clothing, of small stature, quietly gazing at Li Daoxuan

However, this time, he did not return to the old woman's house, but instead came to a grand mansion.

The middle-aged man led Li Daoxuan to a table where four people were seated, making it a perfect fit with Li Daoxuan included.