Chapter 9: The Origin of Lijia Valley

Additionally, there are two more deceased individuals. One died from a sudden heart attack; the forensic expert determined that it was triggered by severe shock, leading to the fatal heart condition. The other died by suicide, having pierced their own heart with a sharp branch. The remaining survivors among the hikers are also experiencing similar symptoms due to the shock, including amnesia and mental disorders, and are currently undergoing treatment

"What is strange about it?" Gu Zheng's eyes lit up as he quickly asked

In just a few words, Gu Zheng conveyed the era of Lijia Valley and the identity of its builders. This left him profoundly shocked

Sun Yan nodded slightly, listening attentively to Gu Zheng's words. He had investigated Li Jiayu many times and reviewed a considerable amount of materials, but these resources proved to be of little use. For instance, the establishment period of Li Jiayu could not be determined. Only the organization's experts confirmed the era of Li Jiayu, which was approximately during the late Ming to early Qing dynasties, yet Sun Yan remained unaware of who had built it.

Sun Yan shook his head and said, "I am not sure, but they certainly do not have good intentions. Therefore, I led a team to intercept them. This group of Japanese invaders is very vigilant; upon discovering our presence, they immediately halted their actions and returned along the same route under our surveillance. However, at that time, I realized I was not far from Lijia Valley, so I took two subordinates and went to Lijia Valley again. This group of Japanese invaders is very vigilant; upon discovering our presence, they immediately halted their actions and returned along the same route under our surveillance. However, at that time, I realized I was not far from Lijia Valley, so I took two subordinates and went to Lijia Valley again. This time..." Sun Yan inhaled sharply, his voice trembling slightly.

One of the deceased had a claw mark on their back, which left only a faint trace on the surface of the skin. However, the autopsy revealed that the internal organs corresponding to that claw mark all exhibited similar fractures. The cause of death was severe internal trauma leading to fatal blood loss. At this point, Sun Yan's tone became somewhat eerie.

Gu Zheng continued, "When the Li Family Valley was constructed, countless manpower and resources were mobilized. Thousands of Li Chuang's former troops spent several years to build this Li Family Valley. The main architect of this valley was a genius well-versed in geomancy and adept at the art of Qimen Dunjia. Under his design, the Li Family Valley was virtually undetectable to ordinary people. Moreover, this individual had a very malicious intent; to protect the Li Family Valley from being discovered, the construction of this village violated all principles of feng shui, transforming the nearby picturesque geography into a place of extreme malevolence. However, this person was genuinely troubled; he feared that the Tartars would annihilate his subordinates, including women and children, and thus devised this plan. By creating this malevolent place, even if thousands of troops were to come, it would be difficult to locate the geographical position of the Li Family Valley. Even if they found it, they would be unable to breach the valley."

Sun Yan was taken aback and asked, "How did you know?" As a spirit guardian, Sun Yan was both skilled and bold, and when he first witnessed this scene, he was nearly brought to his knees in fear. However, for Gu Zheng to casually mention this was truly astonishing. Yet, that was not the main point; the main point was how Gu Zheng knew about the situation inside Li Family Valley. He was quite surprised. This was not the main point; the main point was how Gu Zheng knew about the situation inside Li Family Valley. He was quite surprised.

After listening to Sun Yan's explanation, Gu Zheng nodded thoughtfully. Sun Yan continued, "The first time we went to Lijia Valley, we did not obtain any useful information, so we quickly withdrew. However, the guide insisted that this Lijia Valley was not the same one they had encountered before. At that time, we thought the guide was simply agitated and talking nonsense, so we did not pay much attention to it." Sun Yan smiled wryly and continued, "But not long after, I received a task stating that a group of people from Japan, under the guise of tourism, were secretly heading to this place. Later, we learned that this group was not simple; it included elite military personnel as well as priests from the 'Ghost Society of the Fallen Nation.' The destination of this group was precisely Lijia Valley."

Oh. Gu Zheng furrowed his brows slightly, not expressing his opinion. "What about the other casualties?" he gestured for Sun Yan to continue. Seeing Gu Zheng's indifferent reaction to his words, Sun Yan felt a bit disappointed. However, judging from Gu Zheng's tone, it seemed he was quite concerned about this matter and the library, which made Sun Yan feel somewhat better.

Gu Zheng's expression changed slightly upon hearing Sun Yan's words, losing the calm demeanor he had before. He quickly asked, "What is the purpose of these individuals?"

Gu Zheng seemed to have noticed Sun Yan's confusion, smiled, and said: "Li Jiayu, in fact, I understand it better than you do. The reason my master chose to live in this remote area is also due to the existence of this place." At this point, Gu Zheng suddenly sighed and continued: "Li Jiayu was established at the end of the Ming Dynasty, by the renowned remnants of Li Zicheng, the King of Chaos. These individuals were relatives of Li Zicheng, and in order to avoid detection by the Manchu court, they chose this location."

Li Jiayu is a place we have visited twice. Sun Yan thought for a moment before speaking: "The first time we went there, it was guided by a member of our hiking group. " Sun Yan lowered his voice and said: "When we first arrived at Li Jiayu, it appeared to be a small village with no more than fifty or sixty families living there, and it had been abandoned for a long time. It was completely devoid of anything unusual. Therefore, I found it very strange, and the guide was also taken aback, saying that this was not the place he had visited before. This is just one aspect; judging from the few deceased individuals, their causes of death are not simple, so we must remain extremely cautious about this small village.

Hmm? Gu Zheng inclined his body slightly towards Sun Yan's direction, listening attentively to Sun Yan's words

This time you saw a completely different Lijia Yu, it is vast and eerie, bustling with activity, yet there is not a single living person, is there?" Gu Zheng seemed to be speaking about something quite ordinary

After a pause, Gu Zheng continued, "At that time, there were thousands of defeated soldiers, but the Li clan members were less than one-tenth of that number. Therefore, the designer feared that over time, the defeated soldiers would rebel. After constructing the village, he devised a scheme to slaughter these thousands of remaining soldiers and buried their corpses beneath Li Family Valley, using the souls of these slain soldiers to protect the peace of Li Family Valley. However, after his transformation, this place had long since turned into a realm of ghosts, making it impossible for the living to reside here. Thus, the entire Li Family Valley quickly perished."