Chapter 157 – Extra 18 – Sun Yunhe & Jiang Qi 3

“Another one collapsed yesterday, brother… Should we just run away?”

“Run where? Who knows what’s going on out there? We don’t even know if General Chongtian’s troops have left yet…”

“But this is the seventh one already! How many people are even left in our village? Who knows if we’ll be next…”

“I say we should find a master to take a look. Didn’t Fourth Uncle also say that someone in the village has offended some evil force? Maybe if a master comes, things will get better.”

“But in these chaotic times, where are we supposed to find a master?”

At the edge of the village, two thin men were huddled together, whispering anxiously. It was wheat harvest season, a time when every farming family should be rushing to gather their crops, yet they seemed completely disinterested in the work. Instead, they kept glancing back toward the village, as if some ferocious beast or venomous snake lurked within.

Just as they were growing more agitated, the younger one suddenly exclaimed, pointing into the distance, “Brother, look over there! Isn’t that a Daoist master?”

Following his brother’s finger, Xu Da’s eyes widened, and he sprang to his feet. “Quick! Our savior has arrived!”

In the distance, two figures were making their way along the mountain path. One was dressed in the traditional garb of a Daoist, wearing a star crown, a Daoist robe, and carrying a sword at his waist. He appeared quite young, with no beard yet, exuding a sharp, imposing aura. His companion was a strikingly handsome man, dressed in a deep blue robe, his hair simply tied back. Though his expression was cold, there was an air of otherworldliness about him.

The sight of these two was enough to inspire both awe and fear. Summoning their courage, the Xu brothers rushed forward to intercept them. Before they could even speak, the Daoist master raised an eyebrow and stopped in his tracks, asking, “Are you from that village over there?”

Xu Da hurriedly replied, “Yes, yes! That’s Xu Village. We’re from there.”

The Daoist nodded. “How long has your village been up in the mountains?”

It was clear that this small village had been established as a refuge, likely to escape some calamity. Though not large, it had a certain scale, suggesting it had been there for some time.

Sure enough, Xu Da quickly answered, “We moved here during my father’s generation. When General Chongtian came two years ago, some outsiders also fled here…”

But this wasn’t what the Daoist was interested in. With a wave of his hand, he cut straight to the point. “In recent years, have there been any strange occurrences in your village?”

He really was a master with true ability! Hearing this, the Xu brothers’ faces flushed with excitement. Xu Er blurted out, “Yes! Yes! Since last month, our village has been plagued by evil! First, Third Uncle’s son Shuanzi fell ill, then Second Uncle’s and Uncle Qi’s families also had people collapse. They’re all unconscious, unable to eat, and can only be kept alive with thin porridge. Some even have sores that ooze pus. It’s terrifying!”

Xu Da, unlike his brother, didn’t waste time with explanations. He dropped to his knees and began pleading, “Master! Please, help our village! Several lives are at stake, and they’re all able-bodied men. If they fall, their families are finished!”

Xu Er, finally catching on, also knelt down. The two of them began kowtowing, but the Daoist frowned and stepped back, refusing to accept their gestures. Instead, he said, “The source of the problem lies in the mountains. Going into the village won’t help. Here’s what you should do: go back and find some millet and peach branches. Also, catch a few five-inch-long centipedes, remove their heads and tails, and burn them with the peach branches. Mix the ashes into the millet porridge and feed it to the sick. This will stabilize their condition and prevent it from worsening.”

The items weren’t hard to find, but the brothers were still stunned. Could something so simple really cure an illness that even doctors couldn’t handle? The Daoist, however, didn’t elaborate further. Instead, he turned to his companion and said, “Brother Jiang, it seems we need to pick up the pace.”

The man didn’t respond but immediately began walking deeper into the mountains. The Daoist nodded to the brothers. “You can go now. For the next few days, release all the roosters in the village. If you hear them crowing at night, do not go outside.”

With that, the Daoist turned and walked away. The Xu brothers remained kneeling for a while, too stunned to move. Eventually, Xu Er stood up and helped his brother to his feet. “Brother, the master has spoken. Let’s hurry back and tell the village head! That master must be here to deal with the evil in the mountains… I wonder if he’ll be able to subdue it…”

Xu Da, now regaining his senses, nodded repeatedly. “You’re right! Let’s go back and inform the village head…”

Leaving the distraught brothers behind, the two men quickened their pace. The Daoist spoke as they walked, “Brother Jiang, it seems we’ll have to spend the night in the mountains. We’ll need to observe the stars before we can act.”

The man surnamed Jiang gave a soft “Hmm” in acknowledgment. Familiar with his companion’s ways, the Daoist smiled slightly and said no more, his gaze fixed on the mountains ahead. Who would have thought that an unclaimed Spiritual Aperture could still be found? This trip wouldn’t be in vain.

As the chief disciple of the 32nd generation of the Mao Mountain Sect and the designated successor to the Mao Mountain Sect Leader, Sun Yunhe had been traveling the land for the past two years since leaving the mountain, gaining experience and accumulating merit. The world had grown increasingly chaotic. After the rebellion of Huang Chao’s forces, several other uprisings had erupted, plunging the world into turmoil. Sun Yunhe, who had also studied feng shui and astrology, could see the signs of the Tang Dynasty’s decline, but who would ultimately seize power remained uncertain. Though the Mao Mountain Sect wasn’t a reclusive one, he cared little for such worldly matters and had no intention of aiding any would-be emperor. Instead, he preferred to focus on helping the common people caught in the chaos.

Like the man beside him. Sun Yunhe’s gaze lingered on his companion’s back for a moment. His name was Jiang Qi, and Sun Yunhe had saved him from a chaotic battle. That had been the most perilous encounter since Sun Yunhe had left the mountain, and both of them had spent over three months recovering from their injuries. But it was through that shared hardship that they now traveled together, investigating this Spiritual Aperture.

As they walked, Jiang Qi suddenly stopped and said, “Something feels off here.”

Sun Yunhe immediately halted and surveyed their surroundings. After a moment, he nodded. “Indeed, there’s something unusual. Could this be the key to the changes in the Spiritual Aperture?”

Without waiting for a response, he pulled out a ruler from his sleeve and began measuring the area. Unlike other feng shui masters, Sun Yunhe was a true disciple of the Mao Mountain Sect, and his knowledge of feng shui was deeply rooted in the Native Soil School’s teachings. Instead of a feng shui compass, he used the Ruler of Heaven and the Three-Star Instrument. The Ruler of Heaven was for measuring feng shui, while the Three-Star Instrument was essential for observing the stars. Now, with the Ruler of Heaven in hand, he became completely absorbed, muttering to himself and walking back and forth, deducing the situation.

Seeing the man’s near-obsessive focus, Jiang Qi said nothing and quietly stepped into the nearby woods.

Half an hour later, Sun Yunhe took a deep breath and finally put down the ruler. Turning to Jiang Qi, he said with a hint of excitement, “Brother Jiang, there’s definitely something wrong here! When Huang Chao’s troops rose up, the evil dragon’s military energy clashed with the earth’s veins, and heavy rains caused a landslide, creating a trapped dragon formation. That’s what caused the changes in the Spiritual Aperture. The villagers must have been affected while hunting in the mountains, which explains why they’ve lost their souls.”

Only after finishing his explanation did he notice that a small fire had been lit nearby. Jiang Qi was sitting on the ground, roasting some meat—a rabbit and a snake—over the flames. The meat was already golden brown, its aroma wafting through the air. Having been in such a hurry earlier, they hadn’t even eaten their provisions. Now, the smell of the meat made their stomachs growl.

Jiang Qi didn’t seem to have paid much attention to Sun Yunhe’s words. He simply nodded and said, “It’s almost ready. We’ll eat and then continue.”

Sun Yunhe chuckled, not standing on ceremony, and sat down beside Jiang Qi. “Thank you, Brother Jiang. We’ll spend the day investigating this trapped dragon formation. Once the stars come out tonight, we’ll have a better idea of how to break it. But in such a spiritually rich place, it’s likely that some evil has taken root. I’ll need your help with that.”

Jiang Qi rotated the skewer of snake meat and handed one to Sun Yunhe, saying calmly, “No problem.”

Sun Yunhe took the skewer, smiled, and pulled out some dry rations from his bag. He began eating heartily, mixing the roasted meat with his provisions.