"Even through the young lady's talisman, someone was able to detect our presence and even counterattack?"
The sudden turn of events startled everyone around, especially the old shopkeeper, who straightened up in surprise.
He looked at the shattered fragments beside Hu Ma and sighed, "The Old Yin Mountain is indeed full of strange and mysterious things..."
The person inside the sedan chair also murmured softly, "Don't underestimate the Old Yin Mountain. It spans eight hundred miles, and with the annual growth of the Tai Sui, evil spirits thrive here. Over hundreds of years, what hasn't this place seen?"
As they pondered this, seemingly reevaluating the forest, Second Uncle grew visibly more anxious.
He stepped forward, checking Hu Ma's hand, and asked urgently, "Little Hu Ma, did you just see Granny? Where is she?"
"She's... she's..."
Hu Ma tried to recall the image he had seen.
"She's by a big tree... a tree so large it would take three or four people to encircle it. There are bells hanging from its branches... and offerings nearby!"
"A tree that takes three or four people to encircle, with bells on its branches..."
Second Uncle frowned, deep in thought, then his eyes suddenly lit up.
"I know where Granny is. She's fighting that tree."
Hu Ma quickly added, "She told me not to go there."
"What?" Second Uncle was taken aback.
"Then should we go or not?"
Hu Ma's mind raced, and he replied firmly, "We go."
Under normal circumstances, he would hesitate, knowing the limits of his current body and abilities.
Facing such a vast and eerie world, he was nothing.
If Granny warned him not to go, it must be dangerous.
But now, he had Second Uncle by his side, and besides, there was that reincarnated one! Fellow villagers meeting—how could they not help each other? Granny was too important to him.
If she died, how would he survive in this world?
Second Uncle, being straightforward, immediately set off as soon as Hu Ma agreed.
He didn't even care about the noble guests from the city anymore.
Earlier, he was just worried about Granny, but now he knew she was in trouble.
Hu Ma quickly followed, but the old shopkeeper looked displeased.
Before he could speak, the person in the sedan chair said calmly, "Follow them."
"Huh?" The old shopkeeper was momentarily stunned, then glanced at the sedan chair and suddenly understood.
The young lady was searching for something deeply sinister in this forest.
Neither the Five Ghosts Technique nor the Round Light Technique had yielded any clues.
They had to enter the forest themselves.
But if the object was so sinister, the events surrounding it would also be extraordinary.
The boy from the village—his granny must have encountered something significant.
Perhaps it was related to the young lady's search.
Realizing this, the old shopkeeper waved to the sedan bearers.
"Let's go and take a look."
Second Uncle had already walked several yards before he suddenly remembered the noble guests from the city were still waiting for him to lead the way.
He had abruptly left them, which might offend them.
But when he turned back, he saw they were following.
Overjoyed, he thought, "Good deeds bring good rewards. Even the noble guests from the city are willing to help..."
He led the way through the forest, twisting and turning, his body steaming with heat from the urgency.
Hu Ma followed closely, noticing that deep in the forest, some things were hiding, likely suppressed by Second Uncle's presence.
Around the village, Second Uncle was well-known, and evil spirits avoided him.
But here in the deep mountains, those creatures didn't recognize him and were scared off by his fiery aura.
Hu Ma's own cultivation wasn't bad, but it was more restrained, lacking such a display.
Of course, this was a fundamental difference between them.
If Second Uncle used the True Yang Arrow, he could only use it three times in a short period, while Hu Ma could use it indefinitely.
But Second Uncle could recover after using it, while Hu Ma would be directly drained and needed to consume Blood Tai Sui to replenish his energy.
After what felt like an eternity in the forest, the surroundings grew darker, and an ominous aura chilled their hearts.
They didn't know if they were getting closer to Granny's location, but Hu Ma noticed that Little Hong Tang, following behind him, seemed increasingly restless.
He quickened his pace, but suddenly, a soft, seductive voice whispered in his ear, "Little Master Hu Ma, come and see me..."
The voice was enchanting, clear as if someone was laughing right beside his cheek.
Hu Ma's heart skipped a beat, and he felt an urge to respond but held back.
"Second Uncle..." he called out softly, "Someone's calling me..."
"What?" Second Uncle turned around, looking around in confusion.
"I didn't hear anything."
This was strange.
Hu Ma heard the voice clearly, seductive and alluring, as if it was right next to him, tempting him to follow.
"Huh?"
Just as Hu Ma felt uneasy, he heard scattered responses from behind.
He turned to see the sedan bearers, who had kept up with their fast pace without breaking a sweat.
But now, their steps slowed, and they stared blankly into the forest, some looking left, others right, their expressions equally dazed.
"Be careful!" The old shopkeeper, noticing something amiss, stepped forward.
He slapped one of the more entranced bearers, snapping him out of it and startling the others.
Then, he coldly scanned the surrounding forest and said in a low voice, "No matter what you hear, don't respond. From now on, even if you hear my voice, look at me first to confirm it's me before answering."
After this warning, he added, "That's a beauty spirit, skilled at luring people. It hides in the shadows, calling your name. If you answer, you'll see her, and she'll enchant you, drawing you closer. If you can't resist and approach her, you'll find your body still in place when you look back. If you don't look back, you'll follow her all the way, descending into the underworld without even realizing you're dead..."
The bearers nodded nervously, gritting their teeth and focusing on the path.
Hu Ma also remembered the beauty snake he had seen when he first escaped the village and guarded his mind, continuing to follow Second Uncle.
But even though he didn't respond, the calling voice grew clearer.
No matter how far they walked, it remained in his ear, as if the beauty was hiding nearby, behind a tree.
The voice became more seductive, filled with longing and passion, as if someone was engaged in an intimate act nearby.
Hu Ma knew it was an evil spirit trying to bewitch him and struggled to resist.
The old shopkeeper also frowned but remained silent.
As the voice grew louder, the surrounding trees and paths twisted unnaturally.
Suddenly, an annoyed voice came from the sedan chair, "In this deep forest, who's being so shameless?"
With a light rustle, a gray shadow darted out from the sedan, about the size of a pug, moving too fast to see clearly.
It shot behind a tree, and soon, the sounds of biting and screaming echoed, causing the trees to tremble and leaves to fall.
Moments later, the gray shadow returned, leaving a trail of blood, seemingly carrying something in its mouth.
The seductive voice had vanished.
"Ah..."
Second Uncle and Hu Ma exchanged grateful glances toward the sedan chair.
The old shopkeeper, however, remained silent, not intervening.
As outsiders in the forest, it was best to avoid provoking the spirits unless necessary.
But what the person in the sedan chair did was beyond his control.
The spirit was unlucky.
The young lady, being of noble birth, couldn't stand such indecent sounds.
Though slightly delayed, without the eerie temptations, they made faster progress and soon reached a sparsely wooded area.
As they moved forward, they realized the sparse growth was due to a massive locust tree, far larger than the surrounding ones, with dense foliage and bells hanging from its branches.
Offerings were placed nearby.
Second Uncle stopped abruptly, looking at Hu Ma anxiously, "Is this the place?"
Hu Ma nodded, confirming it was the location he had seen in the mirror.
But looking around, there was no sign of Granny.
(End of Chapter)