"What's going on here?"
The sudden gust of eerie wind and the chaotic, indistinct voices startled everyone present.
The torches were all extinguished, plunging the surroundings into complete darkness.
Only the cold wind brushed against their bones, sending chills down their spines.
Strangely, no one could hear the breathing of their companions nearby.
Everyone held their breath, frozen in fear, until a chilling laughter drifted past them.
"Mother of mercy..."
The laughter sounded as if it was right next to their ears.
One person couldn't take it anymore, dropped his knife, and fled.
His panic triggered a chain reaction, and the others scrambled in the dark, crying and screaming as they fled toward the village outskirts.
"Don't... don't run..."
Xu Ji, too, was frozen in place, shouting desperately.
But his voice came out distorted, his throat tight with fear.
Despite the overwhelming urge to flee, he clenched the wooden sword in his hand and stood his ground.
He had just returned to the city and seen the state of his family.
His father had been betrayed, their wealth confiscated by the sect leader, and their friends had all disappeared.
His father had secretly given him the last of their valuables, urging him to escape through the back door and bring them to the shopkeeper in hopes of learning the method to become a "New Year's Guardian" and protect their family.
He couldn't afford to lose to that country bumpkin.
But even if he stayed, his plans were in shambles.
What could he do now?
As he stood there, disoriented and blind in the darkness, a strange sound reached his ears—a rustling, like the scales of a snake sliding over dry grass.
Amidst the swirling wind and the distant cries of his fleeing companions, the sound was eerily clear, as if a snake was slowly slithering around him.
But it was too cold for snakes.
And even if there was one, how big would it have to be to make such a distinct noise?
His mind was in chaos until something heavy and furry wrapped around his ankle.
It wasn't a snake—it was hair! The hair from the well had emerged again, coiling around his leg.
"Ah!"
Xu Ji let out a muffled scream, slashing downward with his red wooden sword.
A faint spark flashed as the hair caught fire and was severed.
In the dim light, Xu Ji finally saw the situation around him.
His companions had fled in terror, and the well was now overflowing with thick, tangled hair, like aquatic plants.
The boy from Dayang Village, who had been too close to the well, was already wrapped in the hair, being slowly dragged into the well.
Xu Ji, both terrified and furious, raised his sword to strike, but then he heard a mournful wail from the well.
His vision blurred, and he saw a pale face slowly emerging from the well, its hollow eyes fixed on him.
At that moment, it felt like he had been struck by lightning.
His courage shattered, and he turned and ran.
He couldn't fight this.
He had gathered so many men from the village, thinking their combined yang energy would suppress the yin energy of the well.
But now that they had fled, the balance had shifted.
How could a living person hope to defeat such a malevolent force in the dead of night?
Xu Ji tore open his shirt, revealing a small pouch on his chest.
He had grown up in the city with his father, but every year, they would return to a remote village to visit relatives.
He had never understood why, nor why his father had insisted he carry a handful of ashes from the village's old fire pit.
But now, he was relying on those ashes to save his life.
As his courage crumbled, fear surged like a flood.
Xu Ji ran as fast as he could, the wailing following him, the sound of something slithering behind him.
He cursed loudly, occasionally turning to slash with his sword before running again.
Each time the wailing grew closer, the ashes on his chest warmed slightly before cooling again.
Whether it was the power of the old ashes or the wooden sword, he managed to escape the village.
But even outside, the cold wind bit into his bones, and the darkness seemed alive with unseen movements.
He didn't dare slow down, running as fast as he could.
Finally, he saw a figure ahead of him on the narrow path.
Thinking it was one of his companions, Xu Ji shouted angrily, "You coward! Why are you running? If you had any guts, we could have dealt with that thing together!"
He caught up to the figure, hoping for some company to calm his nerves.
But the person didn't turn around, only slowed down.
As Xu Ji got closer, he saw the figure's face—a face that was staring directly at him, even though it was on the back of the head.
The exaggerated, painted features and the eerie smile sent a wave of terror through him.
It wasn't facing away—it had been watching him the whole time!
"Ah!"
Xu Ji swung his sword wildly, and the figure vanished, leaving behind a trail of mocking laughter.
Xu Ji's mind was in chaos, and he ran blindly, stumbling and falling, until he finally calmed down enough to see a group of people huddled together, trembling.
This time, Xu Ji squinted hard and recognized the green sashes around their waists.
They were his companions.
"Wait for me, wait for me!"
He didn't dare shout this time, only hurried toward them.
But as he got closer, he stopped.
It was indeed his companions, and he could even make out two of his close followers.
But they were huddled together, trembling as if crying or whispering to each other.
When Xu Ji approached and made a sound, they slowly turned toward him.
Their eyes rolled like dice, and their bodies shook uncontrollably.
Xu Ji realized they weren't trembling—they were gnawing on their own fingers, which were now bloody and stripped to the bone.
"Ah!"
One of them seemed to recognize Xu Ji, his eyes lighting up with a strange, sharp voice that was both horrifying and gleeful.
"We've caught you again, boy!"
"Ah!"
As they closed in, Xu Ji felt his scalp tingle with fear.
He tried to run, but a cold wind froze him in place.
His body stiffened, and he couldn't even lift his sword.
He stood there, paralyzed, as the figures surrounded him, their lips curling back to reveal sharp, menacing teeth.
In his final moments of terror, Xu Ji let out a piercing scream that echoed far into the night.
"That's it, that's the sound!"
On a distant hill, Hu Ma stood up.
He had heard Xu Ji's scream and recognized the fear in it.
It was the same fear he had felt when he first arrived in this world, surrounded by malevolent spirits.
"It's our turn now."
He lit a stick of incense, and soon, Little Hong Tang emerged from the darkness, clutching a piece of meat in her tiny hands.
Despite being chased by so many spirits, she had managed to hold onto it.
"Eat it quickly!"
Hu Ma stuffed the meat into her mouth, then stood up and looked into the dark night ahead.
There were no lights, only the deep shadows where the spirits roamed freely, and the trembling humans hiding in fear.
"When others are afraid, that's your chance..."
Hu Ma focused his energy, stoking the fire within him to bolster his courage.
With a sharp sound, he drew his steel blade and, with Little Hong Tang happily licking her fingers, strode boldly into the dark, spirit-filled night.
(End of Chapter)