My Enemy Became My Cultivation Companion-Chapter 797 - 497: Missing One (Happy New Year)

"Amusing." 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

Fan Kong paused for a moment and then burst into laughter:

"Fellow Daoist, you are truly amusing."

Chen Yi leisurely asked with a smile, "How exactly am I amusing?"

The old Daoist fanned the air near his nose and said, "Fellow Daoist, you may not know, but my nose reacts to dragon jade and divine vigor with heightened sensitivity—even more finely tuned than a dog's. Fellow Daoist, there's not a trace of demonic aura on you."

"What about you?" Chen Yi suddenly countered.

Fan Kong paused, laughing even harder. He raised his hand and said, "Ah, so Fellow Daoist is trapped in this mountain, suspects me of being a demon, and is trying to trick me, well played."

Wandering hermits who practice in the wild often lack formal sect affiliations. Roaming across various landscapes, they'd naturally be exceedingly cautious when encountering abnormalities. If someone happens to come by, suspicion would arise promptly—wondering whether they were some ghostly apparition or malevolent spirit—then testing and prodding to expose its true form. Such tactics were second nature to Fan Kong.

The Daoist furrowed his brows and asked again, "You're truly not a demon?"

"Of course not."

"Your nose is keen; why don't you take another sniff to confirm there's truly no demonic aura?"

The old Daoist lowered his head and tugged at his collar for a sniff, "All human scent."

Now reassured he wasn't dealing with a monster, the Daoist playfully joked, "Then you're a demon transformed from a human."

At these words, the old Daoist raised his eyebrows and followed suit with a joking laugh:

"Haha, I've traveled far and wide, hearing of tiger demons transformed from tigers, snake demons transformed from snakes, but I've never heard of a human turning into a demon."

"I've heard of one—it's called a 'human demon.'"

"Haha, then I'm a human demon!" The old Daoist clapped his hands and laughed heartily.

Yin Tingxue looked at the old Daoist, then at Chen Yi, holding onto her husband's hand. She silently thought her husband really had a mischievous streak.

Thinking of this, she quickly added inwardly, thank goodness she's kind-hearted and can balance him out.

Chance meetings indeed hold their karmic significance; exchanging jest and chatter, after these mutual pleasantries, Fan Kong once again scanned their surroundings. The dense forest unfolded its shadowy branches dramatically against the dimming sky—lush greenery intertwining ominously, resembling bristled and murky blackness.

The sound of the wind threading through the woods cast a spine-chilling atmosphere.

"Moo."

The green ox let out a sound, shaking its head with impatience.

Chen Yi glanced at it and asked, "Is it unwell?"

Fan Kong shifted slightly to the left and said, "The cow's just chewing cud as usual, nothing strange. Fellow Daoist, let's get back to the crux of the matter."

"It's my fault for being unfamiliar with mundane routines."

The green ox lowered its head into the shadows as its jaws slowly moved. Amid its chewing motions, Duan Siyuan's terrified human face appeared briefly, only to be swallowed back moments later.

Fan Kong spoke, "Trapped here, Fellow Daoist, what insights have you gathered?"

"I have some clues," replied Chen Yi.

"Please elaborate."

Chen Yi pointed at the mountain, "This mountain shrouded in dark green hues, vibrant with spring vitality, its peaks rising higher in the north and dipping lower in the south—surrounded by flowing water—marks a spot where life energy 'gathers but does not scatter, flows yet halts.'"

He then gestured to the ground, "This crossroads, interconnected and accessible from multiple directions, serves as a convergence point welcoming travelers from afar, accommodating guests from all quarters. Additionally, the towering mountains encircling this area create a natural basin—a gathering gem recognized even by ordinary folks."

Next, he pointed at the trees, "Flanking the roads are willow trees; willow branches channel yang energy, ward off spirits, and dispel ghosts. The feng shui here is indeed exceptional."

Fan Kong surveyed the surroundings. Despite lacking mastery in Geomancy Inspection Skill, he could generally discern that Chen Yi wasn't exaggerating in his observations.

"Which is all the more puzzling—why is the yin energy here so overwhelmingly thick that it traps the two of us in this blessed land?"

"The key lies in the phrase 'excess triggers reversal.' This land flourishes with fortune and vitality, yet once it peaks, that surplus turns contrary." Chen Yi explained slowly, "With just the smallest imbalance, it converts from a prosperous yang dwelling into a yin domicile, turning this blessed haven into the lair of a ghost king instantly!"

"So, in short, we've fallen into a ghost domain." Fan Kong speculated, "Which part of this setup seems off?"

Chen Yi produced four tiny divine statues, holding each no larger than three fingers in his palm:

"No need for haste—listen closely as I tell you a story first."

........

Within the cave, the eerie wind cut through, chilling the scalps of the three ghosts upfront. The foremost, Madam Duan, glanced at the seemingly endless path ahead and shuddered, as though squeezed into the heavy black outlines of pure darkness where at any moment, a ghostly claw might stretch out from some unknown depths of the road ahead.

Madam Duan, envisioning her frail womanhood, thought she was meant to follow behind the two men. Should anything surface up front, there'd be time to flee recklessly on light feet.

But she hadn't foreseen that this young Daoist maiden, innocent and harmless in appearance, was inwardly sinister and cunning, deliberately leading her to the forefront under the guise of fearing she'd lose her way.

The cave remained narrow and tight, accommodating only two people side by side. The dusky darkness wasn't uniform, seeming to obscure indistinct shadows lurking deeper within awaiting their approach.

There were no candles inside—merely faint and questionable glimmers of light. But lights? Outside was likely pitch black already, leaving unclear where this pale illumination originated.

The path underfoot became damp, while algae-coated walls and clusters of sharp crags occasionally brushed uncomfortably against Madam Duan's ankles, leaving an odd ticklish sensation.

"Uncle Li… where does this lead? When will we reach the destination to fulfill our task?"

Madam Duan's voice trembled involuntarily; her steps slowed subtly, hoping she might inadvertently let both men go ahead while falling behind.

Yet the father-son pair of the Li family remained steadfast with Madam Duan guardedly positioned at their front—responsibly scanning ahead for lurking danger.

"Most likely reaching the… crossroads somewhere?" Li Xian ventured after brief recollection.

"The crossroads…" Li Chenghang lowered his head thoughtfully as though contemplating deeply, then involuntarily shivered.

His movements were slight yet clearly perceptible to all within the silence of the suffocating cave.

Madam Duan halted immediately, suppressing her own quivering as she asked, "What has Master Li recalled?"

In such a sinister and enigmatic place, keeping thoughts bottled up could lead inexplicable death; now was the time for uniting efforts. Li Chenghang—well-read as he was—understood perfectly, briefly hesitating before deciding to lay everything bare.