Chapter 141: Drifting Hearse
In the silent darkness, the sound of breathing became long and heavy as the wind pulled it away.
Qiao Wan, Fang Lingqing, and Liu Xinwen all remained silent, as if by tacit agreement.
After a few seconds, a despairing sob broke the silence.
"I... I can't take it anymore!"
Before the words had even finished, a sudden bright sword light pierced through the night!
The sword light revealed a figure covered in blood and wearing armor, with hollow eye sockets that fixed on the people present.
Fang Lingqing muttered a curse under his breath and immediately attacked, deflecting the sword light, which then shot into the nearby mountain wall.
"A clang" was heard, as if something had fallen to the ground.
"Don't move," Liu Xinwen angrily whispered, "Try not to use magic if you can."
There were more "things" around them than they had imagined. Somehow, these things seemed to only sense human movements and strong light.
The incense that protected their souls had already extinguished. Using magic to illuminate would only signal them to come and feast, wouldn't it?
Liu Xinwen asked, "Can we find the Wataru flower?"
Qiao Wan squatted down, her heart pounding. She reached out her hand and felt the ground, running her fingers over rough stones. She touched something cold and smooth, shaped like a jade pendant. There were words on the pendant.
"Yu...Baocheng..."
"Xuanwu Sect..."
"Twenty-four years..."
Silently, Qiao Wan remembered the words on the jade pendant. She reached out and touched the coffin.
Her breath came in slow, heavy gasps. Her heart felt like it was about to jump out of her throat, while the night wind brushed her hair and tickled her neck.
They couldn't tell how many things were watching them in the surroundings.
As Qiao Wan continued to feel around, her thoughts suddenly shifted. She tried to expand her consciousness, relying on it instead of her eyes to "see." With the help of her consciousness, she finally found a tiny little flower on the wall of the coffin.
The Wataru flower was a small, fiery orange flower, like a flickering flame.
"We found it."
Qiao Wan held the Wataru flower in her hand and gasped for breath against the coffin wall. The consequence was a sharp pain in her mind, making it impossible to use her spiritual awareness for a while.
Despite the pain, she didn't dare delay. She quickly stretched out her trembling fingers to touch the jade pendant in her pocket.
Fang Lingqing felt his detached arm in his pocket and asked in a hoarse voice, "Can you make contact?"
There was no response from the jade pendant.
Qiao Wan patiently waited for a while, but the jade pendant in her hand still didn't show any reaction.
Her heart sank to the bottom.
"No good," Fang Lingqing blinked his eyes and lowered his head, feeling a bitter taste in his mouth.
"If everything goes smoothly, Taoist Friend Dou and the others should have already left the Ghost Market by now," Liu Xinwen gently patted Fang Lingqing's shoulder to comfort him.
Taoist Friend Dou was the one who took a different path earlier.
Fang Lingqing smiled bitterly but didn't say anything.
"Let's go back first," Qiao Wan pressed her lips together. "Let's go back and check on Taoist Friend Meng's situation."
Nobody can be sure what is in the darkness. To be safe, they had to slowly gather in the middle and go down the mountain together.
In this darkness, even the slightest movement was amplified infinitely.
Everyone cautiously approached each other, feeling their way through the darkness.
"Is everyone here?"
"Taoist Friend Qiao?"
"Here."
"Taoist Friend Fang?"
"Here."
"Taoist Friend Wang?"
Wang Ruyi whispered, "Here."
"Taoist Friend Wei?"
"..."
Liu Xinwen repeated, "Taoist Friend Wei?"
"..."
Silence.
No one answered.
Qiao Wan licked her dry lips and tightly held her sword.
After a while, a male voice came from the darkness, with a hint of crying, as if a thread was pulled from his throat.
"Here."
In the darkness, everyone could sense a slight relief in the air.
Liu Xinwen whispered, "Stay close, don't fall behind. Let's all go down the mountain together."
But as Qiao Wan walked forward, she felt that something was not quite right.
In the darkness, there was a faint outline reflected in front of her.
Liu Xinwen's figure seemed thinner than before, his robe draped loosely on him, making a rustling sound as it swayed in the wind.
Qiao Wan held her breath, clenched her teeth, and instinctively looked for Wang Ruyi.
As the wind blew into the mountain path, the fabric clung tightly to her skin, and a chill seeped into her bones.
Qiao Wan whispered, "Ruyi."
Wang Ruyi responded quickly, her voice containing a comforting tone, "I'm here, don't be afraid."
Qiao Wan turned her head.
The corpse looked at her with sunken eyes, showing concern.
After her heart experienced the ups and downs of a roller coaster, Qiao Wan said expressionlessly, "Gather the others and follow closely behind me."
"Xinwen" was still leading the way ahead.
Although Qiao Wan didn't understand what was going on, she followed Qiao Wan's gaze and saw the empty robe in front of her. Fang Lingqing also realized what was happening and turned pale.
What about Liu Xinwen?!
If it wasn't Liu Xinwen, then who was the one walking ahead of them all this time?!
Qiao Wan looked at Fang Lingqing.
Qiao Wan silently reached out her hand towards Fang Lingqing and made a gesture.
It was "three."
Fang Lingqing swallowed nervously and clenched his teeth.
Qiao Wan held up two fingers.
"Two."
One finger.
"One."
Putting her hand down, Qiao Wan and Fang Lingqing charged forward together, one on the left and one on the right!
Qiao Wan kicked the man's back, then jumped and straddled his neck. She placed her hands firmly on his jaw and twisted it forcefully to the side.
Crack!
The pale skull, as white as snow with hollow eye sockets, suddenly turned around. Its teeth were neat and it seemed to be smiling, with bits of flesh and blood sticking to its surface.
This is a skeleton, with all the flesh on its body scraped off by some sharp tool, only leaving a trace of blood red in the gaps between the bones.
Fang Lingqing felt his stomach churn, immediately thinking of the strange pieces of meat in the temple.
Qiao Wan took a sharp breath and glanced at Liu Xinwen.
Yes, it is indeed Liu Xinwen.
The clothes he was wearing, the sword at his waist, the hair on his head, everything was exactly like Liu Xinwen.
"What...what...is this?"
The cries of shock echoed one after another.
"Liu, taoist friend?"
Sitting on the skeleton, Qiao Wan felt her scalp tingle as she caught a glimpse from the corner of her eye.
Something in the grass behind them seemed to be pressing down on it, causing it to collapse one after another.
There's something in the grass!
Some kind of creature is chasing after them!
This thing is extremely fast, and the roadside weeds are falling like dominoes, rushing towards the direction where the few people are.
Qiao Wan quickly jumped off the skeleton and grabbed Wang Ruyi's wrist. She angrily shouted, "Run!"
As they got closer to the bottom of the mountain, the lights from the ghost market in the distance faintly illuminated the mountain path.
The path down the mountain was right ahead!
After a moment of confusion, everyone reacted and started running as fast as they could!
Qiao Wan pulled Wang Ruyi and dashed to the front. The night wind was rushing past their ears, and their chests felt like they were about to explode. They panted heavily.
It was still the middle of the night, and there was only one road leading to the ghost market ahead. They absolutely couldn't go back up the mountain!
Fang Ling hurriedly put Meng Canglang's severed arm into his embrace and ran for their lives!
The coffins and tree shadows on both sides of the mountain path flew by quickly.
They turned onto a small road and suddenly saw a funeral procession. Everyone in the procession wore tall white paper hats, and the horse-drawn carriages carried thick black coffins. They were making noise with drums and gongs as they walked on the mountain path.
Qiao Wan quickly made a decision and grabbed Wang Ruyi. They jumped onto one of the spirit carriages and firmly held onto the reins.
The spirited horse neighed anxiously. Qiao Wan pulled on the reins with all her strength, turned the horse around, and cracked the whip.
The thing behind them was getting closer and closer, like a centipede crawling on the mountain path.
Qiao Wan shouted, "Get on!"
Fang Lingqing reached out and grabbed onto the carriage shaft, then climbed onto the spirit carriage. The severed arm in his arms almost slipped out of his clothes, but he quickly caught it.
Others followed suit, snatching a spirit carriage and jumping on.
The spirit carriages swerved left and right, breaking through the funeral procession and racing away.
The night wind cut like a knife on Fang Lingqing's face. He lay on the carriage, panting in fear. He reached for the severed arm in his arms once again.
Luckily, it was still there. Meng Brother's arm was still intact.
Wang Ruyi covered her windblown hair and nervously asked, "Wh-where-are-we-g-going?!"
Qiao Wan. stared straight ahead with her eyes fixed, tightly gripping the reins. The wind blew against her body, making her stiff as ice, and her cheeks trembled from the wind.
"Down...the...mountain..."
The hearse rushed forward without hesitation, careening down the mountain.
Fang Lingqing. was tossed about, holding onto the coffin lid, and glanced ahead. Half of the wheels were suspended in mid-air on the mountain road.
Fang Lingqing was almost frightened into a shiver again, saying, "Watch the road, watch the road, watch the road!"
Behind them, that thing chased after them faster and faster. There was a faint rustling sound coming from the grass, and Fang Lingqing's hair stood on end. Several times, he even felt a slight chill on his back.
Not only that, but another empty hearse appeared behind them, speeding in their direction.
Biting his lip slightly, Fang Lingqing sat up straighter, took a breath, and nervously recited a poem.
His young voice was clear and melodious.
The sound of the book being read out loud echoed, and a brilliant beam of light broke through the long night, bursting with righteousness.
The beam of light didn't hurt or itch Fang Lingqing, a man. He secretly looked back and was surprised.
Did the thing in the grass disappear?
But suddenly, the empty hearse behind them came rushing towards them!
The horse neighed, the wheels rose high in the air, and half of the car was thrown into the sky, leaving only half of a wheel still spinning.
Fang Lingqing was thrown off balance, and the severed arm in his arms flew into the air.
"Fellow apprentice!" cried Fang Lingqing.
Without hesitation, he rushed forward. Although he grabbed the severed arm, he fell off the hearse and crashed onto the road.
A searing pain shot through his back, but before he could check his injuries, he heard the sound of galloping hooves behind him.
Fang Lingqing suddenly turned around.
That strange empty hearse, without any cushioning, was bearing down on him!
Just as the young man was about to be crushed, Wang Ruyi quickly flicked her long hair and threw Fang Lingqing onto the hearse.
The girl said softly, "Sit tight!"
Fang Lingqing, holding onto Meng Canglang's arm, remained silent.
The hearse went over a bump ahead, causing the arm in Fang Lingqing's arms to fly up a little.
Fang Lingqing quickly scrambled to catch it.
Meng Canglang needed to reattach his severed arm, he couldn't leave it behind!
Qiao Wan tightened the reins and kept the carriage on track.
The hearse behind them was dragging an empty coffin, yet it seemed as if someone was driving it, squeezing into the left side of the mountain road.
Below the mountain road was a cliff, and the narrow path became crowded with two hearses.
Qiao Wan took a quick glance to the left, cracked the whip, and the rear of the carriage spun around, swerving to the left with great force!
The carriages collided violently, the hearse on the left unable to avoid it, dangling off the cliff.
The inertia almost caused the hearse beneath them to "die together" as well.
Qiao Wan used all her strength to pull back, and the hearse made a thrilling drift. The wheels "skidded--" and rubbed against the steep mountain road, creating sparks of red.
Wang Ruyi tied herself to the carriage and even tied a cute and delicate butterfly bow, sitting securely.
Fang Lingqing clung to the coffin, tears streaming down his face.
As a disciple of the "Li" generation at Chongde Ancient Garden, Fang Lingqing, the legitimate son of the Fang family, experienced for the first time this thrilling extreme sport called "hearse drifting" from a distant time and space.
Qiao Wan turned the front of the car and continued recklessly towards the direction of the ghost market.
As soon as they reached the entrance of the ghost market, Fang Lingqing, Qiao Wan, and Wang Ruyi promptly abandoned the car and escaped.
Freed from restraints, the hearse rushed towards the bustling street, crashing into more than ten lantern frames in a row. The lights crowded the ground, and the carriage was completely destroyed. The scattered wheels suddenly turned into two or three children playing with fire, laughing and running around.
Qiao Wan became very still and held her breath, not daring to make a sound. She quickly picked up a piece of scattered oilcloth from the floor and tore it in half. One half she covered Fang Lingqing with, and the other half she covered herself with, slowly stepping backwards.
As they backed up, Qiao Wan accidentally bumped into something hard with her heel.
Her throat tightened, and she quickly turned her head to look. It was a chair.
Without realizing it, they had backed up to a small food stall.
At that moment, the stall owner, who was busy preparing food, seemed to notice the commotion and looked over.
Instinctively, Fang Lingqing tightened his grip on Meng Canglang's arm.
The stall owner was a smiling woman. She walked over and said with a smile, "Are you all here to eat as well?"
"Why not have a seat?"
The woman spoke softly, "Our meat bowls here are delicious. Please have a seat, and I'll serve you a bowl to try."
With that, the stall owner gracefully turned around and walked back to the big pot.
The big pot was bubbling and steaming, and the woman skillfully took a ladle and scooped up the pale pieces of meat cooking in the pot.
Qiao Wan, with her experience, knew that there might be something strange about what was cooking inside. But as soon as she turned around, the hungry "diners" behind her started to feast, seeming to sense something as they turned their heads towards her direction.
Qiao Wan clenched her teeth in frustration.
At that moment the stall owner approached, carrying a large white porcelain bowl.
The surface of the bowl looked pale and dreadful.
She placed the meat, covered in sauce, on the table and smiled gently, saying, "Please eat. It's so cold today, have something warm to comfort yourselves."
It was obvious that something was wrong with the contents of the bowl.
Qiao Wan and Fang Lingqing sat at the table, neither of them moving a bit.
The woman's gaze was fixed on the two of them, "Why aren't you using your chopsticks? Is the food not to your liking?"
Under the woman's watchful eyes, Qiao Wan hesitantly picked up the chopsticks.
The woman's eyes were cold and unforgiving, but then, finally, there was a slight flicker.
Her gaze fell into the bowl.
The pieces of meat were neatly cut, rising and falling in the rich and pure white broth.
Suddenly, Qiao Wan's gaze froze, as if her heart had stopped beating in an instant.
Amongst the floating pieces of meat, there was a pale blue corner of clothing the size of a fingernail, boiled until it was soft, but still showing the patterns of ripples on the fabric.
She had only seen Meng Canglang wearing clothes with this pattern.
In that moment, Qiao Wan didn't know what she was feeling. It felt as if something was blocking her throat and her stomach churned.
The woman urged, "Sir?"
Qiao Wan put down her chopsticks, and in one swift motion, she overturned the table in front of her!
The scalding meat juice splashed directly onto the woman's face, causing her to let out a piercing scream.
Fang Lingqing exclaimed, "Taoist Friend Lu?!"
Qiao Wan gave a brief answer, "Run!"
Qiao Wan didn't believe that the man inside was Meng Canglang. Although she had little contact with the "Canglang Sword," she inexplicably believed that this famous "gentleman's sword" would not end up as a dish of meat served on a table.
The woman screamed in pain and swiftly chased after him.
She leaped and jumped onto the roof, and after running for a short distance, Qiao Wan slammed on the brakes, quickly lying flat on the tiles.
Fang Lingqing asked, "What's wrong?"
Qiao Wan gestured with her eyes towards the front.
Under the eaves, there were several blood-stained disciples standing.
Are they from Sun Tao College?
Without hesitation, Qiao Wan forcefully pressed Wang Ruyi's head against the tiles and quietly hid with Fang Lingqing.
This was a group of disciples led by Yu Xingzhi from Sun Tao College. Each of them had a displeased expression, surrounded by a group of paper people, in a precarious situation.
Yu Xingzhi stood in front with his sword, his face pale. He covered his half-cut arm, gasping heavily, and coldly stared at the "people" in front of him who couldn't be called humans.
Not only his arms, but the young man's thighs also seem to have been bitten by something. You can vaguely see some bits of white bone scraps. One side of his face is missing, revealing the bright red muscle tissue. The whole person looks like a piece of rotten meat.
Qiao Wan could see the fading scent in front of Yu Xingzhi at a glance.
On the charming and handsome right side of the young man's face, a trace of ruthless cunning is revealed. He loudly and roughly shouted, "Go back, seek help from the elders, don't worry about me."
Several disciples of the Daoist sect standing behind him immediately burst into tears upon hearing these words.
"Brother Yu!"
"Elder brother! We won't leave!"
"Elder brother!"
"Why aren't you leaving?!" Yu Xingzhi abruptly turned his head and shouted angrily, "Do you want to all die here with me?!"
One of the disciples wiped away tears silently, "Things have come to this point, how can we abandon elder brother?"
"In any case, our senior brother, Ye, has already returned. We can just stay here and be with him until the end."
A few disciples from the righteous path clenched their teeth, revealing their spiritual tools, and stood before Yu Xingzhi.
"We, disciples of the righteous path, will never abandon any fellow disciples."
"Lu, our headmaster, is the same, and so are you, senior brother."
Witnessing this scene, Qiao Wan tightened her lips and remained motionless.
But Wang Ruyi beside her seemed to freeze for a moment, and after a second, the female corpse spoke surprisingly, "He... why does he look so much like Yue Yong?"
"Fang Lingqing asks, "Yue Yong?"
Wang Ruyi stared intently at the blood-covered Yu Xingzhi, saying, "He's the one who buried me alive."
How could this be? Wang Ruyi murmured, thinking that this cultivator in front of her should not be Yue Yong.
She remembered that Yue Yong didn't have any spiritual power. If he did, he wouldn't have coveted her dowry back then.
In just a short while, the outcome of the battle became clear over there.
Sun Tao College was almost annihilated, with the disciples' bodies scattered all over the ground. Yu Xingzhi, who had a higher level of cultivation, was still able to breathe but couldn't help but feel anger when looking at the bodies on the ground. Before this, these pieces of flesh on the ground were his younger martial sister.
Yu Xingzhi clenched his teeth, his handsome face twisted with gloom, revealing a pale cheekbone.
Facing death, even though he didn't want to admit it, he had to admit that he was indeed inferior to Ye Xiyuan. Not only could he not deal with Lu Cixian, but he... he couldn't even protect his fellow disciples!
Just then, Qiao Wan suddenly felt a sharp gust of wind coming from behind her. She quickly grabbed Wang Ruyi and rolled out of the range of the attack, then turned to look.
The woman had already caught up, running with her skirt held up, moving in a way that was almost unnatural.
Qiao Wan pulled Wang Ruyi and started running as fast as she could.
Pull!
Pull--
Huh? It didn't budge?
Wang Ruyi, without moving, looked in the direction of Yu Xingzhi. Suddenly, she swung her long hair and in the blink of an eye, managed to pull Yu Xingzhi towards her just as a young man was about to devour him.
Ready to face death, Yu Xingzhi closed his eyes silently. Then, everything went blank.
When he opened his eyes again, he realized that he had escaped danger.
Yu Xingzhi was stunned. Someone had saved him?
Just as he was about to express his gratitude, he was caught off guard by the sight of a shriveled face.
Wrapped in brown skin, the face was somewhat delicate, with sunken eyes and loose cheeks. To make matters even stranger, the person was wearing a bright red wedding gown and had a golden hairpin tilted on the forehead.
It was a truly horrifying sight.
Yu Xingzhi's heart raced, and he immediately drew his long sword.
But before he could touch the "female corpse's" chest, another swift sword strike knocked his sword away.
Yu Xingzhi was astounded. "Lu... Lu Cixian?"
And what about... Chongde Ancient Garden?
The young boy didn't even glance at him and ran off, dragging the woman's corpse by her hair!
"Ouch, ouch, ouch!" Wang Ruyi complained in a sweet and whiny voice, "Taoist Friend Lu, it hurts!"
Yu Xingzhi's eyes briefly showed confusion.
How could Lu Cixian save him?
Before he had time to think further, he immediately felt something strange behind him.
A colorful bound figure with twisted limbs crawled on the ground and rushed towards them.
Without hesitation, Yu Xingzhi followed Qiao Wan and her group.
There were no living people around, but not far away, there were several white towers.
Realizing there was no way to escape, without second thoughts, Qiao Wan and Fang Lingqing almost simultaneously rushed into the tower. As they entered, Qiao Wan, Fang Lingqing, and Yu Xingzhi froze at the entrance. They suddenly discovered that it was a Buddhist tower.
Inside the tower were four tall Buddha statues, two on each side, with heads almost touching the ceiling, their eyes wide open in anger.
These were the commonly seen "Four Great Celestial Kings" in Buddhist temples.
The white heavenly king from the east, holding a pipa, and the blue heavenly king from the south, holding a sword.
The red heavenly king from the west, with a crimson dragon wrapped around his hand, and the green heavenly king from the north, holding a parasol.
Sensing the arrival of someone, the four heavenly kings turned their eyeballs and slowly lowered their heads.
In an instant, all the gods and buddhas turned into ghosts.
