Chapter 3: The Hair on My Head Stood Up

  Hair standing on end

  The warm sunshine of the golden autumn, the blue sky with a few white clouds. The Fengling Mountain is full of wild fruits, the bright red mountain hawthorn, the golden yellow crisp pear, the crystal clear wild grapes, and the green kiwi fruit as green as jade. Walking on the winding mountain road lined with wild chrysanthemum, looking at the fiery red leaves that have dyed the hillside, listening to the sound of the mountain stream flowing by, gazing at the mist-shrouded Fengling Mountain, which is like a paradise, will make people feel carefree and as if they are in a world of their own. Passing through the quiet and winding mountain road, Yun Xiang Tian arrived at a small platform on the hillside. After passing the platform and turning around the steep slope in front, it was Wang Jia Po. A curved and clear stream flowed from the front door of the mountain people's home, bringing infinite vitality to the peaceful and elegant Wang Jia Po. The people here are isolated from the outside world, although they are not rich, they can still be self-sufficient and live a carefree life. Yun Xiang Tian unintentionally felt this beautiful scenery and folk customs, after discovering Ye Zi Chun's visit to Wang Shan Gen last night, he had been following him all the way to here.

  A mountain song came from the top of Fengling Mountain, the singing voice was gentle and lingering, like the morning call of a yellow oriole, like the joyful singing of a hundred spirits. Yun Xiangtian followed Ye Zichun up the mountain. This is the road to Wangjia Dazhai, Yun Xiangtian is not unfamiliar with it. He felt a little surprised, how could there be a woman's happy singing near this eerie and terrifying ghost village? What was Ye Zichun's purpose for coming here again? He carefully approached his target, seeing Ye Zichun stop. Yun Xiangtian quickly hid and carefully observed Ye Zichun in front of him. Ye Zichun hid behind a large tree, staring intently at a girl picking mountain hawthorn in front of her, occasionally looking around cautiously. Yun Xiangtian discovered that Ye Zichun's eyes were no longer dull and lifeless, but like a sharp steel knife, able to pierce through all disguises in front of him. Like a poisonous snake, cold and ruthless, ready to swallow its prey at any time. Yun Xiangtian looked at Ye Zichun, thinking to himself: He might be the key to opening the ghost gate of the mountain village.

  Yun Xiang Tian could only see the girl's back, she was wearing a red top and had a long braid that reached her waist. She seemed to have not noticed anyone nearby. She was happily singing a mountain song while picking big red hawthorns and walking into the depths of the forest, soon disappearing from view. Ye Zi Chun waited until the girl walked far away, carefully looked around, and quietly made his way to the tree where the girl had picked the hawthorns. He took out a piece of paper from under a rock at the base of the tree, quickly read it, and then swallowed it. A sly smile appeared on his face as he turned and headed down the mountain. Yun Xiang Tian waited until he was far away before quietly following him.

  Fei Long Ridge is next to Gui Zhai, another slope of Feng Ling Mountain. The lower half of the mountain is a slope, and in the middle, it suddenly rises into a steep cliff. Between the cliff and the slope, there is a naturally formed cave. Yun Xiang Tian followed Ye Zi Chun to the outside of the cave, saw Ye Zi Chun walk in, and hid behind a large stone. Until Ye Zi Chun walked out of the cave and walked far away, he observed the situation around him, slowly approached and entered the cave.

  As soon as he walked into the cave, it wasn't spacious, but after walking a dozen steps along the cave, the cave suddenly opened up, and a huge chamber appeared in front of him. Because the light inside the cave was dim, Yun Xiangtian couldn't see the scenery inside the cave clearly. He turned around and walked towards the entrance of the cave, and when he walked into the entrance, he found that there was a torch inserted on the wall of the entrance, with a wisp of blue smoke rising from it. Yun Xiangtian knew that this was what Ye Zichun had just used, and he smiled bitterly at his own carelessness for not seeing the torch when he entered the cave. He took down the torch and lit it with the matches on his body, then walked into the cave. After walking in, the scene in front of him made him shocked. This was a huge graveyard, with countless coffins neatly arranged inside. Just as he wanted to carefully examine the inscriptions on the tombstones, a gust of cold wind suddenly blew, making the torch in Yun Xiangtian's hand flicker. Yun Xiangtian covered the torch with his hand and approached the tombstone. Suddenly, a scream came from outside the cave, followed by a woman's mournful cry for help. Yun Xiangtian couldn't bear to watch the inscription on the tombstone, and quickly rushed out of the cave towards the direction of the cry for help. Just as he left the cave, a coffin near the entrance slowly opened its lid, and a hand stretched out from inside, with only white bones remaining on the skin that had already fallen off. Then, a zombie sat up, with a few sparse hairs scattered on a face that was blurry with blood and flesh, one eyeball embedded in an eye socket that no longer had eyelids, and the other eyeball had already popped out of its socket and stuck to the rotting face, two huge fangs piercing through the skin at the corner of his mouth. He slowly stood up and jumped out of the coffin. His short and dull breathing emitted a puff of smoke. He stretched out his arms and hopped towards the entrance of the cave, his wide robe fluttering up and down with each jump.

  Yun Xiang Tian rushed out of the cave and chased after the cry for help, which seemed to be coming from a distance, leading him into a secluded mountain valley. The blood-red sunset made the entire valley seem like it was soaked in fresh blood, with eerie red hues everywhere. Yun Xiang Tian looked at a woman who was curled up into a ball, hiding behind a large boulder at the bottom of the valley. She was wearing a crimson top, like a burning flame. Her black hair was disheveled and scattered down her back. She had her back to Yun Xiang Tian and was sobbing quietly. Yun Xiang Tian slowly approached her, comforting her; "Can you tell me what's wrong? Don't cry. Let me take you home, okay? It's getting dark." The woman turned around, revealing a beautiful young girl. The girl sobbed quietly and said; "I took a shortcut on my way home and didn't expect to encounter wild wolves in the mountains. I stumbled and fell all the way here. Please, sir, save me. Take me home."

  The girl walked with Yun Xiang Tian on a desolate and secluded small path, the path was overgrown with weeds, it seemed that no one had passed by for a long time. The girl walked carefully, occasionally turning her head to smile sweetly at Yun Xiang Tian. Every time this happened, Yun Xiang Tian would shift his gaze to the side as if he hadn't noticed. Neither of them said a word. Only a few sparse stars in the sky blinked like devilish eyes. Darkness swallowed everything.

  The girl walked up to a mound of earth and said with great joy: "Thank you, thank you for sending me home. Thank you."

  Yun Xiang Tian was stunned, looking around and then back at the girl who had disappeared. He felt a chill run down his spine as a cold voice came from behind him, "Why don't you come in and have a chat?" Yun Xiang Tian looked down to see that his right ankle was being held by a bony hand. Despite his bravery, he broke out in a cold sweat. He tried to shake off the hand but it only tightened its grip. The voice spoke again, "I invited you with good intentions, but you kicked my hand to pieces. You will pay for this!" Suddenly, a sweet laughter echoed through the air, "Forget it, why force him to come? What a pity about your hand." Yun Xiang Tian was terrified, his heart racing as he tried to retreat two steps back. He reached for his dagger and slashed at the ghostly hand. The hand flew up and grabbed at his face, but Yun Xiang Tian dodged and swung his knife again. Suddenly, his feet were grabbed by an unseen force and he was flung to the ground. As he looked back, he saw that it was the girl he had sent home earlier, her lower body gone, her upper body covered in blood. She glared at him with red eyes, her tongue hanging out of her mouth as she laughed maniacally. Just then, the ghostly hand grabbed his throat and a sweet fragrance filled the air, rendering Yun Xiang Tian powerless. Black and White Impermanence appeared beside him, opening the Book of Life and Death, "Your time is up, leave your mortal coil behind and follow me." White Impermanence bound Yun Xiang Tian's hands with iron chains and dragged him away as he struggled weakly. As they walked, Yun Xiang Tian saw his own body lying on the ground, a ghostly hand grasping his throat, and the girl-ghost devouring his flesh. They arrived at a small bridge where an old woman waited with a bowl of Meng Po's soup, "Come, come, drink this and forget your past troubles." White Impermanence took the bowl and forced Yun Xiang Tian to drink, despite his struggles. As they walked further, they entered a narrow alleyway filled with blue lights, the smell of burning flesh, and the sound of screams. Everywhere, ghostly spirits wandered, their bodies mangled and twisted in death. Yun Xiang Tian felt only numbness as he was dragged before the King of Hell, who sat on his throne, his face cruel and heartless. Black and White Impermanence bowed and announced, "We have brought Yun Xiang Tian's soul before you, Your Majesty."

  Yan Wang shouted in a stern voice: "Yun Xiang Tian, do you know your crime?"

  Yun Xiang Tian smiled wryly; "I'm a decent businessman, straightforward and honest, no deception of old or young, where did this crime come from?"

  Yan Wang didn't get angry but instead smiled, "You've been inquiring about the ghost village everywhere and following others into their ancestral tombs. Is this really the business you want to do?"

  Yun Xiang Tian struggled to get up, and as he crawled up, the jade pendant on his chest was exposed. Yan Wang hummed a smile and said, "Take off his jade pendant." The ox-headed horse-faced man standing behind Yan Wang responded and took off Yun Xiang Tian's jade pendant, handing it over to Yan Wang. After careful examination, Yan Wang said, "Where did this thing come from? Confess the truth."

  Yun Xiang Tian cried and laughed, shaking his head; "Joke, this is a family heirloom passed down through generations. Does the King of Hell also have times when he doesn't distinguish between good and evil?"

  Yan Wang was furious and uncontrollable; "How dare you, you dare to humiliate me. Throw him into the oil cauldron." After finishing speaking, he threw the jade pendant to the ground, and when he saw that the jade pendant had been smashed to pieces, a faint smile appeared at the corner of Yan Wang's mouth.

  Two little demons lifted Cloud Soaring Heaven and dragged him towards the oil cauldron, Cloud Soaring Heaven looked at the raging flames burning the boiling oil cauldron, gradually losing consciousness.