absentminded

p her sleeves, a bewitching smile on her face: “I’ll attend to you myself, so the Emperor won’t see you with tears staining your face and hair disheveled, thinking I've mistreated you. I can't afford...When I brought the noodles to Mu Wanchen, I found him standing under an old tree in the backyard.

That tree was strange. It grew in the middle of the small backyard garden and was quite old, looking majestic and tall.

"Come on and eat the noodles. We need to leave soon after we finish, what's so interesting about this tree" I urged him puzzledly.

Mu Wanchen smiled and said, "… This is an old locust tree. Locust, wood ghost, most people avoid having a locust tree in front of or behind their houses, but here it's placed in the center of the entire old house."

He paused for a moment and said: "These red string talismans are used to ward off evil spirits. The ghosts here can coexist peacefully with this house because the owner of this house understands the art of exorcism, so the outside ghosts dare not intrude."

He was saying something while making a shushing gesture towards me.

I stared at him, what was he doing

Mu Wanchen rolled up a talisman and tucked it into the crack between the branches of a tree.

"Next time she locks you in here, I can come and get you. And we won't have to break the barrier." Mu Wanchen said.

I wrinkled my nose. "Are you cursing me I don't want anything to do with this place."

"It's better to be prepared for anything. Let's go. I have a bad feeling about this. Perhaps Ms. Xue hasn't simply stayed within the Dharma Gate."

Under his urging, we quickly returned to the Dharma Gate. The young mistress wasn't there. She left me a note saying she went to the Underworld to see her child. She said the child had stayed in the Underworld for too long and it wouldn't be good, so she was taking him home. She told me to speak with Brother Long if I had anything to discuss.

Long Xiaoge is also a ghost, never around when you need him. Plus, the upper half of Miao Wang City is the core area, and as a visitor here, I wouldn't want to be seen wandering around too much.

Fortunately, these days food and winter clothing have already been distributed. The people are temporarily not worried about food and clothing, they have shelter, and the wounded have also begun to recover their spirits. Overall, the mood is gradually developing in a positive direction, and it's not tiring for me to manage.

At night, I still stayed in the guest room on the central platform of Miao Wang City. To be honest, without Xiao Shi Niang, Mu Wan Chen, or Long Xiao Ge here, I felt a little uneasy living alone here.

Especially knowing that I was under the "management" of the Great Corpse King, even a small sound made me worry it was a zombie.

Actually, there aren't that many zombies. It's not easy to create a Zombie King, right

I comforted myself while pulling the blanket over my head.

The cold wind howled outside the bamboo building's window, and occasionally a crackling sound came from the charcoal fire inside.

I'm a bit regretful that I told Liang to go to sleep. I should have had him guard the door or sleep next door instead.

I'm all alone on this entire platform!

A biting wind howled like ghosts and wolves, sending shivers down my spine.

"...giggle...la." Something sounded like it was being blown against the window by a strong wind, and I jolted upright.

This doesn't feel right.

Before, when I slept here, there was no such feeling of tension.

The nearest guard to me is at the end of the platform corridor. Should I go ask the guard to bring Long Ge over

"Hello Is anyone there" I shouted loudly.

If the guard is sharp, they should be able to hear me.

Here it's very empty, and there are few guards. Maybe the night watchmen fell asleep

I jumped off the bed and got ready to open the door and call for someone. I couldn't let myself get this worked up, I just needed to feel things out. If something felt wrong, there was definitely a problem! It couldn't be me freaking myself out.

This atmosphere is completely different from before, there's definitely a feeling of something "approaching".

I summoned my courage and pulled open the bamboo door —

"AAAAAAaaahhh!" A person stood at the door!

I screamed and jumped back, my whole body buzzing.

This person's eyes glowed with an eerie green light, their face was grim, and they stood silently at my doorstep.

"Hush," the newcomer rasped.

I was stunned, this low and hoarse voice... Dragon, Little Dragon!

"You, you scared me!" I took a few steps back, looking at Long Xiaoge with some fear.

His state is abnormal!

Long Xiaoge wouldn't come to scare me in the middle of the night!

At this moment, Long Xiaogē furrowed his brows, lowered his head, and raised his hand to rub his qingming point, as if trying his best to control himself.

" ...The Great Corpse King summoned me just now. He warned me, and told me to keep an eye on you..." Long Xiaoge's expression was a little uncomfortable.

I couldn't help but ask, "Are you alright You look... kind of exhausted..."

Long Xiaoge has been seriously injured by the Dragon King's poison. His body is badly damaged and his voice is still hoarse! He probably hasn't recovered fully. During his "escape" from my house, he didn't take good care of himself and didn't take medicine properly to heal.

"I'm fine, just don't scare me... There are too few people here. I was scared and couldn't sleep earlier. I wanted to call someone, but you stood at the door and almost scared me to death." I complained.

Long Xiaoge frowned and looked at me with his eyes, which still glowed a dark green. He looked so scary.

"You, you don't scare me, you're still possessed by a ghost, aren't you" I said fearfully.

Long Xiaoge was about to speak when I suddenly felt a cold wind creeping up my leg and quickly traveling up my back.

That sticky feeling, like a giant's tongue licking the back of my neck.

I hadn't even had time to call out when Long Xiaoge rushed over and pulled me along.

Looking back, a faint shadow flickered past inside the house.

It is a face, or rather the ghostly image of one, seeming to smile.

With a haughty gaze and lips curled upwards, in that fleeting instant, the face contorted and then vanished like dissipating smoke.

Only I stood there at the door, my scalp tingling with fear.

That face looks familiar to me.

"...Do you know him" Long Xiao rubbed his Qiming acupoint, seeming to be in pain.

"Uh...seemingly, possibly...my, my mother." I said incredulously and somewhat doubtfully.

Long Xiaoge looked up, frowning at me: "Your mother"

I don't know what expression to make, how did Ms. Xue become a ghost appearing beside me

Did she die

When this thought popped up, I was a jumble of emotions, not knowing how to describe it.

Mu Wanchen went back to the gate of the temple to check, but the territory inside the temple was vast. If Ms. Xue died in a hidden place, Mu Wanchen might not be able to find her immediately.

"Don't panic, it's just a soul leaving the body." said Long Xiaoge.

"I'm not nervous!" I denied.

"You're as white as a sheet." He ripped through her facade with no mercy.

I…

The old woman just told us to go to that ghost village, to investigate the whereabouts of Ms. Xue. Now this A living person's soul leaving their body Is she dead or alive What exactly happened

"Long Xiaoge, your body can't withstand the spiritual possession. You should go back home to recuperate," I changed the subject, trying to appear calm.

"No." He refused curtly.

Uh... Is my house that scary

"The Corpse King summoned me, asking me to watch you. He said the Miao Wang City is under surveillance and I cannot leave." he said lightly.

“....Is it because of me Then I'll leave, so as not to bother you.” I said hastily.

Long Xiao casually glanced at me: “Before your man comes back, you don't go anywhere. On my turf, safety is naturally my responsibility.”swept his gaze across the opposite side.The chimera's front hoof kicked empty, and it let out a roar—I thought it was going to pounce, but then its front hooves hit the ground with a thud and then, th...