The invincible female ghost is a bit love-struck.

Chapter 113 The Punishment of the Tan Family, Tan Jiji

It seems there's no way Shen Jizhou can get his daughter back.

At this moment, Shen Shulan and Lu Yuan were riding side by side, galloping out of the towering city walls of Fengtian.

Let us be companions in this mortal world, living freely and unrestrained.

Four fast horses galloped north along the official road, kicking up a trail of dust.

The wind carried a lingering chill, stinging their faces, yet it couldn't dispel the sharpness in the eyes of the men on horseback.

Shen Shulan rode alongside Lu Yuan, her blue robes fluttering in the wind. Her cool, perfect profile seemed sculpted from ice and jade in the morning light. Suddenly, she pulled on the reins, slowing the horse down slightly, and turned her head to look at Lu Yuan.

"Uncle-Master Lu."

Her voice remained calm as always.

"This journey is fraught with danger and unpredictability. To ensure safety, I have taken a few items from home. Please carry them with you."

Lu Yuan was taken aback upon hearing this. For him?

His first instinct was to refuse; his own system space was never short of good things.

However, before he could even utter his refusal, Shen Shulan had already made her move.

She bent down and pulled a long, narrow sandalwood box from the straw bag hanging beside her horse.

The wooden box has been worn smooth and shiny, and the copper clasps on the corners have oxidized and turned black. The heavy marks of time weigh heavily on it, making it a well-known old object that has been passed down for generations.

The box was opened, revealing a scarlet velvet lining inside, where three peach wood short swords lay quietly.

The sword is no more than a foot long, with a deep reddish-brown color on its blade. The wood has a fine texture and a subtle, warm luster.

The most peculiar thing is that each sword has seven naturally occurring scars on its blade, and their arrangement subtly resembles the shape of the Big Dipper.

"This is the 'Seven-Star Thunder-Strike Wooden Sword' passed down from my great-grandfather."

Shen Shulan picked up a weapon and handed it to Lu Yuan without saying a word.

"When my great-grandfather was collecting herbs in Taiyin Mountain, he personally witnessed a three-hundred-year-old peach tree being struck by lightning. The tree did not die, but instead formed these seven lightning scars."

As she spoke, she took out the other two swords from the box and threw them to Xu Erxiao and Wang Chengan behind her without turning her head.

"He took the toughest part of the tree heartwood and asked the most famous old carpenter outside the pass to carve it into these three magic swords."

"After the sword was completed, it was worshipped in front of the ancestral master's altar for a hundred years. It was nourished by the incense and became the best at warding off evil spirits."

Xu Erxiao and Wang Chengan were stunned by this unexpected and generous gift, and hurriedly accepted the magic sword.

The sword in Lu Yuan's hand was extremely heavy, far exceeding the weight of ordinary peach wood.

The hilt of the sword is engraved with fine runes, not by a knife, but as if it were drawn with a fingertip dipped in cinnabar, allowing the runic power to deeply penetrate the texture of the wood.

"An ordinary peach wood sword is only adequate against the vengeful spirits of the newly deceased."

Shen Shulan's voice was clear, cold, and resolute.

"The Wang family's evil-breeding grounds have had their veins tainted for decades, producing extremely malevolent creatures. Keep this sword with you; it can save your lives in a critical moment."

Lu Yuan knew the value of this item and was about to decline when Shen Shulan opened the second layer of the wooden box.

On this floor, there are several squares carefully wrapped in oil paper.

She opened one of them, and inside was a thick stack of yellow talismans.

The talisman paper is not a bright yellow, but a pale yellow that has been mellowed by time, as smooth as Xuan paper, with natural rough edges.

Each talisman was inscribed with intricate runes using an unusually bright red cinnabar. The striking red was almost blinding in the early spring sunlight. "Yangyan Dispelling Purification Talisman."

Shen Shulan pulled out a talisman and pointed to the complex fire pattern on its head, explaining:

"The cinnabar used for drawing the talisman was mixed with rooster comb blood, the juice of mugwort picked at noon on the Dragon Boat Festival, and a trace amount of gold powder."

"The grandmaster who draws talismans only starts writing on the day of the Great Heat each year, and he must fast and bathe for seven days before he starts writing."

"This is the culmination of three years of his hard work."

After saying that, Shen Shulan distributed the oil paper packages to Lu Yuan and the other two, one package for each of them.

Lu Yuan: ..…….…”

This young lady from the top gate outside the pass has a truly extraordinary way of doing things.

This time, Lu Yuan did not refuse again, but silently accepted it.

Keep the items for now, just in case. You can return them to them later when this matter is settled.

However, Shen Shulan's feelings were rather heavy.

Lu Yuan began to ponder what kind of return gift he should give.

Seeing that Shen Shulan was about to take more things out of her bag, Lu Yuan quickly spoke up to stop her.

"Senior Sister Shulan, that's enough, let's keep it for now."

"Once we get there and see the specifics of the nurturing ground, we can take whatever we need."

He's riding a horse now, swaying back and forth, so he doesn't lose it.

Upon hearing this, Shen Shulan raised her hand and tucked a strand of long hair that had been ruffled by the wind behind her ear, then nodded seriously.

"it is good."

The eleventh place for nurturing evil spirits is located on the edge of Fengtian City.

The four of them rode at full speed, and by the evening of the second day, Lu Yuan and his companions finally arrived at a familiar place.

Bull Village.

After resolving the trouble on the mountain last time, Lu Yuan immediately fell unconscious. When he opened his eyes again, he was already on the carriage returning to the city, and he was unaware of what happened afterward. He came here today and took the opportunity to check on things along the way.

Firstly, they planned to stay here for the night to rest and recuperate, so that they could directly attack the eleventh place of nurturing evil spirits the next day.

Secondly, there is the follow-up visit.

It is both a custom and a responsibility for Taoist priests to follow up on their work after it is completed.

Many subsequent trivial matters are beyond the understanding of ordinary people. Even if they are repeatedly reminded and written down at the time, mistakes are still inevitable afterward.

Minor mistakes are harmless, just like cooking; whether you add a little more or a little less salt, it's still edible.

It's a bit salty, though. Drink some more water.

It's a bit bland. Go grab some more salt and stir it in.

But if you do something wrong, it can cause problems.

That wouldn't be about adding more or less salt; it would be about directly adding arsenic.

According to the rules of Zhenlong Temple, no matter how small the task, a follow-up visit is required.

If Lu Yuan really couldn't spare the time, he would ask his fellow disciples in the temple to do it for him.

It is precisely because of this sense of responsibility that Lu Yuan's reputation has spread so quickly in just over a year.

Upon entering Muniu Village, the ground was covered with red paper scraps from firecrackers set off during the Spring Festival.

The village was much more lively and vibrant than when I last visited, and the oppressive, lifeless atmosphere was gone.

Soon, the four arrived at Wang Laohan's house at the west end of the village.

A thick layer of red paper scraps covered the area in front of the door, which shone like a rosy sunset in the afterglow of the evening.

Before the man dismounted, the laughter of children in the courtyard could be heard first.

The laughter was crisp and clear, revealing a carefree joy.

"Er Ya! Slow down! Don't trip!"

It was the voice of Wang Laohan's daughter-in-law, loud and cheerful, full of laughter—a stark contrast to the woman who had cried herself to death just over ten days ago. The courtyard gate was ajar, and through the crack, one could see the lively scene inside.

The courtyard was swept clean, but the bluestone slabs still bore traces of moisture.

Above the main door, brand-new red paper Spring Festival couplets are particularly eye-catching: "May Heaven add years to your life and may spring fill the universe and may blessings fill your door."

The handwriting wasn't top-notch, but each stroke was written with utmost care.

The door gods have also been replaced with new ones: Qin Shubao and Yuchi Gong, one with a red face and the other with a black face, their eyes wide open in the twilight, looking majestic and imposing.

There were quite a few people in the courtyard, many of whom were unfamiliar faces, presumably neighbors from the same village or visiting relatives.

Lu Yuan dismounted and stepped forward to knock on the courtyard gate.

"Oh my god, who is this? They're knocking on the door! Just come in!"

Old Wang's loud voice echoed from inside the courtyard.

Lu Yuan pushed open the door and entered. In the center of the courtyard was an eight-immortal table, on which were piled dumplings that were not yet finished being made.

White dough, filling of chives and pork, with a small bowl of water and a chopstick on the side.

Lu Yuan's eyelids twitched when he saw the dumplings.

This thing... it really makes me lose my appetite just looking at it now.

We've been eating this for almost the entire first month of the lunar calendar...

Wang Laohan's daughter-in-law, her hands covered in flour, was deftly pinching the edges of dumplings.

Several women gathered around to help, all curiously turning their heads to look at Lu Yuan at the door.

Lu Yuan's gaze swept across the courtyard, finally settling on the base of the west wall.

There, a small shrine was newly built using yellow earth.

A rough porcelain bowl sat before the shrine, filled with golden millet, and three sticks of incense had burned down to almost nothing.

Wisps of smoke curled and rose in the twilight.

On the shrine, there was a piece of red paper with neatly written words.

"The longevity tablet of Master Lu, my benefactor".

Lu Yuan: ..…….…”

Ho!

Did you put up a longevity tablet for yourself?

In front of the memorial tablet, there was a plate of frozen persimmons sprinkled with white sugar, a plate of golden-fried twisted dough sticks, and several bright red eggs. Old Wang was squatting under the eaves, tidying up his fishing nets, smoking a pipe, without looking up.

His daughter-in-law, however, had sharp eyes. She looked up and saw Lu Yuan, and exclaimed "Ouch!" in surprise, dropping the dumpling wrappers she was holding to the ground.

She hurriedly wiped her hands on her apron, and ran quickly towards the door, shouting excitedly:

"father!"

"It's Master Lu! Master Lu has arrived!"

This shout startled everyone inside the house.

Wang Laohan's wife and son rushed out of the house.

Wang Laohan himself suddenly stood up and rushed to Lu Yuan, so excited that he could hardly speak:

"Oh my! Master Lu! You...you've come all this way during the New Year!"

"We were even saying that after the fifteenth of the lunar month, the whole village would go to Zhenlong Temple to offer incense!"

"Why did you arrive early?"

Looking at the family's simple and honest faces, Lu Yuan felt a warmth in his heart and smiled as he cupped his hands in greeting.

"Just passing by, thought I'd drop by and stop by."

"If it's convenient, could you please give us a room for the night? We'll leave tomorrow morning."

Upon hearing this, Wang Laohan's eyes lit up instantly. He grabbed Lu Yuan's wrist and pulled him into the main room with surprising strength.

"Convenient! So convenient! They can even move your ancestral tablets!"

"Master Lu, hurry! The kang (heated brick bed) inside is warm. Sit down first, the food will be ready soon!"

His shout was like a firecracker going off inside and outside the courtyard.

The villagers, who were initially somewhat reserved, instantly became incredibly enthusiastic.

Several quick-witted young women and wives gave Xu Erxiao and Wang Chengan no chance to react.

They quickly gathered around and helped unload the large wooden crates from the horse's back.

That genuine warmth and affection was almost overwhelming for Xu Erxiao and Wang Cheng'an, two seasoned veterans, who could only express their gratitude repeatedly. Only Shen Shulan stood quietly to the side.

She cultivated herself in the Taiyin Mountains from a young age and almost never did any work in the countryside.

What they were used to seeing was the respect of fellow disciples, the ferocity of demons and monsters, or the awe of wealthy gentlemen from the foot of the mountain.

She had never seen or experienced such pure gratitude before, as unadulterated as a mountain spring.

The four entered the main room, took off their shoes, and climbed onto the kang (a heated brick bed).

The warmth traveled from the soles of my feet straight to the top of my head, dispelling the chill that had accumulated over the past two days and nights.

Old Wang brought a large plate of fragrant roasted melon seeds from the west room, placed it on the kang table, grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth.

"Master Lu, I'll go kill a chicken right now. We'll make it tonight..."

Before Wang Laohan could finish speaking, Lu Yuan smiled and waved his hand, his words gentle yet leaving no room for refusal:

"Don't bother, we're not being polite."

"We came out here on important business. We've been here for two days and one night since yesterday morning, and we're really exhausted."

"Just heat up some food for us, we'll eat a little something, and find us a room to rest."

Lu Yuan paused, looked into Wang Laohan's sincere eyes, and added another sentence.

"Please don't feel bad about it. If we happen to be passing by again on our way back, we'll definitely come again. You won't be able to refuse us a chicken then!"

These words warmed Wang Laohan's heart, and he nodded emphatically.

"Okay, okay!!"

Having said that, Wang Laohan turned and rushed into the yard, shouting at the top of his lungs:

"Alright, alright, stop wrapping! First, bring up the cooked dumplings to the Taoist priests! They need to rest after they finish eating!"

After listening to what Wang Laohan had to say, everyone in the courtyard nodded quickly and started making dumplings for Lu Yuan and the other three.

As soon as Xu Erxiao and Wang Chengan felt the warmth from the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), their eyelids started to droop, and their heads began to nod off.

By the dim light of the oil lamp, Lu Yuan unfolded the map of the Nourishing Earth and his gaze fell on his next target.

Shen Shulan sat upright beside him, her gaze sometimes falling on the map, and sometimes on Lu Yuan's profile illuminated by the lamplight.

The eleventh place for nurturing evil spirits is "Luoyanpo," located eighty li north of Muniu Village.

The abandoned kiln site of the "Yan Family Beauty Porcelain" from the early Qing Dynasty.

The land is unique, being a place of "embers of Yin fire". A hundred years ago, underground Yin fire erupted and burned for three years, turning the soil and rocks into glass.

After the kiln fails, the residual heat from the fire seeps into the earth's veins, which is extremely rare...

Just as Lu Yuan was about to turn the page, a deafening roar suddenly erupted from outside the courtyard, instantly waking Xu Erxiao and his companion from their drowsy state.

The villagers of Muniu Village, upon hearing that Lu Yuan had arrived, all flocked over.

Dozens of households, hundreds of people, blocked the small courtyard gate, and everyone's face was filled with excitement and gratitude.

Everyone listened intently and realized that everyone in Muniu Village knew that Lu Yuan had arrived.

They were making a scene outside, demanding to see Lu Yuan and thank him.

"Stop fucking pushing your way in!!"

Old Wang and his son used their bodies to block the hospital door, their veins bulging.

"Master, you're tired! You need to rest! We have a long journey to take early tomorrow morning!"

"Don't disturb the Taoist priest's rest!!!"

"Keep an eye on your little ones tonight, no firecrackers allowed, or you'll disturb the Taoist priest's rest!!"

"Holy crap, who threw that? It hit me on the head!!"

Lu Yuan peeked through the crack in the window.

Good guy.

When the people outside realized they couldn't get in, they started throwing things over the wall.

They weren't bricks; they were all wrapped in cloth and were quite heavy.

One of them was thrown too hard and landed in the yard, scattering peanuts and roasted nuts all over the ground.

"Old Han! Give the things to the Taoist priest! You're not allowed to taste them!"

"Do you think I'm that kind of person?!" Old Wang roared angrily, "Get out of here after you've thrown it all away!"

The person outside responded loudly, their voice full of laughter and sincerity.

"Master Lu! We've put your things down for you!"

"You must come back and visit when you have time!"

"Our entire village will go to Zhenlong Temple to offer incense to you on the 15th."

After this person finished speaking, another, older voice shouted angrily:

"Master Lu isn't dead, why are you offering him incense?!"

Lu Yuan: ..…….…”

Those heartfelt shouts pierced through the door and echoed throughout the small main room.

Shen Shulan, lying on the kang (heated brick bed), felt a sudden tremor in her heart.

She looked at the simple, honest faces outside the window, then at Lu Yuan beside her, who remained calm and composed.

She suddenly understood why her great-grandmaster always said, "It's easy to slay the demons in the mountains, but difficult to win people's hearts and make them offer incense."

To slay demons, one must rely on the sword in one's hand.

To receive offerings, one must have a sincere heart.

Lu Yuan, who was on the kang (a heated brick bed), was a little dazed. He quickly got off the kang and put on his shoes, and Shen Shulan followed immediately.

Once outside the main house, Lu Yuan looked at Wang Laohan and his son and quickly said:

"Alright, alright, I'd like to say a few words to the villagers."

Good grief, he's acting like a big star...

To be honest, not all Taoist priests can enjoy this kind of thing.

Some Taoist priests, after finishing their work for their employers and leaving, would infuriate the employers, who would then jump up and down cursing them.

Some Taoist priests were refused by their employers before they could even begin the ceremony.

For example... what happened when Lu Yuan and Shen Shulan first met.

However, this kind of thing is very common for Lu Yuan; he encounters this situation almost every time he makes a return visit.

Upon hearing this, Mr. and Mrs. Wang felt as if they had been granted a pardon and immediately withdrew.

Several villagers who had exerted too much force fell in with cries of "Ouch!"

Lu Yuan stepped forward and helped them up, then stood at the doorway, his gaze sweeping over each eager face in the twilight.

Lu Yuan's clear voice, tinged with a gentle smile, resonated throughout the entire venue:

"I appreciate the kindness of all my fellow villagers."

"Those who cultivate themselves should take helping the world as their fundamental purpose. What they did before was merely a matter of chance and opportunity."

Then Lu Yuan pointed to the fruits and snacks on the ground, his smile becoming even more sincere and earnest:

"Since it is the kindness of my fellow villagers, I will accept it; it will serve as provisions for my journey tomorrow."

"It's cold and windy, everyone should go back and rest early."

"Once I'm done with my business and on my way back, I'll definitely come to bother you again if I have some free time."

"Let's all disperse now. The friendship remains, and we don't need this moment of noise."

His words, like a gentle spring breeze, gradually calmed the boiling crowd.

As a "big star" in Fengtian City, Lu Yuan had a certain amount of social graces to speak.

At the urging of the village chief and clan elders, the people dispersed with satisfied expressions, turning back every few steps.

At this moment, the voice of Wang Laohan's daughter-in-law could also be heard from inside the house:

"Master, come inside quickly, come back and have some dumplings."

Lu Yuan responded and was about to turn around when a cold, incongruous voice sounded behind him, completely out of place in the rural atmosphere.

"Master, you are merciful."

Ok?

Lu Yuan turned around, bowed, and said, "May the Heavenly Venerable bestow boundless blessings..."

Before he finished speaking, the man bowed deeply.

The newcomer was dressed in black, with a tall and handsome figure, but his brows carried an air of gloom that seemed impossible to dispel.

"The evil god on Mangniu Mountain must have been killed by the Taoist priest himself."

"Tan Jiji of the Xingyou Tan family, on behalf of the entire Xingyou clan, expresses our gratitude to Daoist Lu Yuan!"

Lu Yuan: .…….…”

He raised an eyebrow almost imperceptibly.

Not again?!