Inside the wooden building, there was a deathly silence. Rays of surprise and suspicion fell upon Ji Yuan. Among these gazes were Xu Qiqi's bewilderment, Jiang He's confusion, and the astonished expressions of the guards. It seemed no one had expected him to suddenly utter such a statement.
Even Jiang He, who had initially proposed a desperate battle within the mansion against the evil entities, was now somewhat perplexed. "Ji Yuan... I just said that earlier without thinking. You didn't actually take it seriously, did you?" Jiang He scratched his head, clearly aware of his own minor flaw.
However, Ji Yuan shook his head. He slowly rose from the ground, his steps slightly limping as he walked to the entrance of the wooden building. Through the broken wooden door, he saw a scene of hell on earth. The air was filled with rot and stench. Even in the darkness of night, a gray haze could be seen drifting above the mansion.
"Zhao Wuhen might have been tricked. He wanted to seize the body of Zhao Yuebai, whom he had meticulously cultivated for years. But he didn't know that the evil entity he was cooperating with, or rather, the person behind the evil entity, had always treated him like a fool, merely playing with him."
Ji Yuan turned around, looking at everyone in the wooden building with a grave expression. After learning everything that had happened in the Zhao family over the past two days and Zhao Wuhen's schemes, he had already begun to form a suspicion. Zhao Wuhen had evidently made some kind of deal with an evil entity years ago. His extensive travels then were to find a body to be possessed by. Undoubtedly, Zhao Yuebai was the most perfect candidate for possession.
What was happening in the Zhao family now was not only orchestrated by Zhao Wuhen but also precisely what the evil entity and the person plotting behind it wished to see. The one who would truly possess Zhao Yuebai should be the evil entity itself!
"That person wants to make a demonic creature a deity. In that case, it's not difficult to understand their attempt to have the evil entity possess a human." Ji Yuan mused to himself, gradually understanding the intentions of the mastermind. They were certainly after something, and whether it was a demonic creature becoming a deity or an evil entity becoming human, it would be a crucial part of their plan. He even suspected that the White Cloud Temple might be involved, and that the person behind the scenes might want something to replace the monks in the temple, leading to an alternative form of 'enlightenment.'
"Since the incident at the Zhao family, that evil entity should have already begun the possession. The fact that they are allowing us to remain here likely means they have reached a critical juncture and cannot afford to be distracted by us." Ji Yuan's face was solemn as he frankly stated that they might not have time to wait for Zhao Yuansong and the others. This was also why he agreed with Jiang He's idea to enter the mansion and fight the evil entity to the death. Otherwise, if the entity successfully possessed its target, everyone present would be dealt with. At the crucial moment of possession, the evil entity, while perhaps not at its weakest, would undoubtedly be restricted, presenting their only chance for a comeback.
As for why they didn't leave the Zhao residence first to rendezvous with reinforcements, Ji Yuan didn't believe the mastermind would allow them to leave unhindered, or even allow them to survive.
"What can we do?" A middle-aged guard stepped forward, standing solemnly before Ji Yuan. Behind him, apart from the young men who had collapsed into unconsciousness from their broken spirits, the other dozen or so guards waited with solemn expressions. They looked on silently, awaiting an opportunity—an opportunity to atone for their sins and avenge the fallen.
Ji Yuan looked at them deeply. He didn't entirely trust them, even if they appeared sincere. He couldn't see the deepest truths of their hearts. All they said was their own account; only they knew the true story and whether they had acted under duress. But now, he undeniably needed any help he could get. After a long silence, he nodded slightly. "Prepare yourselves. We will depart together shortly."
The middle-aged guard nodded and turned, casting a complex glance at Ji Yuan. He clearly understood Ji Yuan's reservations but didn't dwell on them.
"Be careful in a moment. After all, it's an evil entity at least at the second realm." Ji Yuan said, taking out a large number of talismans and handing them to Jiang He as he cautioned the two before him. Hearing this, Xu Qiqi and Jiang He nodded. They certainly wouldn't underestimate their opponent. Both the teachings of their sect and the examples set by their senior disciples had taught them the importance of giving their all, even when facing a weak foe. Moreover, what they were about to face was an evil entity with at least second-realm cultivation. Even with their countermeasures, a direct confrontation would still be a perilous situation with a high chance of failure.
A moment later, more than a dozen people emerged from the wooden building. Besides Ji Yuan and his two companions, there were thirteen Zhao family guards. The others were left behind to tend to the wooden building. The group moved with purpose towards the depths of the mansion. Though the Zhao residence was large, it was not convoluted, and they didn't need to search cautiously. After all, this was a county town within the territory of the Great Yu Dynasty. Even if it was in a dire state, after being plotted against for so long, it was already impressive that it was filled with such demonic entities. The imperial authorities monitoring the region would not be incompetent enough to allow a large influx of sinister beings into the county town without noticing.
However, as the group reached the deepest part of the mansion, where the evil energy was most concentrated, they found nothing suspicious except for a quiet courtyard. There were no evil entities, nor was Zhao Yuebai being possessed. They didn't even encounter a single peculiar presence, let alone a living person. In the spacious courtyard, apart from a few luxurious rooms, there stood only an ancient scholar tree, centuries old, its branches swaying gently in the night breeze.
This serene scene left the guards, who had been prepared for a heroic sacrifice, somewhat disoriented. It felt as if their passionate resolve had been in vain. The feeling of gathering strength for a punch that ultimately missed its target was not pleasant.
"Why is this different from what I imagined?" Jiang He scratched his head and muttered softly. In his mind, this place should have been at least somewhat eerie and desolate, with sinister winds and chilling energies howling, a grand altar stained with black and red blood, and a grotesquely shaped evil entity performing possession rituals. But the reality was that the entire courtyard was silent, like an abandoned residence, with nothing but a lush, ancient scholar tree, devoid of any signs of life.
However, it was unclear if it was their imagination, but when they stood beneath the ancient scholar tree, their state of mind suddenly calmed. It was as if a raging sea had suddenly become tranquil, and a sky filled with dark clouds had instantly cleared to a vast expanse of blue. No one was surprised by this anomaly. Scholar trees were known to ward off evil, and an ancient one, centuries old, would possess even greater power. If not for the evil entity's second-realm cultivation and Zhao Wuhen's complicity, ordinary demons and ghosts would have had difficulty infiltrating the Zhao residence, being influenced by this ancient scholar tree.
"Daoist Master Ji, we have searched this place thoroughly. We found no suspicious signs, nor did we discover any hidden passages or secret rooms," the middle-aged guard said somberly, approaching Ji Yuan. Ji Yuan frowned at this, his gaze instinctively flicking behind him. Could it be that this ancient scholar tree had forced the evil entity to change its location for the possession? But the feng shui of the Zhao residence and the flow of Yin winds and evil energy all converged here, making it the most ideal spot for such an undertaking. Moreover, while the ancient scholar tree could ward off evil, it also gathered spiritual energy from all directions. Practicing under its shade for years could yield twice the results with half the effort. In Qianyu City, countless cultivators coveted this ancient scholar tree, but due to the Zhao family's influence, they could only dream of it. Although the evil entity was a malevolent spirit, once it successfully possessed a body, it would 'reborn' as a human and would naturally require a great deal of spiritual energy.
"Something's not right..." Ji Yuan murmured, suddenly turning to survey the entire courtyard. This was the deepest part of the Zhao residence, the center of its feng shui, with the effect of gathering spiritual energy from all directions. Both Yin winds, evil energies, and strands of spiritual energy all converged here. Yet, he could only see these things gathering, but not where they ultimately went. They neither accumulated here nor returned to the surrounding environment. So, where did all this gathered spiritual energy and Yin wind, evil energy, finally go?
Ji Yuan's eyes narrowed slightly. A guess suddenly formed in his mind. He then slowly turned, his gaze falling upon the ancient scholar tree that had lived for centuries. With a slight shift of his intent, a surge of his vital energy flowed into the bronze oil lamp in his hand. A flame ignited spontaneously, its faint light illuminating a radius of about ten feet. Ji Yuan then raised the bronze oil lamp before him, the flame positioned between his eyes.
Through this faint light, a layer of illusionary magic, like a dream or a mirage, dissipated. He then saw that everything gathered in this area was slowly being absorbed into the trunk of the ancient scholar tree, and from there, it flowed through its roots, down into the earth.
"It's underground!" he exclaimed upon seeing this. Hearing this, the middle-aged guard's expression shifted. He then uttered a deep command: "Stomp!"
More than a dozen guards, the weakest being at the early stage of Flesh and Bone realm, with three at the middle stage, simultaneously stomped their feet. The ground trembled with the resounding thuds. "Stomp again!" The group remained silent, requiring no further prompting. Their movements were synchronized as they lifted their feet and stomped with all their might, unleashing their full strength. With their concerted efforts, several cracking sounds quietly emerged, mingling with the dull thuds.
"Retreat!" Half an hour later, the middle-aged guard shouted. Everyone rapidly retreated. At that very moment, the ground where they had been standing suddenly collapsed with deafening roars. Dust filled the air, followed by a fierce gust of Yin wind and evil energy that surged upwards into the sky. As the dust settled, the group saw that the spot where they had been standing had collapsed into a large pit, revealing a dark space below, from which waves of Yin wind and evil energy emanated. A chilling sensation arose in their hearts at the mere sight of the void, as if some terrifying entity lurked within.
Ji Yuan flicked his sleeves, and several talismans fluttered around them, seemingly without wind. The talisman cores were then ignited, transforming into bright flames.
"Let's go down and take a look!" Ji Yuan said calmly, then was the first to leap into the pit before them. In an instant, he landed steadily, a ball of fire hovering beside him. As the guards landed one by one, several balls of fire converged, illuminating the entire underground space.
"I've been in the Zhao family for so many years, yet I've never heard of such a large space beneath the ground," the middle-aged guard murmured, his expression slightly stunned as he looked at the underground space, which exceeded the area of the courtyard above. He even doubted his own senses. Having been in the Zhao family for nearly thirty years, if Zhao Wuhen had intended to excavate such a vast space, he wouldn't have been able to do so without any rumors circulating, even in secret.
"This place... it seems to be formed by the expansion of the ancient scholar tree's roots!" Jiang He mumbled, his gaze falling upon the dense network of roots covering the surrounding loess. It was precisely because of these roots that a space larger than a courtyard could exist underground.
"Look! There's a passage there!" Xu Qiqi pointed into the distance. Even without the light of the flames, a faintly glowing passage could be seen. It was still densely covered with the roots of the ancient scholar tree, and the light at its end was vaguely discernible.