The moment more than twenty pairs of eyes fell, the few people beside the ruins of the library felt as if they had plunged into an ice cellar, their blood almost freezing.
Without a word, Ji Yuan immediately threw out the last 'Haoran Dangxie Talisman'. Several talismans were arranged in a row on the pond, using Haoran righteousness to prevent the female corpse from coming ashore.
"What are you still standing there for? Run!"
He suddenly turned, grabbed Song He's arm, and ran: "I don't have many talismans left, we'll all be done for when they come ashore!"
The young Taoist priest looked bitter. Even though he was a talisman master himself, his talismans were not inexhaustible, and the repeated consumption had left very few.
However, before he could pull Song He far, a chill suddenly rose in his heart. Ji Yuan, sensing something was wrong, decisively threw out a 'Yang Qi Dengdeng Talisman'.
Rich yang qi instantly rushed out of the talisman's core, transforming into the phantom of an oil lamp. Under the light, more than a dozen figures radiating yin qi appeared not far in front of them.
Seeing this, Ji Yuan's heart sank. With the submerged corpse in the water potentially coming ashore behind them and shadowy ghosts blocking the way ahead, they were truly trapped.
However, he didn't hesitate for long and quickly made a decision, using the 'Yang Qi Dengdeng Talisman' to forcefully clear a path and lead Song He out of the courtyard.
Under the thick yang qi, he felt a warmth, and the coldness in his body rapidly receded.
In contrast, the surrounding yin spirits and ghosts seemed to be in a furnace or boiling oil, screaming and retreating far away.
The stern-faced man and the young woman also seized this opportunity to quickly follow behind them.
When the spiritual energy in the talisman's core dissipated, the phantom oil lamp condensed by yang qi instantly shattered, and streams of coldness surged back, plunging the few people into dense yin qi once more.
Fortunately, by this time, they had already left the courtyard they were in and were heading towards the main house.
Along the way, they dared not stop at all, for fear of being caught by the shadowy ghosts behind them or the submerged corpse in the water. Even the young woman remained silent.
However, as soon as they neared the main house, they were stopped by a figure.
An old woman, hunched over, stood quietly on the small path, holding a lantern. The originally bright yellow flame had now turned a faint green.
Under the eerie firelight, the old woman's aged face appeared somewhat terrifying, especially the smile on her lips, which was indescribably chilling.
Seeing this, the few people immediately braced themselves for battle. But before they could make a move, the old woman spoke first.
"Where is the young Taoist priest going? Running around someone else's house late at night is not the behavior of a gentleman."
She grinned and her gaze swept over the stern-faced man and the young woman: "Just in time, the estate guards caught a big rat that snuck in. I was just about to invite the young Taoist priest to take a look."
As she finished speaking, the old woman left a meaningful look and then turned towards the main house. After walking a short distance, she even stopped and quietly waited for them to follow.
Ji Yuan's face was bitter. He wanted to turn and run, but feeling the old woman's almost imperceptible gaze, he had to abandon the thought.
Helplessly, he could only follow the old woman's steps. He wanted to suddenly attack but could never find an opportunity. Moreover, there was a feeling in his heart that if he made a move at this moment, something extremely bad would happen.
Seeing him like this, the other three naturally said nothing more and could only follow silently behind him.
The group was soon led into a courtyard. As soon as they stepped in, they saw two rows of burly guards lined up on the open space in front of the main house.
However, like the shadowy ghosts seen earlier, these guards also exuded a large amount of yin qi. The only difference was that these guards could be clearly seen without the need for talismans.
And in front of the two rows of guards, a disheveled young man was slumped on the ground, his body tightly bound by white silk.
This person was the senior brother of the stern-faced man and the young woman, Li Mufeng, who hailed from a prestigious family in Tianhe Commandery.
"Senior Brother!"
The young woman, whose expression was almost broken, immediately regained her spirit in her vacant eyes upon seeing the young man not far away.
After a cry, she rushed past Ji Yuan and the others towards Li Mufeng, heedless of the situation here or the cold gazes that were converging on them.
Seeing two burly guards blocking her path, the young woman immediately drew the long sword at her waist and performed a sword flourish, making the obstructing guards retreat several steps.
It was only at this moment that the young woman showed a hint of the demeanor of a disciple from a renowned sect, though it was somewhat out of place.
"Young Taoist priest, this is not how a guest should behave."
The old woman not far away slowly turned around, her words laced with hostility.
As she spoke, more than a dozen guards in the courtyard simultaneously stepped forward, surrounding the anxious young woman and the other three.
"Save him!"
Ji Yuan, suppressing the urge to curse, suddenly waved his horsetail whisk, immediately pushing back two or three guards.
Every time the unassuming horsetail whisk struck a shadowy ghost, a golden light would flash, sending the burly guards flying.
On the other side, without the young Taoist priest needing to say anything, the stern-faced man had already drawn the long sword at his waist. With a few flashes, he was beside the young woman.
Regardless of anything else, the two were fellow disciples. Working together, though not flawlessly, they managed to prevent the shadowy ghosts from getting close.
However, relying solely on this, it was still difficult to break through the encirclement.
Song He, on the other hand, was the most relaxed. He followed Ji Yuan calmly, but the shadowy ghosts seemed to ignore him, and their attacks were all directed at the other three.
"This Taoist is going all out!"
Seeing the increasingly fierce attacks of the surrounding shadowy ghosts, Ji Yuan gritted his teeth and whispered, then painfully took out several talismans from his bosom.
These were among his few trump cards, three high-grade talismans. In terms of value alone, no amount of silver could buy one.
At this moment, Ji Yuan decisively activated the core of one of the talismans and threw it into the air. The three high-grade talismans immediately emitted light, like small suns.
A powerful spiritual energy fluctuation emanated, instantly filling the entire courtyard.
Ji Yuan formed a hand seal and uttered a low, deep "Go." The three high-grade talismans were guided and descended towards the shadowy ghosts below.
Amidst the resplendent golden light, figures repeatedly vanished. The numerous ghosts didn't even make a sound, disappearing in an instant and being utterly annihilated by the surging spiritual energy.
After more than ten breaths, as the dazzling golden light dispersed, only Ji Yuan and his companions, along with the old woman holding the lantern, remained in the courtyard.
"That was a magical artifact, or I wouldn't have been captured!"
Li Mufeng, his white silk restraints cut, stood up with the help of his junior brother and sister, and then said with a solemn expression: "That was a magical artifact, or I wouldn't have been captured!"
Ji Yuan nodded slightly, his gaze falling on the lantern. It was this object that had emitted the dense, faint green light, protecting the old woman from a force that could have annihilated her soul.