Throughout the first half of the night, the village was filled with various cries of distress. However, it became relatively quiet in the second half of the night because all the poultry and livestock had died. Occasionally, there would be bursts of mad laughter or strange screams, which were from people who couldn't withstand the pressure and went insane, or those with weak willpower and frail constitution who were driven mad by the demonic influence.
Perhaps it was the effect of the numerous talismans drawn by my master, or maybe the aura of the demon fox emanating from me made the tree demon hesitant. My family was still safe, but my mother was quite shocked, experiencing some heartache and was in poor spirits. I decided to leave here after dawn because my mother couldn't afford to wait.
After what felt like an endless wait, dawn finally broke, but the sky was invisible, covered by a dark red, mist-like haze that enveloped everything around. The stench of blood was overpowering. Overnight, all the poultry and livestock in the village had died with blood flowing from all seven orifices. It would have been strange if the smell of blood wasn't strong.
I quickly packed my belongings, shouldered the bag, and along with my master, my family, including my uncle and aunt, we set off. At the village entrance, we encountered a group of people carrying luggage, supporting the elderly and holding children, all panic-stricken and ashen-faced. I approached and asked, only to find out that someone was even more anxious than us and had started fleeing the village as soon as it was slightly light. They had walked along the main road, without turning or looking back, yet mysteriously ended up back where they started. Unconvinced by this eerie phenomenon, they tried leaving the village again, with even more people joining them, only to end up back in the same place, which was when they met us.
Others might encounter a "ghost blockade," but surely not with my master leading the way. Even if he's not at his best, he's still a seasoned master of Yin and Yang with almost fifty years of experience. His skills might be diminished, but surely his insight remains?
This time, we had a group of over thirty people, including seven or eight strong men. Such a large group also bolstered everyone's confidence and courage. My master led the way, holding his ritual implement at the front. I closely followed him, holding my mother's hand, who was holding my grandmother's hand, and my grandmother was holding my uncle's hand. Everyone was holding hands, forming a continuous chain.
I focused intently, silently reciting the first three chapters of the "Benjing Yinfu Qishu" that my master had taught me the night before. This was a secret manual passed down by the legendary Guiguzi, a famous classic of Taoism, a book of strategy and military tactics, and for us Yin-Yang masters, it was also a method of cultivation and victory over enemies.
The first chapter, "Shengshen Fa Wu Long," discusses how to enhance and concentrate one's spirit; the second chapter, "Yangzhi Fa Ling Gui," talks about how to cultivate one's will and perseverance; the third chapter, "Shiyi Fa Tengshe," explains how to consolidate one's essence, spirit, and will, and to perceive the weaknesses of others (I had not yet learned the next four chapters). This manual is profound and complex, and it may take a lifetime to truly comprehend, but one does not need to fully understand it. Even a partial understanding yields some effect, and simply reciting it as scripture also has some benefits.
Concentrating the spirit and strengthening the will can prevent external evils from penetrating, thus reducing the likelihood of being deceived by illusions. This is the most fundamental and effective method. Drawing talismans, reciting spells, and performing rituals also require strong spiritual and willpower, making this manual a required study for Yin-Yang practitioners.
I remained very clear-headed, observing the changes in the scenery along the road, everything familiar to me. Each step felt real, and I was certain that I was not affected. My master walked ahead, spirited and steady, frequently glancing back at me. His expression was solemn, but there was no trace of panic or fear.
We walked for some time, but the sky remained shrouded in a dark red haze (years later, almost the entire country would look like this, just with different colors), with visibility less than ten meters and the stench of blood just as overpowering. I began to feel something was off. The scenery by the road was familiar, but it was not the terrain or even the direction we should have been seeing.
Through the haze, three towering trees appeared, lush and majestic, covering an area of several hundred square meters. Were these not the three large camphor trees at the end of the village?
I was stunned. We had left the village from the west and walked straight along the road, yet here we were, returning from the east side of the village!
My master also stopped abruptly, looked back at me in surprise, and our faces mirrored the same astonishment. Behind us, the group erupted in screams: "What's going on?" "How did we end up back here?"
The legendary "ghost hitting the wall" is actually a phenomenon where the brain is affected, losing a sense of direction and distance, and one wanders or treads in place in a daze. My master and I were definitely clear-headed, and it was impossible for everyone in our large group to be confused. How could we leave from the west of the village and end up back on the east side? Could it be that the Earth had shrunk to a diameter of one kilometer, and we had circled it?
We dared not approach the large camphor trees and instead entered the village by circling around them at a distance. We saw several groups of people chasing疯子, or being chased by疯子 with knives, and many had gone mad.
Upon seeing my master, people who were extremely frightened gathered around and asked him to take charge. Information was also consolidated, and the current situation was that phones, mobile phones, and pagers had all become useless, unable to contact people outside; everyone who tried to leave the village would inexplicably return, outsiders couldn't get in, and we couldn't get out, so we had to rely on ourselves for salvation.
I saw my master straighten his previously hunched back, his cloudy little eyes becoming firm and spirited, and his yellow, gaunt face also radiating a glow, with an indescribable excitement and pride. Perhaps for decades, no one had paid such attention to him. People had forgotten the reputation of the Zhou family's Yin-Yang master, but at this moment, he found this honor and trust, he found his confidence!
"There's only one way, gather the strength of the whole village to chop down that large camphor tree, otherwise, everyone will die!" My master said loudly, his tone decisive and resolute.
The crowd immediately fell silent, their faces even more terrified. Yesterday, Fan Qiang's actions had already suffered terrible retaliation and had angered the "Tree God." Now, who would dare to chop down the tree?
"Mao Zedong said, 'Where there are more people, there is greater strength,'" my master,激动, even brought up Chairman Mao, "During the day, its demonic energy weakens. As long as everyone unites as one, righteousness can overcome evil, and we can definitely eliminate it. If you want to live, you must listen to me. Now, quickly go back and get axes, woodcutting knives, hoes, and gather under the tree. I'll take the lead if anything happens. Call all the men, hurry up!"
My master's calmness gave the villagers great confidence and courage. Everyone hurried home to fetch tools or call for others. My master and I turned back and were the first to arrive at the large camphor tree.
The tree was still just a tree; it couldn't move and could only influence the brains of people and animals with its spiritual energy, which was significantly weakened during the day. Yesterday, when Fan Qiang urinated on it, it didn't immediately retaliate because it wasn't completely dark yet. The revenge only started after Fan Qiang returned home and it became completely dark. Additionally, there were many people present at that time, and the collective yang energy of a crowd could suppress demonic energy, which is why my master wanted all the men in the village to come.
Survival was the most important thing, and in this desperate situation, even the most lazy person dared not dawdle. Soon, many people arrived with various tools like axes, knives, and hoes. Several villagers, following my master's instructions, brought over a large eight-immortals table from a nearby house, along with incense burners and candlesticks.
My master opened his portable bag and took out his magical instruments, writing brushes, cinnabar, and other items, arranging them neatly. He wrote in the center of a red paper, "The Supreme Venerable Jade Emperor in the Heavenly Golden Palace," on the left, "The Founding Master of the Guiguzi School, Wang Chan the Elder," and on the right, "The Heavenly Lord of Thunder, Responding to the Yuan." After setting up the divine positions, he lit the incense and candles, omitting the offerings due to the urgency. Then he began to draw talismans continuously, while also performing hand gestures, reciting spells, and pacing in a ritualistic manner. He had finally taken action.
I couldn't be sure if setting up the divine positions was necessary, but it certainly helped to calm people's nerves. If the Jade Emperor in heaven felt this, wouldn't he just snap his fingers and make the tree demon vanish into thin air?
More and more people arrived, quickly gathering into a crowd of over a hundred. Not only did the able-bodied men show up, but many elderly people and women also came voluntarily. Everyone wanted to escape the current dreadful situation, and with a leader to guide them, their hearts were united.
At this moment, a ghostly wail resembling Sheng Yu Po's voice could be heard from outside the crowd: "Don't cut down the tree, you can't cut it! Whoever cuts it will die!"
The crowd split apart, and a small group of people rushed in holding Sheng Yupo. She had disheveled hair, pale face, and deep red eyes, as terrifying as a female ghost. She waved her arms and pounced on my master, but was immediately blocked by some people. She howled, "We can't chop, whoever chops will die. We must have a big sacrifice, a live sacrifice of boys and girls, to appease the tree god. Anyone who doesn't believe me will die."
The villagers became furious and began to point at Shengyu Po and curse angrily:
"Damn you, your son offended the tree god and used someone else's son as a living sacrifice."
"Old witch, you're crazy! How dare you say such words."
"Use her to offer sacrifices to the Tree God."
"It's all her fault, kill her, kill her."
People finally saw her true colors, and their patience with her reached its limit. The crowd was in an uproar, with some rushing forward to beat Sheng Yu Po, and others throwing stones at her. Even her most loyal followers were scared away. What era is this, daring to use living humans for sacrifice? The person who said this couldn't be described as just having lost their mind; she was even more terrifying than a madwoman.
Sheng Yu Po was forcibly dragged away by a few of her relatives. She was still screaming and kicking, her voice echoing from afar: "Those who don't believe in me will die, those who don't believe in me will die, anyone who dares to touch the sacred tree will die."
Although Sheng Yu Po was driven away, her words caused even greater psychological pressure on most people. Many had already gathered the courage to fight the tree demon with all their might, united in their determination, perhaps really chopping the tree down. But now, with her causing a scene, everyone was in a panic, and who would dare to go forward?
My master had drawn thirteen talismans and was already showing signs of fatigue, but he gathered his spirits and pointed at the first large camphor tree, shouting sternly, "Tree spirit, listen! Immediately remove the demonic mist, restore everything to normal, set things right, cleanse yourself, protect the villagers, and the villagers will naturally offer you tribute in gratitude for your kindness. If you try to coerce the common people with evil means, forcibly demand offerings, and cause endless slaughter, you will reap what you sow, and your thousand years of cultivation will turn to ashes in an instant!"
The large camphor tree didn't react at all, and everyone held their breath, extremely tense. My master took several deep breaths and shouted again, "This world of brightness and righteousness cannot be obscured by your petty demonic aura! There is heavenly law above and national law below; those who comply will thrive, and those who defy will perish. Heed my good advice to turn from evil to good, or it will be too late to regret!"
The large camphor tree still didn't respond, and the gloom seemed to grow even thicker. My master picked up the talismans and walked towards the large camphor tree, shouting, "Since you are so stubborn, don't blame me for taking drastic action!"
I hurried over and grabbed my master's hand, "Master, if there's work, the disciple will take care of it. Let me paste them!"
My master's eyes narrowed, and he said in a deep voice, "No, I'll do it!"
I saw an unwavering determination in his eyes, and I refused to let him go. He was old and frail, and his body definitely couldn't withstand an attack from the large camphor tree. But with a thousand-year-old fox spirit inside me, there was a great chance it would be alerted to resist for me in danger, so I had to be the one to take such high risks!
I took the talismans from my master's hand and walked briskly towards the large camphor tree.