leonardwarren Chapter 48 No rush! Let's play around with them!
Chapter 48 No rush! Let's play around with them!
Let's talk about the butcher shop first!
At first glance, the rotting meat and sick workers seem to be related to the decline of fortune, as if it were the work of a fortune teller.
But a flash of inspiration struck Lu Yuan, and a key point emerged.
Those who control fortune seek the flow of luck; what's the point of letting the meat rot?
This is outside the Great Wall, not in Sichuan or Chongqing.
They don't eat rotten pork here!
At first, Lu Yuan couldn't figure out what his relationship was with the Wang family that was about to die.
But when the words "Book of Evil Spirits" came into view, all the clues were instantly pierced by a thunderbolt!
Lu Yuan understood!
That wasn't a decline in fortune at all; it was a far more insidious tactic!
The large butcher shop has been cursed by the Wang family, who are known for their curses!
The Book of Evil Spirits is undergoing its first "Evil Qi Recovery"!
It sucked away the butcher's "wealth," causing the meat to rot overnight.
It devoured the guys' "popularity," so the guys all got a high fever!
As for that grime that the guys just couldn't get rid of no matter how hard they tried...
That was the solidified form of "illness evil"!
Then, thinking back to the second thing Aunt Qin mentioned, those merchants who encountered strange things late at night...
Lu Yuan suddenly stood up and strode outside.
Beneath the crescent-shaped gate, two powerful martial arts masters stood respectfully with their hands at their sides.
Lu Yuan cupped his hands in greeting to them, his voice steady and calm:
"Please, gentlemen, invite Steward Wang here. I have urgent business to attend to."
The martial arts master dared not be negligent; with a flash, he disappeared into the night.
A moment later, Wang Fu arrived hurriedly, carrying a leather whip soaked in salt water and streaked with blood.
The stench emanating from the whip caused Lu Yuan to furrow his brow almost imperceptibly.
Seeing this, Wang Fu quickly handed the whip to a servant and explained to Lu Yuan:
"These wretches won't open their mouths unless you beat them."
Lu Yuan didn't ask any further questions, but quickly inquired:
"Steward Wang, have you heard of the strange occurrences in Fengtian City lately, where shops have been hearing knocking sounds and the sound of abacuses at night?"
Wang Fu was taken aback, a look of confusion on his face, and shook his head.
"I haven't been out much these past couple of days because of Madam's situation, so I'm not very aware of what's going on outside..."
Lu Yuan nodded; this was within his expectations.
"In that case, I'll trouble Steward Wang to summon everyone in the manor; surely someone will know."
Upon hearing this, Wang Fu nodded repeatedly and said:
"I'll go call them right away."
Wang Fu responded decisively and immediately turned to do it.
Soon, about a hundred people from the Zhao family gathered in front of the crescent gate in the backyard, their faces filled with fear and unease.
Lu Yuan stood in front of the crowd and asked about the "ghost knocking on the door" again.
This time, there was an immediate response from the crowd.
A purchasing manager stepped forward and recounted the news he had heard in detail and vividly.
It was a hundred times more detailed than what Aunt Qin had said.
Some silk shops, dried goods stores, and carriage and horse shops were all awakened at the third quarter of the hour of Zi (11:45).
It was three quarters past midnight!
12:45 a.m.
During the day, the yin energy is at its peak and the yang energy has not yet emerged; this is called the "time of death."
First came the heavy, hammer-like pounding sound, coming from the end of the street and approaching in a uniform rhythm, completely unlike human hands.
It was like a weight wrapped in a wet cloth pounding on the door.
Ghost knocking on the door!
Immediately afterward, the knocking stopped, and an even more eerie noise entered the room through the wall.
That was the rapid clanging of abacus beads, a cold, lifeless sound.
It was so fast that no living accountant could possibly move it.
The devil is settling accounts!
The next morning, without exception, these merchants will suffer disaster.
Either the newly arrived goods have become short of the "yin ruler" (a unit of measurement for weight and length).
Either regular customers show up without warning to "refund their bonus shares".
Either the most reliable guy in the shop slipped and fell, resulting in bloodshed.
The most crucial point is a detail that even Aunt Qin was unaware of.
Even after the incident, the shopkeeper would go to check the place where the noise was loudest at night.
Often, you can find a few grayish-white, powdery-white "tent dust" on the lintel or the corner of the accounting table.
It is icy cold to the touch and the chill lingers for half a day.
Now Lu Yuan has figured it all out.
This is the terrifying manifestation of the "Book of Evil" during the "Midnight Evil Execution"!
The thriving businesses and popularity of these shops create an auspicious atmosphere.
The Wang family planted "seeds of misfortune" here, which in reality buried "debt nails" in their names.
Every year at the third quarter of the hour of Zi (11:45 AM), the Book of Evil Spirits sends the "Underworld Messengers" to collect debts by following these "signatures"!
The "ghostly knocking" sound wasn't actually someone trying to enter.
Instead, it is knocking on the "gateway to fortune" of merchants, shaking them to loosen their firmly held wealth and popularity.
The sound of the "iron abacus" is the "counting and accounting" of the evil energy in the "Book of Evil Spirits" itself.
That street became a small "evil domain," a "pasture" that continuously provided nourishment for the "Book of Evil"!
This is the intermediate stage of "Nurturing Evil" in the Book of Evil!
As for why the Wang family of Duanming targeted Lu Yuan...
Why suddenly raise evil spirits, especially after Aunt Qiao'er returned to Fengtian City?
very simple.
The other side knew of Lu Yuan's existence.
After all, they were able to place the talisman for treating illness on Aunt Qiao'er's roof beam.
Then they would naturally know that Aunt Qiao'er did not die in Ningyuan Town; Lu Yuan saved her.
In their eyes, anyone who could save people from the clutches of such an evil creature as the "two-legged sheep" was no ordinary person.
Of course, Zhao Qiao'er was able to survive because of Gu Qingwan.
But the Wang family, who were destined to die, were naturally unaware of this, since the two-legged sheep had died on the spot.
After Aunt Qiao'er returned, she didn't look for anyone else, but waited wholeheartedly for me to come to her door.
This gesture was tantamount to lighting a bright lamp in the darkness, clearly telling the other party—
Lu Yuan will definitely come!
and so……
The strange occurrences throughout the city, the meticulously arranged "evil domain," and the "Book of Evil Spirits" used to collect all the evil energy in the city...
From beginning to end, it wasn't about dealing with Aunt Qiao'er.
They were waiting for Lu Yuan to come to their door so they could use him to deal with Lu Yuan!
Regarding these matters, Lu Yuan could only say, "It's alright..."
Fortunately, the old man was a cut above the rest!
Fortunately, the old man told Lu Yuan to advance to the Celestial Master level first before coming.
Otherwise, if I rashly barge in with my previous experience, I'm afraid I'll really suffer a big setback!
Now, the only problem is...
Just how far has this "Book of Evil Spirits," with human skin as its pages and evil spirits as its ink, been raised?
The matter concerning the shop happened two days ago.
How much malevolent energy has it devoured now?
At this moment, Xu Erxiao and Wang Chengan leaned over, lowered their voices, and asked nervously:
"Brother Lu, this job... something seems off."
Lu Yuan slowly exhaled, the night wind causing his robes to flutter.
He knew that to break this deadly formation, he had to find the key point of the evil formation and where the Wang family members were hiding to perform their rituals.
But right now, there's no clue what to do.
Finally, Lu Yuan frowned and let out a long breath, saying:
"The visitor is not friendly..."
This was the first time Xu Erxiao and Wang Chengan had ever seen Lu Yuan with such a solemn expression; their hearts were in their throats.
"So, Brother Lu, what do we do?"
At this moment, Lu Yuan came to his senses and walked towards the main house in the backyard without turning his head, saying:
"Erect a high altar and prepare ritual implements."
"No rush!"
"Let's mess with them!"