The copy has 0 error tolerance, and the last words on the ground are all wrong for me.

Chapter 28 Huaigu Village

Wu Chang immediately said: "Master, please feel free to speak. As long as I can do it, I dare not refuse."

Chi Yuan slowly spoke: "What a coincidence, I am here for Huaigu Village."

"The Taoist priest is also going to participate in the festival?"

"No. I passed by Huaigu Village a few days ago and saw a demonic aura rising from the village, as if some incredible monster was about to be born. At that time, I didn't have my usual magic weapon with me, so I left first and returned to subdue the monster when I was fully prepared."

"Who knew that on the way to subdue the demon, I encountered these two mountain-blocking ghosts. Now one of them has escaped, and I am afraid that it will become violent and hurt innocent people. I must get rid of it as soon as possible. I can only ask for your help in subduing the demon in Huaigu Village."

"After entering Huaigu Village, can you help me investigate and find the source of the evil spirit?"

"Hidden side quest: Find the source of the evil spirit in Huaigu Village. There is no penalty for failing the quest. Do you want to accept the quest?"

Is this even worth thinking about? Accept it!
Wu Chang said: "Master, rest assured, we are all traveling around the world, and it is our duty to exorcise demons and monsters. There is nothing wrong with that."

Chi Yuan cupped his hands, took out a white banner from his sleeve, and said:
"If Young Master Wu can find the source of the evil spirit and insert this flag into it, he may be able to suppress the evil spirit and prevent the demon from reviving."

"Item name: Soul Cleansing Flag."

"Item type: Instance item (Instance items cannot be taken out of the instance)."

"Item level: C."

"Item Description: This item has been handed down since ancient times. The flag contains the true teachings of Taoism."

"Item skill: Soul Purification."

"Skill Description: Activate the Soul Cleansing Banner to enter the trance perspective, see nearby souls and spirits, and soothe and purify spirit monsters, suppress evil spirits, eliminate obsessions and resentments, and bring souls to peace."

It’s actually genuine stuff?

Confirming that there were no mines buried in the Soul-Cleansing Flag made Wu Chang confused.

Although Chi Yuan was not tainted with resentment, the magic sword, copper bell and iron mirror he held were each tainted with seven or eight strands of resentment, including some of the resentment of players.

The death scenes recorded in these resentments had nothing to do with Chi Yuan. Most of them were scenes of fighting with monsters. However, with so many resentments, he still felt on guard.

But there is nothing wrong with the things Chi Yuan gave, so is the resentment on the magic weapon just a misunderstanding?
He asked Chi Yuan, "I have one thing I want to ask you, Taoist priest. How do you distinguish between evil spirits and resentment? For example, is the resentment on your magic weapon evil spirits?"

"Monsters are born from the resentment of heaven and earth, and have the same origin as resentment. Young Master Wu is worthy of being from a famous sect. His innate spiritual awareness is beyond that of ordinary people. He can see the resentment on this poor Taoist's magic weapon."

Chi Yuan looked calm and answered without hesitation.

"To be honest, I am a humble cultivator from the wilderness, and our weapon refining method is incomplete. We lack the most critical step of consecrating the weapon, so we can only use the monsters we killed as an introduction to consecrate the weapon."

"This method is a trick, not a righteous one. The karma and resentment of the monsters killed will be inherited by the magic weapon, and over time it will turn the magic weapon into a murderous weapon."

Wu Chang suddenly realized, "So that's how it is."

The misunderstanding was resolved and the two got along better.

After the attack by the mountain ghost, the two were no longer sleepy, and Wu Chang took the opportunity to ask Chi Yuan about the world of the copy plane.

Chi Yuan originally came from Taoism and had a solid theoretical foundation. In the past few years when monsters were resurrected, he was also a pioneer in monster elimination and had a lot of practical experience.

The combination of theory and practice has enabled Wu Chang to develop a system of understanding of monsters, which has benefited him a lot.

As the sky brightened, Chi Yuan packed his luggage, rode the black donkey in the stable, and chased in the direction where Horse-faced escaped.

Wu Chang also led the horse and rushed towards Huaigu Village where Chi Yuan pointed.

Baili Huaishan is indeed a place that even Chi Yuan is afraid of, and the journey was not peaceful.

After walking for half a day, he saw at least thirty or forty grievances of players.

Poisonous miasma that can melt bones and flesh, snow pits that swallow pedestrians alive, venomous snakes and insects that can easily bite through leather and cotton clothes...

There are also strange monsters like the Mountain Blocking Ghost, and there are countless deadly threats in the forest.

No wonder the first main quest of the dungeon is to go to Huaigu Village. The dungeon can be fed to the brink of being out of control by players, and this mountain road accounts for the majority of it.

Some players died accidentally, but some died on purpose.

For example, the place of resentment that Wu Chang was checking was located in front of a red forest, which was only three or four miles away from Huaigu Village.

"The Taoist priest said never to enter the red forest. Let me see what's going on."

The resentful player used his own strength to say these last words, and then died in the red forest, without even seeing what the monster that attacked him looked like.

Thanks to these unsuspecting pathfinders, most of the dangers on the road were cleared for Wu Chang.

Players’ resentment is undoubtedly the best signpost.

But with the guidance of many road signs, he not only walked safely, but also took many shortcuts. Even the oldest hunter in the mountains did not dare to travel as fast as he did.

Normally it would take two days and two nights to reach Huaigu Village, but he managed to do it in just one day, successfully avoiding the high mortality rate of "sleeping in the wild", and arrived at Huaigu Village before dark.

Near the mouth of the valley, Wu Chang dismounted and led the horse, observing Huaigu Village.

Huaigu Village, as the name suggests, is built in a valley.

The valley is flat and surrounded by mountains on all sides. A clear spring flows down from the top of the mountain and turns into a small river that runs through the valley.

There are farmlands cultivated on both sides of the river, and groups of small houses are scattered around the farmlands, making perfect use of the space in the valley, creating an atmosphere of interconnected paths and the sounds of chickens and dogs.

The superior terrain makes Huaigu Village the only village among the five villages in Baili Huaishan that can support itself by farming alone without hunting or trading.

Unfortunately, the pastoral scenery, which should have been leisurely and relaxing, now exudes depression and gloom, as if a layer of BBC's exclusive underworld filter was added.

Before entering the valley, I felt damp and cold, as if I was wearing clothes that were not completely dry.

A thick yin energy reverberates in the valley, making all living people feel uncomfortable.

The villagers who were on night watch at the valley entrance soon discovered him and went back to inform the village chief.

Not long after, we saw several young men surrounding an old man and walking out of the village.

The old man was thin, with a slightly bent back and hunched body due to overwork. He looked nearly 70 years old, but he spoke with full energy and did not look old at all.

"I am Liu Shan, the head of Huaigu Village. Young knight, I wonder what brings you here so late at night?"

Wu Chang cupped his hands and said to Liu Shan, "I am Wu Chang, a disciple of the Tang Sect. I am traveling in the name of my master. I heard that the New Year's Eve festival in Huaigu Village is quite lively, so I want to go into the village to take a look."

Liu Shan shook his head after hearing this. "If it were previous years, it would be fine to have the knights watch the ceremony, but the village is in trouble right now and can't take care of itself, let alone you. Please forgive me and come back next year."

Wu Chang took a cloth bag off the back of the horse, untied the rope buckle, and shook the bag forward to reveal the contents.

Along with the villagers' exclamations, the corpse of the Bull-Headed Mountain Ghost appeared in front of everyone.

"Young man, what is this?"

Wu Chang said loudly: "This monster is called the Mountain Blocking Ghost. It is formed by the souls of those who fell off the cliff. I killed it when I passed by yesterday. Maybe I can be of some use to the troubles in the village."

A villager approached the mountain ghost carefully and took out a yellow talisman from his arms. When the talisman was one meter away from the mountain ghost, the paper talisman began to catch fire.

"Village chief, what a monster!"

After the identity of the mountain-blocking ghost was confirmed, the atmosphere in the field changed instantly.

Liu Shan, who had just kept a distance from everyone, now walked quickly to Wu Chang's side in three or two steps, and grabbed his sleeve as if he was an elder whom he had not seen for many years.

Lao Deng was so strong that he almost made Wu Chang stagger.

"Why didn't you tell me earlier that you are so capable, Master Wu? I almost neglected you. Tiezhu, what are you doing standing there? Tell someone to prepare the food and wine and clean the guest rooms!"

"Master, please come this way. Although Huaigu Village is located in a remote area, it is home to the essence of the Huai Mountain. The various mountain products are especially delicious. You may not be able to get them even if you have money outside."

Because of the mountain ghost, Wu Chang was a little nervous when he heard about the mountain products, but the mountain products from Huaigu Village should be of legitimate origin, so he endured it and followed Liu Shan into the village.

The smooth entry into Huaigu Village was largely due to Chi Yuan’s contribution.

When they were in the hotel, Chi Yuan told him that although the mountain people seemed simple, they were actually the most realistic.

If entry into the village is blocked, either use real money to clear the way or throw the body of the mountain-blocking ghost on the ground.

Money and power are more convincing than any words.

Thanks to Chi Yuan's method, Liu Shan was extremely enthusiastic towards him. Not only did he allow him to enter the village smoothly, but he was also treated as a special guest at the ceremony, which had been difficult to arrange before.

The main mission one is thus completed.

Liu Shan entertained Wu Chang with the highest standard of the village's food. The mountain products on the table were more tempting than those conjured up by the mountain ghost with magic, and Wu Chang ate with his mouth full of oil.

During this period, Liu Shan half-established his relationship with Wu Chang and half-used tricks to find out about his intentions.

Wu Chang quoted many fantasy novels he had read and combined them with the information he got from Chi Yuan. He talked attentively during the meal and portrayed the Tang Sect as an ancient hidden sect, which stunned the villagers.

Wu Chang's words quickly spread throughout the village. After being spread three times, the false became true. With layer upon layer of artistic processing, by the time it was spread, he had gone from being a disciple of a hidden sect to a star god who had descended to earth.

After three rounds of wine, five flavors of food.

Just as Liu Shan was about to take Wu Chang to rest, a young man rushed in, looking panicked and said:

"Village Chief, it's bad, Xiao Ning is possessed by an evil spirit!"

(End of this chapter)