Demonic Dao Fanfiction: Protecting You from Worries for a Lifetime

"Actually, it's nothing serious. It's just that a family of four with the surname Zhao in our village passed away. However, they have been properly buried." Patriarch Liang tried to state it in a relaxed tone.

"A family of four all died. Isn't that special? How did they die?" He, Wei Ying, is not someone who can get away with it.

"They died suddenly one night, without any warning," said Patriarch Liang in a low voice. "The man of the Zhao family was a carpenter. He was a kind man with good relations with his neighbors. His wife was a hardworking woman, and they had two daughters, both well-behaved children."

"Sudden death, without any warning?" Wei Ying frowned, clearly puzzled by the situation. "Did they show any unusual behavior or changes before their death? Like physical or mental abnormalities?" He pressed, trying to find clues in the details.

Patriarch Liang was silent for a moment. "As far as I know, no one in the family showed any abnormalities. Everything was normal until that night. The next morning, when the neighbors found them, they were lying cold in their beds. There were no signs of struggle, and no external injuries."

"So where is the Zhao family's exact location?"

"Oh, the Zhao family is deep in the village. Keep walking along this path and you will see the sixth house built with mud and stone. That's the Zhao family."

Wei Ying saw immediately that he couldn't extract any valuable information from Patriarch Liang, so he winked at Xue Yang and Lan Wangji, signaling them to stop asking. Then, turning to Patriarch Liang, he politely said, "Thank you for your cooperation. The three of us will go check the surroundings first, and then we'll see if those evil spirits appear tonight."

"Ah? Oh! Okay, okay, do the three gentlemen need a place to stay?" Patriarch Liang responded in a panic.

"My junior brother and I don't need it. You can ask Second Young Master Lan!" Wei Ying waved his hand. He knew in his heart that even if there was a room, they would not stay there. They would have to wait for the evil spirit to appear at night.

Patriarch Liang's gaze turned to Lan Wangji, but before he could ask.

"No need." Lan Wangji also refused coldly. His attitude was the same as Wei Ying, Xue Yang and the others. Obviously, they had more important things to do at night instead of staying in the room peacefully.

"Oh, okay. After dinner is ready, I will come and inform the three young masters?" asked Patriarch Liang.

Wei Ying and Xue Yang exchanged a smile, and Xue Yang politely declined, "No need to prepare food for us; we already have some dry provisions." They had storage space, and their uncle always prepared ample and complete supplies for them whenever he went out. Even if they were hurried down the mountain this time, they still had everything they needed for the night hunt.

Seeing the two refuse, Patriarch Liang asked Lan Wangji, "Master Lan, do you need us to prepare dinner?"

Lan Wangji shook his head slightly, his tone calm: "No need."

After seeing Lan Wangji's refusal, Wei Ying tilted his head slightly, a mischievous smile on his face. He stared at Lan Wangji with burning eyes and asked softly, "Second Young Master Lan, would you like to come together?"

Lan Wangji was silent for a moment, but finally nodded and replied simply, "Yeah!"

A smug smile immediately spread across Wei Ying's face, as if everything had been predicted. He turned and said to Patriarch Liang, "In that case, we won't bother you any further. The three of us will first explore the deceased's home, hoping to find some clues." With that, he led Xue Yang and Lan Wangji in the direction of the nearest victim's home.

Before long, Wei Ying, Xue Yang, and Lan Wangji swiftly arrived at the house of Liang Baoer, the third deceased. Standing before the door, the three gazed upon the still-standing white spirit banners, a sense of solemnity welling up within them. Perhaps because of the past incidents of murder by evil spirits, the villagers were afraid to approach this household. Even the closest home had its doors wide open, appearing unusually deserted. Approaching, one discovered that the house was completely deserted. Even the bravest residents stood at a distance, observing furtively or simply avoiding it, as if fearing the evil spirit's gaze.

Wei Ying stretched out his slender, white fingers and knocked gently and rhythmically on the door. Following the crisp sound, he asked softly, "Excuse me, is anyone home?"

Suddenly, a subtle sound shattered the silence. Footsteps stopped abruptly behind the front door, and then the door slowly opened, revealing a wrinkled, pale old man. His bloodshot eyes revealed deep fear and unease. The old man looked at the three handsome young men standing at his door and asked in a trembling voice, "Who are you? What are you doing here?"

Wei Ying maintained a polite smile and replied gently, "Hello, old man. Let's go see where Liang Baoer was killed."

The old man's face was filled with seriousness and displeasure, his eyes particularly dark, as if concealing an endless rage. He stood there, staring motionlessly at Wei Ying, Xue Yang, and Lan Wangji, as if scrutinizing their every move. After a long, oppressive silence, he finally slowly shifted his stiff frame and slowly opened the door, letting the visitor in.

"There!" His fingers trembled as he pointed at a door. His eyes were bloodshot, revealing a deep, unspeakable hatred. His voice was low and powerful, as if every word was filled with anger and dissatisfaction.

"Thank you," Wei Ying murmured in response, remaining polite and respectful despite sensing the old man's hostility.

Xue Yang reached out and pushed open the door the old man pointed to. Having been uninhabited for only a few days, the house was already filled with a rotten smell. Furthermore, this house had been the site of a murder, and the lingering smell of blood mixed with the rotten smell was extremely uncomfortable.

The furniture was arranged in a chaotic manner, as if time had stood still. Dust coated every object. Cobwebs in the corners, half visible in the dim light, seemed to speak of a forgotten loneliness. Beyond the clutter, this small room was filled with a thick air of resentment, as if one could still sense the agony of the deceased.

Wei Ying and Xue Yang's eyes met, filled with nothing but resentment. Not even a spirit was visible. Ever since Wei Ying learned the "Secret Book of Exorcism," he had been able to see spirits, but this time, he hadn't seen a single one. After a mortal's death, spirits without grudges typically remained in place until seven days had passed before dispersing. Furthermore, Liang Bao'er had been brutally murdered, so she must have held a grudge, and her spirit wouldn't vanish. This unusual situation gave Wei Ying a sense of foreboding.

Wei Ying said to Xue Yang, "Ayang, I don't see any spirits. Why don't you try?"

Upon hearing this, Xue Yang pulled a talisman from the Qiankun pouch at his waist. With a gentle wave, the talisman burst into flames, emitting a pale blue light. He muttered an incantation, attempting to use the talisman's power to sense the presence of spirits within the house. However, the talisman's light showed no signs of abnormality; instead, it slowly faded within the room, leaving Xue Yang perplexed.

Xue Yang said: "No."