I am a living immortal.

The golden rooster announces the dawn.

The sun rises, illuminating the whole world. Today is still a good day with clear skies.

The old woman got up early in the morning to knead the dough and mix the stuffing to make a basket of buns specifically for Su Mu, asking him to take it with him on the road.

We met by chance, but he was warm and kind.

Su Mu did not refuse and thanked them again and again. She left with the old couple watching her go. In return, Su Mu also gave the old couple a message wishing them peace at home.

Although Su Mu's calligraphy was average, even far inferior to Wei Ming's, what he sent was not characters but blessings, so the old couple hung it up happily after Su Mu left.

It is not conspicuous, and in the eyes of people who understand calligraphy, it can at best be described as mediocre. But this is just as well. Who would focus on an ordinary painting or calligraphy? Who knows what kind of meaning is contained in this ordinary painting or calligraphy?

It won't be spied on and can keep you safe.

Su Mu found a good excuse for his poor handwriting and set off on the road to Pingmo County.

As for why, there must be a reason to watch the fun.

If there are monsters, kill them; if there are no monsters, just watch the fun. If Su Mu doesn't want to, she can get away with it without getting hurt. Why take a detour?

Walking and stopping, there are very few people going to Pingmo County, but many people leaving Pingmo County. Most of them have an expression of resentment and helplessness on their faces, highlighting the look of being someone I can't afford to offend but can't hide from either.

They were in a hurry, some bringing their families with them, some even dragging carts, which showed that they were making long-term preparations.

It seems that what the old man said was right. The Mao family really made Pingmo County a mess.

These dozens of miles were very fast for Su Mu.

After two hours, they saw the standing city. The old goat sneezed when he smelled it from a distance. There was a breeze today, which happened to be coming from the direction where Su Mu came from. The wind carried a strong scent of sandalwood.

The smell becomes stronger as you get closer.

The old goat kept sneezing, and Su Mu had no choice but to say, "You'd better stay with Hei Li for a while and don't disturb him."

As he said this, he raised his hand and put the old goat into his sleeve.

The scent of sandalwood was mixed with the incense of herbs and the burnt smell of burning yellow paper. These smells mixed together made the whole city hazy. Now he understood why the old man wanted to let him stay overnight. If he saw such a scene in the middle of the night, he would be scared to death.

The whole city was filled with people in the smoke, like a ghost town.

At the city gate, several soldiers covered their mouths and noses with white cloth.

More like a ghost town...

When several soldiers saw Su Mu, there was no expression on their faces. Passersby didn't believe it and insisted on coming to see it. They were used to it and would definitely leave crying in a few days.

Even after Su Mu entered the city, the guards started betting on how many days it would take.

I really don’t know what to say, ridiculous?

However, many people in the Mao family had died, so it was normal to hold funeral ceremonies. The Mao family's restaurants and shops were just a few steps away, and it didn't seem unusual for other shops and restaurants to burn some paper and pray for their owners. The government could not stop it for any reason.

Besides, death is the greatest thing, so what else can we do but endure it?

The Mao family is wealthy and powerful and is not afraid of losses. What else can they say?

When Su Mu entered the city, the streets were deserted, except for some vendors. Occasionally, there were a few shops on both sides of the street, providing basic supplies for the residents.

The remaining households all pasted yellow paper and hung mugwort to ward off evil spirits and bad luck. It was obvious that this was the Mao family's shop.

Apart from the smoke in the streets, most people were just thinking about how long to endure it. People in the Mao family were dying every day, and no one knew when it would end.

There are more Taoists, monks and wanderers than residents.

There are still many people rushing towards this side from all directions.

It was the first time that Su Mu saw a city in such a scene. If it weren't for the fact that the people from the Demon Slayer Division and the Demon Exorcist Sect were busy with important cases recently, the Mao family might have invited people from these two departments.

I found an inn that was still open.

The shopkeeper was tidying up the account book out of boredom, while the waiters were chatting together. When Su Mu came in, they were all stunned for a moment, wondering how anyone could come in such a weird state.

But the basic qualities are still there.

He immediately ran over to greet her: "Are you here for a quick meal or staying overnight?"

"I want to stay in a hotel, a room on the upper floor. How did Pingmo County become such a mess?" Su Mu asked casually.

"Hey, guest, please be careful with your words."

"how?"

Seeing Su Mu's strange expression, the shopkeeper whispered, "The Mao family is in a state of panic right now, so don't say anything bad about them. Have you seen those Jianghu people outside? They're all watching them. A while ago, one of them was captured for speaking without restraint. Although he was eventually released, he inevitably suffered some inhuman torture."

"I see. That's what I was thinking. When will this end?"

"Who knows?" The shopkeeper also looked worried.

Most people were gloating at the beginning, but now their mentality has changed. They can accept that the business may not be doing well for one or two days, and three or five days is okay, but if it goes on all the time, they can't stand it.

"Please come up, sir."

As he said this, he was about to lead Su Mu upstairs.

But when they were halfway there, the mournful sound of suona began to emanate from the street, followed by cries from men, women, young and old.

The shopkeeper's face turned pale and he immediately sent someone to close the door. The already sparse street vendors all hid away to avoid being contaminated by the bad luck.

"This is…………"

"Alas, someone from the Mao family died again."

Su Mu looked outside and saw a team coming from the other end of the street, which was filled with smoke. Everyone was wearing white linen mourning clothes, with painful expressions on their faces and sobbing. The people in the front were scattering white flowers, and the people behind were carrying a black coffin.

As they walked and scattered flowers along the way, the sky was full of flowers swaying from one end of the street to the other.

"Is it like this every day?" Su Mu asked.

The shopkeeper nodded and took Su Mu into the room. The room was quite nice and had a window. Su Mu opened it and took a look.

The streets were empty, covered with white flowers, and there were faint cries, which was very eerie.

If you act too much like a ghost, it will eventually lead to the real thing.

From the moment Su Mu arrived in Pingmo County, he felt the interweaving and mixing of various auras: Taoism, magic, Buddhism, popularity, resentment, ghost energy, true energy, and even the aura of Shintoism, which were constantly mixed in this space, turning the space that should have been clear into chaos, causing the smoke in the city to linger for a long time.

People are confused, ghosts are lost, gods ask for directions, chaos is unclear, and yin and yang are not clear.

Looking out the window into the distance, the situation outside the city could no longer be seen clearly. It was as if a white veil was covering everyone's eyes, making it impossible to distinguish between yesterday and today. The deceased could not find their place of rebirth, and the living might have strayed into the underworld.