The next morning, Yuan Fei came to call me for martial arts practice, but I declined. Every time he hit me, I had to circulate my Daoist energy several times to alleviate the pain.
Yuan Fei asked, "What, are you scared?"
Having spent time together, we had become familiar with each other.
Rolling my eyes, I replied, "You big oaf, just wait. Sooner or later, I'll knock you down."
Yuan Fei snorted dismissively. Seeing Huang Jiu and me preparing talismans and magical tools, he asked, "Need any help?"
"No need. Just protect my aunt and the others," I replied.
I was preparing these items just in case, worried that someone might slip through the net.
That evening, I ate my fill and instructed Xiao Cui not to wait up for me and to go to bed if she felt sleepy.
Xu Wanrong noticed something unusual and kept following me.
I didn't intend to leave her behind. Around ten o'clock, Huang Jiu, Xu Wanrong, and I left the villa.
Along the way, I didn't sense anyone tailing us.
There were two possibilities: either those following us were far superior in strength, making them undetectable to Huang Jiu and me, or they had focused all their attention on the Empty House.
To prevent any ambushes on the road, Huang Jiu and I took a detour through three streets, choosing relatively busy areas.
As we approached the Empty House, we rushed in at top speed.
It was Xu Wanrong's first time there. Seeing the starving ghosts and the confused spirits pondering their existence, her face turned pale.
In contrast, I relaxed upon entering. I whispered to Xu Wanrong, "If we're attacked here later, remember to do nothing and just follow me."
Xu Wanrong didn't know my plan, but she trusted me.
Huang Jiu set up a small formation to conceal our presence. I hid Xiao Cui's earrings inside it. In just about ten minutes, the three of us hurriedly exited the house.
Once outside the alley where the Empty House was located, I suddenly stopped, coming back to my senses. "They've entered," I said.
Huang Jiu asked, "Has the formation been activated?"
I replied softly, "Seven have entered, but five more are on their way. Should we wait?"
In this situation, I was indecisive. Not including those five felt like a missed opportunity, but waiting risked the ones inside discovering that the Longevity Plaque was a decoy.
Seeing my labored breathing, Huang Jiu gritted his teeth and said, "Let's bet on your luck. The more we eliminate now, the better. Later, facing the people from the Xuan Realm, we won't be able to act so freely."
I took a deep breath. "Then let's bet!"
This wasn't purely a gamble; if it was, it was a gamble on human nature.
Yesterday, Huang Jiu and I spread the word. They wouldn't care about the truth; the higher-ups would come to see for themselves.
Moreover, they wouldn't allow any party to act first.
When trust is lost between people, it's a terrifying thing.
Two minutes later, the auras inside the Empty House remained—seven in total. The five who arrived later hurried in.
Almost as soon as they entered, I activated the formation.
In the dark night, a ghostly light flashed across the sky above the Empty House, and the sky in that area darkened, a shade deeper than its surroundings.
Xu Wanrong's eyes lit up, wanting to go check.
I pulled her back. "I've set up the Five Ghosts Killing God Formation. Anyone inside who isn't at the Ascension Realm will undoubtedly die."
Xu Wanrong didn't understand the contents of Zuo Daoran's notes, but she sensed the gravity and refrained from insisting.
Knowing I'd activated the formation, Huang Jiu urged, "Let's head back. If we can't send off the five ghosts, the Plague God might help."
Once the formation is activated, it lasts at least two hours. As its power wanes, the five ghosts will begin to wander and might turn on their summoner.
Until then, I wouldn't be in danger and planned to stay and observe.
When a Feng Shui formation is activated, its energy field is closed, but now the sky was filled with anomalies, shifting from black to a ghostly blue, as if a ghost gate was opening.
About ten minutes later, a muffled sound came from that direction, and a beam of light broke through the formation, shooting into the sky.
Xu Wanrong exclaimed, "An Ascension Realm expert!"
As she spoke, we saw someone staggering out of the Empty House.
My expression changed but quickly turned to joy.
The formation hadn't been broken; only he had escaped, and the others were trapped inside.
Moreover, he was heading straight towards where the Earth Dog Star was hidden. The visuals transmitted clearly to me; he was severely injured and collapsed after a hundred meters.
I relayed the situation to Huang Jiu, who immediately said, "What are we waiting for? Strike while he's down."
Initially, I had the same thought, but another idea took over. I told Huang Jiu, "Go inform Da Hei to have his underlings follow this person."
They hadn't found the people from the Ten Thousand Mountains for days; this might be an opportunity.
Ascension Realm experts are rare in this city.
The escaping individual used orthodox techniques, likely from the Xuan Realm. Severely injured, he wouldn't easily return to his sect.
After all, when someone of high status gets into trouble, many speculate.
If he's done questionable things, he wouldn't want to leave evidence.
To heal, he might seek out the people from the Ten Thousand Mountains.
After a brief explanation, Huang Jiu said, "Then you two shouldn't linger here. Head back; leave the rest to me."
I nodded, retrieved the Earth Dog Star, and ran home with Xu Wanrong. Upon entering, I told Zhan Ling, "Be extra vigilant tonight."
After giving instructions, I went to the second floor to grab the items I'd prepared and headed straight to the third floor.
Without informing the Plague God, I noisily poured out the items in the third-floor living room, quickly setting up an altar and placing five thumb-sized clay figures on it.
These five clay figures were parts of the five individuals from the Empty House, connected by shared energy.
The Plague God was startled by the commotion. Upon seeing my setup, he asked, "Did you use the Summoning Technique?"
"Not exactly, but close!" I replied nervously, offering my middle finger's blood as a sacrifice.
If this didn't work, I'd have to accept the consequences.
The Plague God's brows furrowed. "What did you summon?"
Since I needed his help, I told him honestly, "I set up the Five Ghosts Killing God Formation in the Empty House."
He seemed to recognize the formation, his expression changing dramatically. "Reckless! Summoning ghosts in the Empty House? With such meager offerings, you won't be able to send them off."