Invisible changes appeared in every corner of Mingzhou, like five large sores, breeding evil spirits, creating disasters, and ruining people’s luck.
In Mingzhou Prefecture, there were quite a few people knowledgeable in the Path. So, who understood Observing Qi and Divination, vaguely sensed these changes and grew anxious.
Mingzhou wasn’t a treasure land, but it had always been peaceful and rarely troubled. How could it be that in rely three to five days, such ominous places suddenly appeared, casting a shadow over all of Mingzhou?
Logically, since this matter affected everyone in Mingzhou, they should have gone to investigate.
But those in the Path were no fools. Although worried, they were also puzzled. This ominous aura has co so quickly and fiercely; a major event must be happening, not just an ordinary evil spirit causing trouble. But if that’s the case, why is there no movent in Plum Blossom Lane? And why hasn’t the governnt inquired?
The fact that the higher-ups weren’t anxious while those below were made people feel sothing was amiss. So kind-hearted individuals even sent little ghosts to deliver ssages and warnings, yet those two places remained unresponsive; instead, the ominous aura only intensified.
The intelligent ones imdiately understood. Even though they sensed the increasing impact of those places on their surroundings, they dared not investigate. Those with lesser cultivation or less insight were even more clueless about what was happening, only feeling increasingly uneasy.
Hu Ma’s Green Stone Manor, neither too remote nor too central, happened to be situated right in the middle of these Five Evil positions.
Now that Hu Ma had left, Zhou Datong and the others in the Green Stone Manor had no idea what was happening. They only felt a constant anxiety, as if sothing terrible was about to occur.
Even the livestock in the Green Stone Manor seed affected; they refused to eat their fodder quietly, instead snorting loudly and kicking restlessly.
Only the horse Brother Ma Zi had brought back from Anzhou acted differently. It ate and drank as usual, but occasionally, it would lift its head towards the sky, its large eyes seemingly full of anticipation.
While a vague unease spread everywhere, with no discernible cause, a contingent from Grass Heart Hall was currently approaching Old Yin Mountain, escorting a sedan chair.
Leading the way was the Five Ghosts Shopkeeper of Grass Heart Hall. They were entering the mountain this ti to find a Hundred-Year-Old Pillow to use as a dicinal ingredient.
The so-called Hundred-Year-Old Pillow was earth taken from beneath a centenarian’s bed. A small pinch, mixed into a dicinal soup, was said to have life-extending effects. However, centenarians were rare; there was only one in Yuqian Village, near Old Yin Mountain.
This particular man had not only lived past one hundred but had reached the age of one hundred and seven.
For each year a person lived beyond a century, this dicinal ingredient beca more miraculous, its efficacy enhanced.
This old man was now one hundred and seven. In just a few more months, he would turn one hundred and eight, a remarkable achievent. This age was also known as ’tea longevity,’ considered a perfect age.
If this elderly man lived past one hundred and eight years, the dicinal ingredient derived from him would beco a divine dicine, a handful of which would be worth a thousand gold pieces.
The people of Grass Heart Hall knew how important this old man was. They visited him annually to check on his health and were confident that he would live to be one hundred and eight without issue.
Such a blessed person, in the eyes of those who understood the Path, was more precious than Master Tai Sui himself. How could they not be concerned about him?
However, when the people from Grass Heart Hall entered the mountains, had their porters carry the customary gifts, and entered the village, they were t with an unexpected sight. A crowd had gathered in front of the old man’s courtyard, pointing and murmuring. From a distance, they could hear a woman’s voice crying out:
"Great-grandfather, please spare your descendants..."
"We know you don’t want to die, venerable elder, but you can’t steal your descendants’ lifespans! Your son, my father-in-law, only lived into his seventies. Your grandson was only in his sixties when he was mauled by a bear..."
"Neither of those poor n even lived to be eighty..."
"Now, the generations of your sons and grandsons are all gone. You can’t be thinking of your great-grandchildren’s generation now! Please, spare this child’s life..."
Looking into the courtyard, they saw the old man sitting there, leaning on his cane, silent. Kneeling before him was a woman in mourning clothes, holding a child of about twelve or thirteen in her arms.
The old man was usually cheerful and vigorous. Despite being over a hundred, he loved to joke with people and tell stories to children.
But now, he sat helplessly in his chair. He glanced at his great-granddaughter-in-law, wanting to say sothing but unable to find the strength to speak. He struggled to lift his head and look out at the villagers gathered outside the courtyard, who were pointing and muttering:
"’He’s borrowing longevity...’"
"’When people get that old, they beco cunning. He’s borrowing longevity from his descendants, making them die young while he lives on.’"
"’Our village used to have people who lived long lives, but then young folk started falling from the mountains, or getting plagues, and not surviving...’"
"’It was all because these old ghouls were borrowing their longevity...’"
"’Well, this one from the Yao Family must be borrowing the most. He’s the oldest, and all his children and grandchildren died young. Looks like he’s borrowed them all dry and is now after his great-grandson...’"
Ultimately, the old man couldn’t speak. He only leaned heavily on his cane to slowly push himself up, then turned and walked into the house. It was high noon, and the snow outside was dazzlingly bright, yet the small main room seed dark, its interior obscured.
Witnessing this scene, the newly arrived mbers of Grass Heart Hall were startled and hurriedly began to ask the surrounding villagers what was happening.
Only then did they learn that the old man’s last son had died thirty years ago, and two of his grandsons had passed away ten years ago.
Just two days prior, his last remaining grandson—the husband of the crying woman—had suddenly succumbed to an acute illness. Now, their child had also contracted the life-threatening sickness.
The villagers claid the old man was borrowing longevity from his descendants. Having exhausted his sons and grandsons, he was now targeting his great-grandson. This was why the woman was so terrified.
The mourning period for her husband was not even over, yet she had co to plead with the old man.
"’How can this be...’"
The Five Ghosts Shopkeeper listened, frowning in frustration. Such claims are absurd.
Cases of longevity theft, or ’borrowing life,’ have occurred, but mostly within large, influential families with countless descendants. How could this simple village farr possess such an evil skill?
Besides, even if such an evil skill existed, this old man has never consud Blood Food, nor has he used any other thod to extend his life. Otherwise, his lifespan wouldn’t be ’pure,’ and Grass Heart Hall would never use the earth from under his bed as a dicinal ingredient for life-extending dicine.
Though anxious, he couldn’t intervene.
The Path had its rules. They could collect the dicinal ingredient, but they could not interfere with the old man’s destiny. Attempting to extend his life or treat his ailnts with their skills would render the ingredient impure.
As his anxiety peaked, he glanced towards their Young Mistress, just as a sudden cry of alarm ca from the main room.
Everyone was startled. It was the great-granddaughter-in-law. Seeing the old man remain silent, she had followed him into the main room, hoping to persuade him further. But one look inside, and she was frightened out of her wits.
The people from Grass Heart Hall could no longer hold back. They hastily pushed through the crowd and rushed into the main room. One glance inside, and their hearts sank.
The old man’s cane lay tossed aside. He was slumped over the edge of his bed, no longer breathing.
Just three months shy of reaching one hundred and eight, the old man had died, so quietly.
This near-Immortal, the very earth beneath whose bed could be used as a potent dicinal ingredient, hadn’t even died *in* his bed.
"’What utter nonsense!’"
Seeing the old man suddenly dead, the Five Ghosts Shopkeeper could hardly contain his simring anger, his heart filled with acute distress.
To see an elder so close to achieving a perfect lifespan die like this... It ant Grass Heart Hall’s years of attention and anticipation were largely wasted. It also pained him deeply that such a man, blessed with great fortune and longevity, had essentially been hounded to death by accusations.
He couldn’t stop himself from rounding on the great-granddaughter-in-law, who stood shocked, clutching her child. "Where did you hear such malicious nonsense about ’borrowing longevity’?" he roared. "Such wicked rumors are ant to harm your family!"
"Your great-grandfather-in-law was a man who accumulated virtue in his past lives and was kind to others in this one! He deserved his long life and fortune! He was just a few months away from living past one hundred and eight!"
"At that age, he would have been like an Immortal! Even his enemies would have had to kowtow to him, and the deities of the local shrine would secretly protect him!"
"With him alone in your family, it would be equivalent to five generations of accumulated Yin Ze for others! Your descendants would all receive blessings, be free from illness and disaster, and no evil spirit would dare to disturb you. That’s better than any other form of protection!"
"Others would beg to have such a venerable Immortal in their family, and you... you hounded him to death with your words!"
The woman hadn’t expected to see the Five Ghosts Shopkeeper. She recognized him from his previous visits to the mountain and knew he was an important person from the city. Villagers naturally held city folk in awe. Seeing his fury, she sensed she had indeed done sothing terribly wrong and hurriedly burst into tears, wailing:
"It’s not my fault! It’s not my fault! I didn’t know! Everyone was saying it, so how could it be false?"
The Five Ghosts Shopkeeper was so angry he almost laughed. "Who? Who told you such things?"
Terrified by his anger, the woman stamred, "The... the doctor back there, the one who brought people to fill in the pond... he said it. How could that be false?"
"’What?!’"
Startled, the Five Ghosts Shopkeeper imdiately hurried in the direction she indicated. He started walking, then broke into a run, quickly reaching the northern edge of the village where it t Old Yin Mountain. A chill instantly shot through him.
Here, there was a wild pond. Though not fed by a live spring, it had always teed with fish and turtles. But now, he saw that large stones had been pushed into it, and people were actively filling it with earth!
"’Ah, this...’"
The Five Ghosts Shopkeeper hastily took out a small bundle of herbal dicine, lit it, and wafted the smoke towards his eyes. When he looked ahead again, his face turned ashen.
He saw, within the now stone-filled pond, the faint outline of an ancient turtle the size of a millstone. Around it, figures resembling elderly people dressed in burial shrouds stood dazedly at the pond’s edge. They faced the village, slowly, repeatedly, kowtowing.
Billowing yin qi hung over the village, stirring up gusts of chilling wind.
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