Ancestors used theTo shut oneself off from the world, to seal one's doors and windows—this is perhaps one of the most tragic states imaginable in our traditional understanding of a family or clan.

We have always had ancestor worship and placed great importance on family lineage. 。This disaster exposed some small villages nestled in the mountains to the world. Some of these villages were almost deserted. 。To make a living, young and middle-aged people have all gone to the county town, or even farther afield, and their children were also born in the city. Most of the elderly remain in the deserted village. 。Crumbling earthen walls, tile-roofed houses buried by sand and mud, rubble, mud... This village looked like there wasn't even a place to rest in sight. 。And the whole village was pitch black and silent. 。This feeling is very oppressive. 。Mu Wanchen took out a talisman paper and pinched the seal. A tiny spark ignited one corner of the talisman, slowly burning it up. 。A wisp of blue smoke drifted in the wind, and the scene before my eyes seemed to ripple like water. 。 The ripples in the air spread layer by layer, blurring my vision for a moment. Immediately after, I felt something was off even about the taste of the wind. 。Under the hazy moonlight, I only saw a desolate and broken ruin. At this moment, besides these scenes, there was also a faint black mist seeping out from the ground. 。Sometimes what the eyes see is not real 。"Mu Wanchen shook his head slightly and sighed softly, "If this is left unattended, it will surely become a hollow..." 。“The chaotic otherworld is like a black hole. The corpse demons used to hide inside, unable to get out. But every time they extended a part of their bodies, it caused us great trouble.” 。I looked around, it was too desolate here. The land was barren, the mountains were steep and dangerous. The houses here were made of mud bricks, they couldn't withstand even a slight disaster. 。The landslides buried half a village directly, along with the road. 。The remaining houses were reduced to rubble, not a single roof intact. There was only a pile of dust and debris, along with a few walls still standing. 。"Hey, I feel like someone's here..." I rubbed my eyes and looked towards the ruins surrounded by sand and gravel. 。"...a place sealed off from the world, with no people, only ghosts" 。Mu Wanchen shook his head, as if afraid I was scared, and reached out to hold my hand. 。I've seen ghosts so many times that besides being startled, I'm not really scared of them. 。Of course, it's not a big deal. Besides, Mu Wanchen is by my side, and Xiao Shi Niang is here too. 。The little wife must have been naturally cautious and wary of the unknown. As soon as she heard me say that, she immediately took out a talisman and held it in her palm. 。"Little mistress, what kind of talisman is this It looks like a giant crispy cracker," I asked curiously. 。Mu Wanchen lit his soul lamp to avoid disturbing the restless spirits here. 。Soul lamps, like ghostly jellyfish, silently drift around us. Their faint azure light illuminates the path beneath our feet, but there's a drawback to being too close—it attracts restless spirits and eerie creatures. 。"Crispy Corner Little Yinluo, are you hungry" The junior mistress laughed, "This is Shen's family portable talisman array, haha, it really looks like a Crispy Corner." 。That talisman folded into an empty triangle, looking like a little origami we made as kids. 。"This is the Dharma altar for sending off spirits, a simple ritual to guide them. I'm not very proficient in other Shen family talismans, but this one is the most suitable." 。She smiled and broke a few crispy crackers for me: "Here you go, if you encounter ordinary ghosts, these can help send them to the afterlife." 。“ I thought we were coming to a remote village, but that was too naive. This can be considered a wasteland. 。The collapsed landslide was probably the ancestral gravesite of the villagers here. The entire mountain body collapsed, mud and sand tumbling down, white tombstones and rotting coffins were all washed away, either stuck or buried in the soil and rubble. 。

Just now, the young apprentice wife almost slipped and was held back by her little follower, Xiaonie, who bit onto her clothes. She avoided falling.

She complained that the stones on the ground were too slippery after the rain. As a result, when she looked down, she stepped on a white skull buried in the dirt. 。The little wife cried out in fright, then whispered "Guilty, guilty" softly, not intentional. Looking at her posture, she was about to burn several sheets of paper money. 。These bones' spirits have long since gone to the underworld, they'll go wherever they need to go. It doesn't matter how much you chatter here, just leave. 。Mu Wanchen was not at ease leaving his junior wife alone behind. He turned around and waited for her. 。 The young wife puffed up her cheeks and mumbled, "You know, we've been friends for many years now. We've even saved each other's lives. Shouldn't that count as a bond of life and death How come you still speak to me so coldly and harshly There's no warmth or affection in your words..."。"Mu Wanchen frowned slightly: "It's not good to stay here for too long. The yin and corrupt corpse qi are too heavy, it's not good for you women." 。"I'm fine. But Xiao Yinluo is carrying, so she needs to be extra careful. Otherwise, it's better not to go in I'll have Xiao Nie stay here with you" the junior wife asked, tilting her head. 。"No no no, I still—"I hurriedly expressed my stance, how could I possibly stay with Mu Wanchen Where would I dare to be left alone in this eerie place 。Before I could finish speaking, Mu Wanchen spoke for me. 。"She'll follow me. If I leave her here, she's bound to be scared." 。"Hmm... Having a wife really is different..." The young mistress chuckled, turned to her little follower and said, "Well then, Little Sin, let's go further ahead. Let Mu Wanchen see us, but not be in the way as a spare lightbulb." 。The divine beast lynx had probably grown accustomed to the young wife’s temper, shaking its fur and growing huge, carrying the young wife on its back. 。Mu Wanchen hoped that his little wife would walk in front so that he could always pay attention to the surrounding situation. 。He pulled me along and said, "You too, watch your step. This is a graveyard that has collapsed, with tombstones and coffins all over the place. Be careful not to trip." 。“He was holding me so tightly, I bet he could pull me back even if I jumped off a cliff, let alone just tripped. ” 。I nodded in agreement. 。"Never mind, let's just hold each other and go." 。He sighed and without a word, picked me up. 。This... This is too..."I can walk!" I whispered in his ear. 。"I know >>> 。" Then you're not letting me down, little mistress will laugh at me 。I stole a glance at the few steps ahead of me. 。"Just laugh, laughing with you makes me feel more at ease." 。Mu Wanchen let out a soft sigh. 。He spoke in such a tone, uttering such gentle words, yet in this eerie and desolate place, it inexplicably tugged at my heartstrings. 。Indifferent eyes, snowy long hair, yet such gentle words. 。Who said he was cold and hard I think he's so gentle, he could melt me. 。"... There are corpses here..." 。 。I had already smelled this strange odor drifting in the wind, but I didn't know its exact location. It was only when Xiao Nie pointed it out to us that we looked in the direction he indicated. 。Under a lonely crumbling wall, there was a set of chairs and a table. Behind the chairs and against the wall stood an altar. 。h”"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry! We agreed to never offend Miss Mu in private, but I've never met Miss Mu before. My apologies, my apologies..." The skinny Taoist immediately bowed his head towards me a...