Zhong Ming’s expression instantly changed. His dark face turned ghastly pale in shock.

“I definitely buried it here, but it’s gone.”

Zhong Ming refused to give up as he kept digging. He looked at the deep hole in front of him and decided to try another spot to be safe, so he started digging somewhere else.

“Are you sure you buried it here? I sure hope you didn’t make a mistake or something.”

Nongying felt Zhong Ming must be lying to them when they failed to find the handwritten letter after digging for so long, so he could not resist scolding Zhong Ming.

“Nongying!”

Secret guard should remain invisible, so it was unprofessional of Nongying to behave that way.

Xiaowu furtively glanced at Chu Yunshen and felt relieved when he saw the composure on Chu Yunshen’s face. However, Xiaowu continued ordering Nongying to help dig.

“Come over and help him!”

“Yes, Sir.”

Cheng Xiaoxiao watched as Nongying indignantly accepted the order before reluctantly walking up to Zhong Ming to help him dig.

“Stop digging. Someone has already taken it. Let’s go to the deserted village first.” The moment everyone started digging, Chu Yunshen ordered them to stop.

Zhong Ming didn’t seem like he was lying. In any case, he had nothing to gain by lying to them.

Then it could only mean one thing. Someone else was in the village!

They naturally trusted Chu Yunshen, so they quickly recalled what Xiaowu said about sensing someone else’s presence. Zhong Ming suddenly felt his hair standing and couldn’t help trembling.

“I swear the handwritten letter is buried here. I have already told you everything I know. Can I don’t go to the deserted village?”

“Dream on! You have to show us the way!” Xiaowu grabbed Zhong Ming by the arm out of concern Zhong Ming might make a run for it after hearing his words.

“I really don’t dare to go inside the village, but I can tell you how to get there!” Zhong Ming seemed determined not to go.

He did not resist since he was aware it was futile. “There is no fog in the village, so you don’t need my help!”

No fog?

Then why was there dense fog over here?

Did the fog automatically disappear in the village?

Cheng Xiaoxiao was intrigued by the legendary deserted village.

Based on Zhong Ming’s story, it sounded like a thrilling escape room game.

If there were ghosts in the village, Cheng Xiaoxiao would be able to collect some spiritual energy.

After she had fully recovered, she could sneak out of the residence and have a feast with Chu Hongyi. That was the life!

Regardless of Zhong Ming’s objection, Xiaowu kept heading towards the village with Zhong Ming beside him.

The closer they got to the village, the less fog there was. Before long, the fog disappeared completely just as Zhong Ming had said.

After the fog lifted, they managed to see the scenery around them. Cheng Xiaoxiao, Chu Yunshen and the others finally saw the entire village.

The village contained dozens of earthen houses and seemed to appear out of nowhere.

Cheng Xiaoxiao looked at the earthen houses and felt as though the one facing the village entrance seemed more well-kept than the others. It even seemed as though someone had renovated it before.

Xiaowu and Zhong Ming took the lead as Chu Yunshen carried Cheng Xiaoxiao and walked into the center while Tingzhu and the secret guard surrounded Chu Yunshen.

Each of them kept a close eye so they could attack the moment they detected anything amiss.

Cheng Xiaoxiao didn’t even dare to breathe hard. In the past, she would probably complain that they were overreacting.

For some reason, she felt very flustered now and had an ominous feeling something bad was going to happen.

She shouldn’t have said that. What if the opposite came true?

She kept praying for good luck!

After all, the opposite often came true for Cheng Xiaoxiao.

She certainly hoped no one would get hurt.

She recalled the sight of Chu Yunshen lying in the well with his eyes closed and Xiaowu laughing at them as he covered his arm.

“Shall I wait for you outside? I don’t think I should go in…”

Cheng Xiaoxiao snapped out of her daze when she heard Zhong Ming’s voice. She quickly composed herself before she tilted her head and looked at Zhong Ming as he ingratiated Xiaowu.

“No way!” Xiaowu refused Zhong Ming angrily.

Cheng Xiaoxiao couldn’t wrap her mind around this. Why did Zhong Ming keep going on about refusing to enter the village?

Why was he so scared? Almost everyone here was martial arts masters, so they were more than enough to protect him.

Cheng Xiaoxiao forgot Xiaowu and the secret guard only cared about Chu Yunshen’s security. Zhong Ming’s life wasn’t very high on their list of priorities.

Xiaowu seemed to share the same concerns as Cheng Xiaoxiao, so he asked Zhong Ming quizzically, “Didn’t you only look at the village from a distance? Why are you so afraid of it?”

Zhong Ming appeared as though he was on the brink of tears as he pointed at the village entrance and exclaimed to Xiaowu, “Just look at that. There is a mulberry tree at the entrance.”

Everyone turned to look at the mulberry tree at the village entrance.

They were all busy checking out the houses in the village earlier, so they didn’t notice the tree until Zhong Ming brought it up.

Other than Chu Yunshen, everyone felt amazed by the tree.

The mulberry tree was simply massive. Its trunk was so thick that it took three adults to hold hands and surround its circumference.

The tree was particularly luxuriant and had a lot of branches. The branches were so dense that they interlinked to form a canopy.

Its leaves were all green and not a single discolored leaf could be found.

It was rather surprising to see such a lush tree growing in the abandoned village.

However, Cheng Xiaoxiao and the others didn’t know why Zhong Ming was afraid of a tree and even she didn’t detect anything wrong with it. Other than a faint red light on its trunk, it was completely normal.

Even then, the light was so faint that Cheng Xiaoxiao thought it was her hallucination.

Only Chu Yunshen frowned as he looked at Zhong Ming. “What should we do about it?”

Fortunately, there was at least one sensible man among them.

The moment Chu Yunshen asked, Zhong Ming quickly told him about what he read in the handwritten letter, “Your Highness, I am guessing you don’t know anything about this. Since I know how to absorb Yin energy, I know a few things about this…”

Zhong Ming picked up a rock and drew a map of the deserted village on the ground in front of Chu Yunshen. He explained as he drew, “Your Highness, as I said, this village is surrounded by mountains, so it is rare prime Yin land. Now, a mulberry tree is planted at the village entrance…”

Zhong Ming paused as he recalled what he knew about this and continued drawing. “Mulberry, poplar, willow, ash, and cypress have Yin energy. Once they are planted in certain places, they will have the effect of creating a minor prime Yin land.”

Were there that many implications when it came to planting trees?

Cheng Xiaoxiao felt intrigued and reached her head out to see the map by Chu Yunshen’s feet when she heard Zhong Ming.

“This village is located in the north and faces the south and a mulberry tree is planted at its entrance, so it fits the physical conditions required to do this. If there is a willow tree behind the village, this means the village is prime Yin land.”

Neither Cheng Xiaoxiao nor Xiaowu could grasp what Zhong Ming was trying to say.

Cheng Xiaoxiao knew what each of the words meant, but she didn’t know what prime Yin land was.

Fortunately, Xiaowu raised his concern and asked Zhong Ming, “You have said a lot, but you haven’t told us what prime Yin land does.”

Zhong Ming slapped his head when he realized his oversight and apologized to Xiaowu. “I forgot to tell you that prime Yin land sits in the center of mountains, so it is impossible for any energy to come in or go out. Over time, an imbalance occurs and Yang energy becomes Yin energy. Eventually, the land takes up Yin characteristics. The moment that happens, the dead will come back to life and the living will perish.”

“I suspect the village was deserted for this reason. If there is genuinely a willow tree on the northern side of the village, it makes the village a double prime Yin location. No one knows what might happen in there.”

“Check the north side of the village.”

Chu Yunshen sent Xiaowu to check the village expressionlessly when Zhong Ming finished his sentence.

Before long, Xiaowu came running back from the northern side of the village.

“Master, there is a large willow tree on the northern side of the village. From the looks of it, it is around the same age as the mulberry tree.”

The moment Zhong Ming heard what Xiaowu said, he refused to walk a step closer towards the village entrance.

Xiaowu suddenly missed the old, reserved Ming Zi.

“I’m not going! We really can’t enter the place…”

“Are you sure about staying here?”

Chu Yunshen raised his brow and Cheng Xiaoxiao could sense it was bad news.

Just as she expected, he ordered, “Tie him to the tree before we go.”

In a split second, Chu Yunshen crushed any dreams Zhong Ming had of not entering the village.

Even though it was not Chu Yunshen’s usual style to resort to shameless tactics, it was particularly effective on Zhong Ming.

She never knew there was this side to Chu Yunshen.

Cheng Xiaoxiao sensed her heart skip a beat whenever she learned of Chu Yunshen’s true nature and his unusual side.

Perhaps it was time to get Mu Bai to examine her again. There was definitely something wrong with her.

It was definitely far scarier for Zhong Ming to get dumped at the village entrance.

If Zhong Ming went in with them, Xiaowu and the others could help protect him if anything went wrong. However, if he stayed at the village entrance on his own, god knew what he would encounter.

Even though Zhong Ming was able to extend his life, he did not want to die.

Also, he cherished his life even more owing to his situation.

Now that Xiaowu didn’t have to worry about Zhong Ming trying to run, Xiaowu did not try to hold him back, so he could finally focus on the surroundings.

Everyone automatically walked over to the most prominent house that Cheng Xiaoxiao noticed earlier.

“Songtao, Yinyue, wait here.”

The moment Chu Yunshen finished his sentence, two young men around Xiaowu’s age stepped forward.

“Yes, Master.”

Cheng Xiaoxiao heard Xiaowu reminding Songtao as though he was their father, “If anything happens… I will use the signal… and you can come in…”

He spoke so softly that it was almost as good as speaking with his internal energy. Other than Chu Yunshen, Cheng Xiaoxiao was probably the only other person who could hear it since she had the sharp hearing of a lion cat.

Cheng Xiaoxiao was disinterested and went on to look at the other people in their party.

Zhong Ming started to mutter when they came up to the house, “Where there is life, there is death. Death turns Yang into Yin. Yin and Yang co-exist as opposites…”

He sounded as though he was chanting.

Was this some kind of incantation?