Qi Yan had many childhood memories in Wangxiang Town, some of them were happy, and of course some were unhappy. There’s nothing noteworthy about this place, there were no special ores, and even the crops were ordinary. The only thing worthy of praise was its name. It was said that a person surnamed Wang once cultivated here and became an immortal, so it was named Wangxiang Town. The local authority wanted to use this to promote and develop tourism, but no one was interested in this story, not even the locals took it seriously.
Hearing that something had happened in this inconspicuous place, if it wasn’t Third Master Cen who said it, he would definitely think that they were lying to him.
“Don’t worry too much, they will definitely take care of this matter,” Third Master Cen regretted bringing up this matter while eating, “Let’s eat first.”
Cen Baihe picked out a crayfish for Qi Yan and put it in his bowl, “The lobster you like, it won’t taste good when it’s cold.”
“Hmm.” Qi Yan put on gloves and obediently ate the lobster. Cen Baihe put down his chopsticks and glanced at his third brother.
Third Master Cen was frightened by the sight of his younger brother, and almost choked on the soup. Fortunately, Qi Yan didn’t mention anything about Wangxiang Town since then, so he finished the meal safely, instead of being stared at by his younger brother that made his back turn cold, or having his legs pinched until there were bruises by his wife.
After the meal, the four of them walked out of Qianweiju. Third Master Cen glanced at his younger brother who was walking with Qi Yan, “Baihe, you take him home, I’ll go with your sister-in-law.”
Cen Baihe nodded, “Be careful on the road.”
After they left, Cen Baihe said to Qi Yan, “Don’t think too much, go back to rest first.”
“Don’t worry, I’m not thinking about strange things,” Qi Yan sat in the car and saw Cen Baihe’s eyes full of worry, “I’m not the savior, and I definitely won’t go to dangerous places alone. Besides, it seems like the situation is serious. Even if I do go, I won’t be able to find it. “
Cen Baihe glanced at Qi Yan suspiciously, not believing his words.
“No matter what, I hope you will put your own safety first.” Cen Baihe knew Qian Qian’s character. He seemed to be gentle and reasonable, but the moment he made up his mind, it’s impossible to persuade him.
“I’m going now.” The car stopped in front of Qi Yan’s building. He got out of the car and waved to Cen Baihe, “Good night.”
“Good night.” Cen Baihe gave Qi Yan a deep look, and didn’t close the car door until he walked into the building, “Go home.”
“You’re back?” Third Master Cen was sitting in the living room. When he saw Cen Baihe come in, he pointed to the sofa next to him, “Sit.”
Taking off his jacket and handing it to the servant, Cen Baihe sat on the sofa with a blank expression, “Why did you suddenly mention that?”
“Baihe, you’re too emotional,” Third Master Cen poured him a cup of tea. Cen Baihe looked at the cup but didn’t touch it, “I thought you believe in science, how come you’re interested in this now?”
Third brother Cen was not angry after being accused by his younger brother. He took a sip from the cup and said, “Do you think I’m plotting against Qi Yan?”
Cen Baihe remained silent.
“Actually, three masters were sent there two days ago,” Third Master Cen said solemnly, “None of them came back. I didn’t want to arouse Qi Yan’s curiosity, instead I really didn’t want him to go. It’s too dangerous.”
Cen Baihe frowned, “How could this be?”
“I’m not sure, that’s not in my job scope anymore. I only heard a little about this.” Third Master Cen sighed, “Talk to Qi Yan tomorrow and tell him not to act rashly.”
“I know.” Cen Baihe got up, “Don’t drink so much tea at night, you won’t be able to sleep.”
Third Master Cen:…
Qi Yan just walked out of the elevator when he saw a few dark figures in front of his door. He retreated in shock.
“Master Qi!”
This shout of joy caused the voice-activated light above Qi Yan to light up. He recognized two people in the shadows. One of them was Li Qiang, or was it Wang Qiang?
“Master Qi, you’re finally back!” Xiang Qiang breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Qi Yan. He was worried that they wouldn’t be able to see him today after he went to the Cen family.
Qi Yan glanced at the people behind Xiang Qiang, and saw that there were two tall men behind them. Qi Yan suspected that these two might be in the special forces. Seeing these important people and recalling what Third Master Cen said to him during dinner tonight, Qi Yan roughly guessed the purpose of their visit.
Come in first,” Qi Yan opened the door, turned on the lights. He invited them in.
“Tell me what happened.” Qi Yan threw the bag on the couch, and looked at the few people with solemn expressions.
“Master Qi, this is an urgent matter. We hope that you would lend a helping hand,” Xiang Qiang handed him a document, “The situation is getting more and more serious, if it is not resolved in time, it may lead to greater calamity.”
Qi Yan opened the document, which contained several photos and reports. The photos were various topographic maps of Wangxiang Town and the location of the incident. After looking through the confidential document, he asked in disbelief, “Someone used the whole town as a sacrifice?”
“I’m not sure yet, but several masters thought so too,” Xiang Qiang said in a low voice, “Also… Master Wei has passed away.”
No matter how brave Qi Yan was, he knew that things were not simple this time. In his memory, although Master Wei was missing an eye, he looked like a very kind person. If such a powerful master couldn’t solve the problem, who else could do it?
“Then what happened to Master Qian?” He remembered that Master Qian was an advisor to the Special Task Force. If something happened to Master Wei, Master Qian would probably be in trouble as well.
Sure enough, after he asked that, Xiang Qiang’s tone became even lower, he shook his head and said, “Master Qian is missing.”
It was called missing when the body was not found. In this situation, it was likely that Master Qian had also died.
“Aren’t you worried that I won’t go after knowing this?” Qi Yan returned the document to Xiang Qiang, “I’m a person who cherishes my life.”
“I know, but we can’t leave you in the dark,” Xiang Qiang smiled bitterly, “We are public servant, not swindlers.”
“I see,” Qi Yan stood up, “When will we leave?”
“The plane is already waiting at the airport and will leave at two in the morning.” Xiang Qiang was overjoyed. So you agree?”
“Wait here. I’ll make some preparations.” Qi Yan asked them to wait in the living room and entered the room.
“Master Qi agreed to go?” Xiang Qiang’s companion said, “This is really great!”
Xiang Qiang nodded with a conflicted expression. At this moment, he didn’t know whether to be happy or not. He wouldn’t be surprised if Master Qi didn’t agree to go. Even Master Wei and Master Qian couldn’t do anything about it, it’s understandable if he’s afraid since he’s so young. In fact, Xiang Qiang expected Master Qi not to agree to this. He was not tempted to join the Special Task Force despite the good benefits, let alone something that could get him killed.
However, he did. He agreed without mentioning the pros and cons. This was completely beyond his expectations.
A few minutes later, there was the sound of water splashing in the master bedroom, and Xiang Qiang wondered, was Master Qi preparing his instruments?
Qi Yan was thinking about what to bring while taking a shower. This time, things were different than usual. Apart from the usual instruments, he had to bring the robe given to him by his master.
The robe itself was an instrument. His master once proudly said that this was a treasure left by his master. However, Qi Yan didn’t find anything special about it, except that it could resist worldly harm.
But at that moment, the first thing that came to his mind was the robe that his master used to brag about.
After taking a bath and changing into clean clothes, Qi Yan offered three incense sticks to his master’s altar.
“Master, you must bless me to come back safely, otherwise our legacy will die here,” Qi Yan bowed to the photo, and put some mooncakes on the altar. “I don’t know if I can get back in time for the Mid-Autumn Festival, so try these mooncakes first. I’ll buy you other flavors when I get back.”
“I’m going now.” Qi Yan knelt on the futon and kowtowed three times to the master’s photo. He took out a dusty wooden box from under the altar.
Around 1:00 a.m. on the tenth day of the eighth lunar month, a private plane was parked at the Capital City International Airport. On this large military plane, there were monks, Taoists and members of the Special Task Force, but no ordinary passengers.
There were many people in the place, but no one was talking. There was an eerie silence.
A burst of footsteps broke the silence, and caught the crowd’s attention. They looked at the entrance of the cabin and saw two men in national security uniforms leading a boy in.
This boy was very young, with some baby fat on his cheeks. Under his curly hair, there were a pair of bright eyes, which shone in the dark night.
“Master Qi?” Master Zhao looked at Qi Yan, “Why are you here?”
“The same reason you did,” Qi Yan walked to Master Zhao and smiled at the people in the plane. Then, he sat down next to him.
“You want to send this young master to his death?” An elderly sorcerer said in a hoarse voice, “It’s enough for us old people to die. Send this young man back.”
“Yes, yes, what kind of help can a young man like him offer? Why do you ask him to join?”
The cabin suddenly became lively, and Qi Yan instantly became a baby who was not able to take care of himself. Everyone was clamoring to get him off the plane.
These elders meant well, but they were not tactful.
The members of the Special Task Force looked embarrassed, especially Xiang Qiang, who brought Qi Yan into the plane and was glared at by many. If he weren’t as steady as he was, he would be hiding under a chair.
“Please rest assured, we are definitely not blindly sending everyone to their deaths,” Zhao Zhicheng, the leader of the Special Task Force, stood up and said, “All of you here are well-respected masters. It’s hard for many wealthy businessmen and celebrities to even meet you. But for the sake of the country and the people, you offered to help without hesitation. I really, really thank you very much.”
Zhao Zhicheng bowed to everyone, and the cabin became quiet again.
“Team Leader Zhao, it’s not that we are making things difficult for you, it’s just that this kid looks so young,” The sorcerer who just spoke sighed, “If we elderly people can’t do anything, what can this kid do? He won’t be much help anyway, it’s better to let him go back, so we can feel more at ease.”
“Thank you Master Miao for your concern,” Qi Yan knew in his heart that if he didn’t speak up, the atmosphere in the cabin would get worse again, “Although I have limited ability, I hope I can help you. I have done some calculations before coming. This time there won’t be any danger and we will return triumphantly.”
“Do you know me?” The ancestors of Master Miao were the legendary witch doctors, and after many generations, they were referred to as sorcerers. Due to the influence of some fairy tales and TV shows, many people tend to think of evil villains when they hear the word “sorcerer”. In fact, they were kind-hearted and mild-mannered. Otherwise, they would not cure diseases and save people.
It’s a pity that there were very few sorcerers now.
“My master had mentioned you,” Qi Yan said with a smile, “He said that you are a very great person.”
His master did mention this person, but it was not about how great he was, but that he thought too much about things and was not joyful at all.
“I wonder who your master is?” Master Miao frowned. He didn’t recall seeing this young man before.
“He had passed away. Before that, he instructed me not to mention his name.” Qi Yan smiled apologetically, “Please forgive me.”
“I see,” Master Miao understood and stopped asking questions. He looked at Qi Yan, “Since you insist on going, remember not to be impulsive when you get there.”
“Thank you for reminding me.” Qi Yan accepted his good intention.
After listening to the conversation between Qi Yan and Master Miao, the other masters did not insist on asking him to leave. Instead, they had a good impression towards Qi Yan. No one would dislike a young man who was polite and benevolent.
There were nine masters including Qi Yan on the plane. Nine was an auspicious number, so it was a good omen.
At two o’clock, the plane took off on time. Qi Yan watched the buildings on the ground getting smaller and smaller, and could finally only see the lights. Then he remembered that he forgot to tell his friends that he left.
After five o’clock in the morning, the plane landed in the outskirts of Wangxiang Town. As soon as they got off the plane, the officers and soldiers who had been waiting at the airport immediately picked them up by car and drove out of the airport.
At this time, there were very few pedestrians on the road. Occasionally, passers-by saw a long line of military jeeps driving past, and they just thought they were just going for training, and didn’t pay much attention to it at all.
Qi Yan and Master Zhao were sitting in the same car. Everyone who entered the mountain had to turn off their devices and could not disclose their whereabouts to anyone.
It took about two hours to get to Wangxiang Town. Qi Yan leaned against the back of his chair and dozed off for a while. When he opened his eyes, the car had already entered the perimeter of Wangxiang Town.
Wangxiang Town was the most prosperous town in the entire county. All government buildings were built in this town, so it was very lively at this time. When the jeep that Qi Yan and the others were riding in passed by, many people looked at them curiously.
Qi Yan looked at some unfamiliar streets and buildings outside and felt that this place was not quite like the Wangxiang Town he remembered when he left. But it was not bad, the roads were wide and clean, and the buildings were getting more and more beautiful, which showed that the local economy was developing and the people were living better.
On the sidewalk, a two- or three-year-old child staggered in front of his parents and grandparents, who followed behind him with love and concern on their faces.
Seeing this scene, Qi Yan couldn’t help but smile. Things seemed good.
“Please sit tight. We are about to enter the mountain road. The road conditions are not very good, so it will be bumpy.”
To say the road was bad was a euphemism. Sitting in the car, Qi Yan swayed like a ball in a jar. If he had eaten in the morning, he would probably have vomited out his breakfast.
No wonder they had to pick them up with a jeep. If it was a car with a lower chassis, it wouldn’t be able to drive up at all.
“Baihe, what’s the matter?” When Third Master Cen went downstairs, he saw his younger brother on his phone in his pajamas. His hair was messy, and he hadn’t touched the newspapers in front of him.
“I am going out.” Cen Baihe said with a sullen face, holding his phone while getting ready to go out.
“Wait, are you going out in your pajamas?”
Cen Baihe looked down at the clothes on his body, turned around and strode upstairs. After a while, Third Master Cen saw that he was wearing a white shirt and went out the door with a jacket in his hand. He didn’t even bother buttoning his shirt.
“What’s wrong?” He frowned and called Liang Feng.
“Liang Feng, did something happen in the company?”
After getting the negative answer, Third Master Cen shook his head in confusion. Baihe looked like a little bride who was running away…
Realizing that he was affected by the TV series that his wife was watching, Third Master Cen patted his face to wake himself up.
No one was there.
Cen Baihe stood at the door of Qi Yan’s house and knocked on the door for a long time, but no one answered. He lowered his head and called Qi Yan, but it was still turned off.
Where did Qian Qian go?
“Young man, stop knocking. No one is at home.” The person who lived opposite Qi Yan opened the door and said, “He left with a few people at midnight last night.”
“With whom?”
“That I don’t know,” Said the chubby aunty who was talking. “I heard some movement in the corridor and didn’t dare to open the door to look.”
Qian Qian once said that if someone dared to be malicious to him at his house, they would definitely be punished, so Qian Qian should have gone with these people voluntarily. Besides, he was in such a hurry that he didn’t even have time to make a phone call, or… he was not able to.
He took out his phone and called his third brother.
“What time did the masters leave?”
“At dawn today?”
“Ok…”
After the jeep stopped at the mountain, the first thing they did after getting out of the car was to vomit, and it took them some time to recover.
So no matter how powerful the master was, he was helpless when it came to motion sickness.
Qi Yan patted Master Zhao on the back, and when he saw that he was almost done vomiting, he handed a bottle of mineral water to Master Zhao and asked him to rinse his mouth.
“Thank you.” Master Zhao thanked Qi Yan weakly, “It’s so good to be young. You look completely fine even after that.”
Qi Yan laughed dumbly, it was not much of a good thing.
“Locked Tiger Formation! It turned out to be Locked Tiger Formation!”
An old master with gray hair stood on the top of the mountain, looking at the tops of several nearby mountains and his lips were shaking.
Locked Tiger Formation was also known as the Death Formation. As long as this formation was done successfully, all the nearby vitality would be locked like tigers in cages, unable to be free.
But what made them really terrified was not the Locked Tiger Formation, but the surroundings. A Heavenly Sacrifice Formation was also set up. There was a formation within another. The fortunes and lives of the people in the whole town were sacrificed to make these formations.
The effect of these formations would snowball. In the end, not only Wangxiang Town might be affected, but also the entire county.
Looking at these interlocking formations, Qi Yan finally understood why Master Wei and Master Qian were trying so hard to break it. In three days, there would be a full moon in the Mid-Autumn Festival. At that time, the energy of the moon would amplify the effect of these formations.
The people who set up the formations had the landscape and the spiritual energy here without regard to human lives.
Even now, Qi Yan could see the malicious energy pouring in from all directions, forming a chaotic and terrifying aura above this place.
“Have the nearby residents moved out?” Qi Yan’s palms turned cold.
“We asked them to move out by telling them that there might be a bomb here from the invasion from a hundred years ago.” Xiang Qiang explained in a low voice, “But we can’t make the whole town move away. We are afraid of causing panic among the people.”
“It’s useless to move away,” Qi Yan sighed, “The moment the formation was completed, their lives were already tied to it.”
Xiang Qiang was shocked when he heard the words, how was this possible?!
“However, I remember that during the invasion, the enemies didn’t pass through here,” Qi Yan turned to ask Xiang Qiang, “Don’t you think the reason for asking them to move out makes no sense?”
Xiang Qiang: At this time, can you not consider such trivial matters?
