The most melodramatic rebirth in history

Chapter 16 Stage Fright When Going Down the Well
A cool breeze was blowing, and the sky was gradually darkening.

Half past 7 PM, a group of people shivered around the ancient well. They had been cold for a long time, but Xu Laodao and his two companions, who had been making a big show of themselves, hadn't made any moves. The crowd couldn't help but feel the urge to cause trouble.

"Master, do you think that thieving old Taoist priest is too afraid to come?"

"Master, I think so too. He must have run away because he got stage fright! Otherwise, we wouldn't have waited so long without seeing him!"

Beside the ancient well, Zhang Dan and his companion each held a large rooster, looking at the old Taoist priest with a bulging nose, who sat on the dilapidated Taoist table, flexing his fingers, closing his eyes, and muttering incantations.

"What's the rush? It's best if he doesn't dare to come, so we don't waste our time!"

Xu Banxian half-opened his eyes and glanced at the two of them sideways, looking quite relaxed.

Just because the three of them can remain calm doesn't mean that others can too.

"You've been fussing around for so long, old charlatan, are you even capable of doing this?"

"Why do you care about the old lady? Once she arrives, you won't have a chance to show off your skills!"

The villagers, eager to watch the spectacle, joined in the jeering, their words dripping with sarcasm.

But a worry crept into my heart: Could it be that the old lady really... ran away?
"Hmph! Since you old, weak, sick, and disabled folks are so ungrateful, then this half-immortal will show you a thing or two and broaden your horizons!"

Xu Banxian, the Taoist priest, let out a cold, buzzing snort. His eyes suddenly snapped open, and in the dim candlelight, his old face was faintly visible, filled with rage.

"Drink—white rice to ward off evil, land to avoid disaster!" Leaping down from the Taoist table covered with yellow cloth, Xu Banxian rolled up his sleeves and slowly brandished his demon-slaying sword.

Then, with a sudden thrust of his sword, he picked up the white rice laid out on the table, and began muttering to himself while shaking his head.

"Bring...the offerings!"

He deliberately dragged out the word "take" for a long time.
Xu Banxian reluctantly accepted the two large roosters that Zhang Dan and the other man handed over.

After handing it over, the two of them shivered simultaneously, thinking to themselves that this weather was really cold.

With a "crack!" sound, blood gushed out.

Two roosters had their throats slit.
Before it could even utter a cry, it trembled and flapped its wings, passing away!

Immediately afterwards, the ruthless Xu Banxian cast a spell and let out a low shout, and several yellow talismans automatically stuck to the two roosters that were floating in mid-air.

"Hiss!" As everyone gasped, the yellow talismans burst into flames, and a mournful ghostly cry echoed through the fire.

Meanwhile, the fire quickly burned the two roosters to ashes. Apart from the rooster skulls that were still glowing with an eerie green light, everything else was gone!

"Ah, Great Immortal, spare me! Spare me! This little devil will never dare to cause trouble again..."

Under the horrified gazes of the crowd, the half-charred chicken skull emitted eerie roars and howls amidst the flames.

Two eerie green beams of light peeked through the firelight, stimulating the fragile nerves of the crowd.

"Hmph! You have committed countless evils, how could I, an immortal, let you go so easily! Die..."

"Ah...ah~!"

The arrogant Xu Banxian suddenly intensified the fire, and the skull emitted an even more piercing wail. The onlookers trembled with fear, their eyes widened, and they swallowed hard.

A plume of black smoke and flames dissipated together, and only when everyone came to their senses did they realize:

My back was already soaked with sweat, and the cold wind made it even more chilly!

"Pretend to be a ghost!"

A distinguished young man leaned against an old tree beside the ancient well, quietly watching the entire "exorcism" process, and then let out a cold snort. Xu Banxian's little trick was enough to fool the villagers, but how could it possibly fool Feng Ling, the expert!

"Gentlemen! I have investigated and found the cause. There was a wandering ghost in this well, which caused those who drank the water to fall ill with strange diseases. I have now killed this ghost in front of you all!"

Scanning the faces of those still in shock, Xu Banxian outwardly appeared aloof, but inwardly he was secretly gloating.

"Whoosh!" A gust of wind blew by, and white mist rose up all around, making the cold seem even stronger!
It was nearly 9 PM, a time when people should be quiet, but today everyone had gathered here for some reason.

"Master, someone just accidentally fell into the well..."

Just as everyone was silent, an unfamiliar woman emerged from the crowd.

"What!?" Everyone was shocked and quickly gathered around the well to look down. Xu Banxian also squeezed in with surprise.

Suddenly, the surface of the well, which could have been described as "still as a calm well," began to ripple with surging waves, as if something was stirring beneath it. Everyone stared intently, their expressions varied.

"Bang!!" Suddenly, a jet of water shot into the sky, startling the crowd peering out from the well, causing them to stumble and fall. Even Xu Banxian stumbled back a few steps before regaining his balance.

"What kind of demon is this?! Show yourself at once..."

With his left hand, Xu Banxian straightened his crooked Taoist hat, while his right hand hurriedly pointed the demon-slaying sword at the water column that had spewed three meters high from the ground.

Seemingly understanding, the water column suddenly burst open, startling everyone and causing them to stumble and fall. Immediately afterward, a pale figure crashed from the sky onto the already soaked ground.

The stench of blood filled the air!
"Ah, it's Liu Ergou! He's dead...dead?" A bold villager nearby exclaimed.

Upon closer inspection, the face of the gruesome, cold corpse with its wide, bloodshot eyes was revealed to be that of the villager who had come to watch the spectacle and had just fallen.

"hiss!!"

Everyone's hearts trembled again, and they quickly kept their distance from the ancient well, which was still emitting violent churning sounds of water.

There's something fishy about this woman who brought the message!
Feng Ling stared intently at the woman who had appeared out of nowhere, who was mixed in with the crowd.

This matter is already spiraling out of control. One person has already died. If I don't take action soon, something else might happen at this well!
"Hmm?" Just as Feng Ling was about to make a move, he suddenly caught sight of a figure who was once again showing off his words and distorting the truth beside the corpse.

Then, Feng Ling had a sudden inspiration and curled his lips: "Xu Banxian, since you are so sure that this person was possessed by a ghost before, do you dare to go down into the well to find out the reason for the geyser, so that we can be convinced!"

The old Taoist priest with the bull-nose nose, who was gesturing wildly around the corpse and enthusiastically convincing everyone, suddenly stopped and turned to look at the handsome young man who had spoken. A hint of hidden anger flashed deep in his eyes.

"Ahem, young brother, what makes you say that? I have already subdued the ghost in this well. The strange things happening now are just the resentment left behind by the ghost before it died. The ghostly aura will dissipate in less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn!"

Upon hearing this, the surrounding crowd suddenly realized what was going on. Many villagers thought about it carefully and nodded repeatedly, clearly accepting this seemingly reasonable explanation.

"Great Immortal, would you dare not?"

Two voices rang out at the same time. Feng Ling and the woman were startled, turned to look at each other in tacit understanding, and found that they had said the exact same thing.

"I fear no evil spirits, what is there that I dare not do?" With that, Xu Banxian took out a stack of yellow talismans, which included ropes and compasses.

Under the worried gazes of Zhang Dan and the others, and the expectant gazes of everyone else, the old Taoist priest with a bulging nose gritted his teeth and slowly descended from the chilling well opening.

Feng Ling thought to himself with amusement, "You old charlatan, you've changed 'this great immortal' to 'this humble Taoist,' and you're still bragging about not being afraid? Don't worry, I'll come to your rescue soon! However, the ropes binding you might... get you caught in your own trap!"

No one knows how deep this well is! Not even the villagers of Gujing Village, generation after generation... know!
Nobody noticed.

After Xu Banxian's Taoist hat disappeared from sight, two figures in the group vanished simultaneously...

(End of this chapter)