My words have become law; I truly have no desire to display my divine power before others.

Ye Qingfeng didn't even glance at him.

He was walking forward, his steps still so slow and steady, his hands behind his back, his gaze indifferent.

It was as if they didn't see the thing rushing towards them, or as if they did see it but didn't care.

His Taoist robe billowed backward in the wind stirred up by the black mist, but his body remained completely still.

A golden bolt of lightning struck down from the sky.

The light was so fast that even the child himself didn't have time to react.

He was still charging forward, still opening his mouth, still trying to bite the Taoist priest's throat.

Then he heard a sound—not thunder, but the sound of his own body being torn apart.

Golden lightning bolts pierced through his body, from head to toe, splitting him in two.

It wasn't cut in half; it was like a piece of charcoal that had been burned through, bursting open from the inside out.

The black mist evaporated instantly in the golden light, disappearing without even a hiss.

The child's body turned to ashes in the lightning; the grayish-white powder floated in the air for a moment before being dispersed by the wind.

Only a light black shadow remained on the ground, imprinted on the bluestone slab, like a burn mark.

That was the last thing he left in this world.

The lightning bolt came quickly and went quickly, disappearing in a flash.

But the dark clouds are still there, and the thunder is still rumbling.

Lu Yang's body suddenly moved.

His eyes darted around, then he blinked a few times, as if he had just woken up from a very deep dream.

His gaze shifted from a dazed look to a clear one, then from a clear look to a confused look, and finally from a confused look to a blank look.

He looked down at his hands, then looked up at his surroundings—the old locust tree was still there, the square was still there, and the closed doors were still there.

Shen Zhaoyue stood beside him, having already bent down to pick up the knife that had fallen to the ground. She was wiping the dust off the knife with her sleeve. Her movements were very light and careful, but a trace of confusion still lingered in her eyes.

Lü Yang blushed.

It's not shyness, it's embarrassment.

He just said, "These weird things aren't all that great," and that he still has some skills.

As a result, he fell into the trap and was lured into an illusion by a little devil. He stood there dumbfounded with a silly grin on his face.

If the immortal master hadn't intervened, he might still be playing football right now.

Lu Yang took a deep breath, straightened up, and patted the dust off his clothes.

"Let's go."

He said, feigning composure, "The immortal master is still waiting ahead."

He started walking towards Ye Qingfeng.

After walking a few steps, passing the light black shadow on the ground, he stopped and looked down at the mark burned by lightning.

That child, that little devil with the pigtails sticking up, wearing a red bib, and a face like a peach blossom, is gone without a trace.

Lu Yang thought for a moment, then spat at the shadow.

"Pooh."

It was very light and quick, as if afraid of being seen.

He finished vomiting and continued walking without looking back.

Miao Gui followed behind, carrying the chubby baby. When he saw Lü Yang spitting, his lips twitched, but he didn't say anything.

He walked up to the shadow, glanced down at it, and then walked around it—not out of fear, but because he felt it wasn't worth bothering with a pile of ashes.

Anyway, he didn't get infected.

Shen Zhaoyue walked at the back. When she passed that shadow, she paused for a moment, glanced at it, and then continued walking, expressionless.

Ye Qingfeng had already crossed the square and entered the alley leading to the inn.

Lu Yang caught up with Ye Qingfeng, walked up behind him, hesitated for a moment, and whispered, "Immortal Master, I..."

"It's good that you're awake." Ye Qingfeng didn't turn around.

Lu Yang opened his mouth as if to say something, but then closed it again.

He followed behind with his head down, feeling neither fortunate nor ashamed.

He thought to himself, "I will never boast again."

I'll never say it again.

The alley was long, with high walls on both sides, the tops of which were overgrown with weeds.

The lanterns were sparse, with only one lantern every long distance. Their dim light shone on the ground like puddles of water.

But this alley is different from the one before.

There were always eyes peeking from behind those doors, and always rustling sounds.

there's no more.

The doors were still closed, but behind the cracks was darkness; there was no light, and no eyes.

All the eeriness lurking in the shadows vanished; not even a breath could be heard. The entire alley was as quiet as a tomb.

Lu Yang walked for a while, then suddenly sensed something was wrong. He quickened his pace, walked to Ye Qingfeng's side, and whispered, "Immortal Master, why are there no ghosts left?"

Ye Qingfeng remained silent.

Lu Yang thought for a moment and said, "Did you scare them all away?"

Miao Gui chimed in, "Isn't it better to scare them away? You still want to fight?"

Lü Yang shook his head and did not answer.

He didn't want to fight; he just felt it was too quiet, abnormally quiet.

Like the calm before a storm, the quieter it is, the more uneasy one feels.

They walked for a while longer.

The alley ended, turned a corner, and suddenly the lights ahead came on.

Red, yellow, and green colors painted half the sky with warm hues.

Lü Yang squinted and looked ahead.

He saw an inn.

A brightly lit and magnificent building.

Blue bricks and gray tiles, flying eaves and upturned corners, carved window frames, and vermilion-lacquered pillars.

The plaque above the door, with its four golden characters "Huaiyin Inn," gleamed in the light, like four eyes.

Two rows of large red lanterns hung in front of the door, stretching from the eaves to the ground like two red waterfalls.

Two rows of "people" stood under the lantern.

These were not the blurry, heel-less ghosts from before, but waiters dressed in uniform, with neatly combed hair and smiling faces.

There were men and women, young and old, but their faces were clear, their features distinct, and they were even more beautiful than living people.

They stood on either side of the red carpet, their backs ramrod straight, hands clasped in front of them, eyes lowered, as if waiting for someone.

The red carpet stretched from the inn's entrance all the way to the alleyway.

It's not made of paper, it's not an illusion, it's a real red carpet, made of velvet, thick and soft to the touch.

Every few steps along both sides of the red carpet was a bronze incense burner, filled with burning incense. The smoke was not pungent, but rather a very elegant sandalwood scent that calmed the mind.

A person was standing at the entrance of the inn.

She wore a greyish-white robe, and her half-white hair was neatly combed and tied up with a wooden hairpin.

Her face was thin, with high cheekbones and deep-set eyes, but her eyes were very bright, as bright as two stars.

He stood at the end of the red carpet, slightly bent over, with his hands clasped in front of his chest.

Lu Yang was stunned when he saw this scene.

He stopped, rubbed his eyes, thinking he was seeing things.

It's not a mistake, it's real.

Red carpet, lanterns, incense burner, two rows of waiters, and an old man at the door—this is not an inn in the Ghost Market, but the kind of reception hall used by high-ranking officials and nobles in the capital to entertain their VIPs.

His mind went blank for a moment, a flurry of thoughts flashing through his head.