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

The butler's facial muscles twitched slightly as he looked at the verdant willow branch, then at Ye Qingfeng's young and calm face, and muttered to himself.

This young Taoist priest... he's quite amiable, but this is too much... the old immortal gave him a genuine talisman.

You casually pluck a willow branch, make a couple of gestures, and call it "processing"?

This way of repaying a debt of gratitude is far too "easy."

But he was, after all, the steward of the Lin family, and his self-restraint was superb. He didn't show anything on his face, but the indifference in his eyes was hard to hide.

Lin Suwei also felt doubtful, and even a little disappointed.

She had thought that this young Taoist priest, who had always been quite calm and seemed to have good eyesight, might have some extraordinary qualities, and at least shouldn't be so... frivolous.

But her upbringing prevented her from embarrassing others in public, especially when the other party was acting out of kindness to "repay a debt of gratitude."

She stepped forward and took the tender willow branch with both hands. It was slightly cool to the touch and carried the fresh scent of plants, quite different from the slight warmth of the talisman.

She maintained a gentle and polite smile, and bowed slightly: "Thank you for your generous gift, Daoist Master. You are too kind."

The tone was sincere, but the true extent of that "generous gift" was something neither of them tacitly agreed upon.

She hesitated for a moment, then raised her clear eyes to look at Ye Qingfeng and asked.

"Master, the road ahead is fraught with danger and unpredictability. Won't you... leave with us?"

She genuinely felt that it was too dangerous for this young Taoist priest to remain in this place.

Ye Qingfeng shook his head, looking towards the Wild Boar Forest, his tone calm yet firm.

"Thank you for your kindness, Miss Lin. I am also curious about what is happening ahead, so I will not trouble you any further."

Upon hearing this, the old Taoist priest couldn't help but interject, his tone carrying a hint of seniority admonishing a junior, as well as a touch of helplessness, as if saying, "Why don't you listen to advice, kid?"

"Young friend, I speak frankly, so please don't take offense. You've seen that grove ahead; it's definitely not a safe place."

Although I, an old Taoist priest, have some skills, it's uncertain whether I can even protect myself if I delve into such matters, let alone safeguard others.

"You're so young, why take this risk? Heed this old man's advice and leave with the Lin family's caravan; that would be the wise thing to do."

In his eyes, Ye Qingfeng, though courageous and discerning, had no cultivation to rely on, and going to the Wild Boar Forest was tantamount to suicide.

Ye Qingfeng turned to look at the old Taoist priest, his smile still calm.

"I appreciate your kindness, fellow Daoist. However, everyone has their own destiny and their own path. Though the road ahead is treacherous, it is not necessarily a dead end. If we cannot defeat you..."

He paused, his smile deepening slightly, and said half-jokingly, "You can always try running. I can't speak for other things, but my speed is pretty good."

The old Taoist priest was taken aback by these words, looking at Ye Qingfeng's seemingly unyielding yet slightly joking expression.

He shook his head and said no more. He had said what needed to be said; he had chosen his own path.

He traveled the world and saw too many young people lose their lives for various reasons when they ventured into dangerous places.

You can't reason with a damned devil; just let him be.

Seeing that the two Taoist priests had differing opinions and Ye Qingfeng was determined to leave, Lin Suwei could not persuade him any further and could only thank him and say goodbye again.

The Lin family quickly finished packing, turned the carriage around, and set off in the dim light of the remaining daylight and the torches held by the guards.

We hurried along the mountain road we had come from, and soon disappeared into the darkness around the bend, leaving only the distant sound of wheels and fading voices.

Silence returned around the campfire, leaving only Ye Qingfeng and the old Taoist priest, the mess on the ground, and the lingering stench of burning in the air.

The old Taoist priest walked to his nearly extinguished campfire, added a few more pieces of firewood, and poked at it to make the fire burn brighter again.

He glanced at Ye Qingfeng, who was still standing there, gazing in the direction the Lin family had left, sighed, and pointed to the opposite side of the campfire.

"Sit down, young friend. Since you insist on going, this old Daoist cannot stop you."

However, it's the middle of the night, the forest is deep and dark, and evil spirits are more likely to appear. Going in now is not a wise move.

Why don't we rest here, recharge our energy, and set off again at dawn? What do you say?

Ye Qingfeng withdrew his gaze, nodded to the old Taoist priest, and readily sat back down in his original spot.

"What you say is very true, brother. We should wait until dawn. I know little about the Wild Boar Forest, so I may take this opportunity to ask you for some guidance."

His attitude was sincere, as if he were truly just a junior seeking information and guidance from senior colleagues.

The old Taoist priest glanced at him, picked up his wine gourd, took a sip, and the firelight illuminated his deeply wrinkled face.

He didn't take Ye Qingfeng's claim of being "quick-footed" seriously, thinking it was just young people being stubborn.

However, since we're already in the same boat, there are some things I really need to say upfront.

"I wouldn't call it asking for advice. I just arrived a little earlier than you and took a few more glances."

The old Taoist's voice was exceptionally clear in the quiet night, "However, young friend, there are some unpleasant things to say beforehand."

Once you're in the woods, if you encounter real danger, I, the old Taoist priest, may not be able to watch over you all the time. You must be careful...

If things are hopeless, run away; don't be reckless. This is a blunt statement, but it is the most realistic advice.

Upon hearing this, Ye Qingfeng was not annoyed at all; instead, he nodded solemnly.

"Rest assured, fellow Daoist, I understand. I will absolutely not be a burden to you."

His tone was calm, making it impossible to tell whether he genuinely agreed or meant something else.

......

The Lin family's convoy, as anxious as startled birds, sped along the mountain road they had come from.

The carriage was jolting violently, but no one complained; they only wished it could go faster.

The guards gripped their sword hilts tightly, scanning the dark woods on both sides of the road with vigilance, as if a terrifying monster might lurk in every shadow.

Inside the carriage, Lin Suwei tightly gripped the slightly warm talisman in her arms, her fingertips icy cold.

The terrifying scene in front of the camp and the crimson flames that burned away all evil still lingered in my mind.

Her maid, Xiaohe, casually placed the verdant willow branch aside.

The night was dark and the mountain road was rugged.

Away from the campfire, the darkness seemed to take on a tangible weight, pressing heavily on everyone's hearts.

The sounds of wheels, hooves, and rapid breathing were exceptionally clear and unsettling in the silent mountain forest.

"Miss, we're almost at the fork in the road. The road will be easier after we get past there."

The butler's voice, deliberately lowered, came from outside the car, attempting to soothe the situation.

Lin Suwei gave a soft "hmm" and was about to speak when a sudden change occurred!

"Ho—!"

"Crunch... crunch..."

A chillingly familiar sound suddenly emanated from the dense woods beside the road ahead!

Immediately afterwards, seven or eight stiff, unsteady figures emerged from behind the trees and blocked the middle of the narrow mountain road!

Their eyes gleamed with an eerie green or grayish-white light, and their rotting clothes hung on their bluish-black, shriveled bodies—these were the terrifying zombies!

Moreover, two of them moved rather quickly and still had dark red spots that had not completely faded.