The Little Fox's Immortal Cultivation Encyclopedia

Chapter 130 Guan Village, Coffin Village

The crowing of roosters came from afar, and the people in the ghost market seemed to be awakened by the sound, quickly packing up their belongings and leaving. They moved with astonishing speed, and the ghost market, which had been vaguely visible just moments before, vanished in the blink of an eye.

The antique craftsman sighed and stepped forward to lead the way.

"May I ask what brings you to Guancun, brother?" Halfway there, the antique craftsman struck up a conversation with the fox.

The fox casually replied, "I've heard that Guancun has unique scenery, and I'd like to go and see it."

The antique craftsman looked at him strangely: "Brother, your hobby is quite unique."

As the two were talking, they arrived at the city gate. The fox looked at Hu Nianshuang, who had a delicate appearance, and then at the antique craftsman carrying a heavy bundle. After a moment's thought, he said, "Let's hire a donkey cart. It'll be faster on foot."

The antique craftsman was taken aback: "No, no, that won't do."

The fox ignored him and went straight to a car, asking, "Can you go to Guan Village?"

Upon hearing this, the coachman waved his hand and said, "Young master, you must be joking. That village is very haunted; no amount of money would get us there."

The fox pulled out a handful of copper coins: "I'll pay double."

The coachman stared at the copper coins for a moment, then finally took them and put them in his pocket, muttering, "Let me be clear from the start, I can only take you halfway. The road ends there, and my carriage can't go any further."

The three got into the carriage. Although the road was rough, the carriage drove quite steadily. The fox chose the safest spot, looked at the gradually overgrown fields beside the road, and said, "Your village is really remote. How did you end up passing by there?"

The antique craftsman looked puzzled: "I don't know either. I was in a hurry and didn't pay attention. I don't know how I ended up there."

""

The fox saw the driver's hand tremble.

Without showing any emotion, it continued, "Are there any customs or traditions in the village?"

The antique craftsman shook his head: "I'm locked in my room every day, I've hardly ever seen anyone in the village, how would I know?"

The fox heard the donkey whip crack empty.

"Didn't you ever think about running away before?"

"How could I not run away? But I always got lost in the village and ended up being caught and brought back."

The cart lurched violently, and the driver, without turning his head, cursed, "This lousy road."

"you----"

"Brother—" Hu Nianshuang spoke up at the right moment, stopping the fox from frightening the poor coachman any further.

The fox smacked its lips and stopped its mischief.

The driver felt a little relieved, but the silence all around only made him feel more uneasy. He could feel a pair of eyes pressed tightly against his back, but he didn't dare to turn around. He just listened intently.

There was nothing there, only the sound of four wheels rolling over the ground.

Wait, four wheels? His donkey cart only has two wheels!

The driver shuddered and was about to abandon the cart and flee when he suddenly felt a warm touch on his chest. His fear vanished, and he was no longer afraid of anything.

He glanced back and saw the three sitting upright. He listened carefully and the noise had disappeared.

"Maybe I'm just scaring myself." He let out a long sigh and stopped thinking about it.

"Brother!" Hu Nianshuang appeased the coachman with the Taoist practice of following the customs, and glared fiercely at the fox.

The fox looked completely innocent and pointed to the Seven Fragrances Carriage following behind: "The fish was too heavy, making it impossible for the carriage to float."

Red Fish: ?

Just as it was about to open its mouth, the Seven Fragrances Carriage suddenly lurched, tossing the fish tank inside the carriage about an inch into the air, spilling water all over the ground.

"It's lighter now."

The fox controlled the Seven Fragrances Carriage to fly away, making no sound.

It thoughtfully used its hidden energy to mask the rumbling sound that seemed to come from nowhere, so as not to frighten the driver.

The carriage traveled for a while longer when the driver suddenly pulled on the reins and said, "Young master, we've come this far. Just keep going along this road and you'll see Guan Village."

"Thank you." The fox watched the coachman flee as if he were running away, then turned to look around. There was no village or shop in sight, only a winding dirt road stretching forward.

"Come with me."

After walking for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Guancun was right in front of us.

There was no village entrance, no memorial archway; several mourning tents were erected on the edge of the village, with mourning banners fluttering in the air and curtains hanging on the ground, covered in dust.

The houses in the village were all crooked and dilapidated, and they didn't follow the rule of facing south. Instead, they all faced the center of the village, and each house had a thatched hut in front of its door.

The fox blinked, suddenly understanding the old craftsman's feelings.

A little further on, the sounds of children's laughter could be heard. Looking around, several children were chasing and playing under the mourning tent. The white cloth was bumped around by them, but they didn't flinch, showing no fear on their faces.

"The mountains to the east are so high, while the mountains to the west are only halfway up."

They were beaming with joy, playing happily, and reciting some kind of nursery rhyme.

"Carrying the old man all over the mountain, until the sun sets~"

"We're taking a break at sunset, setting up a shed to stay here."

"I've settled down, I'm not leaving—"

They suddenly stopped playing around and all looked at the approaching group.

Hu Nianshuang felt goosebumps rise all over her body. She crossed her arms and shrank behind the fox.

The fox did not look at the children, but instead turned its gaze to the side.

A thin figure stood under the locust tree nearby, staring intently at them.

The antique craftsman shrank back: "Master—"

The figure stood still, watching the crowd approach before coldly speaking, "You're back so soon."

The fox looked up and saw a short old man with a stern face; only his lips moved when he spoke.

"Master, I—"

The old man ignored him, stepped forward, glanced at his bundle, and his face grew even colder: "How much of what you took out, how much did you bring back exactly the same?"

"I've prepared everything for you, but you haven't opened for business. I've spent years teaching you the craft, but you haven't learned a thing, and you can't even keep your customers."

"Master, I've received a business deal—" The antique craftsman, after being scolded harshly, finally managed to catch his breath and hurriedly tried to explain.

"These are the guests." He turned to the side, revealing the people behind him.

The fox stared at the old man with great interest, and the old man, not to be outdone, met his gaze back, remaining silent for a long time.

The fox watched for a while, then noticed the antique forger's constant winks out of the corner of his eye. He smiled, bowed, and said, "Greetings, sir. What he said is true; I hired him to forge this."

"Why did you choose Ah-Sheng?" The old man asked, but his tone remained calm.

"Naturally, it's because his skills are the best."

Upon hearing this, the old man nodded slightly and glanced at Ah Sheng: "Not bad, you do have some skill."

Before he finished speaking, he turned and left. Ah Sheng hurriedly followed, calling out to the others, "Hurry up and follow, or you'll get lost."

""

Just as Ah Sheng had said, the village roads were full of forks and twists and turns. As they walked, the fox's sleeve suddenly sank, and Hu Nianshuang grabbed it again.

"Brother, look there."

"7

The fox looked in that direction and discovered that there was a graveyard in the middle of the village, placed there openly.

It then realized that the houses in the village were not facing the center, but rather this cemetery.