This celestial master cultivates both physical and magical arts; why did you provoke him?

At 3 p.m., the two entered Jiangzhou city.

Following the address given by his master, Xia En found an old-fashioned hotel called "Qingheju".

The three-story building, with its blue bricks and gray tiles, is hidden in a small alley, with two old lanterns hanging at the entrance.

"You'll stay here?"

Fang Zijian looked around and said, "It has a distinctly vintage feel."

Xia En ignored him and pushed the door open to go inside.

An elderly woman, wearing reading glasses, was sitting behind the counter reading a newspaper. Seeing someone enter, she looked up and asked, "Looking for a room?"

"Yes." Xia En handed over his ID card. "One room."

The old lady took the ID card, looked at it, and then looked at Fang Zijian behind him: "Two people sharing a room?"

He doesn't live here.

"I'll stay here!" Fang Zijian quickly said. "I'll book a room too!"

The old lady looked at him, then at Xia En, with a strange expression in her eyes.

Xia En was too lazy to explain. He paid the money, took the key, and went upstairs.

Fang Zijian also paid the money and followed along eagerly.

His room was next to Shane's.

After putting his luggage away, he knocked on Xia En's door: "Where are you going tonight? I'll go with you."

"Need not."

Why?

"It's not safe."

Fang Zijian laughed: "Isn't it you I'm here for? What could be unsafe?"

Xia En looked at him and remained silent for two seconds: "I mean, it's not safe for me for you to come with me."

Fang Zijian: "..."

What does this mean?

"Alright, go back to your room and don't come out tonight." Xia En said, then closed the door.

Fang Zijian stood at the door, stunned for a long time, before finally returning to his room dejectedly.

10 PM, Old Town of Jiangzhou City.

Xia En walked alone on the empty street.

This area is indeed very old, with old buildings from the 1970s and 80s on both sides, the walls covered with vines, and the streetlights are dim, with only one lit every long distance.

He walked slowly down the street, observing his surroundings as he went.

Master said that all the missing people disappeared in this area, and all of them did so at night.

If there's anything strange going on, it should be coming out soon.

After walking for about fifteen minutes, we suddenly heard footsteps ahead.

Xia En stopped and looked toward the source of the sound.

At the alley entrance, a man in a black trench coat was walking briskly towards them.

The man was in his thirties, with a square face, thick eyebrows, and sharp eyes; he looked like a trained martial artist.

He walked up to Xia En and stopped. "Xia En?"

"it's me."

"My name is Chen Guodong." The man flashed an ID card. "Jiangzhou Municipal Public Security Bureau Criminal Investigation Team."

Xia En glanced at the ID and nodded.

Chen Guodong put away his identification and looked him up and down: "You're from the Celestial Master's Mansion?"

"right."

"Just you?"

"Just me."

Chen Guodong frowned, seemingly a little disappointed, but said nothing: "Come with me."

The two walked through several alleys and finally stopped in front of an old building.

This is a six-story residential building with mottled exterior walls and dimly lit stairwells.

Police tape was put up in front of the building, and several young men in police uniforms stood guard at the entrance.

Chen Guodong lifted the cordon and led Xia En inside.

The hallway was even darker, with only a motion-activated light that flickered on and off. The two climbed to the third floor and stopped in front of a door.

"This is it." Chen Guodong pushed open the door.

The lights were on inside, and several technicians were taking photos and collecting evidence.

Xia En walked in and looked around.

It's an ordinary two-bedroom apartment with old furniture and a 1990s-style decor.

An old-fashioned color TV sits in the living room, and a half-finished glass of water sits on the coffee table.

"The missing person is an elderly man living alone, surnamed Zhou, 72 years old."

Chen Guodong, who was standing nearby, said, "He went missing three nights ago. The next day, the neighbors found the door open and called the police."

Xia En walked to the bedroom door and glanced inside.

The bed was neatly made, and the blankets were folded up nicely, showing no signs of struggle.

"There were no signs of a struggle at the scene," Chen Guodong said. "The doors and windows were intact, with no signs of forced entry. Surveillance footage shows that the elderly man entered the building at 9 p.m. and never came out again."

"Never come out?"

"Yes. The security camera at the stairwell captured it clearly; he went in and never came out. But the next morning, he was gone."

Xia En didn't say anything, but walked to the window and looked outside.

Outside the window are the rooftops of the old town, densely packed together, and in the distance, you can see a few newly built high-rise buildings.

Does this building have a back entrance?

"Yes, but there are also security cameras at the back door, and they didn't capture anyone leaving either."

Xia En turned around: "How many is this?"

"The fifth one."

Chen Guodong said, "The first four, including men and women, young and old, all went missing in this area. They all disappeared at night, and all in these old buildings. The surveillance cameras didn't capture anything unusual; it's as if they vanished into thin air."

He paused, then lowered his voice: "The bureau is suppressing the news, afraid to report it out, but it's already spreading among the lower levels. Some say this area is haunted, some say there are monsters, causing widespread panic. If we can't find out soon, things could get out of hand."

Xia En nodded without saying anything.

He walked around the house and finally stopped in the corner of the living room.

There was a yellow talisman pasted there, faded and white, with the cinnabar characters on it blurred and indistinct.

"What is this?" Chen Guodong asked as he walked over.

"People used to put these up," Xia En said. "To keep you safe."

He crouched down and examined the talisman closely.

It's really just a very ordinary amulet, with no magical power; it's just for psychological comfort.

But the placement of the talisman was very strange.

It wasn't facing the door directly, but rather against the corner of the wall, facing the window.

"Does anyone in this building know anything about this?"

Chen Guodong thought for a moment: "Old Zhou himself seems to believe in this. The neighbors said he used to go to the temple to burn incense often, and he even has a Buddha statue at home."

Xia En stood up and looked out the window again.

The night was dark, and nothing could be seen.

But he could sense that there was something nearby.

A faint, almost imperceptible yin energy was drifting in from a certain direction.

"I'll go home first tonight," Shane said. "I'll check again tomorrow during the day."

Chen Guodong nodded: "I'll take you."

"No need, I can walk by myself."

Xia En left the building and walked back the way he came.

He walked two blocks and then suddenly stopped.

Behind him, a dark shadow flashed by.

Xia En didn't turn around and continued walking forward.

The dark figure followed again, peering around at the alley entrance.

Xia En suddenly quickened his pace and turned into a small alley.

The shadowy figure quickly gave chase.

Just as he turned the corner, a hand suddenly reached out from the side, grabbed his neck, and slammed him against the wall.

"Ouch!"

Fang Zijian struggled desperately, but found that the hand was like an iron clamp, not moving an inch.

Xia En's face came close, almost touching his: "Why are you following me?"

"I...I just wanted to see..."

"I said it's not safe."

"I...I didn't go in! I just watched from the outside!"

Xia En stared at him for a few seconds, then let go.

Fang Zijian slid to the ground, rubbing his neck and panting heavily: "You...you used too much force..."

"If you stay with me, my grip will be even stronger." After saying that, Xia En turned and left.

Fang Zijian got up, rubbing his neck. He hesitated for two seconds, then followed.

This time, however, they were smarter and kept a 20-meter distance, not daring to get any closer.

Xia En ignored him and walked back on her own.

As I approached the entrance of Qingheju and was about to go in, I suddenly stopped.

Deep in the alley, a white shadow flashed by.

Xia En squinted.

The white figure moved very fast, disappearing into the darkness almost instantly.

But he still saw it.

It is the silhouette of a woman, dressed in white, with long, flowing hair.

"What's wrong?" Fang Zijian caught up and asked.

"It's nothing." Xia En pushed open the door and went in. "Go back to sleep, and don't come out tonight."

Fang Zijian stood at the door, looked into the depths of the alley, then at Xia En's back, and suddenly shivered.

He shrank back and quickly followed him inside.

At two o'clock in the morning, Xia En opened his eyes.

Something is moving outside the window.

He lay motionless on the bed, only turning his head to look out the window.

Moonlight streamed through the gaps in the curtains, casting a soft glow on the floor.

In that light, a white shadow was pressed against the windowpane, moving slowly.

Xia En sat up.

The white figure paused for a moment, then swiftly glided away and disappeared into the corner of the window.

Xia En walked to the window and drew back the curtains.

Outside the window is the backyard of Qingheju, empty and devoid of anything.

But a faint, eerie atmosphere permeated the air, even stronger than the one I had smelled in the old town at night.

Xia En opened the window and glanced outside.

There is a well in the backyard, against the wall.

An old-fashioned bluestone well ring, with a wooden board covering the well opening.

That yin energy came from the well.

Xia En stared at the well for a few seconds, then suddenly smiled.

"interesting."

He closed the window, went back to bed, and closed his eyes.

Outside, the moonlight shone quietly.

The well sat silently in the corner of the backyard, the wooden planks at its opening remaining perfectly still.

But deep within the well, something is slowly awakening.