Can't a girl be a traitor like Cao Cao?

Chi Junlin pondered for a moment, then took a few more steps forward.

Then you can see a trail of footsteps and white paper money left behind.

Clearly, a funeral procession came from the direction of the southern capital, and after reaching this point, it left the official road and headed towards the country lanes.

However, the carriage did not turn at this point.

Judging from the situation here, it looks like the two groups have met. Yuan Zhaoji and her party stopped and waited for a while to make way for each other.

After the funeral procession left, Wan Zhaoji's carriage and horses mysteriously disappeared from the world.

Chi Junlin suddenly thought of something and frowned.

Then he squatted down and measured the footprints on the ground in front of him with his hands.

Wenren Tianxia noticed a change in her expression and seemed to have discovered something.

So he asked, "Is there something wrong?"

Chi Junlin explained, "In the funeral customs of the Southern Kingdom, the coffin is carried by manpower the entire way, without the use of carriages or horses."

This funeral procession came from the south and went down a country road; the deceased were probably villagers from the area around the south.

But look, the footprints left on the official road earlier and the footprints left after descending to the village road here don't match in depth.

What does this mean? "

Upon hearing this, Wenren Tianxia immediately stepped forward to observe.

Guo Cangran also noticed that the soil on both sides of the road was about the same hardness, but the footprints in front were shallow and the footprints behind were deep.

Wenren Tianxia immediately exclaimed in surprise, "The weight of what they are carrying has changed!"

Chi Junlin nodded and looked in the direction the footprints had left.

Wenren Tianxia immediately said, "So you suspect that it was this funeral procession that kidnapped Miss Zhaoji and the others?"

However, after saying that, Wenren Tianxia looked puzzled and said, "But wait, where is the carriage?"

Even if they kidnapped people, there were no carriage tracks left on the ground.

Where did the carriage go?

Chi Junlin then added, "That's what I find strange too. But there's another possibility."

As Chi Junlin spoke, he pointed to the two tracks left by the wheels and continued, "It's also possible that after the group kidnapped Yuan Zhaoji and her party, they turned the carriage around and followed the tracks left behind to go back."

In this way, after going back and forth once, only one track is left behind.

Wenren Tianxia also showed a thoughtful expression, and then asked, "So which one is a smokescreen, and which one is the correct answer?"

The two exchanged a glance, each understanding their own meaning from the other's eyes.

Clearly, the two had the same idea.

So Chi Junlin said, "I'll follow the funeral procession over here, and you go and follow the tracks left by the carriages."

Wenren Tianxia nodded, then continued, "If I find anything, I will inform the others."

After saying this, the two parted ways and each hurried off in the direction they had indicated.

After entering the country lane from the fork in the road, Chi Junlin followed the footprints left on the ground and hurried along.

The funeral procession moved at a slow pace, leaving behind a trail of paper money on the ground, making the traces quite obvious.

Chi Junlin thought to himself, even if Yuan Zhaoji disappeared at night, the scouts still saw the funeral procession in the morning.

Therefore, they must not have gone far after leaving the official road.

Sure enough, after traveling for a short while, they saw a solitary building in the wilderness ahead.

Upon approaching, one would see only a somber "mortuary" standing there.

Chi Junlin sneered, feeling that this group was being deliberately mysterious.

Because if a local villager dies and needs to be buried, he will leave home on the same day and be buried at noon.

What kind of logic is it to store a coffin in a mortuary?

The bodies that would be kept in the mortuary must have been those who died far from home and had nowhere to be buried.

Therefore, it is unusual for a local funeral procession to enter the local mortuary.

It's just that most people think such places are unlucky and wouldn't go there willingly, so it seems relatively safe.

Chi Junlin was clearly not afraid of this place, and walked straight into the mortuary without any hesitation.

However, after entering, Chi Junlin became cautious.

Based on the footprints left behind, there should be quite a few people who have come into this place.

Strangely, after entering the courtyard, all that could be seen was a spacious morgue filled with a large number of coffins.

There wasn't a single person inside.

Chi Junlin frowned slightly, wondering if he had made a mistake.

Could it be that the group that kidnapped Yuan Zhaoji did not put her in a coffin and take her away?

Could it be that the path Wenren Tianxia pursued is the right one?

While he was thinking about these things, he didn't expect that Chi Junlin was quietly pondering.

A strange "bang bang" sound came from the empty morgue.

It sounded like someone inside the coffin was gently knocking on the coffin lid.

Chapter 224 Spirit Writing and Invoking the Gods

Hearing this strange knocking sound in the morgue of the mortuary is hard not to feel uneasy.

Especially considering that there were rows of coffins all around.

Even someone as bold as Chi Junlin couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine at this moment.

She initially doubted that she had misheard, so she focused her attention and walked to the area where she had just heard the sound.

Then, a short while later, two faint "thump-thump" sounds were heard.

It was also accompanied by a kind of "click-click-click" friction sound.

It sounded like grinding teeth, or like fingers scratching on a wooden board.

Chi Junlin narrowed his eyes, but he didn't seem too afraid.

He simply raised one hand and covered his mouth and nose with his sleeve.

He then channeled his inner energy, pushed the coffin lid open, and created a crack in the coffin that had been making the sound.

Then, Chi Junlin turned slightly to look into the coffin.

But the coffin contained neither a skeleton nor a zombie.

Instead, it was a woman whose hands, feet, and mouth were all bound.

When Chi Junlin pushed open the coffin lid, he met her gaze.

They immediately discovered that the person inside the coffin was none other than Yuan Zhaoji!

Chi Junlin was startled, while Yuan Zhaoji in the coffin immediately made a "woo-woo" sound.

Chi Junlin immediately untied the white cloth from her mouth and the ropes binding her.

With a sob in her voice, Yuan Zhaoji cried out, "Chi Junlin!"

Then she threw herself into Chi Junlin's arms.

Chi Junlin had many questions for her, such as why she was in the coffin, who captured her, and where the other servants who came with her had gone.

But this is clearly not the time to talk about these things.

Yuan Zhaoji, however, seemed very anxious.

After getting out of the coffin, he immediately grabbed Chi Junlin's hand and said nervously, "Let's get out of here first, they might be back soon!"

Chi Junlin nodded, and then he led Yuan Zhaoji away from the mortuary.

He then hid in the bushes not far away.

The two had barely taken cover when they saw a group of people walking quickly towards them from a distance.

They were dressed in hemp clothing and had white cloth wrapped around their heads. They looked like "coffin bearers."

However, Chi Junlin observed that the group of people had steady steps and strong physiques, clearly indicating that they were people who had practiced martial arts for many years.

The leader was a burly man with a full beard and eyes as wide as copper bells.

Because those enormous eyes were so impressive, Chi Junlin felt as if they were door gods pasted on the door for the New Year, so he immediately focused his attention on them.

Yuan Zhaoji immediately whispered in Chi Junlin's ear, "These are all people from the Demonic Sect. The burly man in the lead is named Tu Baxian. I heard them say that this man is the tenth strongest on the Hundred Ghosts List! His martial arts are extremely high."

Upon hearing Yuan Zhaoji's words, Chi Junlin nodded.

This so-called "List of a Hundred Ghosts" is the ranking of all the powerful figures in the Xiangxi Demonic Sect who are known by name, arranged by themselves.

Those who made it onto the list were all wicked and evil-doers.

For example, the three great demons of western Hunan—Zizaitian, Bian Renyao, and Guiwuji—are the top three most terrifying demons on the list of a hundred demons.

The fact that "Eight Earth Immortals" can rank in the top ten of the Hundred Ghosts List naturally shows that his strength should not be underestimated.

However, at this moment, Chi Junlin and Yuan Zhaoji were hiding in the bushes and were not discovered by Tu Baxian and his subordinates.

The group came out of the mortuary not long after entering it.

It seems that Yuan Zhaoji was not found to have been taken away by Chi Junlin.

Because when they left, they carefully closed the coffin again.

After the group gathered, they seemed to be discussing something.

Then the Eight Immortals suddenly sat down cross-legged.

His subordinates, however, inexplicably turned to face him, began to squeal and shriek, and started twirling and spinning around him as if possessed by ghosts.

The scene before my eyes was extremely bizarre and grotesque.

In front of the eerie mortuary.

A group of people wearing white headscarves started performing a shamanistic dance in front of a person who was chanting incantations.

Even though Chi Junlin was a man of considerable experience, he still felt a chill run down his spine at the sight.

Yuan Zhaoji frowned, and asked somewhat blankly, "What are they doing?"

Chi Junlin also felt a bit confused, so he replied, "Are you performing a shamanistic ritual?"

The two remained silent, crouching in the bushes and watching the group's movements.

Chi Junlin was somewhat puzzled by the strange behavior of these members of the Demonic Sect. He pondered whether he should temporarily retreat from here and return to gather scout cavalry to deal with these evil members of the Demonic Sect.

Thinking of this, Chi Junlin asked Yuan Zhaoji in a low voice, "Where are the guards who came with you?"

Upon hearing this, Yuan Zhaoji replied in a low voice, "Like me, they also captured us and tied us into coffins."

Are they dead or alive now?

"They're all alive. These members of the demonic sect seem only interested in capturing us, without harming our lives."

Chi Junlin nodded, then asked the most important question, "Why do these people want to capture you?"

Upon hearing this, Wan Zhaoji also showed a puzzled expression, and continued, "This is also something I find puzzling. We have no grudge against each other, they don't even know my identity, but they just inexplicably arrested us..."

I guess it's because I saw something I shouldn't have seen, right there in that post station..."

Yuan Zhaoji looked hesitant, clearly indicating that Chi Junlin's guess was correct; there was indeed a problem with the post station.

However, before Yuan Zhaoji could finish speaking, the group from the Demonic Sect underwent another change.

Suddenly, the Eight Immortals of the Earth raised their hands and began to chant in a mystical manner.

As the sun sets and darkness falls, every household bolts their doors.

A traveler heads to an inn; birds fly to the mountains; tigers return to the mountains.

The Eight Immortals arrive, the Eight Immortals arrive, stepping on octagonal purple-gold bricks.

"Please invite the Eight Immortals! Three passes, three barriers!"