C42 Steal into the Old House

It might have been divine intervention, or maybe the Evil Taoist's luck was finally running out, but as fate would have it, a thunderstorm erupted on the very night we decided to act.

The storm provided the perfect cover for us to infiltrate the Sunn family's ancient mansion undetected, and the blinding rain would help conceal the Ghost Messengers crafted from Yin Messenger Paperman, making it hard for the Evil Taoist to discern reality from deception.

Deaf Zhang came prepared for the confrontation, strapping three wine jugs to himself, each imprisoning a ferocious ghost. The ghost-rearing methods of the Pond Collecting Man bore a resemblance to those of Mao Mountain, but with a notable distinction: Mao Mountain revered the Ghost Spirit, whereas the Pond Collecting Man engaged with the ghosts in a more symbiotic partnership.

In stark contrast to Deaf Zhang's readiness, I felt quite inadequate. Despite having delved into the sixth book of the Heaven Connecting Secret Technique in recent days, such powerful spells were not to be mastered overnight. At that moment, aside from my ability to manipulate the Yin Messenger Paperman to frighten people, I was essentially no different from any other person.

Upon reaching the woods near the Sunn family's old mansion, I prepared four Yin Messenger Paperman, ready to deploy them to deter the Evil Taoist when the time was right.

Then, Deaf Zhang and I stealthily ascended a tree, keeping a watchful eye on the comings and goings within the mansion. To my surprise, the courtyard teemed with patrolling figures, seemingly on alert for our arrival.

These individuals were Sunn Youde's kin and henchmen, and I noticed they were armed with hunting rifles and axes—unusual, as they typically slept in their own homes at night. What had brought them all together on this particular evening?

Had the Evil Taoist anticipated my use of the Desire Technique? Or had they been extra vigilant since the Corpse Devil aided my escape from the Sunn household?

Regardless, their preparedness put us at a severe disadvantage. Our initial plan to slip into the Evil Taoist's quarters under the veil of nightfall and strike seemed now to be out of the question.

"Mr. Ergou, what's our next move?" I whispered. But when I glanced at Deaf Zhang, he showed no sign of response.

I let out a sigh and repeated my earlier words into his ear. Without hesitation, Deaf Zhang blurted out, "With just this handful of people, the three Ghost Spirits I've brought can easily take care of them. Changsheng, you can relax!"

"Mr. Ergou, keep it down, will you? We don't want them to discover us!" I whispered urgently into his ear.

Deaf Zhang let out a goofy smile just as a bolt of lightning tore through the sky, followed by a thunderous roar. I grimaced. What I should really be concerned about was his booming voice; if it weren't for the storm, we'd likely have been exposed already.

I scrutinized the situation at the Sunn family's estate with a critical eye. I didn't agree with Deaf Zhang's approach; I preferred not to reveal our presence prematurely, especially since the shotguns they wielded posed a significant threat to us.

After some observation, I noticed that the area around the latrine was virtually unguarded. Deaf Zhang and I could scale the wall there and infiltrate the Sunn family's grounds undetected.

Deaf Zhang concurred with my plan. We stealthily descended from the tree and dashed to the base of the courtyard wall. But just as we were about to scale the wall, the wine jug on Deaf Zhang's back began to quiver incessantly.

"What's happening?" Deaf Zhang exclaimed. I quickly gestured for silence, signaling him to lower his voice.

Scanning the vicinity of the wall, I spotted a yellow Talisman buried beneath a stone, unearthed by the rain.

I retrieved the Talisman and realized what was happening. Speaking softly into Deaf Zhang's ear, I said, "Mr. Ergou, the Evil Taoist must have laid a Magic Array around the perimeter of the mansion to keep Ghost Spirits from entering."

"Is that so? Then let's dismantle this Magic Array!" Deaf Zhang declared.

I nodded in agreement, and together we covertly neutralized the Magic Array surrounding the estate. I silently rejoiced that the downpour had washed the buried Talismans to the surface; otherwise, Deaf Zhang's Ghost Spirits wouldn't have stood a chance of penetrating the old mansion.

Once the Magic Array was disabled, we effortlessly scaled the wall and leaped inside, concealing ourselves in a blind spot unnoticed by the others.

As I watched the people milling about, I was formulating a plan of action when, suddenly, someone knocked on the gate of the Sunn family's courtyard.

A person clad in a raincoat entered, cradling a little boy in his arms. The boy didn't seem to belong to our village, yet I recognized the middle-aged man holding him, and I despised him deeply.

He was Ms. Xiaofeng's father, the man who threw his own daughter into a living hell and trafficked his son as if he were cattle. The tragedy that befell my father and me also stemmed from his actions.

This monster walked into Sunn Youde's house with the boy. I suspected the child was likely kidnapped from another village and was being sold to Sunn Youde on the sly, after which he'd probably go off to gamble.

My fists were clenched in anger, but just then, Deaf Zhang at my side cautioned me, "Changsheng! Don't act rashly. We can't let them spot us!"

Deaf Zhang's voice boomed, resonating like a great bell, drowning out even the thunderclaps above. It wasn't just me; the patrolling guards heard him loud and clear.

They rushed over and quickly found us lurking in the shadows. Upon seeing me and Deaf Zhang, they froze in shock.

My expression mirrored theirs as I turned to Deaf Zhang, barely able to contain my mix of emotions, and yelled, "Mr. Ergou, it's time to follow your plan. Release the Ghost Spirit!"