C69 Art of Unmarking

I received a rather unexpected phone call from Ms. Xiaofeng. What a coincidence that was!

As we spoke, she briefed me on the grim state of the village. The villagers, she explained, were increasingly despondent and disheartened, with the situation growing more dire by the day. Some of the frail elderly and women were now dangerously close to death.

Truth be told, I had anticipated something like this. The Evil Taoist might have left the village, but his sinister spell remained intact, continuing to claim the lives of the villagers at a slow, relentless pace.

What I hadn't foreseen was the rapid decline of the villagers' ability to endure. It led me to wonder if the Evil Taoist, severely wounded, was now desperately harvesting their lives to heal himself.

It was clear from Ms. Xiaofeng's tone that she was hoping for my assistance, yet I hesitated. My resentment towards the village had long eclipsed any fond memories I once held.

But then I considered that the main perpetrators were dead. Perhaps it was time for me to release my grudge. After all, most had only committed wrongdoings under the oppressive influence of Sunn Youde.

Still, one concern lingered: the fear of being labeled a murderer and held responsible for the deaths of Sunn Youde and Ms. Xiaofeng's father.

I voiced these fears to Ms. Xiaofeng, who informed me that following Sunn Youde's demise, the Sunn family had liquidated their assets and abandoned the village. The villagers, deeming the Sunn estate cursed, had torched it. Sunn Youde himself met an ignoble end, unclaimed and reportedly struck down by divine retribution.

Learning of the Sunn family's downfall brought me a sense of satisfaction, and I agreed to help Ms. Xiaofeng lift the evil curse plaguing the villagers.

I shared the news with Deaf Zhang, who agreed to join me on the journey.

By the time Deaf Zhang and I reached the village, night had fallen. As we crossed into the village boundary, an inexplicable chill ran down my spine.

I glanced around nervously, uncertain if the recent bizarre events were to blame, but I couldn't shake the feeling that a pair of icy eyes was watching me.

Each time this feeling overcame me, my mind would involuntarily drift to the Evil Taoist. He had truly become a haunting presence in my life, lurking in the shadows, ready to appear at any moment.

Given the gravity of human life, I couldn't afford to rest that night. Ms. Xiaofeng and I sought out the village chief and informed him of the Evil Taoist's clandestine sorcery.

The village chief was an understanding man, well-acquainted with Sunn Youde's secretive dealings. He likely knew something of the Evil Taoist's origins and understood the seriousness and terror of the situation. He promptly agreed to my request and used the loudspeaker to summon the villagers.

Yet, even after the village chief and I had laid out the facts, not everyone was convinced. Some harbored deep-seated biases against me, viewing me as a harbinger of misfortune.

"Village Chief, don't let this kid deceive you. Our village was peaceful before he showed up—how could such troubles arise?"

"Exactly, it's all because of this jinx. We need to drive him out quickly!"

"I suspect there's no evil technique at all. Maybe it's just Zhao Changsheng concocting a story to harm us. Don't fall for it!"

Their voices overlapped in a cacophony of distrust and disdain. Even without Sunn Youde's agitation, they remained skeptical and resentful towards me.

Truthfully, faced with their scornful expressions, I felt no desire to help them. Most were the same people who had ostracized my father and me, treating us with contempt.

With that in mind, I retorted furiously, "If you don't care about your own lives, that's your choice, but don't drag the innocent down with you! Everyone has seen Sunn Youde's true colors. This Taoist Priest didn't just assist him in using a ghost for longevity; he's been secretly hexing all of us under the guise of conducting Taoist rituals!"

"Indeed, my mother has been at death's door these past few days. If this continues, she... she won't last much longer... Sigh, I trust Half Immortal Zhao, and I trust Changsheng," Uncle Niu interjected. He was the most sincere man in our village and had always been on good terms with my family.

As he spoke, a growing number of people started to believe him. The evidence was right there before their eyes, and many realized that if they didn't counteract the evil spell promptly, they might not survive another day.

Watching the crowd buzz with indecision, I grew increasingly anxious and raised my voice, addressing everyone, "Those who trust in my abilities, Changsheng, stay. Those who don't, leave! Let's not waste any more time!"

Once I had finished, the Village Chief chimed in with support. However, it was clear to me that his primary concern was his own survival.

Before long, those who harbored doubts about me, despite their robust appearance, had departed, leaving only a third of the original group.

I sighed deeply, realizing that the majority still viewed me as a harbinger of doom.

Subsequently, I collected blood samples from all those who remained, ensuring they were carefully preserved. Then, I visited the homes of the bedridden, unable to leave their beds.

But as I was in the midst of collecting their blood, I stumbled upon something utterly bizarre!