the evil without missing a single instance; I assess merits and demerits, punishing villains and commending virtuous individuals impartially. I guard the dark mountains and rivers of the north, obser...An expert said the old tree root, is a ghost among trees, a locust tree.

Sometimes I really don't understand the wisdom of our ancestors. The locust tree has both good omens and bad symbolism.

Generally, the locust tree symbolizes lofty reputation and high official position. It is often seen near ancestral halls and small temples. However, in Feng Shui, the locust tree belongs to trees that are not suitable for planting in front of or behind a house.

We walk cautiously within our circle, especially when we see elm trees, particularly old and venerable ones. We feel a sense of reverence towards them.

There are many folk tales that say it's forbidden to cut down a locust tree because if you chop down the “wood,” you are left with only “ghost.” There is also the saying that the locust tree is a tree that attracts ghosts and is on the "path of the underworld," so it is not suitable to plant in front of or behind a house, as it will lead to lonely souls and wild ghosts entering homes.

There are too many such claims, and my knowledge is limited, so I cannot investigate the origins of each legend one by one. However, cultivators revere all living beings deeply. Plants have one spirit, animals have two, and humans have three. They would never intentionally harm them.

And the root of this ancient tree as indicated by Mr. Zheng, has already been chopped down to its stump, leaving only a few tenacious roots stubbornly growing and barely emerging from the ground.

"This tree is so big..." My brother walked around it, and a gust of wind blew by, making our scalp tingle.

Bai Wuchang floated to my brother's side with a mischievous smile and said, "Dreams take flight in the Underworld, heading towards the country of Huai'an. We are here to pay homage to the true magistrate of Nanke. If you wake up, it will be like waves of wind crashing against your pillow! Dear Brother, under the willow tree there are high officials, beautiful women, luxurious clothing, and great wealth!"

My brother rubbed his arms and mumbled, “Seven Lords, don't joke around. I don't have high officials, but I already have beauties and rich clothes and honor. I wouldn't want to go to the Ant Kingdom to be a governor.”

They were telling a story, a story from the Tang Dynasty. There was a man who slept under a locust tree and dreamed he became the magistrate of Huai'an Country. When he woke up, he found a huge ant nest under the locust tree.

The story of Huai'an Country has been passed down through the ages. Bai Wuchang said it was a record by a scholar in the Qing Dynasty, a joke about my older brother.

My brother shone a small flashlight on the base and whispered, "Seventh Master, the aura here is too cold and murderous, even ants have moved out."

Bai Wu Chang smiled and said: "The Dharma is under the tree. According to reason, you should circle it three times to the left and right, then knock on the door. I'll leave it to you, elder brother."

My brother immediately pinched the five emperors coins, chanted according to Bai WuChang's instructions, and circled the tree roots three times left and right. Then he tapped the tree stump a few times.

“……”I held my breath, waiting for the door to open, but after a long while, there was not even a hint of change around me.

My brother's expression was off, under the moonlight his gaze suddenly looked into the distance, becoming somewhat dazed.

He took a few steps forward, frowning and muttering to himself, "So it was over there..."

Uh Did my brother see that

Jiang Qiyun suddenly grabbed my wrist and walked forward a few steps, lifting my hand and placing it on the stump.

As my fingers touched the rough texture of the tree stump, a shiver ran down my spine. It felt like an ice arrow shot from my fingertips, piercing my veins and exploding in my chest!

I suddenly reached up and grabbed the collar of my shirt, a white sea of flowers flashing through my mind.

This is a dreamlike vision. Could it be related to the Demon Lord's magical arts

"... This is a gate set for mortals, we can't touch it, only you can open it. Don't be afraid." Jiang Qiyun held my hand in his palm, his fingers gently kneading it.

I nodded slightly, and Jiang Qiyun, using my nod as a signal, pushed open the door. We both looked at the scene "behind the door".

In the crevice of the mountain valley, a faint gray-white staircase could be seen. It wound its way up the mountainside, looking from afar like a white bone centipede hidden in the withered and rugged mountains.

My brother's eyes were a bit glazed over. I raised my hand and waved it in front of his face, ready to poke him between the eyebrows.

He waved my hand away and glared at me, "Xia Qiao, what are you doing"

"You don't seem to be quite yourself..."

"I always felt like that road was wrong... How could the path up the mountain be so straight It's usually winding." My brother frowned.

Sweat, I only saw one way and didn't observe it so carefully at all.

"When we left, we didn't feel the road at all, our minds were only filled with the impression of the funeral home." Zheng Zhexia's voice trembled: "I remember a gray place, just an empty and desolate old morgue..."

"That old morgue... is that the one" My brother pointed towards the gray, mountainous structure.

My brother has what kind of pilot vision, I can't even see that far away, he can actually faintly make out the outline.

“Come on, the door's open. Let's go take a look at that corpse that even the Demon Lord had to come for. I wonder what kind of extraordinary person it was.” My brother tightened his backpack strap and led the way down the gray stairs.

》》》

Our current "watching the excitement" lineup is quite formidable, and we're not afraid of ordinary demons, ghosts, goblins, or any other supernatural creatures.

Logically, setting up such a magical array in the mortal world should be to prevent people from accidentally falling into it. It's likely that the caster didn't consider how to prevent deities from the underworld.

Jiang Qiyun and Bai Wuchang strolled leisurely here, the oppressive gloom surrounding them was commonplace to them.

We were so chilled by the eerie atmosphere that we trembled. My brother pulled out two foldable raincoats, about the size of water cups, from his backpack and tossed one to me and one to Chen Ruo.

Chen Ru took the windbreaker, a little stunned, and whispered, "Can I wear it"

"Put it on, why wouldn't you wear it What am I going to do with it" My brother said nonchalantly.

Chen hesitated and looked at Professor Zheng. After all, he was her teacher. She politely passed it over.

The expert reached out and took it, before even opening it my brother slapped him nearly causing him to fall.

"You have the nerve to wear that!" My brother glared at Zheng Expert, shoving the windbreaker back into Chen Ru's hands. He said sternly to Chen Ru, "Put it on yourself! Don't hold us back! This old guy is tough and has a knack for surviving. What do we care about him!"

I whispered to Chen Ru: “Put it on yourself, don't worry about him. This Zheng expert is half a person in the industry...He's stuck with bad vibes but he's still alive and kicking, you don't need to care about him.”

Chen Ru swallowed nervously, looking at me with a hint of caution. "You... what do you mean by 'inside circle' You look like a student just like me..."

Ugh, I'm still like a student I've at least been around in the circle for a few years, shouldn't I have some street smarts by now

I couldn't help but chuckle and shook my head, saying, "Don't get so worked up. We're all caught in this mess together. The so-called circle refers to people who have something to do with yin and yang."

"Yin and yang You all have beliefs, don't you" she asked more delicately.

I know what she's thinking, and I smiled as I replied: "That's right, we are all Taoist practitioners, also known as 'masters' in common parlance."

"Huh So, the man who was talking to me in the cave just now, was he also a mage"

"White Immortal I turned my head to look at the Seventh King, he narrowed his eyes with a wicked smile and sneered at me twice, making me shiver...

"He… uh… he’s also an algorithm engineer, I guess…" I said vaguely, quickly changing the subject. "Come on, let's go. It's midnight now, when the yin energy is at its strongest. Let's go to the funeral home."'t help but frown and ask, "Dead"Archie's face was a bit pale: "Yeah."He raised his hand and drew a circle on his waist, swallowing hard. "According to the police, from this part of my waist, it was.....