295: In the desolate wilderness, what riddle is being played in the gourd?

Seeing this, Ye Bai quickly comforted them, "Relax, relax."

The two women clutched their chests and breathed a long sigh of relief.

Then, Ye Bai continued, "It's very likely that some kind of demons or monsters exist in this village."

Meng Ziyi asked in confusion, "How is that possible? There are no ghosts here, so where would they come from?"

Yang Mi also said, "Yeah, this village is very clean; there isn't a hint of ghost energy at all."

Ye Bai sighed and said, "I don't agree with your assessment." He paused before adding, "Think about it carefully. The environment in this mountain range is harsher than anywhere else. Aside from this desolate wilderness, have you seen any other places?"

Yang Mi and Meng Ziyi exchanged a glance. This was the first time they had heard such a perspective, so they carefully recalled the surrounding scenery. Surprisingly, they really hadn't seen any other buildings or anything else.

Ye Bai said, "While the environment in this village is desolate, it shouldn't be to the point where it feels like a world devoid of everything—there aren't even any sounds of insects or birds, are there?"

Yang Mi and Meng Ziyi finally realized the abnormality of the situation. They thought back carefully, and their expressions suddenly changed. "It... it really seems to be the case. This village is truly empty. We've seen on the internet before that in some big cities, entire streets can be deathly silent."

Ye Bai said, "This long-abandoned village might really be haunted."

Yang Mi asked with a trembling voice, "What should we do?"

Ye Bai gave a faint smile and said, "We'll deal with whatever comes our way. What's there to fear? Our main task right now is to figure out exactly what treasures are hidden in this mausoleum."

Meng Ziyi weakly suggested, "Brother Ye, I'm a little sleepy. Let's rest early."

Ye Bai nodded, "Alright, get some rest early."

He took out two pills and handed them to Yang Mi and Meng Ziyi, saying, "Take this Detoxification Pill first."

This Detoxification Pill was a medicine Ye Bai had formulated based on the Ancient Book. Its effects were excellent, capable of neutralizing all toxins. Furthermore, it could dispel evil and ward off impurities, making one immune to all diseases; it was truly a miraculous medicine.

Yang Mi took the pill and swallowed it.

"Brother Ye, what kind of medicine is in this?"

Ye Bai smiled slightly but did not answer.

Yang Mi and Meng Ziyi looked at each other and stopped asking. After all, everyone has their own secrets. Even as good friends, one shouldn't pry into another's privacy.

Ye Bai glanced at his watch. It was 3:30 AM, about three hours until dawn. He said, "Go sleep in the house first, and remember to lock the doors and windows. If I'm not mistaken, there might be some unusual activity in the village tonight."

"Mm!" The two women nodded gently and then walked into the wooden house.

Once inside, they locked the door. Then, they lay on opposite sides of the bed. Afraid that various eerie things might happen, they leaned against each other for warmth.

Ye Bai sat cross-legged and closed his eyes to cultivate.

The night grew increasingly tranquil. Aside from the occasional sound of insects, almost no other noise could be heard. Even the sound of the wind had vanished, as if the entire forest had gone silent, falling into a deep slumber.

Suddenly, a shrill cat's meow echoed through the village.

"Ah—!"

Yang Mi and Meng Ziyi screamed simultaneously, startling Ye Bai awake.

"Don't be afraid, it's just the sound of an ordinary cat. Don't worry," Ye Bai said.

The two women calmed down slightly, but then they heard all sorts of bizarre noises coming from the village. There were the squeaks of rats, the cawing of crows in flight, the angry low growls of wild beasts, and even the crying of children. It sounded like the music of hell.

Ye Bai frowned and said, "These things must have been drawn here by that pack of venomous snakes."

At that moment, Yang Mi suddenly grabbed Ye Bai's arm excitedly and said in a trembling voice, "Brother Ye, I feel it! I feel a cold chill, like something is staring at me!"

Meng Ziyi also nodded and said, "I feel it too! It's like something is hiding in the shadows, staring at us without blinking!"

"This is a village where ghosts and monsters run rampant, so it's inevitable that some lonely souls and wild ghosts are wandering nearby. However, we're all carrying weapons; as long as we're cautious, nothing will happen," Ye Bai comforted them.

Yang Mi said, "But what if these lonely souls and wild ghosts rush out? I can't beat them."

Ye Bai snorted softly, "What are you afraid of? At worst, we'll just kill them. Since there are no people in this world anyway, there's no use in keeping them around."

Yang Mi hurriedly waved her hands and said, "No, I can't bear to hurt them."

Meng Ziyi agreed, "Yeah, this place is already eerie enough. I don't want to create any more unnecessary slaughter."

Ye Bai rolled his eyes and said, "Then what do you want to do? Are you just going to let them haunt us?"

Meng Ziyi and Yang Mi looked at each other, then gritted their teeth and said, "Brother Ye, no matter what, we must find the secret hidden in this village tonight. Otherwise, I'm afraid we won't be able to move an inch tomorrow."

"Sigh..." Ye Bai took a deep breath and said, "Since you're both so insistent, I'll join you in this bit of madness."

"Thank you, Brother Ye," Yang Mi and Meng Ziyi smiled gratefully.

Subsequently, the three of them began searching the village.

The village was extremely dilapidated and desolate, the ground covered in a thick layer of dust.

Walking was very difficult for Yang Mi and Meng Ziyi. Especially for Meng Ziyi; every step she took on the ground felt soft, as if she were stepping on cotton.

The village was too desolate. There wasn't a single intact building; everything had collapsed into ruins, fragmented and hair-raising. Occasionally, they would see withered plants, some of which were emitting black smoke as if they were dead.

"Look, over there!" Meng Ziyi pointed to the south and shouted.

Yang Mi looked up in the direction she was pointing but saw nothing. She asked, "Ziyi, what did you see?"

"I didn't see it anymore." Meng Ziyi shook her head, and then she suddenly felt a wave of weakness wash over her body.

"Ziyi, what's wrong?" Yang Mi asked with concern.

"I'm so tired. I feel like I have no strength, and I'm so sleepy!" Meng Ziyi said, her face pale. As soon as she finished speaking, she fainted.

"Oh no, Ziyi fainted!" Yang Mi cried out in alarm and quickly reached out to pinch Meng Ziyi's philtrum.

But it had no effect; Meng Ziyi still didn't wake up.

Ye Bai immediately went to Meng Ziyi's side. After checking her, he said, "Ziyi has been invaded by Yin Qi. She needs immediate treatment! Wait here, I'll go find some herbs."

Soon, Ye Bai gathered a pile of dried grass from a slope outside the village. Upon returning, he began performing acupuncture on Meng Ziyi.

During the acupuncture process, Ye Bai discovered that the meridians in Meng Ziyi's body were severely congested, some even becoming necrotic. Not daring to delay, he circulated the technique of the Nine Profound Divine Needles, piercing the acupoints to help clear her meridians.