Chapter 144: Yin-Gathering Formation Array

I looked at Old Man Ma in bewilderment. He said, "The Yin energy in here is so dense, there must be some kind of formation used to gather Yin! Luozi, look around carefully. Who knows what else might be lurking in here!"

With that, Old Man Ma prepared to move.

Just as I was about to call Tu'e to join us, I noticed he remained completely motionless, staring straight up at the ceiling.

I followed his gaze upward. In the dim light of our mobile phones, I saw sharp wooden stakes driven upside down into the ceiling, with strange runes faintly carved upon them!

I hadn't noticed them before; there were so many wooden stakes up there! They didn't look ordinary at all. Could these be what was gathering the Yin energy?

Tu'e said, "Those doors, the clay vats, and the accumulated water must all be part of the formation. This entire lower level exists solely to set up this formation, which is why those snakes won't come down here."

Old Man Ma looked at Tu'e with a strange expression. His initial surprise had transformed into suspicion, even carrying a hint of hostility.

Tu'e revealed far too much knowledge. Even Old Man Ma hadn't figured it out at first glance, yet Tu'e immediately recognized that this was a crafted artifact and proceeded to outline the entire formation. Although we knew Tu'e was deeply knowledgeable about such things, judging by Old Man Ma's reaction, Tu'e knew things he had no business knowing.

"Heh, Old Ma, what on earth is this fellow? It seems to me he knows quite a lot!" Old Man Guo said with a sarcastic tone.

Tu'e hadn't realized what was going on and looked back at Old Man Ma with a puzzled expression.

Regardless, now was not the time to question Tu'e. Dealing with the three-headed snake took precedence, and any issues could be settled after we got out.

Just as I was about to gesture to Old Man Ma and try to calm him down, that old troublemaker Old Man Guo chimed in again, refusing to let the matter rest: "Back in the woods, he attacked my disciple effortlessly and without a trace. That technique looked suspiciously like a forbidden spell!"

I didn't understand what a "forbidden spell" meant, but Old Man Guo's tone and expression clearly implied an ulterior motive. The old bastard was deliberately trying to sow discord and make us turn on each other. I found him increasingly repulsive; he was just like his disciple. But since his disciple was dead now, and the deceased deserved respect, I bit my tongue.

"I tested it; it's not a forbidden spell," Old Man Ma said in a deep voice, refusing to dwell on the matter and steering the conversation elsewhere. "Since there is a formation, there must be a focal point."

Old Man Ma was shrewd; he truly understood the bigger picture. Suspicion was suspicion, but with a single sentence, he dismissed Old Man Guo. Besides, he hadn't been on guard against Tu'e for just a day or two; there was no need to make things unpleasant right now.

Old Man Ma looked at Tu'e, and I understood the meaning in his eyes, thinking to myself that this old man was far more pragmatic than I had imagined.

I turned to Tu'e and asked, "Do you know where the focal point of the formation is?"

He shook his head honestly and directly: "I don't know."

Hm. Completely in character.

Old Man Guo sneered. In his eyes, Tu'e's act of pretense was probably too "obvious," as he was unaware that Tu'e was somewhat simple-minded.

I had been hesitating whether to say anything, but hearing that sneer made up my mind to keep quiet.

"The focal point must be somewhere around here. Let's search the surroundings. Luozi, your leg isn't nimble, so the two of you search together," Old Man Ma said, then turned to the village chief and Yang Guangyu. "You two stay close to me! If anything happens, I won't be able to save you!"

The village chief and Yang Baoshu immediately hurried behind Old Man Ma. Yang Guangyu hesitated for a moment before hovering near Old Man Guo.

It was just Tu'e and me, unburdened and free. We borrowed another mobile phone from one of the followers to use as a flashlight.

Old Man Ma walked toward the doorways. Old Man Guo cast a peculiar glance at Tu'e and me before heading in a different direction. Despite his anger and suspicions, the old fox wasn't simple either; he knew what to do and when to do it.

Tu'e and I headed toward another section.

Old Man Ma had deliberately told me to stick with Tu'e. I could tell his suspicion was tied to that character "Gen," probably suspecting some connection between Tu'e and it.

As for the focal point of the formation, this kid might not be completely clueless. Just like when he summoned ghosts back at the university, his mind was a bit slow, so he wouldn't volunteer information, but if pressed with detailed questions and subtle guidance, he might actually know.

However, since Old Man Ma was currently suspicious of him—not to mention that old pest Old Man Guo—it was best for me to speak as little as possible right now. After all, my impression of Tu'e wasn't bad. Although his background was a mystery and he refused to talk about himself, it was true that his mind wasn't entirely normal, and the bewildered expressions he usually wore couldn't possibly be an act.

Old Man Ma and Old Man Guo had each entered separate small doorways. When we reached the threshold of our assigned door, looking into the pitch-black opening, a natural sense of repulsion welled up inside us, as if some danger lurked within.

The light from the mobile phones was very limited; even though our eyes had grown accustomed to the darkness, we still couldn't see clearly.

Just as I was about to step inside, Tu'e suddenly said, "It's not inside."

I looked at him in confusion. Old Man Ma and the others were already out of earshot, so I asked quietly, "Do you know where it is?"

"I don't know," he replied honestly.

"Then how do you know it's not inside?" I asked.

He thought for a moment, searching for the right words: "I don't know, but it feels like it's not in there."

As I suspected, this guy wasn't entirely ignorant of the focal point's location; he simply didn't know how to articulate it.

"Then let's walk around. Wherever you feel it might be, that's where we'll go," I said.

He wore a blank, clueless expression, as if trying to prove he truly knew nothing at all.

We walked from one doorway to the next, getting farther and farther away from the three-headed snake. Looking back, the green glow on the heads of the snake monster moved through the darkness, just like it did every night. But because the snake heads were swaying, the green light flickered much more violently, looking quite different from what we saw at night.

"Cough, cough, cough... cough..." The raspy "coughing" sound of the three-headed snake echoed.

Everything about this resembled what happened every night, yet there were subtle differences. Moreover, this creature was thoroughly imprisoned; there was absolute no way it could come out. Was it really this thing that appeared in the woods every night?

And where on earth had that woman gone?

After walking a long way, we had practically retreated to the area near the clay vats, putting a great distance between us and Old Man Ma's group.

"Here." Tu'e stopped in front of a certain doorway.

I inspected the door. To be honest, I couldn't see anything unusual about it. Its position and size were utterly mundane, and there was no particularly swirling Yin energy. How on earth had he concluded that this was the spot?

Although I didn't want to doubt him, I couldn't help but find it strange now. This guy kept insisting he didn't know anything, yet he could locate the place purely on "feel." While I believed he genuinely "didn't understand," this "feeling" certainly didn't appear out of thin air.