Chapter 32: Ghost in the Wood

The afternoon sunlight poured into the courtyard, warm and comfortable.

Su Yi sat in a bamboo chair, tying a bundle of fresh green willow branches.

The courtyard had been thoroughly cleaned and was spacious and tidy.

Hu Quan had attentively added bedding, toiletries, and also repaired the vegetable garden and pergola.

Wu Guangbin and the other three physicians had returned to the Apricot Yellow Medical Hall to see patients.

On the contrary, Su Yi, the shopkeeper, found himself with some free time.

"Su Ge, what are you going to do with this rooster?" Huang Qianjun, not far away, was playing with a recently purchased rooster out of boredom.

This bird was extremely fierce, with sharp claws and a beak, swift in its movements, and its crowing resounded loudly.

Accompanied by more than ten servants, Huang Qianjun practically turned the city upside down before finding such a proud and mighty rooster.

"Kill it and collect its blood," Su Yi casually ordered.

After today's events, he suddenly realized that having someone to do odd jobs around him was not a bad idea and could save a great deal of time and effort.

"Alright."

Huang Qianjun took out a short knife from his waist and began to work.

Before long, he brought a bowl of fresh red chicken blood to Su Yi's side.

"That's enough. You can go home now; I don't need you anymore," Su Yi said, picking up the tied bundle of willow branches and gradually dipping the tips into the bowl of chicken blood. The combination of the green leaves and crimson blood stood out prominently.

Huang Qianjun hesitated and said, "Su Ge, in my opinion, all those who served Wen Changqing at the Apricot Yellow Medical Hall have been driven away by you. If Wen Changqing finds out, he definitely won't let it go. Should I have my father warn Wen Changqing?"

Su Yi glanced at him and said, "If you're concerned, then go and find out who in Guangling City is the most skilled in forging weapons."

Huang Qianjun's spirits lifted, "Su Ge, that's an easy task. My Huang family monopolizes the weapon forging business in the city. We have more than thirty master blacksmiths! Just tell me what kind of weapon you want to forge, and I guarantee that the best blacksmith will serve you!"

Su Yi finally realized that in Guangling City, the Wen family monopolized the herbal medicine business, the Li family controlled the grain and food, and the Huang family dominated the weapon forging business.

"I intend to forge a sword," Su Yi said.

Huang Qianjun immediately smiled, "Forge a sword? Then you should go and find Wang Tianyang. His art of sword forging is considered a unique skill in Guangling City. Many people from out of town come here just to seek a fine sword from him."

Su Yi nodded, "Come here tomorrow morning and take me to meet him."

Huang Qianjun readily agreed, "Su Ge, is there anything else?"

In his service to Su Yi, Huang Qianjun was incredibly enthusiastic.

"Go home quickly," Su Yi waved his hand.

"Su Ge, then I'll come again tomorrow," Huang Qianjun said before taking his leave.

He was tactful enough to know that sticking too close to Su Yi would only annoy him. It was similar to when he used to visit brothels, the most annoying thing was the attendants his father sent with him...

After soaking the tied willow branches in the rooster's blood, Su Yi picked up a knife and began chopping on a three-foot section of green peachwood.

As the small wood chips fell, a peachwood sword quickly took shape.

Afterward, Su Yi stood up from the bamboo chair and held the peachwood sword in front of him, examining it before nodding in satisfaction.

"Just wait for tonight."

Su Yi casually waved the peachwood sword and glanced at the green willow branches soaking in the rooster's blood.

His gaze then shifted to an old pagoda tree not far away in the courtyard.

The pagoda tree was known as the ghost in the wood!

This tree belonged to the yin element and was the most prone to attracting evil spirits and malevolent entities.

The problem with this courtyard was that it had a water well dug on the side of the pagoda tree. The underground yin energy surged, turning this courtyard into an "ominous dwelling" in the eyes of ordinary people.

"It's clear that this well has been sealed off. It seems someone had already noticed something wrong with this water well," Su Yi pondered.

...

The Wen family.

Wen Changqing's residence.

"Father, I just received news that that bastard Su Yi, on his first day taking over the Apricot Yellow Medical Hall, kicked out all of our people. Isn't he humiliating our family?" Wen Jieyuan said angrily.

He was Wen Changqing's son, just nineteen years old, with fiery blood and cultivation at the peak of the Blood Shifting Realm. In half a year, he would go to the Qinghe Sword Sect for further training.

"I didn't expect that useless waste to be so ruthless," Wen Changqing furrowed his brows and said. "Where is he now?"

Wen Jieyuan replied, "It's said that he settled in the ominous dwelling behind the Apricot Yellow Medical Hall."

"Hmm?" Wen Changqing's eyes flashed with a strange light, and the furrowed brows relaxed as he said, "If that's the case, there's no need for us to take action. That waste probably won't survive tonight!"

"Why?" Wen Jieyuan was puzzled.

Wen Changqing recalled, "Nine years ago, a terrible incident occurred in that ominous dwelling. One physician and two medicine apprentices who lived there all died mysteriously overnight."

"The incident caused a sensation in the city and seriously affected the business of our Apricot Yellow Medical Hall."

"I spent a lot of money to hire a well-known itinerant Taoist named Wu Ruqiu."

"When Wu Ruqiu entered the ominous dwelling, he said that a ferocious evil spirit was attached to the water well beside the old pagoda tree."

"According to Wu Ruqiu, unless someone with the cultivation of a grandmaster appears, no one can subdue that evil spirit!"

Hearing this, Wen Jieyuan was horrified and asked, "What happened later?"

Wen Jieyuan suddenly understood, "So you mean if Su Yi stays in that haunted house tonight, he is bound to die?"

Wen Changqing smiled, "Exactly. Throughout this year, I couldn't understand why the Dowager insisted on marrying Lingzhao to Su Yi. But regardless, if Su Yi dies tonight, it would be a good thing for our Wen family."

Wen Jieyuan nodded repeatedly, "You're right. Now that Cousin Lingzhao is about to become a 'Master Disciple,' such status is not something that useless Su Yi can match. Once he dies, it will also be a good thing for Cousin Lingzhao."

Wen Changqing's expression suddenly turned serious, "This matter must not be leaked to anyone else. If others find out that we knew about the problem with that haunted house and didn't warn Su Yi, it may bring us trouble."

Wen Jieyuan answered with a smile, "I understand. Let him bring about his own demise. Did he really think Xinghuang Medical Hall is so easily obtained? Speaking of which, it should be his mother-in-law, Qin Jing, who caused his downfall."

Wen Changqing scolded, "Don't be insolent. She is your aunt, Lingzhao's mother. Remember to show some respect in the future!"

Wen Jieyuan nodded indifferently.

Night gradually descended.

After a busy day, Xinghuang Medical Hall had closed its doors.

In the courtyard, Su Yi sat alone in his room, practicing breath cultivation. Qi and blood circulated throughout his body as he continuously kneaded and refined his tendons and fascia.

This was the third stage of tendon refinement in the Blood Moving Realm, known as the "Tendon Refinement" breathing technique.

Tendon refinement involved tempering the tendons and fascia with qi and blood, making them as resilient as bowstrings and as soft as cotton, thereby rendering the body as agile as a wildcat.

It allowed one to move like an arrow, fall like the wind, and act like a wildcat, capable of performing actions that ordinary people find difficult.

The core of all these abilities lay in "Tendon Refinement."

After the refinement of the tendons and fascia, one's physical strength would also increase significantly.

In the cultivation of the Blood Moving Realm, it was widely recognized that "cultivating the skin and flesh is easy, but refining the tendons and bones is difficult." When one began refining the tendons, it meant reaching the later stage of the Blood Moving Realm.

After a while, Su Yi rose from his meditation, drank a cup of prepared ginseng tea, and felt the warm and boiling power spread throughout his body. He couldn't help but feel a bit excited about tonight's mission.

Since his reincarnation, he had never truly engaged in a meaningful fight.

Who would have thought that his first opponent might be a ghostly creature?

Next, Su Yi picked up the bundle of willow branches soaked in rooster blood and the peachwood sword. He walked out of the room, grabbed a bamboo chair, and casually sat on the stone steps.

After soaking in rooster blood for several hours, the green leaves and branches of the willow had faintly taken on a bloody color. Gripping it in his hand, it resembled a soft whip.

The peachwood sword leaned against the side of the bamboo chair.

"If it were any other Blood Moving Realm cultivator facing an ordinary ghostly creature, they probably wouldn't be a match. However, in my past life, I fought against the Ghost Emperor of Ximing. He willingly admitted defeat and generously gave me a copy of the 'Shifang Shura Sutra,' which is said to be the supreme scripture in the eyes of ghost cultivators..."

Sitting there, Su Yi's thoughts raced.

The night breeze rustled, and the sky grew increasingly dim.

It was approaching the early hours of the morning, and the lights in the streets of Guangling City had gradually gone out, leaving the darkness to engulf the land.

The entire city seemed to have settled down from its bustling state, entering a state of slumber, with only occasional distant barking of dogs.

Tonight, the sky was heavy with dark clouds, obscuring the starlight.

In the courtyard where Su Yi was, only a flickering candle illuminated the room, casting a dim and gloomy light through the window paper.

He held the willow branch, sitting quietly in the darkness of the night, calm and composed, without any haste or restlessness.

Only a faint glimmer of anticipation filled his eyes.

Suddenly, the branches of the old locust tree in the courtyard swayed, and the leaves rustled, creating a whispering sound in the night, as if it were a murmuring conversation that came and went.

On one side of the ancient well, the rusty chains binding the well cover writhed like awakening snakes, rubbing against each other and emitting a screeching sound, making one's teeth ache.

The air suddenly grew cold, penetrating to the marrow, like a frigid winter stream invading.

Swoosh~

A gust of wind blew, causing a shower of locust tree leaves to fall to the ground. They were swiftly lifted by a gust of chilly wind, dancing in the inky darkness, resembling countless shadows.

Su Yi's green robe fluttered in the wind.

His pupils narrowed slightly.

When a gust of chilly wind, carrying fallen leaves, blew, he finally moved.

Raising his right arm, he flicked his wrist.

The bundle of soft willow branches, shimmering with a faint blood-red glow, suddenly straightened and lashed out into the void.

Crack!

A thunderous crack resonated in the night.