The Chase Begins

　　"Holy crap, i-is that Bai?!"

　　Liu felt his heart clench at the sight of the head in the jar.

　　He never imagined that Bai's head would appear in the glass jar before his eyes!

　　The shock was indescribable.

　　After all, Bai was a veteran who had passed through numerous blood gates and possessed many life-saving ghost artifacts. 

　　If even she couldn't handle the Shaman, what were they supposed to do?

　　The two of them carefully examined the head in the jar. 

　　As much as they didn't want to believe it, they had to admit the truth—the head in the jar did indeed belong to Bai.

　　Her charming face was now paler, and her usually languid peach blossom eyes were filled with emptiness.

　　Ning examined the bottom of the jar.

　　The break at Bai's neck was perfectly clean, suggesting it was severed by something extremely sharp. 

　　But there was a large patch of black around the wound; he couldn't tell what it was.

　　Normally, a person whose head was severed would have no chance of survival. However, somehow, the Shaman had managed to keep Bai alive!

　　Carrying the jar, Ning closed the door to the treatment room.

　　Instantly, the entire house plunged back into darkness.

　　The chattering sounds that had filled the air gradually disappeared.

　　Ning carried the jar out of the empty room and spoke to Bai's head inside, "Bai, can you hear me? What's your situation right now?"

　　Silence hung in the air for about three seconds before the head in the jar spoke, "What time is it?"

　　Ning told Bai the time.

　　He had to admit, this woman was truly extraordinary. 

　　She was more than just a beautiful face. 

　　Even in her current predicament, Bai remained composed.

　　"Good... it's not too late."

　　Bai's weak voice sounded relieved.

　　"Listen, we don't have much time. You must remember everything I'm about to say!"

　　Ning nodded.

　　"Go ahead, Bai."

　　Bai paused again, as if speaking took considerable effort.

　　"There's something wrong with the Shaman's body. It seems like she's been using some kind of dark magic to suppress the ghosts in the village for a long time, and now it's backfiring..."

　　"Under her bed in her bedroom, there's a mechanism. If you twist it, a hidden compartment will open. Inside, you'll find a very important book that contains the truth about what happened in this village... and how to safely reach the mountain temple!"

　　"You need to take that book... and whatever you do, don't confront the Shaman directly. You're no match for her!"

　　As soon as Bai finished speaking, Ning asked, "Is there any way to save you?"

　　Bai's face remained expressionless; in her current state, she couldn't really make any expressions.

　　"If you can find my body and bring it here before sunset today, I can live."

　　"My body... it's at the mountain temple."

　　Ning simply said, "Okay!"

　　He was about to put the jar containing Bai's head back in its original place when he heard her voice again.

　　"Oh, right... there are many corpses in the mountain temple. It might be hard to find mine just by looking."

　　Ning was taken aback for a moment before he heard Bai whisper, "I have a dagger-shaped birthmark on my left buttock, it's quite obvious..."

　　Seeing a hint of shyness in Bai's voice, Ning couldn't help but feel amused.

　　However, they both knew that in the face of life and death, such things seemed trivial.

　　After returning Bai's head to its original position and ensuring they left no trace of their presence, they carefully backed out of the room.

　　"Lock it up, Big Beard!"

　　Liu nodded, not only relocking the door but also restoring the lock to its original position.

　　"Ning, what did Bai tell you?"

　　Ning hesitated for a moment before shaking his head.

　　It wouldn't be appropriate to tell others about the birthmark on her buttock. 

　　After all, Bai was still a woman.

　　"Let's go to the Shaman's bedroom first and find that book with the important clues!"

　　The two of them entered the Shaman's bedroom once again.

　　They had been here before, but it hadn't occurred to them that the Shaman would be so cautious as to set up mechanisms and traps in her own living space.

　　Following Bai's instructions, they quickly located the mechanism beneath the Shaman's bed. 

　　With a gentle twist, a hidden compartment appeared before them.

　　Just as Bai had said, there was a yellowed book inside.

　　The book's cover was incredibly old and worn. 

　　Despite being well-preserved, it was still marked by the passage of time. 

　　Some areas were inevitably damaged from frequent flipping.

　　Without hesitation, Ning picked up the book and closed the compartment.

　　They then left the Shaman's bedroom and headed into the courtyard.

　　But just as they were about to leave, the courtyard gate slowly creaked open—

　　A familiar, aged face filled with wrinkles appeared before them!

　　Their eyes met, and both parties were caught off guard.

　　The atmosphere instantly became awkward.

　　Especially when the Shaman saw the important book she had hidden in Ning's hand.

　　After a moment of silence, Ning immediately turned and ran towards an arched doorway in the courtyard!

　　"Big Beard, run!!"

　　With a shout, both of them bolted towards the western archway without looking back!

　　The Shaman's face contorted into a ferocious expression, and with an enraged roar, she hobbled after them, leaning heavily on her cane!