The next day, as the sky began to lighten, the neighing of horses reached their ears.
Daolang slowly woke up to find the sky already bright.
He wasn't sure if it had rained lightly the night before, as the surroundings felt faintly damp.
He sat up and looked towards the horses.
The horses, which had been neighing earlier, were now leisurely lowering their heads to graze.
He looked around and saw that everyone else was still asleep, so he called out.
"It's dawn, time to get up."
Hearing his call, everyone slowly woke up.
They blinked their eyes open, only to realize that the sky was already bright.
Fei Xiong yawned and complained.
"Why did the sky get bright so early? I'm still so sleepy."
Daolang looked back at him, his face full of helplessness.
"Hurry up and get up. We still have to travel today."
Fei Xiong rubbed his eyes and reluctantly climbed up from the grass.
After that, the few of us groggily followed Fei Xiong into the carriage.
Daolang rode his swift horse alone.
Daolang reminded Fei Xiong.
"Drive the horses carefully and watch the road."
Fei Xiong nodded and said.
"Got it."
The three of us sat inside the carriage, accompanied by the rattling of stones on the dusty road.
The carriage bumped and jolted its way forward.
Liu Shinian lifted the curtain and saw Fei Xiong leaning askew, clearly not fully awake.
In his state, if he accidentally overturned the carriage or took a wrong turn.
It wouldn't be a major problem for them, but Muye was in the carriage.
Muye, in his human form, could not withstand such minor mishaps.
If he were accidentally injured, they would have to be distracted to take care of him.
How could they then focus wholeheartedly on saving people?
With these thoughts, he stood up, walked to the board, patted Fei Xiong's shoulder, and said to him.
"Brother Fei, you should go inside and sleep.
The wind this morning is nice, and I can drive the horses."
Fei Xiong glanced up at him slightly and smiled faintly.
"Can you drive horses?"
"Hahaha"
Liu Shinian couldn't help but laugh. Driving horses was as simple as using your hands.
"Yes, if I couldn't even drive horses, I would have lived in vain."
Hearing him say that, Fei Xiong also laughed heartily, then got up and gave him his seat.
As he turned to go into the carriage, he remembered something and turned back to ask.
"Do you know the way to the Ten Thousand Ghost Forest?"
Liu Shinian chuckled and looked at Daolang.
"Brother Dao is leading the way, isn't he?"
Seeing Fei Xiong still looking sleepy, Daolang couldn't help but say.
"You're still so sleepy, you can't drive the carriage.
You should sleep, I'll lead the way for Shinian."
Since his second brother had spoken, Fei Xiong didn't say anything more.
He lifted the curtain, walked inside, and saw A'li and Muye also sleeping.
So he lay down directly in the middle. Fortunately, Muye and A'li were sleeping on the long benches on either side.
This left him some space, otherwise, if the three of them squeezed together.
Two of them would inevitably be crushed into meat paste.
Daolang looked ahead at the winding, undulating road and instructed Liu Shinian.
"This is a rather secluded single-lane road. Keep going straight, and you'll reach a fork in the road.
At that point, just keep going to the right."
The Ten Thousand Ghost Forest was a forbidden place rumored to be dared by no one.
Most people only knew of such a place.
But if they really wanted to go, very few people knew the way.
Liu Shinian couldn't help but wonder.
How did Daolang and Fei Xiong know the way to the Ten Thousand Ghost Forest?
So he asked.
"Brother Dao, have you been to the Ten Thousand Ghost Forest before?"
"Yes"
Liu Shinian couldn't figure out what they would do in the Ten Thousand Ghost Forest, so he asked again.
"There's nothing valuable in the Ten Thousand Ghost Forest, why are you going there?"
Daolang sighed slightly and asked him.
"Do you really want to know?"
Liu Shinian said.
"Whether it's good or bad, just listen to it as a story."
Daolang chuckled and then began to tell him why they had been to the Ten Thousand Ghost Forest.
"Back then, Fei Xiong and I had only been in the bandit business for a few years.
On one occasion, while escorting goods for someone.
We accidentally encountered an old woman who was seriously injured."
"I guess that old woman was from the Ghost Clan."
Liu Shinian immediately guessed the person's identity.
"Yes, she was from the Ghost Clan.
At that time, the remnants of the Ten Thousand Ghost King's forces were rising.
So it wasn't difficult to guess that the old woman had been injured by the Four City Heroes.
Before she died, she gave us all her belongings.
She only asked us to take a strand of her hair to the Ten Thousand Ghost Forest.
She wanted to guard the Ten Thousand Ghost King forever, just like the Ghost Clan warriors, even after death."
As he spoke, Daolang's eyes welled up slightly with tears.
Even though many years had passed, every time he talked about it, it was as vivid as if it had happened yesterday.
Liu Shinian was also filled with emotion after hearing this.
He had originally thought that the Ghost Clan were all heartless devils who killed without blinking.
He hadn't expected that among them, there were also such loyal and righteous people.
Daolang continued.
"Later, after we buried the old woman.
We took a strand of her hair and went to the Ten Thousand Ghost Forest, burying it on the slope outside the forest."
"How touching."
Liu Shinian and Daolang heard a sound and both turned their heads.
They saw Muye sitting by the carriage door, listening to Daolang tell the story.
Tears of emotion were welling up in his large eyes.
Liu Shinian said speechlessly.
"How do you always appear so silently?"
I pouted with disdain.
"I was sleeping soundly just now, and suddenly I heard you telling a story.
So I got curious and came to listen.
It's all because this story is too captivating that you didn't notice me."
Daolang smiled helplessly and said.
"Muye, I didn't expect you to enjoy stories so much."
I chuckled foolishly.
"When I was a child, I often heard people in my family tell stories about ghosts and monsters.
Now, hearing you tell stories I don't know, I can't help but be curious."
Liu Shinian shook his head helplessly and chided lightly.
"You, you're always so curious."
"If you were me, you'd be even more curious than me."
"Well, it's a good thing I'm not you."
"Yes, it's thanks to you not being me that you can't experience different kinds of joy."
"Yes, you can't experience the joy of being a woman."
"Shameless."
Daolang smiled helplessly.
He hadn't expected that Muye and Liu Shinian's relationship.
Had become so close that they couldn't help but bicker whenever they spoke.
If outsiders hadn't said anything, they would have thought they were a couple.
At this moment, A'li also poked his head out from behind the curtain, listening drowsily to the commotion, and asked.
"Where are we?"
Daolang replied.
"We've reached Huangtugou. A little further ahead, there are some houses."
A'li nodded slightly, rubbed his eyes, and then complained about us.
"Why are you arguing again?"
I said indignantly.
"That's not true, it's just that Liu Shinian is too annoying."
Liu Shinian also said.
"Who's arguing with her? She always sneaks over to eavesdrop silently.
It scares me to death every time."
I snorted dismissively. Liu Shinian shook his head helplessly, spread his hands, and said.
"See? That's her temper.
If it weren't for the fact that we're counting on her to save someone, I'd really want to throw her out of the carriage halfway."
I retorted defiantly.
"You should jump out yourself.
So that when you fall asleep, I won't have to bother throwing you out of the carriage."
Seeing that I was also saying childish things, Liu Shinian couldn't help but laugh.
"Look at you, you're really not brave. If you were brave, you'd throw me out of the carriage now."
"You said it."
"Yes, I said it."
I got up, went over to him, took off my shoes, and was about to shove my feet in his face.
Liu Shinian quickly dodged, his face full of panic.
"Liu Muye, you're not playing fair!"
"Hmph, know how formidable I am now, little one."
He pointed at me, full of resentment.
"Liu Muye, you just wait!"
"Pah, who's waiting for you."
A'li was speechless, watching this childish squabble.
A bold and wicked thought suddenly crossed his mind.
"What would happen if I kicked both of them out of the carriage at the same time?
It would be much quieter then, hahahahahaha."
As he thought, he couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"Hahahahahaha."
Hearing the laughter filled with confusion.
Liu Shinian, Daolang, and I turned to look at him, bewildered.
I called out to him in confusion.
"A'li, what's wrong with you?"
A'li came back to his senses.
Seeing the three of us looking at him with confused and somewhat suspicious eyes.
He knew he had lost his composure and coughed lightly, forcing a calm demeanor.
"It's nothing, I just thought of something funny and couldn't help but laugh.
Hahahahahaha."
He started laughing to himself again, and the three of us were speechless.
We thought, perhaps as we got closer to the Ten Thousand Ghost Forest, people would become stranger and stranger.
Although we thought so, there was no concrete evidence.
Not long after, Fei Xiong also woke up.
He rested one hand on the long bench to his left, and all he could hear was laughter.
He sat up and saw A'li with half his body inside the carriage and half outside.
He called out to A'li.
"A'li, come over here, so I can get out and get some air."
A'li turned his head and saw that he was awake, so he responded.
"Okay."
Then he got up and moved aside, making way for him, and I also said.
"I'll go inside."
So, I also went inside the carriage and stood on the bench to make way for him.
Fei Xiong was then able to walk outside smoothly and onto the board.
"Brother Fei, you're awake."
Liu Shinian saw Fei Xiong wake up and struck up a conversation with him.
Fei Xiong patted his shoulder and said.
"Let me do it, you rest for a while too."
"Alright then."
So, they switched positions again, and the task of driving the horses was handed over to Fei Xiong.
Daolang pointed ahead and said.
"Not much further ahead, there's a village. We can rest there tonight."
"Okay."
Fei Xiong responded and started driving the horses.
The carriage traveled for the entire day, and as night fell.
We arrived at our last resting place.
At the entrance of the village, a dilapidated board was erected, with "Luoshui Village" written on it.
Upon reaching Luoshui Village, we would reach the Ten Thousand Ghost Forest after crossing three more mountain peaks tomorrow.
However, this Luoshui Village looked somewhat strange.
It was already night, yet not a single house had lights on.
Had they all gone to sleep early? But the sun had only set a short while ago.
The entire village was eerily quiet, with houses but no people.
Fei Xiong stopped the carriage and looked at the village before him, seeming to sense something was amiss.
He said to Daolang.
"Brother Er, this place seems to exude an evil aura."
Daolang also sensed the strangeness and replied.
"It is indeed a bit unusual."
I looked closely in the faint blue light before dusk.
I noticed that some freshly washed clothes were still hanging outside the houses.
The paths in front of the doors were also clean, with no杂物.
It was clear that people still lived here.
But we didn't know where they had all gone, perhaps they were hiding.
I told Daolang what I had seen.
Daolang seemed to have realized something and turned back to us.
"We're not far from the Ten Thousand Ghost Forest. Let's rest here for the night."
For safety's sake, we set up a bonfire in the open space in front of the village.
Taking turns on watch, Liu Shinian, for some reason.
Was particularly energetic at this time and volunteered to stand watch at night.
Thinking that he was skilled in martial arts and that they could sleep peacefully with him on guard.
So, we only stipulated that they could switch shifts at night.
Liu Shinian would guard the first half of the night, and Daolang and Fei Xiong would guard the second half.
As for A'li and me, we were responsible for sleeping.
At night, a crescent moon broke through the clouds.
Hanging in the middle of the sky, like a lone boat sailing into the endless firmament.
It scattered countless ethereal points of light, falling onto this land, pure and flawless.
Beneath the crescent moon, Liu Shinian, holding his willow sword, leaned against a tree.
He occasionally looked up at the moon. The long night was missing someone to bicker with.
He felt utterly bored and would get up from time to time, pacing back and forth.
Suddenly, a crystal-clear flying knife flew from afar and stabbed towards Liu Shinian.
Liu Shinian quickly dodged to the side, the flying knife whizzing past his body.
It flew into the silver forest behind him.
Immediately after, a white figure flashed out quickly and drew his sword to strike.
Liu Shinian drew his sword to meet him and blocked several of his moves.
The person sidestepped, deliberately letting Liu Shinian see his figure, to lure him elsewhere.
Liu Shinian took the bait and hurried to chase after him.
In my sleep, I suddenly felt as if someone was tugging at my arm.
I thought it was Liu Shinian, and I reached out to bat him away, but I didn't touch anything.
But that faint, elusive feeling persisted.
Impatiently, I opened my eyes, intending to curse him.
However, when I opened my eyes, I only saw the others sleeping soundly. Liu Shinian had disappeared.
The sound of intermittent bird calls reached my ears.
I scratched my head, wondering if it wasn't Liu Shinian pulling me, then who else could it be.
After thinking for a long time, I couldn't come up with anything, so I decided not to think about it.
Just as I was about to lie down and continue sleeping, I was suddenly patted on the back.
Curiously, I turned my head and saw the most terrifying sight of my life.
A woman in flowing white, whether human or ghost, lowered her head.
Her hair was disheveled, and her pale, weak face was looking at me.
I was so scared that my soul was almost gone, and I screamed in terror.
"Ah!" and then fainted to the ground.
My scream woke up A'li, Fei Xiong, and Daolang.
Seeing me faint, A'li rushed over, picked me up, and pinched my philtrum.
I slowly woke up.
A'li hurriedly asked.
"Muye, what's wrong with you?"
Still shaken, I weakly pointed to the sky and said.
"There, there's a ghost, right here."
The three of them looked up curiously. Apart from the bright moonlight and scattered stars above.
They couldn't see anything else. A'li comforted me.
"Perhaps you saw wrong. There's nothing here, don't be afraid."
I shook my head and said.
"No, there is, there's a ghost, a long-haired female ghost."
The three of them were a little confused by what I said.
They couldn't imagine what the ghost I described looked like.
Daolang comforted me.
"Muye, calm down first, don't be afraid.
There are no ghosts here. If there are, they are people in disguise."
Hearing his words, I nodded slightly and slowly calmed down.
Suddenly, the sound of fighting came from somewhere, and everyone quickly got up and rushed over.
Following the sound to an open space, they saw Liu Shinian as if possessed.
He was wildly slashing his sword in the open space by himself.
A'li asked in confusion.
"What's wrong with him?"
"He's encountered a master."
Daolang saw it at a glance.
"Shinian, hold on, we're coming to help you."
Saying that, Daolang and Fei Xiong rushed into the open space with their axes and large sabers, hacking wildly.
A'li also wanted to help, but before he could step forward, he was inexplicably kicked flying.
"A'li!"
I was about to go pull him when I heard several "swoosh" sounds.
Several flying knives flew over, blocking my path.