The Wei hour, from one to three in the afternoon, is when sunlight is most abundant, yang energy is at its peak, and yin energy is at its weakest.
Ordinary minor ghosts fear sunlight and hide in dark corners to recuperate during this time. Even powerful spirits need to possess an object to travel around at this hour.
However, even so, Ping An Building, located in a bustling city district, still felt chilling and eerie.
East Street was the most prosperous area in Rongcheng, adjacent to West Lake and Sanfang Qixiang, a true hub of wealth and the gathering place for the affluent.
Ping An Building stood here, surrounded by tall buildings and filled with noise. Yet, it was like a massive vortex, isolating all the clamor and human presence.
The poplar trees lining the street were bare, with only their branches remaining, a sight rarely seen in the ever-green South.
Yan Shouyi and the other three could feel a chilling cold emanating from just standing outside Ping An Building, sending shivers down their spines.
Ping An Building had a square shape, and the entire structure was painted red. A dragon pattern was carved on the east side of the building.
Lin Zitong asked Yan Shouyi, "Lu Ban's descendants are experts in feng shui. You big dummy, have you figured anything out?"
Yan Shouyi examined it for a while and said,
"The feng shui here goes without saying. The shape of Ping An Building resembles an upright coffin, which reminds me of the upright coffin burial in feng shui, also known as the 'Dragonfly Touching Water' tomb. Upright coffin burials are suitable for merchants or official families, signifying that descendants will be as light as dragonflies touching water, their fortunes will prosper, their official careers will flourish, and any dangers they face will be resolved without incident. There are countless historical records of upright coffin burials, but most of them were done by suspension, and no one would bury a coffin upright in the ground."
He then pointed to the dragon pattern on the east side of the building and said, "This dragon pattern should have been made by your master, right? It uses the dragon's energy to suppress the building's malevolent aura. This is true dragon suppression. Without this formation, the ghosts in the building would likely be even more rampant. But then again, why does your Lu Shan sect like to suppress malevolent energies so much? If it were our Lu Ban sect, we would simply guide all the ghosts in the building to reincarnation."
Xia Zhi asked, "What kind of reincarnation?"
"The kind where their souls are scattered to the winds, of course."
Yan Shouyi turned around again and pointed to the two lampposts standing in front of Ping An Building, saying,
"When the building was constructed, they definitely didn't consult a reliable feng shui master. These two tall lampposts are like incense sticks placed before a spirit tablet. They look good, but they have invisibly nourished the ghosts hidden within the building. Alas, it's impossible to move them now. If the ghosts in the building aren't dealt with first, anyone who touches these two lampposts will die!"
There's a saying that cutting off someone's livelihood is like killing their parents. If someone were to cut off the incense offering for these ghosts, it's no wonder the ghosts in the building would fight to the death.
Therefore, even Yan Shouyi, without understanding the situation inside the building, dared not rashly touch these two lampposts.
After hearing Yan Shouyi's lengthy explanation, everyone's mood grew somber.
Long Feicheng, carrying a backpack full of "weapons," swallowed hard and asked,
"Are we... really going in?"
Xia Zhi scoffed, "At this point, are you still thinking of backing out?"
Long Feicheng retorted stubbornly, "I'm known as the Little White Dragon Who Rides the Waves in Rongcheng, how could I be scared? I just... ate something bad yesterday and I'm a bit unwell."
Yan Shouyi said, "Unwell stomach? Then you should be careful. Ghosts love to stay in dirty places and even more so to sniff out foul odors. If you fart in the building, you might attract those ghosts to cling to you."
Long Feicheng: "..."
For a moment, Long Feicheng felt he could give up all his future wealth and status.
Just as Long Feicheng was having second thoughts, a van stopped by the roadside. The window rolled down, and Lu Caiwei was sitting inside, cheering them on:
"Although I don't dare to go in with you, I can provide remote assistance! You must all keep going!"
Upon seeing Lu Caiwei arrive, Long Feicheng immediately turned around and shouted with renewed courage,
"What's there to fear? When you're dead, you're just a bird facing the sky! Let's do this! Olly oll oll! (a cheering phrase)"
To win the favor of his goddess, Long Feicheng was willing to go all out.
Seeing Long Feicheng's comical display, the gloom brought on by the building seemed to lessen, and smiles appeared on everyone's faces.
Through her father's connections, Lu Caiwei had procured a set of equipment for Yan Shouyi and the others, which allowed for real-time communication and remote broadcasting of the situation. This was to prevent them from getting separated and wandering around like headless chickens if they encountered danger inside the building.
Lu Caiwei would be in the van outside the building, maintaining contact with everyone. If they needed any consultation or help, Lu Caiwei could respond immediately.
Yan Shouyi, wearing an earpiece and a sports camera on his chest, couldn't help but marvel, "Times have changed!"
In the past, how did Yin-Yang masters catch ghosts with such equipment?
He didn't resist these electronic devices. On the contrary, if one day humans could create weapons capable of dealing with evil spirits, he could retire honorably and live a life of seclusion.
The group exchanged glances and strode towards Ping An Building.
The glass doors on the first floor of Ping An Building didn't need to be locked, as even homeless people were unwilling to enter. Thieves had already looted anything of value, so locking it was meaningless.
Pushing the door open, a blast of cold wind assailed them, and they instinctively let out a gasp.
Yan Shouyi, leading the way, cautioned, "The yin energy inside Ping An Building is very heavy. Ordinary people cannot stay here for too long. Stick close to me, and don't get separated."
"Okay." The other three nodded.
The moment Yan Shouyi and his group stepped into Ping An Building.
Lu Caiwei, sitting in the van and having adjusted her state, clicked the connect button on her computer. However, the screen showed no reaction.
"Huh? What's going on?"
Lu Caiwei didn't believe it and tried several more times. Then, she simply restarted the computer and checked the hardware and network status.
Yet, the computer equipment and network were all normal, but the video and audio simply couldn't be transmitted to her computer!
Lu Caiwei immediately had an ominous premonition.
Thinking that Yan Shouyi and the others had just entered the building and shouldn't have gone far, Lu Caiwei quickly got out of the van and ran to the front of the building, shouting inside,
"Zitong! Yan Shouyi! Little Long! Officer Xia Zhi! Don't rush in yet, I've encountered a problem here!"
However, the interior of the building was pitch black, and the sunlight outside couldn't penetrate. Lu Caiwei's voice echoed, but no one appeared, and there was no response.
"We're doomed! They've just entered the building, and trouble has already started!"
Lu Caiwei was filled with worry but dared not follow them in, for she knew very well that the ghosts in the building had likely begun to stir the moment Yan Shouyi and the others entered.
If she were to go in now, it would be a futile gesture.
As Lu Caiwei grew anxious, three young people suddenly appeared behind her.
The three young people were laughing and chatting, dressed very stylishly. One of the boys even had his hair dyed green.
They were holding live streaming equipment, talking and laughing into the camera as they approached the front of Ping An Building.
"Hello, family! I'm the ghost-hunting streamer, Xiao Xiao Dao, and this is my girlfriend, Lily! Come on, Lily, give everyone a smile!"
"Thank you, Brother Liu, for the rocket!~~"
"In our Rongcheng, when you talk about ghosts, there's one place you can't miss, and that's this Ping An Building in front of me! Regarding the terrifying incidents that happened in Ping An Building, I suggest everyone search online for themselves. Xiao Xiao Dao won't elaborate here. We'll go in and investigate directly later. All my friends, remember to click follow and double-tap!"
"What? You ask if the streamer is afraid of ghosts? Heh! Old fans know that I, Xiao Xiao Dao, am a genuine Longhu Mountain Taoist priest. I've been to so many haunted places before, when have I ever been afraid? If anyone should be afraid, it should be the ghosts fearing me!"
"When I enter Ping An Building later, I'll have Ox-Head and Horse-Face lead the way, and Black and White Impermanence following behind. Whichever ghost dares to cross my path, I'll directly banish it on the spot!"