"What's wrong?"
Seeing Yang Ge's face suddenly turn extremely ugly, even more so than when they encountered the oil thief earlier, with fear in his eyes.
Could it be another oil thief?
Yang Ge quickly slammed on the brakes, took a few breaths, and said, "I was in too much of a hurry to leave just now, so I didn't look at the road carefully."
"Did we take the wrong road?"
"Not exactly, it's just that this road... has something unclean on it." Yang Ge lowered his voice, as if afraid a non-existent third person might hear him.
A chilling wind swept through, rustling the trees by the roadside. Yang Ge felt as if the darkness was filled with people, with eyes watching him from every stone crevice, every treetop, and even outside the car windows.
He felt a shiver down his spine!
Yan Shouyi breathed a sigh of relief and said nonchalantly, "Oh, that's all."
Yang Ge immediately became serious: "You shouldn't be so dismissive of the supernatural. I've been driving trucks for many years, and my greatest experience is... it's better to believe it exists than not to believe it doesn't! Remember this advice when you're out and about in the future." Da Feng Novel
Yan Shouyi couldn't help but smile wryly. He, the esteemed Lu Ban's successor, had slain more ghost kings than he could count.
And yet, here he was, listening to a truck driver preach about believing in ghosts and spirits.
Did he want me to summon a few lesser ghosts for him to see right now?
Seeing Yan Shouyi's continued indifference, Yang Ge became somewhat annoyed:
"Why aren't you listening to elders? There's a saying... there's a saying."
"A word from you is worth more than ten years of study," Yan Shouyi quipped, playing along with the platitudes.
Yang Ge decided not to explain further and began to find a way to turn back. As he reversed, he said:
"There's a sharp turn ahead. It used to be fine, but then a drunk driver crashed into a house just before the bend. The entire family of three in the house died, but the truck driver survived. However, that truck driver somehow went mad later. After returning home, he killed his wife and children, and then jumped to his death. It's said that the way he fell to his death was identical to the father of the family of three who were crushed by his truck. Isn't that eerie?"
"Mm, quite eerie," Yan Shouyi replied casually.
He was tired of such stories. When the Folklore Research Society was first established, they, in conjunction with Officer Xia Zhi, had handled many supernatural cases. Out of a hundred cases, maybe one would turn out to be genuinely supernatural; the other ninety-nine were merely rumors spread through fear and self-deception.
"Ever since then, there have been frequent car accidents at this bend, especially at night, and even more so for trucks like mine!" Yang Ge said with a dark expression. "Anyway, I'm not taking this road anymore. Even if it means taking a detour or using more fuel, I'm not going this way!"
The usually thrifty Yang Ge had become cowardly tonight. It was likely that he had experienced some supernatural events in the past, or perhaps, he was truly afraid of ghosts.
Yan Shouyi had a different take on this supposedly haunted bend.
One car accident was an individual problem, but multiple accidents at the same location were most likely due to road design flaws.
A sharp turn on a downhill section, coupled with a truck's heavy tonnage and long braking distance, naturally greatly increased the probability of a crash.
However, this also involved the principles of Feng Shui for residential properties.
The family of three killed by the car, if they had consulted a Feng Shui master, would have learned that the exit of the bend presented an "anti-bow formation," a place of great misfortune, and that it was only a matter of time before an accident occurred for anyone living there.
Therefore, Yan Shouyi had always believed that Feng Shui was not mysticism but a summary of theoretical experience. Most people could not grasp its principles, but as long as one could skillfully apply its conclusions, it was enough to be considered a Feng Shui master.
As Yang Ge was slowly reversing, there was a sudden "clang" from behind the car, and the engine stalled.
"Ah, no!"
Yang Ge's face changed dramatically, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.
The car suddenly stalling at this moment was a textbook opening for a horror movie!
"You, you wait in the car for a moment, I'll go down and see what's going on." Yang Ge said, mustering his courage.
Yan Shouyi remained silent, his gaze fixed on the rearview mirror.
Yang Ge hesitated for a moment, then turned his head and said, "Why don't you come down with me? Two people have each other's backs. Besides, you used to do underground boxing, so you must have a 'sha qi' on you, which can suppress unclean spirits."
Yang Ge was right about Yan Shouyi possessing "sha qi," but it wasn't acquired through underground boxing.
Just as Yang Ge was about to say more, Yan Shouyi suddenly raised a hand and motioned him to be still.
"W-what is it?" Yang Ge asked.
"There is... indeed something unclean here," Yan Shouyi said in a low voice.
Ah??? Da Feng Novel Network
Yang Ge, already terrified, turned even paler than paper upon hearing Yan Shouyi's words, his voice trembling.
"Wh-wh-wh-what did you see?" Yang Ge's hands gripped the steering wheel tightly, his eyes bulging.
Yan Shouyi didn't answer; he was staring intently into the rearview mirror.
It was difficult for ordinary people like Yang Ge to see ghosts, but Yan Shouyi was different.
He saw numerous dark shadows suddenly appear behind the car in the rearview mirror.
Those dark shadows floated behind the car like flies, densely packed together.
What were they trying to do? Yan Shouyi pondered with a frown.
Suddenly, the car lurched forward uncontrollably!
Yang Ge and Yan Shouyi were pinned against their seats by the relentless thrust.
Yang Ge, snapping back to his senses, turned ashen-faced. Instinctively controlling the steering wheel to stabilize the vehicle, he shouted:
"The engine stalled, and the handbrake is on, so how did the car suddenly move forward?! It's over, it's really over, we've actually encountered something unclean!!"
The car sped rapidly along the mountain road, navigating several perilous bends. If not for Yang Ge's excellent driving skills, they would have likely plunged off the cliff with the vehicle!
It was indeed a case of the very thing they feared.
Yan Shouyi remained remarkably calm, though a hint of annoyance flickered across his brow.
This was only the first night of their journey, first encountering an oil thief, and now a group of vengeful spirits.
He should have performed a divination before leaving. Now, he knew without needing one that this journey would be anything but peaceful!
Yang Ge struggled to hold the steering wheel, then a sudden thought struck him. He shouted to Yan Shouyi:
"I've heard that ghosts fear villains. Stick your head out the window and yell some curses, maybe the unclean spirits will be scared away!"
Yan Shouyi could no longer stand idly by. Following Yang Ge's suggestion, he rolled down the window, stuck his head out, and stared back at the group of vengeful spirits.
These vengeful spirits were truck drivers who had died here. Because they harbored resentment, they clung to passing drivers, wanting them to stay here forever, just like themselves.
Yan Shouyi took a deep breath, his voice like thunder:
"Scram!!!"