I looked at the thick stalks of rice before me, the eerie paddy field.
Recalling what Master had told me about immortal straw men.
It immediately occurred to me.
Were these rice stalks immortal rice?
Were they grown using human corpses?
So I stepped forward a few paces and asked Master:
“Master, are these rice stalks, immortal rice?”
As soon as I finished speaking, Daoist Tang next to me looked at me with a surprised expression:
“Kid, you know about immortal rice too?”
I nodded:
“Yes! My Master told me!
And something I forgot to mention during the day.
After the headless fierce ghost was killed last night, it scattered into a pile of broken rice stalks.”
As soon as I said this, Daoist Tang’s gaze sharpened, his face becoming even more solemn.
Master, standing beside me, also frowned:
“Then there’s no mistake. This thing is the immortal rice we saw in our youth, used to grow ghosts.”
Master spoke to Daoist Tang.
Daoist Tang didn’t argue with Master, nodding slightly:
“I didn’t expect anyone in the inland areas to still be growing immortal rice.
Let’s go take a look, and see what kind of fellow it is!
Xiao Mo, keep up…”
Saying that, he threw away the straw stalk in his hand and continued to walk along the paddy ridge.
“Yes, Master!”
Mo Ting replied and quickly followed.
My Master also waved his hand, signaling us to follow.
We walked past five fields and found a path in the small woods ahead.
The path extended deep into the forest.
Daoist Tang looked at his compass.
After confirming the direction, he walked along this path into the forest.
Not long after, we heard cries from a distance.
“Wuwuwu…”
Carried by the forest, it sounded particularly piercing.
We followed the cries and found them.
In a short while, we saw a bamboo shed in the woods not far away.
Under the bamboo shed, a woman in red was kneeling.
She was emitting the sound of “wuwuwu” crying.
It was none other than the red-clothed female ghost we were tracking.
Before her stood an old man with his hands clasped behind his back.
Too far away to see his face clearly.
Seeing this person, Daoist Tang immediately put away the Feng Shui compass in his hand:
“Found him!”
After saying that, without hesitation, he directly drilled out from the bushes.
As soon as Daoist Tang moved, Master followed.
Mo Ting and I naturally followed.
Upon closer inspection, we could see the old man’s appearance.
Long face, slicked-back hair.
Wearing a blue short shirt.
He looked around seventy years old, his complexion very pale.
Glancing at his feet, he cast a shadow.
His eyes were normal black pupils.
But overall, he gave off an icy, lifeless aura.
“Evil creature, where do you think you can escape to!”
Daoist Tang, leading the way, took down the peach wood broadsword from his back.
He tapped it on the ground, making a “clang” sound.
He stopped about six or seven meters away from the other party.
My Master, at this moment, drew the copper coin sword from his sword bag, his expression slightly grave.
His gaze was fixed on the old man, appraising him.
The red-clothed female ghost and the old man naturally also discovered us.
The old man appeared very calm, still with his hands clasped behind his back, unmoving.
However, the red-clothed female ghost’s expression turned panicked upon seeing us.
Her blank white eyes looked at us and said:
“It was, it was them, it was them.
Please, Lord, preside over this, please, Lord, preside over justice for us husband and wife!”
After saying that, the red-clothed female ghost kowtowed to the old man, “bang bang bang.”
Hearing this, seeing this scene, I was very surprised.
That was a red-clothed female ghost, an extremely ferocious being.
And now, she was calling that old man “Lord”?
I held my peach wood sword, standing quietly behind Master, watching.
My Master then spoke to the old man:
“The immortal rice outside, did you plant it?”
The old man wore a kindly expression, smiled and nodded, and in a somewhat hoarse voice said:
“Yes! The rice outside, all planted by this humble Taoist.”
My Master narrowed his eyes and spoke again:
“Humble Taoist? May I ask your esteemed name?
And why are you engaging in the business of raising and planting ghosts.
Do you not know that this goes against karma and will incur retribution?”
The old man remained very calm, still with a slight smile on his face:
“Hehehehe! This humble Taoist, Miao Nanzi, is merely a rice farmer.
But if one attains eternal life, there is no karma.
Since you few fellow Taoists are fortunate enough to find this place.
Why not settle the matter of my family servant with a gesture of goodwill, turning a crisis into peace.
Sit down with this humble Taoist for three cups of tea.
Discuss eternal life, chat about Taoist methods, and form a Taoist affinity?”
This old man was clearly not a good person.
Ghosts grown from immortal rice would not be good ghosts; they all ate people and souls.
The fierce house mother and son were like this, and the headless fierce ghost was also like this.
Such a villain was now extending an olive branch to Master and the others.
My Master let out a cold snort:
“Taoist affinity? You demon are not worthy of it!”
Daoist Tang was even more direct:
“So much nonsense, I see you’re not human either.
If I encounter you tonight, I’ll capture you along with them.”
Saying that, he pointed his peach wood sword directly at the old man.
At the same time, my Master tilted his head and spoke to Mo Ting and me:
“This old man is not human either, and has some cultivation.
When the fight starts, you two be careful and stay far away.”
Hearing Master’s words, Mo Ting and I couldn’t help but gasp, looking at the old man with some surprise.
He clearly cast a shadow, so why wasn’t he human?
But we didn’t ask further at this moment, nodding repeatedly.
Seeing the attitude of Master and Daoist Tang, the old man gave a cold smile:
“Since the two fellow Taoists refuse a toast and insist on a penalty.
Then this humble Taoist can only kill you all and use you as fertilizer for my rice.”
His tone was casual, as if killing others was a commonplace matter.
Daoist Tang had a hot temper and directly snorted:
“Demonic Taoist, let’s see if you have the ability!”
Saying that, Daoist Tang raised the broadsword in his hand.
He charged at the old man and the red-clothed female ghost…