A few people were talking when Fatty agreed to Ye Tiancheng's request. He was to transport an old woman's corpse early the next morning. They never expected to suddenly hear two piercing cries.
The sound was quite terrifying, resembling the cry of a wild cat, causing everyone present to break out in a cold sweat.
It was different from watching a horror movie; it felt more immersive, giving everyone goosebumps all over.
Fatty was the most frightened, trembling uncontrollably. It took him a while to recover slightly. Ye Tiancheng used Zhen Ji to investigate and only sensed a trace of resentment, but he couldn't immediately discern what was causing the disturbance.
Lin Xue took some practical action, looking around and discovering many vengeful spirits. These souls, filled with intense resentment, were all killed by the old woman.
Because their physical bodies were completely destroyed, their souls could not find peace and were now in a floating state.
"I know you all feel wronged and are indeed suffering. Rest assured, I will use my spiritual energy to help you find peace, allowing you to reincarnate without further suffering."
After speaking, Lin Xue began to use her spiritual energy to guide the souls.
Although this consumed a considerable amount of spiritual energy, it was indeed a great good deed. After all, saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda, and cleansing sins is considered a great merit in Buddhism.
After completing this, Lin Xue felt extremely weak. It took her a while to recover slightly, but she was still covered in sweat, as if she had bathed in it.
After some time, everything was over. Lin Xue decided to find a place to rest, but absolutely not to stay in that "black restaurant" any longer. Too many evil deeds had been committed there, and it clashed with Lin Xue's aura. In such circumstances, it was best to avoid such a place, as it was a torment to her.
So, they quickly rented a small inn temporarily. Although the environment wasn't great, the aura here was at least clean, without giving anyone the feeling that they would encounter a particularly sad death here.
Thus, after a period of rest for the group, the incident involving the restaurant that used human-made spices to attract customers finally came to an end.
After a night of rest, the group was no longer so tired. The next morning, they felt refreshed and were ready to embark on another journey.
Fatty had already wrapped the corpse and placed it in the trunk. After a night of air-drying, and with the corpse itself exuding a dark aura, it had condensed into a small mass. However, this was actually better, as it saved space to some extent.
The corpse was already a tight fit in the trunk; it couldn't be placed in the front of the car, as that would be truly morbid.
The car set off. Fatty happily ate steamed buns, finding them particularly delicious that day. However, he had developed a psychological shadow and didn't want to eat meat for a few days. He opted for vegetarian buns filled with cabbage and mushrooms, as well as meticulously prepared eggplant-flavored ones. In any case, the taste was excellent.
"Brother Ye, you haven't eaten this morning. Not eating in the morning is really bad for your health. Hurry up and eat something to fill your stomach; that's the most important thing."
No matter what Fatty said, Ye Tiancheng found it difficult to swallow his food. The main reason was the corpse in the trunk. Suddenly recalling the words of the old woman's subordinate, he felt that what they had said made sense.
"I really can't eat. The thought of a corpse in the trunk instantly kills my appetite. I'm not hungry anyway. I'll eat something after we deliver the corpse to its rightful place. There's no need to rush now."
This was true. Ye Tiancheng had no desire to eat, so there was no need to force himself. It was only a half-hour drive. Delivering the person as promised would be a satisfactory conclusion.
Everything proceeded relatively smoothly, and they finally delivered the corpse to her mother.
Previously, Ye Tiancheng had felt that delivering the daughter's corpse to her biological mother might be a bit impolite and could cause the old woman to have an emotional breakdown.
These were all within Ye Tiancheng's considerations. Fortunately, the old woman's reaction was very calm, as if she had anticipated it.
"I knew something would happen. It's truly a karmic debt. All of this is destined by fate. I, this old woman, am powerless."
Seeing the old woman muttering to herself, Ye Tiancheng and Fatty exchanged glances. Their mutual understanding was that there was no need to linger. Since the corpse had been delivered, they should leave immediately, as the old woman seemed so abnormal.
"The task is complete, we're leaving."
"Thank you for returning my daughter's body. Thank you very much. After all, almost no one is willing to do such an unlucky deed. However, this was within my expectations. When my daughter was young, a fortune teller came and said that my daughter would face this tribulation and that I would meet a fated person. Let's talk while we eat. Please stay for a meal so I can express my gratitude."
These words left them bewildered, as if the old woman knew many things in advance.
Ye Tiancheng looked at the frail old woman with white hair and felt a sense of mystery. Of course, he didn't dare to stay for a meal rashly. Who knew if the old woman was mentally stable?
What if, after losing her daughter, she had suffered too much and no longer wished to live, wanting to take a few people with her? What if she poisoned their food? Then they would have lost their lives. Ye Tiancheng had to remain vigilant, not only for his own life but also for the lives of his good brother and disciple. This was now a team issue.
"We'll have to decline the meal. We're not hungry, and you don't need to thank us excessively. We just couldn't bear to see it. A poor woman, her death was unavoidable by fate, but she endured so much suffering that she couldn't even be buried properly."
Ye Tiancheng wasn't intentionally stirring up emotions. He spoke with sufficient calmness, but his empathy made the old woman's feelings towards him much more complex. Her eyes were filled with tears, perhaps touched that someone would grieve for her daughter, especially a stranger.
"Sir, you are truly a good person. It seems what the fortune teller said was correct. Everything in this world is governed by karma. Please wait a moment, I have something to give you."
The old woman's sudden declaration of giving him something made Ye Tiancheng even more vigilant. Who knew what this old woman was up to? Her words were vague, and she seemed mentally unstable. Ye Tiancheng didn't dare to trust her completely, only believing part of what she said. Perhaps a fortune teller had indeed predicted something.
But in this situation, Ye Tiancheng had to ensure his team's safety. He quickly instructed Lin Xue to keep an eye on Fatty, as Ye Tiancheng suspected the old woman might resort to treachery at any moment.
"I can't do it alone. You two young men, hurry up and help me. I have something to give you, but I need your assistance."
Fatty wanted to go and help, but Ye Tiancheng stopped him with a look. Ye Tiancheng decided to handle it himself, wanting to see what this frail old woman could possibly do as she rummaged around for something.
"Finally found it. After all these years, I'm nearly ninety, and I never thought that the fortune teller's words would come true. I can finally bring this box back into the world."
The old woman held a black carved box, from which a faint fragrance emanated.
However, mixed within the fragrance was a scent of decay, clearly indicating that the box had been sealed for a long time, as evidenced by the dust on it.
"Benefactor, that fortune teller said that my daughter had committed many sins in her past life and would have a difficult fate in this life, dying young. However, the person who returned my daughter's body is a great figure. The fortune teller gave me a box back then and told me to pass it on to my benefactor. Now, as per the fortune teller's instructions, I give you this box, intact. I hope you will accept it."
"I'm not sure what's inside this box. Have you looked?"
Ye Tiancheng worried it might be something inauspicious. What if it carried a curse or poisonous gas when opened? Then he would be in trouble.
"Don't worry, it'll be fine. The fortune teller was a kind-looking person, and many of the things he said have been validated over the past few decades. He might be a very accomplished person. I still trust such a person's words; he wouldn't do anything to harm others."
Since the old woman vouched for it, Ye Tiancheng mustered his courage and used his true energy to open the box. He was initially very nervous, but upon opening it, he found a silver bracelet lying inside, as ordinary as any other silver bracelet. Ye Tiancheng's heart finally settled.
"It seems fine. It's just a bracelet. These are quite common, and there shouldn't be any major issues."
Fatty, who had initially kept his distance at Ye Tiancheng's words, came closer to take a look now that there was no danger. Fatty didn't notice anything special about the bracelet, only casually complimenting it.
"This bracelet looks quite nice. It would be good to wear as a bracelet, but the size seems a bit large. It looks like only I, Fatty, can wear it."
Saying this, Fatty took the bracelet out of the box and put it on his wrist. He was somewhat surprised by how well it fit, as if it were custom-made for him.
"Brother Ye, how come I feel like the bracelet shrunk as soon as I put it on?"
"It seems this bracelet recognizes its owner. It's likely a divine artifact. That's great. The command is yours. Fatty, make good use of it. This divine artifact must have very magical functions."
Fatty stared at the bracelet on his wrist for a long time but couldn't discern anything unusual. However, he grinned foolishly.
"Then thank you, Brother Ye. Fortunately, I listened to you and delivered the corpse. Good deeds do have rewards. Now I have another divine artifact. Let's see who dares to bully us three!"