A master of metaphysics is farming.

Chapter 104 Bewitching Words

The carriage sped along the official road at night, with trees lining both sides. As the carriage passed, countless leaves were swept up, and the shadows of the trees seemed to make up figures standing in the swaying shadows.

Inside the carriage, Xiang He leaned against the wall with her eyes closed, while Jing Hua Shui Yue sat beside her with her eyes closed, listening to Xiang He chanting the scriptures. He Sui An looked out the window, listening to the subtle sounds outside.

Neither of them could sleep; they both wanted to get to the next place as soon as possible and find a good bed to get some rest.

Xiang He gripped the blanket draped over her body, her lips suddenly stopping, while Jing Hua Shui Yue opened her eyes at the same time, and Jing Hua lifted a curtain to look outside.

"Has the Taoist priest heard of this?"

He Sui'an lowered the carriage curtain from his hand and looked over. "Is there any noise outside?"

"Hmm," Xiang He slowly opened her eyes, her gaze filled with weariness, "Someone is singing."

He frowned slightly. "What do you mean?"

Xiang He rubbed his eyes and squinted hard before looking outside. He pointed to a mountain peak and said, "Listen carefully."

Aside from the sound of the wind, all that could be heard was the clatter of horses' hooves. He frowned and approached the car window, looking in the direction she was pointing. The cold night was still the same.

As the carriage moved forward, a melodious sound gradually filled the air.

The melodious singing voice was clear, "I heard it..."

In the middle of the night in the mountains, someone was singing a song; the voice was clear and melodious, but the words were indistinguishable.

Xiang He's eyes drooped, her hands resting on the car window, her chin propped up as she looked out. "Singing so late at night, who are you trying to scare to death..."

Seeing her tired appearance, He Sui'an draped a blanket over her, "If it's not anything dangerous, you should get some sleep."

"Didn't you notice?" Xiang He tilted her head and stared straight at him. "The singing is getting clearer and clearer; it's obviously aimed at us."

He wasn't paying attention for a moment, worried about whether Xiang He would get cold, when the voice in his ear became so clear.

"What are you doing...?"

The singing at midnight was so strange.

Xiang He yawned and rubbed the tip of his nose. "They're probably just waiting for passersby. We just happen to be passing by tonight."

"Using singing to attract passersby?"

He Sui'an sat beside her, while Jinghua Shuiyue tactfully moved to sit opposite her.

"Hmm, we seem to be heading in that direction too. If we want to know what that thing is up to, we'll just have to go and see for ourselves."

The moonlight fell on her face, making her expression appear indifferent.

It's no wonder she's different from ordinary people; her mindset is something most people can't achieve.

He felt quite calm, and He Sui'an chuckled softly, "The demons and monsters I used to revere seem nothing special after I met you."

Xiang He wholeheartedly agreed with these not-so-easy words: "Every midnight when the soul looks back, there is someone who misses him; if you feel scared, it is because you have a wicked heart that makes you uneasy."

"That makes sense."

Xiang He withdrew her gaze, her bare fingers exposed, feeling the chill of the night wind.

Just now I couldn't hear the lyrics clearly, but now I can hear the words—

"Brother~ look at you, my sweetheart~ come back quickly..."

The words were read aloud by Shuiyue. Xianghe reached out and patted the back of Shuiyue's head, then pulled her into the palm mirror.

The speed was so fast that Jinghua was still staring wide-eyed, completely bewildered.

Xiang He beckoned, and Jinghua immediately understood and slipped into the palm mirror. Before leaving, she asked, "Daoist, what's going on?"

Xiang He flicked the mirror with annoyance, "You dare to utter such seductive words."

After saying that, she grabbed He Suian by the neck, pried open his teeth with her right hand, and pressed her thumb down on his tongue, "The Yellow Emperor, the supreme ruler, none can surpass him, may your soul return to your body..."

She opened and closed her lips a few times, and He Sui'an, who was being held by her, tilted his head back. His eyes, which had been deep just moments before, were now dull and lifeless. Just as Xiang He finished reading the last word, he stiffened his neck and gasped sharply.

He took a deep breath, his unfocused eyes focused, his chest heaving as he breathed heavily. He gently patted He Song's chest, "Are you alright? Are you feeling any better?"

After choking on the cold air, He Sui'an coughed a few times to catch his breath. When he looked up, his face was deathly pale and his lips were bloodless.

With heavy eyelids, he struggled to keep them open, his breath weak. "What...what happened to me?"

“When Shuiyue was reading, you were so engrossed that your soul seemed to drift away.”

Xiang He reached out and handed him the water bag beside him, "Don't worry, I've already pressed your soul back down."

Normally, just talking about it is fine, but this time there's an audio accompaniment. If you listen too intently, you'll only get caught in the trap.

Hearing the words outside, Shuiyue hurriedly apologized, "I'm so sorry, sir! I didn't know... I just suddenly started chanting along..."

Xiang He gently stroked the mirror with her fingertips. "I'm not blaming you. Just stay inside and don't come out."

"Yes……"

She then took out a large umbrella and held it out of the car window, saying, "You guys come back first, who knows who that thing is trying to seduce."

Four wisps of green smoke disappeared into the large umbrella. Xiang He peeked out and looked at Zhu Nan, who was riding a large horse. "You two shouldn't listen too clearly. Just pay attention to your surroundings."

"Yes."

She retreated back into the carriage, carefully examining He Suian's complexion. After a few sips of water, she felt much better.

She glanced down at his waist. "Where's the folding fan?"

He Sui'an coughed a few times before pointing to a small cabinet beside him, "Inside..."

Xiang He immediately found it and placed it in his hand, saying, "Why did you put it away? This folding fan could save your life. Keep it close to your body from now on and don't take it off easily."

After being lectured by her, He Sui'an's lips curled into a helpless smile. "After all, it's a weapon of mass destruction. I'm worried you won't be too happy with it."

Their eyes met, and Xiang He's expression froze. After a moment of silence, she scratched her head in confusion. "What are you thinking? This is your self-defense item. I don't need it. Remember not to leave it lying around."

Before he could answer, Xiang He had already packed up her backpack, muttering, "Now that we're traveling together, those evil spirits will stick to us too. Having a safety amulet will help a lot. I'll get them both a safety charm as well..."

As he spoke, he began folding yellow paper with his hands, still muttering to himself.

Seeing her head bowed, He Suian smiled and said, "I've got it."

"Oh? Oh, I'll remember that."

He quickly folded amulets, handed one out the carriage window, and gave another to Xing Ji, the horse driver, so that they could keep them close to their bodies.

After doing all this, Xiang He climbed out of the carriage and sat down next to Xing Ji.

The road ahead wasn't very bright, but the moonlight made it possible to see the trees on both sides, and the singing grew louder and louder, as if it were right next to my ear.

The carriage was heading in the direction of that mountain peak.

Has anyone ever been disgraced or died here?

Xing Ji shook his head warily at his surroundings. "This is an official road. If someone is disgraced or dies, the government will investigate thoroughly. However, there hasn't been any investigation recently. Perhaps we'll hear something when we reach the next town."

"Okay, everyone be careful. That thing is just a seductive charm. Just ignore it."

"Yes."

Xiang He stared at the mountain peak, unable to see what was on it, but surrounded by singing, as if the mountains themselves were making sounds.

The roaring sound made his head throb. Xiang He covered his ears, and Xing Ji whipped the horse to speed up.

As dawn broke, the sound gradually faded. Xiang He stood at the front of the car, gazing into the distance. He wanted to go up and investigate, but he knew that the sound would likely disappear after daybreak, so he had to give up.

"Let's ask the people when we get to the town; this can't go on like this."

After all, it's a soul-stealing and harmful thing.