Chapter 33: Splendid Voice (Twelve) "Burning fire will dispel calamities."...

The two men and the ghost quietly followed Chu Mozhi, the illusion having suddenly shifted from late autumn to the depths of winter.

Chu Mozhi walked for a long time, from the streets to the wilderness, her expression dazed and aimless.

Ye Qingzhan, with exceptional vision, could discern the white-robed Taoist priest standing on a distant hill even if reduced to an embroidered handkerchief. He

folded his hands in his sleeves, his foxy smile unwavering.

Wen Gu also saw it, and with Mo Zhi, he slipped into the bushes, quietly skirting around to the rocks behind the hill, watching the situation unfold.

Dr. Fox smiled gently, saying, "Young lady, you look empty and confused. What has happened?"

Chu Mozhi raised her lowered head, like a puppet being manipulated, her eyes devoid of light, her face expressionless, as if she had no idea what he was saying.

Doctor Fox took a few steps forward, raised his hand, and a wisp of evil emerged from between Chu Mozhi's brows.

Unseen by the mortal Chu Mozhi, she simply assumed the Taoist fox was enlightening her. However, the two men and the ghost behind the boulder saw it clearly.

It was the bewitching voice, the Night Phantom.

Ye Qingzhan patted his head and asked, "When did it enter Chu Mozhi's dreams and erode her mind?" The moment the question reached Wen Gu, she suddenly remembered the packet of medicine Chu Letian had tossed to her that morning. She'd assumed it was just poison, but she hadn't expected the Night Phantom to still cling to it.

Wen Gu also remembered the words "Medicine" written on the two ginkgo leaves.

Ye Qingzhan rued his carelessness.

Standing in front of the rock, Chu Mozhi's vision cleared considerably. She looked at the Taoist standing on the hill, and images flooded her mind—a raging fire, at dawn, dyeing half the sky red.

She stumbled, took a step back, and suddenly fell to her knees, covering her face with her hands. Tears streamed through her fingers and out of the corners of her eyes. She trembled and questioned herself.

"What on earth have I done..."

"What did I do? What on earth did I do! I'm dreaming, I must be dreaming."

"They're not dead, not dead... They must still be waiting for me at Jinxiu Villa, they're fine... I didn't set the fire, I didn't set it... I didn't kill them, I didn't kill them... My sisters are all waiting for me, all waiting for me, why should I stay here? I want to go back, I want to go back!"

Chu Mozhi was in a trance. She stood up from the ground and walked forward without looking back. The fox Taoist chuckled and followed her, saying in a mocking tone: "You are deceiving yourself."

Wen Gu raised his foot, Mo Zhi glanced at him, and the world changed. From day to night, the place where he landed was behind the big tree in front of Jinxiu Villa.

He glanced at Mo Zhi and said calmly, "Nonsense."

Following Wen Gu's words, Ye Qingzhan whispered, "Although you are the master of your own illusion, you can't do whatever you want. If something were to happen to you, how would we explain it to each other?"

Mo Zhi looked at the two of them, smiled, and thought of a phrase: husband sings, wife follows.

Even the ghost behind the tree could still laugh. Chu Mozhi, at the doorway, trembled with fear and knelt before the blazing ruins.

The fox Taoist smiled and said, "You were bewitched by the Night Demon and poisoned the food. You killed all your good sisters. This wasn't a dream; it was your own heinous crime."

The voice behind him spoke slowly, like a tireless teacher answering questions for his students.

"After you set the fire, you fled from here. Several embroiderers in the villa have become desperate ghosts, trapped in this house, crying out for justice all night, demanding your life."

Chu Mozhi looked desperate and said, "I am guilty of an unforgivable crime, and death is not a pity."

"Oh, that's not right. You were bewitched by the night spirit. Today's tragedy is all your fault," Dr. Fox helped her up from the ground, brushed the dust off her body, and said slowly, "If you die, there will really be no way to save the situation."

Before he finished speaking, Chu Mozhi's eyes flickered.

Dr. Fox put his hand back into his sleeve and said slowly, "Don't forget, I can revive the dead."

Ye Qingzhan behind the tree said anxiously, "Anything out of the ordinary must be a fraud - this white fox must have no good intentions. First, he provoked the feelings of several of them, and then after the person died, he rushed to influence and save people. Does he really think he is an immortal?"

He said nothing, but prepared a Yin Sha in his sleeve that could kill with one blow.

Mo Zhi was whirling anxiously behind the tree, as if wanting to rush out, but afraid of exposing their whereabouts. The fox Taoist said,

"Well, I can save them, but—" He paused, then smiled at the girl, whose eyes were filled with extreme piety. "You need to exchange something with your possessions."

Ye Qingzhan, who was behind the tree, had heard the same thing and looked at the girl, whose eyes were filled with anxious worry. Mo Zhi's expression froze.

Remembering what he had seen that day at the County Magistrate's Mansion, Chu Mozhi fell to her knees with a thud, kowtowed to the fox Taoist, and said, "As long as you can revive the people in the villa, sir, I will give you everything I own."

Doctor Fox looked at her, and after a moment, he extended his right hand from his sleeve, touched her forehead with his fingertips, and said, "You said it."

Chu Mozhi nodded with determination.

"Okay," Dr. Fox placed his fingertips against her brow, his voice coaxing as he slowly said, "Repeat after me—"

"The heavens and the earth are bright, and the six qi are in harmony."

Chu Mozhi said solemnly, "The heavens and the earth are bright, and the six qi are in harmony."

"I am willing to offer you my wisdom."

"I am willing to offer you my wisdom."

As the words fell, a crystal red bead fluttered out from between Chu Mozhi's brows and landed in Dr. Fox's palm.

Ye Qingzhan repeated the word "wisdom" and pondered its meaning. Before he knew it, Mo Zhi rushed out. Wen Gu wanted to stop him, but he was still a step too late.

Mo Zhi ran towards the Taoist Fox and pounced on the red bead.

The Taoist Fox seemed to be prepared, and dodged to the side, and the light of the red bead disappeared into his palm. He remained calm and said, "I've noticed something's amiss with you all. If it weren't for my mission, I wouldn't have let you all survive to this day!"

"Since you're here today, don't leave."

As he spoke, the fox Taoist put his right index and middle finger together, interlocking the remaining three fingers. He raised them to his chest, his left hand clasped behind his back, muttering something to himself.

Wen Gu placed Ye Qingzhan in his arms, then manifested a silver ice blade in his palm and pointed it at the fox Taoist. He freed his hand and unleashed a Yin Sha to protect Mo Zhi and the already idiotic Chu Mozhi.

As the incantation fell, the night spirits from all directions followed his command. Wherever they passed, the wind howled, the grass snapped, and wailing filled the air.

"I've been looking for you so hard."

"I'm so hungry, so hungry, let me eat you."

"They deserve to die, you're not wrong."

"Aren't you looking for your parents? Let me eat you and I'll tell you."

The ice blade slashed across the ground. Among thousands of words, only this sentence fell into his ears. Wen Gu swung his sword, cutting off the enchanting voice in his ears. Unexpectedly, this swing of the sword gave the fox Taoist an opportunity to take advantage of him. He released many more similar and deceptive voices.

"Child, don't you remember me? I'm your mother!"

"Is your name Wen Gu? You look so much like you when you were young. I'm your father."

"Let us take you away, son, let us take you away."

This voice is as gentle as water and as sweet as honey. Once it enters your heart, it will be hard to let it go.

The red mark between Wen Gu's eyebrows was faintly visible, and anger came from it.

Ye Qingzhan said hurriedly: "Wen Gu, listen to Gu, you can't listen to its words, and don't take them to heart. Don't be angry, don't be angry, don't let it take advantage of you!"

Her words seemed to be ignored by the young man, his eyes were red and angry, he swung his sword and chopped, and walked towards the Taoist White Fox step by step.

Dr. Fox was not panicked, and the voice of the Night Charm would become more rampant.

"Go with your mother, from now on, you don't have to suffer the torture of evil spirits, and you don't have to suffer for others."

The young man paused.

Ye Qingzhan thought: It's over, I heard it.

Wen Gu shook his head violently, raised his step, but suddenly knelt on the ground and spit out a mouthful of blood.

The sword sank into the ground, and he struggled to stand, unable to do so. The mass in his chest, like a madman, gnawed at his internal organs, attacking his heart.

The evil spirits that had protected Mo Zhi and Chu Mozhi were also constantly returning.

Veins bulged on his forehead, and sweat dripped onto the embroidered handkerchief. Wen Gu's face was pale, his lips stained with blood, and he looked in extreme pain. Seeing him like this, Ye Qingzhan burst into tears and said, "I'm sorry—I promised to protect you."

As soon as she finished speaking, as if triggering a spell, she emerged from the embroidered handkerchief and regained her human form.

Before she could stand still, the fox Taoist flew towards Wen Gu. She tried to cast a barrier, but it was too late. Without thinking, she rushed towards him and hugged the boy who was kneeling on one knee.

"Wen Gu!"

Wen Gu was stunned by being held in the girl's arms.

His eyes were closed, but there was no pain as he had imagined. Ye Qingzhan slowly opened his eyes, only to see a red light all around him, emanating from the ground.

Surprised, she lowered her eyes to look -

the red flower and silver bracelet were as bright as the sun.

Did it save us?

For a long time, there was no sound around, the red light gradually faded, and the Taoist Fox and the Night Demon were no longer visible.

The surroundings changed again. Mo Zhi helped Chu Mozhi to come over, and then helped Ye Qingzhan and Wen Gu to look into the distance.

"Auspicious snow means a good harvest, and this year will be another bumper year!"

Snow fell on the village, and the wind blew wildfires.

"Burning it will eliminate disasters and diseases."

A young man in a linen shirt said, stepping over the fire.

The dry weeds were piled up in piles, and the villagers jumped over them. Some of them were holding children, kneeling beside the fire, picking up branches with sparks, and circling around the children.

Ye Qingzhan looked at the jumping flames, and suddenly some fragmented images flooded into his mind - a little girl in pink, held by her father, crossing the blazing fire. She said, "This is the last traditional festival of the New Year in the northwest. It's called 'Liao Kang,' and it symbolizes the removal of illness, burning away impurities, and soothing the injustice in one's heart."

Before she finished speaking, Chu Mozhi smiled foolishly and walked towards the fire.

Her clothes had long since become tattered, her hair was like dead grass, and her face was filthy. At first glance, she looked like a homeless beggar who had wandered for many days.

The surrounding villagers saw a beggar approaching them, thought for a moment, and pulled a few coins from their sleeves, handing them to her, just for good luck during the New Year.

Chu Mozhi shook her head, waving a hand in refusal, and pointed to the burning wormwood.

"Go ahead and jump if you want." The villager took the money and pointed to a pile of wormwood in the distance. "If it's not enough, there's more. We've already been here for half an hour, so we're going home first. When you're done, remember to put out the fire."

As the man spoke, the villagers turned and left.

Ye Qingzhan glanced at Wen Gu, and thought of Mo Zhi whom he met at the gates of hell, and suddenly understood why she was charred. He looked at the backs of the villagers as they left, and thought to himself: They are willing to give money to Mo Zhi, but they cannot take her home on the last day of the New Year festival.

When all the families are reunited, it is the relatives who

are reunited. People without relatives and friends have always been wandering around, like these little sparks, flickering in the wind.

After everyone left, Chu Mozhi moved the dry grass in the distance to a remote open space, and pulled out a few logs from the still burning fire, threw them into the pair of weeds, and stepped on the flames here.

The weeds on the wasteland have been burning, and are getting more and more prosperous.

The flames danced in Chu Mozhi's eyes, and her peach blossom eyes flashed with strange waves.

When the fire was at its most intense, she smiled and jumped into the fire. Like a moth to a flame, she was resolute.