"Elder Zhang Enpu, I beg you, save my father! He’s been poisoned by the corpse toxin and remains unconscious." Seeing a professional, Tian Guoqiang collapsed into loud sobs, as if finding a savior. "What?

He's been afflicted too?" Zhang Enpu was greatly startled. "No wonder, no wonder I haven't seen the Village Chief these past two days. It seems the situation is grave!" "Grave how?" Tian Guoqiang quickly asked.

Zhang Enpu stood up from the ground, sighing toward the heavens, "The poison of the Hanba is no small matter. Mere talismans and medicine cannot cure the root cause. The only solution is to completely eradicate this Hanba within three days, or he will surely be in mortal danger." "What, mortal danger?" Young Master Liu and Tian Guoqiang were shocked.

They quickly grabbed Zhang Enpu, pleading, "Elder Zhang, we beg you to help us! The Village Chief can't be lost! Please, we implore you." "Alas, I will do my utmost," Zhang Enpu sighed deeply.

Possession by a ghost, also known as a vengeful spirit attaching itself. The possessed person must have the spirit leave their body within three days, otherwise, the mildest outcome is a severe illness, and the worst is instant death. Zombies detest the blood of livestock, especially black dog blood; once they smell it, they will immediately flee far away.

The first thing Zhang Enpu agreed to do for Young Master Liu and the others was to have them find a sufficient amount of black dog blood. Three days remained, but one night and one morning had already passed; there wasn't much time left, so the two immediately set into action. "Young Master, Second Uncle Li has a black dog, but he refuses to donate it.

I offered a high price, but he still refused. What should we do?" Young Master Liu was in the process of collecting blood from a freshly caught black dog when Tian Guoqiang ran over, panting heavily. "Kill!" Young Master Liu made a gesture indicating slaughter.

Li Second Uncle was too selfish; the black dog's blood was needed to save a life, yet he disregarded the greater good, inviting universal condemnation and curses—he deserved to be killed. What Young Master Liu meant by "kill," of course, was not to kill Li Second Uncle; he would never commit such an illegal act, nor would he dare. His meaning was simple: he wanted Tian Guoqiang to stealthily dispatch Li Second Uncle's black dog when he wasn't looking.

"Young Master, Seventh Aunt Li has a black dog, but she won't hand it over. What should we do?" As soon as Tian Guoqiang left, Ma Xiaoyan also ran over, breathless. "Kill!" Young Master Liu again made the gesture for killing.

In truth, Young Master Liu was reluctant to tell Ma Xiaoyan the whole story, but he desperately needed manpower now, and such a large operation would inevitably arouse her suspicion. So, resolving himself to the situation, he laid out the entire affair for her, glossing over the most terrifying parts. Upon hearing this, Ma Xiaoyan’s beautiful face drained of all color, but for Young Master Liu's sake, she struggled to suppress the fear in her heart, becoming resolute.

She was determined to help Young Master Liu save this village. Although there were many dogs in the countryside, the three searched the entire village, even scouring the neighboring hamlets, and only managed to find five black dogs. One of them was only a few days old, and Ma Xiaoyan couldn't bear to part with it.

Of the four black dogs, Young Master Liu slaughtered two. As he prepared to kill the other two, Zhang Enpu stopped him, explaining that if the black dog blood congealed, it would become useless. Thus, the remaining two black dogs were confined, held in reserve for urgent needs.

Was the blood from the two dogs already killed wasted? Certainly not. Adding a small amount of salt to the fresh blood would prevent it from coagulating, though they were unsure about its effectiveness.

To be safe, Young Master Liu and the others also captured several other dogs; after all, any dog blood would suffice. The situation was urgent, and dusk was approaching; if they didn't find the Hanba soon, things would get messy. Although only one day had passed, the longer the corpse toxin lingered, the greater the harm, leaving no room for delay.

Young Master Liu composed himself after waking up slightly and began discussing countermeasures with the group. Now everything was prepared; only the Hanba was missing. However, with mountains rising and waters winding, finding this creature seemed harder than ascending to heaven.

Young Master Liu and Tian Guoqiang’s previous understanding was flawed; in fact, zombies do not need rest. As Zhang Enpu explained, as long as the conditions permit, they can remain active anywhere, doing anything they wish. This meant the Hanba could be lurking or roaming anywhere, pushing the matter into another stalemate.

In this poor and harsh rural setting, finding it was extraordinarily difficult, and it would deliberately hide. They couldn't possibly mobilize the entire village to search! Never mind that he couldn't manage it, even if he could, the day was almost over, and the search would certainly have to be postponed until tomorrow.

Young Master Liu and Tian Guoqiang were frantic, like ants on a hot pan, while Ma Xiaoyan remained bewildered because Young Master Liu had not told her everything, only offering a vague outline. The only one at ease was Zhang Enpu, who, while everyone else was supposedly strategizing, had been resting and conserving his energy on a recliner from the very beginning. "Elder Zhang Enpu, say something!

What should we do?" Tian Guoqiang looked pleadingly at Zhang Enpu. Zhang Enpu was now his only hope; if even Zhang Enpu had no solution, then his Village Chief father was truly done for. Zhang Enpu remained silent, still meditating with his eyes closed, as if nothing had happened, appearing utterly serene.

"Hey, fortune-teller, say something! Everything is ready; we're just waiting on you," Young Master Liu also grew impatient. "Heh heh heh, don't panic, don't panic," Zhang Enpu suddenly sat up, chuckling.

"Look at the time! And you say not to panic?" If it were anyone else, Young Master Liu would have exploded, but this man was their only savior, so he forcefully suppressed the anger churning inside him. Zhang Enpu said, "Precisely because of the time, do not panic.

Let me test your common knowledge: when do you think zombies usually come out?" "At night, of course." "That’s right. The sky is nearly dark now, meaning the spirits and monsters are beginning to stir. Where do you think we should look for it?" "Oh, right." Hearing Zhang Enpu's words, the two immediately understood.

The sky was darkening; even with flashlights, the range was limited. Even if the Hanba was hiding right beside them, they would certainly not notice it. "Then what should we do?" Ma Xiaoyan asked anxiously.

From their conversation and the small amount Young Master Liu had previously told her, she finally grasped the situation: the Village Chief was poisoned by the corpse toxin, and the only way to save him was to capture the Hanba. If they failed, he would be in danger. Young Master Liu had only mentioned that the Village Chief had a minor accident and needed black dog blood to deal with something—in short, his explanation was utterly vague.

"It’s not that we won't act, just that we postpone it slightly," Zhang Enpu shook his head. "Everyone eat and rest early. We must set out first thing tomorrow morning.

Remember, you must be up when dawn first breaks." With that, he turned and headed towards his rented room. "Ah..." The group wanted to stop him, wanting to say more, but Zhang Enpu was already more than ten meters away. Sleeping was troublesome for the trio.

Ma Xiaoyan had spent the afternoon helping catch dogs and the like, and by the time she finished, it was nearly dark. Hearing about everything that had happened from Young Master Liu, and being naturally timid as a girl, she was terrified. Even at Young Master Liu's house, she cast aside her modesty and refused to sleep alone.

As for Tian Guoqiang, he had been scared out of his wits since last night and dared not sleep alone either, even though Zhang Enpu had assured them that the ground around the house was sprinkled with fresh blood, which the Hanba would not dare approach. This put Young Master Liu in a bind. Ma Xiaoyan was his childhood sweetheart, and they had slept together innocently as children; that was fine.

But adding Tian Guoqiang made the situation inappropriate. Imagine: two men and one woman sharing a bed—was that decent? Finally, cornered by the situation, Young Master Liu decreed that the three of them would each sleep in a separate room.

That way, everyone would be scared, making it fair. But Tian Guoqiang and Ma Xiaoyan disagreed, especially Ma Xiaoyan, who looked at him with a fearful expression and pleading eyes. "Guoqiang, it seems you’ll have to suffer alone," Young Master Liu said helplessly to Tian Guoqiang.

Truthfully, he also felt that sleeping together offered more security. But they were different; Ma Xiaoyan was a young lady, and if word got out, it would ruin her reputation, so he had to let Tian Guoqiang be the one to endure the discomfort. "You, you, you...

you beast who values lust over friendship!" Tian Guoqiang was so angry his internal organs felt like they were smoking. Despite his words, he stubbornly refused to sleep alone. Finally, after Young Master Liu’s continuous comforting and sweet-talking, Tian Guoqiang grudgingly agreed to sleep alone in the small bedroom, but he stipulated beforehand that if anything happened, Young Master Liu must rush over at the first possible moment.

Young Master Liu agreed without a second thought. Although they had slept together in childhood, that was when they were innocent. Now that both were adults, an inevitable awkwardness settled between them.

Ma Xiaoyan, her face flushed crimson, sat on the edge of the bed for a long time before resting. Young Master Liu was also embarrassed, but having stayed awake all night yesterday, he collapsed onto the bed and immediately fell asleep. Seeing that Young Master Liu was asleep, Ma Xiaoyan finally summoned the courage to climb into bed and lie down fully clothed.

But at that moment, her nerves were tightly strung, afraid that Young Master Liu might suddenly get up and devour her. Fortunately, Young Master Liu remained still for a long time, allowing her to finally sleep soundly. With the first rooster’s crow, Ma Xiaoyan woke Young Master Liu.

Being alone in a room together was naturally awkward, but they had more important matters to attend to now, so Young Master Liu paid it no mind. Otherwise, he wouldn't have agreed to share a room with Ma Xiaoyan last night. At this moment, Tian Guoqiang also got up.

It seemed his elder cousin held a significant place in his heart. Sometime after the subsequent rooster crows, as the sky began to pale, the three prepared the dog blood outside, exactly as Zhang Enpu had instructed the previous day, and waited for him. The weather cleared, but it was still somewhat chilly.

Although they had all put on two layers of clothing, they huddled close together. This was not only due to the cold but also fear; they had left the protective perimeter of the dog blood, meaning they now had no safeguard. "What are you all doing?" At this moment, Zhang Enpu strolled over with his hands behind his back, observing the three huddled together in fear, finding the scene quite amusing.

"We are guarding against the sudden appearance of the female ghost," Tian Guoqiang reported honestly. "Nonsense!" Zhang Enpu spat and gave him a sharp flick on the head. "Are the black dog blood in your hands just for show?

Besides, right now, it’s busy hiding from us—why would it show up in front of us?" "Oh, right!" The three relaxed slightly, but then tensed up again. Zhang Enpu was correct; now that they possessed the black dog blood, the Hanba would avoid them. If the Hanba truly went into hiding, where would they search for it?

Zhang Enpu ignored the three and walked straight to a spot on the ground, sitting down to meditate with his eyes closed. "This..." Tian Guoqiang stared at Zhang Enpu, speechless. At a time like this, he still had the leisure to rest.

But Young Master Liu quickly interrupted him. Zhang Enpu’s arrival in the village was a mystery; no one knew his background. It seemed as if he knew everything happening around them like the back of his hand.

Young Master Liu was certain he was no ordinary person. Looking at his posture—hands loosely fisted resting on the upper part of his thighs, eyes tightly shut, murmuring something under his breath—Young Master Liu guessed he must have been a cultivator in the past. This also sparked a question: why would a cultivator choose this remote, desolate place as his final refuge?

About an hour later, just as the others were growing impatient waiting, the meditating Zhang Enpu suddenly opened his eyes, rapidly chanting something under his breath. Then, he pointed one hand toward the mid-air and drew a circle in the air, roughly half a meter in diameter. A bizarre event unfolded.

As soon as Zhang Enpu finished drawing the circle about half a meter across, a blurry image appeared within the circle. As the incantation from Zhang Enpu’s mouth intensified, the image gradually became clearer. Within the picture, they saw the elder cousin standing in a grove of trees, staring at something with fury in his eyes, his expression shifting dramatically.

"Isn't that the dam?" Young Master Liu examined the surroundings of the elder cousin and was surprised to find that the location was the dam, not far from the village. Thinking of the dam brought to mind Village Secretary Li Yang, Alan, the young man from the construction team who had inexplicably died of fright, and... and the Three Sha Dragon Trapped Formation that Granny Fan had muttered about.

The area around the dam was near the mass grave site. The trees around the dam were not large, generally only reaching chest height, and were quite sparse, with many areas barren. Young Master Liu had accompanied Granny Fan to survey the terrain before, so he was certainly familiar with that area.

"Yes, yes, that's the dam!" Ma Xiaoyan exclaimed in surprise. She was one of the childhood playmates of Young Master Liu, and she was also familiar with the place. "Where is the dam?" Zhang Enpu looked questioningly at the two.

Being new to the area, he was quite unfamiliar with the local geography. "It's right there," Ma Xiaoyan pointed toward the dam. "What is where?" Suddenly, the image shifted.

When the picture stabilized, a dilapidated coffin lay across the viewpoint, the surrounding earth having been dug up. Trees and wild grass surrounded it, and a female corpse dressed in a red wedding gown lay motionless on the ground. "Where is this?" Zhang Enpu asked.

"It's..." Young Master Liu stared at the environment, feeling a sense of familiarity, yet unable to recall it immediately. "I know! It's the place where they buried Alan," at this point, Tian Guoqiang, who had remained silent, finally spoke up.

Hearing Tian Guoqiang say this, Young Master Liu also realized why it looked so familiar. "The soul has departed, yet the physical body shows no sign of decay. More terrifyingly, the vegetation near it has completely withered, and the earth is cracked.

It appears the malevolent energy has entered the body; it has truly become a Hanba without a doubt." "Elder Zhang, I personally witnessed Granny Fan sending off this female ghost's soul during the liberation ritual. But how could she become like this? Has she returned?" Young Master Liu asked.

"Didn't I just explain? This is not a ghost, but a zombie. Due to the special environmental factors here, although the deceased has passed on, her body retained the last thread of resentment from her life, transforming into this ferocious entity.

This means that everyone she saw before her death is imprinted in the Hanba's mind. Once it gains power, the first thing it will do is slaughter every person it remembers!" Zhang Enpu explained calmly. "Damn, that vicious?" Young Master Liu plopped onto the ground, exchanging looks with Tian Guoqiang.

Having confirmed the Hanba's location, Zhang Enpu waved his hands, and the image in the circle vanished, returning to nothingness. At this moment, Zhang Enpu's complexion was somewhat pale, and large beads of sweat were dripping down his face. It was clear that investigating the whereabouts of this thing had cost him considerable effort.

"Old man, what kind of magic were you using? It’s incredible." Knowing the Hanba's location, Young Master Liu breathed a small sigh of relief, while simultaneously becoming deeply interested in the spell Zhang Enpu had just employed. Having spent an afternoon assisting Zhang Enpu in preparing materials yesterday, he felt the old man was decent, so he changed his address to "Old Man," making their relationship closer.

Zhang Enpu didn't seem to mind. The spell Zhang Enpu had just used to locate the Hanba was called 'Yuan Guang' (Circle Light). The Yuan Guang technique is a superior spell, capable not only of revealing evil spirit possession but also tracking missing persons, investigating thefts, surveying the feng shui of both living and dead residences, and dispelling interference from evil mages' curses, among other marvelous uses.

Moreover, it is highly convenient to use, requiring no props. The mage merely needs to extend a hand or designate an area on any flat surface, and the client can see the reflected image of the object on the mage's hand or the designated surface. The Yuan Guang technique is divided into the Lesser Yuan Guang and the Greater Yuan Guang.

The Lesser Yuan Guang requires no cultivation; one can use it immediately upon receiving it. A master can transfer the technique in half an hour through a single pronouncement. It can be used to petition local deities, mountain gods, city gods, and to investigate the Yin-Yang worlds, heaven, earth, humanity, and spirits.

The Greater Yuan Guang, also known as the Old Light technique, can manifest three-dimensional images in the air and is not something easily mastered by the average person. What is the Yuan Guang technique? The Yuan Guang technique is an "external manifestation" spell, one method of gathering information.

Folk magic has many ways to gather intelligence, such as the Yin-Yang Eye, Ear Report, Golden Mouth, and Planchette Writing. (Golden Mouth and Planchette Writing are both forms of spirit mediumship; one transmits information through speech, the other through writing.) These methods are fundamentally similar; only the form of information expression differs, utilizing the eye, ear, mouth, or hand as channels for transmission. Humans have six senses, and based on individual aptitude, success in one is sufficient.

Both Yuan Guang and the Yin-Yang Eye utilize the human eye sense to gather information and can both display images. However, the Yin-Yang Eye is "internal manifestation"; only the user can see the image. Yuan Guang is "external manifestation"; it allows others to see the image as well.

Therefore, the advantage of Yuan Guang is its ability to inspire trust in others. Though Yuan Guang is excellent, not everyone can see it. Only a pure youth can see the Lesser Yuan Guang, while some adults can see the Greater Yuan Guang.

"Ah... that miraculous?" After Zhang Enpu finished explaining, Young Master Liu, Tian Guoqiang, and Ma Xiaoyan gaped. This was too incredible to believe!

They had heard rumors before about folk magic for tracking theft and finding missing persons, but it was only hearsay; they had never witnessed it themselves. Having received scientific education, they naturally dismissed it as the tricks of charlatans, never imagining they would see it with their own eyes today. The shock was considerable.

"Old man, teach me how to do it?" Young Master Liu said ingratiatingly. This was also what Tian Guoqiang and Ma Xiaoyan secretly wished; if they could master this technique, there would be nothing in the world they wouldn't know. Haha...

The thought alone made them giddy with delight. "Teach you? Do you think you can learn it?" Zhang Enpu snorted disdainfully.

"I..." "Fine then, I won't learn it," Young Master Liu said, but he was already plotting to get the old man drunk someday and trick the secret out of him. "Elder Zhang, were you a cultivator before?" Tian Guoqiang asked. Although everything Zhang Enpu had demonstrated strongly suggested he was a cultivator, he couldn't resist asking for direct confirmation.

"Uh... that, you will find out later." Everyone has a painful secret they prefer not to discuss. Seeing that Zhang Enpu was unwilling to elaborate, Young Master Liu didn't press further, but his curiosity about the old man only deepened.

This was an enigmatic old man...