After finishing everything, Zhang Enpu picked up a stone from the ground and began drawing figures on the dirt. Young Master Liu, unsure what the old man intended, simply watched from the side.

"Young Master," Zhang Enpu asked without lifting his head, "You'd agree that Xiushui Village was perfectly fine until these last few months, when strange occurrences started happening frequently, right?"

Young Master Liu pondered for a moment, then nodded. "Yes, just these last few months. It's gotten terribly uncanny."

"Oh?"

"So, what strange things have happened?"

"It started when Guoqiang and I went to the Wuxian Lingguan Temple. After we came back, they all started suffering from 'chongke'—they were incoherent. Old Granny Fan said they were afflicted by a snake spirit, and it took a great deal of effort to finally cure them," Young Master Liu recalled.

"Wuxian Lingguan Temple? Where is that?" Zhang Enpu inquired.

"It's up on the nearby mass grave mound. It's ancient, abandoned now, with no incense offerings."

Zhang Enpu nodded, using the stone to etch the characters '' (Lingguan Temple) onto the ground.

"And then?"

"Then..." Young Master Liu paused in thought. "Then came the village girl, Alan, who hanged herself. Somehow, she turned into a vengeful spirit. We owe everything to Old Granny Fan, but for some reason, even though she managed to soothe Alan's soul, the corpse turned into a Jiangshi, and now it's become the Drought Demon it is today."

"Alan..." Zhang Enpu frowned, then etched the characters '' (Alan) onto the dirt.

"Where was her body buried initially?"

"I think it was near the dam. A construction crew came by to repair the dam not long ago. Wait, I remember now!" Young Master Liu smacked his forehead. "I heard gossip around the village that Alan might have been involved in something messy with one of the crew members, and perhaps the village secretary too. One night, the crew member on duty was scared to death!"

"Oh? There's such a thing?"

"Isn't that right!" Young Master Liu nodded repeatedly.

Zhang Enpu smiled faintly and drew the characters '' (Water Dam) on the ground. Having finished, he lapsed into deep contemplation.

After a long silence, he seemed to grasp something. "It seems that water dam and that mass grave mound are quite peculiar."

"Old Granny Fan mentioned something similar," Young Master Liu added, dredging up more details. "She said someone had set up some kind of formation there, claiming the Yin energy there was many times stronger than outside!"

"I see!" Zhang Enpu clapped his hands once. He drew a circle around the three sets of characters he had written and then connected them with lines.

"We’ll head to the Lingguan Temple right now. We’ll take care of those things, and then we’ll go examine the dam thoroughly." With that, he picked up his Tianshi Sword and prepared to leave.

"Master, what exactly have you figured out? You're being so mysterious," Young Master Liu muttered.

Zhang Enpu paused his steps and said lightly, "If we don't move to suppress the source, the evil in the village will only multiply and spiral out of control. Exorcism and demon-slaying are like compounding medicine; you must treat the root cause, not just the symptoms!"

"Then what about us?"

"You lead the way!"

"We're really going?"

"To the Wuxian Lingguan Temple!" Zhang Enpu smiled.

After rounding a hill, the two had been walking for about ten minutes. The village dwellings were growing distant, and what came into view were mounds of graves without headstones, and crows cawing discordantly from tangled branches.

"Master..." Seeing the familiar surroundings, Young Master Liu was instantly flooded with the lingering dread from his previous encounter. He tugged at the hem of Zhang Enpu's Taoist robe.

"Heh heh, what is it? Scared?" Zhang Enpu gave a knowing smile.

"Pretty much. Let me tell you, Master, this temple is seriously cursed," Young Master Liu mumbled. "I personally saw the statues of the five Lingguans smile."

Young Master Liu thought this confession would make Zhang Enpu turn back, but the latter didn't react in the slightest upon hearing it, maintaining his steady pace.

"Master, Master..."

"What now?"

"Didn't you hear what I just said?" Young Master Liu asked.

"I heard you!" Zhang Enpu replied.

"Then... then you're still planning to go in..."

"Why wouldn't I? Statues smiling, candles extinguishing, people getting afflicted—these are mere parlor tricks of some low-level Earth Immortals. Not worth mentioning. I'll go in; you wait outside," Zhang Enpu explained.

"So... I don't have to go in?" Hearing Zhang Enpu's words, Young Master Liu instantly felt relieved.

"Mmm," Zhang Enpu quickened his pace.

Before the Wuxian Lingguan Temple, the plaque had collapsed, and cobwebs hung everywhere. Whether due to the setting sun or light refraction, the entire temple exuded a chilling ghostly aura, with a dark crimson hue almost covering the entire structure.

"You stay outside, don't wander far. I'll be out shortly." Zhang Enpu grunted, patted Young Master Liu's shoulder, and pushed the door open to enter.

Silence reigned throughout the temple.

But the instant Zhang Enpu stepped inside, the two large doors slammed shut without warning.

Simultaneously, the two candles lying on the dilapidated offering table flickered to life, emitting a faint glow that illuminated the half-profiles of the five hideous statues.

A gust of wind swept through, rustling the leaves littering the ground, brushing against Zhang Enpu's Taoist robe. Shadows, black and fragmented, swayed back and forth, appearing especially grotesque.

"Hmph hmph," Zhang Enpu didn't bother looking. He raised a hand, stepped out with his left foot, and drew half a Taiji symbol before him. His right hand slowly drew the Tianshi Sword from its sheath.

"The sixty-fourth generation successor of the Orthodox One Celestial Master Dao, Zhang Enpu, has arrived! Evil spirits and monsters, retreat at once!"

"Giggle... creeeeak..."

"Giggle... creeeeak..." The eyes of the five statues emitted points of sickly green light, and their mouths stretched wide, as if mocking him.

"CLANG!!!" That was the sound of a sword being fully drawn!

Hearing the bone-chilling laughter from within the temple, Young Master Liu instantly flinched, followed by a string of shrieks and the sound of tables and chairs overturning. Young Master Liu was about to call out for Zhang Enpu when all noise abruptly ceased.

Had the old Daoist... taken care of it?

That was Young Master Liu's immediate thought, but it was quickly overturned, for the temple door opened, and Zhang Enpu walked out, unharmed and radiating celestial grace.

Zhang Enpu raised a hand and tossed five round, bulging objects that had been hanging on his sword sheath to Young Master Liu's feet.

Young Master Liu looked down and saw five chubby little animals: a pig, a fox, a snake, a weasel, and others.

"These?"

"You don't recognize them? These are the five things that scared you," Zhang Enpu shook his head. "These are merely beasts from the Northeast that have gained some traction."

"But they were the Lingguans! I saw them smile," Young Master Liu protested disbelievingly.

"The so-called Lingguans were merely wooden or clay effigies carved by the villagers. How could they possibly become living things? They were merely borrowing forms manifested by these beasts to fool you folk."

"Master, you are incredible!" Young Master Liu was now thoroughly convinced.

"Heh heh, a minor issue. Alright, take me to the dam now!" Zhang Enpu said.

When the two arrived at the dam, Zhang Enpu’s expression had drastically changed. He kept calculating with his fingers, sighing repeatedly.

"No wonder, no wonder at all..."

"This is clearly the Nine Scholar Yin Convergence Array! With this formation, all the resentment from the entire mass grave mound and its surroundings will be continuously channeled and trapped within the narrow confines of this dam. The malevolent energy here cycles endlessly, and now it has become a terrifying presence. Whether mountain spirits or vicious specters, their cultivation here would increase by more than tenfold. No wonder you say that Miss Alan's corpse turned into a Jiangshi even after her soul was sent to rest. No wonder in just a few months, that Jiangshi could transform into the dreaded Drought Demon!"

Zhang Enpu paused here; all previous questions suddenly connected like beads on a thread, and all causes pointed directly to this water dam.

"Then who on earth went to such painstaking trouble to lay down such a formation here?" Zhang Enpu muttered in confusion.

Young Master Liu shook his head, his expression clearly asking, You’re asking me? Who should I ask?

"Young Master, we need to go back with me for the compass. This location is no small matter!" Zhang Enpu let out a long sigh.

When the two returned to Xiushui Village, panting heavily, and explained the reason to the two village elders, Bai Er Laizi and Tian Guoqiang both insisted on going with them for support. Zhang Enpu found his objections useless and gave up, reasoning that perhaps a few strong men might actually be helpful.