Volume Three: The Fox Immortal’s Tomb Chapter Twenty-Four: Gullyhead Village

Li Kun, Xu Tian, and I swallowed hard. Li Kun asked, "This... this can really guide us?"

Xu Tian, looking equally astonished, remarked, "As expected of a ritual artifact belonging to the Dragon-Seeking Masters. I never imagined it had such a function; this is truly incredible."

I said, "Indeed. I didn't expect the Dragon-Seeking Compass to be so powerful. Old Xu, you take the wheel, and I will guide you."

Xu Tian nodded. He took the driver's seat, I sat in the passenger seat, and Li Kun squeezed in behind us, leaning his head between us, staring at the compass in my hands with a look of pure shock.

Throughout the journey, Li Kun and I watched in amazement. The compass seemed to have a life of its own; whenever a bend appeared in the road, the needle would point toward it, shifting incrementally until we had cleared the turn, at which point it would point straight ahead again.

The terrain shifted from paved roads to village paths, and finally to rugged mountain tracks. The surroundings were filled with withered vegetation, and the road was riddled with potholes, making the ride in the van incredibly bumpy and uncomfortable for the three of us.

After about half an hour, the road leveled out slightly, though it remained a dirt track strewn with gravel, producing a constant rattling sound as the tires rolled over it.

We were now surrounded by mountains, driving along a path at the base of two great peaks. We estimated that we were not far from Goutou Village.

Eventually, as we reached the crest of a small hill, we finally caught a glimpse of the village's layout.

Flanked by towering mountains on both sides, a vast, open area sat at the foot of the hills ahead. From our vantage point, we could see clusters of houses, all built in an old-fashioned style using stone.

These houses were packed tightly together. Not far behind the village flowed a clear stream. Though small, it trickled steadily downstream from the headwaters, evidently serving as the village's main water source.

I looked down at the Dragon-Seeking Compass, and its needle pointed directly toward the village below.

"It looks like we've reached Goutou Village," I said to Xu Tian. "Let's hurry and get there."

Xu Tian nodded and started the engine, slowly descending the hill.

Upon reaching the outskirts, we saw a tall, semi-circular wooden archway. Painted in red on the frame were the characters for "Goutou Village." Xu Tian and I exchanged a look before driving slowly into the village.

We didn't get far before the van could move no further. The path was blocked on both sides by houses, leaving a passage less than two meters wide—barely enough for a narrow, two-wheeled cart. If we tried to drive the van through, we would surely scrape the earthen walls.

Xu Tian parked the vehicle, and the three of us stepped out.

We looked at each other, and Xu Tian reached into his jacket, pulling out three jade Guanyin pendants. Each had a hole at the top, threaded with a long red string.

"I got these from the old man," Xu Tian said. "He said they ward off evil and prevent you from being bewitched or possessed by ghosts. I don't know if they really work, but just to be safe, let's each wear one."

Li Kun and I took the pendants. I put mine on immediately. Even if they weren't as magical as Xu Tian claimed, there was a folk saying that men should wear Guanyin and women should wear Buddha, which was a good omen. Besides, anything coming from Old Man Xu was certainly no ordinary trinket; it had to be a top-tier treasure.

Li Kun examined his pendant carefully and turned to me. "Old Liu, I remember Senior Qiu saying that our sect's heirloom ring could also ward off evil. If we combine the two, surely that headless ghost won't be able to do anything to us, right?"

I shook my head. "The heirloom ring has that property, yes, but it isn't omnipotent. Senior Qiu probably said that just to put our minds at ease; a ring alone can't stop everything. However, it is quite possible that the ring protects against corpse poison—that’s likely why it was chosen as the heirloom of the Dragon-Seeking Masters."

I turned to Li Kun and said, "Old Li, hurry up and put it on. Anything Old Xu gets from his father is not just some common item. Plus, it’s a good omen for a man to wear a Guanyin."

Hearing this, Li Kun put the pendant on. Xu Tian suggested, "Old Liu, let's walk into the village and see if we can find anyone to ask for directions." We nodded and began to walk slowly into the village.

After about five or six minutes, we noticed something strange: the streets were completely deserted. There was an eerie, deathly silence—not even the sound of insects could be heard.

Xu Tian walked on my left, Li Kun on my right, and we scanned our surroundings cautiously.

Soon, we came to a bend in the road. We exchanged a look and walked around it.

The view opened up, revealing a wider street, about seven or eight meters across and seventy or eighty meters long.

There were small stalls on both sides of the street, but the place was desolate. Every door was tightly shut.

The sight made my chest tighten. A peaceful little village had been reduced to this by a headless ghost. The population was small to begin with, and after the chaos, there was hardly anyone left—not even a soul to be seen in broad daylight.

Xu Tian whispered, "If I'm not mistaken, this must be the village market. Look at the stalls; this is where they usually do their trading."

"Exactly," I agreed. "But now it's so desolate, I doubt even the night watchman dares to come out."

As we talked, we continued to the right. Just as I finished my sentence, Li Kun stopped in his tracks.

Xu Tian and I turned back to look at him. "Old Li, what's wrong?"

Li Kun held a finger to his lips, signaling us to be quiet. "Don't speak," he whispered. "Listen carefully. Do you hear that?"

Xu Tian and I stood perfectly still, straining our ears.

The moment we stopped, we heard it: a faint, rhythmic sound of a woman weeping.

Goosebumps broke out over our skin. Xu Tian muttered, "This... we aren't encountering a ghost in broad daylight, are we?"

I shook my head. "Don't talk nonsense. That’s a real person crying. Listen, it's coming from nearby."

Xu Tian and Li Kun listened again. "I think you're right," Li Kun said, pointing toward a large courtyard to our right. "It sounds like it's coming from there."

We looked in the direction he pointed—the first courtyard down a side alley to our right.

"Let's go take a look," I said. "If I'm not mistaken, something terrible must have happened to them."

They nodded and followed me to the gate.

Standing before it, I saw that this was one of the larger courtyards in the village, enclosed by a stone wall. The old wooden gate featured faded, tattered images of the door gods, Yuchi Gong and Qin Shubao, which had been worn away by the rain.

As we stood there, the woman's sobbing became much clearer.

Li Kun whispered, "Old Liu, you're not actually thinking of going in, are you? If something happened last night, she’s probably distraught. Her voice is already hoarse from crying. You better be careful, or we might get chased out."

Xu Tian looked at me, waiting for my decision. I nodded. "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

I reached into my pocket and took out my Soul-Suppressing Bell.

Xu Tian looked confused, but Li Kun’s eyes widened, for he knew exactly what the bell was capable of.

Noticing Li Kun's reaction, Xu Tian leaned over and whispered, "Old Li, what is Old Liu doing?"

Li Kun swallowed hard. "He’s about to open his Heavenly Eyes. Don't say a word, just watch."